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. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Emilia Belliveau makes the case for the fossil fuel sector to start paying for the harm it causes through carbon pollution, rather than being subsidized to lock us into dirty energy for decades to come. And Glenn Scherer reports on Johan Rockström's work to have planetary boundaries treated as the viral security issues that they are - though as Natasha Walter notes, the powers that be are more interested in using the power of the state to silence anybody who dares to mention the climate crisis. 

- Max Fawcett writes that many Albertans stand to pay the price for Danielle Smith's choice to focus primarily on stopping absolutely anything the federal government does, rather than allowing for anybody to work toward the well-being of citizens. 

- Jim Stanford discusses the drain on productivity in the gig economy where workers are regularly paid nothing to do nothing. 

- Finally, Andre Picard points out the absurdity of trying to blame a myriad of social woes (most with far more obvious policy-related sources) on the single issue of drug decriminalization. And Kenyon Wallace reports on an immense death toll among young Canadians as one of the harms caused by both drug toxicity and unpredictability of dosages where people are forced to seek out illicit supplies. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Joan Westenberg discusses how to fight back in the war against knowledge, while Julia Doubleday calls out the lengths to which the New York Times and other outlets are going in avoiding any acknowledgment of the continuing effects of COVID-19. And in case there were any doubt as to the costs of know-nothingism and contrived skepticism, Beth Mole reports on the CDC's warning that the U.S. is in imminent danger of seeing measles become endemic again after having been eradicated. 

- Meanwhile, Blake Murdoch points out that a concerted effort to clean indoor air can help protect against a myriad of diseases, while Joey Fox notes that improved ventilation helps to lessen short-range spread as well as long-range transmission. 

- Georgina Rannard reports on the finding of the European Court of Human Rights that a failure to comply with climate commitments constitutes a human rights violation. And Steve Lorteau highlights how the right-wing fixation on carbon pricing serves only to distract from the real distortion and harm caused by ongoing subsidies for dirty energy. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk discusses how human activity is rapidly draining crucial fresh water resources. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga writes that the UCP is putting ideology over evidence and care in its puritanical drug policy. And Dave Cournoyer notes that Danielle Smith has decided she isn't satisfied with refusing to do anything to help meet public needs, resulting in her now using the power of the province to stifle any attempts by the federal government and municipalities to do anything of the sort. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg examines why seemingly healthy macroeconomic indicators - and even  positive personal expectations - haven't translated into public satisfaction with political economic leaders. But Dougald Lamont is setting out how our economic system has been torqued at the behest of corporate robber barons to exploit and extract wealth from everybody else for the benefit of the uber-rich. 

- As a particularly appalling example of the prioritization of corporate assumptions over human needs, Kumar Sambhav, Tapasya and Divij Joshi report on India's use of AI which simply presumes people to be dead in order to cut off their pension benefits. And Cory Doctorow discusses how tech giants are seeking to lock people into mandatory compliance with preferred business models to serve their own profitability at the expense of value to users. 

- Benjamin Shingler reports on new research showing that the dirty oil sector is polluting Alberta up to 60 times more than it reports. Sam Markert examines how plastics manufacturers have exploited massive loopholes in "extended producer responsibility" policies to dump waste where it's least regulated. And Judith Weis points out how textiles are an increasing source of microplastic pollution. 

- Jeff Berardelli offers a reminder that 2023 was by far the hottest year on record. Marshall Brain writes about the dangers of unfounded climate optimism when our current trajectory has us headed for disaster (and some of the most powerful forces on the planet are determined to make matters worse). And Eve Thomas discusses the IEA's recognition of the need for structural changes to try to limit the harm of a climate breakdown. 

- Luke LeBrun reports that the latest attack on the rule of law in Canada by the Cons' convoy buddies involves an attempt to coerce police into arresting political leaders. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga reports on Danielle Smith's choice to roll out the red carpet for Tucker Carlson rather than having any interest in responding to a shooting and firebombing in Edmonton. And Scott Dippel reports on the UCP's admonition that municipalities list any agreements in place with the federal government - signaling that the UCP isn't merely unwilling to bother providing housing or other vital services to Alberta's residents, but is determined to ferret out and block any attempt by other levels of government to do so. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Sara Moniuzsko reports on the World Health Organization's recognition that COVID-19 is still causing nearly 10,000 reported deaths per month (to say nothing of unreported deaths and disabilities). And Michelle Ghoussoub reports on research confirming that access to prescribed opioids results in dramatic reductions in overdoses and deaths. 

- Tim Bousquet discusses the normalization of a lack of housing which has led to the building of "temporary" pallet shelters being treated as progress rather than a sign of desperate need for change. And Drew Anderson highlights how Danielle Smith and the UCP have pushed to set a baseline expectation of increased pollution, sprawls and energy inefficiency just over the holidays.  

- Andrew Coyne writes that surrender to premiers who thumb their nose at the rule of law only encourages them. And Linda McQuaig points out how the Libs have chosen to serve big oil at the expense of any responsible climate policy (with a similar effect of emboldening its climate sabotage). 

- Karin Kirk notes that even at a time of relatively low oil prices, consumers are better served charging an electric vehicle than buying fuel at the pumps. 

- Finally, Jon Stone reports on Sadiq Khan's efforts to break the UK's culture of silence about the immense real costs of succumbing to the implausible promises of Brexit. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brendan Crabbe and Mike Toole discuss how COVID-19 has been able to spread and evolve due to people's willingness to live dangerously, while Marisa Eisenberg and Emily Toth Martin offer a reminder of the continued value of masks in reducing spread. And Dawn Brotherton weighs in on how widespread long COVID is placing massive burdens on workers and employers alike.  

- Pat Armstrong and Majorie Griffen Cohen remind us that privatization of long-term care only undermines service while turning people into profit centres. And Taylor Noakes makes the case for the direct provision of health services by the federal government to overcome the unmistakable pattern of provincial neglect. 

- David Macdonald finds that CEO pay has once again hit new highs - both in absolute terms and in comparison to the pay received by other workers. 

- Finally, Zeynep Tufecki points out that Southwest Airlines' service failure is a direct result of corporate concentration and a blinkered focus on paying out shareholders even as workers fought to keep a business functional. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Marco Zuin et al. examine the connection between COVID-19 infections and subsequent heart attacks. And Felicity Liew et al. study the effect of mucosal defences which don't arise from injected vaccines, but can be promoted through nasal ones. 

- Meanwhile, Consumer Reports finds that dark chocolate is rife with dangerous levels of cadmium and lead - meaning that a product often promoted as a healthier alternative may be smuggling harmful metals into people's bodies.   

- Alex Cooke reports on Halifax's failure to ensure that unhoused people have access to safe accommodations as winter endangers their lives. And Colin Butler points out how encampments made more precarious by the threat of police removal are at particular risk of having concealed fires burn out of control. 

- The Energy Mix discusses how oil is headed down the same path toward obsolescence as telephone landlines due to the increasing availability of superior alternatives. 

- Austin Grabash reports on the private religious schools which insisted on censored tours of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights to avoid any acknowledgement of the rights of LGBTQ people. And Feo Snagovsky discusses how the UCP and Saskatchewan Party are causing real damage to Canadian federalism with their performative posturing about sovereignty.  

- Finally, Marsha Lederman writes about the importance of investing in public libraries. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Beth Gardiner discusses how the oil industry has long understood how much fossil fuels would damage the Earth's climate (even while fighting tooth and nail to avoid mitigating the damage). And Norm Farrell points out that the U.S.' worsening water shortages pose significant risks to Canada's food supply. 

- Dr. Chinta Sidharthan discusses how new COVID variants are becoming more and more resistant to existing vaccines. 

- The ILO studies wage trends around the globe over the course of the COVID pandemic to date, with real wage growth falling into negative territory while inequality worsens. But Sara Jabakhani reports on the Ford PCs' rejection of every single recommendation to prevent reoccurrences of a construction worker's death in a trench collapse as a prime example of how right-wing governments couldn't be less interested in the safety or well-being of workers. 

- The Star's editorial board makes the case for warning labels on alcohol in light of its outsized contribution to social harms. 

- Finally, Aaron Wherry discusses how Danielle Smith's obsessions with "sovereignty" over substance represents at best a game of political chicken. 

Sunday Evening Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- The OECD issues a report on the importance of avoiding climate tipping points - and the reality that we're on pace to far overshoot them. Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood notes that lobbying on behalf of fossil gas is the latest version of climate denialism masquerading as pragmatism, while Stewart Phillip and others write that David Eby has to choose between responsible climate action and fossil fuel development. And Lylla Younes discusses the unusually high cost of extreme weather events and natural disasters which are becoming ever more common.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board points out how some conservative governments have lost their minds - though there are plenty more cringe-inducing policies across right-wing governments which presumably had to be cut for space. Althia Raj asks why any principled conservatives who may still exist aren't calling out the combination of heavy-handed intrusion and abject dishonesty underpinning Danielle Smith's power grab. Don Braid points out that Alberta itself fought against a far more limited version of sub-legislative decision-making at the federal level just last year. And Martin Regg Cohn thinks that Doug Ford will pay the price for overplaying his own hand in trampling on Charter rights and democratic structures - though the evidence to date suggests little reason for optimism.

- Russell Lansbury discusses how Australia has moved toward sectoral bargaining which figures to ensure gains are shared widely among workers. But Luke Savage calls out the U.S. Democrats for trampling collective bargaining rights while pretending to be allies of the labour movement. 

- The Economist discusses how the deliberate elimination of public testing for COVID-19 is leaving responsible people to look to indirect measures like reviews of scented candles to determine current levels of spread.

- Finally, Oliver Darcy reports on the dramatic increase in hate speech on Twitter in the wake of Elon Musk's takeover.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rong-Gong Lin Il and Luke Money report on CDC findings showing that U.S. infants under 6 months had hospitalization rates as high as seniors during the summer 2022 wave of COVID. And Emer O'Toole writes about her nightmare with an asthmatic child at a backlogged children's emergency room, while Padraig Maron discusses the pattern of cancelled children's surgeries as health care facilities try to manage intolerable acute care loads. 

- Meanwhile, Amudalat Ajasa reports on new findings showing how breathing polluted air can harm children's academic development (even after controlling for the other aspects of environmental inequality). And Marc Lee and Ben Parfitt highlight the massive cost of failing to deal with carbon pollution in British Columbia. 

- Sophie Aubrey writes that a focus on the number of jobs held may mask the obvious stresses people face when required to hold more than one job to make a living. And Brett Wilkins discusses the needed push to rein in corporate profiteering at the expense of workers and consumers alike. 

- Lauren Boothby reports on Edmonton's needed - if belated - approval of a project to ensure that shelter is available for people who need it through the winter. Adam Toy writes about the work being done in Calgary among non-profits who haven't been supported with a similar investment. And Stefanie Davis reports that Regina will be relying on federal funding to keep one additional shelter open as both the city and province try to avoid taking responsibility for people's welfare. 

- The list of commentators pointing out the absurdity of Danielle Smith's plan to shift law-making authority to the unaccountable whims of cabinet includes Emmett Macfarlane, Lisa Young, Dennis Buchanan, Andrew Coyne and Graham Thomson. 

- Finally, Maurice Mitchell discusses how to build resilient movements (particularly in a time of perpetual crisis). 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Greg Iacurci discusses how long COVID is set to cause trillions of dollars of damage to the U.S.' economy (to say nothing of the toll in human suffering and death). Constance Sommer writes about the difficulty in distinguishing between "brain fog" caused by long COVID and that which signals the onset of dementia. And John Daley and Paolo Zialcita offer their recommendations on how to think like an aerosol scientist in reducing the risks of an infectious disease.

- Meanwhile, Alessia Passafiume points out the dangers of Twitter's decision to enable the spread of COVID misinformation. And Robert Mackey and Micah Lee highlight the effects of its decision to put content moderation and account regulation in the hands of the fascist right, while Graham Gallagher writes about the utterly bizarre worldviews that are being normalized in the Republican party. 

- Max Fawcett discusses how the anti-democratic #FluTruxKlan is continuing to organize even as an inquiry highlights why the federal government had to use emergency powers to end its occupation of Ottawa. And Eric Adams and Jason Markusoff both write about Danielle Smith's plan to end accountable government in Alberta in order to speed up the process of picking fights with the feds. 

- Linda Qiu reports on the rise of farmland values as an investment in the U.S. which is pricing actual residents out of the market. And Yasmine Ghania and Sam Samson discuss how the same hollowing out of rural areas is playing out in Saskatchewan. 

- Finally, the Economist discusses new research showing how air pollution can lead to harms including increased suicide rates, while Damian Carrington writes about a study showing pollution to be the cause of almost a million stillbirths around the globe every year. And Crawford Kilian points out why it's foolish to gamble the future of humanity on the remote hope of being able to make another planet habitable, rather than working on keeping the Earth liveable. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Tori Cowger et al. study how the presence or absence of mandatory masking policies affects the number of COVID-19 cases among students and school staff. The Canadian Press reports on the plea from Ontario doctors for parents and public health officials alike to avoid COVID spread as a priority. And Bob Ferguson reports on a leaked report showing that Ontario's emergency rooms are in an even more desperate state than previously known. 

- Meanwhile, Steven Staples rightly questions why so many provincial premiers expect to be handed gobs of money from the federal government in the name of health funding without providing any assurance it will actually be used on health care. 

- Paul Cowley writes that Alberta (like other jurisdictions) shouldn't be handing free money to the oil industry to clean up its own messes, while Climate Action Tracker calls out opportunistic polluters for planning to send fossil fuel production soaring for decades in response to temporary geopolitical conditions. And Sabaa Khan points out how a just transition needs to take into account the "invisible" informal workforce. 

- The Star's editorial board writes that there's no excuse for paving over Ontario's greenbelt in the name of new development which is designed primarily to funnel money to Doug Ford's supporters rather than to actually improve housing supply. And Gregor Craigie interviews Michael Andersen about Portland's experience in allowing for multi-unit zoning. 

- Finally, Phil Tank discusses the lessons Scott Moe could learn from Danielle Smith's attempts to chase an anti-reality fringe if he was interested in anything of the sort. And Nigel Bankes, Andrew Leach and Martin Olszynski point out that Moe's own anti-Ottawa legislation is matter of playing games rather than responsible governance. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the lives lost to COVID-19 in Ontario workplaces and the deliberate choice by employers and governments to enable that outcome. And Carly Weeks reports that children's hospitals are having to brace for yet another wave of respiratory illnesses while all public health measures have been eliminated. 

- David Wallace-Wells writes about both the implausibility of avoiding catastrophic climate change, and the possibility of a transition to what's on the other side. 

- Padraig Moran reports on the record grocery profits being taken by a corporate oligopoly which is pretending not to be responsible for soaring food prices. And Sharif Hassan reports on the increasing number of people relying on food banks to fill in the gap in their ability to pay for the essentials of life. 

- Gordon Cleveland examines the progress Canada is making toward a national system of early learning and child care, while noting the need to ensure additional funding and support goes to workers.

- Finally, Simon Enoch offers his take on Scott Moe's preposterous excuse for a position on federalism. But if anybody thought there was a line of absurdity or sociopathy that Moe and his government wouldn't cross...it's time to think again. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Erik Swain discusses new research showing that even "mild" cases of COVID-19 produce massively increased risks of death from cardiovascular issues. And Charlie McCone questions why people being told to assess their own risk aren't being informed of the well-documented dangers of long COVID. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on the United Nations' recognition that the current emission reduction policies announced by governments fall far short of meeting the global goal of averting catastrophic climate change. 

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board points out the flawed math behind Scott Moe's temper tantrum masquerading as a governing agenda. And Howard Anglin notes that the white paper intended to declare a push toward nationhood is written at a level that would be unacceptable for schoolchildren.  

- Finally, Alex Boutilier reports on the Ontario Provincial Police's assessment that the #FluTruxKlan was leveraged by foreign actors to serve their own agendas. And Luke LeBrun points out that Ottawa's police facilitated that effort by minimizing the destructiveness of the occupation and siding with convoy cultists (and their propagandists) over the interests of the public. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Mike Crawley reports on new research showing both the growing number of Canadians suffering from long COVID, and its tendency to result in greater strain on our health care system. And Crawford Kilian writes about the dangers of voting against public health - particularly in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. 

- Ricardo Tranjan discusses the connection between predatory lending and housing insecurity, as people forced into short-term, high-interest loans are increasingly unable to find homes in the fact of soaring rental costs. And Heather Vogell exposes the secretive rent algorithm which is being used to extract every possible dollar from tenants. 

- Dan Cameron examines some of the options available to enhance the voices of workers in shaping their own workplaces. 

- David Climenhaga offers a reminder that the Flu Trux Klan's support was never widespread - even in Alberta where its warped worldview is now reflected by the newly-installed premier. And Charles Breton, Olivier Jacques and Andrew Parking examine the differing levels of resentment between Canadian provinces - with Saskatchewan ranking atop the set of petroprovinces as the most resentful of both Canada as a whole and its other regions. 

- Finally, Mitchell Thompson investigates some of the systematic efforts by racist and anti-LGBTQ forces to take over Canadians school boards to indoctrinate students with their own hate. 

On jurisdictional issues

Shorter Jason Kenney:

For all my Ottawa-bashing bluster, even I have to admit it's asinine to pretend provincial laws can nullify the existence of federal powers. 

Shorter Scott Moe:

The federal government has no jurisdiction to enforce its laws in the Glorious Republic of Lesser Fucktrudeauistan! It's in the Magna Carta!

Meanwhile, as some point out the danger of implicitly encouraging a violent response by individuals, let's note that Moe has also gone far past the UCP in centralizing provincial policing structures as a substantive step toward concentrating force under provincial jurisdiction. (And sadly, the response in Saskatchewan was mostly limited to quibbling over security at the Legislature rather than the broader implications.)

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Eric Topol writes that we have the public health tools at our disposal to overcome the Omicron COVID variant if our leaders are responsible enough to use them, though Susan Delacourt notes that repeated messages about the pandemic being over have created avoidable fatigue about the need for more. John Michael McGrath writes that our health care system can't bear another mismanaged COVID wave. And Tara Deschamps reports on a new survey showing a massive supermajority of Canadian workers facing burnout over the past two years. 

- Luke Savage highlights how the pharmaceutical companies peddling COVID vaccines developed through public research now stand to profit by denying inoculations to large swaths of the planet and extending the pandemic. And the Strategic Organizing Centre exposes how Amazon concealed tens of thousands of COVID cases among its workers from occupational health and safety authorities. 

- John Clarke writes that British Columbia's recent floods offer an indication both of the consequences of a climate breakdown, and our lack of preparation to meet them. Gerald Kutney observes that "natural" disasters are increasingly the result of human intervention and neglect. And Alex Cosh discusses how migrant workers have been put at particular risk. 

- Max Fawcett examines the actual causes of inflation in Canada - in contrast to the Cons' attempt to blame the existence of any social benefits whatsoever. And Justin Chandler asks why social assistance rates aren't keeping pace with any level of inflation, while Kristin Rushowy reports on the Ontario NDP's plan to at least ensure the province's minimum wage increases to something closer to the cost of living. 

- Finally, Armine Yalnizyan discusses the new fiscal federalism which is seeing at least some federal investments tied to policy improvements rather than being dumped into a black hole (as requested by far too many premiers).

Return of the Talking Head

I appeared on CTV's News at 5 with Matt Young today, around 24:00 in this show. 

And of course, there were a few points I didn't make in the process, most notably this: pathetic though it is that Scott Moe's plan for Saskatchewan "autonomy" is copied from Jason Kenney, it's all the more embarrassing that Moe's chosen to plagiarize from someone who's flunking out of the class.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Mickey Djuric reports on the growing surgical backlog resulting from the Moe government's willingness to let COVID-19 tear through Saskatchewan's health care system. And Joel Dryden and Sarah Rieger report on the pattern of outbreaks at Alberta meat processing plants which have been encouraged to keep operating with no regard for the health of employees and their families.

- Meanwhile, David Moscrop comments on what it means to be writing in the course of the pandemic - and particularly the need to situate political writing as a community-oriented rather than individual activity. 

- Samuel Preston and Yana Vierboom write about the causes of the "mortality penalty" which sees hundreds of thousands more Americans die every year than would be expected in a country with its standard of living. And Joshua Sharpe discusses the need to better recognize and account for the risks associated with driving.

- James Bloodworth writes that even as the pandemic has only highlighted longstanding problems with the UK's long-term care system, there's still no indication of any willingness to make improvements. And Shanifa Nasser reports that after promising to investigate the preventable deaths of people in are last year, Doug Ford's PCs are now announcing they never bothered to do so.

- Finally, Tom Parkin examines how it's possible for the federal government to take a leadership role in protecting our health and environment - and why we shouldn't accept "not their jurisdiction!" as an excuse for delay and inaction. And Gordon Cleveland writes that Andrew Coyne's refusal to acknowledge the value of building a child-care system (rather than merely handing money out to parents) reflects a misunderstanding of the value of care.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Simon Enoch traces the COVID-19 spending that's taken place in Saskatchewan - finding that most of the support has come from the federal government, while Scott Moe has combined a refusal to lift a finger (and indeed a failure to make use of all the federal money available) with constant complaining that the feds aren't doing enough:

(T)hroughout the pandemic, the Saskatchewan government has been quick to tout the state of its finances, in spite of the crisis, reporting lower deficits than anticipated and continuing to commit to a balanced budget by the 2024 election.

The irony is, that for all the ire that Mr. Moe directs at Prime Minister Trudeau, it may very well be the largesse of the federal government, coupled with the underspending of transferred dollars, that has allowed Saskatchewan to post such rosy fiscal numbers.

While in any other situation such news might be greeted by some as evidence of fiscal responsibility, during the worst public health crisis in 100 years, failure to spend and access every available dollar to protect us from the ravages of this pandemic looks a lot less like financial caution and a lot more like callous recklessness.

- Justine Hunter and Ian Bailey report on British Columbia's vaccine distribution plan - showing that it's possible to actually do the work of helping to keep people healthy, rather than devoting one's sole efforts to whining about the federal government. And Gary Mason notes that B.C. has also managed to get caught up on its surgical backlog.

- Robert Reich writes that the threats to U.S. democracy aren't limited to the Trumpist white supremacist uprising, but include corporate sedition aiming to capture the government for the benefits of the wealthiest few.

- Finally, Mitchell Anderson points out that Canada is home to a similarly dangerous set of violent actors who are often encouraged by our right-wing parties, while Matthew Remski documents the spread of Qanon in particular. And Geoff Dembicki notes that the work product from Alberta's anti-environment inquiry includes a smear campaign against journalists funded out of public money.