Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jonathan Watts and Fiona Harvey report on Gustavo Petro's warning about the dangers of accepting suicidal petropolitics. And Laura Paddison discusses how the fossil fuel sector is swimming in profits thanks to the global chaos and violence being stoked by its political puppets. 

- Ajit Niranjan writes about this spring's record heat wave in northern Europe and its connection to wildfires and unprecedented ocean warming. And Anita Hofschneider points out that while Indigenous peoples are often on the front lines in facing the effects of the climate crisis, they're severely underresourced in being able to respond. 

- Fran Rimrod and Evelyn Manfield discuss how renewable energy and batteries are managing to more than cover the additional power required by extreme heat in Australia. AFP reports on France's plan to phase out fossil fuels entirely in under 25 years, while Jan Rosenow points out how Europe as a whole has a clear path (and obvious motivation) to end its fossil fuel dependency in all sectors - even as our government plans to burn still more public money to subsidize export expansion. And Joshua Pearce notes that several states are ahead of any Canadian jurisdiction in enabling small-scale, plus-and-play solar to reduce both power costs and grid strain. 

- Damien Gayle reports on new research showing that exposure to air pollution in the course of pregnancy tends to result in slower child speech development.  

- Finally, Evan Greer highlights the need for youth to be able to get informed and organized online. And Michael Geist points out the multiple reasons why the age-based social media bans being pushed across the political spectrum by Canadian provinces are ill-advised. 

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Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Inae Oh weighs in on the neo-royalism fueling Trump's sense of divine right. Seva Grunitsky points out that a hubristic belief that might makes right has caused the downfall of empires before as it likely will for the U.S. And Ryan Cooper discusses the prospect of countering the Trump regime by punishing the uber-rich who have lent their wealth and power to him - though the difficulty in trying to do so speaks to the dangers of their accumulated wealth.

- Owen Jones calls out Trump's "Board of Peace" as combining rank neocolonialism with yet another grift. Daniel Beland and Klaus Petersen discuss why the people of Greenland (like those virtually everywhere) want nothing to do with Trump's rule. And Luke O'Neil notes that the fear of Trump arises precisely from his refusal to recognize anybody but his immediate circle as human and deserving of any respect or consideration. 

- Reuters reports on new U.N. research showing that most of humanity is already facing dangerous water supply limitations - with much worse to come. And David Thurton reports on Environment Canada's warning that 2026 is likely to be yet another of the hottest years on record. 

- Finally, Matt Simmons and Lauren Walsh report on LNG Canada's excessive flaring which has made an already-polluting operation into far more of a climate bomb than promised. And Maxine Joselow discusses the Trump administration's choice to value human lives at zero in order to facilitate industrial pollution. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Sujeet Indap and Akila Quinio report on the accumulation of consumer debt by private credit groups, making people's inability to meet their needs into a factor being exploited by more and more capital interests. And Robert Reich highlights the need for a more fair distribution of wealth and income for the economy to be able to function:

   

- Meanwhile, Roshni Sahoo et al. model the cost of ending extreme poverty around the world, and find the price of ending severe deprivation would amount to a rounding error of .3% of global GDP. 

- Huilin Luo et al. examine (PDF) the effect of different greenhouse gas emission policies, and find that it's impossible to subsidize our way out of a climate breakdown without also regulating carbon pollution. Umair Irfan writes that we can't afford to give up the climate fight even as fossil fuel forces are already pushing us past dangerous thresholds. And Cloe Logan reports on Laura Tozer's lament that Mark Carney is doing nothing but undermining an already-insufficient set of federal climate policies. 

- Finally, Emma Graney reports that Carney is also laying the groundwork to open up the export of single-use plastics as another means of favouring the oil sector at the expense of public and environmental health. And Juno Rylee Schultz discusses how laissez-faire theory which lets businesses decide how much pollution to emit has consistently led to people being poisoned and exploited. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- A.R. Moxon discusses our role in observing and shaping the world around us with the help of the analogy of a submarine whose occupants choose not to surface when it's obvious we can't survive the loss of oxygen. And Jen Kostuchuk, Erik Steiner and Sean Lyons discuss the need for adults generally - and decision-makers in particular - to start paying attention to the concern children have for our planet's future. And Ariel Wittenberg reports on the dirty energy industry's lobbying to prevent any regulation which would protect workers from having to suffer through dangerously hot conditions.

- Luke O'Brien highlights how the U.S.' surveillance state has always been built for the purpose of targeting and controlling left-wing actors. Prem Sikka discusses how money wields power in the UK, turning facially neutral laws into a means to exacerbate inequalities. And Robert Reich writes that neoliberalism is far past salvaging or rehabilitating as an organizing economic principle.  

- Phoebe Weston reports on new research into the wide variety and dangerous quantity of harmful chemicals seeping into the UK's rivers.

- Finally, David Olive writes that along with the patriotic push to buy domestically, Canadians should be doing everything we can to avoid buying from the country trying to take us over.

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. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Natalie Alms reports that Elon Musk's attempt to manufacture a fraud scandal at the Social Security Administration has failed miserably - except to the extent his real goal was to undermine service levels for people entitled to benefits. Andrew Buncombe reports that the activities being arbitrarily slashed by DOGE include the cleanup of nuclear waste. And Joshua Kaplan, Brett Murphy, Justin Elliott and Alex Mierjeski report on the U.S. government's use of diplomatic pressure and funding cuts to get African countries to hand both money and control over vital infrastructure to Musk's Starlink. 

- Josh Toussaint-Strauss et al. examine how PFAs have come to be ubiqitous in our bodies and our living environment, while CBC maps out where they're most concentrated in Canada. And Tobi Thomas reports on new research showing that early exposure to air pollution has lasting health consequences. 

- Alyssa Sinclair et al. compare the effectiveness of different motivational strategies, and find that a focus on future impacts rather than present-day accounting is more effective in spurring people to action. Katie Surman reports on the Union of Concerned Scientists' latest study documenting how dirty energy companies have misled the public about the long-known dangers of climate change. 

- Jonathan Ames reports on a warning that homebuyers (and the professionals who advise them) are at risk if they don't consider climate impacts on property use and value. Lauri Myllyvirta reports on a new analysis showing that China has lowered carbon pollution in the context of economic growth by shifting toward clean energy. The Guardian's editorial board writes about the need for environmental standards (including using solar panels and heat pumps) in new housing construction, while Alison Takemura notes that carbon-free construction is particularly important in rebuilding from climate disasters such as wildfires. And Andrew Lawrence notes that contrary to its billing as apocalypse-proof, the Cybertruck has proven unable to hold up even under normal use. 

- Izzy Romily writes about the value of low-traffic neighbourhoods in creating healthier communities. Abdul Matin Sarfraz calls out Doug Ford for pouring massive amounts of public money into increasing gridlock while eliminating healthier alternatives to single-vehicle traffic. And Hilary Beaumont notes that the climate breakdown is resulting in the collapse of ice roads, making remote communities even less accessible than they previously were. 

- Finally, Charlie Angus points out that the Alberta separatists being treated as the most important people in the world by both the UCP government and the corporate media are bound up in a history of racism and bigotry. And CTV News reports that even the corporate bigwigs who benefit from an angry and distracted public are making clear they have no appetite to support the destruction of Canada. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Jason Hickel discusses how capitalism is fundamentally in conflict with the idea of democracy - and how increasing democratic control over the economy is the only way to salvage any popular governance generally.

- Michael Tomasky calls out the new boundaries of corruption being pushed by Donald Trump's granting of access to those who hand him free money through his memecoin, while Amanda Marcotte discusses how Trump's crypto scam imposes costs on everybody. And Don Moynihan notes that Trump's budget, like virtually everything else emanating from his regime, consists entirely of propaganda rather than bearing any relationship to reality.

- Meanwhile, in case anybody was under the illusion that the only regressive action in the U.S. is originating with Trump and his administration, Tracy Wholf reports on the Republican Senate's unprecedented move to eliminate existing pollution controls.

- Charlie Angus discusses the continued MAGA threats to Canada even after we averted the planned coronation of the Poilievre Cons. And Dennis Pilon writes about the undemocratic results of strategic voting. 

- Finally, Marc Edge discusses how right-wing misinformation has come to dominate social media as a result of an attempt to slightly balance the interests of other media against tech giants. James Hoggan offers some suggestions as to what we can do at an individual level to counter rage farming and political deception. And Euan Thomson reports on the likely illegal - if less-than-surprising - monitoring of citizens' social media by Calgary police.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Adrienne Lafrance discusses how the clock is ticking - but not quite yet run out - to check Donald Trump's assertion of absolute power before the U.S. falls into authoritarianism. Will Stone reports on the Trump regime's gutting of the Department of Health and Human Services' injury prevention team, while Hiroko Tabuchi reports on the cancellation of research grants to address the effects of pollution and toxic chemicals on children. And Laurie Udesky and Jack Leeming write about the beginning of a massive scientific brain drain. 

- Stephen Magusiak talks to Geoff Dembicki about the close connections between Pierre Poilievre's Cons and the corporate forces responsible for Trump's entrenchment in power. Christopher Holcroft examines a half-dozen of the crucial policy areas where Poilievre is consistently parroting Trump. And Washim Ahmed warns that Poilievre's determination to mimic Trump's deportation of people for the exercise of free speech and assembly is particularly dangerous. 

- Ximena Gonzalez rightly questions why neither of the main parties is showing any interest in tackling poverty or inequality. And Danyaal Raza writes about the crisis in primary health care which is likewise receiving short shrift from the Libs and Cons alike. 

- Finally, Christo Aivalis writes about a principled approach to strategic voting for left-wing Canadian voters (in stark contrast to the "Dear Leader requires a crushing majority!" message coming from the Lib camp). And Tom Parkin offers a data-driven approach to electing the most progressive Parliament possible. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Nesrine Malik writes about the need for the rest of the world to imagine - and then build - an international order which routes around the U.S. as an entirely unreliable partner. And the Economist discusses how the U.S. itself will lose out immensely by ending the use of the dollar as an international default currency. 

- Anne Applebaum writes about the systematic kleptocracy being installed at breakneck speed. Paul Krugman and Dan Moynihan each note that Trump has turned the IRS into a tool to allow the wealthy to avoid taxes, while punishing the working class in any way possible. And Jenna McLaughlin reports that the confidential information raided by DOGE for Elon Musk's personal enrichment includes sensitive labor data held by the National Labor Relations Board.  

- Chris Hatch rightly notes that the climate breakdown is in progress - and will continue absent a drastic change in course - whether Trump and his ilk govern in denial of it or not. Hannah Ritchie and Pablo Rosado discuss the scourge of air pollution which kills millions of people every year. And Helena Horton reports on a study finding hundreds of dangerous pesticides in European homes, while Bartosz Brzezinski discusses Bas Bloem's research into the connection between glyphosate and Parkinson's disease. 

- Sumathi Reddy reports on the growing awareness among doctors that COVID-19 can produce cognitive difficulties which last for years. And Baran Erdik studies the effect of COVID on driving in particular, finding a significant association between infections and subsequent car crashes. 

- Finally, Schmutzie offers a survey of the Cons' most recent policy declaration - and notes in particular the similarities to Project 2025 which Donald Trump falsely disclaimed before making it the basis for his regime. Dougald Lamont writes that no government in Canada should be pushing austerity in the face of a teade war which makes it all the more laughable to preach a doctrine of self-sufficiency. And Seth Klein offers his take as to what a genuinely strategic vote would look like. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Jim Stanford points out that tariff threats shouldn't be an especially daunting prospect for a Canadian economy which already consists primarily of the production of goods for domestic use. But Melissa Gismondi argues that we need a far more substantive response to Donald Trump's obsession with annexation, rather than assuming everything will go back to normal if the business class is assuaged. And Mike Brock writes that Danielle Smith's constant sucking up to Trump and concurrent normalization of the prospect of a U.S. takeover can't be considered anything less than traitorous.

- Alex Himelfarb discusses how to build a Canada which is more resilient against both the Trump regime, and the concentration of wealth and power which has enabled his like to emerge. Silas Xuereb offers a reminder as to how the affordability crisis for more and more Canadians tracks the rise of extreme top-end wealth. And George Monbiot warns that UK Labour is following the same path as other neoliberal governments whose disregard for both people's well-being and the prospect of democratic change for the better has laid the groundwork for fascists to emerge.

- Jason McBride discusses the widespread use of plastics in medical supplies - and how both patients and the environment would benefit from a transition to less toxic alternatives. Inigo Alexander reports on waste management company Veolia's dumping of toxic waste in protected areas in Colombia. And Alix Breeden discusses how the Trump administration is making it easy for polluters to poison the people around them through gutted regulatory processes, while Stuart Thomson and Antoine Trepanier report on Pierre Poilievre's plans to similarly eliminate any environmental protection in Canada in favour of blanket approvals. 

- Finally, Fiona Harvey reports on a new OECD study finding that action to deal with the climate crisis will lead to better economic results than trying to operate in denial of the threat.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jamelle Bouie discusses the rot within the U.S.' political system which is raising the prospect of imminent constitutional collapse. Malcolm Nance points out how the Trump regime is giving every indication of an intention to take Canada and Greenland by force - though there's reason to doubt that plan is any better thought-out than the rest of Trump's lurches and reversals. Evan Dyer notes that there's no subtlety at all to an ongoing destabilization campaign. And Dustin Fergusson-Vaux points out the folly of Trump's demand that we expose our banking system to increased U.S. control and higher levels of risk.

- Linda McQuaig writes about the need for Canada to mobilize in response to the Trump threat, while Rob Gillies reports on the latest set of targeted tariffs in response to the U.S.' arbitrary duties on steel and aluminum. Curtis Fric discusses the soaring public popularity of EU membership. And Kristy Kirkup reports that British Columbia is taking up the opportunity to recruit health care workers who want a better living environment than they can anticipate south of the border. 

- Scott Waldman reports that the Trump regime's campaign of destruction on behalf of the fossil fuel sector includes a new propaganda effort to paint the climate breakdown as a positive. Damian Carrington points out the latest examples of climate "weirding" resulting in new and extreme phenomena hitting major cities. And Ajit Niranjan reports on a new analysis showing that nearly every country on the planet has dirtier air than the recommended level for breathing.

- Finally, Natalie Stechyson examines the increasing demands on parents, while noting that it's difficult to separate the requirements arising from parenting in particular with the general environment of stress facing everybody. But either way, Aishwarya Dudha reports on Scott Moe's continued determination not to be part of any solution as he refuses to sign a new child-care agreement. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jill Lawrence discusses how the U.S.' current kleptocracy was caused directly by the dangerous conflation of concentrated wealth with free speech. Luke Goldstein reports that in his efforts to extract $56 billion in insider bonuses from Tesla even as he torpedoes its market value, Elon Musk is attempting to virtually obliterate any corporate regulation at the state level. Marcy Wheeler surveys some of the less-recognized actions of the Trump regime, including its mass "corporate clemency" to ensure that corporate criminality goes unpunished. And Oliver Laughland reports on its decision to drop oan environmental case against a petrochemical company contributing to the plight of Louisiana's Cancer Alley. 

- Meanwhile, Nora Loreto writes that Mark Carney's own corporate track record involves extensive use of whatever loopholes, leverage and political favours have been available to extract public money while avoiding contributing to the public good. 

- Thom Hartmann and Robert Kuttner each weigh in on the imminent Musk-led attack on Social Security and any other social programs which keep people alive and healthy at the expense of maximizing the amount of money available to be shoveled into profiteers' offshore accounts. And Abby Vesoulis' report on the illegal elimination of USAID adds "severely malnourished children" to the list of people who are being told by the world's wealthiest man that they need to fend for themselves. 

- Cathie from Canada weighs in on the need to take Trump's threats against Canada seriously. And Joseph Brean reports on new Leger polling showing that nearly two-thirds of the country has gotten the message. 

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing how microplastics are causing dangerous levels of crop losses as well as harm to other food sources. And Sanjana Gajbhiye reports on a new study finding that proximity to major roads increases the risk of dementia.  

- Finally, Craig Spencer examines how the U.S.' destruction of global public health capacity will allow communicable diseases to run wild. Blake Murdoch discusses how the unsupported denial of airborne COVID-19 transmission has undercut both the response to the pandemic in progress, and the precautionary principle in general. Rachel Obordo writes about the continud human toll of COVID-19. And Jessica Wildfire warns that even people who have been vaccinated face severe risks as measles spread across North America thanks to denialists and anti-social cranks.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Alex Cosh discusses how our response to the new Trump administration needs to move beyond avoiding tariffs toward routing our international relations around a clear and present danger. And Ashleigh Stewart reports that Steve Bannon's plans to for "hemispheric control" go far beyond trade as well. 

- David Smith highlights how Trump is following in the footsteps of Viktor Orban (who is of course a model for Canadian Cons as well in his attacks on democracy). Paul Krugman writes that the key factor to watch for at this stage is the concentration of power via autogolpe. Moira Donegan writes about Elon Musk's effective control through shadow government mechanisms, while Robert Reich examines his minions' burrowing into government computer systems (which Charlie Warzel and Ian Bogost observe to be a terrifying reality according to the people who know those systems best),

- Meanwhile, Mark Frauenfelder highlights how Google's monetized reCAPTCHA system is simultaneously a means of tracking people in alarming detail, a profit centre and a massive waste of time for users. And Charlotte Cowles discusses the current reality of surveillance pricing. 

- Brittany Welsh and Julian Aherne report on a new study showing that Ontario's cottage country lakes aren't immune from the proliferation of microplastics, while Tik Root and Joseph Winters report on Exxon's plans to spend billions of dollars making the problem worse. Lorne Fitch notes that Alberta coal spokesflacks are pushing nonsense research to claim that selenium contamination is just fine for you, while Phillip Meintzer points out how four oil sands companies have signed on to endorse increased cancer rates for Indigenous communities. And Zoya Teirstein discusses how the smoke from California's recent wildfires is particularly toxic due to the large amount of plastic and chemical content. 

- Finally, the Climate Institute examines the importance of building new housing in areas which mitigate the likelihood of climate-related emergencies - rather than in ones which are particularly vulnerable to them (or already the sites of recent disasters). And Katya Schwenk reports on the greed and folly of real estate developoers pushing to be build developments in areas which are already running out of water. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Ed Hawkins offers a visual indication of the unprecedented global warming experienced in 2024 - as well as the paths forward depending on whether we take rapid action to limit the effects of the ongoing climate breakdown. Damian Carrington reports on new data showing that carbon pollution levels are also both higher than ever in human history, and far higher than the targets set to avert the climate crisis. Alexandra Mae Jones reports on a new study into the increasing severity and length of droughts. And Gaye Taylor reports on the warning from Craig Stewart that Canadian losses from extreme weather are becoming uninsurable. 

- Dharna Noor reports on the calls from Los Angeles residents to have the fossil fuel industry provide compensation for its contribution to the ongoing wildfires. And Edward Donnelly reports on the failure of a massive CCS project in Norway to capture anywhere close to the quantity of emissions promised. 

- Meanwhile, Cristen Hemingway James reports on an analysis showing that nearly a third of U.S. residents drink water laden with unergulated chemical contaminants. 

- Alex Hemingway and Danny Oleksiuk write that one of the easiest means of both reducing infrastructure costs and alleviating the housing crisis is to enable the building of apartments. And Raphael Rashid discusses how Seoul's transformation of a highway into a mid-city stream resulted in a far more liveable city. 

- Finally, The Lancet comments on the dangers of the spread of health disinformation - and the need to treat it as another public health scourge to be eradicated for the general good. And Brian Beutler points out the importance of pre-butting Donald Trump, rather than allowing his predictable lies and fabrications to define the boundaries of political discussion. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Isabella Weber points out the key elements in common between the governments which have survived the anti-incumbent trend over the past year - with both price controls on essentials and progressive tax policy serving as key elements in assuring voters that they weren't being sacrificed to corporate interests. Erica Ifill laments that the Libs appear to have decided their problem is a failure to concede to the Cons' racism and bigotry rather than a lack of action to address citizens' material conditions. And Aloysius Wong, Valerie Ouellet and Rachel Houlihan report on immigrant workers seeking to help provide care in Canada are being scammed by recruiters. 

- Ben Turner reports on China's developing plans to effectively end energy scarcity with a solar power array in space. And the foreseeable development of that type of energy source makes it all the more unconscionable that Danielle Smith and the UCP are putting oil industry profits ahead of country, including by using public money to guarantee oil producer profits and avoid any Canadian (but not American) tariffs. 

- Clare O'Hara reports on another record year of Canadian insurance losses from natural disasters in 2024, as well as the reality that more regions are becoming uninsurable. But Katya Schwenk discusses how developers in California (and elsewhere) have blocked any efforts to direct development out of harm's way. And Tom Perkins reports on the oil industry's attempt to stifle any legislation which would require it to pay a dime toward the damage it's inflicted on everybody else through wildfires, floods and other climate-connected disasters. 

- Finally, Evert Lindquist reports on one Nova Scotia plant trying to salvage some use out of garbage - though the plan to use material sources laden with plastics and other hazardous waste to produce fertilizer in particular seems sure to do more harm than good. And James Hannay writes about the need for an inclusive farm economy to replace the corporate-controlled monoculture that's become the current norm. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- John Vaillant discusses how California's wildfires are just the most prominent recent example of how we're getting burned by relying on fossil fuels, while Francine Prose writes that what's happening in Los Angeles now is what people everywhere can expect as our climate breaks down. Elad Nehorai writes that oil companies and their leaders bear direct responsibility for people dying or losing their homes, while Tzeporah Berman calls out fossil fuel promoters as arsonists. And David Sirota discusses what we can do to change a bleak-looking outcome to our ongoing disaster movie. But it should go without saying that minimizing the danger and telling people nothing should change isn't the way to improve the situation - making this just one more area where Keir Starmer's Labour government is making matters worse. 

- The Guardian points out how Donald Trump's denial and division have also been used to avoid halting the damage. Jonathan Katz identifies the attack on climate action as one of the most devastating elements of the alt-right's war on social trust. Anne Applebaum discusses how authoritarians and anti-science cranks have made common cause against evidence-based policy. And Emily Bell writes about the urgency of fighting back on the side of facts and truth, while Rex Huppke calls for a war on stupidity and shamelessness to frame the actions of Trump's new regime in particular.

 - Joan Donovan writes that Meta's decision to institutionalize bigotry merely reflects its general preference for unaccountable oligarchy, while David Adam weighs in on the effectiveness of fact-checking where selfish tycoons aren't determined to squelch it. And Nick Robins-Early calls out Elon Musk's interference in Canadian politics. 

- Amy Maxmen discusses how the U.S. has lost control of the avian flu which is now becoming another source of imminent risk, while Katherine Wu notes that it should be an embarrassment that it wasn't contained nearly a year ago. And Hiroko Tabuchi reports on new research showing that forever chemicals are ending up in tap water through treated sewage.

- Roge Karma writes about two new studies documenting the Walmart effect in which the construction of a store systematically results in lower wages and higher unemployment in a community. 

- Finally, Dan Gardner takes a look at the history of the U.S.' attempts to take over Canada. And Jim Stanford examines (PDF) the actual flows of wealth between the two - showing that the U.S. is already being subsidized by favourable access to resources, markets and capital. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Macdonald offers this year's report on CEO compensation in Canada - showing how company men are being handed obscene pay packages while workers on the ground are left to toil away for hundreds of times less. Paul Krugman points out the connection between enhanced worker power and reduced inequality which led to the U.S.' economic success after World War II - even as Donald Trump seeks to drag the country back to a gilded age which was far poorer for all but the wealthiest few. 

- Guglielmo Briscese and Maddalena Grignani study (PDF) the importance of public trust in public institutions - and the potential to substantially increase it by making useful information readily available. Don Moynihan writes that the Trump administration's plans are to make the federal government a toxic employer - and that there's precedent from his first term to see how that will play out. Jason Linkins discusses how the enshittification of the U.S.' civil service will harm the general public. And Jill Lawrence notes that the Republicans' determination to defund the IRS is the ultimate indicator of their phony populism - as the result is both to direct more tax enforcement toward those least able to pay, and to starve the government of resources as the wealthy humb their noses at their tax obligations. 

- Vijay Vaitheeswaran highlights how grid-scale storage is becoming readily affordable and feasible - making renewable energy into by far the most efficient option in places where governments aren't actively distorting power production to favour fossil fuels and other extractive industries. Holly Caggiano, Emily Grubert and Mark Paul discuss the strong U.S. public support to end dirty energy subsidies. And Eric Holthaus makes the case that the most meaningful climate action at the individual level is to opt out of the system that's superheating our planet to the extent possible. 

- Alexa Phillips reports that the fallout from Brexit includes the dumping of garbage ans sewage on UK beaches as the abandonment of EU standards led to a polluter free-for-all. And Walker Bragman points out how the alt-right is already seeking to politicize the avian flu - even as public health authorities shy away from both substantive action and public communication based on the contrived backlash to any and all responses to COVID-19. 

- Julia Metraux interviews Anita Say Chan on how techbros have become the new eugenecists. 

- Finally, The Groundbreaker makes the case for local-level organization as the necessary core of a progressive political movement. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Stefan Labbe reports on new research showing how the business-driven use of lead in gasoline resulted in large-scale poisoning in the U.S. (and in other countries including Canada). Shanti Das reports on the pesticide poisonings in Brazil caused by chemicals which are banned in the UK but still approved for export. And Topher Sanders examines both the levels of cancer-causing formaldehyde people encounter in everyday life, and some steps that can be taken to reduce exposure. 

- Ralph Nader writes about the silent violence of corporate control over our health and well-being. Omar Ocampo reports on the latest Forbes wealth data showing that a mere 12 American tycoons have over $1 trillion in concentrated riches between them. Jake Johnson reports on the Congressional Budget Office's findings that tax cuts for the wealthy purportedly intended to spur economic growth will in fact produce economic shrinkage for everybody but those at the top. And Harold Meyerson talks to Randi Weingarten about the need to offer working-class voters something more promising and responsive than a continuation of the neoliberalism that has turned people into resources to be exploited. 

- David E. Sanger, Jonathan Swan and Maggie Haberman report on the cartoonish conformity test being imposed on applicants for positions in the next Trump administration, while Robert Reich notes that the cabinet is being filled out based on absolute subservience and flattery. Ray Fisman writes about the dangers of running government like a business. And David Shiffman discusses what scientists can expect based on lessons learned when Stephen Harper was imposing the Cons' policy of employee muzzling and science denialism in Canada. 

- Finally, Alex Boyd examines how the right-wing noise machine is attacking Canada to inflame fascists in the U.S. Sarah Kendzior asks whether the U.S. is following the path of one of its most prominent celebrities - and approaching its death on the toilet phase. And Tim Miller implores people not to respond to the idiocy of the Trump regime with an "LOL Nothing Matters" ideology which exacerbates its damage. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andrew Dessler offers a reminder that it's still possible to alter the trajectory of the climate breakdown if we take steps to stop spewing carbon pollution. And Fatima Syed discusses Ontario's shuttering of coal power plants as an example of how a modicum of will and effort can make major changes. But Amy Westervelt highlights how the fossil fuel industry is determined to prevent a transition from happening - and has largely enlisted the power of governments to stifle the prospect. 

- Aaron Cantu discusses how oil operators are staying away from wells in California if they're made responsible for cleanup costs. And Amanda Follett Hosgood reports on Enbridge's decision not to build the Westcoast Connector pipeline based on a lack of business merit after receiving approval a decade ago. But Max Fawcett warns that there's another attempt afoot try to ram a Northern Gateway pipeline through B.C. - with Donald Trump's election serving as the latest excuse. 

- Victor Tangermann reports on Tesla's release of large amounts of dangerous wastewater around its plant in Austin. And Sharon Lerner and Al Shaw report on the FDA's scientific documentation of the dangers of formaldehyde as an air pollutant - but note that it's refusing to reduce the risk to the people affected. 

- Jason Murphy discusses how long COVID is affecting health and well-being in Australia. And Andre Picard takes note of the danger of an avian flu pandemic which governments seem entirely determined to ignore in the name of business as usual. 

- Finally, Carol Cadwalladr examines how billionaire ownership of major media outlets has resulted in the distortion of the information available to citizens. Rumneek Johal points out that coverage of CUPW's Canada Post strike has been glaringly slanted toward the interests of management and the corporate sector. And Alex Cosh observes that Canada's business lobby is determined to inflict austerity on the public in order to funnel public money to defense contractors. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Joshua Pearce discusses the reality that the climate crisis could carry a ten-figure death toll over the course of this century - which would give rise to an obvious responsibility to act among any but the most inhuman of leaders. Mario Alejandro Ariza reports on the connection between insurance costs rising as a result of the climate breakdown, and a resulting spike in people who can't pay their mortgages. And Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood highlights the need for Alberta and other jurisdictions currently under the thrall of petropolitics to prepare for reduced demand. 

- But Joakim Kulin examines how finger-pointing and blame-shifting have been used to translate nationalism into climate obstruction. Raphael Satter and Christopher Bing reports on the emerging revelations as to how Exxon Mobil and its corporate buddies have sponsored and made use of the hacked e-mails of environmentalists to disrupt climate litigation and activism. And Geoff Dembicki reports on the astroturfing efforts of the fossil gas lobby in its attempt to undercut Vancouver's ban on gas heating - though Seth Klein is relieved to note that attempt to drag the city backwards just barely fell short. 

- Henry Obanya discusses the immense amount of microplastic pollution caused by vehicle tires. 

- Negin Owliaei and Maya Schenway point out that the incoming Trump administration has a detailed and dangerous playbook to shut down progressive civil society. And Robert Reich offers a reminder that an ostensibly populist campaign has given way to a cabinet of plutocrats and their sycophants, while Gil Duran talks to Brooke Harrington about the tech bros' plans to exploit the power of the presidency. 

- Finally, David Moscrop discusses the belated recognition by some commentators that a "liberal" consensus which does nothing to challenge concentrated wealth and power will never earn the support of the working class. And Kim Siever reminds us that billionaires are an economic drain on society - not a goal to be pursued, or even a necessary evil to be accepted.