Afternoon front page: The human cost of online sports betting; Shopify CEO confronted by anti-Israel protester; and more

Phil, a recovering gambler who didn't want to be identified, racked up $400,000 in gambling debt from online sports betting before admitting his addiction and seeking treatment. Photo by Dan Janisse/Postmedia

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It’s Thursday, July 9. Here are the top stories we’re following today.

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Ontarians spent $100B betting online, triggering suicides and bankruptcies. Now it’s Alberta’s turn

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What used to involve a trip to a casino, racetrack or black-market bookmaker now is available 24 hours a day on a device that virtually everyone owns. And though most people use the apps responsibly as entertainment, the trend has come with a troubling human cost.

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Harley Finkelstein was confronted by an anti-Israel protester at a tech startup conference in Montreal on Wednesday. It’s the second such incident at the annual event. Photo by Wayne Cuddington/Postmedia

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Shopify president confronted, again, by anti-Israel protester at tech conference

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“A man burst in screaming horrible accusations at me … My parents were in the front row. I’ll never forget their faces. When the target is always the Jew and never the topic, it’s not advocacy. It’s hate,” wrote Harley Finklestein.

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One of the revolvers and ammunition given to world leaders at the NATO summit in Turkey by the host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This one belongs to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauséda. Photo by Eitvydas KINAITIS/OFFICE OF THE LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT/AFP via Getty Images

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Mark Carney says engraved gun from Turkey’s Erdogan ‘not what I expected’

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Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan gave an engraved gun — said to be a Magnum revolver — to each of the world leaders who attended the NATO summit. Carney said his gift of maple syrup to Erdoğan “kind of undermatched” the engraved revolver.

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Both the surrogate and the head of the agency that brought her together with the parents say their relationship started to sour after their abortion disagreement. Photo by Adobe Stock

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Couple sues Ontario surrogate mother who refused to abort fetus

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In their lawsuit, the parents allege the woman failed to keep them informed about the health of the baby, put the child at risk, caused them emotional distress and violated their confidentiality, all charges the surrogate denies vehemently.

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Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier speaks during the “Our Team, Our Year” Get Out The Vote (GOTV) rally at the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, New York, on June 18, 2026. Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images

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Kelly McParland: Could Democrats blow another chance to contain Trump?

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“Among that portion of the population fervently praying for deliverance from an increasingly madcap White House, anything that threatens the chances of outpacing Republicans in November’s midterms is reason for alarm,” McParland writes. “A sharp lurch to the left would certainly be one way to snatch a late-game defeat.”

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