Clear skies and the 401's a mess—TIFF's the move today

Morning's looking sharp—18 degrees, mainly clear, and that UV's sitting at 6 so you'll want sunscreen if you're outside long. Sun doesn't drop until 7:26, so you've got a solid stretch of daylight to work with.

Getting around: the 401 Westbound is a nightmare corridor this morning. Stay off the on-ramps at Keele and Avenue Road—both are completely shut down for emergency roadwork and maintenance. Same thing on the collector ramp at Bathurst. If you're heading west, find another way or give yourself extra time. It's one of those mornings where leaving early isn't enough; you just need to route around it.

Politics is heating up. The mayoral race shifted after yesterday's debate—Chow's making noise about first-term wins while rivals are going after her record. Meanwhile, candidates are splitting hard on whether to raise taxes to fund affordable housing, and up in Brampton they're already clashing over arts funding and underinvestment. It's the stuff that'll shape the next few years, so worth paying attention to.

If you're thinking lunch or dinner, there's some real motion in the restaurant scene right now. Canis—one of the city's most celebrated spots—is reopening in Little Italy, which is worth a trip when they settle in. TIFF's brought a bunch of extravagant dining experiences to town if you're feeling that kind of splurge, but there's also some solid reporting on what's actually working in T.O.'s restaurant world right now and what's not. The margins are tight out there; a few spots are closing because of food and labour costs.

Tonight's all about TIFF. If you're into it, there's a string of screenings—*The Difficult Bride* at Lightbox at 4, *Flies* at Scotiabank Theatre at 5:30, and a few others scattered through the evening. It's the festival's moment.

If you're a Jays person, catch the Tigers game at Rogers Centre—first pitch is 3:07. That'll get you in and out before sunset, or you can stick around after and catch one of the evening films if the mood takes you.

Stay clear of the 401 this morning, grab a coffee, and make the most of the sun while it's here.

Cheers.