Inside the zoo’s wild metamorphosis

Plus, why Toronto rents are finally falling, how Taylor Swift’s exes became part of her art and why 1980s horror still reigns supreme [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Andrew Joe Potter] By Andrew Joe Potter Good morning. Enough with the polls, thinks Vinay Menon. [We have to stop acting like Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump is a normal election race](. Here’s the latest on everything else. MUST READS R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star NATURE [Inside the Toronto Zoo’s wild philosophical transformation]( Historically, zoos are far more rooted in exhibition than conservation, but the Toronto Zoo’s top brass sees itself as a kind of Noah’s Ark, a safeguard against extinction. To that end, Kate Allen reports that you can expect fewer cutesy animals in its future. [It’s part of a massive re-imagining of what a modern zoo should be](. R.J. Johnston/Toronto Star Housing [Toronto rents are finally falling]( Rental units are sitting empty for weeks or even months as landlords wait for tenants who will lease at their desired price — but no one can afford to wait indefinitely. As Manuela Vega reports, the numbers are beginning to tilt in favour of tenants, with some landlords willing to negotiate on pricing. [There are several factors at play right now that could help renters catch a big break](. Chris Young/The Canadian Press Education [The Ford government will direct medical schools to prioritize Ontarians]( Under the prospective framework, 95 per cent of spots at the province’s medical schools would be reserved for Ontarians, with free tuition for 1,360 students if they practice in the province for five years. It would also effectively ban new international students — though just 10 of 3,833 of Ontario’s current crop are non-Canadians, Rob Ferguson reports. [Here’s more on the “learn and stay” efforts](. Briannah Daniel/Getty Images HEALTH [Relief is out of reach for women navigating menopause]( Diane was entering the prime of her career when she began experiening symptoms like a burning tongue, memory problems and heart palpitations. Fourteen years and a small army of health professionals later, she figured out it was menopause, Christina Frangou reports. She’s not alone; [Canadian women are facing a menopause health crisis](. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images MUSIC [How Taylor Swift’s exes have fared — both professionally and lyrically]( To exist romantically within the pop megastar’s orbit, even briefly, is to open yourself up to one day becoming the thinly veiled subject of a chart-topper. By Swift’s own admission, she “has a long list of ex-lovers”; Sarah Laing thinks they’re practically an extension of her art. [Here’s how each of them fared after the breakup](. [Customer interviews] Interested in helping the Star improve online? We're holding interviews with customers like you to get your insights on our digital products, including but not limited to newsletters like this one. If you're interested, please email us at customerfeedback@thestar.ca. Watch THIS AMC Anchor Bay Entertainment For horror flick aficionado James Grainger, the 1980s represent the genre’s Golden Age. From “Halloween” to “Friday the 13th,” [let’s take a stab at what made the decade so terrifying](. Thanks for reading. To our knowledge, no Taylor Swift songs are secretly about this newsletter. You can reach the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_4479), and I will see you back here tomorrow. Get [thestar.com]( + ePaper edition. Only $1 for 6 months! Save over $100. [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [View in Browser]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](