Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- G. Elliott Morris examines what voters want out of a political party independent of the platforms being presented to them - and finds both that there's reason to apply an affordability/ideology axis, and that the general preference is for left-leaning policies to the extent the traditional ideological spectrum is taken into account. And Paul Krugman discusses how Americans are recognizing how the Trump regime is hurting their material interests. 

- Meanwhile, Clement Nocos and Nathan Prier point out how the Carney Libs' cuts to public services are both unnecessary and dangerous. And Angella MacEwen highlights why we should be embracing and benefiting from public ownership and investment, rather than engaging in the right-wing impulse to put everything in corporate hands:

- Carole Cadwalldr writes that some of the most prominent techbro billionaires are signaling their own recognition that AI is a bubble rather than a sustainable focus for economic activity, while Nicole Einbender reports on the extreme exploitation of labour being pushed at another of Sam Altman's corporations. Bryce Elder rightly draws a distinction between past tech successes which became more efficient at scale, and AI which has seen nothing of the sort. Peter Rudegeair, Nate Rattner and Sebastian Herrera report on Oracle's fall from AI darling status to failed business. 

- Anne Plourde discusses new research showing how health care privatization leads to worse mortality rates. And David Climenhaga calls out Danielle Smith for looking to sacrifice Albertans' health in the name of imposing two-tier care.  

- Mel Woods offers a fact check against the excuses the UCP is peddling for going nuclear against trans people and their Charter freedoms. And Dale Smith warns against normalizing the use of the notwithstanding clause as a matter of convenience and avoiding evidentiary justification for policies which attack rights. 

- Finally, Tanayott Thaweethai et al. study the trajectory of long COVID in Americans, including a large number of people with persistently high or continuing symptoms. And Malin Spetz et al. examine the connective between COVID-19 severity and cardiovascular risks.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Moira Doneghan writes that the Jeffrey Epstein e-mails released over the past week provide a window into the anti-morality of the wealthy and powerful few who think the world exists solely to serve their whims. And Timothy Snyder discusses how the Trump regime's grift bubble looks to be a major contributor to the ultimate collapse of the U.S. 

- Robert Reich documents the failing Trump economy and the first steps needed to reverse the damage, while A.J. Schumann discusses how mass deportations are contributing to the economic collapse. Beth Mole traces the fallout from the Republicans' attacks on health, as over 74,000 participants in 383 clinical trials immediately lost access to treatment while countless more people will lose the benefits of study data. And Lesley Blume and Chloe Shrager discuss how the deregulation of nuclear radiation exposure may be catastrophic. 

- Rosie Hampton writes about the need to develop new physical spaces which allow for organizing within - and particularly between - progressive causes. Amanda Marcotte rightly notes that to the extent there is a crisis of men's loneliness, it can be traced directly to capitalist exploitation and isolation (which only stands to be exacerbated by the replacement of human interaction with manipulative AI). Jessica Winter discusses Scott Galloway's hope to develop an aspirational version of masculinity. Schuyler MItchell points out how the bigoted right is using the language of "gender ideology" to blame trans people for everything. And Adam Bonica and Jake Grumbach note that contrary to lazy pundit assumptions, Gen Z is far less inclined toward racial resentment and other forms of prejudice than earlier generations. 

- Finally, Aaron Richterman et al. study the effects of cash transfers and add to the pile of research showing how a social income makes people healthier. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Chris Mowles discusses how growing uncertainty requires our public institutions to develop redundancies and alternate means of providing services, rather than focusing on the false "efficiency" of austerity. Emiliano Brancaccio reports on France's "block everything" movement against austerity as an example for citizens elsewhere. And Miiki Ilomaki notes that other countries should be following Finland's lead in ensuring stockpiles of food and needed supplies to deal with foreseeable geopolitical shocks.

- Maia Mindel discusses how the dangers of inequality are manifesting themselves as the greediest, most power-hungry few systematically take over more decision-making power. And Iglika Ivanova notes that British Columbia is yet another example of a jurisdiction where revenue giveaways to the wealthy few are being treated as an excuse to cut services for everybody else. 

- Nicholas Grossman points out that Ezra Klein offers a lamentable example of how the corporate media has greased the skids for Donald Trump's fascist regime by simultaneously normalizing its cruelty and tone-policing anybody who dares to engage in principled criticism. Adam Bonica writes that abandoning minority groups to the predations of the Trump regime is no way to build a resistance movement or opposition party, while Katelyn Burns discusses the parallels in the treatment of anti-trans and anti-science disinformation. And Brian Beutler laments the prominent Democrats who are refusing to engage with a system increasingly stacked against them. 

- Finally, Gilbert Gaul notes that the climate breakdown is making home insurance increasingly unaffordable (or just plain unavailable). And Paul Krugman discusses how the Trump regime is planning to send health care insurance costs into the stratosphere in order to partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest few. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Lurie writes about the Trump regime's Potemkin populism - as well as the increasing speed with which his fabrications are coming undone. Sarah Kendzior discusses the importance of finding meaning and purpose in ways that can't be undermined by a mafia state. And Sam Bagenstos highlights the importance of a plan for what comes after the civil service has been destroyed.

- Meanwhile, George Monbiot points out the continued failure of centrist parties and politicians to offer any hope when that's exactly what stands to motivate citizens who don't see anybody working toward anything better. And Andrea Houston talks to Linda McQuaig about Mark Carney's betrayal of voters who expected a defence of progressive Canadian values rather than a collaborationist Conservative government in Lib clothing. 

- Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor report on the work done by dozens of top climate scientists to refute the denialist propaganda of the Trump regime. And Alexandra Keeler warns that while our research system may not have been wholly hijacked for political purposes, it's still under threat from fake science. 

- Kevin Anderson, Chris Jones and Gaurav Gharde discuss the deep failures of climate policy in the UK which are only being exacerbated by a spate of dirty energy-based policies. Jonathan Watts highlights Tzeporah Berman's work on a fossil fuel phaseout treaty to stop every dirty energy producer from insisting it will be the last to stop. Russel Norman writes about the rise of insurance costs in New Zealand due to the ongoing climate breakdown. And Nina Lakhani reports on the rise of indoor heat deaths in Arizona as a result of extreme heat, while Marc Fawcett-Atkinson notes that tree-planting efforts which are pitched as emission mitigation measures haven't been able to keep up with the effects of wildfires.

- Josh Robertson, Michael Slezak, Jack Fisher and Mark Doman report on the decades-long cover-up of a massive methane leak from a major Australian gas project. And Martha Pskowski and Mark Olalde report on Texas' reflexive approval of greenhouse gas releases. 

- Finally, Richard Larouche discusses how the safety and freedom of children has been sacrificed in the name of prioritizing cars over bike lanes. Trevor Goodyear points out the UCP's attacks on the safety of LGBTQ+ children and other marginalized youth based on the theory that kids are nothing more than parents' property. And Dave Cournoyer writes that Alberta's teachers are standing up for children's well-being and education as the Smith government looks to undermine their classroom conditions and access to books.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jonathan Watts talks to Genevieve Guenther about the need to keep talking about the many climate tipping points in front of us - along with the value of taking action to avoid crossing them. Sanjana Gajbhiye reports on the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, and the resulting cool spot which portends increasing warming elsewhere. Andrew Szava-Kovats writes that we can't accept a prolonged wildfire and smoke season as a new normal. 

- Nora Loreto calls out Mark Carney's choice to serve as Donald Trump's lap dog on Iran rather than opposing an unjustified attack, while Alex Cosh and Nur Dogan point out the impace on Iranian Canadians. And Christopher Holcroft discusses Carney's abandonment of "elbows up" in favour of making concessions to an unreliable authoritarian regime. 

- Meanwhile, Erica Ifill points out that Carney is making a corporate power grab - at the expense of Indigenous rights and environmental protection - in the name of national unity. And Adam King discusses how the Libs are putting a thumb on the scale for management against Canada Post workers, while Andre Frappier offers a reminder that the fight is ultimately one encompassing the entire working class. 

- Ryan Kiedrowski reports on the demands of Danielle Smith and Scott Moe that the federal government essentially trash all environmental and climate policy in order to deliver windfall returns to dirty energy operators. And Dale Smith highlights how Smith is importing the Republican war to dehumanize mmigrants into Alberta. 

- But on the bright side, Sean Boynton reports on polling showing that Canadians have maintained their support for LGBTQ2+ rights even as popular support has declined elsewhere in the face of calculated attacks. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Paul Krugman writes that the combination of anti-fascism protests and Donald Trump's crackdown on them could be crucial in determining whether the U.S. sees an end to even the pretense of democracy. G. Elliott Morris notes that Saturday's "No Kings Day" protests were attended by millions of people. And both Toby Buckle and A.R. Moxon discuss how the contrast between the widespread and energetic anti-regime protests and the desultory Trump birthday parade shows the power of popular outrage and dissent. 

- Shawn Micallef notes that this year's Pride events are particularly important as a means of protest. And Dale Smith discusses how book-banning and online age verification - both of which are being pushed as part of an anti-LGBTQ agenda - each serve as tools of authoritarianism.  

- Desmond Cole is the latest to highlight how Mark Carney is adopting Trump's mass surveillance and hostility toward immigration even while pretending to defend Canada against them. Karl Nerenberg  notes that Carney is using the U.S. threat as an excuse to bypass democracy on behalf of corporate interests, while David Thurton reports on the justified backlash against the flattening of Indigenous rights and environmental protection in the name of megaprojects. And Mitchell Beer reports on Simon Donner's warning that Carney's theory about "decarbonized" fossil fuels is patently absurd to anyone with so much as a grade-school understanding of chemistry. 

- David Dayen writes about the damage Trump's signature economic bill will do to the U.S. - exacerbating inequality, stifling productivity and worsening public health - if it passes. And Ryan Ermey reports on new research showing that Americans are already seeing declining spending power and quality of life. 

- Issie Lapowsky interviews Megan Greenwell about the harm done by private equity as it undermines functional businesses in the name of short-term wealth extraction. And Jason Hickel makes the case for economic democracy as a necessary system to ensure that human survival and well-being are given any weight in political decision-making.

- Finally, Yei Ling Ma reports on the choice by Wal-Mart and other major companies to pull out of an agreement on reducing plastic contamination before it takes a penny out of their immediate profits. And Kaylie Tiessen warns that sellers' inflation figures to be making a return to Canada soon as corporate retailers turn confusion about inflation and tariffs into windfall profits. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Robert Reich warns that the Trump regime's use of extreme military force to suppress peaceful protest is just the first step toward a police state. And Zoe Williams writes about the importance of people nonetheless standing up against the dehumanization of immigrants, rather than acquiescing in both nativist policy and the authoritarian state being used to impose it. 

- Yessenia Funes reports on the fossil fuel industry's bankrolling of anti-trans and other discriminatory causes with the expectation that recruits eager to hurt people based on gender discrimination will be equally callous when it comes to climate harms. And Chris Mooney reports that Canada is looking at wildfire greenhouse gas emissions which far surpass those from any other year on record other than 2023, while Ian Livingston reports that before summer even starts we've already surpassed a normal yearly amount of burned land.  

- Lana Payne writes about the dangers of treating expansion of internal and international trade as an excuse to attack protections for workers. Bushra Asghar, Erin Blondeau, Juan Vargas Alba and Lea Mary Movelle make the case for a Youth Climate Corps as a means of building a sustainable and prosperous future. And John Harris notes that the Starmer government is undermining itself by prioritizing austerity after being elected on promises to ensure people have access to affordable housing. 

- Finally, Curtis Fric reports on Canada's strong public appetite to develop closer ties to the EU. But Katie Simpson, Louis Blouin and Fannie Olivier report that Mark Carney is instead swapping terms for a trade deal with the U.S., with no apparent recognition that any agreement on paper is absolutely worthless as long as Donald Trump is in power. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Moscrop writes that "inequality" is a far too mild word for the extreme concentration of wealth and power in the U.S. (coupled with increasing deprivation and disempowerment of large numbers of people). David Sirota argues that the resistance to the Trump administration needs to directly oppose corporate control rather than hoping that some general claim of abundance will be seen as sufficient, while Hans Nicols reports on polling showing that the general public agrees. And YouGov finds that in the UK, there's far more public appetite for improved services than for austerity and tax slashing. 

- Meanwhile, Anna Merlan discusses what the U.S. stands to lose from the Trump regime's deliberate destruction of knowledge. 

- The Associated Press reports on Louisiana's draconian crackdown against sharing information about the pollution that's threatening public health. And Emily Schwing reports on the limitations of adapting to environmental catastrophes after the fact as evidenced by the crumbling new community of Mertarvik, Alaska. 

- Elyse Hauser discusses her own blood test for microplastics in the context of their spread throughout our living environment. And EcoWatch points out a new study documenting a particularly severe concentration of microplastics in agricultural soil. 

- Finally, Ophélie Dénommée-Marchand rightly argues that Canada needs to be providing a safe haven for trans people and others facing grave risks under the Trump regime. 

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Doug Saunders discusses how Trump has made "anti-woke" messaging toxic around the globe by demonstrating how evil and destructive it is in practice - even as Pierre Poilievre insists on trying to peddle it in Canada. And Leyland Cecco reports on the increasingly pervasive and sophisticated misinformation being disseminated in the course of Canada's election campaign.

- Jorge Barrera reports on the unsubtle and unconscionable stunts from Ezra Levant and company in spreading misinformation and disrupting the leadership debate scrums for Poilievre's benefit. And Taylor Noakes points out how Poilievre functions as a useful idiot for the oil sector. 

- Joe Vipond and Seth Klein lament the lack of discussion of climate change in the course of an election campaign which is supposed to involve charting Canada's course in the world for decades to come. Clean Energy Canada highlights the massive opportunities available if we joint our non-U.S. trading partners in focusing on building a renewable energy economy. And the 89 Percent Project is set to launch some much-needed coverage as to how the vast majority of people support climate action which is being held back only by a few greedy fossil fuel tycoons and their political puppets. 

- Nick Pearce discusses the possibility of establishing social democratic zones as a counter to the perpetual corporate push for non-democratic areas. 

- Finally, Erin Reed rightly argues that countries need to be prepared to accept transgender refugees from the U.S. in the face of a regime which treats their existence as a crime. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jared Yates Sexton writes about the unambiguous wrong embodied in the Trump regime's claim to be able to disappear anybody it chooses to. Timothy Snyder rightly categorizes that position as the deliberate use of state terror. Coral Davenport reports on Trump's plan to treat the law as inoperative to the extent it doesn't suit the interests of him or his cronies, including by ignoring regulations which are seen as inconvenient. And Jason Sattler discusses how Elon Musk is attempting to enshittify Social Security out of existence (as an alternative to the Republicans' repeated attempts to eliminate it as a matter of law).

- Amanda Marcotte points out the theocracy embedded in Marco Rubio's attempt to treat any differing views as "anti-Christian bias". Saketh Sundar discusses how hospitals stand to be hard hit by Trump's attempt at a hostile takeover of universities. And Taylor Noakes writes that the rest of the world (including Canada) will suffer from the fallout of RFK Jr.'s gutting of public health. 

- Sushan Singh writes about the connections between right-wing authoritarian regimes around the world, including through the Modi government's interference to promote Pierre Poilievre and the Cons. Taylor Owen talks to Aengus Bridgman and Nina Jankocwicz about the broader reality of foreign information manipulation. 

- Patrick McCurdy and Kaitlin Clarke offer a reminder as to who stands to suffer from Poilievre's war on "woke" (i.e. any attempt to identify and correct injustice). Mel Woods points out the anti-trans messages being injected into the election campaign by the Cons. And Jen St. Denis reports that Canada's alt-right techbros are desperately trying to distance themselves from Elon Musk's DOGE (with all the credibility of Donald Trump's bald-faced lies about his connections to Project 2025). 

- Finally, Nino Antadze writes that Canada can draw important lessons from Georgia as to how to defend its sovereignty against a hostile superpower. And Charles Smith discusses how the new strain of Canadian nationalism emerging in response to Trump's threat may chart a path for our future development. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Alejandra Gomez and Greisa Martinez Rosas offer a reminder that Donald Trump's attempt to pit immigrants against other workers serves only to distract from the reality that the capitalist class is callously exploiting both. And Amanda Taub reports on the protection racket diplomacy which has been tested first in the U.S.' threats to abandon Ukraine. 

- Jill Filipovic writes about the adolescent masculinity that represents the common thread of Trump's various factions and plans. David Dayen offers some hope that Trump's initial plan for a coup against U.S. democracy has failed as most institutions have survived the first wave of attacks, while Brian Beutler discusses how his unabashed villainy has helped to avoid a takeover without resistance. Adam Serwer points out how one of Trump's core goals is to reverse the gains of the civil rights movement. And Beatrice Peterson reports on the mass firings of intelligence community employees who dared to participate in LGBTQ+-oriented private chat conversations, while Madison Pauly reports on the McCarthyist demand that workers out their LGBTQ+ colleagues to enable their being purged from the civil service as a whole. 

- Alice Southey and Tabatha Southey write about the need to stop treating Trump's constant threats to take Canada by force as a joke or a thought experiment. David Moscrop points out how the external menace makes it easier to unite around what makes Canada worth defending. And Nora Loreto discusses how much of our sovereignty has already been sold off by our ruling class, while Taylor Noakes rightly notes that Trump's consequence-free negation of free trade agreements (including the one he himself negotiated) shows how little they were worth in the first place. 

- Crawford Kilian offers some lessons for both the U.S.' democracy and our own. Geoff Bickerton argues that the CBC provides us with an important trusted news source at an extremely low cost - which is particularly vital as the U.S.' media and information ecosystem is dominated more and more by the world's wealthiest and most narcissistic few. And Carine Abousief discusses the need to make our health care system more resilient against U.S. threats (rather than instead making it even more dependent on foreign actors).  

- Finally, Danyaal Raza points out how public health care in Ontario is under threat as Doug Ford seeks another term in which to neglect and/or privatize services. And Shellene Drakes-Tull calls out Ford for his own determination to sell out as much of the provinces as he can for the benefit of his cronies both north and south of the border. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Paul Krugman discusses how one of the top priorities of the second Donald Trump administration is to trash public health in the U.S. And CBC News reports that the Libs are cutting public health staffing even as COVID continues to circulate and new threats emerge while the U.S. vacuum undermines any international response.

- Hamilton Nolan writes that Trump's ascent makes for a painful political application of the Greater Fool Theory in action - and that the only path to reversing it is to engage in opposition rather than attempts to foist costs onto others. Thor Benson interviews David de Jong about the history of corporate oligarchs making common cause with fascists in order to entrench their wealth and power. And Nora Loreto writes that the rise of fascism can be traced to the displacement of democratic power by neoliberal capitalism.  

- David Climenhaga discusses Steve Verheul's recognition that Danielle Smith is looking to sell out Canada to benefit Trump, while Stephen Magusiak notes that Scott Moe and other right-wing politicians are joining the anti-Canada coalition. And James Magnus-Johnston writes that we can't take for granted that a US takeover is impossible when a substantial base of institutional power is perfectly willing to collaborate with it. 

- Noah Berlatsky writes about the need to support the people who dare to speak out against the abuses of the Trump regime, even as Parker Molloy points out the rage machine seeking to impose intolerable costs on anybody who does so. Grace Blakely discusses how only collective action will offer a viable alternative to the descent into authoritarianism, while Sam Pressler points out the dangers of thinking we can make progress without engaging people directly. And David Zipper notes that car-centric urban design has made it needlessly difficult for people to interact socially. 

- Finally, Jake Landau comments on the importance of providing refuge for trans people and others fleeing the U.S. But Emma Weller reports that the Libs are instead slashing our immigration resources while holding to the claim that there's no concern about anybody's safety. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Damian Carrington reports on Antonio Guterres' latest warning about the dangers of perpetuating our fossil fuel addiction - even as Donald Trump and a growing number of Canadian conservative quislings push to exacerbate it. Joshua Lappen discusses how the U.S.' fossil gas infrastructure is doomed - with Los Angeles providing a preview of what's in store across the country. Ember Energy examines (PDF) the EU's progress in transitioning to cleaner energy, with solar power overtaking coal for the first time and gas continuing to decline. And Conor Curtis points out how to talk about the reality that a transition to clean energy would be a plus for Canada's sovereignty as well as for our living environment. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk reports on the public outcry resulting from Danielle Smith's decision to declare open season for coal mining in the Rockies. And Joel Dryden talks to a member of the UCP's own coal policy committee who's rightly outraged that fossil fuel tycoons' whims are being given precedence over the product of a public consultation. 

- Shimly Rajendrakumar examines the effect of microplastics on agricultural systems, with a wide range of plastic products resulting in adverse consequences for the health of soil, animals and consumers. 

- Matthew Trevithick reports on the beginning of what could be a massive U.S. exodus to Canada as people flee the Trump administration, while David Baxter discusses the push from refugee advocates to ensure transgender people are able to make asylum claims rather than being told they're completely safe in a country that denies their existence. But Elizabeth Thompson reports that the response from the Libs so far is to assume everything's fine and maintain the fiction that the U.S. is safe. 

- Finally, Dan Rather discusses the firehose effect - and the need to withstand Trump's attempt to shock, awe and overwhelm people into compliance. 

On litmus tests

Plenty of Canadian political figures seem to have reacted to the announcement that we won't face tariffs just yet with a sigh a relief, and an apparent view that we don't need to worry about what's happening to our south until such time as profits are immediately affected. 

Others will note that Trump's first day included attacks on the personhood of trans people and the protection of minorities, as well as the existence of anybody who might be perceived as an immigrant - and work on ensuring that people threatened by the new administration aren't trapped by it. 

When assessing who's resisting Trump in solidarity with the people most in need of help as opposed to looking out only for the interests of capital, there shouldn't be much doubt which we should want our leaders to be. We'll find out very soon who falls into which category.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Robert Reich comments on the U.S.' out-of-control oligarchy - while noting there are precedents in turning the tide. Alexander Hurst calls out Elon Musk in particular as a one-man rogue state, while the Guardian calls for the UK to take steps to limit foreign and corporate interference. And Paul Krugman talks to Michele Martin about how Americans have been let down by the institutions which were supposed to protect their interests - opening the door for nihilists and demagogues to make matters far worse. 

- On that front, Alexander Panetta writes about Donald Trump's plan to use the resources of the state to litigate American media into submission. 

- Malcolm Nance discusses what a new U.S. resistance may need to look like. Paul Waldman writes about the failure of most Democrats to stand up for values and supporters, rather than making bipartisanship and cooperation the top priority even in the face of an authoritarian opponent. And Judith Butler highlights how the treatment of trans people in particular reflects the acceptance of fascist logic by both U.S. parties. 

- Finally, Emiko Newman, Kai Nagata, Tracey Saxby and Melissa Lem set out the climate mandate letter they'd like to see in British Columbia. And Peter Dietsch makes the case for progressive carbon pricing which ensures the rich pay a fairer share for their discretionary carbon pollution. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jake Johnson writes about the growing recognition that we'll never avert a climate breakdown by putting all action at the mercy of petrostates and oil lobbyists. And Carl Meyer discusses how the Libs have spent far more time and political capital doing PR work for the tar sands than to work on developing an international framework to combat the climate crisis. 

- Luke LeBrun notes that Europe is taking steps to work around reliance on the U.S. over the course of another Trump presidency, and writes that Canada should be pursuing the same option.  

- Max Fawcett writes that the importance of the CBC has only been amplified by the spread of disinformation from elsewhere - meaning that the Cons' plans to trash it could have devastating consequences. And Mitchell Anderson warns of the dangers of allowing propaganda to overwhelm any sense of shared objective reality. 

- Jon Milton discusses how the U.S. Democrats' campaign serves as a painful example of how not to combat far-right demogoguery. And Sheima Benembarek discusses how the compulsive blaming of immigrants - which is currently being enabled by the Trudeau Libs - serves as an entry point to fascism.

- Finally, Jeremy Appel calls out Danielle Smith's attacks on trans people in Alberta. And Duncan Kinney reports on the UCP's use of for-profit nurses - coupled with its refusal to provide any information about the scope of the practice. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Tim Winton writes about the need to wake up from our fossil fuel stupor - with the role of activists being to sound the alarm in ways that will drive collective action. And Ha Pham and Marc Saner discuss the need for inclusive consultations around climate adaptation - particularly to ensure that the knowledge and interests of already-marginalized groups aren't ignored as the wealthiest and most powerful few dictate the terms of any discussion.

- Todd Woody discusses how wildfires are moving faster and causing more damage as the western U.S. gets warmer and drier. And Olivia Rosane reports on a warning from scientists that a crucial Atlantic ocean current may collapse in the coming decades.

- Paul Dobson and Rob Edwards report on Scotland's decision to slash environmental prosecutions, with the predictable result that business who perceive no risk of consequences are feeling free to pollute with impunity.

- Jay Van Bavel et al. examine the effect that political polarization can have as a determinant of health - particularly when one of the poles comes to identify itself based on rejection of public health measures.

- Olesya Dmitracova reports on yet another study showing that a shorter work week produces not only huge benefits to well-being, but also improved economic performance.

- Finally, Lil Kalish reports on a new survey showing that even a plurality of Republican voters consider anti-trans rhetoric to be sad and shameful - with other groups of voters of course agreeing in even wider numbers. And we'll find out tomorrow whether Scott Moe's choice to bet his government on attacking trans kids will similarly receive the condemnation is deserves.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Will Hutton discusses how the growing gap between the rich and everybody else is eating away at Britain's collective well-being, while Phillip Inman warns the new Labour government of the problems with serving the business sector at the expense of the general public. And 350.org responds to the Cons' sloganeering with a campaign to stop allowing wealthy oil companies from dictating Canadian public policy. 

- Euan Thomson warns that a punitive approach to addictions and mental health is now being treated as received wisdom by right-wing parties across Canada - though there's some reason for optimism that voters are rejecting it along with other elements of the conservative culture war. Nik Barry-Shaw notes that Pierre Poilievre is parroting the talking points of big pharma in seeking to deny people access to affordable medication through pharmacare. Adam King points out how more and more health resources are being diverted to for-profit nursing agencies. And Kristina Olson, G.F. Raber and Natalie Gallagher study the results of gender-affirming medical care and find overwhelmingly positive outcomes. 

- Lora Kelley interviews Elaine Godfrey about the conditions which have facilitated the spread of election conspiracy theories. And Dave Karpf writes that Elon Musk's strategy as the outsourced voter turnout director for Donald Trump is to blatantly commit crimes such as making cash payments to voters - with what seems to be an entirely correct expectation that he'll never face any consequences. 

- Finally, David Angus Ness makes the case to build based on the principle of sufficiency which ensures that people have enough of what they need.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Blake Murdoch discusses how long COVID is harming a large number of children - and getting worse as constant reinfection has become the norm. Carly Cassaela discusses new research identifying the brain stem as a crucial site for its worst effects. And Heather Mallick writes about her experience with long COVID.

- Meanwhile, Sarah Boden writes that the public health measures taken at the start of the pandemic appear to have caused one strain of influenza to go extinct - showing again that the steps taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 also helped avoid other public health threats.

- Leslie Hart and Miranda Dziobak examine the growing body of knowledge as to the spread of toxic microplastics - which can be breathed in through the air as well as taken in through food and water. And Sandra Laville reports that most soft plastic collected for the ostensible purpose of recycling is instead burned, while Sean Amato reports on Alberta's choice to adopt the Beaverton's energy policy and encourage the burning of used tires. (Needless to say, the actual spin that "it's no worse for people than burning fossil fuels!" should be taken as a compelling reason to rein in the latter, not a basis to support the former.)

- Finally, Mary Stuart reports on the deep connections between the Flu Trux Klan and the BC Cons, while Peter Smith examines the sources of some of the conspiracy theories being peddled by the corporate class' choice of parties. And Pratyush Dayal reports on Scott Moe's sudden campaign announcement that using the power of government to bully trans kids is far higher on the Saskatchewan Party's priority list than such trifling considerations as health, welfare and affordability.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Emily Atkin writes about the importance of continuing to highlight the dangers of climate change even if - and indeed because - our political class refuses to fully engage with it. And Nature weighs in on the folly of planning to overshoot our planetary limits and trying to pull back only after the fact, while Discover points out that "deep warming" will continue to undermine habitability even if we're later able to zero out carbon emissions. 

- Arielle Samuelson discusses how Hurricane Milton became far more severe as a result of a warmed Gulf of Mexico. And Victoria Gill and Helen Briggs report on a jarring 73% drop in global wildlife populations over just the last half-century. 

- Michael Bachelard reports on the absolute fiction of Australia's largest source of carbon offsets. George Monbiot warns that UK Labour's plan to pour tens of billions of dollars into carbon capture and storage (while pleading poverty when it comes to anything that could actually help people) will inevitably turn into a similar fiasco in the making. And Jody MacPherson reports on a plea from Alberta's municipalities for the UCP to stop handing out money to oil companies while simultaneously relieving them of any responsibility for the costs of environmental degradation and cleanup. 

- Chris Hedges interviews Monbiot about the history and impact of neoliberalism as a means of undermining democracy:

- Ken Shirriff examines the continued concentration of wealth in the U.S., while Darren Major reports on the similar escalation of inequality in Canada. And David Olive discusses how workplace abuse is the norm in a society which treats workers as disposable commodities rather than people deserving of consideration and respect.

- Finally, Dale Smith calls out Danielle Smith's pitiful attempt to treat systemic denial and dehumanization of trans youth as being for their own good.