Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Curled-up cat.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Samantha Hancox-Li discusses the need to ensure the rampant violence and corruption of the second Trump term is met with prosecutions, rather than another round of calls to sweep criminality under the rug yet again as long as it's being committed from sufficiently powerful positions. Alan Elrod points out the need for the Democratic Party to lead that effort (no matter how much more comfortable its legislative leaders are trying to pretend that Republican fascists are their friends). 

- Jonathan Watts discusses the dangers of trying to keep countries addicted to fossil fuels by force even as cleaner and more affordable options become readily available. And Carl Meyer examines the similarities between the anti-regulation, pro-dirty energy structures put in place by the Trump regime and the Carney government. 

- Sophie Hurwitz weighs in on the reality that opposition to data centres is one of the few truly unifying issues across party lines in the U.S. And Tom Chivers points out that young voters are particularly skeptical of artificial intelligence.

- Joseph Cox reports on the FBI's plans to buy U.S.-wide license plate reading technology to effectively allow for total surveillance of anybody with their own vehicle. And Michael Geist writes about the Carney Libs' continued push to impose absolute online surveillance on Canadians. 

- Finally, Luke Savage calls out the small-c conservative demand that the plebes work until they drop (toward the purpose of further enriching the ruling class). 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Michael Mechanic examines the new depths of corruption being reached by the Trump regime in using public money to reward his violent supporters. But Bearly Politics points out the significance of an alt-right formation which relies on being paid off rather than on holding any principles or values. And Elizabeth Spears notes that even the billionaire class is engaged in a campaign of pitiful whining to proclaim its own lack of motivation as an excuse to avoid making the most modest of contributions to funding public services. 

- Althia Raj points out Mark Carney's new pesticide plans which involve multiple steps to give corporate interests precedence over public health and safety. And Lloyd Axworthy discusses how the Libs have moved into purely conservative territory under Carney. 

- Mark Gongloff highlights the massive global wealth transfer being used to paper over the known and avoidable costs of the climate breakdown. And Mitchell Beer writes about the path forward toward climate progress as federal and provincial governments alike have given up on the task in favour of petropolitics.  

- Dean Baker examines the realities and dangers of the artificial intelligence bubble. And Joe Wilkins reports on the plight of Lake Tahoe, where residents are having their power cut off so it can be diverted to data centres. 

- Finally, Andrew Coyne calls out Danielle Smith and the other separatists looking to destroy Canada. And Dale Smith rightly argues that a small, extreme minority even within Alberta shouldn't be able to hold our national agenda hostage. 

Musical interlude

Counterpoint - While The Universe Unfolds

 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Simon Mundy examines the growing recognition that the combination of solar power and batteries - both of which are plummeting in price - makes for a more reliable and efficient power supply than relying on fossil fuels. And Dan McCarthy zeroes in on the rapid installation of grid-scale batteries in particular. 

- Karl Nerenberg writes about Mark Carney's determination to subsidize dying industries rather than working toward a transition toward the energy sources of the future. And Jimmy Thomson calls out the Orwellian nature of the attempt to label export subsidies and emission deregulation as a climate policy. 

- Which isn't to say some windfall profits aren't being made while people are trapped in fossil fuel dependency. On that front, Amy Fan and Rebecca Elliott discuss the winners and losers of the oil price shock caused by Donald Trump's war of choice in Iran - with the U.S. and Russia emerging as the main profiteers. 

- Anna Bawden reports on an expert recommendation that the climate crisis be labeled and dealt with as a global public health emergency. 

- Finally, Charlie Warzel warns that the plan of AI carnival barkers is to overwhelm us so we can't resist reliance on it - even as he highlights the absurdity of its supposed benefits. And John Ainger reports on the sharp power price increases being inflicted on the public as AI data centres use far more energy than can manageably be spared. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Carl Meyer explains how the Carney Libs are looking to push resource extraction at the expense of social and environmental realities to an extent beyond even the Harper Cons. And Corporate Europe Observatory criticizes the European Commission for likewise trashing needed regulations and subsidizing fossil fuels. 

- Meanwhile, Keith Brooks calls Mark Carney out for managing to turn even an electrification strategy into a means of prolonging fossil fuel dependency. And Alex Ballingall reports that after scrapping nearly every other means of limiting carbon pollution other than the industrial carbon price, Carney is now allowing Danielle Smith to undermine that.

- And in case anybody was under the illusion that there aren't superior alternatives to fossil fuels already available, Ben Feshbach, Ellie Garland and Julia Meisel highlight how the U.S. (like Canada) has immense geothermal power potential which is going unused due to the policy choice to favour dirty energy. 

- Elizabeth Elder and Neal O'Brien study the polarization of health outcomes in the U.S., as the anti-science ideology of Republicans is systematically resulting in shorter and sicker lives. And Joe Vipond, Dick Zoutman and Kashif Pirzada warn that the scattered response to the ongoing hantavirus outbreak signals that we've utterly failed to learn necessary lessons from previous contagions. 

- Finally, Maximillian Alvarez discusses how the wealthiest few are using their riches to try to untether us from reality. And Atrios rightly notes that in the case of Donald Trump and his ilk, the only responsible media response is to preface any coverage with a warning about their history of lying. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Paper-pushing cats.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Nicholas Kristof rightly characterizes the Trump/Musk demolition of US foreign aid as reflecting the world's wealthiest and most powerful men attacking the world's poorest children. And David Dayen points out the childishness of the thinking of the financiers gathered at the Milken Global Conference on Iran and other serious issues. 

- Ross Macfarlane discusses how to end silence on the urgency and importance of addressing the climate crisis. And Chris Rapley rightly argues that we should treat our living environment with no less respect than astronauts - who would never think to voluntary pollute or destroy the life support systems they rely on. 

- Jan Rosenow examines how Spain's shift to renewable energy has given it some of the lowest power prices in Europe. And Allan Olingo reports on the shift toward electric vehicles in Ethiopia and other African countries as the combination of improved EVs and fossil fuel shortages makes a transition inevitable.

- Finally, James Hannay points out that the forces seeking to let corporate-friendly market forces dictate the availability and affordability of food are no more beneficial for agricultural producers than for consumers. And Gustova Indart discusses some of the advantages of publicly-operated grocery stores as a means of meeting people's needs.  

Musical interlude

Bob Moses - Leave Like This

 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Disheveled cat.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

 This and that for your Tuesday reading. 

- Olufemi Taiwo discusses how the political and corporate elite have declared that consequences for bad decisions will apply only to the plebes - even as events make clear that's not a viable strategy. And Rachel Louise Ensign and James Benedict point out the fifteen-digit wealth stash in the hands of older Americans - along with the reality that most of it figures to stagnate rather than being transferred or put to any positive use. 

- Natalie Donback reports on the efforts of cities to plan and rehearse for the most predictable climate disasters even as national governments subsidize their causes. And Oliver Milman reports on a new study finding that New Orleans for one will likely be swallowed up by the sea within a matter of decades. 

- Meanwhile, Jack Ewing reports on Costa Rica's success in fostering electric vehicle adoption by ensuring people have ready access to charging infrastructure.  

- Josh Taylor notes that public opposition to data centres is as strong in Australia as in much of the rest of the world. And Robert Walton writes that while the strain from power usage has drawn more attention so far, large data centres can be equally problematic in causing rapid load reductions which aren't accounted for in grid planning. 

- Finally, Erin Weir discusses how Saskatchewan is giving away its potash resources - and indeed incentivizing the shutdown of mines which pay more royalties. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ian Bremmer highlights how countries around the globe are hedging their bets rather than risking being taken down as the U.S. collapses. And Karen Attiah comments on the "dying mall vibes" being given off by the country. 

- Paul Bledsoe examines what needs to be done to stop catastrophic climate change without resorting to dangerous geoengineering. 

- Cory Doctorow points out how the Trump regime is allowing less-wealthy countries to get the jump on technological development by forcing a transition to cleaner energy which he's determined to squelch in the U.S. And Adrienne Tanner comments on Alberta's similarly self-destructive blocking of solar power in a province which would otherwise be at an advantage in building it. 

- Rory White reports on the proliferation of online "groups" which in fact serve as nothing but corporate propaganda outlets. 

- Finally, Nora Loreto examines the history of fascism in Canada - including how it was able to rise as laissez-faire governments elected not to deal with people's needs as they went unmet.  

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Daisy Dunne examines the takeaways from the Santa Marta energy transition conference, which offered needed hope that it's possible to cooperate at a global level without dirty energy interests obstructing against any progress. And Daniela Gabor and Benjamin Braun write about the need for a transition to happen through careful planning rather than unmanaged shocks. 

- Curtis Williams and Helen Clark report that even in the midst of a fuel shock Woodside and other producers can't find viable markets for fossil gas. And Irina Slay points out how Asia is rapidly reducing its reliance on gas imports. 

- But Alex Cool-Fergus discusses Don Gillmor's observations on the degree to which Canada has been propagandized into equating the oil industry with the national interest in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Jon Auger highlights the pernicious role of low oil royalties in ensuring that Alberta remains dependent on oil extraction rather than being able to fund its own transition. And Abrahm Lustgarten exposes how oil tycoons are trying to influence U.S. judges to accept climate denialism as fact. 

- Naema Ahmed and Sarah Kaplan report on new research showing that the "more CO2 is good for plants!" spin of fossil fuel sycophants is false, as increase carbon dioxide instead results in the production of less nutritious food. 

- Finally, Ellen Cushing points out that emotional surveillance of individuals by employers and other powerful actors is one of the most worrisome outcomes of the proliferation of AI. Ben Beveridge highlights how the Sask Party's use of public resources to enrich Bell through a new data centre represents a prime example of how not to govern in the public interest. Arwa Mahdawi notes that beyond state-sanctioned abuses, the proliferation of police surveillance is also enabling law enforcement officials to use data or personal benefit. And Sam Freedman weighs in on the certainty that prediction markets will allow people to manipulate public events for the benefit of bettors. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Alec Luhn warns that the potential consequences of the breakdown of the AMOC current include the release of far more of the carbon pollution that's already causing it to collapse. And Claudia Vorbeck points out that our current reliance on fossil fuels to produce fertilizer is unnecessary, with localized alternatives offering both a more secure supply and a reduced environmental impact. 

- Sabrina Tavernise notes that opposition to data centres has become one of the most universal areas of bipartisan agreement in the U.S. And Brian Merchant examines what the organizing against data centres may presage in the wider political system. 

- Alissa Quart discusses how fear and uncertainty have been propagated and weaponized by the corporations who are able to profit from them. And Johnnie Kallas et al. examine the reduction in strike activity which has seen American workers do less to assert their power over exploitative employers. 

- Finally, Althia Raj discusses how Mark Carney has forgotten - or at least chosen to ignore - the progressive voters who lent their support to elect him. The Star's editorial board highlights how Carney's plans for privatization serve nobody's purposes but those of corporate wealth extractors. And Lucy Hamilton offers similar observations from Australia, where a nominally progressive governing party is mostly using its power to cater to the wealthy few. 

Musical interlude

Editors - Call It In

 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- John Rapley highlights Canada's choice between tying ourselves to a dying and decaying American empire and its petropolitics, or instead investing in our future as part of a global clean energy economy. But Murray Brewster reports on Mark Carney's choice to secretly lock us into a billion-dollar military deal as a reminder that the Libs' inclination is to appease and support the Trump regime in substance even while occasionally posturing against it for the cameras. 

- Meanwhile, Natasha Tusikov and Blayne Haggart discuss how Canadians stand to lose out from Carney's plans to deploy artificial intelligence to replace a functional public service.  

- Erin Anderssen and Yang Sun discuss how the lack of available and affordable homes is the main factor driving unhappiness among young Canadians. 

- Cameron Micallef reports on the effort by Australian unions to make gains for workers on a scale not seen in decades, including though a shift to a four-day work week. And Jacob Fuller highlights Arindrajit Dube's research showing that there's plenty of room to increase minimum wages with effectively no impact other than to improve labour's share of income (and perhaps improve social indicators tied to income). 

- Finally, Leni Spooner writes about the dangers of surveillance pricing - and the choice of Libs and Cons alike to let greedy corporations use personal information to extract every possible nickel from consumers. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jonathan Watts and Fiona Harvey report on Gustavo Petro's warning about the dangers of accepting suicidal petropolitics. And Laura Paddison discusses how the fossil fuel sector is swimming in profits thanks to the global chaos and violence being stoked by its political puppets. 

- Ajit Niranjan writes about this spring's record heat wave in northern Europe and its connection to wildfires and unprecedented ocean warming. And Anita Hofschneider points out that while Indigenous peoples are often on the front lines in facing the effects of the climate crisis, they're severely underresourced in being able to respond. 

- Fran Rimrod and Evelyn Manfield discuss how renewable energy and batteries are managing to more than cover the additional power required by extreme heat in Australia. AFP reports on France's plan to phase out fossil fuels entirely in under 25 years, while Jan Rosenow points out how Europe as a whole has a clear path (and obvious motivation) to end its fossil fuel dependency in all sectors - even as our government plans to burn still more public money to subsidize export expansion. And Joshua Pearce notes that several states are ahead of any Canadian jurisdiction in enabling small-scale, plus-and-play solar to reduce both power costs and grid strain. 

- Damien Gayle reports on new research showing that exposure to air pollution in the course of pregnancy tends to result in slower child speech development.  

- Finally, Evan Greer highlights the need for youth to be able to get informed and organized online. And Michael Geist points out the multiple reasons why the age-based social media bans being pushed across the political spectrum by Canadian provinces are ill-advised. 

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Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Entertainment-seeking cat.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brian Platt and Christine Dobby discuss the corporate ethos shared by Mark Carney and the business elites benefiting from his actions in power. The CCPA examines how the Carney Libs are at best repackaging old ideas as new initiatives, and at worst planning to spend massive amounts of public money to further exacerbate inequality. Akash Ramaswamy points out that the Libs' plan to give preferred corporations a get-out-of-regulation-free card only serves to create unfairness and uncertainty. And Gabriela Calugay-Casuga reports on the Libs' attempt to overturn a human rights ruling aimed at remedying racial discrimination in the federal public service. 

- Meanwhile, David Macdonald laments how Carney's cuts to foreign aid are ending any pretense that Canada is a "helpful fixer" on the international scene rather than a cynical opportunist. 

- David Climenhaga points out how Danielle Smith is planning to use public funds to propagandize against reality. And Joel Dryden's look at the predictors of support for Alberta separatism reveals the fact that the few people wanting to separate are disproportionately those who have high incomes they can't manage responsibly. 

- Finally, Ed Zitron confirms that the economics of AI remain laughable at best, as some of its most central actors start to acknowledge they have no realistic path to make money (or serve any useful purpose). And angryea notes that the ultimate motivation behind AI is contempt for users and the general public. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Rita Bhowmick writes about the importance of care services both in keeping people healthy and ensuring equitable work opportunities. And Steven Lewis examines the dishonesty and gaslighting behind the destruction of public Medicare in by the UCP, while Kaylene Duttchen and Paul Parks point out the consistent body of evidence showing that private and for-profit medicine only draws resources away from the care people actually need.  

- Runting Li et al. study (PDF) the connection between the proliferation of microplastics and nanoplastics, and the proliferation of brain tumours. 

- Donal Gill offers a warning about the dangers of making political and social decisions to serve the interests of tech giants pushing AI propaganda rather than people. Jessica Winter highlights the community efforts to keep AI from take over education systems. And Nilay Patel discusses how "software brain" is causing immense changes without people recognizing what's happening. 

- The New York Times' editorial board rightly warns that the return of measles presages far worse diseases making a comeback due to the anti-science attack on vaccinations. And the Boston Globe reports on the growing number of Americans suffering from long COVID. 

- Finally, Heather Scoffield reports on the false promise of Canada's disability tax credit which (along with associated supports) has been designed to be unavailable to most people who actually qualify.  

Musical interlude

Metric - Tremolo

 

Thursday Night Cat Blogging

Curled-up cat.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need to build a new woke political movement that actively fights against the forces of reaction rather than assuming that merely exposing them will be enough to drive change. 

- Wajahat Ali and Ellie Leonard discuss how the Trump regime's plans to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell reflect its determination to let the Epstein class exploit its victims with impunity and without consequences. And Victoria Elliott reports on new whistleblower revelations indicating that Elon Musk's attack on USAID did even more humanitarian damage than previously known. 

- Melissa Bruntlett and Chris Bruntlett discuss the connection between the election of female mayors and the reclamation of public space for people's health and well-being. And Carl Meyer writes about the price we pay in worse health for our fossil fuel addiction. 

- Darius Snieckus reports on a new Ember analysis showing that Canada is falling behind by subsidizing dirty fossil fuels as most of the world transitions to clean energy, while Mitchell Beer discusses the seemingly laughable prospect that we might end up paying to build yet another oil pipeline based on the hope of locking in decades of exports to countries who have no interest in remaining reliant on fossil fuels that long. Jake Johnson calls out the Trump regime's use of war powers to line the pockets of oil tycoons. And Dharna Noor reports on the Republican corporate puppets trying to prohibit anybody from holding big oil and gas to account for the harm it's inflicted on the public. 

- Finally, George Monbiot writes about the imminent breakdown of the AMOC circulation system - and the money and power that have been brought to bear to suppress any discussion around it. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Tim Murphy, Schuyler Mitchell and Chasity Hale chart the obscene concentration of wealth in the U.S., while Murphy also highlights the flaws in how tech billionaires present themselves to the public. And Joseph Stiglitz, Gabriel Zucman and Zohran Mamdani write that there are obvious ways to remedy a regressive tax system as long as politicians don't act like they're beholden to the wealthiest few.  

- Daniel Trilling offers a warning about the return of fascism (if in slightly different forms than seen previously). But Toby Buckle points out how a growing number of U.S. residents and politicians are recognizing the need to fight back. And Jason Linkins writes that both the ouster of Viktor Orban and the toxicity of the Trump Republicans serve to demonstrate that there's massive public demand for anti-corruption politics. 

- Markham Hislop discusses the need for Canada to shape and develop industries in the public interest - rather than merely catering to existing capital as Mark Carney is choosing to do. And Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood makes the case for a windfall tax on fossil fuel profits being extracted solely due to Donald Trump's Iran war. 

- Meanwhile, George Monbiot highlights how Donald Trump has unwittingly facilitated the transition to clean energy by exposing the folly of relying on a dirty, unstable fossil fuel supply. And Michael Holder discusses how businesses are going far beyond most governments in moving toward 100% renewable energy supplies. 

- Finally, Giles Parkinson writes about the rapid development and deployment of improved battery storage. And Alec Luhn points out that the ability to sell excess power to the grid is one of the less-recognized benefits of electric vehicles.

Musical interlude

Massive Attack & Tom Waits - Boots on the Ground

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jeff Masters points out how the climate breakdown is making hurricanes and other severe weather far worse than would otherwise be the case. And Gary Fuller reports on new research showing how air pollution contributes to multiple health issues. 

- Paul Kershaw writes that the Iran war and resulting oil supply shock is finally convincing many countries to shift to renewable energy as a matter of security even if they'd never bothered for environmental purposes or cost savings. And Susan O'Donnell and M.V. Ramana point out the absence of any rational case to forego a transition to renewable power in favour of nuclear plants which are both vastly more expensive and take far longer to put into operation. 

- Ed Zitron examines the comically-irresponsible world of private equity - and the systemic risks involved in allowing it to dictate economic decisions without meaningful oversight or regulation. And Eric Platt, Jill Shah and Euan Healy report on the bets major banks are making against the viability of consumer debt. 

- Sharon Zhang reports that Palantir paid precisely zero dollars in U.S. federal income taxes in 2025, even as it racks up publicly-funded contracts to invade people's privacy. 

- Finally, Lindsay Tedds examines how Mark Carney is implementing Stephen Harper's fiscal framework - yet being adulated for it by a Lib cult of personality.

Musical interlude

Tragically Hip - Vapour Trails

 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Catherine Rampell highlights how Donald Trump's economy is divided starkly between profiteering insiders and exploited chumps. Andrew Feinberg reports on Trump's plans to issue blanket pardons to facilitate criminal activity by his staff. And Mark Chadbourn writes about the dangers of a humiliated despot. 

- Jonathan Mingle writes that the oil shocks arising out of the Iran war stand to be far worse than those which largely defined the 1970s. But in case anybody wanted to pretend there's no alternative David Roberts talks to Lauren Flanagan about the development of "ruggedized" solar power to replace dirty energy in situations that require quick or remote deployment. 

- Ashleigh Furlong reports on new research showing that the ongoing cost of long COVID in OECD countries alone is upwards of twelve figures each year. And Devi Shastri and Laura Ungar report on tragic plight of babies who aren't yet eligible for vaccines who are at increasing risk due to the avoidable spread of measles.

- Finally, Christo Aivalis calls out Mark Carney for welcoming bigotry and anti-science quackery into the Libs' tent.  

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Graham Readfearn reports on new research showing how more and more people are facing non-survivable heat - and that matters are getting worse as the climate breaks down even further. 

- Kathryn Bakos and James Stewart highlight the desperate need for Canada to include recognition of the climate crisis in its policy plans. And Curtis Fric discusses the latest polling showing the public wants to see more climate action, even as both the Carney Libs and nearly all provincial governments go out of their way to make matters worse. 

- Meanwhile, Jessica Corbett reports that the fossil fuel sector's profit-taking from Donald Trump's Iran war has included a stock selloff in addition to profiteering at the pump. And Nicholas Cunningham, Marcello Rossi and Amy Westervelt write about the false promise of "low-methane LNG" which may in fact be worse than other fossil fuels. 

- Alexander Bor et al. study how people in unequal and undemocratic societies face increased levels of online hatred and hostility. And Crawford Kilian notes that Canada has plenty of room for improvement on the democratic front.  

- Finally, Hettie O'Brien points out what the realities of private equity show us about the predictable course of capitalism running amok. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Upturned cat.

 

#ndpldr - Notes from the Aftermath

Assorted links and materials on Avi Lewis' leadership victory and what it means for the NDP.

- Steven High discusses how Lewis is offering big ideas to meet the scope and severity of the challenges we face. Susan Delacourt highlights why nobody should underestimate Lewis and the party. And David Doel offers some strong reviews of Lewis' start as leader in comparison to the laughable response of the corporate media:

 

- Luke Savage likewise calls out the meltdown which immediately followed Lewis' election. And Erica Ifill argues that Lewis is offending and alarming exactly the establishment figures whose opprobrium we should welcome.

- Scott Martain discusses the antisemitic tropes being wielded (however implausibly) against Lewis.   

- Jeremy Appel traces how Lewis won the leadership. And Appel, Cam Welch and Rob Rousseau discuss what comes next for the NDP:

 

- Finally, Susan Riley notes that Lewis' messages which are now being criticized as "radical" were seen as nothing of the sort when they were espoused by Mark Carney and others in recent memory. Gerard Di Trolio points out the massive opening for left populism as the Libs veer even further to the corporate right. And Diary Marif highlights Lewis' plans to reverse Carney's cuts to immigration as the Libs chase nationalist and exclusionary votes.  

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andreas Rinke reports on the European countries working toward a windfall tax on yet another wave of predatory oil profits. And Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope report on the Just Transition conference which is providing a forum for cooperation on climate progress as a reaction to COP being completely co-opted by oil interests. 

- Julien Jreissati discusses the superior energy security offered by renewable power sources, while Jake Conley points out how smart actors are reducing their reliance on oil and gas accordingly. Matt Simon discusses how electric vehicles can be part of the solution to issues of grid reliability by providing a key source of backup battery power. And Bill McKibben writes about the emerging psychology of energy where dirty fuels can only be seen as being associated with scarcity and unpredictability compared to clean alternatives. 

- Janice Dickson reports on Ismahae Elouafi's admonition that Canada needs to invest in food security, not just military equipment. Andre Picard writes that it's only becoming more difficult to provide food for those who need it most. And Alissa Overend calls out the grocery giants for trying to substitute security theatre for action to make food available and affordable. 

- Finally, Frank Landymore notes that Meta's plans for glasses which automatically record an individual's food consumption (among other privacy violations by design) figure to cause far more problems than they solve. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Zohra Ahmed warns that the Trump regime is now looking to impose guilt by solidarity on anybody with the slightest connection to social justice causes, while Ken Klippenstein characterizes the scheme as bringing to life the prospect of severe punishment for pre-crime. And Sarah Mautner-Mazlen observes that misogyny is the entire point of the MAGA obsession with domination, while Silvaria Lysandra Zemaitis points out how that fascist tendency has been building in Republican circles since long before Trump took power.

- Brian Merchant discusses how more and more U.S. communities are successfully fighting off environmentally dangerous data centres and other manifestations of artificial intelligence. But Natasha Bulowski reports on the Libs' highly selective AI engagement, as environmental groups are being frozen out of consultations while extractivists get the red carpet treatment.  

- Ximena Gonzalez highlights how Danielle Smith's cynical immigrant-bashing is based on a complete inversion of reality. 

- Finally, Matt Pearce writes about the Grossman-Stiglitz paradox under which nobody is incentivized to create and spread information which serves the public good. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Seva Gunitsky writes about the connection between cultivated toxic masculinity and the rise of Donald Trump and other authoritarian politicians. And Greg Sargent discusses how Trump's regime is cracking up as even the most debased toadies he can find are unable to meet the mad king's requirements for sycophancy. 

- Justin Mikulka discusses how fossil gas (and other dirty fuels) are absolutely doomed from an economic standpoint compared to cheaper, cleaner alternatives. And Scott Forbes weighs in on the folly of Canada in particular continually obsessing over (and publicly subsidizing) fossil fuel expansion. 

- Paula Simons is rightly worried by the particularly damaging combination of fossil fuel power being used to run AI disinformation factories. But Ed Zitron points out that we're far from there being any plausible argument that AI is too big to fail. And Joe Wilkins reports that nearly half of the data centres announced within the U.S. in 2026 have already been cancelled or delayed - offering reason for hope that economic realities and community organization can halt their spread. 

- Finally, Maia Silber discusses how the U.S.' welfare state is impossible to navigate legally and honestly - making it all too easy for governments to withhold benefits and point fingers at recipients. But Lex McMenamin reports on the movement to properly tax billionaires' wealth, as a growing number of Americans come to realize their economic system is designed for the benefit of those who already have too much

Musical interlude

Kaskade - Imprint

 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Embedded cat.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Robert Kagan is the latest to notice that the U.S. is a rogue superpower whose capricious action under the Trump regime has undermined the international system that previously served its interests. And Paul Krugman observes that the oil crisis precipitated by the Iran war is about to get physical in the form of real shortages (rather than merely being a matter of rationing and anticipated effects), while Neil Irwin recognizes that the U.S. won't avoid the ill effects of its aggression.  

- Waterloo University has released new modeling showing that the effects of climate change will result in upwards of a hundred million people facing regular air quality alerts in the coming decades. And Forrest Smith points out the trillion-dollar price to remediate the damage oil drilling has done to the U.S.' living environment even without accounting for the climate crisis. 

- Meanwhile, Anthony Cuthbertson reports on a new breakthrough which may make solar energy even more efficient than previously thought posssible. And Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado update their previous findings as to how more affordable batteries are making electric vehicles into by far the superior option for consumers. 

- Finally, Rebecca Solnit looks at the realities of Cesar Chavez' personal sexual abuse in the context of the farmworker movement as a compelling reason to memorialize collective action rather than idolized heroes. 

#ndpldr - Post-Campaign Roundup

A collection of writings on the leadership campaign that elected Avi Lewis (including a few predating his election).

- Isaac Phan Nay reports on Lewis' win and the signature promises that helped him achieve it. Michael Harris examines the prospect that Lewis can held guide the NDP out of the political wilderness. And Jeet Heer takes a look at the state of the wider left, while Eleanor Wand and Marlo Glass talk to party loyalists about the opportunities open to the NDP under its new leadership.. 

- Meanwhile, Markham Hislop rightly notes that Canada as a whole needs the NDP to succeed due to the grim state of our other political choices.

- David Climenhaga calls out the provincial NDP leaders who chose a moment of celebration and solidarity to try to fragment the progressive movement. And Tammy Robert is duly scathing about Carla Beck's response to Lewis' win in particular - and particularly the combination of her making no effort to convince members about her concerns, then complaining about their choice. 

- Finally, Nora Loreto offers multiple takeaways from the convention and its aftermath - including as to the significance of a new group of executives to facilitate change within the NDP.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Mike Gaworecki reports on new research showing how the climate breakdown is affecting everyday life. Aliyah Marko-Omene reports on warnings that Saskatchewan may be in store for another brutal season of wildfires. And P.W.J. Glover et al. study the risks of melting permafrost, finding that a melt cycle can result in significantly more releases of methane and other gases than is generally accounted for. 

- Amelia Pollard and Eric Platt discuss the threat of mass consumer debt defaults - as well as the vulture capitalists who already have a plan to exploit people's misery. And Michael Spence writes about the large number of choke points in the global economy - which in turn are under increasing threat due to both the climate breakdown and wanton violence. 

- Nehal Johri discusses how the Iran war in particular makes an especially compelling case to switch to renewable energy. But Jake Johnson notes that the oil tycoons behind the Trump regime (among other political formations) are making a killing from the price shock afflicting consumers. 

- Finally, Lindsay Tedds and Gillian Petit unveil a new tool to examine the value of public investment and counter the right's constant calls for austerity. But Facts Matter points out how right-wing governments manipulate public awareness to get away with a consistent pattern of worse services at higher costs. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Paul Krugman writes that the U.S. is now the world's foremost petrostate - with disastrous results for it and for the world at large (with the exception of the group of countries including China who are leading the charge toward electrification). 

- Mary Stuart and Geoff Dembicki map out Gwyn Morgan's multimillion-dollar fossil fuel propaganda empire. And Amanda Bryant points out how the UCP has made a mockery of yet another supposed agreement with the Carney government by taking federal forbearance as an invitation toward unregulation methane pollution. 

- Niigaan Sinclair writes that spying on Indigenous peoples (invariably in the service of resource extraction) represents an intolerable threat to everybody's civil rights. 

- Katie Jagielnicka examines the misogyny behind the alt-right's relentless attacks on intellectualism. And Hanna Horvath writes that ubiquitous gambling is a demonstrable source of both intimate partner violence and social breakdown.  

- Finally, Victor Tangarmann examines the dangers of cognitive surrender in the face of authoritative-sounding-but-wrong directions from artificial intelligence. 

#ndpldr - Results and Thoughts

The votes are in, and Avi Lewis has been elected leader of the federal NDP on the first ballot. And while that doesn't come as a huge surprise based on what we knew about the race, there are a couple of parts of the outcome which bear watching.

First, to the extent there was any surprise in the outcome of the vote, it was Rob Ashton's finish in a distant fourth place. 

He'd received a substantial number of endorsements both from labour leaders and provincial elected officials, and his fund-raising was solidly ahead of the projected also-ran candidates. And it surely can't be a great sign that the candidate branded as the union choice was the weakest in the field at turning institutional resources into organizing results. 

Conversely, Tanille Johnston's placement in third was a pleasant surprise - which fit my own ballot if not my expectations. And it's certainly a plus that she's been recognized around the convention as a key leader for the NDP's future.

Meanwhile, as the newly-elected leader worked from minute one to bring the party together in solidarity, two provincial leaders unfortunately chose to undermine that effort. Naheed Nenshi's immediate disavowal of Lewis and the NDP could at least be explained away partially by a lack of personal connection to the party; Carla Beck's immediate declaration of a refusal to even meet with Lewis is both more surprising and more disappointing.

But ultimately, the leadership campaign determined who best represents the will of voters from coast to coast to coast - including in Alberta and Saskatchewan. And the choice to abandon the federal NDP and the national progressive movement just as they reach a point of revitalization and renewal will ultimately ensure primarily that those provincial wings miss out on what still looks to be a wave of energy and excitement around an impressive new leader.  

#ndpldr Roundup

One final collection of links and resources for those still deciding (or just wanting to learn more about the NDP leadership campaign):

- Marcel Nelson and Nathan Rao offer their take on how Avi Lewis has the potential to redefine left organizing in Canada. And Nora Loreto discusses some of the possible paths forward, while arguing that there's a need to work toward organizing on far more than just a partisan basis. 

- Jennifer Howard offers some advice for the candidates - though it's worth noting the apparent asymmetry in her expectations for a federal leader who is supposed to cater to the interests of provincial wings, and provincial leaders who are apparently able to use the federal leader as a punching bag. (And I'd argue the better answer is that both should work toward emphasizing and organizing around shared values, rather than looking to throw the other under the bus.)

- Markham Hislop interviews David McGrane about the campaign:

  

- And finally, Eleanor Wand and Marlo Glass report on the candidates' final pitches at the convention. And each of the candidates' showcases can be seen on CPAC:

 

 

 

 

 

Musical interlude

Myrne - Close The Distance

 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Robert Reich examines how the uber-wealthy have undermined any pretense of decision-making in the public interest - and how political financing rules and more progressive taxes are both needed to reverse the trend. And Lindsay Beyerstein notes that the most important lesson to be drawn from the Epstein files is the intolerable danger of allowing people to be so rich as to avoid any potential for accountability. 

- Andrew Coyne discusses how the Trump regime's plans for Canada involve dismemberment at best as any independence or values are seen as a threat to U.S. dominance. Which makes it all the more galling to see Mark Carney using the power won with the promise of "elbows up!" to subsidize continued fossil fuel dependence, allow American-driven AI hype to override any consideration of the future of our planet, and throw money at projects designed to hand more of our natural resources to the country threatening our sovereignty.

- Meanwhile, Max Fawcett notes that the fossil fuel lobby which has such a stranglehold on our country's politics is plainly living in the past. And Michael Mann discusses how the war in Iran is only accelerating the transition to clean energy for countries who aren't bent on supplicating themselves before Trump. 

- Similarly, Matteo Wong and Charlie Warzel take a look at the numerous obvious weak spots in the AI bubble. And Ed Zitron examines the laughable economics behind the self-serving declarations of inevitability and infinite potential.  

- Finally, Joe Vipond, Dick Zoutman and Stephane Bilodeau lament the continued refusal to recognize COVID as airborne due to a general distaste for the basic mitigation steps associated with that reality. 

#ndpldr - Leadership Vote Notes

A few observations on process as delegates have started the NDP's leadership convention in Winnipeg...

First, let's note how much actually remains to be decided this weekend. 

In the two previous federal leadership elections run under a similar voting process to this one, turnout was slightly over 50% of the party's membership. Barring a break with historical trends, we can then expect the membership count of roughly 100,000 to result in just over 50,000 votes being cast. 

Of those, plenty have already been cast online, as the candidates have encouraged supporters to vote in advance rather than waiting for the convention. And even among those who do vote, we can expect there to be some attrition as people who signed up to support a particular candidate may not rank the remaining contenders.

As a result, while there's theoretical room for late deciders to determine the outcome, there's also a real possibility that the result is already substantially baked in.

For anybody still waiting to cast their ballot, though, I'll reiterate my regular take that if there's anything to learn about the candidates at this stage, it has to do with their ability to manage the convention itself. 

I wouldn't expect to hear anything especially surprising in terms of policies or values, and any endorsements among the candidates will be of relatively limited significance. But if any of the candidates (and particularly the front-runners) run afoul of time limits or convention logistics, that will bode poorly for their ability to manage future communications and the responsibilities of leadership. 

We'll find out soon whether anything happens to change minds among leadership voters - and whether it makes a difference in the broader campaign. And after a difficult year, NDP activists should be looking forward to the opportunity to build a people-focused organization to challenge both the threat from the Trump regime, and its enablers among the Libs and Cons.

#ndpldr Roundup

Assorted links and information as the NDP's leadership race reaches its conclusion this weekend.

- Jeremy Appel takes a look at the most recent fund-raising reports, which show Avi Lewis' lead reaching the level where his total donations exceed those of his opponents combined - even as he's relied on smaller donations than the other candidates. 

- Curtis Fric examines polling on the apparent openness of voters to considering the NDP - though it's worth being careful about putting too much stock into immediate impressions of a party which has been engaged in a leadership campaign (and lacking a permanent leader) rather than focusing on defining itself to the public. And on that front, the Angus Reid Institute's polling on the lack of familiarity with the leadership candidates signals both that there's plenty of work to be done in making an introduction, but also that there's plenty of room to make a strong first impression. 

- The Canadian Press reports on the candidates' positions on pursuing a seat in the House of Commons. And for all the focus of Heather McPherson's surrogates on proximity to power, it's striking to see her message framing the ultimate point of the leadership in terms of the ability to ask questions in opposition rather than building a voter coalition capable of winning government. 

- Finally, Linda McQuaig makes the case for a left-wing populist being exactly what the NDP needs in response to the concentration of wealth and power. And Desmond Cole's conversation with Leah Gazan likewise addresses the importance of unapologetic socialism rather than muddled messaging. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Oliver Milman reports on a new study showing that the U.S. has inflicted $10 trillion in climate damage  just since 1990, with China ranking just behind. Emily Atkin writes that the true cost of oil far exceeds what people pay as a retail price. And Laura Paddison and Ella Nilsen report that the combination of the climate breakdown and rapacious corporations are producing a critical water shortage in Corpus Christi, TX.

- Ben Cooke discusses a report showing that Britain's food supply is in danger of collapsing by 2030. And George Monbiot writes about the broader risks to the global food system which are materializing before our eyes.

- Carol Leonnig and Jacqueline Alemany report on new revelations that secret information stolen by Trump after he lost the 2020 election wound up being sold off. And Anne-Marie Mediwake interviews Jeff Rubin about the oil market manipulations caused by the Trump regime's actions and messages surrounding the Iran war.

- Meanwhile, Joe Glanton reports on the Pentagon's orders to satellite firms to conceal the realities of the war, particularly where the U.S. has taken damage.

- Finally, Jaigris Hodson et al. examine the toxic misinformation which Pierre Poilievre disseminated during his appearance with Joe Rogan. And Max Fawcett weighs in on the reality that Poilievre insists on putting faith in the Trump U.S. which is both wholly undeserved, and contrary to the position of the Canadian public.