Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Judd Legum discusses how Donald Trump's corruption includes such blatant market manipulation as buying stocks then using speeches to promote the companies involved. 

- Meanwhile, Samantha Michaels reports on the Trump regime's "full-blown occupation" of Memphis - as well as the lack of attention it's received due to a compliant state government and a difference in spin as to the purposes for militarizing a major city.  

- Sarah Cox reports on the warnings of environmentalists that Mark Carney is going far beyond anything proposed by Stephen Harper in treating species' extinction as an acceptable price for extractive development. Harry Glasbeck writes that if anything, Carney is demonstrating just how predatory capitalism tends to be. And Rishika Paridkar points out the denial, misinformation and spin around dirty energy in India - including the attempt to create an identity out of being uniquely adapted to the harms of polluted air. 

- Barry Saxifrage highlights how Canada has made little progress in transitioning away from fossil fuel dependency (and is actively going backwards under the Carney Libs). And Leonard Hyman and William Tilles report that utilities are starting to recognize the folly of pouring money into fossil gas as renewable energy and storage become far more affordable as well as healthier. 

- Finally, Luke Savage discusses how the proliferation of gambling as the primary lens for analyzing sports is now giving way to the commodification and gamification of everything. 

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.

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. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Alex Nguyen examines the petro-imperialism which is being inflicted on the world by the Trump administration.  And David Dayen writes that the Iran war is exposing how the U.S. faces serious supply issues which have been utterly ignored by the Trump regime.  

- Meanwhile, Gregg Gonsalves implores health workers to resist the Trump regime's abuses rather than acquiescing in civil rights abuses and the destruction of evidence-based policy. 

- Matteo Wong examines how the implausible promises of artificial intelligence are being pushed at the price of massive and dangerous changes to our natural living environment. Claire Cameron points out that even the minimal level of AI found in autocomplete mechanisms has a severe effect on our writing and thinking. And Alondra Nelson notes that the Trump regime's "deregulation" of AI in fact consists of direct state intervention to impose corporate secrecy and control.

- Dale Smith warns that the Libs are once again attacking privacy in the name of false promises of public protection - this time through mandatory age verification which both excludes young people from the online world, and impose dangerous ID requirements on adults whose personal information can then get hoovered up by tech giants.

- Finally, Saskboy points out that Regina's air quality data has generally been flawed, with little sign of any effort to improve it. And Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports that the dirty energy industry wants us to have even less information about methane emissions, relying solely on polluters' self-reporting which has been proven to be inaccurate. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Sarah Sloat discusses how the collapse of democracy in the U.S. is producing severe mental health problems for the people living through it. And Natalie Brender writes about the need to treat violent extremism as a threat to public health as well as safety.  

- Graham Readfearn experiences the effects of the type of extreme heat that the climate breakdown is imposing on increasingly large numbers of people, while the Associated Press reports on a new study again finding that the climate crisis is increasing the dangers caused by wildfires. And Disha Shetty highlights new research demonstrating how air pollution contributes to poor mental health. 

- Linda McQuaig weighs in on Mark Carney's plans to further entrench the corporate domination of Canada by placing any favoured businesses above the law. And Ariel Rabinovitch reports on the pitiful fine applied to Superstore for false "Product of Canada" displays. 

- Meanwhile, Justin Ling writes about the moral cost of relying (selectively) on military spending as the primarily mechanism for domestic industrial development. 

- Finally, Markham Hislop argues that Danielle Smith is an even more severe threat to Canada than Donald Trump - though the bigoted "authoritarian libertarianism" which rightly concerns him seems largely of a piece with what's happened in the U.S. And Emmett MacFarlane writes that Smith's plans to render Canada dysfunctional may be even worse than mere secession. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need for the U.S.' citizenry to retake power from a militarized surveillance state through nonviolent organized resistance. And Philip Bump points out how Minnesota has already provided a model for other communities to follow. 

- Oren Cass discusses the need to treat the financial sector as a grift rather than a source of investment or productivity. And Cory Doctorow calls out stock buybacks and other swindles that are being used to transfer wealth from the working class to the corrupt few. 

- Meanwhile, Isaac Phan Nay reports on Tim Li's recognition that even full-time workers are facing an inability to pay for food and other necessities as wages fall behind inflation. 

- Ajit Niranjan reports on a new study showing that increasingly dangerous and ecologically harmful pesticides are being used in far too many countries (including the U.S.). And Dylan Baddour and Peter Aldhous report on Texas' massive-scale venting of pollutants during a bout of winter weather as regulators give gas power plants free rein to dump their waste in the air. 

-  Finally, Don Newman weighs in on how Danielle Smith is plying with fire by stoking separatism, while Andrew Coyne notes that the portions of the separatist group actively seeking a Trump takeover are veering into treasonous territory. And Emmett Macfarlane warns Mark Carney against indulging Smith's attempt to take provincial control over federal judicial appointments (among other incursions into federal jurisdiction). 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Matt Seybold writes about the message sent at Davos that AI will be forced on people regardless of whether they want it (or whether it will do them anything but harm). And Michael Geist writes about the absurdity of the Carney government allowing the hallucinations of artificial intelligence to override the actual results of public consultation into AI itself. 

- Melissa Troutman and Rebecca Sobel highlight New Mexico's record levels of oil and gas spillage, as the dirty energy industry sees itself as ever more entitled to pollute everything around it. And Olivia Rosane discusses how Louisiana pipeline explosion offers another vivid example of the dangers of fossil fuels which are dumped on unsuspecting and/or marginalized populations. 

- Andrew Longhurst and Rebecca Graff-McRae examine how the UCP's two-tier health care is threatening the public medical system. And Sneh Duggal reports that Ontario's response to increasing levels of hallway health care has been to stop reporting on how often people are forced into it. 

- Finally, Jen St. Denis offers new details as to the far right's operations in Canada - including their sway over right-wing parties. And both Markham Hislop and Don Newman call out Danielle Smith for conjuring up and stoking a separatist threat rather than serving the interests of Alberta and its people. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Seva Gunitsky notes that the same culture of elite impunity is behind both the Epstein files and Donald Trump's Russian connections. And Alan Elrod writes that the Trump regime's war on the arts can be traced to its general aim of destroying empathy. 

- Damian Carrington reports on a new expert analysis indicating that current models are grossly underestimating the financial damage we can expect from the climate crisis. Aaron Thierry comments on the politics behind the choice of victims of climate change. And Matthew Hoffmann writes about the challenge of trying to develop coordinated global action to reduce the impact of a climate breakdown when the concept of rules-based international relations is being destroyed. 

- Meanwhile, Dan Gearino discusses how the transition to electric vehicles will change our retail landscape as gas stations become non-viable and unnecessary. And Tik Root reports on a new analysis showing that the conversion to EVs is already having a noticeable positive effect on air quality in California and elsewhere. 

- Mia Maldonado reports on the results of an Oregon pilot program showing that modest income security can work wonders in helping homeless youth to find permanent housing. But Niko Block observes that the financialization of housing is pushing stability out of reach for far too many. 

- Finally, Ashley Aimone laments Mark Carney's failure to live up to rhetoric about a well-being economy and society as he instead imposes yet another round of austerity and corporatism. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Adam Serwer offers a hopeful take on how Minnesota is proving MAGA social theory wrong, showing that the vast majority of people are caring and supportive rather than willing to accept or encourage the dehumanization of immigrants. Eric Blanc interviews Aru Shiney-Sjay about the successful citizen organization in opposition to ICE. And Brian Beutler writes that Alex Pretti offered a shining example of positive masculinity - in contrast to the violent, bigoted goon squad which murdered him. 

- But Ta-Nehisi Coates highlights how the attempt to retroactively turn Pretti and Karen Good into "others" unworthy of life represents just one more front in the Republicans' deadly culture war. And Jake Spring reports on the Trump regime's censorship of basic factual information at national parks and monuments in an attempt to whitewash American history. 

- Charlie Angus points out the need to move on from any dependence on the U.S. as it once again seeks to impose intolerable burdens in exchange for a temporary retrieve from arbitrary abuse. Stephen Maher offers a warning about Steve Bannon's plans to stoke separatism and subjugate Canada if given the change, while Stewart Prest discusses the need for a firm response. And Don Braid discusses how the desire of Alberta separatists to tie themselves to the Trump regime looks like it will help limit the risk of voters getting bamboozled.

- Finally, George Monbiot examines a UK national security report showing how ecosystem collapse represents a serious risk to security and prosperity. And Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility calls out the Trump administration for trashing the Clean Air Act. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Thomas Seal and Derek DeCloet warn about the threat the U.S. poses to Canada - including the risk of becoming even more of a vassal state. And Emmett MacFarlane laments that we're lacking moral leadership at precisely the moment when it's most needed. 

- Meanwhile, Franklin Foer writes that the Trump regime is trashing both the U.S.' public sector capacity, and the very idea that an impartial civil service can use its expertise to support the public interest. And Maxine Joselow reports that air pollution regulation is the latest area in which the Republican regime is absolutely devaluing human life and public health in order to cater to destructive corporate interests - even as Jerome Smail points out new research showing that air pollution can undermine the health benefits of exercise. 

- But in the "better things are possible" department, Adam Bonica notes that much of what is wrong with the U.S. could be fixed simply by having it emulate its international peers (as long as its model is the median OECD country rather than Russia and North Korea). And A.R. Moxon rightly suggests that rather than being handed absolute immunity to abuse the public, armed state agents should be held to a higher standard in justifying the use of force.

- Joseph Cox reports on a new tracking tool being used by ICE to monitor phones and their owners without a warrant. 

- Finally, Heather Vognell and Agnel Phillip report on SpaceX's unregulated space debris - and the near-misses it has already caused as parts of exploded rockets have intersected with air traffic. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Joyce Vance writes about the purge of any trace of decency in the U.S. right which has found its ultimate expressio in Donald Trump. And Christopher Guly reports on the reaction to the U.S.' plans to dominate Canada from people who have been responsible for managing Canadian foreign affairs.  

- Dana Drugmand discusses a new Center for Climate Integrity report on the constant barrage of false advertising by the fossil fuel industry. And Chris Rossdale et al. study how petropoliticians are repressing and criminalizing peaceful protest to try to ensure oil barons can keep extracting profits unchallenged. 

- Michael Sainato reports on the Trump regime's attacks on the labour movement and the public bodies responsible for regulating and remedying employer abuses. And Emma Arkell discusses the pattern of interference by Canadian governments to prevent workers from making gains through collective action. 

- Gillian Petit documents the reality of the working poor in Canada, while pointing out that readily affordable supports could provide the dignity and stability needed to improve their circumstances. And Mike Moffatt points out the plummeting incomes of young middle-class males (paired with an increase in income for those over 65), while the Canadian Press reports on the World Happiness Report's observation that Canadians under 30 are now the unhappiest generation in the country. 

- Kate Allen notes that one of the primary effects of arbitrary back-to-office mandates is to cause a spike in preventable air pollution. And Gary Fuller reports on new research showing that air passengers are exposed to extreme amounts of particulate pollution during boarding and taxiing. 

- Finally, Jared Wesley offers his take on what Albertans can do in response to the UCP's attacks on anything resembling democratic governance. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Andrew Coyne recognizes that there's no point in pretending that trade negotiations with the U.S. under the control of a mad king can be expected to produce any meaningful results. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has plenty of proposals to build our economy away from dependence on the U.S. - both through the results of its Elbows Up Economic Summit, and through its Alternative Federal Budget. And Jeremy Appel discusses how tax loopholes for billionaires are both a fuel for inequality, and a revenue sink keeping us from investing in our own future. 

- John Ganz discusses how the Trump regime is actively staffing up with the worst possible thugs to beat the U.S. into submission, while Zach Everson points out the blatant corruption involved in the shoveling of public money to unqualified contractors who have handed no-work positions to Trump's sons. And Liz Dye highlights how Republicans are not only taking Trump's nonsensical ramblings as gospel in setting policy, but expecting courts to treat them as evidence as well. 

- Ian James reports on a new warning from scientists that we're headed for climate ruin - and need to work together to the extent possible even as the likes of Trump and his Canadian puppets stand in the way. Lisa Song reports that U.S. air pollution is far worse that previously acknowledged, and will only be exacerbated by Trump's interference with any regulation. And Nick Bowlin reports on Oklahoma's acceptance of the flow of toxic wastewater from oil fields, while Brandi Morin highlights the efforts of Alberta First Nations to avoid having tar sands tailings being released into water sources. 

- Finally, Samatha Edwards reports on new polling showing that Canadians are highly dubious about AI - confirming that it's only business elites hoping to profit from it at the expense of labour and consumers who have any interest in keeping its bubble inflated. And Rank and File examines how the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has amassed surpluses by under-compensating injured workers, with the benefits denied to workers then being gifted to corporate employers instead by the Ford PCs.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Don Moynihan discusses how the systematic erosion of American democracy includes the elimination of the belief among Republicans that the public service should be qualified and non-partisan rather than controlled from on high for political purposes. And Jonathan Last writes about the needed response to a ruling party which has jettisoned morality and ethics in favour of an unfettered will to power. 

- Zain Haq argues that the climate crisis is also a product of moral corruption (encouraged by the people whose wealth and power derives from harming others). Paul Palmer and Liang Feng discuss the record-breaking carbon dioxide readings being delivered by a NASA satellite which may soon succumb to the Trump war on reality. Oliver Milman reports on a new study finding the U.S. suffered record climate damage this year. And James Murray weighs in on the latest State of Climate Action report which shows humanity falling short of combating a climte breakdown by every possible standard. 

- Meanwhile, the State of Global Air 2025 report finds that the death toll from air pollution continues to be in the high seven figures, while over a third of the world's population is exposed to excessive pollution levels. 

- Paul Mozur, Adam Satariano and Emiliano Rodríguez Mega report on the justified public backlash against AI data facilities which are gobbling up desperately-needed water and power supplies at the expense of public health and well-being. And Caroline Haskins reports on some of the complaints people have made to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission about the direct harms caused by AI.

- Finally, Julia Lurie reports on the latest examples of Amazon's abuse of employees - including its driving a pregnant worker to homelessness by refusing to accommodate her with a place to sit. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Noah Berlatsky discusses the Trump regime's policy of wanton violence and murder. And Choe Sang-Hun reports on the recognition by South Korean workers caught in a recent ICE raid that the U.S. is no safe place to work, while Wired tells the stories of federal workers who were caught in DOGE's purge of the public service. 

- Greg Sargent writes that ABC's about-face over Jimmy Kimmel has exposed the lack of public support for the Trump regime's culture war. And Paul Krugman expresses some hope that others facing similarly arbitary demands from the MAGA government will push back sooner and allow the U.S. to avoid the fate of states that lost all independent media to authoritarian regimes. 

- But then, Lord Foulkes notes that the UK's media is still treating its hard-right party with kid gloves and legitimizing its message of hate in the process. And Stephen Maher writes about the need for Canada to prevent alt-right grooming from turning into political violence. 

- Thor Benson discusses how China is taking what looks to be an insurmountable lead over the U.S. in developing and deploying clean energy. And Andrew Freedman reports on Climate TRACE's work allowing people to trace responsibility for air pollution (which confirms the disproportionate role of a few corporate super polluters in spewing harmful substances). 

- Finally, Melissa Heikkilä, Chris Cook and Clara Murray report on the glaring lack of substance behind most corporate spin about AI. But Anja Karadeglija reports that the Libs remain determined to bank on AI as a panacea.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Uday Rana reports on new polling showing that a supermajority of Canadians will never trust the U.S. the same way again. And John Paul Tasker examines the ways the break from reliance on the U.S. is playing out in practice. 

- But Desmond Cole and Martin Lukacs discuss how Pierre Poilievre is trying to import as much of the Trump regime's anti-immigrant violence as people can be forced to consume. And Muhad Hemmadi reports on Mark Carney's echoing of the U.S.' blind faith in AI as a substitute for real development, while Dale Smith discusses how the Libs' online surveillance legislation reads as little more than a gift to a Trump-style militarized state. 

- Linda McQuaig writes that any forward-looking plan for national projects should be starting with a massive commitment to clean energy. And Darius Snieckus and Natasha Bulowski report on the Canadian Climate Institute's estimate showing that Alberta's oil and gas sector alone is blocking any prospect of reaching our climate commitments in both the short and medium term. 

- Kevin Crowley, David Wethe and Dave Merrill report on the groundwater pollution and resulting geological instability being inflicted by the oil industry in Texas (with the full support of petropoliticians). Olivia Lee reports that a project in Brighton is showing how toxic runoff can be cleaned up - while highlighting the absolute failure to make that a priority elsewhere. And Gary Fuller reports on new research showing that air pollution affects people's sleep among other profound effects. 

- Finally, Emily Atkin discusses how Charlie Kirk's hate (like much of the fascist right's noise machine) has been funded by fossil fuel tycoons. Adam Serwer notes that the definition of free speech in the U.S. is now limited to parroting administration talking points, while Moira Donegan wonders who's next to be silenced after even the most mainstream of comedians are being yanked off the air for daring to incorporate the U.S.' president in their material. And David Moscrop writes about the need for universal condemnation of political censorship. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood writes about Mark Carney's disappointing list of priority "major projects" which reflect little apparent plan other than to serve capital at the expense of our climate. And in case there was any doubt whose influence pushing the Libs in that direction, Carly Penrose reports on the corporate money behind Canada 2020.

- Meanwhile, Willliam Bredderman and Aneela Mirchandani report on the Informing America Foundation as yet another shadowy source of reactionary propaganda. And Rachel Savage reports on new research from Outright International showing how anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been taken up on dozens of countries. 

- Paul Brown reports on new research showing how even the best-case scenarios for carbon capture and storage show it having little impact on the climate breakdown, while Mingyu Li et al. point out the dangers of relying on hypothetical future carbon removal as an excuse to keep spewing carbon pollution today. 

- Javier Carbajal reports on new research showing that extreme heat accelerates the aging of the human body. Jane Burston discusses the urgent need to rein in air pollution as a priority to save lives and improve people's health, while RNZ points out the immense costs of poor indoor air quality which could be easily improved through investments in ventilation and filtration.   

- David Wallace-Wells highlights the intractable conflict between the two types of people who have identified themselves with RFK Jr.'s idea of "healthy". And David Nield reports on new research showing that a new COVID-19 nasal spray can significantly cut viral spread - as long as people don't operate in denial of a continuing public health threat. 

- Finally, Justin Holz, Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Alejandro Zentner examine the effects of tax evasion by the wealthiest - finding that it thankfully doesn't lead to systematic non-compliance by others even as they recognize the unfairness in the system. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ezra Klein discusses why nobody in the U.S. can afford to pretend that the Trump regime is normal or acceptable, while Brittlestar calls out the wealthy tycoons going out of their way to normalize corruption and authoritarianism. Martin Pelletier discusses how the international economy has been distorted by the extreme wealth and power of a few obscenely large firms who have largely been the same ones protecting their position at the expense of the public. And Dean Baker points out that the elimination of accurate information won't do anything to reduce the harm Trump is actually causing, while Conor Sen notes that worker pessimism is now a deeply entrenched part of the U.S.' cultural and economic reality. 

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the calls for Canada to recognize the dangers to domestic violence refugees (and others facing dangers from the Trump regime) rather than pretending that normal asylum princples are remotely tenable. Rachel Gilmore reports on the disgust from within the Libs over Mark Carney's plan to platform one of the architects of Trump's abuses, while David Moscrop is right to note that the public is expecting Mark Carney to deliver more than he has (though it's far from clear why he thinks the expectation is "a deal with Trump" rather than "a defence of Canada"). 

- Frank Landymore writes that we're approaching irreversible ice loss, with little prospect of avoiding it without massive systemic change in the near future. Al Jazeera reports on a new World Meteorological Organization report warning that wildfires caused by the climate breakdown can cause far-reaching air pollution. And Andrew Gregory reports on new research showing that air pollution is creating an increase in heart risks for millions of Britons in affected areas, while Sandra Laville reports on the unmonitored carcinogens entering waterways from roads. 

- Finally, Steve Westlake discusses how the language of pragmatism serves as cover for climate denialism and delay. But in case we needed a reminder that some forces are unapologetically demanding climate vandalism, Rebecca Egan McCarthy reports on the Trump regime's insistence on keeping a gas plant open in Pennsylvania over the objections of everybody affected by it, while Oliver Milman reports on a similar requirement that a dirty coal plant be kept spewing pollution in Michigan. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Jason Sattler writes about the importance of working together to oppose fascism rather than acquiescing to its ends. Juse Joffe-Block and Shannon Bond examine the racist roots of the Trump regime's anti-immigrant memes. And Hamilton Nolan notes that Trump's imposition of white supremacy at the government level has turned commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion into a crucial indicator as to businesses' loyalties.  

- Tom McDowell discusses how Canada's federal and provincial governments alike are using the threat of U.S. fascism to eliminate consultation and democratic decision-making in favour of top-down corporate service. David Pugliese reports on the imposition of new secrecy rules against Canadian defence workers. And Juan Sebastian Pinto discusses how Palantir - which is being welcomed into Canada by Mark Carney while collaborating with the Trump regime - poses broad-based dangers to human rights around the globe. 

- University College London finds that air pollution caused by oil and gas is responsible for 91,000 deaths each year in the U.S. alone. Mitch Anderson points out that any assessment not funded shows that dirty energy is headed for a decline within the next few years at the latest, even as our petropoliticians insist on perpetual expansion with no regard for either economic viability or environmental consequences. And Isobel Farquharson reports on the work by private actors to build an EV charging network in Canada. 

- Finally, Ken Chapman writes about the goals of the Forever Canadian movement which is providing a needed response to the UCP's separatist posturing.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Tim Dickinson laments that so many corporations, universities and other entities with the resources to stand up to Donald Trump are instead choosing to enable his authoritarianism. And David Dayen offers a look at the U.S.' crumbling economy even as the Trump regime tries to destroy all the data sources which would allow people to recognize it, while Evan Williams notes that Canada has made substantial progress in rerouting its car purchases to avoid both tariffs and U.S. suppliers. 

- But lest anybody think all is hunky-dory in Canada, the Canadian Press reports on new Statistics Canada data showing that income inequality continues to get worse by the year. Jonathan Lambert highlights how cash support is among the most effective interventions to improve the health of infants. And Cat Hobbs discusses how public ownership could make rail and other transportation more affordable. 

- Trevor McFadyen writes that the Carney Libs' heavy-handed intervention against Air Canada workers shows their disdain for collective bargaining. And Peggy Nash's view that the flight attendant strike could be a turning point in defending the right to strike in Canada will hopefully prove prescient - as the workers' refusal to back down has led to bargaining wins which were supposed to have been ruled out by an employer-biased government. 

- Finally, Peter Brannen warns of the potential that the climate breakdown will lead to the Earth's sixth major mass extinction. Geoffrey Johnston writes that this has been a summer of the climate emergency (though surely only one among many to come). Sonal Gupta reports on the large number of First Nations affected by wildfires. And Ajit Niranjan reports on new research showing that the harms caused by wildfire smoke are far worse than previously known. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way chart the likely road ahead in the U.S.' journey from democracy to authoritarianism, while Hamilton Nolan's interview with Stephanie Kelton includes the warning that it may be too late to salvage anything if a resistance movement limits its focus to electoral politics and timelines. Sam Freedman discusses how Elon Musk's influence - and the associated use of technology to seize unfettered power - is the main difference between Donald Trump's first term and his second. David Zipper notes that consumers have plenty of power to protest Musk's absues by making the choice to boycott Tesla as the main source of his current wealth. And Ed Zitron juxtaposes the promise of technology which could help improve people's lives against the reality that tech giants are exploiting us. 

- Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Bretty Murphy discuss the illegality of the immediate trashing of USAID. And Greg Sargent discusses how Pope Francis' response to the invocation of theology to excuse Trump's hatred has placed a spotlight on his administration's moral rot, while Sarah Newey reports on the first deaths directly traceable to the shutdown of its operations. 

- Paul Krugman writes that Trump and Musk have made it open season for scammers to steal money from the American public. And Liz Dye discusses how the destruction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a combination of spite and opportunism. 

- Dave Jamieson reports that large numbers of U.S. workers are joining unions in an effort to build collective strength against Trump. And Jon Milton notes that there's plenty Canadian governments can and should do in response to corporate union-busting, including Amazon's shuttering of its Quebec warehouse in response to an organizing campaign. 

- Steve Smethurst discusses new research about the threat of PFAs and other dangerous chemicals in sewage sludge which is used for agricultural purposes. And Andrew Gregory reports on a study showing that air pollution is responsible for upwards of a thousand annual cases of a single form of lung cancer in the UK, while Denise Balkissoon writes about the data gaps which limit our ability to identify similar threats in Canada. 

- Finally, Kim Pate discusses how Pierre Poilievre's draconian attacks on drug users would only exacerbate poverty and addiction. And Brett McKay reports on the 19-year difference in life expectancy between Indigenous people and other Albertans as a grim example of how discrimination and bigotry lead to severe health consequences.