Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Julian Spector writes that renewable power sources and battery storage are becoming ensconced as the best energy supply option for any government which isn't bent on subsidizing dirty fossil fuels regardless of cost or consequences. 

- John Balbus examines the health risks posed by AI data centres - including the reality that they're being given a priority to needed power from grids with the predictable effect of making people all the more vulnerable to extreme heat. Jason Koebler and Emanuel Maiberg expose Microsoft's explicit plan to try to get people addicted to an artificial "personal assistant". And Deirdre Bosa and Jasmine Wu chime in on the corporate recognition that AI isn't worth the cost once trial period economics are taken out of the picture. 

- Meanwhile, Gabrielle Gurley discusses Virginia's example of public pushback against the attempt to impose data centres. And Kyle Tharp notes that the fight against data centres is a rare issue which not only cuts across partisan and ideological lines, but also inspires passion among people who otherwise aren't politically engaged. 

- Meagan Gilmore reports on the health programs which are being left for dead as the Carney Libs and far too many provincial governments dedicate public resources to fossil fuel subsidies and militarization instead. 

- Finally, Jim Wilson reports on Adam King and Niall Harney's observation that sectoral bargaining could simultaneously address the problems of declining union density and deteriorating working conditions. 

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. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Don Moynihan examines how the U.S. is experiencing a more rapid fall from democracy to autocracy than any other country in recent history. And Joseph Cox reveals the user manual for the Palantir tool being used by ICE to target people for incarceration and deportation.  

- The Energy Mix notes that Shell and Mitsubishi are looking to remove themselves from fossil gas projects which stand to be uneconomical due to the rise of renewable energy, while Michael Thomas points out that solar and battery buildup are taking over from gas plants in California's power system. And the Washington Post's editorial board offers a reminder that it's the general public who will pay the price for Donald Trump's obsession with coal power and other dirty energy - due to higher prices as well as more severe pollution. 

- The Guardian's editorial board implores governments to work on building biodiversity and avoiding ecosystem collapse. And Kamil Karamali reports on the next steps in reducing the scourge of plastic waste. 

- Ryan Tumilty reports on the tens of thousands of public service positions at risk from Mark Carney's austerity. And John Woodside notes that scientists and professionals at Environment and Climate Change Canada are facing particularly large cuts. 

- Finally, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation examines how the UK is falling far short of meaningfully reducing poverty. And Qasim Rashid writes about the potential for other governments to mimic Zohran Mamdani's model of following through on social commitments and addressing any budgeting complains through progressive taxes on the wealthy.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jeremy Wallace examines China's massive - if messy - renewable energy revolution which stands to make fossil fuels obsolete in the very near future. And Adam Morton notes that Australia is among far too many jurisdictions making a doomed push for increased dirty energy production even while dealing with the disastrous effects of climate change. 

- Carole Calwalladr, Charlie Young and Max Colbert report that Palantir's extension of its tentacles into every possible shady business includes a contract with the UK's nuclear weapons department. David Reevely reports on the Libs' subsidization of JSE Telecom as it provides wiretapping services to ICE. And Miranda Bogen and Ruchika Joshi note that the dangers of surveillance capitalism are all the more severe when AI agents are collecting and linking increasingly sensitive personal information.  

- Lauren Dobson-Hughes rightly questions why Mark Carney is slashing Canada's foreign affairs staff while trumpeting the need for increased international engagement. And Karen Briere reports that Carney is also eliminating 1,370 food inspection workers even as the U.S. has gutted its own regulatory regime. 

-  Finally, Andrew Longhurst highlights how Doug Ford is starving public health care while throwing money at corporate providers. And David Macdonald points out how little most provinces are contributing to child care programs - with Saskatchewan's government once again ranking at the back of the pack by offering up only 13% of child care funding in the province. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Thomas Zimmer discusses how the Trump regime is attacking concept of treating people as equals, while Greg Sargent highlights Stephen Miller's role in trying to connect white nationalism to an oppressive police state. Jojo points out the importance of continuing to call out bigotry even as it's implemented as policy. And Garrett Graff offers reason for hope that Donald Trump is losing in his attempt to consolidate power. 

- Jake Johnson reports on the World Inequality Lab's latest study on the extreme concentration of wealth in the top .001% of wealth hoarders. And Michael Hirschorn writes that their ability to buy sycophancy is leading the uber-rich to Louis XV levels of hubris. 

- Jim Stanford writes that the only genuine risk to jobs from AI is the danger of a stock market crash as increasingly implausible valuations are based on little but hype and wishful thinking. M.J. Crockett discusses the crucial distinction between the "thick empathy" possible between people, and the pale imitation served up by performative artifical intelligence. And Derek Kravitz reports on the use of AI by unscrupulous business to extract higher prices from consumers. 

- Zion Lights discusses Finland's work in teaching students how to think critically as an antidote to disinformation. But Arwa Mahdawi laments how the corporate media has embraced being a tool of the rich, famous and connected rather than a counterbalance against elite abuses. 

- Finally, Adam King reports on another area where the Carney Libs seem determined to emulate the Trump regime, as they've removed publicly available labour relations data with no apparent explanation. And Mary Chevreau reports on yet another nasty surprise in the Libs' budget, as its cuts to Canada Post operations include the elimination of a library postage rate which allows for the exchange of library materials. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- David Coletto discusses how Canadians from across the political spectrum want to see the Carney Libs prioritize housing construction and economic independence, rather than chasing the false promise of short-term growth. And Tonda MacCharles reports on new polling showing clear opposition to any austerity campaign. But Stewart Prest warns that Mark Carney seems bent on kow-towing to established wealth and power (including the Trump regime) no matter how much the Canadian public disagrees. 

- Kathy Chow writes about the dangers to humanity if Elon Musk (or another similarly megalomaniacal tycoon) manages to amass wealth of another order of magnitude. Darryl Coote reports on a new Oxfam study finding that just ten U.S. billionaires hoarded nearly $700 billion in additional wealth over the last year. And Robert Reich notes that it's open to states to move toward taxing extreme wealth rather than letting Trump impose extreme and worsening inequality on the entire country. 

- Meanwhile, Elizabeth Dwoskin reports on the tech bros trying to use their wealth to eliminate both large-D and small-d democratic governance in the U.S. And Brian Phillips examines the reality of the AI bubble as a sector built on contempt for human creativity is itself entirely reliant on fiction as its product. 

- Christina Figueres writes about the need for climate action focused on clean development. Dharna Noor reports that even the limited amount of climate funding that's been deployed has been ineffective due to an appalling lack of support for a just transition. And Jake Evans points out that Australia's investment in solar energy has proven so successful that people are being gifted free power. 

- Robert Reich writes about Donald Trump's deliberate cultivation of chaos - and the need to build stronger communities in response. Jonathan Last discusses how Trumpism is utterly incompatible with democracy. And Tom Nichols rightly characterizes the Trump regime as having the mindset of toddlers, while Edward Harrington points out its performative irrationality. 

- Finally, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network offers a warning about the spread of white nationalism in Canada. And Mark Chadbourn discusses how the Dutch electorate's rejection of Geert Wilders shows that it's possible to counter fascist politics. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Simone Zhenting Mao discusses how inequality and concentration of wealth are at the root of Canada's economic stagnation. And Robert P. Beschel Jr. highlights how the Trump regime's slashing of government funding is only making the U.S.' public finances worse as it eliminates resources from revenue collection as well as the prevention of and response to predictable disasters. 

- Jonathan Last rightly notes that the only emergency in U.S. national security is Trump's war on his own population based on false pretenses. And Nina Jankowicz offers some advice for those who haven't yet figured out that there's nothing to be gained by capitulating to Trump's threats.

- Bruce Campbell writes that Mark Carney's constant undermining of already-weak climate policy is utterly contrary to his one-time claim to understanding the climate crisis. Zoya Teirstein notes that the Trump regime's obsession with extracting and burning more fossil fuels - which Carney appears to have adopted as his own - runs contrary to the global shift toward more affordable and cleaner renewable energy. Malcolm Moore and Jamie Smyth's report on the futility of pushing fossil gas exports includes some rare but needed acknowledgment that pouring resources into fossil fuel production tends to increase demand. And Gregor Semieniuk et al. study some of the options available to ensure purveyors of dirty energy don't do substantially more damage while leaving the public to clean up their messes. 

- The Lancet offers a warning that the alt-right's threats to public health and safety include its attacks on diversity and inclusion. 

- Finally, the University of Cambridge is studying the observable effects of severe COVID-19 - including long-term damage to the brain stem. 

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- George Monbiot highlights how his own experience being injured as a result of an unrepaired pothole demonstrates the cost of austerity for everybody. And Simon Enoch and Jon Milton write about the importance of defending Canada Post - particularly as communities which are already isolated and lacking other social infrastructure will bear the largest burden from any loss of services.

- Katherine Kruger discusses how the Trump regime is systematically handing the most possible power to the most pitiful losers it can find. David Dayen points out the utter farce of Russ Vought claiming that he's being reluctantly forced to carry out the type of traumatic cuts he's gleefully proclaimed his intention to inflict. And Melody Schreiber reports on Debra Houry's warning about the damage being done by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s takeover of U.S. federal public health.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need for Democrats to take on a war mindset to counter a fascist regime dedicated to their eradication. And Doug Saunders notes that Canada's choices in dealing with the U.S. will also include deciding who to side with as between the Trump regime and an opposing group of jurisdictions and entities.

- Finally, Jen Gerson discusses how the UCP's stoking of separatist anger serves mostly as a distraction from its own unwillingness to govern - and ultimately only proves that it can't be trusted to responsibly exercise the added power it wants to claim.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Chris Mowles discusses how growing uncertainty requires our public institutions to develop redundancies and alternate means of providing services, rather than focusing on the false "efficiency" of austerity. Emiliano Brancaccio reports on France's "block everything" movement against austerity as an example for citizens elsewhere. And Miiki Ilomaki notes that other countries should be following Finland's lead in ensuring stockpiles of food and needed supplies to deal with foreseeable geopolitical shocks.

- Maia Mindel discusses how the dangers of inequality are manifesting themselves as the greediest, most power-hungry few systematically take over more decision-making power. And Iglika Ivanova notes that British Columbia is yet another example of a jurisdiction where revenue giveaways to the wealthy few are being treated as an excuse to cut services for everybody else. 

- Nicholas Grossman points out that Ezra Klein offers a lamentable example of how the corporate media has greased the skids for Donald Trump's fascist regime by simultaneously normalizing its cruelty and tone-policing anybody who dares to engage in principled criticism. Adam Bonica writes that abandoning minority groups to the predations of the Trump regime is no way to build a resistance movement or opposition party, while Katelyn Burns discusses the parallels in the treatment of anti-trans and anti-science disinformation. And Brian Beutler laments the prominent Democrats who are refusing to engage with a system increasingly stacked against them. 

- Finally, Gilbert Gaul notes that the climate breakdown is making home insurance increasingly unaffordable (or just plain unavailable). And Paul Krugman discusses how the Trump regime is planning to send health care insurance costs into the stratosphere in order to partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest few. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Trevor Jackson's review of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance cautions against treating deregulation as anything but a cover for increased corporate control, while Bruce Campbell warns of the dangers of the Libs' anti-regulatory posture. Jared Walker and Silas Xuereb point out that Mark Carney's cuts to public services are being chosen over collecting tens of billions of dollars in money being shifted to tax havens.  And Don Curren questions James Galbraith and Jing Chen's attempt to paint entropy as an economic goal to be pursued when it both spurs inequality and rewards Trump-style agents of chaos. 

- Jim Stanford discusses the importance of targeted industrial policy to build an economy that's both less dependent on the U.S., and sustainable past the impending fossil fuel cliff. And Jason Hickel points out how democratic control over production is essential to a transition to solve the climate crisis. 

- Daniel Otis reports on new research showing the disproportionate climate damage done by fossil fuel and industrial corporations. Euronews Green reports on a study showing how even modest changes are threatening Mediterranean ecosystems. Amanda Follett Hosgood and Zoe Yunker discuss a call from scientists to stop fossil gas expansion (even as Carney is determine to barge ahead with it). Daniel Melser, Antonia Settle and Franscesca Perugia point out that the insurance industry has far more detailed information about climate risks than the general public (and is drastically changing its actions as a result). And Kerrie Holloway notes that people already facing displacement from conflict stand to be among the most affected by climate disasters. 

- Finally, Jamelle Bouie writes that the primary culture war being fought by the Trump regime is the U.S. Civil War, as white supremacists seek to undermine the principle that members of outgroups are people entitled to human rights or participation in public life. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- John Harwood discusses how Donald Trump's second term in office has been more harmful than even the most dire predictions anticipated. Donald Gutstein calls out Danielle Smith for promoting the twin U.S. interests of dirty energy and Alberta separation as her primary areas of activity. And Peter Zimonjic reports that Mark Carney is joining the corporate elites working on normalizing Trump's abuses, as he's removing a number of the targeted tariffs which had served as important pressure points against Trump's arbitrary actions.

- Meanwhile, for those looking for construction actions which Canada could and should be taking, Jon Milton and Nathaniel Denaro make the case for a vehicle production Crown corporation to ensure our existing industrial base isn't subject to the whims of the Trump administration and the U.S. automakers collaborating with it. And Brendan Haley points out the value of energy efficiency as a nation-building project. 

- Karl Nerenberg writes about Carney's immediate shift toward austerity and tax-cutting after he won power as the defender of a progressive Canada. Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum report on the results of a federal investigation showing that existing reliance on algorithms to govern regulatory activity was a major cause of a deadly listeria outbreak - even as Carney seeks to replace even more government functions with AI vaporware. And Sophia Harris reports on the CRA's woeful lack of resources to answer public inquiries as well as ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share in taxes. 

- Finally, David Coletto and Eddie Sheppard discuss new polling showing that an increasing number of Canadians are slipping into exonomic anxiety and precarity. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Nick Turse highlights how Donald Trump's use of military force to control domestic civilians is unprecedented, while Asawin Suebsaeng and Ryan Bort warn that it stands to get far worse as it gets normalized. And Jamelle Bouie discusses why Trump wants to keep the U.S. in a state of perpetual crisis, while Marcy Wheeler points out that the basis for claiming the authority to rule by fiat is based on little more than blackmail and hostage-taking. 

- Meanwhile, Kelly Hayes discusses what needs to be included in the movement opposing to Trump's fascism - including the commitment to support and care for all of his victims. And Choose Democracy offers some suggestions for activists demonstrating their resistance based on Free DC's example. 

- John Michael McGrath discusses how even the most rabid anti-democratic zealots are having trouble pretending it's possible to get by without state capacity. And Jessie Blaeser examines the growing body of evidence that DOGE (which remains an example for Canada's right-wing politicians) has left a trail of destruction while utterly failing to save money. 

- The Guardian's editorial board writes that Mark Carney's attempt to tie climate progress to voluntary financial commitments has proven an utter failure, while Gillian Steward warns that Carney looks to be abandoning any interest in meaningful climate policy now that he holds power. And while Tim Palmer writes about the importance of basic research in responding the the climate crisi, Ryan Cropp reports that Australia's government is suppressing a study showing the dire consequences of the climate breakdown. 

- But Kristian Knibutat points out that for those willing to look at real data, clean technology has turned into both the safest and highest-upside investment. And David Fenton offers the framing of a "pollution blanket" as indicating both the reality of carbon pollution, and the possibilities for amelioration.

- Eric Wilkerson discusses the futility of trying to negotiate trade deals with a Trump regime which will neither bargain in good faith nor respect any outcomes. 

- Finally, Fred Wilson writes about the need for the Canadian labour movement to engage in mass organizing and systemic opposition to the capital class. And Emma Arkell highlights how legislative victories in British Columbia are translating into the ability to organize precarious workers. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Ed Burmilla highlights Donald Trump's appeal to bored and self-indulgent people who are prepared to change their identities and voting patterns based on the pettiest grievances possible. And Paul Krugman discusses how Trump's attempt to control the global economy through tariffs and threats is doomed to fail (even if he may never realize that fact), while Ian Welsh notes that Canada is as well equipped as nearly anybody to stand up to Trump's bluster. 

- Jonathan Last writes about the moral monstrosity involved in DOGE's responsibility for tens of millions of deaths, while Stephen Brager points out a U.S. Senate report confirming that Elon Musk's chainsaw brigade failed even on its own blinkered mandate of austerity.  

- Felipe de la Hoz highlights how Trump has normalized and expanded the concept of indefinite detention without cause. And Nicole For and McKenzie Funk report on his implementation of smash-and-grab immigration policy. 

- Simon Evans discusses the IEA's new forecasts showing that renewable energy will overtake coal power to become the world's foremost source of electricity by next year at the latest. And Jeet Heer discusses how Trump's dirty fossil fuel obsession is ceding the future to China, while Gerald Butts, Peter Nicholson and Rick Smith point out Canada's golden opportunity to become North America's economic leader as a result. 

- Amanda Seitz reports on the Trump regime's plans to centralize personal health information in the hands of tech giants (where it will then be available for the use of the surveillance state). And Alison Northcott reports on the risk of Canadian data being commandeered through U.S. service providers - offering yet another reason to avoid letting any corporation under Trump's thumb have any ability to undermine the interests of Canadians. 

- Finally, Katherine Scott offers a reminder of the devastating long-term effects of the Chretien Libs' choice to impose austerity rather than investing in Canadian society. And Kim Siever makes the case for free public transit as a means of ensuring everybody has access to a crucial public service.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Charlie Angus discusses how MAGA is recognizing the effects of Canada's resistance - so long as our leaders don't sell us out. 

- But Martin Lukacs and Nikolas Barry-Shaw warn that there's little reason for confidence Mark Carney plans to treat the U.S.' threats as anything but an excuse to impose a corporate agenda. And David Macdonald predicts the scale of public-sector job cuts we can anticipate based on Carney's plans to waste any available fiscal capacity on military spending and tax cuts.

- Scott Forbes discusses how Canada has become a petrocracy, where the plans of oil barons to extract resources and leave the public with the bill are consistently put first over social well-being. And Chris Severson-Baker highlights how the UCP's obsession with dirty energy pipelines which will never be economically viable is resulting in Alberta missing out on far better opportunities. 

- Finally, Adam Barnett reports on a new study showing how Alex Jones and other denialists are drowning out needed information about climate catastrophes as they occur. And Brian Beutler highlights the dangers of allowing fascists to exploit liberal principles to demand the respect they deny to their perceived out-groups while disseminating their propaganda.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Qasim Rashid offers a reminder that the U.S.' deficit and debt are the result of a political system controlled by and for the oligarch class. Paul Krugman writes that Donald Trump's use of punitive tariffs to try to interfere in the Brazilian criminal justice system for the benefit of his crony Jair Bolsonaro represents a new level of abuse of power. Brian Beutler rightly argues that an essential element of any Democratic plans for a post-Trump government will need to include a plan to hold people accountable for their criminal activity. And Toby Buckle warns that moderation and conflict aversion in the face of fascism serves only to exacerbate the danger. 

- Antonia Juhasz reports on Trump's giveaways to dirty energy - which are even larger than generally assumed. Seth Klein questions why governments can always find immense amounts of money for military spending, but won't invest anything close to what's needed to deal with the imminent security threat of climate change. And Sophie Hurwitz writes about the widespread support for carbon prices in affluent countries even as their governments shy away from defending anything of the sort. 

- Bill McKibben writes about the ongoing transformation of energy systems as solar power proves itself to be far more affordable and more stable than fossil-fuel based energy. And Zachary Shahan writes that past projections for oil production and use are grossly outdated as a result, while Max Fawcett points out that Alberta's insistence on trying to vastly increase production lacks any grounding in reality. 

- Carlo Dade writes about the folly of rushing into a trade agreement with a Trump regime which couldn't care less about holding up its end of any bargain, while Sophia Harris reports that Canadian consumers are still eager to boycott U.S. products (but are facing increased difficulty as the corporate class tries to normalize Trump's abuses). 

- Finally, Christo Aivalis calls out Mark Carney's plans to bring DOGE to Canada by another name. And Nora Loreto writes that Carney is following the Chretien-era Libs' legacy of austerity for its own sake even after we've seen the consequences of defunding necessary services. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Paul Krugman discusses how toxic masculinity is being used by the oil and gas sector to keep people addicted to dirty fossil fuels. And Cathy Orlando highlights the need for Canada's energy policy to be based on the recognition that renewables are cheaper, cleaner and more secure, rather than letting the burn-it-all fantasies of oil tycoons dictate our plans. 

- Joseph Gedeon reports on the latest U.S. court decision decreeing that the most basic consumer protections (in this case the requirement for providers to offer a mechanism to cancel services) offend the overriding principle that corporations have a right to avoid restrictions on their extraction of wealth from the public. And Paul Glastris and Kainoa Lowman report on the problems with the U.S.' rural broadband strategy created by incumbent providers and their Republican spokesflacks which are now being trumpeted as reason to avoid public action altogether.  

- Meanwhile, Paris Marx discusses the need to build our own digital infrastructure rather than being subject to the whims of either corporate monoliths or the Trump regime. And Joseph Stiglitz warns that Mark Carney's capitulation to Donald Trump on the digital services tax is threatening the global discussions which were supposed to offer an alternative. 

- More broadly, Blayne Haggart questions how Carney can pretend to be so clueless about the constant bad faith action of the Trump administration. Neil Moss points out that even former Lib cabinet ministers are sounding the alarm that their party's new leader is selling us out. Christopher Holcroft points out the lack of any defensible rationale for increased military spending (especially where it serves to tie us even more tightly to the U.S.), while William Eltherington reports on the damage Carney's planned austerity will do to our civil service capacity. And Tom Goldsmith writes that the problem is Carney's determination to follow a corporate playbook rather than having any vision for Canada as a country. 

- Finally, David Macdonald and Martha Friendly write that there's a long way to go for the promise of $10 per day child care to be fulfilled at the national level - even as Scott Moe and other right-wing premiers look to reverse the progress that's been made by refusing to sign on to an extension of funding. 

Wednesday Morning Links

 Assorted content for your Wednesday reading.

- Dharna Noor discusses how Zohran Mamdani is rightly connecting climate ambition to an affordability agenda. And Vass Bednar looks to Mamdani's push for public grocery stores as the type of government action which can provide tangible benefits to people who are chronically neglected by corporate forces.

- The Guardian's editorial board writes that leaders should be reminding the public why it's so important  to cut our carbon pollution (particularly as an extreme heat waves makes the stakes readily apparent) - though Sam Jones reports on Teresa Ribera's warning that political cowardice is already the primary barrier to climate action. And David Vetter reports on the call from U.K. ad agencies for a ban on fossil fuel advertising to stop the flood of propaganda for an immensely harmful industry. 

- Andrea Pitzer calls out the Republicans' plan to direct hundreds of billions of dollars toward ramping up a secret police and detention apparatus. And Robert Reich warns that Peter Thiel and other tycoons are looking to make an even more invasive surveillance state into a source of political control (as well as private wealth accumulation). 

- Paris Marx joins the many voices calling out Mark Carney's decision to rescind a digital services tax which would have set the slightest of limits on how big tech exploits Canadians. And Blaine Haggart writes that we now know enough to assess - and criticize - Carney's blinkered refusal to accept that the Trump regime will never enter into any trade agreement in good faith. 

- Meanwhile, Matteo Cimellaro reports that Carney's plans for Canada's public sector include the worst cuts to service in recent history, while David Macdonald highlights how there's no way to inflict those cuts without causing severe harm. And Geoff Mulgan writes about the lack of interest in plumbing which has made it impossible to turn promises or expectations into reality. 

- Finally, Bob Lord writes that income tax rates alone won't rein in worsening inequality based primarily on gross disparities in wealth whose products are given favourable treatment. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Moscrop writes that "inequality" is a far too mild word for the extreme concentration of wealth and power in the U.S. (coupled with increasing deprivation and disempowerment of large numbers of people). David Sirota argues that the resistance to the Trump administration needs to directly oppose corporate control rather than hoping that some general claim of abundance will be seen as sufficient, while Hans Nicols reports on polling showing that the general public agrees. And YouGov finds that in the UK, there's far more public appetite for improved services than for austerity and tax slashing. 

- Meanwhile, Anna Merlan discusses what the U.S. stands to lose from the Trump regime's deliberate destruction of knowledge. 

- The Associated Press reports on Louisiana's draconian crackdown against sharing information about the pollution that's threatening public health. And Emily Schwing reports on the limitations of adapting to environmental catastrophes after the fact as evidenced by the crumbling new community of Mertarvik, Alaska. 

- Elyse Hauser discusses her own blood test for microplastics in the context of their spread throughout our living environment. And EcoWatch points out a new study documenting a particularly severe concentration of microplastics in agricultural soil. 

- Finally, Ophélie Dénommée-Marchand rightly argues that Canada needs to be providing a safe haven for trans people and others facing grave risks under the Trump regime. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

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

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

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

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

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

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

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

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

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

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

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