The arts
The city’s executive committee endorses a bold plan for the arts – $6 million in new arts and culture investment for 2013 to add a little colour to a paint-by-numbers budget. Ben Spurr has the full story on page 14.
Toronto Blue Jays
Major League Baseball names our Jays the recipients of the Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence in recognition of the team’s charitable good works through its baseball academy for disadvantaged youth.
White-collar crime
Three former Nortel execs charged with defrauding the now-bankrupt telecommunications manufacturer – and pocketing more than $12 million in bonuses in the process – are acquitted by a Toronto judge, raising questions about the competence of the RCMP’s not-so-crack fraud squad.
Giorgio Mammoliti
An audit of the York West councillor’s campaign expenses finds he overspent his allowable limit by more than $12K, confirming suspicions about his campaign fundraising activities.
Plagiarism
The Star is putting new software in its computers to catch plagiarizing journalists after two high-profile incidents at the newspaper in recent weeks, including one involving an op-ed penned by Toronto District School Board director of education Chris Spence, who has since resigned his post. Jonathan Goldsbie’s take at nowtoronto.com.
John A. Macdonald remembrances
Ceremonies to honour the birthday of Canada’s first PM get political after a statue of Macdonald in Kingston is defaced and Idle No More supporters are suspected.