Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- CBC News reports that Saskatchewan's children's hospital is among the health care facilities with an internal outbreak, while Laura Sciarpelletti talks to some of the parents begging the provincial government to limit transmission in schools.

- Moira Wyton reports on British Columbia's warning to businesses that they need to be prepared for major worker shortages - though the apparent decision to let that happen only following the spread of a disease rather than through choices which actually keep people healthy is left without any adequate explanation. And Josh Rubin notes that while corporate interests and deficit scolding have dominated most discussion of COVID policy, it's workers who are being faced into impossible choices in trying to get by now that public supports have been slashed.

- Robert Reich describes the "Potterizing" of the U.S. as policy is systematically made to enrich corporate oligarchs and rent-seekers rather than to benefit people. And Noah Smith interviews Ryan Petersen about the causes of the supply chain crisis - including the short-term focus on shareholder payouts rather than investments in people and infrastructure.

- Nathan Robinson writes that the backlash against Don't Look Up misses the central point contrasting the self-interest of billionaires against the possibility of collective action. And George Monbiot discusses how the movie mirrors his experience as a climate campaigner. 

- Leyland Cecco reports on the continued spread of an unexplained neurological condition among New Brunswick children in the face of alarming official denial.

- Erika Shaker makes the case for student loan relief to ensure that people who have worked toward higher education aren't limited in their future choices due to resulting debt.

- Finally, Jeremy Sherman discusses the need to make sure that the all-too-familiar sociopathic model of political communication is challenged and weakened. And Johann Hari writes about the concerted effort to undermine our ability to concentrate rather than having our attention dictated by corporate manipulations.