In a move that has some labeling Stephen Harper and Co. homophobic, the federal government has decided not to fund Pride 2010. The festival, which received about $400,000 last year, will have to do without as the government cuts funding to major urban events in favour of spreading the love to smaller centres. At least that's how Industry Minister Tony Clement is spinning it. What are the remaining events that will get funding? Luminato and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. WTF? Luminato is great, but the RAWF ain't exactly an international event, no matter what Clement says.

Mariam Makhniashvili's father has been taken into custody after allegedly stabbing an unnamed 26-year-old man. Although the identity of neither person has been confirmed, paramedics arrived at Makhniashvili's apartment building on Shallmar Boulevard at around 7:45 p.m. last night. It's tough to know if this relates to the missing teen, but something about this just seems troubling. Update: Vakhtang Makhniashvili is facing multiple assault charges in connection with the stabbing.

Food critic James Chatto will no longer be writing for Toronto Life. Although perhaps not the biggest news, Chatto was a fixture of Toronto food reporting via Toronto Life for over 20 years, so his termination is surprising. Here's how he describes it: "Sarah Fulford [TL's editor] took me into her office and told me that the magazine will be undergoing some change....They're looking at developing a new tone and aiming for a new audience, and I don't fit into the new plans." Upon completion of this roundup, I'll be sending Chatto a note to see if he wants to write for blogTO. We've always liked you, James...

Here is a decent editorial by the Star's Christopher Hume on Toronto's lack of urban planning and why such a failure needs to be an election issue. One issue, however: glorifying David Crombie's years as mayor (1972-78) in an article about planning might not be so savvy on account of the architectural catastrophe that occurred during the we-need-more-parking-lots-period.

And, as if there was another reason to beat up on the Toronto Sun, this "article" is, well, dumbfounding. Why is that this is published and yet there's no mention of Pride funding cuts?

Photo: "Broom Solo" by sniderscion, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.