Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Simon Mundy examines the growing recognition that the combination of solar power and batteries - both of which are plummeting in price - makes for a more reliable and efficient power supply than relying on fossil fuels. And Dan McCarthy zeroes in on the rapid installation of grid-scale batteries in particular. 

- Karl Nerenberg writes about Mark Carney's determination to subsidize dying industries rather than working toward a transition toward the energy sources of the future. And Jimmy Thomson calls out the Orwellian nature of the attempt to label export subsidies and emission deregulation as a climate policy. 

- Which isn't to say some windfall profits aren't being made while people are trapped in fossil fuel dependency. On that front, Amy Fan and Rebecca Elliott discuss the winners and losers of the oil price shock caused by Donald Trump's war of choice in Iran - with the U.S. and Russia emerging as the main profiteers. 

- Anna Bawden reports on an expert recommendation that the climate crisis be labeled and dealt with as a global public health emergency. 

- Finally, Charlie Warzel warns that the plan of AI carnival barkers is to overwhelm us so we can't resist reliance on it - even as he highlights the absurdity of its supposed benefits. And John Ainger reports on the sharp power price increases being inflicted on the public as AI data centres use far more energy than can manageably be spared. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Daisy Dunne examines the takeaways from the Santa Marta energy transition conference, which offered needed hope that it's possible to cooperate at a global level without dirty energy interests obstructing against any progress. And Daniela Gabor and Benjamin Braun write about the need for a transition to happen through careful planning rather than unmanaged shocks. 

- Curtis Williams and Helen Clark report that even in the midst of a fuel shock Woodside and other producers can't find viable markets for fossil gas. And Irina Slay points out how Asia is rapidly reducing its reliance on gas imports. 

- But Alex Cool-Fergus discusses Don Gillmor's observations on the degree to which Canada has been propagandized into equating the oil industry with the national interest in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Jon Auger highlights the pernicious role of low oil royalties in ensuring that Alberta remains dependent on oil extraction rather than being able to fund its own transition. And Abrahm Lustgarten exposes how oil tycoons are trying to influence U.S. judges to accept climate denialism as fact. 

- Naema Ahmed and Sarah Kaplan report on new research showing that the "more CO2 is good for plants!" spin of fossil fuel sycophants is false, as increase carbon dioxide instead results in the production of less nutritious food. 

- Finally, Ellen Cushing points out that emotional surveillance of individuals by employers and other powerful actors is one of the most worrisome outcomes of the proliferation of AI. Ben Beveridge highlights how the Sask Party's use of public resources to enrich Bell through a new data centre represents a prime example of how not to govern in the public interest. Arwa Mahdawi notes that beyond state-sanctioned abuses, the proliferation of police surveillance is also enabling law enforcement officials to use data or personal benefit. And Sam Freedman weighs in on the certainty that prediction markets will allow people to manipulate public events for the benefit of bettors. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need to build a new woke political movement that actively fights against the forces of reaction rather than assuming that merely exposing them will be enough to drive change. 

- Wajahat Ali and Ellie Leonard discuss how the Trump regime's plans to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell reflect its determination to let the Epstein class exploit its victims with impunity and without consequences. And Victoria Elliott reports on new whistleblower revelations indicating that Elon Musk's attack on USAID did even more humanitarian damage than previously known. 

- Melissa Bruntlett and Chris Bruntlett discuss the connection between the election of female mayors and the reclamation of public space for people's health and well-being. And Carl Meyer writes about the price we pay in worse health for our fossil fuel addiction. 

- Darius Snieckus reports on a new Ember analysis showing that Canada is falling behind by subsidizing dirty fossil fuels as most of the world transitions to clean energy, while Mitchell Beer discusses the seemingly laughable prospect that we might end up paying to build yet another oil pipeline based on the hope of locking in decades of exports to countries who have no interest in remaining reliant on fossil fuels that long. Jake Johnson calls out the Trump regime's use of war powers to line the pockets of oil tycoons. And Dharna Noor reports on the Republican corporate puppets trying to prohibit anybody from holding big oil and gas to account for the harm it's inflicted on the public. 

- Finally, George Monbiot writes about the imminent breakdown of the AMOC circulation system - and the money and power that have been brought to bear to suppress any discussion around it. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

 This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Anand Giridharadas writes that the most important takeaway from the Epstein files is the existence of the "Epstein class" which considers itself beyond both any concern for humanity as a whole, and any accountability for its actions. Ryan Broderick examines how the entitled abusers around Epstein have been actively looking to undermine democracy for profit. And John Sipher comments on the need for more to come of the damning evidence against so many powerful people than temporary media attention.

- Meanwhile, Carlos Avenancio-Leon discusses how access to food is a polarized political issue in the U.S., with the pro-starvation party becoming increasingly strident in its desire to see people suffer. 

- Mark Kersten highlights how Canada can stop enabling the abuses of Donald Trump's authoritarian state. But The Dabbler warns that Mark Carney is instead combining rhetoric about principle and independence with consistent choices to make us even more dependent on the U.S.' tech giants.

- On that front, Faiz Siddiqui et al. examine Elon Musk's deliberate choice to bet on turning Grok into a generator of nonconsensual porn as his primary business strategy. And Raphael Sattler tests the results of that decision. 

- Finally, Marco Oved reports on the shift in employment from the oil and gas sector to clean energy - and the improved lives of workers as a result. And The Energy Mix points out a new Pembina Institute analysis showing how the price of renewable energy is plummeting, while Chris Aylett and Armida van Rij note that anybody concerned about energy security should be fully on board with a just transition. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading. 

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

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

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

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

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Stacie Goddard and Abraham Newman discuss the neo-royalism emerging as the Trump regime tries to turn the enrichment of a self-proclaimed god-king into a legitimate basis for the exercise of state power. And Toby Buckle highlights how Elon Musk (among other megalomaniacal billionaires) is a fascist under even the strictest possible definitions of the term.

- George Monbiot points out how "trade" agreements continue to be used to allow corporations to both dictate public policy and extract public wealth on dubious grounds. And Paul Krugman writes that the Trump regime is setting up the U.S. economy for a readily-foreseeable crash, while Eduardo Porter contrasts China's progress in reducing poverty against the U.S.' choice to exacerbate it. 

- Juan Cole reports on new research showing that all new electricity demand around the globe is now being met by solar and wind power, making it abundantly clear that there's no future in expanding or extending the use of dirty fossil fuels. And AFP reports on Norway's establishment of a commission to plan for a post-oil economy. 

- Meanwhile, Rachel Salvidge reports on new research showing that large portions of southern Europe are about to run out of water due to the climate breakdown. And Damian Carrington discusses an analysis showing the nine-figure annual costs of lost harvests already in the UK due to heat and drought. 

- Finally, Stewart Prest writes about the folly of Mark Carney's hope (as a best-case explanation for ramming through a new pipeline) that a theoretical policy concession will do anything to address a manufactured identity crisis, while Charlie Angus notes that Danielle Smith didn't even let the ink dry on the agreement before picking new gratuitous fights with him. Amanda Stephenson reports on the UCP's pressure on the Alberta Energy Regulator to undermine the enforcement of gas flaring limits even as Carney banks on it developing and enforcing its own rules. Andrew Nikiforuk talks to David Hughes about the lack of any economic case for more dirty energy infrastructure. And John Woodside reports that two members of the federal Net Zero Advisory Body felt compelled to resign in protest of Carney's reckless support for emission increases. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Trenz Pruca examines how tax policy biased toward the wealthy has exacerbated the U.S.' already-toxic economic inequality. And Dean Baker interviews Joseph Stiglitz about the other policy levers, including bankruptcy and intellectual property, which have also been torqued to benefit the rich in the name of the freedom of the few to exploit the many:

- The Economist offers a warning about the U.S.' acceptance (and the Trump regime's encouragement) of corruption. Paul Krugman examines how institutional forces are making money off cryptocurrency while consumers see their assets drained by a deflating bubble. And Anand Giridharadas discusses the revelations in the Epstein e-mails as an example of general elite impunity. 

- Peter Brannen warns that existing climate policies have humanity on track for a calamitous 3 degrees of global warming, with a real risk that deliberate climate obstruction and subsidies for dirty fossil fuels will send us careening past even that level. Royce Kurmelovs and Fiona Harvey et al. each highlight the failures of the COP30 climate conference as oil lobbyists blocked any agreement on a transition to clean energy. And both David Roberts' interview with Kingsmill Bond and David Suzuki's commentary discuss how a few more decades of avoidable carbon dumping won't stop the ultimate trend toward clean electrification. 

- Jonathan Vanian reports on new court filings showing how Meta cancelled and cloesd its eyes to internal research demonstrating the harmful effects of social media. But Craig Lord reports that Mark Carney's attitude toward megalomaniacal techbros is to let them dictate policy, rather than allowing for any question as to whether their interests are the same as the public's. 

- Finally, Raywat Deonandan discusses how the resurgence of measles in Canada reflects a deeper social illness. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Lane Brown examines how key elements of cognitive ability may be degrading - including due to constant exposure to personalities selected for their vociferous ignorance. Bruce Bartlett writes about his experience at the Heritage Foundation as it learned to exploit the news cycle to plant conservative propaganda in opposition to actual research. Nicholas Hune-Brown investigates how AI is being used to generate scam articles for major publications. And Carl Meyer reports on the Carney Libs' plans to facilitate misinformation from fossil fuel purveyors. 

- Shannon Gibson discusses how past "climate finance" commitments have ranged from the frivolous to the thoroughly counterproductive - making it all the more worrisome that the apparent reality is that the COP30 climate summit is operating with wording that allows petrostates to provide equally toothless commitments in exchange for a lack of any agreement to transition away from fossil fuels. 

- Kathryn Harrison and Simon Donner highlight how Mark Carney's plans for increased reliance on dirty energy are as senseless economically as they are environmentally. And Gerald Butts, Peter Nicholson and Rick Smith warn against locking ourselves into a dying fossil fuel economy, while Sam Butler-Sloss and Kingsmill Bond discuss how solar power in particular is set to dominate global energy production over fossil gas. 

- Cara Buckley reports on the massive success of Iowa City's decision to make public transit free. And Jake Thomas reports on the drastic decline in homelessness (and ultimate cost savings) from an Oregon pilot program to give unhoused youths a small secure income. 

- Finally, Julian Richer discusses how we'd all be better off if people with privilege acknowledged our own good fortune, rather than presuming any advantages to be the result of merit (and demanding all the more special treatment as a result). 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Randi Weingarten discusses why fascists are hostile toward critical thinking as a threat to the viability of propaganda and disinformation. Henry Farrell writes about the limits of assertions of absolute power which aren't matched by at least some element of public support or credibility. Brian Beutler argues that Trump has offered a fairly stark us vs. them distinction which can be useful in framing responsibility for his abuses. And Max Fawcett discusses how Canada can respond to the U.S.' online misinformation factory. 

- Tyee Bridge and Jim Stanford study (PDF) how a just transition to a clean economy can generate massive numbers of new jobs. Sabrina Shankman highlights Bill McKibben's reasons for optimism about a shift to solar power. And Mitchell Beer points out how all of the indicators for fossil fuels point to a decline ahead (other than the stubborn refusal of a few wealthy tycoons to accept reality). 

- Drew Mitnick and Teresa Eder discuss the importance of building a firewall against control by U.S. tech giants and the regime which can use them for its malevolent purposes. And Michael Harris writes that Canadians are rightly becoming disillusioned with Mark Carney's willingness to appease Trump rather than standing up for Canada's sovereignty and values. 

- Finally, Amanda Follett Hosgood reports on the initial plan for regulators to hold CNR liable for contributing to the 2021 fire which destroyed Lytton, which gave way to a content-free investigation and failure to hold anybody responsible. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Tom Nichols discusses how the only discernible values behind the Trump regime are those of corruption and retribution. And Toby Buckle writes about the right's choice to prioritize humiliation for perceived others over benefits for anybody. 

- Meanwhile, Lauren Egan writes that U.S. Democrats are only now understanding the importance of competing in the attention economy - but are doing so just in time for the corporate media to use its full reach to serve Trump. 

- Piers Forster and Debbie Rosen discuss the recognition by climate scientists that we have only a few years left to avoid the worst impacts of a climate breakdown. Andrew Freedman writes that 2025 is shaping up to be a summer of flooding in the U.S. among other catastrophic impacts. And Emma Court reports on the connection between climate change and increased food prices. 

- Mark Hertsgaard writes that most Americans are at least concerned about climate change, but don't understand the scope of the danger - while Ketan Joshi notes that Australia's media (like that in many other countries) is grossly failing to keep people informed about the dangers of carbon pollution. And Fiona Harvey reports on Antonio Guterres' message that a transition to clean energy is in sight. 

- Lisa McKenzie and Nicole Deziel discuss how children near fossil fuel installations face a higher risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia (among other health harms). And Tom Perkins reports on new research showing the dangers of exposure to a combination of pesticides in the course of pregnancy. 

- Finally, Emily Atkin discusses how Microsoft's AI, developed in part based on the promise of helping the climate, is instead being used to increase fossil fuel production. And Faine Greenwood writes about the need to stop relying on platforms which are designed to maximize corporate control rather than recency and accuracy for emergency warnings. 

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. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

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

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

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

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

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

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jessica Wildfire discusses the eugenic mindset behind the Trump regime (and particularly Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plans for public health). Jill Lawrence writes that Donald Trump is managing to deform an already wealth-obsessed country with his singular focus on using the power of the presidency to feed his unquenchable greed. Greg Sargent talks to Jamie Raskin about the corruption behind Trump's acceptance of a luxury jet from Qatar. And Timothy Noah takes note of the use of magical supply side theory as an excuse for gigantic tax cuts for those who already have more concentrated wealth than any healthy person could spend in a lifetime. 

- Adrienne Buller and Geoff Mann write that we should treat a polycrisis as a moment where concerted action can have the most positive effect on future outcomes, rather than a basis for despondency and inaction. Jeremy Wallace warns against applying cynical "realism" to the work to be done in preserving a habitable living environment. And Jeff Masters discusses how climate denialists are spinning and mischaracterizing the IPCC's work to try to excuse climate neglect. 

- Meanwhile, Andrea Thompson points out how the Trump regime's slashing of weather forecasting will have a toll in human life. And Nidhi Sharma and Jacob Soboroff report on its decision to squelch the reporting the known cost of wildfires and other climate-related disasters. 

- Amber Rolt reports that a majority of British respondents favour banning short-haul flights in favour of real. And Mili Roy discusses how the fight against climate change fits neatly with the steps Canada needs to take to reduce our dependence on the U.S. 

- Finally, Robert Farley highlights the absolute idiocy of Trump's fight against Canada. And Paul Kahnert argues that any conservatives with an interest in Canada's well-being should be distancing themselves from MAGA - though whether such a thing exists remains in serious doubt. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Steven Levitsky, Lucan Way and Daniel Ziblatt discuss how the Trump regime has used the power of an authoritarian state to impose costs on any opposition - and how it's nonetheless essential for people to resist rather than going along to get along. Robert Reich writes about the need to build a populist progressive movement to ensure people know there's a viable alternative to Trump's corruption and corporatism. And John Baglow's review of new books by Alex Himelfarb and Denise Hearn/Vass Bednar examines how neoliberalism has come to dominate our economic and social foundation - and the difficulty countering the power of capital in trying to make change.

- Attracta Mooney reports on new data showing that global warming has exceeded the 1.5 Celsius threshold for nearly all of the past two years. And Andreas Sieber and Stela Herschmann discuss the futility of holding climate talks while skirting any discussion of the fossil fuels which are the cause of three quarters of greenhouse gas emissions.  

- Isaac Sevier and Winston Yau write about the impending summer of shutoffs as outdated infrastructure and worsening extreme weather events make it inevitable that dirty energy sources will shut down. Euronews Green examines new polling showing that Europeans recognize the need to transition to clean and secure energy sources rather than relying on fossil fuel imports. And Eleni Courea reports on England's requirement for solar panels on new homes as a key example of the transition in progress. 

- Mariah Blake discusses how untested synthetic materials came to be so ubiquitous as a long-term consequence of a corporate PR campaign. 

- Finally, Brint Milward examines how the hollowing-out of the U.S.' federal government will have disastrous effects on state- and local-level services linked to what DOGE is destroying. David Armstrong reports on how a cancer drug which can be produced for 25 cents per pill is being sold for 4,000 times that cost, resulting in people being unable to afford the treatment they need.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Osita Nwanevu writes that Donald Trump has fundamentally changed the story of the U.S. from one of (however unfulfilled) promise to one of chaotic evil. Adam Clark writes about the "sell America" movement coursing through every market and economic structure that has relied on some measure of stability, while Paul Krugman points out the direct costs that will impose on the U.S. And Julia Carrie Wong weighs in on the war against empathy being waged by the worst people in the world. 

- Jonathan Cohn examines the wide range of products which stand to become unaffordable for Americans due to Trump's tariffs on China in particular. 

- Fonie Mitsopoulou reports that Trump's demands abroad include ensuring that major carbon polluters (in the shipping industry and elsewhere) are never required to pay for their damage to our planet. Deborah Brum discusses the U.S.' ugly history of tainted food which Trump is looking to restart by eliminating any effective regulation. And Kat Lay warns that the evisceration of public health programs in the developing world projects to result in a surge of diseases which had largely been contained. 

- Finally, John Woodside discusses new polling showing that Canadians are looking for a vision to disentangle us from the U.S. and chart a path for the future. Ayaka Naganuma examines some of the options available to ensure a just transition to a clean energy economy. And David Moscrop theorizes that the combination of competitiveness, policy implications and general interest could lead to a higher turnout than we've seen in decades. 

Sunday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Rebecca Solnit highlights how the reality of Cybertrucks coming unglued upon the slightest exposure to reality represents an apt metaphor for Elon Musk and the regime he's controlling. Ian Welsh writes that the main impact of the second Trump regime is to speed-run an American collapse already in progress. And David Smith traces the U.S.' descent into authoritarianism as the whims of a madman are given precedence over all rights and laws, while Dan Gardner discusses how there's no escaping the conclusion that the Trump regime's actions fall squarely into the definition of fascism.

- Evan Dyer comments on the Trump regime's use of disinformation against Canada generally. And Allan Woods discusses the need to be on guard against it in the course of Canada's election campaign in particular. But thwap rightly argues that we also shouldn't treat the threat from abroad as reason to lionize (and further enrich) Canada's ruling class in the name of patriotism, while David Moscrop and Jeet Heer examine some of the constructive opportunities arising from a heightened sense of pride.

- Xiaoying You discusses how China is building renewable infrastructure around the globe based on the recognition that it's far cheaper and more efficient than reliance on fossil fuels. And Bill McKibben notes that rapid advancements in charging technology look to make both combustion engines and Tesla-generation electric vehicles obsolete, while Jim Stanford examines how consumers will benefit from an energy transition which ends our vulnerability to oil price shocks.

- Finally, Bob McDonald talks to David Putrino about the long-term effects of COVID - which may include cumulative organ damage along with the respiratory and neurological issues which have long since been recognized.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Grace Blakely discusses the prospect of democratizing finance as the needed antidote to the concentration of wealth and power. And Stephen Eisenman writes about the deadly effects of greed - though too late to avert the imposition of a Trump regime whose sole principles are that and vindictiveness. 

- On that front, Spencer Woodman reports on the expectation that the IRS will stop auditing wealthy people due to purely ideological cuts. Stephanie Kelton notes that any risk to the long-term health of Social Security is the result of the rich refusing to pay their fair share - even as recipients face an immediate risk of benefit disruptions due to the wanton destruction of the civil service. Don Moynihan writes that DOGE's latest casualties include the 18F government tech unit which was the public's defence against being exploited by outside contractors. And Ryan Cooper discusses how Elon Musk's chocie to put USAID through the wood chipper represents a death sentence for millions of people and a victory for communicable diseases generally.

- Paul Krugman writes that part of Trump's loathing of Canada arises from his disdain for decency. Bethany Lindsay and Zak Vescera analyze how much Canadian public money is being lavished on Elon Musk as his regime attacks our sovereignty. David Climenhaga chimes in on the value of reversing intellectual property concessions as part of our response to the Trump tariffs. And David Moscrop looks more generally at the opportunities available to us as we face the need to decouple from a dying empire.  

- Finally, Warren Mabee and Balie Walker point out that we've been going backwards in any clean energy transition. Justin Mikulka discusses how the fossil fuel sector had little left but a bluff to squeeze out short-term profit through a pump-and-dump scheme. And Brett Christophers notes that BP's backtracking on renewable energy only shows that we can't trust corporations to be anything but intractable obstacles to needed progress. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Paul Krugman discusses how Donald Trump is eviscerating financial regulation and consumer protection just when it's most needed, while Henry Farrell points out how the undermining of government intersects with the polycrisis which Trump refuses to even acknowledge let alone address. And Bryan Mena reports on new polling showing that U.S. consumers are recognizing the dangers of Trump's regime. 

- Brian Beutler writes about the futility of trying to work with people who have resolved to engage in as much criminal behaviour as they can get away with. Ian Dunt notes that Trump's flagrant lies about Russia's invasion of Ukraine represent the most clear attack yet on epistemic reality. And Zeynep Tufecki examines how the theft of private information may be used to entrench Elon Musk's power both inside and outside of government. 

- Niall Harney and Jon Milton write that Amazon's union-busting should be a wakeup call for Canada's labour movement. Adam King reports on an attempt by Toronto's business lobby to take away paid days off for retail workers. And Marc Lee calls out the gross overstatement of the effects of supposed interprovincial barriers in an effort to undermine regulation in the public interest - while offering a reminder that there's a readily-available mechanism to deal with any barriers which are actually identified. 

- Taylor Noakes discusses how the U.S.' disruption of existing trade patterns gives us a golden opportunity to build a clean energy society. But David Moscrop writes that Mark Carney is offering nothing more than business as usual, complete with austerity, corporate handouts and illusory climate policy. 

- Finally, Ricardo Tranjan and Ryan Romand point out how Ontario's provincial election has involved little attention to the province's desperate need to collect revenue to be used for public services. And Saima Desai discusses the how Ontario's education system is falling apart after two terms of Doug Ford slashing what were already insufficient funding levels. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Jeremy Appel reports on John Vailliant's warning about Alberta's addiction to oil which the UCP is looking to exacerbate. And James Wilt interviews Adam Hanleh about the difficulty transitioning to renewable energy - even when it's cheaper as well as cleaner - when so much entrenched wealth and power is being dedicated to keeping us hooked on fossil fuels.  

- Rebecca Solnit warns that a zombie apocalypse is here as people increasingly engage with the world around them only through manipulative big tech intermediaries. Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the need for the leftist movement to engage with both a general public which is understandably frustrated and disengaged with a political system which is unresponsive to its needs, and increasingly powerful corporate forces seeking to take advantage of that discontent to overthrow democracy. And Robert Reich similarly points out the need for U.S. Democrats (among other parties who purport to be progressive) to take on anti-establishment causes rather than focusing primarily on appeasing the rich and telling the working class it has no alternative.  

- Crawford Kilian discusses how Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for large-scale concentration camps. And Maude Barlow highlights need for Canada to be prepared for Trump's plans - including his intention to take control over limited water resources. 

- Finally, Adam King discusses the Trudeau Libs' continued trampling of the right to strike - and it's particularly noteworthy that they're regularly interfering in all kinds of job actions while refusing to give effect to the anti-scab legislation which was supposed to give workers a modicum of protection. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- The University of California, Irvine examines the connection between air pollution and spontaneous preterm births. And Attracta Mooney and Jana Tauschinski discuss how the fossil fuel sector is far more interested in concealing its dangerous methane emissions than reducing them. 

- Hannah Brown interviews Faith Birol about the value of renewable energy in limiting our dependence on bad actors and vulnerability to crises - though it's well worth noting that the oil and gas sector which has amassed obscene amounts of wealth by preventing us from escaping won't be eager to see us take advantage. And Megan Gordon discusses the latest IEA report confirming that anybody focused on jobs should be supporting clean energy over fossil fuels. 

- Stéphane Leman-Langlois, Aurélie Campana and Samuel Tanner examine how the far right is expanding its reach in Canada. And Rachel Ward, Steven D'Souza, Andrew Culbert and Daysha Loppie report on the RCMP's video evidence showing the extremist ideology behind the armed insurrection at Coutts, AB. 

- Nick Falvo lists some of the gains made in homelessness and poverty policy in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic - though it's worth lamenting how those have been reversed (or worse) since. And Emmanuelle Bernheim writes about the flawed theory that involuntary treatment is a viable solution to homelessness. 

- Finally, Christopher Cheung talks to Rachel Bok about the self-serving corporate "solutions" being peddled to cities as a substitute for community-building. And Ian Welsh discusses how any nominal savings from Elon Musk's government destruction project are bound to be illusory as the corporate sector moves in to provide the same services at a marked-up price.