David Soul, half of TV’s Starsky and Hutch, dead at 80

Actor-singer David Soul, a 1970s heartthrob who co-starred as the blond half of the TV crime-fighting duo Starsky & Hutch and topped the music charts with the ballad Don’t Give Up on Us, has died at the age of 80. His wife, Helen Snell, said Friday that “David Soul — beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother — … Read more

For 100 years, this Mickey Mouse operation has thrived. Is Disney now losing its magic?

The Sunday Magazine22:54For 100 years, this Mickey Mouse operation has thrived. Is Disney now losing its magic? You might describe Marlene Morris as a Disney lifer. As a child, she grew up watching Disney movies on weekends and listening to her father read Disney’s Bedtime storybooks at night. She first visited Disney World in Orlando, Fla., … Read more

Is your new car on a storage compound? Inside Kia’s scheme to deliberately withhold deliveries

New Kia vehicles that have arrived from overseas are sitting on a storage lot in Wolverton, Ont., purposely locked up even though customers have been waiting months and months — some well over a year — to get their vehicles. The new cars are being withheld from Kia’s Ontario dealerships — and reportedly from many more … Read more

Step inside the secretive world of toymakers

At a $3-billion toy company in downtown Toronto, kindergarteners file in with parents and siblings, clad in snowsuits and ready to offer their expertise. They pass a toy museum decked out with Paw Patrol toys, Tech Decks, Bakugan and more, and eventually arrive at a small room with a large two-way mirror. Soon, they’ll be … Read more

Artist redraws the world with 1,642 free-roaming animals — and no humans

The Current11:34A hand-drawn map with no people, but 1,642 free-roaming animals Artist Anton Thomas wanted to draw a “world map of nature” that would showcase the many different species across the globe — but at one point he was a little worried he’d run out of animals. “I thought before drawing, ‘Oh, surely I would … Read more

National pharmacare plan is in limbo as health minister calls pending deadline ‘arbitrary’

Health Minister Mark Holland signalled Tuesday the government is unlikely to meet the end-of-the-year deadline imposed by the NDP for passing pharmacare legislation — a condition of the supply-and-confidence agreement that was struck to keep the Liberals in power until 2025. Holland said talks are ongoing with NDP MP Don Davies, the party’s health critic, … Read more

How this Canadian producer is using AI to allow artists to sing in different languages

When Canadian producer Jordan Young started playing around with AI voice-cloning technology — ultimately creating a fake Kanye West song that sounded, well, just like Kanye West — it immediately prompted him to think about the ethical implications of the technology.  “As soon as I made it, I started to think … if anybody can make music with … Read more