Morning Brief: Expired Foods You Should Never Eat, Canada's Top Baby Names & More

We did it; TGIF — Andrew from Narcity here. ☕

Off The Top: Former football star turned most concussed political candidate ever Herschel Walker had a cringe-worthy gaffe on live TV this week when he proudly said of his upcoming Georgia senate run-off race that "the erection is about the people." Yes, it was a nasty Freudian slip — which means that you say one thing but mean your mother. Er, another, I mean.

In Case You Missed It

1. Breaking Down The Most Popular Baby Names In Canada In 2022

To paraphrase "The Bard," would a child by any other name be as sweet? BabyCenter dropped its list of the most popular baby names in Canada for 2022 — and there've been some big movers and shakers toward the top of the lists. For girls, Olivia knocked last year's No. 1, Amelia, down to No. 3 — though Noah couldn't be toppled from the top spot among boys' names, Helena Hanson writes. You can find the top 100 girls' and boys' names right here.

• Popular Girls: 1. Olivia, 2. Sophia, 3. Amelia. 4. Emma, 5. Ava, 6. Charlotte, 7. Lily, 8. Hannah, 9. Nora, 10. Isabella
• Popular Boys: 1. Noah, 2. Liam, 3. Jackson, 4. Oliver, 5. Leo, 6. Lucas, 7. Luca, 8. Jack, 9. James, 10. Benjamin
• My Take: Thanks to the popularity of this newsletter, one presumes "Andrew" will rebound into the top 100 any year now.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

2. The Heroes Who Stopped The Colorado Springs Shooting From Being Worse

When the chaos had settled at a 2SLGBTQIA+ nightclub in Colorado Springs over the weekend, what soon became clear is that a few brave bystanders had played pivotal roles in stymying the lethal carnage. In what the city's mayor has called an "incredible act of heroism," a 45-year-old U.S. Army vet and another patron leapt into action to subdue the gunman, with an assist from a third, unnamed person — possibly a drag performer herself — who apparently used high heels to repeatedly bludgeon the assailant in the face, Josh Elliott reports.

• In His Words: "One of the performers was running by and I told her, 'Kick this guy, kick this guy,' and she took her high heel and stuffed it in his face, or his head or whatever she could hit," said U.S. Army vet Richard Fierro, who had accompanied his wife and daughter to Club Q to celebrate a birthday.
• Context: The shooting resulted in five deaths and another 17 injuries. The 22-year-old assailant was arrested by police.
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

3. You Can Safely Eat A Lot Of Expired Foods — Just Stay Clear Of These Items

It's generally accepted that expiration dates are usually more of a gentle suggestion than a hard-line rule; plenty of foods are perfectly fine to consume in the days after the best-before date has come and gone — even eggs and dairy, according to registered dietician Abbey Sharp. However, there are a number of food products that you should absolutely stay clear of once they've expired, Abbey tells our Tristan Wheeler — consumables like baby formula and medication, for starters. Here's what else you should avoid.

• My Take: There is no greater thrill than finding a snack that expired during the second Bush administration squirrelled away at the back of your pantry. Spy Kids 2-branded Dunkaroos? Sign me up!
• READ THE FULL STORY HERE

What Else You Need To Know Today

🍎 FALLING APPLE
If you're in the market for a new computer, cell phone, tablet or headphones, there's no better time to peruse the goods at Apple Canada. The electronics manufacturer is having a big Black Friday promotion from today through Sunday where eligible purchases are accompanied by gift cards worth up to $350. Helena Hanson explains how it works.

📈 RENTAL HEALTH
According to a recent report, Canada's average monthly rent increased by 11.8% from October 2021 to 2022 to $1,976. Toronto was particularly hard hit, writes Patrick John Gilson; one-bedroom units in Canada's most populous metropolis shot up 23.7% year over year while rent for two-bedroom units went up 23.8%. Yikes.

🍻 BEER, FAR; WHEREVER YOU ARE
In a testament to the lengths visitors to the suddenly very dry 2024 World Cup will go to in order to find beer, two soccer-mad Brits say they wound up at a party hosted by one of the sons of Qatar's Sheikh — an event resplendent with lions, monkeys and exotic birds. Asymina Kantorowicz details the most compelling case for a reboot of The Hangover we've seen in years.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
For a fraction of the price of a Metro Vancouver condominium, you could put an offer in on a two-storey mountain retreat sitting on nearly 10 acres of land in Bella Coola, B.C. Ashley Harris notes that the interior of the property isn't entirely finished but at a listing price of $290,000, would-be buyers should have some cash left over to finish the job.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Former Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb turns 46 years old today. Christina Applegate, who recently announced her impending retirement from acting due to multiple sclerosis, is 51. The late JFK Jr. would have turned 62 today. "Bueller? Bueller...?" Monotone blowhard Ben Stein is 78. The late Fantasy Island star Ricardo Montalbán was born 102 years ago. Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio? The Yankees star was born on this day in 1914.

HEY YOU! You should sign up for the email version of this newsletter right here. It's better than this version. Trust me.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — the newsletter written with the assistance of the late Hervé Villechaize. ("The plane! The plane!")

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 weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!