Independent Toronto news, explainers and analysis across politics, business, technology, world and community
Noah Gagnon 
Few NHL players split opinion quite like Matthew Tkachuk—he’s the guy who can score in overtime one minute and draw a penalty the next. This profile separates the hard numbers from the noise, tracking his rise from a top draft pick to a Stanley Cup champion with the Florida Panthers, while also unpacking the agitator … Read more
Corey Conners built one of the more consistent resumes on the PGA Tour, yet the 2025 U.S. Open marked the first withdrawal of his career when a wrist injury forced him to stop mid-tournament at Oakmont Country Club. The Canadian golfer was in the middle of a standout season before the injury sidelined him. Full … Read more
Jenny McCarthy’s career has taken more turns than most Hollywood stories. She started as a Playboy model, became a television host, and later emerged as one of the most vocal anti-vaccine activists in America. Age: 52 · Net worth: $25 million · Born: November 1, 1972 · Children: 1 son · Married to: Donnie Wahlberg … Read more
When Julio Rodríguez signed a 12-year, $209.3 million contract extension with the Seattle Mariners in August 2022, it felt like the capstone to a dream rookie season. But two years later, the 24-year-old center fielder is on the injured list, his offensive numbers are down, and the big question is whether the extension was a … Read more
Most people know the name Vanderbilt—a dynasty that once seemed to own half of America, immortalized in ballrooms and boardrooms. Gloria Vanderbilt carried that name from a gilded childhood to a 1970s denim empire worth $100 million—then, at her death in 2019, left her CNN-anchor son Anderson Cooper just $1.5 million. How the same bloodline … Read more
Few voices in daytime television were as instantly recognizable as Regis Philbin’s. He spent more than five decades on air, hosting shows like Live! with Regis and Kelly and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire before his death at 88 on July 24, 2020. This article looks at the facts behind his remarkable career, his … Read more
When a performer who has been part of Quebec’s cultural fabric for six decades steps back from the spotlight, people notice. France Castel, the singer and actress who has charmed audiences since the 1960s, did exactly that in October 2025 — and then surprised everyone with a triumphant return on New Year’s Eve. Born: August … Read more
Few public figures have spent as long on America’s political fault line as Bill Maher — and somehow kept his footing, building a career over three decades by saying what others won’t, earning both loyal viewers and very public backlash. This profile cuts through the noise to answer the most searched questions: what he actually … Read more
Few moments in baseball history pack as much swagger as José Bautista’s bat flip in Game 5 of the 2015 ALDS. But the man who swung it didn’t let that single moment define his life after baseball. Full name: José Antonio Bautista · Born: October 19, 1980 · Career home runs: 344 · MLB debut: … Read more
There’s something about watching a fitness influencer’s empire collapse in real time that keeps people scrolling — and the story of Liver King, real name Brian Johnson, is a case study in how quickly a carefully built brand can unravel when the truth catches up. By the time his Netflix documentary aired in 2025, the … Read more