Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Elizabeth Kolbert discusses the immense damage and disruption which we can anticipate if Greenland's massive ice sheet melts due to global warming, while Monica Machicao and Daniel Ramos report on the unprecedented wildfires burning through Bolivia. And Brad Johnson points out that repeated hurricanes devastating their strongholds aren't making an iota of difference in getting Republican denialists to recognize the risks of a climate breakdown.  

- Oliver Milman reports on new research showing that the gas exports which are constantly pushed by the fossil fuel sector as a climate benefit are in fact more harmful in the medium term than coal power. Drew Anderson writes about a provincial election campaign featuring an unchallenged assumption that  Saskatchewan's economy should be defined solely in terms of non-renewable resource extraction. And Ross Belot writes that the delay tactic of demanding that China rein in its emissions before the rest of the world is running into the reality that it's succeeding - and setting itself up to dominate the world's renewable energy market - in doing so.

- Chris Hedges discusses the corporate class' core priorities of burning the planet and locking up anybody who would dare to challenge that plan. Joan Westenberg highlights how obscene wealth and power tend to lead to the evaporation of any sense of morality, while Tom Nichols discusses the phony populism wielded as a weapon to further entrench the control of the uber-rich. And Sidney Blumenthal calls out Donald Trump's deliberate adoption of Hitlerian eugenicist rhetoric, while Alex Nguyen reports on Elon Musk's funding of Stephen Miller's dehumanization of immigrants and minorities. 

- Jeremy Appel discusses how the corporate media has accepted and entrenched messages about mental health and drug policy which favour authoritarian responses. 

- Finally, Robert Reich points out the desperate need for health and safety laws and enforcement mechanisms which won't simply be ignored by employers - particularly bad actors who would rather threaten to close up shop than take steps to keep their employees safe.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Matthew Cunningham-Cook and Andrew Perez highlight how Suncor and other dirty energy giants have poured loads of windfall profits into stock buybacks while simultaneously repudiating their environmental promises and obligations.

- Jonathan Barrett discusses how Australia has seen the same spate of "shrinkflation" that's similarly resulted in the corporate sector goosing its profits at consumer expense elsewhere. And Paul Krugman points out how a focus on current measures of core inflation results in a misleading picture of household expenses.

- Meanwhile, Michelle Cyca discusses how Canadian public policy has gone astray due to the impossible promise that homeownership can paper over growing structural inequality. 

- Finally, Luke LeBrun reports on the bigoted right's attempts to take over Canada's schools and public spaces. And Jeremy Appel discusses how the Alberta NDP unfortunately kept that mindset in power by seeking to placate a right-wing view assumed to be shared by persuadable voters while offering only to be less hateful and corrupt in implementing it.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- David Wallace-Wells examines a few of the false narratives which are limiting our response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah Wulf Hanson and Theo Vos write about new research showing that most cases of long COVID have arisen out of seemingly mild initial infections. And Rich Haridy discusses new revelations from autopsies showing pools of the COVID virus in many parts of the body. 

- John Clarke writes about the need for working people to mobilize and stand up for their own interests, rather than accepting class compromise which serves only to further entrench the power of the rich. Kim Siever examines how the UCP's tax giveaway to business produced absolutely nothing for Alberta's workers. And Jeremy Appel and Mitchell Thompson each discuss the CCPA's report on the gap between CEO and worker compensation. 

- Meanwhile, Noam Scheiber reports on the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's move to ban noncompete agreements which prevent workers from seeking improved pay and working conditions with a new employer. 

- Rudy Perez offers a reminder that keeping people homeless costs far more public money than providing shelter. 

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg points out that there's still time to implement a fair and proportional electoral system before Canada's next federal election. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Manina Etter et al. study the causes of neurological damages arising out of COVID-19. And Roni Caryn Rabin reports on the recent research showing how mandatory masks have helped to prevent transmission in schools.

- Jeremy Appel rightly notes that Canada can't be taken seriously as contributing to climate solutions until it stops subsidizing (and generally serving as a mouthpiece for) the oil and gas sector. And Douglas Almond, Xinming Du and Anna Papp trace the connection between fossil fuel funding for energy centres, and biased messaging pushing natural gas in particular.

- Meanwhile, Xander Huggins asks what lies ahead when the water sources relied on by major populations get lost to overuse and climate degradation.

- Tonda McCharles and Alex Ballingall report on the revelations from the Emergencies Act inquiry that tow truck owners were paid to refuse to clear the Alberta border when the #FluTruxKlan had its armed blockade in place. And Jason Markusoff discusses how Alberta's voters are getting sick of a provincial government that's more focused on picking fights with Ottawa than doing anything to help its own constituents.

- Finally, Rob Shaw calls out the Vancouver Police Department for commissioning a grossly-misleading propaganda piece in an effort to extract more funding at the expense of social programs. And Michael King reports on Alberta's disability workers who are among many key actors in the care economy whose wages have been falling far behind the cost of living.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The Star's editorial board weighs in on the reality that wishful thinking isn't a substitute for responsible public health measures as another COVID wave builds up, while the Globe and Mail rightly criticizes the politicians acting like the pandemic is over as the carnage reaches new peaks. Jillian Horton writes that governments have used the language of individual empowerment to leave us powerless. And Nancy Hansen and Shannon Sampert highlight how the irresponsible elimination of protections and accommodations is leaving disabled people behind. 

- Jeremy Appel writes about the need to take profit motives out of long-term care in Alberta (and elsewhere). 

- Deborah de Lange discusses the need to stop pouring money into fossil fuels, including through the gigantic carbon capture and storage subsidies being demanded by Canada's corporate establishment. Graham Redfearn calls out the blatant and false astroturf campaign aimed at extending the lifespan of combustion engines rather than transitioning to electric alternatives. And Justine Calma reports that instead of acquiescing in that type of fossil-driven policy, the Biden administration is invoking emergency legislation to facilitate the development and manufacture of battery technology. 

- David Olive rightly contrasts the proven and efficient renewable energy already available to us against the long-term, high-cost delay tactic of demanding we keep using fossil fuels until nonexistent small modular nuclear reactors magically become viable. 

- Finally, the Broadbent Institute highlights Ed Broadbent's comments on how Canada has long neglected economic, social and cultural rights. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andre Picard discusses the reality that long COVID will result in lasting aftereffects even if we eventually manage to get the spread of new variants under control (which is of course itself a long way off). Thomson Reuters reports on new research showing the limitations of the Pfizer vaccine in limiting infections in younger children. And Juliette Unwin et al. study the lives lost to COVID so far, concluding that over five million children have lost caregivers to the disease we're now letting run rampant. 

- Jonathan Overpeck discusses how a shift to renewable energy would help to take power out of the hands of Vladimir Putin and other petro-dictators in addition to averting a climate breakdown. And Brad Plumer and Raymond Zhong report on the IPCC's new assessment report as showing a climate changing far faster than humanity is able to adapt. 

- But Rick Smith notes that the fact that we're falling far short of the mark in both limiting climate change and adapting to its effects only highlights the need for immediate action. And Mark Hertsgaard, Saleemul Huq and Michael Mann write that we can still stop rising temperatures with a rapid shift away from carbon emissions. 

- Finally, Jeremy Appel calls out how police forces have enabled far-right extremism including the #FluTruxKlan - which makes for a particularly stark contrast against Valera Voce's report on Colorado Springs' police infiltration of mutual aid groups and tenant unions to inhibit anybody seeking to improve the lives of citizens. And David Climenhaga writes about the retaliatory complaints of Edmonton's police association against City Councillor Michael Janz - and the revelations the investigation has produced about the list of "known critics" singled out for monitoring. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Andrew Romano reports on Denmark's explosion of COVID cases after it prematurely lifted public health protections. Ariana Eunjung Cha reports on the cardiac issues continuing to affect COVID patients long after their infection, while Rafael Heiss et al. study (PDF) the stark long-term effects on children's lungs. And Leah Hamilton and Pallavi Banerjee discuss the harm the pandemic has done to refugees in Canada. 

- Meanwhile, Melody Schrieber examines one of the shadowy groups seeking to slash U.S. public health protections. In a pattern that's been repeated in the COVID response, Greg Rosalsky traces the U.S.' gross underinvestment in children's well-being to an ideological refusal to recognize real benefits of social programs as compared to imaginary costs. And Devah Pager et al. study how court fees serve only to ensure that the people with the least face even more burdens. 

- David Williams writes that it's possible to avoid further global warming if we act to cut carbon emissions immediately, though Mia Hunt reports on the global recognition that governments are falling far short of the mark. Graham Redfern and Adam Morton report on new record lows in Antarctic ice, while Umair Irfan discusses the developing awareness that massive ice sheets in both polar regions may soon melt. And Phoebe Weston writes about new research anticipating a dangerous increase in the number and severity of wildfires in the years to come. 

- Jordan Leichnitz discusses the home-grown extremism which is one of the core elements of the #FluTruxKlan, while the Anti-Defamation League finds substantial overlap in donors between the trucker convoy and the U.S.' January 6 insurrection. And Aaron Wherry comments on need to respond with both compassion and conviction.

- Seth Ackerman points out the self-serving falsehood that inflation affects real wages - particularly when it's wielded by the people seeking to cut off growth just as it's about to reach workers.

- Finally, Jeremy Appel calls out the Kenney UCP's push to import U.S.-style corporate health care to Canada. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Dan Diamond reports on the shortage of health care workers as the fifth wave of COVID crests in the U.S., while Carl O'Donnell and Ahmed Aboulenein report on the escalating number of children being hospitalized with the coronavirus. Robyn Urback warns that our governments' response to an escalating pandemic is now limited to telling us we're on our own, while Nanjala Nyabola views the main story of 2021 as one of failed political leadership in the face of collective crises. And Amnesty International highlights the deliberate choice to withhold vaccines from much of the world which has led to the most devastating wave yet. 

- On the comparatively hopeful side, Brett Wilkins reports on the development of the non-monopoly Cobervax vaccine. And the University of Hong Kong points out research showing that a nasal spray vaccine may help to prevent respiratory transmission. 

- Jeremy Appel writes that the response of Cargill workers to disregard for their health and well-being has been to fight for a collective agreement which ensures they'll be better treated. But lest anybody think employers will do the right thing without being forced, Jake Johnson reports that Delta's response to getting its way in reducing the recommended quarantine period (in the absence of any public health justification) has been to slash sick leave for its own workers. 

- Peter Kalmus discusses how the true tragedy of Don't Look Up is how closely a supposedly over-the-top movie mirrors what he sees in his work as a climate scientist. And Ryan Cooper points out how perception is winning out over reality when it comes to public awareness of the U.S.' respective economic positions under Donald Trump and Joe Biden. 

- Finally, Tenille Lafontaine rightly asks that Saskatchewan work to ensure that women are able to speak out online without facing a firehose of abuse and threats. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- The Canadian Press reports on the overwhelming public support for vaccine mandates and other public health rules - as well as the supermajorities recognizing that Jason Kenney and Scott Moe have failed their provinces:

Unsurprisingly given their provinces' struggles with the fourth wave of the pandemic, Kenney and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe ranked the lowest among provincial first ministers for their handling of the health crisis.

Fully 80 per cent of Alberta respondents said they were very or somewhat dissatisfied with Kenney's performance, and 74 per cent of Saskatchewan respondents felt the same about Moe.

- The Associated Press reports on the widespread shortages caused by the UK's ill-advised fixation on Brexit. And Matt Stoller writes about the U.S.' own supply chain failings, while noting that the issue goes far beyond COVID.

- Jeremy Appel offers a reminder as to how Canada lost its domestic vaccine supply to privatization and acquiescence in the business model of big pharma. 

- John Michael McGrath discusses how to empower municipalities now that the Supreme Court has confirmed that there's no Charter-protected right to meaningful elections at their level. And Henry Grabar writes about Paris' success reclaiming public spaces for people rather than cars. 

- Finally, Jeff Keele reports on how seniors with low incomes are being affected by the Libs' failure to account for their circumstances in designing the CERB. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Mickey Djuric reports on Saskatchewan's alarmingly high rate of positive COVID-19 tests as students prepare to return to school. And Heidi Atter reports on the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation's call for mandatory vaccination to minimize the all-too-predictable spread in the school environment. 

- PressProgress notes that Justin Trudeau's campaign message about COVID benefits is based primarily on the CERB and other supports which he had to be pressured to provide in the first place, and which are gone or disappearing even as a fourth wave hits. But while any temporary gains for many workers have been reversed, David Macdonald and Alicia Massie document how the CEO class took advantage of the pandemic to rewrite bonus formulas in their favour. 

- Meanwhile, Joe Ryle makes the case as to how a four-day work week (without loss of pay) could lead to both a reduction in carbon emissions and a healthier environment for workers. 

- The Economist highlights new research showing a strong correlation between resource extraction and political corruption. Paul Krugman highlights the faulty economic assumptions of fossil fuel defenders. And Fitsum Areguy exposes how Canada enabled mining companies profiting from extraction linked to war and human rights abuses in Ethopia.  

- Finally, Jeremy Appel writes about the surveillance and psychological manipulation techniques used by the Canadian military in Afghanistan which are now being turned against the public domestically. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Cameron MacLean reports that Manitoba is providing incentives to overcome vaccine hesitancy. But Guy Quenneville reports on the Saskatchewan Party's refusal to consider anything of the sort even as new vaccinations grind to a halt. 

- Djaffar Shalchi writes about the need to revamp our revenue collection systems to make sure the wealthy contribute their fair share. And NUPGE joins the movement for a 21% global minimum corporate tax rate to ensuring businesses do the same. 

- Meanwhile, Miriam Lafontaine reports on the dangers of allowing corporate donations to influence police decision-making. And Jeremy Appel points out how Calgary's police have been quicker to hand out tickets to human rights protesters than to anti-maskers who are actually threatening public health. 

- Aaron Wherry discusses how a combination of Lib slow-playing and Con delay is leaving MPs with a choice between passing weak climate change accountability legislation, or getting nothing done at all. 

- Meanwhile, CBC News reports on the demise of Keystone XL - and the billion dollars thrown away by the Kenney UCP in an effort to posture about fealty to the oil industry. And Michael Buchsbaum calls out subsidies for carbon capture and storage as paying the fossil fuel sector to keep burning the planet.

- Finally, Cindy Blackstock and Pam Palmater remind us that the horrific discovery of child graves at Kamloops' residential school is just the beginning of the buried evidence of genocide against Indigenous peoples. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Murray Mandryk discusses how COVID-19 has highlighted and exacerbated existing inequality in Saskatchewan. And Aaron Wherry points out that Canada shouldn't treat its privileged position in securing early access to vaccines as cause to ignore the pandemic which will continue to rage around the globe even if we're lucky enough to achieve herd immunity. 

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera reports on the exemption which sent COVID-infected staff back to work early at Extendicare Parkside - where hundreds were infected and dozens of residents died of the coronavirus. And

- Julie Lalonde writes that the shutdown of Greyhound's bus service is taking away lifelines from residents of isolated communities who counted on them. But David Moscrop notes that with private bus operators proving beyond doubt that profit won't provide a sufficient incentive to develop adequate transportation infrastructure, the time is now to start working on public services to focus on people's needs. 

- Christopher Curtis writes about Quebec's grossly inadequate shelter system - which is seeing homeless people forced to ration their own access to shelters as hundreds die of diseases and overdoses.

- Nav Persaud et al. study the effect of freely available prescription drugs on compliance, finding to nobody's surprise that cost is a barrier to people receiving needed medication - and that making medication freely available reduces overall health care costs.

- Finally, Jeremy Appel offers a reminder as to how Canada is profiting from death and destruction by supplying military equipment to regimes using them to target civilians.

Monday Evening Links

Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.

- Paul Wells writes that the Libs' latest climate announcement represents at least some break from their tendency to take the easy way out on tough policy choices, while Canadians for Tax Fairness offers a thumbs-up to the first national plan to meet any (however insufficient) climate target. But if we're looking for other readily-available steps to make a Canadian contribution to the protection of a liveable planet, the Financial Times reports on the UK's plan to stop subsidizing overseas fossil fuel extraction. And Jeremy Appel asks why we haven't paired a carbon tax with a Green New Deal (particularly as the cost of cleaner energy is plummeting), while Maria Fernanda Espinosa notes that we have an opportunity to transition to a cleaner environment by putting climate progress at the heart of a COVID recovery. 

- Ian Sample reports on new research showing how COVID-19 causes the production of "auto-antibodies" which severely exacerbate its damage. And Krysia Collier and Dawna Friesen highlight how the coronavirus can damage the brain. 

- Meanwhile, Richard Cuthbertsen writes about the readily-foreseeable financial cliff looming in front of people who were facing poverty before now-expiring relief programs were put in place.

- Danielle Groen examines what needs to be done to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine around the globe. And Geoffrey York discusses the eminently reasonable fear that wealthier countries will hoard the vaccines that are being developed and produced.

- Finally, Lana Polansky writes about the use of intellectual properly laws to create cultural monopolies while stifling any genuine creativity.