Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

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

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

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

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

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Charlotte Clymer discusses Mark Carney's Davos speech as signaling a divorce from the U.S. But Justin Ling points out the need to match sporadic and selective words of independence and solidarity with meaningful action, while the Economist reports on the reality that Canadian soldiers are continuing to carry out U.S. orders even as the Trump regime threatens to take us over. 

- Dylan Dusseault discusses how the Davos agenda conspicuously avoids any consideration of having the wealthy pay a fair share of taxes - no matter overwhelmingly popular and positive that course of action would be. And Graeme Wearden reports on the numerous millionaires who are onside with contributing to the common good. 

- Blayne Haggart highlights the implausibility of promises from Microsoft and other U.S. tech giants that they'll respect Canadian data sovereignty - particularly when they've so pitifully prostrated themselves in front of the Trump regime at every opportunity.  

- Finally, John Michael McGrath asks whether 2026 will finally be the year Ontario starts making progress in answering its housing crisis - while noting that Doug Ford's track record strongly suggests the answer is again "no". 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Kara Miller interviews Ray Madoff about the tax dodges that allow the richest Americans to hoard wealth without contributing to the society that makes it possible. And David Sirota is duly cynical about Mitt Romney and other plutocrats offering meaningless gestures toward tax fairness after they've forfeited the power to implement it. 

- Meanwhile, Thom Hartmann writes that plenty of Americans are eager to see a new New Deal to break up the concentration of wealth and power. And Rafael Behr discusses the prospect of people taking back control after the AI bubble bursts. 

- Allen Woods writes about Mark Carney's decision to become a fossil fuel cheerleader rather than a responsible climate advocate, while Rick Smith laments the uncertainty and lack of ambition created by Carney's climate policy reversals.  And the Guardian's editorial board notes that the EU too looks to be undermining readily-achievable gains by shredding its previous electric vehicle targets. 

- Among the other harms caused by the climate breakdown, Damian Carrington reports on a new analysis showing that crop production is becoming more vulnerable to pests, while Senay Boztas reports that even the food which reaches our tables includes less nutrition and more filler as a result of rising CO2 levels. 

- Finally, Rachel Morgam reports on Ontario School Safety's appeal for basic air quality improvements to limit the spread of cold and flu viruses. And Laine Bergeron discusses new research showing that workplace exposures in high-risk jobs (including teaching and health-care work) correlate to a higher risk of long COVID. 

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. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- William Davies writes about the systematic stupidity being imposed by the Trump regime, while Noah Berlatsky notes that it's a feature rather than a bug for a fascist government seeking to keep the populace uninformed. And Aditya Chakrabortty discusses how Javier Milei is yet another right-wing darling whose government has proven an utter disaster. 

- Toby Buckle writes about the role of reactionary centrists in clearing the way for fascism. Waleed Shahid offers a reminder that bending over backward to appear "moderate" has done nothing to help U.S. Democrats win elections (and everything to cede political territory to increasingly radical Republicans). And A.R. Moxon warns against allowing the Trump regime to define political choices as a series of trolley problems where other people's agency is limited to making deliberately cruel decisions. 

- N+1's Editors discuss the best-case scenario for commercial-scale artificial intelligence as involving the generation of junk to further enrich the wealthy few. Edward Zitron points out the laughable improbability of AI living up to its hype based on obvious and inescapable resource limitations. And MacKenzie Sigalos reports on the disproportionate effect of crypto money on the 2024 U.S. elections. 

- Bill McGuire laments that politicians are responding to a worsening climate crisis by pouring perpetually more resources into dirtier activities. Niklas Boers et al. discuss the connection between key climate components which are all destabilizing. And Damian Carrington reports on a new study showing a dramatic increase in extremely hot days in the world's major cities. 

- Finally, Ratina Omidvar and Sabina Vohra-Miller discuss the need for a tax system that ensure the wealthy contribute to the well-being of Canadians. And Dru Oja Jay discusses the stark choice of directions for Canada Post - which can either be shrunk into uselessness to allow corporate raiders to take over profitable operations, or treated as nation-building infrastructure to support communities and services. 

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.

- Amanda Marcotte examines the abusive father complex that somehow forms the basis for a large part of Donald Trump's support. Erica Green calls out Trump's highly selective view of criminal justice which includes absolute impunity for his cronies and arbitrary cruelty for everybody else. And Oliver Willis highlights how the right-wing information ecosystem has been trained to view cities as hellscapes (among other false and harmful assumptions). 

- Meanwhile, Don Slater warns that Alberta is the canary in the coal mine when it comes to the spread of the same disinformation and associated bigotry in Canada. And Prem Sikka discusses the need for the UK to fight back against the self-serving undermining of democracy by the corporate elite.

- Samantha Gross notes that Massachusetts' wealth tax proved even more lucrative than expected, showing that policies aimed at equality work. And Max Fawcett writes that an appeal to intergenerational fairness could make for a huge step in setting Canada up for the future.

- Jim Stanford offers a factbook on how Canada can build a soverign and sustainable economy if it focuses on the public interest rather than immediate corporate profits. And Arno Kopecky writes that the Trump regime's regressive energy policy offers a particularly promising opening to lead the way toward a clean economy. 

- But while it would be ideal to see Carney value the general public and the future over his own corporate buddies, his government's handling of Air Canada's labour dispute bodes poorly on that front - as Eric Wilkinson points out how it represents yet another attack on the concept of collective bargaining, while David Coletto notes that public opinion is very much on the side of the workers being ordered back to work. 

Friday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to end your week.

- Greg Sargent highlights how Donald Trump's pretense of concern for working-class people has given way to the largest transfer of wealth to plutocrats in U.S. history. Harold Meyerson discusses how Trump's repressive police state is keeping communities from celebrating the Fourth of July or otherwise participating in public life. Jeremy Brecher writes about the importance of ensuring that people with the means and privilege to engage in protest make sure Trump knows there's widespread opposition. And Yanis Varoufakis writes about the lessons from Karl Marx which are as vital to today's populist movements as those of the 1800s. 

- Meanwhile, Rick Salutin points out that Mark Carney's caving to Trump on a digital services tax represents an absolute failure to understand what Canadians expect from him. 

- Greg Silsbe et al. study the decline in ocean nutrients and photosynthesis caused by a warming climate. Isabella Kaminski reports on the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that states have a legal duty to protect people from the effects of a climate breakdown. And Ayesha Tandon discusses a new analysis showing that the research we have into the effects of the climate crisis fails to take into account the particular impacts on fast-growing cities in developing countries. 

- Franziska Mager writes that there's no lack of resources available to fund a just transition if governments recognize and exercise their ability to tax extreme wealth. Reuters reports on new research showing that Germany could make substantial progress toward its carbon pollution targets just by cutting fossil fuel subsidies. And Juan Moreno-Cruz notes that methane mitigation can both create jobs and significantly cut harmful emissions - but that it won't work without effective emission regulation. 

- Simon Enoch discusses the importance of rural media outlets to build community connections on a foundation of facts and basic principles. And Gillian Steward calls out Danielle Smith for spending her summer on a separatist road show rather than anything that could actually help Albertans, while Leanna Sanders reports on the UCP's joint attempt with the Ford PCs to officially torpedo any commitment to clean drinking water for First Nations. 

- Finally, Bruce Campbell offers a reminder as to how corporate greed and deregulatory zeal led to the Lac-Megantic rail disaster - and how people are still suffering from its aftereffects. 

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. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Tressie McMillan Cottom calls out how the Trump regime is using political violence to eliminate any democratic forms of opposition and accountability. David Roth discusses how fascist regimes tend to provoke chaos in order to eliminate the sense that it's possible to build anything better. And Jeet Heer writes that there is a window for a popular backlash to stop a sustained war in Iran, but only if public outcry manages to drown out the warmongers pulling the strings around Trump. 

- Luke Goldstein reports that the Republicans' plan to rob from the poor to give to the rich includes tax breaks for private equity when it loads companies up with debt and slashes workforces. Jameson Berkow reports on a new finding that CEO pay is soaring in Canada while so many people continue to struggle. And Brendon Hadden examines some of the options to apply a fairer tax system. 

- The Guardian's editorial board writes about the inescapable choice between making investments in averting climate change and its effects, and facing perpetually more (and more severe) breakdowns of the systems that support life. And Andre Picard writes about how wildfire smoke is eliminating summer holidays we we know them. 

- Kostansa Rangelova and Dave Jones point out that solar power has reached the point of being the most affordable option even when adding in the need for battery storage - even with the cost of both still having plenty of room to fall. Rose Dixon write that renewable energy has reached the point of being given away in Spain and Germany. And Umair Irfan notes that there are cheap and effective options available to eliminate the vast majority of methane emissions - even as the fossil fuel sector fights against any effort to clean up its act. 

- Finally, Don Moynihan examines how Australia's experience with flawed algorithmic debt assessment and recovery shows the dangers of making access to the necessities of life reliant on automation and AI.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Edward Zitron writes about the idiotic results of purging all considerations from business decision-making other than goosing short-term share prices. And EuropeanPowell examines the connection between deregulated "free zones" (of the type the Cons are actively seeking to impose in Canada) and the broader hijacking of public resources and services by greedy corporations.  

- Simon Kuper reports on the push for a global wealth tax in order to ensure the richest few can't hide their obscene wealth offshore. Dean Baker makes the case for a financial transactions tax to disincentivize shell games as a substitute for productivity. And Rick Szostak discusses the need for everybody to be willing to contribute to the common good. 

- Noah Berlatsky writes about the dangers of the Trump administration's attacks on vaccines, while Reuters reports on Moderna's decision not to seek approval of a more effective hybrid COVID/flu vaccine under an anti-science regime. Susan Mashiyam highlights a new study into vaccine disinformation as expressed at public meetings. And Bingyu Zhang et al. find that the consequences of COVID-19 include severe cardiovascular outcomes in children.

- Finally, Sam Freedman points out the inherent fragility of hard-right political alignments which rely on uniting the corporate sector and conspiracy theorists against professionals. Matthew Hays notes that Pierre Poilievre's attempts to send different messages to different sides of the conspiracist divide resulted in nobody having any basis to trust him. Crawford Kilian writes that the Trumpists and separatists being boosted by Danielle Smith's UCP are likely to make the Cons even less electable. And Don Braid notes that the immediate purpose of Smith's promotion of separatism is to undermine national values and standards, while Taylor Noakes offers a reminder that the separatist push is being bankrolled and directed by and for the dirty energy sector. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- A.R. Moxon discusses the problem with the concentration of power in the hands of a few tycoons who see no purpose for most human life other than to maximize the efficiency of their own wealth accumulation. And Anis Heydari reports that Canada now has its own group of millionaires to recognize the need for their cohort to contribute a fair share to the public good. 

- Wen Stephenson talks to Olúfémi Táíwò about the need to think like an ancestor in addressing both social relations and the climate crisis. Luke Grant et al. examine the increasing probability that today's children will experience unprecedented climate extremes in the course of their lifetimes. And Mark Gongloff points out that the social cost of carbon pollution from U.S. companies alone figures to reach the high 14 figures by 2050. 

- Meanwhile, Peter Aldhous reports that the Trump regime's war on science includes eliminating the collection of sea ice data which has provided crucial information about the climate crisis. Ariel Wittenberg reports on Elon Musk's dumping of smog without permits on vulnerable neighbourhoods in Memphis. And Nina Lakhani reports on the risk that the climate breakdown could threaten banana cultivation in the coming decades. 

- Kevin Maimann discusses how the fomenting of secessionism by Danielle Smith and Scott Moe may cause economic disaster based on Quebec's experience, while Jen Gerson offers her personal take on the folly of undermining the national interest for the sake of a few oil executives. 

- Finally, Shara Cooper points out that a proportional electoral system would resolve the problem with regions lacking an effective voice in the federal government. And Mario Canseco finds that Canadian voters are still on board with the idea even after Justin Trudeat broke his promise to make every vote count.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jill Lawrence discusses how the Trump regime's combination of corruption, greed and poor judgment is tearing the concept of the heroic tycoon to shreds. David Sirota et al. note that the plutocrat-sponsored revolt against taxes is likewise becoming untenable as a matter of public opinion. And Rob Jowett writes that one of Mark Carney's key weaknesses is his being embedded in the work of exploitative capital. 

- Zachary Basu writes about DOGE's unblemished track record of ignorance and self-destruction, while Matt Ford is the latest to point out that all Americans are in jeopardy when it's state policy to disappear people without due process. And Jared Yates Sexton writes about the importance of taking advantage of the openings created by the incompetence of autocrats.

- Jared Wesley calls out Pierre Poilievre's attempt to echo Trump's attacks on anything deemed "woke" without providing any coherent definition or reason why inclusion and empathy should be considered to be negatives. And David Olive notes that Canadian businesses haven't shown any inclination to abandon their own DEI programs in order to appease MAGA loons on either side of the border.  

- Finally, Juan Vargas notes that aspects of a youth climate corps have made their way into multiple parties' election platforms - while also pointing out the stark difference between a Lib "pilot" and the full plans of the NDP and Greens. And Seth Klein writes about the need for a war footing against the U.S.' threats to include commensurate taxes to fund our fight and avoid profiteering. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ali Bustamente rightly challenges Donald Trump's claim that people should be happy to endure a regime-induced recession as an economic purge by pointing out how many people will suffer incalculable damage as a result of it. Paul Krugman calls out the attempt to conjure up a reasonable or coherent economic theory behind Trump's damage. And Melinda Cooper notes that while telling people to accept the loss of market income, Trump is also slashing both public supports and the civil service needed to make them available. 

- Robert Reich rightly warns that Trump's position that he can declare anybody a foreign enemy and disappear them without any due process means that nobody is safe. Melissa Ryan calls out the political class for merely standing aside and watching as democracy and human rights go up in flames. And Steven Beschloss writes that the American people can make the choice to hold onto what makes them human rather than going along with the regime's abuses, while Troy Nahumko discusses the importance of empathy as the basis of civilization. 

- David Moscrop writes about the need for Canada's next Prime Minister to work on breaking free from the U.S., while Thomas Homer-Dixon argues that we're at the stage of needing to prepare for war in order to preserve any prospect of peace. Megan Gordon writes about the need to protect workers as the key goal of our immediate response to a trade war, while Angella MacEwen points out the need to invest in an economy that serves both workers' interests and the national interest in the long term. And Tom Parkin notes that the unfocused tax slashing and capital gains giveaways on offer from the Libs as well as the Cons serve mostly as an upward transfer of wealth and an attack on our ability to invest in actual priorities.  

- Finally, Jessica Glenza reports on the expert warnings against vaccine denialism, while Natasha May reports that people around the globe are at risk from the measles outbreaks caused by anti-vaxxers. And Beth Mole discusses how Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s crusade against vaccinations is threatening to derail breakthroughs to fight other diseases which are otherwise within reach. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brian Cox writes that the combined cruelty and incompetence of the new Trump oligarchy should remind us of the need to tax the wealthy rather than letting them concentrate riches and power. And Richard Partington reports on a new study showing that UK Labour is losing support because of its insistence on pandering to the right rather than dealing with people's poverty and economic insecurity. 

- Maia Mindel discusses the risks of not being able to trust politicized data - as well as how to know when it ceases to be believable. 

- Owen Jones warns that the rise of the AfD in Germany (as the chosen party of Elon Musk and the global alt-right) reflects a disturbing pattern in the Western world. And Julia Damphouse notes that the election did see its momentum stall while the unapologetically leftist Die Linke also made a substantial breakthrough. 

- Max Fawcett recognizes that the Flu Trux Klan which appropriated the Canadian flag for its anti-science cause is downright eager to sell us out to the U.S. But fortunately, Curtis Fric notes that the convoy and extreme Cons are isolated in that position, with a strong majority of Canadians favouring like-for-like retaliation against Trump's planned tariffs. Charlie Angus points out the lengthening list of similarities between Canada and Ukraine in needing to build alliances to respond to a direct border threat.

- Simon Enoch and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood note that there's no reason to tie the laudable goal of building high-speed rail to an exploitative P3s structure. Nelson Bennett points out the corporate forces looking to capitalize on the Trump threat to profit from slashing taxes and public services. And Andre Picard writes that if we're looking for ways to eliminate internal barriers to a constructive federation, a good place to start would be in prioritizing effective health care nationally over provincial whims. 

- Finally, Rumneek Johal discusses how Doug Ford in particular has undermined Ontario's health care system - and is seeking to do another term's worth of damage to it. Desmond Cole discusses how Ford has gotten away with a track record of failure and corruption so far. And Famita Syed, Emma McIntosh and Elaine Anselmi examine what Ontario's parties are proposing when it comes to environmental issues - with the PCs againrefusing to offer anything to voters after using their power to squelch any previous prospect of improvement. 

Friday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to end your week.

- Michael Harris discusses how Donald Trump's taking power has reordered Canadian politics. But lest we be too confident of a united front in responding to attacks on our sovereignty and identity, Matthew Renfrew notes that Pierre Poilievre's constant anti-Canadian rhetoric is entirely unhelpful, while Liam O'Connor reports that Scott Moe has joined the Trumpist crew seeking to have us concede defeat. And Charlie Angus rightly criticizes our own parcel of rogues for trying to sell out Canada.

- Meanwhile, Andrew Potter writes that there's plenty we should be doing to build and defend our independence regardless of the the imminent threat posed by Trump. And Joseph Stiglitz worries that Trump may precipitate the end of progress around the globe - though Jeet Heer discusses how the U.S.' militaristic foreign policy was plenty harmful under the Biden administration as well. 

- Robert Reich discusses the causes and effects of Trump's seizure and freezing of every government funding mechanism he can identify. And Alan Elrod discusses the role of status anxiety as part of Trump's appeal to those looking to maintain privilege and self-entitlement.

- MercoPress reports on the success of Brazil's efforts to collect a fairer share of revenue from the super rich - though the Libs' decision to keep letting Canada's wealthy exploit capital gains rules makes for a lost opportunity to level the playing field at home. And Grace Blakeley talks to Li Andersson about the work being done by Finland's Left Alliance in offering an alternative to the bigotry and austerity of the alt-right.

- Finally, Anthony Painter points out the problems with relying on growthism as a substitute for security and well-being. And Jim Stanford discusses how Alberta workers are suffering the effects of a UCP government bent on further enriching the capital class at their expense.