Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford dead at 46
Toronto City Councillor and former Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford has died at the age of 46, The Associated Press reports. Earlier reports said Ford had been battling a rare cancer, liposarcoma, in palliative care. His 2014 diagnosis with the disease prompted him to end his mayoral re-election bid.
Ford was infamous for holding "wild parties" while in office, and he was a heavy drinker who was frequently filmed while publicly intoxicated. Ford later admitted to having smoked crack cocaine and driving while drunk during his term. He apologized to the public for "making mistakes."
In October, Ford acknowledged that his cancer had spread and was threatening his life. "I'm optimistic, and I'm a realist too. If that has spread once, where else has it gone? If I pass before my time, I just ask people to please try to help out Dougie and Stephanie and Renata in any way you can," he said, mentioning his wife and two children.
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The Ford family described Ford as a "dedicated man of the people" who "spent his life serving the citizens of Toronto," The Toronto Star reports.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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