MORNING NEWS SCRAMBLE

Milton latest & Toronto travel

The CAT 5 storm is still expected to slam Florida’s coast tonight…in the dark.  Exactly where depends on how the monster wobbles as it approaches landfall.

Canadian airlines have released travel advisories and cancelled many flights for today and tomorrow as hurricane Milton approaches. Multiple airports in Florida are now closed. The team at Toronto Pearson is tracking the storm and providing updates:

Emotional response

A seasoned American meteorologist in Florida was near tears as he gave an update on monster Hurricane Milton on Monday.  His colleague shared the video of the weather report, which has now gone viral with over 3.5 million views. John Morales told CNN Tuesday night he was moved by “Empathy for the people impacted, angst over increasing, frequent and more severe extreme weather events and frustration over being a climate communicator for 20 years and realizing this is happening.  And we knew it was coming.”

In a post on X after his video segment was shared, the meteorologist said everyone should be as shaken as he is, and he called for action on climate change. 

Here we hope again!

New captain, new coach…. but same old?  Will the ‘Wonder Woll’ make the difference? The Maple Leafs have their season opener in Montreal tonight.  Do we get excited? Home opener Saturday in T.O. at Scotiabank Arena.  

Condo Condo Condo up for sale!

A new Re/Max report says condo market inventory is booming in the GTA and pent-up demand will fuel activity - especially at entry-level price points.  Sellers want to get those units on the market ASAP to satisfy the expected growing demand.  To make things even better for the buyer, the average condo price declined in the GTA year-over-year.

Be right back honey, just running to the corner to grab some Port!

Just in time for Thanksgiving celebrations, corner stores will be able to sell fortified wines like port and sherry alongside the various alcoholic beverages already being offered at thousands of retail locations across the province.  Select stores will be able to sell products with up to 18% alcohol as of Thursday.

Another listeria recall

On the heels of the listeria scare in deli meats at Summerhill Market, comes a new warning about listeria in beef tongue.  The Ontario Ministry of Health says four people have been sickened after consuming beef tongue believed to be contaminated with listeria. The CFIA is now recalling many brands of jellied beef tongue sold in various Ontario stores.

They must not have thought the bosses would catch on

Some City of Toronto park crews are accused of doing half as much maintenance work as they reported and instead were hanging out at plazas and restaurants.  A Cock-a-doodle NO NO! The city’s Auditor General reviewed work logs compared to vehicle GPS records to come up with the findings.

KEEP THE CHANGE

Jingle, Jingle

Major retailers are starting an early holiday shopping push.  In the U.S., Thanksgiving is later this year, meaning the holiday shopping season will be almost a week shorter. Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy are all offering their own deals this week down south, and some offers are making their way into Canada.

Ho Ho Ho in The Hammer!

It’s already been looking a lot like Christmas in Hamilton, and that’s good news for the city’s economy.  At least six holiday films have been shot in Hamilton this year.  A lot of them are being made for the Hallmark Channel, and will end up on W Network here.  And no… “Ho Ho Ho in The Hammer” isn’t one of the titles.

Let the kids buy the presents this Christmas!

GenZ and Millennials are apparently going to be getting off their wallets this upcoming holiday shopping season.  A survey finds they plan to spend up to 50% more on gifts, or $2300 on average.  While boomers and GenXers are going to Scrooge-it, spending 10% LESS or $1200- $1300 dollars.

HEALTHY START

Vacation vibes

It seems just planning a trip can be good for your mental health.  A report in National Geographic magazine outlines a number of reasons and studies why the benefits kick in before leaving home.  They include expected theories like how we all like something to look forward to, but also some added advantages such as how it gets us connecting with other people to talk about our plans since “Compared to possessions, experiences make for better story material.”

Mammograms made more accessible

Ontario women as young as 40 can now book a mammogram without a doctor’s referral. The previous age was 50.  The province is spending $20-million to increase appointments and train more staff, and estimates 305,000 women between 40-49 will seek screening.  You can find out more information on booking an appointment here.

LONG WEEKEND PRIMER

Getting the garden ready

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend other than eat, how about getting a head start on winterizing your garden?  Pruning, mulching, and removing dead leaves are the obvious places to start, but here are a couple of other things to add to your list.

Thanks for reading have a Cock-a-doodle great Wednesday!