#ndpldr Roundup

Assorted links and information as the NDP's leadership race reaches its conclusion this weekend.

- Jeremy Appel takes a look at the most recent fund-raising reports, which show Avi Lewis' lead reaching the level where his total donations exceed those of his opponents combined - even as he's relied on smaller donations than the other candidates. 

- Curtis Fric examines polling on the apparent openness of voters to considering the NDP - though it's worth being careful about putting too much stock into immediate impressions of a party which has been engaged in a leadership campaign (and lacking a permanent leader) rather than focusing on defining itself to the public. And on that front, the Angus Reid Institute's polling on the lack of familiarity with the leadership candidates signals both that there's plenty of work to be done in making an introduction, but also that there's plenty of room to make a strong first impression. 

- The Canadian Press reports on the candidates' positions on pursuing a seat in the House of Commons. And for all the focus of Heather McPherson's surrogates on proximity to power, it's striking to see her message framing the ultimate point of the leadership in terms of the ability to ask questions in opposition rather than building a voter coalition capable of winning government. 

- Finally, Linda McQuaig makes the case for a left-wing populist being exactly what the NDP needs in response to the concentration of wealth and power. And Desmond Cole's conversation with Leah Gazan likewise addresses the importance of unapologetic socialism rather than muddled messaging. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Mona Charen writes that Donald Trump's war in Iran can't be explained by any motive other than a sheer ego trip. Steven Beschloss notes that nobody should be surprise that the countries who have been on the receiving end of his abuse and impetuousness are less than eager to rush to his aid. And Martin Gelin reports on the V-Dem Institute's conclusion that Trump is aiming squarely at the imposition of dictatorship. 

- Mel Hogan writes that the ultimate effect of sycophantic artificial intelligence is the cultivation of mass psychosis. And Zeb Larson compares the data center boom to the 1800s railroad bubble - featuring large-scale, heavily-subsidized investment which ultimately served mostly to further enrich the tycoons who could more than afford to finance any development on their own.  

- Noah Berlatsky is rightly scathing about the U.S. Democrats who are responding to a fascist regime and the destruction of the civil service with tax baubles. And Ned Resnikoff points out the impossibility of building a functional society on a deliberately-suppressed resource base. 

- Finally, Markham Hislop calls out the lack of any plan for Canada to live up to even the most distant or modest of our climate commitments. And Emily Atkin examines the latest permutations of fossil fuel propaganda, featuring the demand that we put our future solely in the hands of the same bad actors who have already lied us into dangerous global warming. 

Friday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to end your week.

- Greg Sargent highlights how Donald Trump's pretense of concern for working-class people has given way to the largest transfer of wealth to plutocrats in U.S. history. Harold Meyerson discusses how Trump's repressive police state is keeping communities from celebrating the Fourth of July or otherwise participating in public life. Jeremy Brecher writes about the importance of ensuring that people with the means and privilege to engage in protest make sure Trump knows there's widespread opposition. And Yanis Varoufakis writes about the lessons from Karl Marx which are as vital to today's populist movements as those of the 1800s. 

- Meanwhile, Rick Salutin points out that Mark Carney's caving to Trump on a digital services tax represents an absolute failure to understand what Canadians expect from him. 

- Greg Silsbe et al. study the decline in ocean nutrients and photosynthesis caused by a warming climate. Isabella Kaminski reports on the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights that states have a legal duty to protect people from the effects of a climate breakdown. And Ayesha Tandon discusses a new analysis showing that the research we have into the effects of the climate crisis fails to take into account the particular impacts on fast-growing cities in developing countries. 

- Franziska Mager writes that there's no lack of resources available to fund a just transition if governments recognize and exercise their ability to tax extreme wealth. Reuters reports on new research showing that Germany could make substantial progress toward its carbon pollution targets just by cutting fossil fuel subsidies. And Juan Moreno-Cruz notes that methane mitigation can both create jobs and significantly cut harmful emissions - but that it won't work without effective emission regulation. 

- Simon Enoch discusses the importance of rural media outlets to build community connections on a foundation of facts and basic principles. And Gillian Steward calls out Danielle Smith for spending her summer on a separatist road show rather than anything that could actually help Albertans, while Leanna Sanders reports on the UCP's joint attempt with the Ford PCs to officially torpedo any commitment to clean drinking water for First Nations. 

- Finally, Bruce Campbell offers a reminder as to how corporate greed and deregulatory zeal led to the Lac-Megantic rail disaster - and how people are still suffering from its aftereffects. 

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. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Amanda Marcotte discusses how the Trump regime's war on empathy reflects its underlying misogyny, while Andrea Woo reports that Canadian researchers are scrubbing their work of gender-inclusive terminology based on the theory that they're subject to Trump's discriminatory executive orders. Timothy Snyder writes that Trump's personal sense of victimhood and vulnerability is behind his drive to punish anybody who does business with the U.S., while Stephen Robinson offers a reminder that the people who voted for Trump out of greed and/or a sense of entitlement had ample warning that he was more interested in his own petty grievances than anybody's best interests. David Rothkopf discusses Trump's use of every lever of public authority to set up a protection racket. And Anne Applebaum notes that the well-known dangers of everybody being at the whims of one irrational actor are exactly why the U.S. constitution was set up to prevent the concentration of power Trump has claimed. 

- Jillian Ambrose writes about the risk that Trump's anti-science policy will affect the clean energy transition on a global scale. And Dharna Noor reports on the Trump regime's attacks on climate action at the state and local level across the U.S., while Sharon Lerner reports on his plans to stop collecting data on carbon pollution to ensure the purveyors of dirty energy don't face any accountability. 

- But Trump's regressive action doesn't mean the rest of the world is required to follow suit. On that front, Rebecca Ann Hughes reports on new research showing that the advantages of renewable energy include improving energy security for most countries, while David Toke discusses how renewables now make up over 90 per cent of new generation capacity. And Rachel Doran comments on the promise of clean energy for Canada in particular compared to the risks of clinging to outdated energy sources. 

- Frank Graves points out that the grim reality of the Trump regime has rightly turned Canadian voters off of any interest in the brand of nihilistic populism shared with the Poilievre Cons. And Dale Smith examines the perils of a Canadian version of Trump's war against anything "woke". 

- Finally, Marc Lee discusses the better uses for federal fiscal capacity than the tax baubles being offered by the federal parties. And Mark Bulgutch writes about the corrosive effect of Pierre Poilievre's reflexive hostility against the very concept of public revenue. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Eric Holthaus warns that the escalation of temperatures in 2024 threatens to lay the groundwork for much worse to come. And Virgina Iglesias discusses why the the more intense wildfires we're seeing now are harder to contain than the ones our current firefighting systems were designed for. 

- Nitish Pahwa calls out the right-wing propaganda machine for its conspiracy theories about the source of the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, while Seth Abramson points out Elon Musk's reality-averse attacks on Gavin Newson (coupled with proposterous attempts to change the subject from the actual fires). And Margaret Klein Salamon points out how the corporate media is conspicuously omitting the climate link to the fires and other extreme weather. 

- Carole Cadwalladr warns of the potential for total information collapse based on the combination of increasing concentration of weaponized social media ownership, and its integration with the power of governments. Roy Edroso offers a reminder that the scumbaggery is the point of the alt-right cabal. And Christy Somos discusses how Canada's media is ill equipped to dig into the forces which are actually shaping people's lives due to the constant demand to produce cheap and easy content rather than challenging power. 

- But on a hopeful note, Aisha Malik points out the Free our Feeds initiative working both to protect Bluesky's underlying technology and put it past the reach of would-be manipulators and saboteurs.

- Finally, Owen Jones discusses the despair faced by young voters, while pointing out the need to provide alternatives other than fascist dictatorship. Jonathan Chait comments on the reality that a focus on corporate-friendly economic development did nothing to win over the U.S. working-class voters. And The Guardian's editorial board points out the importance of focusing on social and climate priorities rather than treating markets as the sole interest to be pursued. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Iris Gorfinkel rightly asks why Doug Ford (among other politicians) doesn't want people to know if they have COVID-19 when that knowledge would allow them to both seek treatment and avoid further spreading. Publishers Weekly offers a quick review of Sarah Jones' Underclass on how COVID-19 exposed the U.S.' utter disregard for the lives of many of its residents. Emily Dupree calls out the manufacturing of an end to discussion of a pandemic still in progress, while Crawford Kilian notes that the U.S.' scientific and public health apparatus may soon be looking for a new base of operations. And Kate MacKenzie and Tim Sahay discuss the connection between COVID and climate policy, as the wealthiest and greediest few have seized on the opportunity to attack the concept of collective action no matter how obvious the benefit of pursuing it. 

- Eloise Goldsmith reports on Jonathan Kanter's recognition that plutocracy is itself a form of dictatorship - a point that's been driven home by Elon Musk's apparent unelected veto over the operation of the U.S. government. David Lurie highlights how Donald Trump is planning on renewing Republicans' longstanding attacks on core social programs. And Molly Jong-Fast reports on Trump's plans to use "zombie laws" to take powers that even a Republican-dominated Congress wouldn't dare to grant him.

- Lori Lee Oates examines how the global alt-right movement is manifesting in Canada. And Paris Marx points out how Pierre Poilievre is cozying up to the same broligarchs currently pulling the strings of the Trump regime. 

- Finally, Nesrine Malik points out that we shouldn't treat the hijacking of identity politics by wealthy cranks seeking to further entrench white male power as a reason to concede the field entirely. And Brian Beutler examines what ethical populism can look like (in contrast to the reactionary version of the term).

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Will Stone discusses what's still a limited state of knowledge around long COVID even as it continues to strike - and cause devastating effects - for ever more people. And CBC News reports on Evan Abene's advocacy for continued masking to limit the COVID-19 transmission that's been allowed to run wild. 

- Cory Doctorow writes about Canada's climate greenwashing which has resulted in the planting of monocultural tree farms which have turned into a tinderbox for constant wildfires. And Rachel DuRose points out that many of the few known ways to reduce the temperature increases caused by dirty energy involve other forms of pollution with their own toxic effects. 

- Meanwhile, Louis Sagahun reports on Calfornia's lawsuit seeking to at least make the oil industry pay for the direct environmental damage caused by its climate deception. 

- Ximene Gonzalez reports on the spate of rent hikes and renovictions in Calgary which is driving tenants into homelessness. And Zak Vescera reports on BCGEU's push to ensure that the end of a single tenancy doesn't mean that a needed housing unit loses rent controls and tenant protections.

- Finally, Torsten Bell highlights new research into the effect of populist governments - with the unsurprising conclusion being that those who take government based on resentment tend to produce poor outcomes by any measure other than clinging to power. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Fiona Harvey reports on Greta Thunberg's warning that a failure to stop burning fossil fuels amounts to a death sentence for people living in poverty - which would be a much more powerful message if the denial of environmental disaster and devaluation of human life weren't core principles of our corporatist governance model. Andrew Fanning and Jason Hickey model what climate reparations would look like if the wealthiest countries compensated the rest of the world for the cost of their carbon pollution. And Gary Mason discusses how Canada's response to the climate crisis would be different if we had any notion of sacrifice. 

- Geoffrey Lean is hopeful that a new treaty being reached by governments and backed by some business interests will result in an end to plastic pollution. But we should be wary of temporary corporate concessions intended to keep dirty business as usual going as long as possible - with Shell's reversal of plans for even tiny fossil fuel production cuts serving as just the latest example. 

- John Quiggin points out how Australia's grocery store duopoly has used the cover of inflation to goose its profit margins. And Holly McKenzie-Sutter reports on the Bank of Canada's needed recognition that corporate pricing and exploitation are at the root of Canada's inflation as well - though as Jim Stanford notes, it isn't following that to its logical conclusion by using tools less focused on reducing work and wages. 

- Finally, the Center for Working-Class Politics discusses how it's possible to defeat the populist right by making a priority of genuinely challenging corporate power and meeting the needs of the working class. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Zak Vescera reports on the CCPA's new research showing how an increasing number of jobs in British Columbia are precarious - with already-disadvantaged workers especially likely to be affected. Don Pittis points out the Bank of Canada's continued attempts to hold wages below the rate of inflation, while offering much-needed space for Kaylie Tiessen to point out how that focus results in its being a soldier for capital in an ongoing class war. And Nick French writes that the essence of socialism is rooted in justice for workers pursuing what's rightfully theirs.

- Andrew Petter and Jim Rutkowski write about the value of progressive populism as a tool to make the case for an egalitarian society.  And Rowan Burdge, Jen Kostuchuk and Ismail Askin point out the importance of ensuring that social justice is embodied in any climate plan in order to ensure people see the benefits of a clean energy transition. 

- Meanwhile, Roberto Burgos discusses how the latest IPCC report is both alarming in its expectations, and unduly optimistic in its assumption that we'll manage a full transition away from carbon pollution.

- Finally, David Beers discusses the need to value journalism as a public good - particularly as the Cons and their provincial cousins attempt to stifle any reporting or commentary other than from their own side's propagandists.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Aria Bendix examines the state of current knowledge as to how likely people are to suffer from long COVID after being infected - with a seemingly declining risk for any given infection being more than counterbalanced by the threat from repeated reinfection. And the Lancet discusses how much more there is to learn about long COVID, while Caora McKenna shares the stories of some of the people currently afflicted with it.

- Meanwhile, Brennan Doherty reports on the fight of federal employees to be able to continue minimizing unnecessary spread by working from home where possible. And Zak Vescera discusses the prospect of a four-day work week. 

- Matthew Yglesias writes that contrary to the assumptions of people looking to find complicated solutions to poverty in the U.S., the real problem is that current programs are effective but underfunded. 

- Inori Roy reports on the private deals which are making long-term care in Ontario even more oriented toward enriching connected corporations rather than ensuring people have the homes and care they need.

- Bob Wells points out how the covered-up Kearl tar sands leak exposes dangerous gaps in environmental regulation, while Adrienne Tanner calls for accountability for the people responsible. Danny Halpin reports on new research finding that the effects of a climate breakdown include a quadrupling of extreme rainfall events. And Matthew McClearn writes about the consequences of disappearing ice cover over the Great Lakes.

- Finally, Umair Haque examines the UK Cons' takeover of the BBC as a prime example of the fascist tendency to break the institutions of civil society. And Chelsea Nash reports on Faiz Shakir's message that progressives need to recognize public anger and its causes - while turning it toward positive ends rather than the hate and destruction peddled by the right.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Tisse Wijeratne et al. discuss what we know - and have yet to discover - about long COVID's effects on our brains three years into a pandemic which is being allowed to run rampant. And Mary Van Beusekom writes about the lengthening list of organs affected (and harms possible) when children get infected.

- Thara Kumar warns about Danielle Smith's plans to put health care behind a paywall. And Julia Rock offers a reminder of big pharma's example as to how corporatized health care profits will be used, with far more of its massive revenue from exclusive control over necessary medications going to shareholder payouts and lobbying than to research and development.

- Justin Ling discusses how McKinsey and Company is operating as a richly-compensated shadow government (thanks in no small part to decades of cutbacks and "efficiencies" which have left the public sector with challenges in trying to plan and strategize for itself). 

- Gabrielle Fonrouge reports on Walgreens' belated admission that its complaints about inventory theft were overblown - which comes far too late (and too quietly) to make up for the disproportionate effect the initial spin had in buttressing tough-on-crime messages in key elections.

- Finally, Trish Hennessy discusses what we can do to avoid being duped by misinformation. An Dan Dunsky reviews two books addressing the deliberate falsehoods spread by the populist right (and the damage they've done to democracy).

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Umair Haque discusses how the UK has become a failing state which lacks the capacity to provide either basic public services or a functional economy of any kind. Adam Bychawski wonders whether any of the corporate-sponsored "think tanks" which pushed for the most destructive policy choices will ever be treated as discredited. And Owen Jones calls out the Cons' typical choice to distract from their own failings by demonizing refugees. 

- Meanwhile, Berenice de Suzanne writes that more and more Canadian corporate money is being stashed in tax havens to avoid funding a functional society. 

- Isabella Simonetti and Julia Creswell note that U.S. consumer prices are continuing to increase far past the point necessary to cover retailers' costs - confirming that much of the inflation people are facing is the result of corporate profiteering. And Kelly Geraldine Malone reports on the large number of people having to turn to food banks or skipping meals as a result of inflated food prices. 

- Daniel Drache and Mark Froese ask whether authoritarian populism will self-destruct. But Mitchell Anderson notes that hate is being cultivated by several interconnected forces which demand far more of a response than Canada has yet been able to muster. And Susan Delacourt writes that Pierre Poilievre is avoiding answering for his own support for the #FluTruxKlan. 

- Finally, Katherine Wu discusses both how COVID-19 is evolving far too quickly for much-hyped monoclonal antibodies to keep up, and how U.S. pediatric care is facing its worst crisis in decades as the coronavirus is allowed to spread unabated. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Melissa Lopez-Martinez reports on the belated effort to get Canadians to resume taking precautions against the spread of COVID-19. And the Guardian is telling the stories of people living with long COVID - and what they've lost to a pandemic whose damage could largely have been averted by remotely responsible public policy.

- Jared Wesley offers an important look at Danielle Smith's populist playbook which seeks to simultaneously portray privileged people as victims and as an unstoppable force whose will must be given effect. Brett Dolter and Russell Wangersky both point out how Scott Moe reflexively deceives the public about empirical reality to serve the continued inflation of his own ego. And Mary Elizabeth Williams discusses the connection between conservative politics and lower levels of empathy - though perhaps the most important point to be drawn from recent empathy research is how the right is winning the war to eliminate it in people of all political persuasions.

- Chandler Dandridge interviews Gabor Mate and Daniel Mate about how a capitalist society is harming everybody's mental health and well-being. Kim Siever points out how corporate profits have consistently outpaced any gains in wages for Canadian workers. And Katie Underwood interviews Lana Payne about her efforts to ensure members of the working class are valued by governments and employers alike.

- Finally, Brett Marsh comments on how the effects of a climate breakdown will fall disproportionately on the people least able to bear them. And Andrew Nikiforuk discusses the mounting cost - and lack of benefit - being inflicted on the Canadian public due to the Libs' decision to build the Trans Mountain pipeline at public expense.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Dhruv Khullar writes about the likelihood that a continued lack of public health measures will push the vast majority of people toward multiple COVID-19 reinfections, including ones which may not show up on less-sensitive tests. And Carolyn Barber discusses how decision-making around the continued pandemic is being dumped on individuals who largely aren't aware of the long-term risks of constant exposure. 

- Trevor Dunn tells the story of Lynn Spiegel and other seniors who are facing homelessness due to a broken housing system which is oriented toward capturing profits rather than providing for people's basic needs and rights.

- Tim Di Muzio and Matt Dow write about the need for a fundamental change in our energy system in order to extricate ourselves from both the environmental toll of a climate breakdown and the social harm resulting from our fuel supply being under the control of a cartel of bad actors.

- Finally, Graham Thomson wonders whether Danielle Smith's constant pandering to the alt-right will change at all now that she's set to take power - though the early indications look anything but promising. And Frank Graves and  Jeff Smith examine the spread of authoritarian populism in Canada.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Nicola Davis reports on new research showing that the effects of long COVID include sustained damage to organs including the heart, lungs and kidneys. 

- Neal Wilcott and Sean Cleary discuss why businesses would be smart to plan for a net-zero emission world rather than delaying climate action and facing the risk of ecological system breakdowns as a result. But Oil Change International assesses the much-ballyhooed climate claims of the major oil companies, and finds that none of them are remotely close to operating within the imperative of meeting the world's Paris targets:

- Meanwhile, Fiona Harvey reports on the need for sharp methane cuts in order to avoid unacceptable near-term harm to our global environment. 

- Jen St. Denis writes about the potential for collective action by renters to shift a balance of power that now entirely favours commercial landlords. 

- Finally, Gaby Hinsliff notes that the resounding defeat of Australia's right-wing coalition offers hope that similar results are in store for the UK Cons and other right-wing, know-nothing populists. But Catharine Tunney reports on warnings from security experts that Canada needs a plan to decouple from the U.S. if it succumbs to the Republicans' anti-democratic bent.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Ross Barkan takes stock of the reality that the U.S. has allowed a million people to die of a disease whose transmission could largely have been prevented, while Alexander Quon reports on the latest data showing that official death totals in Saskatchewan significantly undercount the lives lost to COVID-19. Holly Else notes that a more thorough accounting of the COVID damage would include recognition of the time and function lost due to disability as well, while Danielle Wenner and Gabriella Arguidas Ramirez point out that a lack of messaging about the reality of long COVID is likely distorting both public policy and individual actions. And Malia Jones writes that while the decision by governments to deny us current and accurate information makes it impossible to fully assess our risks, we're still best off doing all we can to avoid catching and spreading COVID. 

- Max Fawcett writes that the meltdown in cryptocurrency just as Pierre Poilievre put it at the centre of his Con leadership campaign highlights the need for exactly the public-interest regulators who will be the first to go under fanatic libertarians. And Jessica McKenzie discusses how the harm done by bitcoin includes an assertion of entitlement to burn gas and spew carbon pollution without regulation or regard for the planet. 

- Chris Turner offers a valiant defence of climate optimism even as the likelihood of success in averting climate breakdown appears grim. And Damian Carrington reports on new research showing that in order to avoid catastrophe we need to not only stop the 195 carbon bombs in the planning stages, but also shut down existing fossil fuel production sites. 

- David Wallace-Wells writes that temperatures which are now being reported as unprecedently extreme will likely be the norm (or even the lower end of expectations) in the decades to come. Olivia Rosane highlights the UN's research showing that 75% of the world could face drought by 2050 due to climate change and land degradation. And Karin Brulliard reports on New Mexico's largest-ever fire which is still burning after a month. 

- Christopher Mathias reports on the concerted effort by violent extremists to hijack Idaho's entire political system through both intimidation and abuse of electoral systems.  

- Finally, Jared Abbott interviews Jonathan Smucker and Alison Troy about the opportunities available for left-wing populism to offer a positive alternative to the hatred and nihilism of the right. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Stephanie Desmon interviews Ziyad Al-Aly about the danger COVID-19 poses for the heart - even for people with mild cases which have otherwise seemingly run their course. Megan Ogilvie, May Warren and Kenyon Wallace report on new research showing the avoidable risk that unvaccinated people create for people who have had their . And Justin Chandler talks to three Ontario medical officers of health about the need for masks - with all recognizing the continued importance of wearing masks even if their political circumstances have made orders difficult to pursue. 

- In the context of Elon Musk's imminent takeover of Twitter in the name of "free speech", Robert Reich warns that any talk of freedom by billionaires (or their media mouthpieces) inevitably means they're looking for a way to exert even more control through their wealth. And Alex Pareene writes that the alt-right is dedicated to trying to undermine the very idea of journalism in the sense of discovering and reporting truth - particularly as that tends to prove inconvenient for the movement's funders looking to protect wealth gathered through exploitative means. 

- Meanwhile, David Moscrop writes that progressives can't afford to cede the notion of populism to the fascists using it to posture as defenders of the working class.  

- Andrew Jackson discusses the damage done by decades of neoliberalism while reviewing Gary Gerstle's The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order. 

- Finally, Jen St. Denis rightly asks why we aren't building affordable homes when that would require nothing more than following the precedent set in the 1970s. And Chris Ballard questions why the Ford PCs are going out of their way to make Ontario homes less energy-efficient. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content for your Friday reading.

- Gavin Yamey et al. observe that a push for vaccine equity - and the retention of public health measures until it can be achieved - are musts to avoid foreseeable sickness and death from COVID-19. And Gregg Gonsalves calls out the recklessness and hubris of the officials who are insulated from the worst effects of the pandemic - and thus causing it to spread further while laughing at their own irresponsibility. 

- Zak Vescera reports that COVID-19 has put even more strain on a Saskatchewan health care system which was already breaking under the weight of Saskatchewan Party neglect. Bashir Jalloh contrasts Scott Moe's eagerness to throw money at empty buildings and beds along with management fads against his refusal to pay the workers needed to keep our health system functional. And Steven Lewis warns that the province's care workers are burned out and demoralized by the constant failures of Moe's government - and will keep going elsewhere if we don't make Saskatchewan a place worth staying. 

- Helena Horton reports on research showing that right-wing populist parties serve as an obstacle to effective climate policy. And that reality may help to explain Canada's place as a rogue super-emitter on the world stage. 

- Jacqueline Best discusses the numerous flaws with shouting "stop printing money!" as a response to inflation - though it's worth noting that Pierre Poilievre has moved on to a "stop stopping printing money!" complaint anyway. And Dan Darrah is the latest to highlight how Poilievre's answer to the lack of affordable housing is similarly off base. 

- Meanwhile, the Canadian Press notes that most Canadians don't buy the elite-driven push for massive defence spending - particularly at a time when help for people is being slashed in the name of post-pandemic austerity. 

- Finally, Richard Feinberg writes about the need to challenge the real concentration of money and power which has left far too many people on the precipice of disaster in order to funnel profits into the hands of the greediest few.