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. 

Leadership 2026 Candidate Profile - Tony McQuail

What We Knew

McQuail entered the campaign with the lowest profile in the field, but his bona fides as a voice for rural environmentalism were clear from the jump. 

What We’ve Learned

While McQuail has stayed within his expected lane, he hasn’t done much to move beyond it (again aside from the laudable mutual aid between his campaign and Tanille Johnston’s).

What He’s Proposing

For all the environmental messages in the campaign, McQuail stands out in emphasizing community-level projects which work within planetary limitations, rather than high-speed rail lines and national Crown corporations. And while I’d think both deserve discussion, the former seems to have particular potential to reach communities who don’t tend to be prioritized first for megaprojects.

What to Watch For

McQuail doesn’t appear likely to last past a first ballot. But his supporters could still be key in determining the outcome of the leadership race, while his ideas and organizing principles are worth including in the NDP’s future plans.

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). 

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.

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Inae Oh weighs in on the neo-royalism fueling Trump's sense of divine right. Seva Grunitsky points out that a hubristic belief that might makes right has caused the downfall of empires before as it likely will for the U.S. And Ryan Cooper discusses the prospect of countering the Trump regime by punishing the uber-rich who have lent their wealth and power to him - though the difficulty in trying to do so speaks to the dangers of their accumulated wealth.

- Owen Jones calls out Trump's "Board of Peace" as combining rank neocolonialism with yet another grift. Daniel Beland and Klaus Petersen discuss why the people of Greenland (like those virtually everywhere) want nothing to do with Trump's rule. And Luke O'Neil notes that the fear of Trump arises precisely from his refusal to recognize anybody but his immediate circle as human and deserving of any respect or consideration. 

- Reuters reports on new U.N. research showing that most of humanity is already facing dangerous water supply limitations - with much worse to come. And David Thurton reports on Environment Canada's warning that 2026 is likely to be yet another of the hottest years on record. 

- Finally, Matt Simmons and Lauren Walsh report on LNG Canada's excessive flaring which has made an already-polluting operation into far more of a climate bomb than promised. And Maxine Joselow discusses the Trump administration's choice to value human lives at zero in order to facilitate industrial pollution. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Robert Reich discusses how Donald Trump is a threat to civilization (in the form of any social order other than one based on brute force and coercion) around the globe. And Marisa Kabas warns that much of the media is playing into Trump's hands by normalizing - if not outright siding with - his violence and dishonesty.

- Paris Marx discusses how the U.S.' tech giants serve its military ends - and how Canada and other countries are enabling their own domination by putting critical information in hostile hands. Kaylie Tiessen points out how trade deals have been used as an excuse to prevent Canada from exercising any digital sovereignty. And Heather Stewart notes that AI slop isn't worth the immense financial and environmental cost anywhere.

- Clare Fieseler comments on Trump's destruction of clean power development even as it becomes far more efficient and effective than the dirty energy sources that form his donor base. And Arnie Gundersen offers a reminder that spin about small nuclear reactors serves only as a delay tactic rather than a viable alternative to renewables.

-  Finally, Ed Cara reports on a new study showing that the ongoing toll of COVID-19 in the U.S. is in the range of a million hospitalizations and a hundred thousands deaths every year. And Maja Stojanovic et al. examine the vascular damage done by COVID-19.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Bill McKibben writes that Donald Trump's level of impunity now includes blatant piracy as the U.S. steals oil to try to lay the groundwork to invade Venezuela. And Stephen Marche discusses the need for Canada to defend itself against the increasing threat the U.S. poses to itself and other countries.  

- But then, Dale Smith warns about the democratic backsliding Canada has experienced in 2025 (but largely glossed over based on a typical tendency to compare to the U.S. rather than to any other measuring stick). Nayeli Jiminez calls out the Carney Libs for pushing Trump-style surveillance and anti-immigrant legislation. Brandi Martin notes that Mark Carney's trampling of Indigenous rights and environmental preservation in the name of resource extraction is pulled directly from the colonial playbook. 

- Geoff Dembicki reports on the connection between oil barons looking to force increased energy use and the hype around artificial intelligence. And Sharon Zhang notes that one of the current use cases for AI is to allow businesses to extract higher prices from consumers, while Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh discusses the foreseeable catastrophic outcomes of giving AI control over critical systems. 

- Finally, Damien Gayle reports on new research into the multi-trillion dollar cost of allowing synthetic chemicals into human food supplies - even as corporate forces push to avoid complying with even the minimal protections that already exist. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading. 

- Jonathan Last discusses how the Trump regime is carrying out campaigns of murder based on known lies with both the purpose and effect of destroying any social order, while Matt Gurney writes about the participants at the Halifax International Security Forum who have quite rightly concluded the U.S. can never be trusted again. Daniele Renwick talks to activists from authoritarian regimes about the lessons they've learned, while Kimberly Prost discusses the effects of the U.S.' imposition of sanctions against people who dare to enforce international criminal and humanitarian law. And Charlie Angus writes about Trump's gangster regime, while Richard Goode discusses the alt-right forces seeking to impose similar lawless violence in Canada. 

- Hannah Murphy writes about the development of privately-owned cities to further entrench the power of the wealthy. And Alan MacLeod writes about the obvious distortion of our information environment when then most obscenely wealthy tycoons on the planet are all taking over major media outlets to turn them into personal megaphones, while Alexander Smith et al. study the dangers posed by politicised threats to science. 

- Taylor Noakes points out that Mark Carney is dutifully parroting fossil fuel billionaires' talking points rather than working on any climate policy, while Tzeporah Berman discusses how utter capitulation is being framed as "realism". And Jim Stanford and Kathy Bennett examine (PDF) how a just transition remains entirely possible as long as government isn't beholden to the oil sector. 

- Finally, Tianyuan Huang et al. study how inequalities are exacerbated by environmental disasters as rebuilding is carried out to suit those who have more resources to pay for it. And Lara Jauregui et al. find that price shocks similarly have a disparate impact on the people who can least afford to absorb them. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Oliver de Leth reports on the fossil fuel barons using their wealth and influence to trash the EU's human rights and environmental laws, while Ella Nilsen points out how the real estate industry is trying to suppress accurate information about properties facing climate risks. Hannah Daly discusses the folly of accepting "too small to matter" as an excuse for avoidable carbon pollution - particularly when the size of the problem demands that everybody do what they can. Guido van der Werf examines why carbon emissions from fires are proving even worse than expected. And Ian Gill discusses the need to keep telling stories about the impacts of the climate crisis. 

- Amy Janzwood writes about the reality that Mark Carney's pipeline deal with Danielle Smith is purely a matter of concessions rather than remotely rational tradeoffs. And Bradley Lafortune notes that the UCP is once again planning to allow strip mining of coal in the Rockies in the face of constant public pushback and repeated assurances that it wouldn't do so. 

- Investigate Europe reports on the environmental risks posed by thousands of landfill sites across the continent. And Sandra Laville reports on Pew Charitable Trusts' recognition that plastic pollution is set to double over the next 15 years if we don't take readily available steps to stop it. 

- Yasmin Khan calls out corporate food operators for using dubious intellectual property claims to restrict access to food around the globe. And Dave Lewis notes that the corporate food industry is no more immune from environmental risks than anybody else. 

- Dennis Raphael and Toba Bryant rightly argue that Canada's plummeting place in global life expectancy rankings represents an inescapable signal that we're not adequately protecting people's health. 

- Finally, Ophélie Dénommée-Marchand discusses how Mark Carney is opening the door for Donald Trump's police state to threaten our rights and lives in Canada. And Supriya Dwivedi writes that Carney's eagerness to appeal to tech bros and misogynist regimes is threatening women's rights everywhere. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Marisa Kabas discusses the moral rot in corporate, access-based media - which in turn looks to be a contributor to the decline of human decency in the political and social realms. And Perry Bacon talks to Adam Bonica about the obvious opportunity for leaders and movements who pick up on the public demand to combat corruption.

- Jonathan Cohn interviews Atul Gawande about the cruelty of the Trump regime's obliteration of foreign aid programs which kept hundreds of thousands of people alive. Nat Lash reports on the potential for a bird flu pandemic as a result of the Republicans' anti-vaccine ideology and destruction of the U.S. public health system. Freddy Brewster and Luke Goldstein report on the U.S. Senate's gutting of regulations around food contamination as part of the price of reopening government is to ensure it doesn't protect people from corporate damage. 

- Meanwhile, both Andrew Gregory and Amina Zafar report on new studies showing the harm that ultra-processed food can do to the human body. 

- Lest anybody think Mark Carney isn't fully onside with destructive deregulation and corporate control, Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports on the Libs' choice to eliminate protections around pesticides. Marc Lee discusses how the Libs' economic plans are limited to corporate handouts rather than any vision for future development. And Jim Thomas implores Carney not to let an already-worrisome obsession with artificial intelligence as a panacea turn into a bailout for tech sector tycoons. 

- Finally, Shanna Hanbury reports on Colombia's warning that corporate-biased trade agreements act as a dangerous barrier to needed climate action. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Tim Wu discusses how the richest few have come to dominate our politics (with our health and well-being paying the price), while Ian Welsh examines the obscene concentration of wealth in the U.S. Jeff Horwitz exposes how Meta's business model includes the deliberate facilitation of scams as a major revenue source, while Harrison Mooney interviews Gil Duran about the rise of techno-fascism. And Jared Yates Sexton writes that oligarchic buyup of politicians and ad blitzes hasn't succeeded in winning over the public.

- Carl Beuer writes that the devastating results of Trump regime's withholding of food stamps demonstrate the need for effective government to provide social supports, while Kristen Crowell offers a reminder that the long-time plan of the Republicans and their anti-social cronies has been to eliminate anything of the sort. Marisa Kabas talks to SNAP recipients about their experience having minimal supports stripped away. And Rene Sylvestre-Williams discusses how there's more governments can do to ensure necessities are affordable, including by directly providing basic needs so people aren't stuck paying corporate markups for everything. 

- Luke Savage discusses the stark difference between a future where people have an option of pluralistic social democracy, and one where neoliberal acquiescence is the only perceived alternative to fascism.  And Jason Sattler comments on the importance of a politics based on people taking action rather than merely being acted upon, while Taylor Noakes highlights how Canadians can draw inspiration from Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory. 

- George Goehl writes about the need to give people clear calls to action at a time when they're eager to make a difference. And Katherine Wu discusses the large number of scientists stepping up to run for office as their life's work has been negated by ignorant political choices. 

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg comments on Mark Carney's choice to focus the federal investments on militarism and little else. Alex Hemingway points out a few of the most glaring missed opportunities,  while Emmett MacFarlane notes that the budget misses the real causes of Canada's problems. And Rachel Samson points out the mismatch between Carney's supposed goals and the level of resources provided, while Carl Meyer examines the particular reduction in both rules and funding for environmental priorities. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Catarina Saraiva and Jaewon Kang warn that the U.S. economy is a Jenga tower in which pieces needed to support the middle class are being systematically removed. Bloomberg's editorial board examines the national scope of the U.S.' gambling problem - with sports betting as just part of the drain on workers. And Public Citizen traces the connections between Donald Trump's ballroom bribe solicitation and hundreds of billions of dollars in federal contract awards. 

- Meanwhile, Rebecca Schneid discusses how Zohran Mamdani has offered a vitally important reminder that oligarchs can't buy elections in the face of public organization. Emma Goldberg and Benjamin Oreskes highlight how Mamdani recognized and responded to the young voters who have been facing a loneliness crisis. Ian Welsh views Mamdani's focus on affordability - coupled with positive solutions  based on collective power rather than mere finger-pointing - as the model Democrats need to seize upon. And Moustafa Bayoumi writes that Mamdani was rewarded for defending his values, while Moira Donegan implores the rest of the Democratic Party to learn from his success. 

- Climate Action Tracker's latest evaluation of Canada's climate policy finds that we're headed in the wrong direction under the Carney Libs even as the cost of inaction becomes ever more stark. Markham Hislop discusses the dangers of letting the oil industry's false assumptions and empty promises take precedence over planning for an affordable and sustainable future. And Bob Weber examines how the UCP has set out to stick the public with perpetually more cleanup costs in order to ensure oil companies  operating in Alberta can escape responsibility for the messes they're making. 

- Finally, Katie Kavanagh offers a reminder that COVID-19 is still around even as basic measures to track and control it have long since been abandoned. And Michael Le Page reports on a new study showing that exposure to COVID raises the risk of heart issues in children - in contrast to the protective effects of vaccination. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Erica Frantz, Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Joseph Wright comment on the global tilt toward strongman government as the U.S. abandons any pretense of being a democracy rather than a fiefdom. And Jonathan Last discusses the Trump regime's prioritization of performative violence over substantive action. 

- Justin Ling weighs in on the reality that we're best off not locking ourselves into new deals with the U.S. which result only in our making concessions for no enforceable gains, while Doug Nesbitt writes that our past EV strategy has been based mostly on corporate giveaways rather than real industrial development. And Lois Ross notes that Claudia Sheinbaum's Plan Mexico offers a needed blueprint to develop a sustainable economy and society which doesn't depend either on a capricious U.S. regime or on constant submission to capital. 

- Phoebe Weston writes about the parallels between the inner and outer layers of biodiversity which are both being undremined by corporate forces. James Dyke writes about the imminent derailment risk as cascading climate feedback loops eliminate our ability to adapt. And Andrew Wilkin highlights how COVID-19 minimization and other attacks on public health have maximized the social harm arising from preventable diseases. 

- Finally, Alex Caputo-Pearl and Jackson Potter discuss the need for the labour movement to unify to oppose the Trump regime, while Adam King notes that Alberta workers (along with students) are doing just that in response to Danielle Smith's negation of teachers' Charter rights. And Leah Gazan makes the case to rein in the federal Libs' reflexive anti-strike decrees. 

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.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Garrett Graff writes about the importance of good character as the ultimate check on the abuse of power - even as the Trump regime looks to purge anything of the sort. And Bruce Arthur notes that Pierre Poilievre's inability to act as anything but an arsonist is starting (at long last) to be seen as a liability both within his party and in the broader political scene. 

- Simon Nixon highlights how China is taking control over global supplies of critical minerals - with a boost from Trump's flailing trade policies. Steff Chavez and Antoine Gara report that the regime's response has been to try to cut shady deals with big capital. Jon Shell warns that the Carney Libs' approval of the debt-financed U.S. takeover of a major refiner and gas supplier signals that they're entirely willing to play along. And Tammy Robert writes about the capital takeover of Saskatchewan farmland - and the Saskatchewan Party's role in undermining any attempt to monitor, let alone manage, foreign and private ownership. 

- Ben Casselman and Colby Smith report on the chasm between higher-income Americans with absurd amounts of money to spend, and an increasingly desperate working class. Matt Egan and Chris Isidore report on new data showing a surge in defaults on subprime car loans as a leading indicator of an economy about to collapse. 

- Meanwhile, Greg Ryan reports that Massachusetts' wealth tax continues to bring in even more revenue than projected - confirming that more progressive tax policy can produce far more fair outcomes. And  in another example of the options to align revenue generation with intrinsically desirable policy, Graham Redfearn notes that Australia is looking at ensuring that companies can't profit from breaking environmental laws. 

- Systems Change Lab examines the state of climate action - finding that while there's been some work done with measurable impacts, the overall picture is one of a grossly insufficient response to a well-known crisis. 

- Finally, the University of Leeds discusses new research showing how UK children are dying as a result of poverty. And Zoe Grunewald rightly calls for the Labour government to prioritize children's well-being over an ideological commitment to austerity. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Krugman writes about the dangers of a mad king taking more and more extreme steps to insulate himself from any trace of inconvenient reality, while Sarah Kendzior notes that the Trump regime is developing a pattern of inventing enemies out of whole cloth in order to excuse rights violations up to and including summary executions. And Joe Wilkins and Jon Christian highlight a similar issue with Peter Thiel’s rapid journey down an apocalyptic rabbit hole. 

- Meanwhile, Charlie Warzel discusses how AI is an invasive species which is rapidly taking over our information ecosystem. 

- Adam Serwer writes about the anti-woke taxes Americans (among others) are paying in the form of environmental destruction and associated health consequences. And Julia Shaw examines the prospect of treating environmental crime as seriously as other direct threats to life and health. 

- Finally, Julia Doubleday highlights the folly of treating masking and other basic disease control steps as unreasonable. The University of Florida studies the effects of COVID-19 vaccines in helping to shield against liver cancer. And Ben Clark discusses the converse effect, that COVID itself can both stimulate and exacerbate the growth of cancer cells. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Don Moynihan examines the Trump regime's steps to build a police state whose only loyalty is to their mad king, while Andrew Egger recognizes that guilt by association is the new standard being applied to anybody who doesn't have a personal in with the administration. Sarah Kendzior highlights the challenges of trying to achieve change through disruptive collection action against a president who's perfectly happy to see things destroyed if it helps cement his power. And David Falk reports on Danielle Smith's coziness with the Heritage Foundation and other authors of Trump's fascist plans. 

- Meanwhile, in case there were any doubt that the UCP is cribbing policy directly from the rankest Republican antisocialism, Ximena Gonzalez reports on its combination of free money for exclusive private education and hostility toward public schools. 

- Fatma Ozdogan notes that the risks and problems we choose to focus on have an inevitable impact on what we prepare for. Paige Bennett discusses the multi-trillion dollar costs of the climate crisis. And Alexander Villegas reports on a new study showing that deforestation is even worse than predicted due to both deliberate destruction and the spread of wildfires, while Matthew Taylor and Helena Horton report that the UK is facing the abandonment of entire towns due to regular flooding of areas which were previously safe. 

- Finally, Ole Hendrickson warns that Mark Carney's plan to build big with little regard for environmental impacts may serve only to make matters worse. And Emily Sanders reports on a new study confirming that fossil fuel operators aren't part of the solution in seeking a clean or prosperous future. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Ari Berman writes about the Republicans' less-than-subtle plan to ensure the 2026 U.S. elections are anything but democratic. Robert Reich rightly argues that U.S. Democrats should be more than prepared to accept the shutdown of a government apparatus whose power is being systematically abused. And Paul Waldman suggests at least they should be making substantive demands rather than making concessions - though it's hard to see what's to be gained asking for legislative concessions which the Trump regime will refuse to implement. 

- Iglika Ivanova points out that part of the lesson to be drawn from the effect of Trump's tariffs involves the importance of investing in people rather than hoping for prosperity to magically be granted by markets which can be dominated by multinational firms and hostile governments alike. And Rob Ferguson points out Doug Ford's callous disregard for young people facing grim employment prospects due to the choices of others.

- Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef calls out Ford's war on public safety on behalf of reckless drivers. 

- Naveena Sadasivam reports on the opportunists and scam artists who have turned wildfires and other natural disasters into profit centres. Matt McIntosh discusses how Ontario has fallen far short of ensuring that fossil gas operators fund the cleanup of their wells, leaving the public on the hook for massive liabilities. And Mark Poynting writes about a warning from scientists again using dangerous Arctic geoengineering as a substitute for cutting down on carbon pollution. 

- Finally, Charlie Buckley and Tammy Ibrahimpoor report on new research showing the adverse health effects of ultra-processed food. And Dylan Scott highlights how the harms of alcohol are being suppressed by the Trump regime. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Naomi Klein discusses how Canada is failing the basic test of resistance to a fascist regime. 

 

- Meanwhile, Linda McQuaig recognizes that Canadians have every reason to be disappointed in Mark Carney's choice to veer to the right and into the U.S.' corporate orbit, rather than governing based on the "elbows up" message at the core of his campaign. And Dale Smith writes that it's long past time to stop pretending that there's any point in negotiating with Donald Trump.

- Mike Allen reports on the corporate loyalty ratings which have been developed to ensure that political favouritism is the defining principle in the Trump White House's decision-making. And Maximillian Alvarez warns that Trump and his corporate backers are turning the entire U.S. into a giant environmental sacrifice zone.

- Tammy Robert discusses how the Sask Party's standard operating procedure in dealing with agricultural approvals (among other choices) is similarly to hand favours out to cronies with no regard for the public interest.

- Finally, Steven Lewis notes that the choice to build the medical system around private physician practices has long limited the effectiveness of social-level health planning - and is at the heart of a failing primary care system today. And Kevin Jiang discusses how people facing long COVID rightly feel like they've been forgotten by the health care system (and by governments generally).