We're hiring! We're looking for a reporter to fill a 12 to 18-month contract at Queen's Park, starting this spring. Message me with any questions. easyapply.co/a/e89aefba-5...

NEW: A company that got $2M from the Skills Development Fund is run by a dentist who boasts about having the Ford family among his patients. Ford says he had nothing to do with it getting a grant: “I don't believe in micromanaging.” www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-tri...

A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...

In the course of our investigation into the Skills Development Fund, we've filed a lot of FOI requests. We recently got some high cost estimates for records and decided to ask the public for help. Read all about our crowdfunding campaign here. www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-tri...

NEW: ‘Mr. X’ claims Minister David Piccini tipped him off about Greenbelt removals John Mutton made the claim in an interview with the integrity commissioner and then on a podcast. The minister denied it through a spokesperson. www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

NEW: A non-profit with ties to Drake got $3.3 million from Ontario’s Skills Development Fund — but has since shut down, and the province claims the group owes it money. It matches an example from the AG report of a low-ranked group picked by the MO. www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

NEW: Clients of lobby firms connected to the premier and his nephew were given tens of millions from the Skills Development Fund. Clients of Rubicon — a lobbying firm owned by the premier’s campaign manager — got more than $100M, records show. www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

NEW: The feds are going to be in touch with the province on the AG's Skills Development Fund report, and they don't sound happy. They want to ensure their funds were spent “effectively and transparently," and are seeking "due diligence" and "mitigation measures."🔒 www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...

BREAKING: Ford government skills training funding ‘not fair, transparent or accountable’: auditor general Ford government labour ministers overruled civil servants to fund skills training by groups with lobbyists, according to a scathing new report www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

New Skills Development Fund story from @charliepinkerton.bsky.social A company that specializes in helping dentists sell their practices was given $2 million to train workers when its CEO worked closely with the wife of the then-cabinet minister responsible for the funding program.

Update to this story on a group that trains people to work in clubs run by Zlatko Starkovski, a longtime Ford Nation figure: Ontario's public accounts show the group got an additional $3.3M in grants from the Skills Development Fund last year, for a total of more than $9.8M.

More on the Skills Development Fund from me.

Group training workers for ‘Rob Ford’s favourite nightclub owner’ got $6.5M in provincial skills development funding

Main voting closed at Ontario Liberal convention, Bonnie Crombie awaits her fate

VIDEO: Bonnie voyage? Liberals decide this weekend if Crombie stays or goes

Father of boy with autism charged with threatening to kill Doug Ford

Minister’s office insisted restaurateurs be granted millions despite ‘late’ and ‘low’ scoring application: emails

Ontarians split on Liberal leadership race: poll

Ford friend's company seeking $500M from Metrolinx in expropriation dispute

Doug Ford's PCs spent six figures on 'Canada Is Not For Sale' hats in election campaign

Meet the bagman: the Ontario PC fundraising chief and his developer ties

Meet the bagman. www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-tri...

Ontario reveals five-storey Ontario Place parking garage; Science Centre still TBD

Ford apologizes for ‘hat-in-hand’ comment about First Nations

Leak allegation sparks row between 'Mr. X' and local mayor

NEW: How Metrolinx’s plan to deliver European-style train service went off the rails @jackhauen.bsky.social got excruciating detail on MX's split with Deutsche Bahn on the GO expansion, and the scope reduction for all-day, two-way GO www.thetrillium.ca/news/the-tri...

New: The Ford government has announced a plan to use its proposed "special economic zones" bill to create "Indigenous-led economic zones," after consulting with Indigenous partners over the summer. It comes after increasing pressure from Indigenous communities. www.thetrillium.ca/news/indigen...

The government has put forward some amendments to Bill 5 but I’m told there are more coming. These initial ones are mostly technical tweaks, plus the promised preamble change to reflect Indigenous rights. www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...

"I think a lot of people have probably been caught up in the hype around woolly mammoths and dire wolves," he said. "Technology isn't going to save these species," said zoo CEO Dolf DeJong. "Safe spaces will." www.thetrillium.ca/news/energy-...

Ontario has delivered its budget for 2025 during an uncertain time for the Canadian economy. On the #onpoli podcast @spaikin.bsky.social, @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social, and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social discuss the ins and outs of the budget.

This was a blast. The podcast on live TV format was somehow both causally relaxed and exciting. Which is how I love to discuss the budget.

It’s budget day in Ontario: Tonight we have Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy, opposition critics @chandrapasma.bsky.social, @stephaniebowman.bsky.social, and @mikeschreiner.bsky.social, followed by #onpoli with @spaikin.bsky.social, @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social, and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social

Has Donald Trump flipped the script on the Canadian election? @jm-mcgrath.bsky.social and @jessiecatherine.bsky.social (The Trillium) discuss how the Liberal Party's fortunes have changed amidst Trump's trade threats, and how Canada's premiers are benefiting. #onpoli #cdnpoli

NEW from @charliepinkerton.bsky.social Doug Ford’s former assistant broke the law lobbying for Greenbelt removals: integrity commissioner The commissioner also dinged him for other work lobbying an ‘office holder’ — confirmed by The Trillium as Premier Ford www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

I got to pretend to be @spaikin.bsky.social today.

CSIS alleges India organized support for Poilievre’s 2022 Conservative leadership bid www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Join us at Queen’s Park! We’re looking for an experienced political journalist to write our morning newsletter and file stories for The Trillium and the Village Media network. DM me with any questions about the role. easyapply.co/a/62c606bb-8...

"And families can disagree sometimes, your brother, your sister, right, we have a little bit — but someone else comes to bother our family? Yeah, that's it. It's game over." Ford explains tariffs, GDP to third-graders www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic... By @jackhauen.bsky.social

“The officers tried several tactics to try and chase the coyotes away with no luck, short of shooting them. They appear to have no fear of people.”

D.C. trade meeting ‘productive,’ ‘positive,’ another scheduled: Ford "But this, I can honestly say, was the best meeting I've ever had, coming down here,” said Ford. www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

Doug Ford's target in the trade war: Americans' kitchen tables By taxing their power and buying his way onto their TV screens, Ford says he's taking the fight to the American people www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic... (no paywall)

BREAKING: Supreme Court strikes down Ford government’s third-party political ads law Restrictions on third-party advertising ahead of elections let political parties ‘drown out’ other groups such as unions: top court www.thetrillium.ca/news/justice...

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Doug Ford both said Tuesday they believe that the U.S. president is trying to destroy Canada’s economy with tariffs in order to make it easier to annex the country. (No paywall) www.thetrillium.ca/news/governm...

Who decides what is ‘off the record’? by Globe and Mail Standards Editor Sandra E. Martin www.theglobeandmail.com/standards-ed... via @theglobeandmail.com #journalism

The Ontario election is over. What’s next? Ford faces tariffs. Crombie faces rumblings of discontent. thetrillium.ca/news/politic... (No paywall)

Bonnie Crombie endorses Mark Carney, he wishes her the best🔒 Crombie has interpreted Carney's post on X as an endorsement of her. Asked to confirm that, a spokesperson for Carney's campaign referred The Trillium back to the post and added, "nothing beyond that." www.thetrillium.ca/insider-news...

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie is in Toronto Centre this morning to talk about mental health. She’ll probably get some questions about her endorsement of Mark Carney as well.

My wrap-up on Ford's Washington trip. Quote of the day goes to the Democratic governor who wondered if Trump's tariff threats are “a master negotiating strategy” or if they amount to “just stabbing ourselves a bunch of times.” www.thetrillium.ca/news/politic...

Good morning from the Grand Hyatt in D.C. Doug Ford is around here somewhere to meet with U.S. governors.

Our latest @pallasdata.bsky.social poll, on the leaders’ debate and how voters are getting informed. No paywall