Morning Brief: A Celebrity Halloween Roundup, King Charles Gets Minted & More

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: The U.K.'s Royal Mint has begun pressing coins featuring the likeness of King Charles III, giving Canadians a clue of what our own legal tender will soon bear — namely, the visage of a 73-year-old who up until very recently didn't have a real job and basically still lived at home with his mom.

In Case You Missed It

1. How To Celebrate Halloween If You Are Very Rich & Extremely Beautiful

Celebrities: they're just like us — except they have personal assistants and full-time stylists working around the clock to ensure they have the coolest Halloween costumes. But yeah, pretty much just like us. In any case, now that the most ghoulish day of the year is in the rearview, let's take a look back at some of the better celebrity costumes — from Lizzo's unsettlingly realistic Marge Simpson to... Diddy's unsettlingly realistic Joker outfit. Asymina Kantorowicz has the full roundup here.

• What Else? Kim Kardashian apparently showed up to the house of Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross in full X-Men regalia — only to realize that the birthday party was in fact not actually a costume party.
• My Take: For actual adults living in the real world, November 1 is far scarier than October 31. Happy rent day.

2. The Elon Musk Era At Twitter Begins With... More Trolling?

After laying waste to Twitter's c-suite, new majority owner Elon Musk is already looking to implement major changes to the social media platform's functionality. Namely, Musk wants to turn Twitter's verification badge into a $20 monthly subscription that encompasses the benefits of its (much cheaper) Twitter Blue service. "The whole verification process is being revamped right now," Musk tweeted on Sunday, per Josh Elliott. What does that mean for your doom scrolling? And will paying for verification even be worth it?

• Go Deeper: In response to Musk's Twitter purchase, several celebs have vowed to move on from the platform for good —seemingly in part due to the rise of hate speech on the platform in recent days.
• What Else? Coincidentally, the Meta-owned Instagram is going through its own troubles right now, with some users experiencing service suspensions and some highly followed celebrities have lost millions of followers, Asymina Kantorowicz reports.
• My Take: Yes, this is the exact point in history when I'd like to pay an additional US$240 annually for something I already get for free.

3. Strike Looms As Negotiations Between Ontario's Tories, School Workers Collapse

The Ontario government has introduced back-to-work legislation — the Keeping Students in Class Act — invoking its controversial notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights in an attempt to force the province's 55,000 education workers to accept a new contract. The issue? Those workers (think custodians, educational assistants and admin staff) represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) say they will initiate strike action on Friday anyway after the latest breakdown in collective bargaining negotiations. For the latest news, here's Patrick John Gilson.

• By The Numbers: The Ontario government's "final offer" is a four-year deal in which those earning under $43K would received 2.5% annual raises; those making over $43K would get a 1.5% raise each year. CUPE had sought an increase of $3.25 per hour — 11.7% on average, Stuart McGinn reports.

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What Else You Need To Know Today

💪 INCREDIBLE BULK
If you love large crowds and long lines to try a teaspoon of chicken salad on a Ritz cracker, Costco is the place for you. But did you also know that they actually sell food there, too? Megan Johnson writes that there are many items worth buying from the bulk wholesaler even if you're only a family of two.

🇺🇸 POLITRICKS
A 42-year-old man broke into the home of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Friday, injuring her husband Paul with a hammer. Tristan Wheeler reports that the suspect, David DePape, was born in Powell River, B.C., before relocating to the U.S. about 20 years ago. Here's what we know about the motive for the brazen break-in.

🏙️ 6IX PICKS
Toronto's tourist industry can be pretty hit or miss. Brooke Houghton breaks down six local spots that are worth your time next time you're in the 6ix — plus another two attractions you should stay clear of.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
For $330K, you could buy maybe the smallest studio condo in Toronto... or a chalet in the Quebec countryside with three bedrooms and two bathrooms about an hour's drive north of Quebec City — and a stone's throw from great skiing. MTL Blog's Thomas MacDonald gives us all the deets on the unique listing.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
You star Penn Badgley turns 36 years old today. Amateur immunology expert Jenny McCarthy has been circling the sun for 50 years. Retired Leafs pugilist Tie Domi is 53. Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is 60, somehow. Apple top boss Tim Cook is 62. The late pornographer Larry Flynt would have been 80 today.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter written by a soon-to-be-unverified cheapskate.

Have a question or comment about today's edition? Let me know at andrew.potter@narcity.com or hit me up on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great day and I will see you back here tomorrow!