Rob Ford inadvertently disrupted a police sting on his friend and occasional driver Sandro Lisi, the Toronto Star reports. A "domestic assault" call to police from Ford's home caused Lisi to contact the mayor and his staff, diverting him away from a planned bust. Ford checked into a hotel on Jarvis St. following the incident and received a package from a man in a nearby laneway, the paper alleges.

Rob Ford says he won't support a property tax rise of more than 1.75 per cent in next year's budget. Budget chief Frank Di Giorgio says the city will struggle to implement a property tax increase lower than 2.5 per cent because of council's decision to back a Scarborough subway, Ford's plan to cut the land transfer tax by 10 per cent, and less money arriving from the province. "This is not the way I ran the government and I won't be supporting it," Ford told a business reception at Casa Loma.

The Sun reports Ford hasn't been doing much networking since being stripped of many of his powers. He hasn't met once with newly empowered Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Rob Ford's future is for Toronto to decide. The PM avoided calling on the mayor to resign but levied general criticism on Ford for buying and consuming illegal drugs. "[The government] never support the use or purchase of drugs by people in politics or in public positions," he said.

Pearson airport is getting some new high-end eats. Celebrity chefs Lynn Crawford, Susur Lee and Roger Mooking are planning to open restaurants - "ethnic cuisine, comfort food and halal options" - by summer next year.

Finally, A Toronto man said he had proof that more than one shooter was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy, but the Toronto Telegram newspaper lost the vital photographic evidence in the 1960s. Norman Similas lived in Toronto and was sent to Dallas by the Canadian Beverage Review. His son says a photo that shows two figures in the window of the book depository was sent to the newspaper and, conveniently, lost.

IN BRIEF:

• Toronto ombudsman looks to cut red tape [CBC]
• Wynne says Liberals will try to ban coal-fired electricity [CBC]
• Bill Blair, community leaders spend night on streets for charity [CTV News]
• Maple Leafs' defence stumbles in loss to Predators [CBC]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: BruceK/blogTO Flickr pool.