Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Rohan Best, Fatemeh Nazifi and Han Cheng study the effects of carbon pricing, and find that charges attached to carbon pollution also help to reduce numerous other dangerous pollutants. But Rebecca Hercher reports on new NOAA data showing that we're still experiencing record highs in carbon dioxide concentration as current policies fall far short of the mark in preserving a liveable environment. 

- Oliver Milman reports on the mutually reinforcing threats to the oceans posed by extreme heat, oxygen loss and acidification. And Kat Kerlin discusses new research showing that wildfire smoke is reaching nearly all lakes in the US - but recognizing that its effects aren't yet well known. 

- Micki Olson writes that heat warnings can save lives - but only if people understand them and have the resources to act in response.  

- Lauren Pelley offers a reminder that COVID-19 remains an ongoing threat rather than a seasonal disease. And Matt Gurney points out how Doug Ford's elimination of waste-water monitoring is utterly inexplicable based on the the immense public health returns on minimal costs. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow notes that other industries are following the lead of airlines in extracting profits from junk fees. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Damian Carrington reports on the response to the consensus among climate scientists that we're headed for climate catastrophe, including the UN's recognition that there's no higher-stakes issue for humanity. Matt McGrath, Mark Poynting and Justin Rowlatt discuss how the oceans are headed for yet another record-breaking year of heat. And the Canadian Press reports that British Columbia is facing unprecedented threats to its natural waterways due to years of extreme heat and limited precipitation. 

- Meanwhile, Phil Tank offers a reminder that the Sask Party's choice to blow billions on carbon capture and storage has produced little result other than to delay action which would actually reduce carbon pollution.  

- Matt Gurney implores Doug Ford to stop exacerbating his province's health care crisis by refusing to offer reasonable compensation to family doctors. 

- Katie Dangerfield reports on new research into the myriad health risks of ultra-processed foods. 

- Craig Lord reports on the Bank of Canada's recognition that renters rather than property owners are facing the greater level of financial stress. 

- Finally, Geoffrey Picketts writes about the utter lack of reason behind separatist rhetoric in Alberta and Quebec - though there's probably nothing more pathetic than Saskatchewan's "me-too" equivalent which replicates the economic social and risks of separatism, while replacing any theory of self-determination with complete subservience to Alberta puppetmasters. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Emily Crane reports on a new report commissioned by the U.S.' Department of Health and Human Services finding that masking policies are needed just to deal with the known dangers of long COVID. And Abdullah Shihipar, William Goedel and Abigail Cartus point out that masking is particularly valuable (and necessary) when there are multiple respiratory viruses all causing intolerable stress on health care systems.  

- Meanwhile, Stephanie Murray discusses how the COVID pandemic has exposed glaring inequalities in the resources available to parents (among so many other facets of life). Katherine Scott notes that women are looking to new career paths to attempt to avoid systemic wage discrimination. And Tom Sandborn writes that Canada can't claim to be standing up for workers while allowing (or outright encouraging) exploitative practices in its foreign policy. 

- Oliver Moore and Jill Mahoney expose the connections between the Ford PCs and the wealthy developers who stand to profit by paving over Ontario's Greenbelt. And Matt Gurney writes that Ford's actions both at the time of the #FluTruxKlan and in the recent inquiry demonstrate utter disregard for the interest of his province's citizens. 

- Finally, Lisa Young points out how Danielle Smith's tenure in office has been marked by refusing to take legislative steps which could be subject to debate and review, and instead using direct intimidation to push an anti-vax position on anybody daring to try to keep people healthy in their workplaces and venues. 

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Jennifer Ackerman reports on what Saskatchewan can expect from a COVID wave allowed to sweep across the province without precautions. Eva Ferguson points out that plenty of experts and parents alike are calling for protective measures in Alberta schools (to no avail in the face of the UCP's catering to the Flu Trux Klan). And Rob Ferguson discusses what's looming this fall in Ontario.

- Meanwhile, Matt Gurney writes that any substantial flu season will exacerbate the crisis in an undersupported health care system.

- Steven Greenhouse explores how younger workers are organizing and providing hope for a resurgence of the U.S.' labour movement, while Hayley Brown delves into the numbers showing how unionization leads to higher wages and improved benefits. And David Moscrop writes that only the most entitled and delusional employers can be surprised to see workers choosing not to work extra for no reward.

- John Smith notes that a punitive social housing regime should be taken as a canary in the coal mine for any democratic effort to meet the basic needs of citizens. Armine Yalnizyan points out Orangeville, ON's imminent implementation of free public transit as an example to note of how strong and freely available public services can benefit everybody. And Alexander Shevalier offers a reminder that universal pharmacare stands to both keep people healthier and save money.

- Finally, Michael Harris discusses the need to be wary of politicians looking to incite violence against journalists for doing their job of questioning the misuse of influence and authority - particularly in light of the disproportionate effect their rhetoric has on historically suppressed voices.

Monday Evening Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- CBS reports on the Walk to Remember intended to highlight the continued need for long COVID supports. And Elizabeth Thompson reports on the federal government workers who are rightly challenging the demand to return to offices for little apparent reason (and with no regard for their well-being).

- Salmaan Farooqi points out the epidemic of hospital and emergency room closures as an uncontrolled COVID wave slams into a health care system already set up to fail (to the point where nursing students are receiving specific instruction on the extreme stress of their future work environments). And Matt Gurney writes that the Ford PCs aren't willing to do more than issue self-aggrandizing press releases even as people in need of health care die from their neglect.

- Rosa Saba discusses how inflation is affecting people already struggling to get by on lower incomes - though it goes without saying that a round of wage and benefit suppression isn't any help. To the contrary, Samir Sonti recognizes that collective bargaining is one of the few means for workers to at least avoid falling further behind.

- Adam Johnson writes that a distinct increase in visible suffering is being used by the right as an excuse to promote state violence, rather than a reason to care for each other.

- Finally, Paul Dechene offers a reminder of the promise of housing which was used to sell public investment in Regina's football stadium - and which has apparently been fully discarded as opportunistic entertainment industries demand yet another round of shiny new buildings at the expense of people's basic needs.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Kayla Kuhfeldt et al. study the effect of a combined vaccine and masking policy, and find that those basic public health measures were almost entirely effective at stopping the transmission of COVID-19 at a large university. But Gregg Gonsalves writes that far too many political leaders are simply unwilling to do what they know needs to be done (and will work) to keep people safe from the multiple diseases posing new threats - as evidenced by a response to monkeypox which features the worst mistakes of the reaction to COVID without any precautions to balance them out.

- Matt Gurney calls out Doug Ford and the Ontario PCs for refusing to be honest about the crisis in the public health care system. Joey Chini reports on the story of one Albertan who had to perform medical procedures for a loved one due to a complete failure of hospital capacity. 

- Philippa Nuttall highlights the need to fight to save a habitable planet rather than giving up in the face of conveniently-placed doomism. Any Guy Quenneville reports on Canada's complete lack of a response to Antonio Guterres' call for fair taxes on the fossil fuel industry, while Geoffrey Morgan reports on the gigantic dividends being paid out by oil companies while they demand subsidies and concessions.

- M.V. Ravana writes that any attempt to push small nuclear reactors is a matter of hype, wishcasting and climate delay rather than realistic expectation.

- Paul Kershaw discusses how having wealthy homeowners pay their fair share can play a major role in ensuring people have access to the housing they need.

- Finally, Gary Mason rightly calls out the dangerous level of irrational hate and rage being fomented by the right in Canada.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jason Hannan discusses why the gaslighting campaign to get people to forget about the deadly disease being left to spread unchecked is so dangerous to democracy, while Daniel Chang reports that essential workers have borne the brunt of the damage of the workplace spread of COVID-19. And Matt Gurney writes that Ontario's health care system is so threadbare that even unrealistically optimistic assumptions about COVID being "no worse than the flu" could still lead to its triggering systemic collapse. 

- Meanwhile, Thomas Homer-Dixon and Robin Cox discuss the need for British Columbia (and other jurisdictions) to recognize and address the common sources of increasingly-regular calamities. 

- Jaryn Vecchio reports that workers in Prince Albert (among other places) are having perpetually more difficulty affording even the necessities of life. And Paula Duhatschek reports on the growing identification of poverty as a crucial factor in medical care. 

- Christiana Figueres, Yvo de Boer and Michael Zammit Cutajar write that we shouldn't accept any more excuses for delay in halting our contributions to a climate breakdown. But Tracy Sherlock reports on how foreign oil lobbyists have been setting the agenda for Canada's federal government. And Lori Lee Oates discusses how Newfoundland and Labrador is just one of many jurisdictions implausibly proclaiming the exceptionalism of its own fossil fuel sector as an excuse to keep drilling. 

- George Monbiot writes about the environmental disaster of dead crabs and lobsters washing ashore off the coast of England - and the refusal of the Con government to investigate to determine what's causing mass fatalities of wildlife.

- Finally, Justin Brake discusses the fight to hold off the privatization of post-secondary education as for-profit actors try to use the disruption of the pandemic to push further into universities. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Matt Gurney examines the competing interpretations of what it means to say COVID is over, reaching the grim conclusion that we're never going to reach a better outcome than one with people dying needlessly and governments refusing to take preventative action. And the Canadian Press discusses the warning from experts that choosing not to collect or release data about continued infection will exacerbate the already-worrisome spectre of untreated long COVID.

- David MacDonald discusses how inflation is largely the result of corporate profiteering rather than any inevitability, while Amy Peng offers her own take on its causes and effects. Angella MacEwen highlights the unfairness of punishing workers while their bosses scoop even more profits off the top. And Andrew Nikiforuk argues in a two-part series that the inflation we're facing now is an inevitable result of overreliance on unsustainable fossil fuels which need to be phased out. 

- Lawrence Berkeley writes about research showing how the U.S. can meet a commitment to halve its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 - but only if it gets to work immediately. And Gregor Semieniuk and Philip Holden note that while plenty of oil barons will keep their individual riches, it's institutional wealth that mostly stands to be affected as fossil fuel assets become uneconomic.

- Finally, Paula Tran reports that the UCP's attempt to claim that Alberta's drug overdose crisis is improving at all lacks any basis in reality. And David Moscrop writes that while British Columbia's move to decriminalize possession of small amounts of drugs represents a first step, there's a long way to go in eliminating the causes of the drug poisoning epidemic.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- David Bush discusses how the latest wave of COVID-19 would have been entirely avoidable if we hadn't allowed corporate interests to suppress vaccine availability and turn workplaces into super-spreaders, while Andreas Laupacis confirms that we had (and have) more than enough knowledge to rein it in if our leaders cared enough to bother. Clara-Laeila Laudette reports on new research showing that the Omicron variant is far more likely to cause reinfection than previous versions of COVID, but no milder when it does take hold. Alexander Quon reports on Dr. Saqib Shahab's warning that people need to be cautious over the holidays, while Denis Campbell reports on the calamitous state of the UK's health-care system as massive spread among workers leaves nobody to treat increasing numbers of patients. Sabrina Maddeaux writes about the importance of proper ventilation in reducing viral spread.

- Ashleigh Stewart reports on the disinformation campaign pushing anti-vaccine positions in Canada. And Phil Tank reports on the steps anti-vaxxers took to take over Saskatchewan's Buffalo Party before putting themselves at Scott Moe's service.

- Graham Thomson discusses why Albertans need to be wary of the UCP's attempts to torque the province's political system to gloss over their past wrongs and eliminate competing voices just in time for the next provincial election.

- Finally, Matt Gurney writes that Justin Trudeau's hatred for the left reflects the fact that it actually stands for the principles which he seeks to claim for his own through mere lip service. And Eoin Higgins discusses how the COVID pandemic and other crises have pushed people to distinguish fakery from actual principles and solutions.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Matt Gurney writes about what continues to be a woeful response to COVID in Ontario among other provinces, while Jason Herring reports on Alberta's collapsing emergency medical services. And Claire Pomeroy recognizes the tsunami of disability which will need to be addressed arising out of long COVID. 

- Umair Haque writes that our social system is collapsing due to the capitalist imperative to concentrate perpetually more wealth into fewer and fewer hands. And David Dayen highlights why so many workers have decided after facing the trauma of a pandemic that they're not willing to tolerate exploitative jobs. 

- Elaine Power, Paul Taylor and Valerie Tarasuk remind us that charities and food banks shouldn't be accepted as a response to poverty and hunger. 

- Scott Schmidt points out the obvious unsustainability of an economic system which relies on people taking on unmanageable debt to provide both jobs and profits. And Dan Darrah reports on the record profits being reaped and bonuses being paid out by Canada's big banks as they extract a growing share of our country's wealth. 

- Finally, Morgan Meaker writes that the U.S.' rejection of Meta's attempt to buy out Giphy may reflect a noteworthy first step in reversing the concentration of wealth and power through antitrust law.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Bruce Arthur examines what the spread of the Omicron COVID variant figures to mean for Ontario. Rachel Emmanuel reports on the National Advisory Committee on Immunization's recommendation that all Canadian adults receive COVID booster shots. Alex Putterman examines how the need is exacerbated by the Omicron variant, while Josh Marshall points out that the gap in effect between vaccination and prior infection is only growing. And Anita Sreedhar and Anand Gopal write about the breakdown in social awareness which is resulting in large groups in the U.S. (and substantial ones in Canada as well) remaining unvaccinated with no regard for the danger to themselves and others.

- Meanwhile, Nicole Ireland reports on how patients and health care workers alike are feeling the effects of a health system bearing unmanageable burdens due to Scott Moe's fourth wave in Saskatchewan.

- Max Fawcett discusses why right-wingers fear allowing young people to vote on their own future - and why responsible political actors shouldn't let the reactionaries have their way. And Stella Levantesi and Giulio Corsi document how fossil fuel industry's latest set of scare tactics in their decades-old crusade to stifle climate action.

- Matt Gurney notes that we can't afford to let our future political choices be constrained by past expectations which don't fit into an evolving world at large - though it's worth noting that the expectation of a fossil fuel-based economy is likely the most important one currently limiting the perceived range of options in Canadian politics. 

- Finally, Kyla Tienhaara notes that two lawsuits arising out of Keystone XL signal how corporate trade agreements allow the ghosts of past trade negotiations to impose unacceptable costs on future democratic decision-making. And Jiwon Choi et al. trace how NAFTA produced first massive job losses in vulnerable U.S. counties, and then a shift in voting patterns away from the Democrats.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Matt Gurney writes that the COVID pandemic has exposed - without ameliorating - our political leaders' inability to respond to any real crisis. And in case anybody was under the illusion that we're past the worst of COVID itself, Michael James and Christine Fernando report on the emergence - and apparent spread - of what may be the most threatening variant yet. 

- Nicole Ireland reports on the Public Health Agency of Canada's advice that we need to use more effective masks to limit COVID transmission. Zak Vescera reports on the stark differences in vaccination rates based on socioeconomic privilege in Regina and Saskatoon, while also noting that Saskatchewan as a whole is having to pursue "microtargeting" to squeeze out further vaccination opportunities. And Stephane Dubois highlights how pediatric vaccinations will help our population-wide protection - though Kelly Skjerven reports that the Moe government hasn't bothered to provide leave to enable parents to get their children vaccinated. 

- Meanwhile, Meaghan Ellis examines the personality traits which tend to underlie COVID denialism and anti-vaxx conspiracy theories. And Bruce Arthur discusses the challenges in trying to deal with anti-vaxxers. 

- Stephen Wentzell talks to Naheed Dosani about the importance of paid sick leave in ensuring health equity for workers. And PressProgress reports on the Horgan government's decision to offer only half a loaf, rather than the full 10 sick days recommended to protect the health of workers and the people who rely on them. 

- Jeanelle Mandes reports on new research showing that the rate of child poverty in Saskatchewan remains above a quarter of all children (where it's been for over a decade). And Katie Hyslop discusses how child poverty can generally be traced to mothers' poverty in particular. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the future costs of procrastinating on a transition to a clean economy, while Heather Scoffield notes that the price tag is already soaring due to immediate climate calamities. And Peter Zimonjic reports on Environment Commissioner Jerry DiMarco's recognition that Canada's climate policy has bounced from failure to failure, while Barry Saxifrage discusses how Canada is actually backsliding in the effort to replace dirty fossil fuels with clean electric power. 

- Finally, Jerry Dias offers a reminder of the efforts of the workers who make Black Friday possible. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Nora Loreto writes about the need for governments to make COVID management plans which take into account pockets of anti-vaxxers who will create significant risks for the general population. Andre Picard discusses why parents will need to ensure their children get vaccinated, while Matt Gurney wonders how children will react if a continued failure to take reasonable precautions foreseeably results in the loss of core activities. And Zak Vescera reports on research showing significant damage to the health of Saskatchewan people who have avoided care as a result of the poorly-handled pandemic. 

- Meanwhile, Jim Stanford studies the effects of paid sick leave, and finds that employers could ensure people don't have to work while sick with no measurable cost in competitiveness or profitability. 

- Adam Tooze's alarming takeaway from COP26 is that the world is trusting the same businesses who have created the climate crisis to solve it with little government action - though Simon Dyer notes that even the minimal commitments made to date make new oil and gas development completely untenable. Jason Hickel discusses the approach we'd be taking if we were actually treating climate breakdown as an emergency, while Seth Klein offers his suggestions as to what a Lib throne speech would look like if it wanted to meet that standard. And Julia Rock points out how pension funds are being hijacked to prop up the fossil fuel sector as capital which isn't under political control looks for investments outside of a dying industry. 

- CBC News reports on the widespread damage to British Columbia as torrential rainfall has combined with weakened natural drainage to produce floods and mudslides. And Carolyn Jarvis reports on the Ontario government's reluctant release of data showing the air pollution being inflicted on the Aamjiwnaang First Nation.

- Finally, Richard Swift wonders what value there is in the Pandora Papers and other revelations of the abuse of wealth and power when they don't lead to any investigations or prosecutions. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content for your Friday reading.

- Emma Buchanan writes about the restrictions on media access that have resulted in people being poorly informed about the damage done by COVID-19. Meredith Wadman reports on new research showing that the increased infectiousness of the Delta variant is the result of its leaving more of its genetic code in host cells. And Matt Gurney discusses the importance of increasing vaccine supply around the globe - though he leaves out the obvious source of the current shortage as wealthy countries continue to prohibit the release of intellectual property over publicly-developed vaccines to let developing countries establish their own supply.  

- Corry Anderson-Fennell writes about the benefits for everybody when workers have access to paid sick leave, rather than being financially compelled to work through illness and pain. And Kim Siever debunks the corporate lobby's rhetoric about Alberta workers choosing federal pandemic benefits over work - as the only sectors seeing less employment are the ones where employers (government or otherwise) have chosen to restrict operations. 

- Meanwhile, Mario Canseco discusses new poll data showing an increasing number of Canadians recognizing the opioid crisis as a major problem and recognizing the need for political leadership. 

- David Suzuki calls out the continued subsidization of fossil fuels even as climate science points to an urgent need to transition away from them. Liang Jing et al. study (PDF) the carbon intensity of oil, and find Canada to be the second-worst polluter on the planet for the amount of crude it produces. And Aaron Wherry makes the seemingly obvious point that the high-pollution, low-efficiency tar sands are logically among the first resources which need to be left unextracted as we work on reducing our fossil fuel dependence. 

- Chen Zhou highlights how wealthy countries are trying to shift the goalposts to avoid meeting existing commitments to fund climate finance. Phoebe Weston reports on new research showing the grossly disproportionate share of emissions attributable to luxury carbon consumption. And Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the need to reduce our energy use in order to rein in the climate crisis.

- Finally, Susan Ferguson discusses how the systemic violence of capitalism has dictated a woefully insufficient response to COVID-19 (and to other crises). And Alex Steffen calls out the plutocrats who are using the spoils of existing wealth inequality to corner the market on the necessities for survival in a foreseeable climate apocalypse. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.

- Blair McBride writes about the long-term medical crisis Alberta can expect as people are unable or unwilling to have normal diagnoses carried out while the health care system is overrun by COVID-19.  And Mickey Djuric reports on the frustration of Saskatchewan families with their inability to access medical care for children.

- Faiz Shakir writes that organized labour is managing to win some important concessions for workers in the U.S. But Brett Wilkins offers a reminder of how far there is to go in ensuring that workers benefit from the riches that are being created, as the 1% now holds more wealth than the entire U.S. middle class.

- Matt Gurney takes note of Canada's housing crisis which is progressing beyond being an economic issue to a profound social illness. 

- Jeremy Lent discusses how a capitalist mindset is entirely incompatible with any solution to the climate crisis. And Amy Salyzyn and Penelope Simons theorize that an entirely new model of professional responsibility needs to be adopted to ensure that the legal profession doesn't continue trampling human rights and environmental imperatives in the service of extractive industries.

- Finally, Simon Evans examines historical greenhouse gas emissions from a few standpoints - including a per-capita calculation which shows Canada as the absolute worst offender in spewing carbon pollution.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Matt Gurney questions how it is that Ontario (like other provinces) is continuing to avoid any meaningful planning in its pandemic response, with the problem now being a lack of guidance or direction in distributing second doses of vaccines.

- Stephanie Taylor reports on a new study from the International Institute for Sustainable Development showing how demand for oil is set to decline in the decades to come. Aaron Saad writes that instead of continuing to look to exploit fossil fuel reserves and spew as much carbon pollution as possible as the industry dies out, Canada should be discussing how to make up for our disproportionate harm to the global environment. And Max Fawcett points out that any honest message to oil sector workers would include recognition that a transition is necessary - not a refusal to allow anybody to find sustainable work.

- Katherine Long and Will Evans report on Washington's investigation into Amazon's disregard for worker health and safety. 

- Oliver Wainwright discusses the work being done to reverse decades of systems architecture based on the preferences of a tall, white male.

- Finally, Sarath Peiris recognizes that it's the Saskatchewan Party which has chosen to become a permanent campaign machine with no interest in providing responsive or competent government once elected. Janai Nelson highlights the risks of allowing authoritarian governments to silence opposition and stifle protest. And Andrew Marantz discusses the work being done in the U.S. to ensure people aren't limited to a choice between establishmentarianism and fascism.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Matt Gurney discusses the need for public health planning to reflect the predictable reactions of people whose compliance affects the viability of any rules. Guy Quenneville reports on the federal government's justified skepticism of Scott Moe's plan to focus on vaccinations alone, rather than actual viral spread. Kenyon Wallace notes that a euphemistic focus on geographic "hot spots" misses the social inequity which has resulted in disadvantaged groups bearing the brunt of COVID-19. And Robert Nam writes about Ontario's freeze on cancer care as one of the side effects of a mismanaged pandemic.

- Amber Cortes and Carl Nelson offer a graphic portrayal as to how COVID-19 has only further exposed and exacerbated the U.S.' homelessness crisis. And Doug Nesbitt discusses how the pandemic has strengthened the case to put an end to profiteering long-term care. 

- Robert Hiltz calls out Jason Kenney and the UCP for prioritizing corporate revenue over people's lives. And in a stark example of that calculus, Wallis Snowdon reports on the massive outbreak at CNRL's Horizon oilsands mine - accompanied by the argument that the public should be entirely satisfied with protocols argued to have met minimum standards even if thousands of people were infected at CNRL sites.

- Meanwhile, Kim Siever points out that record oil production in Alberta isn't translating into a return to past employment levels. And Sarah Anderson weighs in on the gap between soaring CEO pay and stagnating wages even at a time when workers are being praised for being essential. 

- Finally, Paul Krugman offers a reminder that while Republicans may occasionally try to use worker-friendly rhetoric, their actions are aimed at nothing but fighting a brutal class war on behalf of the rich.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- A group of doctors and scientists offers an open letter calling for a strategy of maximum COVID-19 suppression.

- Matt Gurney writes about the latest report documenting the utter failure of Ontario's long-term care system. PressProgress notes that tens of thousands of violations of health and safety standards by Ontario employers in the midst of a pandemic gave rise to a paltry 24 stoppages of work. And Lynn Giesbrecht reports on the danger that the fallout from COVID may include an exodus of teachers (among other vital workers who have largely been abandoned by their governments).

- Rob Carrick highlights how soaring housing prices are making a small number of homeowners wealthy while pricing the necessities of life out of the reach of many people (and particularly younger workers). 

- The Canadian Press reports on the supply agreement reached between the NDP and the Libs in the Yukon - featuring a cap on rent increases, a public dental insurance plan and a minimum wage increase among other much-needed supports for citizens. 

- Finally, Leah Gazan discusses the importance of controlling the narrative around a basic income, and particularly the opportunity to treat it as a way of ensuring the protection of everybody's rights rather than an excuse for failing to do so.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- John Michael McGrath discusses how Ontario (like so many other jurisdictions) has walked directly into a third wave, resulting in people dying for no reason other than government negligence. Matt Gurney likewise notes that there are no longer any excuses for insufficient action given the extensive experience we have with the coronavirus (and the dire consequences of failing to respond appropriately). Andre Picard notes that the attempt to substitute empty words for meaningful action is resulting in the filling of ICUs. And Jen Gerson theorizes that a widespread tendency toward complacency has much to do with the poor responses across much of Canada.

- Meanwhile, Cecile Philippe and Nicolas Marques examine (PDF) what governments have won when they've pursued a COVID-zero strategy - including both superior health outcomes, and far less economic disruption.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board writes that there's no longer any justification for offering vaccinations by age rather than by more meaningful risk profiles (including exposure to people as an essential front-line worker). And Emma Teitel pairs a similar call to vaccinate frontline workers with another needed appeal for paid sick leave.

- Finally, Bernie Sanders offers a reminder of the obscene gap between rich and poor in the U.S. - and the readily available policy options to close it. Scilla Alecci discusses new research from the International Centre for Tax and Development on the amount of wealth being stashed offshore by corporations to avoid contribution to the social good. John Burbank writes about Washington state's move toward implementing a wealth tax. And Phillip Inman reports on the IMF's call for more progressive tax systems to reduce growing inequality of income and wealth.

In plain sight

Robyn Urback is rightly concerned about the lack of discussion of Quebec's systematic discrimination by most of Canada's federal parties - only to gloss over the strong position taken by Jagmeet Singh and the NDP.

Matt Gurney laments the lack of a remotely reasonable climate debate between the Libs and Cons, while failing to mention the NDP's New Deal at all.

And Neil MacDonald complains about an election based on mudslinging between the Libs and Cons, while only noting in passing that the NDP is offering meaningful solutions to the social ills those parties are ignoring.

If only there were some pattern as to how this fall's election might produce results Canadians actually want - and how the media can advance the discussion past the cynical politics of Trudeau and Scheer.