Sunday, May 25, 2025

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Doug Cuthand offers a reminder that the need for forward-thinking climate action hasn't been reduced just because any discussion of the possibility has been eliminated from Canada's political conversation. The Rude Pundit highlights how the Trump regime is actively making the threat of a climate breakdown even worse. And Mitch Anderson notes that even the Macdonald Laurier Institute can't pretend there's an economic case for more dirty energy pipelines - even as Pierre Poilievre, Danielle Smith and Scott Moe continue to obsess over locking in more fossil infrastructure.

- Meanwhile, Lisa Young discusses how Trump's disregard for Canadian sovereignty has fed into the separatist sentiment being stoked by Smith and Moe. And Jim Stanford writes that while Albertans have reason to be angry, the object of their ire should be exactly the greedy capitalists already getting rich off of public resources while general standards of living erode. 

- Matthew Renfrew reports on the strong majority of Canadians boycotting American products and looking to strengthen our own self-sufficiency - even as the two largest parties in Parliament are fixated on locking us into further ties with the regime that's trying to take Canada by force.

- Finally, Jessie Stein and Sophie O'Monique point out that the housing crisis can't be fixed without the migrant construction workers who are wrongly being blamed and punished for it.

Friday, May 23, 2025

Musical interlude

Lastlings - Holding Me Like Water (Juno Mamba Remix)


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andy Craig writes that the Trump regime and its enabers have shattered the U.S.' past constitutional order.  Jill Lawrence discusses the denihilism behind the Republican embrace of ignorance and destruction, while Adrienne Mitei highlights the absurdity of the elite effort to normalize the collapse of society. And Jessica Wildfire writes about the limitations of in-system prepping in a world that projects to far exceed the most severe temperatures and weather humanity has ever experienced. 

- Gaby Hinsliff notes that Trump and his ilk have made a point of denying merit and humanity to anybody but white males, while warning against the UK allowing a similar attitude to take hold. Gil Duran highlights Ruha Benjamin's analysis of the eugenics which have been embraced by techbros - and the resulting need to avoid relying on them to do anything to support the population which they see as disposable. And Sandeep Vaheesan's review of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance rightly notes that the path to meeting people's basic needs doesn't involve further empowering the corporate oligarchy which has priced them out of reach. 

- Alex Cyr discusses why Canadians have every reason to fear crossing the border into the U.S. - even as Mark Carney is trying to tie us even more tightly to the Trump regime. And Sam Biddle reports on the U.S. intelligence community's hoovering up of sensitive personal information from data brokers to set up an unprecedented surveillance state. 

- Nicholas Kristof writes about some of the key strategies available to counter an autocracy. And Desmond Cole points out that the suppression of dissent isn't limited to the U.S. - with "bubble zone" laws aimed solely at limiting specific kinds of speech serving as a dangerous example. 

- Finally, Taylor Noakes discusses how Canada Post has long been set up to fail - but how a government with any interest in its effectiveness at providing a vital public service could ensure its success simply by allowing it space to grow. 

Thursday, May 22, 2025

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Edward Zitron writes about the idiotic results of purging all considerations from business decision-making other than goosing short-term share prices. And EuropeanPowell examines the connection between deregulated "free zones" (of the type the Cons are actively seeking to impose in Canada) and the broader hijacking of public resources and services by greedy corporations.  

- Simon Kuper reports on the push for a global wealth tax in order to ensure the richest few can't hide their obscene wealth offshore. Dean Baker makes the case for a financial transactions tax to disincentivize shell games as a substitute for productivity. And Rick Szostak discusses the need for everybody to be willing to contribute to the common good. 

- Noah Berlatsky writes about the dangers of the Trump administration's attacks on vaccines, while Reuters reports on Moderna's decision not to seek approval of a more effective hybrid COVID/flu vaccine under an anti-science regime. Susan Mashiyam highlights a new study into vaccine disinformation as expressed at public meetings. And Bingyu Zhang et al. find that the consequences of COVID-19 include severe cardiovascular outcomes in children.

- Finally, Sam Freedman points out the inherent fragility of hard-right political alignments which rely on uniting the corporate sector and conspiracy theorists against professionals. Matthew Hays notes that Pierre Poilievre's attempts to send different messages to different sides of the conspiracist divide resulted in nobody having any basis to trust him. Crawford Kilian writes that the Trumpists and separatists being boosted by Danielle Smith's UCP are likely to make the Cons even less electable. And Don Braid notes that the immediate purpose of Smith's promotion of separatism is to undermine national values and standards, while Taylor Noakes offers a reminder that the separatist push is being bankrolled and directed by and for the dirty energy sector. 

Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Mike Palecek discusses how the Trump regime's tariff chaos isn't aimed merely at conducting trade wars against other countries, but also serves to destabilize economic activity for other ends (including the desire to seize control of Canada). And Anne Kauranen reports that several European countries are setting up alternate payment systems in case Trump decides to commandeer the infrastructure of Visa and Mastercard for his own ends. 

- But in case we were under the impression that Mark Carney was following trhough on his campaign theme of holding tough against Trump, Bloomberg News reports that he's dropped nearly all of Canada's defensive tariffs, while Mike Le Couteur reports that he has Canada in talks to tie us even more tightly into the U.S.' military by participating in an expensive and unworkable Golden Dome scheme. Which is to say that Carney seems to be following Danielle Smith's agenda of legitimizing a surrender to Trump for the benefit of fascists and oil tycoons. 

- Meanwhile, Julie Fine et al. find that even in the U.S. there's a strong majority desire to see more effort to protect people from the harms of a climate breakdown. And Cristen Hemingway Jaynes reports on a new study showing that it's entirely possible to pair a transition to a clean economy with the availability of a decent standard of living for everybody. 

- Manuela Vega reports on new research confirming that financialized landlords tend to impose higher housing costs, while Andrew Willis reports on the capital sharks circling around a major apartment holder. And both John Michael McGrath and David Moscrop highlight the seemingly obvious point that the Libs' insistence on treating housing primarily as capital stock is absolutely contrary to any attempt to make it more affordable and available for people who need it. 

- Finally, the Canadian Press reports on the continued rise of food and grocery prices far in excess of inflation as corporate grocers put the screws to Canadians. And Aaron Vansintjan notes that a solution to our food crisis will require promoting local production.

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Poised cat.



Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Krugman examines the regressiveness and cruelty of the Republicans' planned budget which imposes massive costs on those who already have the least in order to fund tax cuts for the uber-wealthy. Sam W writes about the "let them skip meals" demand being made of people suffering already in poverty. And Jessica Donati et al. report on the amount of food aid currently rotting away due to the Trump regime's callousness, instead of going to people in developing countries who relied on it to survive. 

- In case there was any doubt whether the American public is on side with being under constant attack in a one-sided class war, Aaron Sojourner and Adam Reich note that public opinion is simultaneously supportive of unions and enraged at big business. But Josh Marshall rightly criticizes the establishment Democrats who are refusing to fight. 

- David Suzuki discusses how the concentration of wealth can be traced to the destruction of our living environment.  Amanda McKenzie notes that emission targets mean nothing if they're not paired with action to meet them (and through actual emission cuts rather than accounting tricks). Marc Lee writes that B.C.'s choice to lock in decades of fossil gas exports is nothing to celebrate, while Fenner Stewart examines how Canada's dirty energy industry has foisted the cost of its operations off on the public. And Mitchell Beer points out Mark Carney's stark choice between taking a golden opportunity to work toward a just transition, and allowing oil and gas magnates to saddle us with a dying and unsustainable economic policy. 

- We Don't Have Time points out how global temperatures continue to soar due to carbon pollution, while Chris Hatch notes that we're likely to see another summer of extreme wildfires. And Brendan Montague comments on the need for climate policy to reflect the worsening risks and realities. 

- Finally, Laurent Carbonneau discusses how Canada is handing out more and more corporate subsidies compared to its investment in people - while seeing no apparent benefit. 

Saturday, May 17, 2025

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Bill McKibben rightly describes the Trump regime's attacks on the entire federal regulatory apparatus as vandalism with a plan (which includes making things more wasteful in ways that serve the profit motive of corporate donors). Georgina Gustin reports on its choice to facilitate toxic forever chemicals in the U.S.' water supply as a particularly egregious example. And Veronica Riccobene and Lucy Dean Stockton report on the Republicans' choice to validate the use of artificial intelligence to allow for rent collusion and insurance claim denials. 

- Michael Tomasky calls out the absolute lack of limits on the Trump regime's corruption and inclination to abuse power. But Brian Beutler notes that the Democrats' reluctance to call out corruption when it happens is both allowing it to continue unabated, and preventing the opposition party from being seen as offering any change for the better.

- Crawford Kilian reviews Carl Zimmer's Air-borne, pointing out the readily-available opportunities to keep people healthier by keeping our air cleaner.

- Erika Morris reports on a new study showing that investments in social housing produce massive returns in dollar value alone, while also providing jobs and (of course) helping people find homes.

- Finally, Gabriela Calugay-Casuga warns that the Carney Libs' prioritization of tax baubles risks starving the federal government of resources needed to support people's health and well-being.

Friday, May 16, 2025

Musical interlude

TWO LANES - Belong


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Natalie Alms reports that Elon Musk's attempt to manufacture a fraud scandal at the Social Security Administration has failed miserably - except to the extent his real goal was to undermine service levels for people entitled to benefits. Andrew Buncombe reports that the activities being arbitrarily slashed by DOGE include the cleanup of nuclear waste. And Joshua Kaplan, Brett Murphy, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski report on the U.S. government's use of diplomatic pressure and funding cuts to get African countries to hand both money and control over vital infrastructure to Musk's Starlink. 

- Josh Toussaint-Strauss et al. examine how PFAs have come to be ubiqitous in our bodies and our living environment, while CBC maps out where they're most concentrated in Canada. And Tobi Thomas reports on new research showing that early exposure to air pollution has lasting health consequences. 

- Alyssa Sinclair et al. compare the effectiveness of different motivational strategies, and find that a focus on future impacts rather than present-day accounting is more effective in spurring people to action. Katie Surman reports on the Union of Concerned Scientists' latest study documenting how dirty energy companies have misled the public about the long-known dangers of climate change. 

- Jonathan Ames reports on a warning that homebuyers (and the professionals who advise them) are at risk if they don't consider climate impacts on property use and value. Lauri Myllyvirta reports on a new analysis showing that China has lowered carbon pollution in the context of economic growth by shifting toward clean energy. The Guardian's editorial board writes about the need for environmental standards (including using solar panels and heat pumps) in new housing construction, while Alison Takemura notes that carbon-free construction is particularly important in rebuilding from climate disasters such as wildfires. And Andrew Lawrence notes that contrary to its billing as apocalypse-proof, the Cybertruck has proven unable to hold up even under normal use. 

- Izzy Romily writes about the value of low-traffic neighbourhoods in creating healthier communities. Abdul Matin Sarfraz calls out Doug Ford for pouring massive amounts of public money into increasing gridlock while eliminating healthier alternatives to single-vehicle traffic. And Hilary Beaumont notes that the climate breakdown is resulting in the collapse of ice roads, making remote communities even less accessible than they previously were. 

- Finally, Charlie Angus points out that the Alberta separatists being treated as the most important people in the world by both the UCP government and the corporate media are bound up in a history of racism and bigotry. And CTV News reports that even the corporate bigwigs who benefit from an angry and distracted public are making clear they have no appetite to support the destruction of Canada. 

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Robert Reich discusses how Donald Trump's absolute lack of inhibition is responsible for the disastrous effects of his regime - and how a public revolt which threatens Republicans necessary to his sense of impunity is the most plausible means to set the boundaries which are otherwise lacking. 

- Bob Lord highlights how the U.S.' tax system in general and treatment of capital gains in particular are both highly regressive. But Bobby Kogan and Greg Sargent each point out that the Republicans' current plan is to make matters far worse. 

- Dell Cameron reports on the Trump regime's plans to allow data brokers to profit off of sensitive personal information with no regard for the public, while Joseph Cox reports on the dangerous amounts of data being collected (and sold to the U.S. government) from license plate readers. And Luke Goldstein and Katya Schwenk report on a Republican push to shield a landlord oligopoly from answering for price-fixing.  

- Meanwhile, Simon Enoch rightly asks whether we trust unreliable and easily-distorted artifical intelligence to control access to vital social programs.

- Linda McQuaig offers a reminder that public investment has been the only proven means of building a strong Canadian economy which benefits everybody. Marc Lee discusses the importance of federal support for housing construction in particular. And Tom Goldsmith points out that Canadian businesses have never turned immense profits into meaningful investments in research or innovation, while Mario Toneguzzi reports on Loblaws' plan to extract even more profits out of consumers based on claims of tariff uncertainty. 

- Finally, Jen Gerson writes that Danielle Smith's pandering to separatists is the antithesis of leadership, reflecting an abandonment of the public good out of what can at best be characterized as cowardice. And Lisa Young points out how the UCP's belated amendments to the referendum legislation it's rammed through the Legislature confirm their utter failure to recognize the effect of treaty rights and constitutional responsibilities on the exercise of trumped-up grievance politics. 

Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Sherrilyn Ifill examines how resistance to the Trump regime has developed and influenced events over the course of the first 100 days. But Peter Shamshiri laments that the corporate media continues to try to invent favourable narratives about Trump in the face of a decade of evidence establishing that they're utter nonsense.

- James Hardwick discusses how the housing crisis is primarily the result of commodification resulting in distorted distribution of resources, rather than a mere supply-and-demand issue that can be meaningfully addressed by catering to capital. Megan Carullo reports on new research showing that the gap between stagnant wages and a rising cost of living continues to grow in the U.S. And Reuters reports that the Trump regime's plans to squeeze citizens even further include dismantling any effort to track corporate offenders. 

- Adi Robertson warns about the dangerous pairing of AI and other technology designed to attract sensitive user information, and a surveillance state with no scruples about seizing and misusing personal data. And Danyaal Raza weighs in on the connection between privatized health care and the commercial sale of personal health information. 

- David Corbeil discusses Quebec's positive steps in ensuring that both new and existing buildings are set up to enable the use of electric vehicles. And Marc Lee warns against British Columbia's plans to pour public resources into fossil gas extraction and exports rather than investing in a clean energy economy. 

- Curtis Fric notes that the same Canadian public which just delivered its most polarized election result in ages has no desire to be stuck with a two-party system on an ongoing basis. And Christo Aivalis discusses how Mark Carney's prioritization of corporate interests over the working class is betraying progressive voters who were vital to his retaining power - while one of his cabinet members confirms the corporate mindset of the Lib government:

Wayne Long, newly-minted secretary of state for Canada Revenue Agency, tells reporters in Ottawa today: "I think we're going to see our government run like a corporation, which I think is long overdue."

— Steven Chase (@stevenchase.bsky.social) May 14, 2025 at 9:06 AM

- Finally, Marc Edge's review of Laurent Carbonneau's At the Trough highlights how Canadian corporate subsidies primarily result in windfall profits for foreign shareholders rather than any economic development. 

Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Tabled cat.



Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jessica Wildfire discusses the eugenic mindset behind the Trump regime (and particularly Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plans for public health). Jill Lawrence writes that Donald Trump is managing to deform an already wealth-obsessed country with his singular focus on using the power of the presidency to feed his unquenchable greed. Greg Sargent talks to Jamie Raskin about the corruption behind Trump's acceptance of a luxury jet from Qatar. And Timothy Noah takes note of the use of magical supply side theory as an excuse for gigantic tax cuts for those who already have more concentrated wealth than any healthy person could spend in a lifetime. 

- Adrienne Buller and Geoff Mann write that we should treat a polycrisis as a moment where concerted action can have the most positive effect on future outcomes, rather than a basis for despondency and inaction. Jeremy Wallace warns against applying cynical "realism" to the work to be done in preserving a habitable living environment. And Jeff Masters discusses how climate denialists are spinning and mischaracterizing the IPCC's work to try to excuse climate neglect. 

- Meanwhile, Andrea Thompson points out how the Trump regime's slashing of weather forecasting will have a toll in human life. And Nidhi Sharma and Jacob Soboroff report on its decision to squelch the reporting the known cost of wildfires and other climate-related disasters. 

- Amber Rolt reports that a majority of British respondents favour banning short-haul flights in favour of real. And Mili Roy discusses how the fight against climate change fits neatly with the steps Canada needs to take to reduce our dependence on the U.S. 

- Finally, Robert Farley highlights the absolute idiocy of Trump's fight against Canada. And Paul Kahnert argues that any conservatives with an interest in Canada's well-being should be distancing themselves from MAGA - though whether such a thing exists remains in serious doubt. 

Monday, May 12, 2025

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- A.R. Moxon discusses the problem with the concentration of power in the hands of a few tycoons who see no purpose for most human life other than to maximize the efficiency of their own wealth accumulation. And Anis Heydari reports that Canada now has its own group of millionaires to recognize the need for their cohort to contribute a fair share to the public good. 

- Wen Stephenson talks to Olúfémi Táíwò about the need to think like an ancestor in addressing both social relations and the climate crisis. Luke Grant et al. examine the increasing probability that today's children will experience unprecedented climate extremes in the course of their lifetimes. And Mark Gongloff points out that the social cost of carbon pollution from U.S. companies alone figures to reach the high 14 figures by 2050. 

- Meanwhile, Peter Aldhous reports that the Trump regime's war on science includes eliminating the collection of sea ice data which has provided crucial information about the climate crisis. Ariel Wittenberg reports on Elon Musk's dumping of smog without permits on vulnerable neighbourhoods in Memphis. And Nina Lakhani reports on the risk that the climate breakdown could threaten banana cultivation in the coming decades. 

- Kevin Maimann discusses how the fomenting of secessionism by Danielle Smith and Scott Moe may cause economic disaster based on Quebec's experience, while Jen Gerson offers her personal take on the folly of undermining the national interest for the sake of a few oil executives. 

- Finally, Shara Cooper points out that a proportional electoral system would resolve the problem with regions lacking an effective voice in the federal government. And Mario Canseco finds that Canadian voters are still on board with the idea even after Justin Trudeat broke his promise to make every vote count.

Friday, May 09, 2025

Musical interlude

Tony Igy - Change (Chillout)


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- David Suzuki and Ian Hanington write about the importance of a courageous approach to climate change policy, while Nature's editorial board discusses the desperate need for decision-makers to start acting like adults. But it should come as no surprise that the Trump regime's responses to a threat to our living environment boil down to YOU CAN'T MAKE ME! and LALALALAICAN'THEARYOU!

- Meanwhile, Drew Anderson points out that the posturing about separatism from Danielle Smith (and Scott Moe) is aimed solely at strongarming the federal government into letting fossil fuel tycoons dictate policy. And Dharna Noor reports on new revelations into how oil and plastics producers have been lying about the limitations on chemical recycling. 

- Eric Wickham reports that major Canadian grocers have refused to provide even basic information to the federal government as they claim their ability to seek out windfall profits takes precedence over people's access to food. And that contempt for affordability has obvious political effects, as Emma Paling reports that cost of living was a major input into Pierre Poilievre's Con rage farm. 

- Saira Peesker reports on new research showing the links between ultra-processed food and numerous health risks. 

- Finally, Katya Schwenk reports on airlines' sale of passenger data to ICE in the U.S. And Alison Northcott reports that in addition to diverting resources out of the public health care system, private clinics in Canada have been selling health data to big pharma to further goose their profits. 

Thursday, May 08, 2025

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way and Daniel Ziblatt discuss how the Trump regime has used the power of an authoritarian state to impose costs on any opposition - and how it's nonetheless essential for people to resist rather than going along to get along. Robert Reich writes about the need to build a populist progressive movement to ensure people know there's a viable alternative to Trump's corruption and corporatism. And John Baglow's review of new books by Alex Himelfarb and Denise Hearn/Vass Bednar examines how neoliberalism has come to dominate our economic and social foundation - and the difficulty countering the power of capital in trying to make change.

- Attracta Mooney reports on new data showing that global warming has exceeded the 1.5 Celsius threshold for nearly all of the past two years. And Andreas Sieber and Stela Herschmann discuss the futility of holding climate talks while skirting any discussion of the fossil fuels which are the cause of three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions.  

- Isaac Sevier and Winston Yau write about the impending summer of shutoffs as outdated infrastructure and worsening extreme weather events make it inevitable that dirty energy sources will shut down. Euronews Green examines new polling showing that Europeans recognize the need to transition to clean and secure energy sources rather than relying on fossil fuel imports. And Eleni Courea reports on England's requirement for solar panels on new homes as a key example of the transition in progress. 

- Mariah Blake discusses how untested synthetic materials came to be so ubiquitous as a long-term consequence of a corporate PR campaign. 

- Finally, Brint Milward examines how the hollowing-out of the U.S.' federal government will have disastrous effects on state- and local-level services linked to what DOGE is destroying. David Armstrong reports on how a cancer drug which can be produced for 25 cents per pill is being sold for 4,000 times that cost, resulting in people being unable to afford the treatment they need.

Wednesday, May 07, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Roge Karma discusses how Donald Trump's tariff chaos is threatening to reinstate a consensus against any strategic decisions around trade. And Garrett Evans highlights how the contrast between free-flowing capital and constraints on public political influence results in distorted decision-making. 

- Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel report on the dangers of DOGE's illegal harvesting and pooling of sensitive personal information. And Jill Lawrence writes that one of the main uses Trump is making of government power is to wage information warfare - as full and accurate data sets are disappeared in favour of selectively-edited data and propaganda. 

- Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports on the Moe government's choice to lobby on behalf of the corporate pesticide industry at the expense of people's health. And Andrew Mitrovica discusses how petropoliticians including Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith are undermining any unified Canadian response to the Trump regime. 

- Meanwhile, Bill McKibben notes that countries which don't act as fully-owned subsidiaries of the oil sector are making significant progress in transitioning to cleaner and more efficient energy sources. And Kate Yoder examines new research showing that it's possible to prime public support for climate action by focusing on binary indications of the climate breakdown rather than less-visible trends.

- Finally, Alex Cosh writes that the polarized Canadian election result is best seen as a temporary response based on strategic considerations, rather than a locked-in expression of approval or transfer of support toward the largest parties. 

Tuesday, May 06, 2025

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cushioned cat.




Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Tim Dickinson interviews Naomi Klein about the oligarchy's escalating war against the general public, while the Guardian's editorial board points out that warehouse and transport workers are the first groups to face decimation as a consequence of the Trump regime's class war. And Lauren Leffer discusses how the normalization and rationalization of death is the primary common theme to Robert F. Kennedy's actions while in charge of U.S. public health. 

- Marc Elias discusses the need for U.S. courts to stop treating the Trump regime as a normal litigant as it repeatedly ignores rulings and seeks to intimidate judges. And Brian Beutler calls for Democratic governers (and anybody else who might be tempted to appease Trump) to avoid becoming an object of scorn like Paul Weiss.

- Jonathan Last writes that the essence of a fascist view of law enforcement is to encourage state violence against perceived enemies while demanding that allies be treated as entirely above the law. And Will Sommer discusses how the MAGA right's moral compass has been so thoroughly warped that it's treating the direction of the "n" word toward a child as a cause deserving of crowdfunding.  

- Andrew Nikiforuk talks to Ece Temelkuran about the predictable steps from democracy toward autocracy - and the importance of acting in the early stages to avoid being pushed down the path. And Zoe Yunker interviews Alexis Shotwell about the need for collective action in response to large-scale problems. 

- Edward Keenan points out how multiplex construction can be a key element in resolving the housing crisis - but that Toronto and other municipalities have effectively banned it in favour of single detached buildings. 

- Finally, Colleen Fuller writes that Canada needs a public insulin manufacturer to ensure that an essential medication doesn't disappear due to arbitrary action by a few corporations.

Monday, May 05, 2025

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Jason Furman discusses how Donald Trump's economic obsessions are in fundamental conflict with one another - meaning that the only result of trying to pursue all of them will be to make matters worse for the U.S. And Brian Tyler Cohen notes that Trump's ultimate concession of defeat to Maine Governor Janet Mills reflects just one more example of the value of pushing back against him. 

- Jason Sattler writes that Americans have no way to avoid being sucked into Elon Musk's surveillance vortex as he steals their data wherever it's controlled by a government agency. And Lauren McGaughy and Berenice Garcia report on Musk's being handed a city of his own based solely on votes from his own employees. 

- Joe Wilkins reports on Sarah Wynn-Williams' revelation that Facebook's ad algorithms included the exploitation of "moments of psychological vulnerability", including by targeting beauty product ads to teen girls who had merely deleted a selfie. And Dean Blundell writes that female travelers are particularly at risk as the U.S. hands unchecked power (and arbitrary quotas) to immigration officials. 

- Gil Barndollar and Rajan Menon discuss how the U.S. is throwing away the strategic advantage of friendly neighbours throug Trump's constant attacks on Mexico and Canada. But David Pugliese points out one of the complications in Canada's effort to extricate itself from U.S. control, as spare parts for the F-35s we've already committed to buy will be controlled by the U.S. government even after they've been delivered.  

- Finally, Euronews reports on now research showing how more trees in cities could save large numbers of lives by limiting heat-related deaths. And Jessica Wildfire discusses how any preparation for a climate breakdown (or other predictable disaster) needs to account for the mental health effects of a deteriorating living environment. 

Sunday, May 04, 2025

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Jason Hickel discusses how capitalism is fundamentally in conflict with the idea of democracy - and how increasing democratic control over the economy is the only way to salvage any popular governance generally.

- Michael Tomasky calls out the new boundaries of corruption being pushed by Donald Trump's granting of access to those who hand him free money through his memecoin, while Amanda Marcotte discusses how Trump's crypto scam imposes costs on everybody. And Don Moynihan notes that Trump's budget, like virtually everything else emanating from his regime, consists entirely of propaganda rather than bearing any relationship to reality.

- Meanwhile, in case anybody was under the illusion that the only regressive action in the U.S. is originating with Trump and his administration, Tracy Wholf reports on the Republican Senate's unprecedented move to eliminate existing pollution controls.

- Charlie Angus discusses the continued MAGA threats to Canada even after we averted the planned coronation of the Poilievre Cons. And Dennis Pilon writes about the undemocratic results of strategic voting. 

- Finally, Marc Edge discusses how right-wing misinformation has come to dominate social media as a result of an attempt to slightly balance the interests of other media against tech giants. James Hoggan offers some suggestions as to what we can do at an individual level to counter rage farming and political deception. And Euan Thomson reports on the likely illegal - if less-than-surprising - monitoring of citizens' social media by Calgary police.

Friday, May 02, 2025

Musical interlude

Elderbrook & Ahmed Spins - Waterfall


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Rhiana Gunn-Wright and Olufemi Taiwo discuss the importance of making the climate movement one that engages our shared humanity. But as a reminder of what that movement is up against, Carl Meyer reports on how fossil fuel companies have badgered the federal government into allowing them to conceal their climate risks, while George Monbiot discusses the absurdity of the BBC cancelling a podcast about heat pumps because it doesn't fit the agenda of the dirty energy lobby. And John Woodside writes that Mark Carney's plans are at best difficult to pin down - meaning that there figures to be a real risk that he too will let resource capital dictate public policy regardless of how it endangers our living environment. 

- Lauren Kirchner reports on yet another Trump regime attack on consumer protection as it tries to eliminate the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Tom Dreisbach sets out more than 100 examples of the regime using the power of the state to personally target its declared enemies - which is of course worth noting as Danielle Smith looks to copy Trump's playbook in setting the rules for elections. And Kate Aronoff discusses how Trump is making natural disasters far deadlier by eliminating response mechanisms and supports. 

- Adam Gopnik rightly argues that Canada's election result is best seen as a complete repudiation of Trump's plans to take us over (both formally and indirectly). But David Moscrop notes that the election  has left a jarring class dealignment. And Stuart Trew writes that there is an opening for Canada to shape what emerges from Trump's trade chaos - including by enshrining protections for workers, consumers and the environment. 

- Finally, Doug Horner writes about the Crowsnest Pass Herald's role in challenging the monopoly position of Google and Meta which has severely undermined independent media. 

Thursday, May 01, 2025

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jonathan Last writes about the perfect storm in which economic, financial and constitutional crises - all originating from the deliberate choices of the Trump regime - are hitting the U.S. all at once. And Noah Berlatsky points out the eight-figure global death toll which figures to be traceable to Elon Musk's destruction of USAID alone. 

- Talia Lavin interviews Deborah Blum about the need for collective efforts to protect the public from unsafe food supply - and the immense dangers of the Trump regime's decision to shred anything of the sort. Sarah Zimmerman reports that Trump's callous disregard for public health includes the repealing of a plan to limit salmonella in raw poultry. And KFF releases polling showing a strong majority of the U.S. public opposed to major cuts to public health staff and programs. 

- Olufemi Taiwo rightly notes that an effective protest needs to backed up with the potential for mass action to manifest itself in other ways. And Eric Blanc writes about the need to extend labour organizing across the workforce, rather than hoping that traditional unionized manufacturing jobs will make an unlikely comeback if their owners are handed enough public resources.  

- Finally, Luke Savage writes about how the attempt to respond to a U.S. threat has resulted in the unfortunate Americanization of Canadian politices, while Alex Hemingway offers a plea not to force voters into artificial polarization again when a proportional electoral system can eliminate the problem. Nora Loreto questions whether the Libs will have any interest in addressing the crisis of corporate control without a strong external push. And Linda McQuaig discusses how a disappointing election result hasn't removed the NDP's leverage to push the Libs toward progressive action at a time when it could have the most long-term effect.  

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Robert Reich argues that the overriding theme of the new Trump regime is ineptitude, with Paul Krugman's observation that he's staking the U.S. economy on offers which other countries can't accept offering support for that conclusion. But John Slover et al.'s study on the millions of people who stand to die from Trump's wanton slashing of supports signals that cruelty still needs to rank at the top of the list, while Eli Hager writes that a war on children is a huge element of the regime's actions. 

- Harold Meyerson discusses how markets have brought Trump to heel at times - though it's also been worth noting how quick they've been to revert back to "normal" as the people in control of capital are desperate to avoid acknowledging the harm already done when they can find the slightest pretense to make numbers go up. And John Avlon highlights how Americans are demonstrably worse off than they were 100 days ago, with far more damage yet to come. 

- Cory Doctorow notes that Congressional Republicans are joining in the looting of the general public by looking to eliminate protections against corporate fraud and deception. And Dan Friedman and Russ Choma point out the actual dark money behind a political investigation seeking to undermine Democratic donation mechanisms. 

- Quinn Slobodian writes that techbros' temporary fixation with IQ is only a brief stop on the way toward the subordination of human-based knowledge and judgment. And Dell Cameron discusses how car subscription features are just one more piece of the burgeoning private surveillance state. 

- Adam King writes about CAPE's call for public pension funds to divest from Tesla - both to avoid propping up a particularly malevolent corporate actor, and for the sake of avoiding a foreseeable crash. And Michael MacKenzie, Simon Pek and Alex Hemingway make the case to favour democratic employee ownership of businesses rather than catering to the whims of billionaires and foreign capital.

- Finally, Taylor Noakes examines the right-wing propaganda machine which has bullied its way into Canada's political discourse. Max Fawcett writes that a proportional electoral system would offer an important defence mechanism against that threat - though it seems painfully unlikely that Mark Carney will have any more interest in reducing the polarization that brought him to power than Justin Trudeau or previous Lib leaders who have similarly wielded false majorities. And Jared Wesley writes that there are two possible paths ahead for conservatives in Canada - though the observation that there's a theoretical option to build bridges rather than destroying them seems hopelessly credulous in light of the constent track record of the Cons and their IDU co-conspiracists regardless of who's been at the helm.

Monday, April 28, 2025

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your election day reading.

- David Moscrop discusses the dangers of allowing the Libs to claim the mantle of "left" while under corporate control. Martin Lukacs warns that the Poilievre Cons and their disinformation machine will have managed to push Canadian politics rightward even if voters reject them. And Jared Wesley writes about the need to approach any results with care, rather than knee-jerk anger or smugness. 

- Dustin Godfrey notes that both the Libs and Cons are pushing for drug policy based on puritanical punishment rather than harm reduction (in stark contrast to the NDP). And Katherine Scott discusses how young people facing a grim future with few supports have been largely ignored by the two largest parties, while Renee Sylvestre Williams offers a reminder that boutique tax baubles don't do anything to make life affordable for the working class. 

- Paul Kahnert writes about the red flags which confirm Poilievre is every bit as destructive and reality-averse as Donald Trump. And Guy Lawson comments on the absurdity of the Cons seeking to take power based on a campaign of absolute isolation - including but not limited to a complete failure to respond to the connections between them and the Republicans. 

- Steven Beschloss discusses how the Trump regime has made the U.S. a pariah rather than a magnet for international activity. Edward Harrison highlights the reality that American exceptionalism can't be salavaged in the wake of an irrational war against everybody. And Alan Elrod writes that the road toward anything positive depends on reversing the practice of politics based on vice. 

- Finally, Ben Smith offers a glimpse at the elite group chats which shaped the current U.S. conventional wisdom in the image of alt-right saboteurs. Philip Bump notes that one of the few consistent elements of the Trump regime is its refusal to listen to any message other than its own propaganda, while Eileen Sullivan reports on the elimination of a non-partisan civil service to allow only for Trump boosterism. And Ian Bogost and Charlie Warzel warn that the corporate information scraping and surveillance being put in place by Elon Musk may have repercussion for the general public long past Trump's stay in power. 

Sunday, April 27, 2025

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Jim Stanford offers a reminder of the problems with treating raw GDP as a proxy for well-being or social development. Dario Radley highlights new archaeological research showing that inequality is a policy choice rather than an inevitability in larger and more complex societies. And William Finnegan discusses how the U.S.' one-time promise that work would lead to some measure of economic security has been swapped out for a system designed to facilitate extraction and precarity at every turn. 

- Joe Perticone notes that the Trump regime's combination of deliberate climate destruction and elimination of emergency supports may push people to demand climate action. And Mark Blyth and Nicolo Fraccatori write that the short-term impact of tariffs likely won't hold a candle to the inflation and shortages caused by a climate breakdown. 

- Meanwhile, Jill Filipovic discusses how many U.S. elites have capitulated to - or happily embraced - the human rights abuses of the Trump regime. And Thomas Zimmer writes about the continued rise of despotism under Trump. 

- Stephen Council reports on Mark Zuckberberg's belated recognition that Facebook is fundamentally broken now that it serves primarily as a conduit for misinformation. And Paris Marx notes that Canada's techbros seem perfectly happy to see Mark Carney (and his utterly credulous take on AI) rise to power even if it means their personally-sponsored Cons aren't elected. 

- Finally, Code Black writes about the dangers of health care privatization - and the need to stop conservatives determined to make health secondary to profit motives. John Woodside and Natasha Bulowski report on the deep ties between the Cons and dirty energy lobbyists as a strong indication of whose interests will - and won't - be taken into consideration if they get a chance to determine federal policy. And Emily examines a number of the Cons' connections to MAGA world, while pointing out the risks of allowing their worldview to dictate Canadian choices. 

Friday, April 25, 2025

Musical interlude

Jerro & Shallou - Breaking Apart


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jill Lawrence discusses how the Trump regime's combination of corruption, greed and poor judgment is tearing the concept of the heroic tycoon to shreds. David Sirota et al. note that the plutocrat-sponsored revolt against taxes is likewise becoming untenable as a matter of public opinion. And Rob Jowett writes that one of Mark Carney's key weaknesses is his being embedded in the work of exploitative capital. 

- Zachary Basu writes about DOGE's unblemished track record of ignorance and self-destruction, while Matt Ford is the latest to point out that all Americans are in jeopardy when it's state policy to disappear people without due process. And Jared Yates Sexton writes about the importance of taking advantage of the openings created by the incompetence of autocrats.

- Jared Wesley calls out Pierre Poilievre's attempt to echo Trump's attacks on anything deemed "woke" without providing any coherent definition or reason why inclusion and empathy should be considered to be negatives. And David Olive notes that Canadian businesses haven't shown any inclination to abandon their own DEI programs in order to appease MAGA loons on either side of the border.  

- Finally, Juan Vargas notes that aspects of a youth climate corps have made their way into multiple parties' election platforms - while also pointing out the stark difference between a Lib "pilot" and the full plans of the NDP and Greens. And Seth Klein writes about the need for a war footing against the U.S.' threats to include commensurate taxes to fund our fight and avoid profiteering. 

Thursday, April 24, 2025

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Francisco Ferreira discusses the collapse of the existing global economic order - and the need for countries other than the U.S. to take decisive steps to create any alternative which could improve on the flaws in the historical system. And Peter Crowley weighs in on the role a half-century of neoliberalism has played in laying the groundwork for dictatorship. 

- Dave Davies talks to Steven Levitsky about the dire state of U.S. democracy. And Brian Beutler discusses how Donald Trump courts disaster to force everybody else to use their resources preparing for the fallout from his whims. 

- Mark Olalde reports on the threats being made against U.S. civil servants that they face criminal prosecution for whistle-blowing or providing accurate information about the Trump regime's actions. Victor Tangerman reports on Elon Musk's similar pattern of threatening to arrange for the deportation of anybody at Tesla who dared to point out problems with the brakes in their vehicles. And Canada Healthwatch points out that the U.S. has deliberately set up a system for the reporting and intimidation of Canadian health care providers who dare to provide gender-supportive care, abortion, contraception or other care which runs afoul of Trump's ideology. 

- Jason Sattler discusses how Musk deliberately trashed the concept of verification at X - and how important it is to reinstate it through Bluesky and other social media. And Alex Himelfarb writes about the dangers of denialism in undermining the collective action needed to respond to a polycrisis. 

- Finally, Natasha Bulowski highlights how the Cons are flipping the bird to the concept of climate action. Nicholas Hune-Brown discusses how J.D. Vance has become a key focus of the election in Bowmanville-Oshawa North where his buddy Jamil Jivani is trying to take a place in a Con cabinet, while Michael Harris identifies the influence of the Trump regime as just one of several unusual aspects of the federal election campaign. And Justin Ling discusses how Pierre Poilievre is shutting out any but the most sycophantic of media outlets - making for just one more indication that he's following the Trump playbook to the letter. 

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Toby Buckle notes that the most accurate predictions for Donald Trump's second term have been the ones which warned about the worst (and even then may have underestimated the dangers). Marina Kelly and Vittoria Elliott report on DOGE's theft of massive amounts of data which is being turned into an unprecedented surveillance tool. Brittany Gibson notes that anybody who merely speaks up for the people disappeared by Trump's goons is being threatened with criminal prosecution. And Radley Balko writes that Trump's regime is imposing direct costs on basic human decency - making it all the more important for people to defy the powers that be by caring for one another. 

- Dan Froomkin argues that accurate coverage of the Trump regime needs to start from the premise that it's a criminal enterprise. Paul Krugman notes that major policy announcements are now being made in private meetings with corporate executives. And Will Bunch examines how Trump's second inaugural fund was turned into a nine-figure shakedown and grift which received scant media attention. 

- Frank Langfitt reports on a survey of political scientists finding broad agreement that Trump is tipping the U.S. into authoritarianism. And Robert Reich writes about the billionaire class' ongoing efforts to secede from society at large rather than contributing a nickel to its success. 

- The Canadian Press reports on a push by professors to offer safe haven to American academics and researchers. Dat Nguyen warns against allowing Pierre Poilievre to import Trump's war on science to Canada, while Aaron Wherry and Catherine Cullne report that the Cons' plans to exercise political control over research are intact even after they were left out of the first version of the party's English platform. Geoff Dembicki examines the Cons' plans to mimic DOGE, while Adrienne Tanner reports on their similar mirroring of the Republicans' culture war. Harrison Mooney talks to Martin Lukacs about Poilievre's plans to trash the welfare state and civil society. 

- Finally, andrea bennett interviews Enda Brophy about the class politics of the Canadian federal election. Emmett Macfarlane takes a look at the plans offered by Canada's political parties on democracy and governance - though it's unfortunate that the far more substantive plans of the NDP receive far less attention than the lack thereof of the Cons and Libs. Jen St. Denis examines how and why extreme-right propagandists were able to hijack the election debates. And Gillian Steward points out that the real goal of Western separatists is merely to maintain a grievance culture that serves as a roadblock to climate action and clean energy development. 

Tuesday, April 22, 2025

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Restful cat.




Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Adrienne Lafrance discusses how the clock is ticking - but not quite yet run out - to check Donald Trump's assertion of absolute power before the U.S. falls into authoritarianism. Will Stone reports on the Trump regime's gutting of the Department of Health and Human Services' injury prevention team, while Hiroko Tabuchi reports on the cancellation of research grants to address the effects of pollution and toxic chemicals on children. And Laurie Udesky and Jack Leeming write about the beginning of a massive scientific brain drain. 

- Stephen Magusiak talks to Geoff Dembicki about the close connections between Pierre Poilievre's Cons and the corporate forces responsible for Trump's entrenchment in power. Christopher Holcroft examines a half-dozen of the crucial policy areas where Poilievre is consistently parroting Trump. And Washim Ahmed warns that Poilievre's determination to mimic Trump's deportation of people for the exercise of free speech and assembly is particularly dangerous. 

- Ximena Gonzalez rightly questions why neither of the main parties is showing any interest in tackling poverty or inequality. And Danyaal Raza writes about the crisis in primary health care which is likewise receiving short shrift from the Libs and Cons alike. 

- Finally, Christo Aivalis writes about a principled approach to strategic voting for left-wing Canadian voters (in stark contrast to the "Dear Leader requires a crushing majority!" message coming from the Lib camp). And Tom Parkin offers a data-driven approach to electing the most progressive Parliament possible.