Friday's here — comedy, circus, and a little money in the mail.

It's a gentle 6°C out there this morning with some cloud cover, so you'll want a light jacket if you're heading out. Sunset's at 6:29 tonight, so if you've got evening plans, you've got just over eleven hours of daylight to work with — plenty of time to get through your day and still make it out somewhere decent.

If you're eligible for the Ontario Trillium Benefit, keep an eye on your account today — payments are landing. Worth checking if you haven't already.

On the local front, there's some real stuff happening. The RCMP is investigating hateful emails that have been targeting Ottawa's Muslim schools and centres, which is serious and worth knowing about. Separately, the Treasury Board president has said he was unaware of pest problems in federal buildings — which, given how many public servants work in this city, is the kind of thing people are going to be talking about.

On a brighter note, the Senators had a solid win last night with Yakemchuk nailing a power-play goal to lift the team past the Flyers. And if you're thinking about your next doctor's visit, CHEO's rolled out a new AI tool called Beacon that's designed to sort emergency cases faster and cut down on wait times — a real quality-of-life thing for families.

If you're thinking dinner, Zen Bowl just opened in Centretown with Shanghai soup dumplings and pan-fried buns if you're craving something specific. And Ottawa chef Yannick La Salle's advancing to the 2027 Canadian Culinary Championship, which is worth a nod — always nice when local talent moves up.

Tonight's the night to get out if you've got the energy. John Cleese is at the National Arts Centre doing a retrospective on Monty Python and the Holy Grail at fifty years — if that's your thing, 7:30 p.m. and it's worth the ticket. Cirque du Soleil's Luzia is at St Laurent Shopping Centre same time if you want something totally different and visual. Or if you'd rather stay local and low-key, there's live music happening at Rum Runners at 8 p.m. Pick your vibe — you've got options, and it's mild enough that getting out won't feel like a production.

Weekend's shaping up nicely. Enjoy tonight, and I'll catch you tomorrow morning.