Newsstand: May 5, 2015

Yesterday was Star Wars Day, so does that make today the Revenge of the Fifth? Let's not think about it. In the news: Uber seeks licensing, Brampton seeks the provincial ombudsman, and Team Canada seeks basketball players.

By David Hains

Uber will apply for a standard taxi license with the City on Tuesday, a change in the company’s stance that conventional licensing did not apply to it. The controversial taxi service has operated outside of City licensing since it expanded to Toronto, and it will not seek licensing for its UberX service. The move comes a day after John Tory gave a speech on the need to modernize the taxi industry, and on the same day when a new council session that will once again look at taxi regulation begins.

Brampton city council took the unusual step of asking the Ontario ombudsman to investigate City Hall, an environment that, according to recently elected mayor Linda Jeffrey, is “seriously toxic and dysfunctional.” Brampton city council has seen a number of recent incidents that have eroded public trust, from the conduct of previous mayor Susan Fennell to allegations of unfair procurement procedures.

The Pan Am Games are just over two months away, and there are still plenty of question marks when it comes to which basketball players will represent Canada. Rookie of the year Andrew Wiggins still hasn’t committed to the event, and neither has Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson, who would bring a solid rebounding presence to the team. Some players choose not to participate in international competitions because of contract situations or for fear of injury, and it could leave the host country short on star power in a marquee sport.