In this week's 5X Press Roundup, we give you a quick breakdown of 5 trending stories that you may have missed this week, to highlight stories that may have slipped under your radar. Don't worry, we got you covered.

Canada observes first ever Truth and Reconciliation Day

Truth and Reconciliation Day is Canada’s newest federal holiday and was observed for the first time on September 30. 

The Truth and Reconciliation Day was one of the recommendations that came out of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's reports. The day was previously known as “Orange Shirt Day,” a day to honor Indigenous children and their families who have been impacted by the Residential ‘School’ System. 

It is a day to stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples, uplift their voices and recognize the resilience of Indigenous peoples. “Outrage isn’t enough,” writes Vice’s Anya Zoledziowski, as survivors urge Canadians to continue to push for justice “even when the news cycle changes.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has come under scrutiny for being on vacation in Tofino, B.C., on this holiday instead of visiting the sites of former residential schools and hearing the testimonies of survivors and their families.

Britney Spears’ father suspended from conservatorship

In 2008, Spears’ father James Spears was appointed by a judge to exercise full control over Spears’ financial affairs. The decision came about after Spears was  placed on a psychiatric hold for mental evaluation at the UCLA Medical Center, after refusing to give up custody of her children to her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

She was admitted to the hospital again a few weeks later, and according to Billboard, her father ordered the Los Angeles County Supreme Court to put Britney into an emergency temporary conservatorship the very next day. The conservatorship was then extended in court until the end of 2008, and then extended a second time for an “indefinite” period of time.

This conservatorship gave Spears’ father complete control over her financial estate and daily life. Last year fans began speculating that the conservatorship was a lot more abusive than what it appeared to be, prompting the online movement #FreeBritney, which Spears’ herself publicly supported.

After 13 years, the conservatorship that dominated Britney Spears’ life has come to an end. The decision was made in court by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny. In an Instagram post after the hearing, Spears’ wrote that she is on “Cloud 9.”

‍
Canadian journalists and journalists of colour receive death threats following Maxime Bernier’s “call to action.”

‍

CW: Violence, sexual violence, racism

A number of Canadian journalists received hate messages or threats via anonymous email this past week, following an indirect call to action from People's Party leader Maxime Bernier. On Twitter, Bernier told his followers to “play dirty” with journalists who were requesting comment about the party’s ties to the far right.

He shared the emails of a number of journalists who he called “far left activists masquerading as journalists” with his followers. Since the incident, the Canadian Association of Journalists has since urged law enforcement and government to take action, and the Coalition for Women in Journalism has also since issued a statement.

According to the CWIJ, Canada proved to be the most hostile digital space for women. At least 19 women journalists have come forward so far.

Reality show Big Brother crowns first Black winner in show’s history 

For the first time in the history of the reality tv show Big Brother, a Black person has been crowned winner after 23 seasons.

According to Today, Xavier Prather, a 27-year-old attorney from Milwaukee, won in a unanimous 9-0 vote by his housemates. 

"Xavier won by knowing when to lose and winning when he had to, and was liked and admired by all in the house," host Julie Chen Moonves told Entertainment Weekly.

 "How many times have we ever seen that? In addition to winning all nine votes, not a single negative comment was made from any juror when it came time to insert the keys! If that's not proof of God and miracles, then what is?"

Prather walked away with  $750,000, the largest money prize in Big Brother U.S. history.

Mask mandate

The province has expanded the school mask mandate to all students from kindergarten to grade 12, as cases continue to rise in the province.

According to CTV, Dr. Bonnie Henry made the announcement on Friday, “citing the recent spike in cases involving children between the ages of five and 11.”

"The majority of COVID transmission continues to occur in homes and through social networks," Henry said. "Nevertheless, increased diagnoses has lead to increased numbers of potential exposure events and several school outbreaks have been detected and reported."

In addition to the mask mandate, the Surrey School Board is also looking to host vaccine clinics at schools where vaccine rates are low, says Jordan Tinney, Superintendent in Surrey, on Twitter.

This decision has been met with mixed reviews from parents and the wider community who are concerned with the efficacy of forcing children that young to wear masks all day at school.

That's all for this week's roundup! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for more weekly updates.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
About the author: Manisha is a writer and reporter with previous radio and television experience, who is passionate about connecting audiences to the stories and voices that matter to them most. Check her out on Instagram: @exclusivelymanisha