Musical interlude

Reyin - Lost In Motion

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Nathan Tankus examines the risk that the Trump regime can arbitrarily steal money from American bank accounts. Roy Edroso discusses how Republicans are pushing new limits of anti-empathy as a denial of a hallmark of humanity. But if there was any doubt how the nonsensical is being normalized, Kayla Gogarty examines how MAGA voices are increasingly dominating a range of media in the U.S. - including nominally non-political spaces. 

- Makena Kelly et al. look in detail at DOGE's infiltration of the U.S. public service - as well as the expected push to put experimental AI in charge once the first wave of vandals has done its work. Chris Stokel-Walker points out how the the actual use of AI UK's minister responsible signals a complete lack of thought as to whether it's necessary or viable. And David Dayen discusses how the combination of return-to-the-office orders and cuts to custodial and support staff was designed to make workplaces intolerable. 

- Frank Koller discusses the serious questions about Trump's apparent plans to take Canada by force. Nora Loreto writes about the dangers of counting on a Captain Canada to save us, while Emmett Macfarlane highlights how Doug Ford is particularly ill-suited to handle our response to the treat posed by his American political cousins. 

- Angella MacEwen offers her take on some of the options available to deal with Trump's trade war, and particularly the need to build economic infrastructure for the future rather than hoping that temporary supports and regulatory tinkering will be sufficient. And Destiny Meilleur reports on the developing efforts to grow warm-weather crops in Canada to substitute for reliance on imports. 

- Finally, Taya Graham and Stephen Janis talk to Bill McKibben about the longstanding billionaire conspiracy to kill green energy. Brett McKay reports on one tar sands operator's plan to dump dirty effluent in underground reservoirs rather than doing anything to clean up its messes. Jens Terhaar et al. examine the record sea surface temperature jump in 2024. And Nancy Lapald reports on new research showing that the harms of microplastics may include contributing to drug-resistant bacteria.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Michael Harriot writes that the U.S. is past the point of being able to talk about mere threats to democracy, and needs instead to start from the reality that it's operating under a fascist regime. Hamilton Nolan warns that the most comfortable and privileged people aren't about to lead the resistance. Jill Lawrence talks to Phil Satre about the long-standing recognition among his business and social peers that Donald Trump is incapable of dealing with people in good faith. And Daniel Schuman discusses the Trump regime's plans to effectively eliminate the legislative branch of government, while Bo Erickson reports on the choice of compliant Republicans to eliminate their own authority to reverse Trump's tariff madness. 

- Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold and Carol Lee report on Trump's steps to take military control of the Panama Canal, while Robald Diebert writes that Justin Trudeau's initial attempt at accommodation is giving Trump what he wants in putting Canada under the control of a police state. And the National Review weighs on why Trump's attempts to take Canada by force are utterly reckless, while David Moscrop discusses why that doesn't mean he'll abandon them anytime soon. 

- Robert Reich writes about the need for a renewed free speech movement which takes up the mantle of civil rights. And Christopher Holcroft writes about the need to push back against the Trump regime's propaganda machine machine in Canada, while the Canadian Press reports on new Manitoba legislation aimed at holding parties responsible for election disinformation. 

- Finally, Steve Lambert reports on another new Manitoba bill to treat people with communicable diseases as patients rather than prisoners. And in a particularly noteworthy advancement worth emulating elsewhere, Carol Sanders reports on the Kinew government's introduction of legislation ensuring an active focus on the psychological well-being of workers. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jamelle Bouie discusses the rot within the U.S.' political system which is raising the prospect of imminent constitutional collapse. Malcolm Nance points out how the Trump regime is giving every indication of an intention to take Canada and Greenland by force - though there's reason to doubt that plan is any better thought-out than the rest of Trump's lurches and reversals. Evan Dyer notes that there's no subtlety at all to an ongoing destabilization campaign. And Dustin Fergusson-Vaux points out the folly of Trump's demand that we expose our banking system to increased U.S. control and higher levels of risk.

- Linda McQuaig writes about the need for Canada to mobilize in response to the Trump threat, while Rob Gillies reports on the latest set of targeted tariffs in response to the U.S.' arbitrary duties on steel and aluminum. Curtis Fric discusses the soaring public popularity of EU membership. And Kristy Kirkup reports that British Columbia is taking up the opportunity to recruit health care workers who want a better living environment than they can anticipate south of the border. 

- Scott Waldman reports that the Trump regime's campaign of destruction on behalf of the fossil fuel sector includes a new propaganda effort to paint the climate breakdown as a positive. Damian Carrington points out the latest examples of climate "weirding" resulting in new and extreme phenomena hitting major cities. And Ajit Niranjan reports on a new analysis showing that nearly every country on the planet has dirtier air than the recommended level for breathing.

- Finally, Natalie Stechyson examines the increasing demands on parents, while noting that it's difficult to separate the requirements arising from parenting in particular with the general environment of stress facing everybody. But either way, Aishwarya Dudha reports on Scott Moe's continued determination not to be part of any solution as he refuses to sign a new child-care agreement. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Blanketed cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jill Lawrence discusses how the U.S.' current kleptocracy was caused directly by the dangerous conflation of concentrated wealth with free speech. Luke Goldstein reports that in his efforts to extract $56 billion in insider bonuses from Tesla even as he torpedoes its market value, Elon Musk is attempting to virtually obliterate any corporate regulation at the state level. Marcy Wheeler surveys some of the less-recognized actions of the Trump regime, including its mass "corporate clemency" to ensure that corporate criminality goes unpunished. And Oliver Laughland reports on its decision to drop oan environmental case against a petrochemical company contributing to the plight of Louisiana's Cancer Alley. 

- Meanwhile, Nora Loreto writes that Mark Carney's own corporate track record involves extensive use of whatever loopholes, leverage and political favours have been available to extract public money while avoiding contributing to the public good. 

- Thom Hartmann and Robert Kuttner each weigh in on the imminent Musk-led attack on Social Security and any other social programs which keep people alive and healthy at the expense of maximizing the amount of money available to be shoveled into profiteers' offshore accounts. And Abby Vesoulis' report on the illegal elimination of USAID adds "severely malnourished children" to the list of people who are being told by the world's wealthiest man that they need to fend for themselves. 

- Cathie from Canada weighs in on the need to take Trump's threats against Canada seriously. And Joseph Brean reports on new Leger polling showing that nearly two-thirds of the country has gotten the message. 

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing how microplastics are causing dangerous levels of crop losses as well as harm to other food sources. And Sanjana Gajbhiye reports on a new study finding that proximity to major roads increases the risk of dementia.  

- Finally, Craig Spencer examines how the U.S.' destruction of global public health capacity will allow communicable diseases to run wild. Blake Murdoch discusses how the unsupported denial of airborne COVID-19 transmission has undercut both the response to the pandemic in progress, and the precautionary principle in general. Rachel Obordo writes about the continud human toll of COVID-19. And Jessica Wildfire warns that even people who have been vaccinated face severe risks as measles spread across North America thanks to denialists and anti-social cranks.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- The Guardian discusses how Canada is on the frontline of Donald Trump's attacks on any concept of a rules-based international order. Franklin Foer writes about how Trump is operating entirely according to Vladimir Putin's worldview, while Anna Betts reports on the U.S.' place in the list of countries seeing a rapid decline in civic freedoms. Rana Foroohar writes that Trump is proving to be a disaster even in terms of the accumulation of wealth, while Umair Haque warns that our economic system is entirely unfit to assess and manage the risks we're now facing. And Isaac Stanley-Becker warns that air safety is under even more threat than one would think from Elon Musk's well-publicized mass layoffs (and the spate of plane crashes that has followed). 

- Ryan Meili discusses the importance of building connections around the globe to fill the void left by a decaying American empire - rather than retreating into an insular mindset which leaves us more isolated and vulnerable. David Olive adds a few more suggestions to Canada's list of options in responding to the trade component of the U.S. threat. And Nick Tsergas highlights why it's long past time for anybody who cares about their own credibility to ditch the morass that is X. 

- Taylor Noakes calls out the dark money being used to propagandize for continued reliance on dirty energy. And Heather Stewart talks to Yolanda Diaz Perez about the success of Spain's left-wing government - including the need to push back as to the terms of political debate rather than accepting right-wing framing. 

- Finally, James Tapper, Anna Fazackerley and Vanessa Thorpe discuss how COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities in the UK. And Laura Spinney laments that right-wing, anti-social narratives have come to dominate any discussion of a disease which still serves as a compelling demonstration of the need to take care of each other. 

On open lanes

Mark Carney's ascent to the Liberal leadership has locked in a change in Canadian politics as compared to the period before Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement. But as the inevitable response to any glimmer of hope for the Libs is to turn it into a "this is bad news for the NDP!" story, let's take a look at how there's still room for the NDP to find its footing in advance of an election campaign. 

First, recognizing that the Trump regime will continue to make it difficult for parties to centre a campaign on anything else, there remains plenty of space for a distinct voice as to the appropriate response.

On that front, the most telling part of Carney's inaugural speech dealing with Trump was this:

“The Canadian government is rightly retaliating with our own tariffs,” Carney said during his victory speech Sunday. “My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect — and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade.”

Now, that message makes plenty of sense from the Libs' perspective. It plays to both a simplistic patriotism and Carney's international profile in making a demand for "respect", while also allowing corporate Libs the hint of an easy return to business as usual based on entirely subjective criteria.  

But there are limitations on that position in terms of both principle and credibility. 

As a matter of principle, the concept of "respect" looks profoundly tepid compared to what's playing out in real time. As stories and pictures emerge about the real human costs of Trump's authoritarianism, there's a desperate need for somebody in the campaign to highlight the fact there's more at stake than national pride.

And I'd also expect plenty of voters to recognize the folly in crediting Trump as being able to offer credible, reliable commitments on anything. (Insert "if you'd been around for Trump's first term, maybe you'd understand!" as appropriate - and Carney's credulousness in the face of nakedly self-serving actors is a point with broader application as his green banking alliance has crumbled.)

To be clear, I don't think there's likely a path to a 2015-style three-way race at this stage. But there are multiple potential responses to the Trump regime - and one focused on how it threatens human rights and workers' interests on both sides of the border should offer a distinct and important message which will appeal to both longtime supporters and new potential activists. 

Which brings us to the question of how popular support levels will translate into seats - and there, it's worth noting some of the limitations in assuming a uniform swing in votes which doesn't reflect local and party factors. 

On that front, there's a well-established NDP practice of "beachhead" organizing - with an intensive focus on winning a single seat to provide a local presence, then a plan to leverage incumbency advantages and spillover awareness of one established MP into neighbouring seats. 

As Allan Gregg acknowledged after Ontario's provincial election this year, that model allowed Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP to hold nearly all of their seats (contrary to what pollsters presumed) and remain the Official Opposition despite losing ground in the popular vote. Trevor Corkum notes that there's precedent for a localized focus to bring Atlantic seats into the fold even in the face of a Liberal turn elsewhere, with strong challengers in place to challenge for seats the NDP has held in the recent past. And I'd point out the additional example of the Vancouver Island stronghold which has stayed primarily with the NDP since 2015 even as provincial and national numbers have fluctuated. 

If I have any general concern about that model, it's that it tends to result in dedicating the resources of a national campaign to a relatively small number of seats - which may limit the NDP's ability to expand the electoral map. But the flip side is that it provides reason to think the NDP can hold hold strong on the ground regardless of where the Lib-Con air war ends up.