Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Michael Sainato reports on the California referendum which will see struggling voters get the chance to have their say on taxing billionaires. And Jennifer Rubin points out that progressive policy remains immensely popular in the U.S. generally, even as it's generally ruled out as an option by two generally corporate-dominated parties. 

- The Solar Energy Industries Association notes that solar power is making up the vast majority of new U.S. generation despite the Trump regime's hostility to renewable energy. And CarbonBrief concludes that the UK has seen electric vehicle sales exceed those of ICE vehicles over the course of a full year. 

- James Murray writes about the World Weather Attribution Agency's conclusion that the deadly heat hitting Europe can only be explained by climate change. Zoya Teirstein highlights how the climate crisis affects the human body and threatens public health. And Harriette Boucher reports on the scientific warnings that the climate breakdown will lead to food insecurity in the UK and elsewhere. 

- Christopher Holcroft examines the connection between Mark Carney and the Trump-supporting broligarchy which wants to exacerbate inequality and make human needs subordinate to the desire to turn power over to privately-controlled AI. 

- Finally, Tom Goldsmith writes about the need to push back against the expectation that workers will accept burnout as the price of having a job at all. And C.J. Polychroniou interviews Costas Lapavitsas about the importance of the labour movement as a catalyst for action and change, rather than a mere voting bloc.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jonathan Last discusses how the U.S. economy is coming apart under a regime which is attacking progress and security in any form. Matt Johnson highlights how the general public is turning against Trumpism even in the areas where it once found some support, while Toby Buckle laments that the people who offered early warnings about his dangers were ignored. But Miles Taylor warns that the Trump regime's next step is to designate all opposition as "terrorism" which can be summarily suppressed, while David Dayen rightly questions why Congress is continuing to allow Trump to run roughshod over laws and appropriations alike. 

- Justine Calma writes that public backlash is succeeding in blocking expensive and dangerous data centres. And Joe Wilkins reports on the revelation that the contents of "private" ChatGPT conversations are being harvested for profit. 

- Science Magazine names the growth of renewable energy as the breakthrough of the year for 2025. But in case anybody thought that meant governments would stop going out of their way to push dirty fossil fuels, Rafi Schwartz reports on Donald Trump's intention to undermine climate science by trashing the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, while Catherine Garrett reports on yet another oil company leaving the Alberta public holding the bag after failing to pay its taxes. And Natasha Bulowski reports on Steven Guilbeault's painfully modest request that the federal government enforce the law when it comes to climate obligations, while Adrienne Tanner reports on Avi Lewis' far more ambitious plan to make Canada a clean energy leader rather than a fossil. 

- Finally, Ximena Gonzalez writes about the need for Alberta's housing policy to focus on building non-market homes rather than providing handouts to corporate developers, while Alex Hemingway points out the need for B.C. to invest far more in its own social housing. And Ludovic Viger discusses the value of co-ops as another housing model. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Nikki McCann Ramirez examines Mike Duncan's take on how the U.S.' current position fits into the historical collapses of empires. Gary Engler offers a checklist to determine when a country has shifted from authoritarianism to fascism, while Andy Craig writes about the Trump regime's censorship binge in an attempt to squelch all opposing or dissenting voices. And Gil Duran discusses the alternative interpretations of Trump's abuses - which may reflect either dangerous steps toward the end of democracy, or desperate attempts to avoid the real consequences of public disapproval. 

- Alan Elrod rightly notes (with particular reference to the kidnapping of firefighters working to contain dangerous wildfires) that the Trump regime is seeking out virtue for the specific purpose of eradicating it in favour of absolute corruption and violence. And Jonathan Liew asks what the endgame is for politicians of any stripe seeking to use anti-immigrant messaging. 

- Adrienne Matei writes about the role of women in strongman regimes. And Noami Beinart writes about the increasing pressure being placed on U.S. girls to acquiesce in their own subjugation. 

- Alastair Marsh discusses how China has taken what may be an insurmountable lead in developing clean energy and battery technology - as decades of being told we have to focus on dirty energy have left us unable to contribute to the cleaner economy that's developing. Jespen Brun Petersen discusses new research on the interplay between solar panels and crops, even as Bharat Dogra writes about the harm wealthy countries have caused to the world's food production system. 

- Anton Nilsson et al. write about Google's plan to "rent its enemies" in order to ensure nobody regulates its monopoly activities. But Steven Levy points out that tech giants who thought they could avoid the dangers of the Trump regime are rapidly finding out otherwise. 

- Finally, Adam King offers a reminder that unions improve well-being for everybody, not only for their own members. And Adam Gabbatt writes about the elite class solidarity which has billionaires and landlords assembling their riches and influence to avoid even the slightest hint of redistribution of wealth or power. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Robert McCoy reports on new modeling showing that everybody besides the uber-rich will be worse off as a result of Donald Trump's economic policies (even leaving aside how his authoritarianism undermines any development). And Curtis Fric notes that the U.S. citizenry bearing the brunt of capitalist abuse is rightly turning against the system. 

- Dale Smith discusses the problems with Mark Carney's apparent willingness to treat "building things" as synonymous with "doling out corporate handouts". Charlie Angus rightly slams Carney for choosing to play nice with fascists rather than building resistance and alternative power structures, while Luke LeBrun writes that progressive voters who lent their support to Carney based on the expectation he'd stand up to Trump have every reason to be angry. And Matthew Miller and Leyla Soleymani make the case for investments in life sciences as one of the most important responses to the U.S.' abdication of any role in scientific progress. 

- The Financial Times reports on the imminent electrification of everything, while Peter Newman and Ray Wills discuss how the largest energy transition in history is well underway. And Micah McCartney points out that China is reining in its use of fossil fuels while positioning itself as the main beneficiary of a clean energy revolution. 

- Meanwhile, Anil Hira discusses how fossil fuels impose social costs that are consistently excluded from resource management decisions. Mitchell Beer reports on the scramble to try to wring short-term profits out of fossil gas both from U.S. producers generally and a Newfoundland development prioritized by the Libs in particular. And Drew Anderson reports on the rural Alberta residents who are fed up with the UCP's allowing oil and gas lobbyists to trample their rights and interests while leaving the public to clean up toxic messes. 

- Finally, A.R. Moxon writes about the glaring disparity in whose lives are seen as worthy of recognition in the U.S. And David Beers and Jen St. Denis report on the deliberate targeting of Rachel Gilmore by Andrew Scheer and other figures in Canada's alt-right for daring to point out the reality of right-wing violence. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Charlie Angus comments on the futility of giving up substantial interests in the hope that a new trade deal with the Trump regime will be the first one he ever sees fit to honour. And Dylan Robertson reports on Lloyd Axworthy's jusitifed criticism of Mark Carney's bootlicking. 

- Meanwhile, Stephen Marche discusses how Canada can go it alone from a national defence standpoint if the Libs stop operating in denial of the Trump threat. And Elizabeth Payne reports on the Canadian Medical Association Journal's call to build a stronger system to track and monitor communicable diseases to fill the void left by a U.S. regime that's happy to condemn people to avoidable deaths. 

- Davis Legree reports on David Suzuki's lamentation that it's too late to avoid a climate breakdown as opposed to mitigating and surviving it as best we can. But Oxfam notes that there's still widespread public support to hold dirty energy tycoons responsible for the damage they've inflicted on our living environment.

- Finally, David Climenhaga discusses how the UCP's latest surveys couldn't be more blatant as means of manufacturing consent for separatism and division. And Jeremy Appel offers an account of Canada Day in the realm of the Alberta separatists whose cause is being stoked by their provincial government. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Niko Block writes about the desperate need for Canada to devote resources to income supports and industrial strategy, rather than hoping that corporate tax giveaways will do anything other than further enrich those who already have the most. And David Moscrop interviews Laurent Carbonneau about our long history of corporate welfare bums who have consistently turned access into wealth without holding up their end of any bargain to pursue economic development. 

- Curtis Fric reports on the rightful skepticism Canadians thus have about corporate and media elites - with the problem being that the outrage is then often being directed toward the least powerful. And Emma Paling discusses how Mark Carney is only sowing further distrust by utterly capitulating to Donald Trump's authoritarian agenda after campaigning on the promise of standing up to him. 

- Meanwhile, Marcy Wheeler points out how the Trump regime's belief in white supremacy can't survive contact with reality - as epitomized by Pete Hegseth's absolute incompetence. 

- Michael Mann et al. study how the climate breakdown is contributing to extreme weather events. Brendan Haley points out how energy efficiency should be a critical resource in both reducing Canada's carbon pollution, and offering us a more secure energy foundation. And Emily Chung reports on the role electric vehicles can play in reducing emissions from at least some (largely suburban) demographics - even if they're far from a cure-all. 

- Finally, Agam Shah reports that if we didn't have enough tech giants seeking to turn themselves into omnipresent surveillance mechanisms, Grammarly is seeking to elbow its way into the picture.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Laurie Laybourn and James Dyke comment on the developing doom loop as fear, hardship and political instability created by a climate breakdown in progress make it harder to coordinate efforts to ameliorate it. And Gaby Hinsliff writes that Storm Darragh taught her family and community how poorly prepared they were for climate disaster, while Matthew Ballew et al. examine how psychological distress appears to be a spur toward climate activism. 

- Fiona Harvey warns that a COP29 outcome more attuned to Vladimir Putin's political ends than the preservation of a liveable environment may be only the beginning. David Suzuki laments how the oil industry undermined any effort to agree on a plastics treaty. Eamon Ryan discusses how the oil industry and other corporate forces poisoned public opinion against a successful push to reduce carbon pollution in Ireland. And Joe Vipond makes the case to treat the fossil fuel industry like big tobacco - i.e. as a dishonest and destructive actor impeding work which is necessary for the public good.  

- Dharna Noor reports on new NOAA data showing that the Arctic is now a net emitter of carbon pollution, rather than serving as a carbon sink. Max Fawcett discusses Kevin O'Leary's attempt to play Alberta for a fool by seeking out public money for a highly-polluting, zero-benefit AI project - and the danger that the UCP will be happy to play along. And Rewiring America studies the effects of converting to electrical power - finding that a shift to electric appliances produces demonstrable benefits to air quality both inside and outside the home. 

- The Angus Reid Institute finds that a strong majority of Canadians see corruption and tax evasion as a major cause of the affordability crisis - potentially signaling a strong appetite for a credible plan of attack against them. Paul Krugman (on his new site after his retirement from the New York Times) discusses how the right's anti-public sector rhetoric facilitates actual fraud and abuse by corporations and the righ. David Macdonald points out that a time-limited GST holiday isn't a particularly good use even of a temporary windfall, while glaringly failing to address the structural factors that are stressing people's finances. And Paul Kiel reports on a tax loophole which wealthy Americans are using to avoid contributing a cent of a Medicare tax paid by workers. 

- Jason Sattler writes that Donald Trump's main political skill is setting up an alternate reality for himself and a maddeningly large number of voters. Oliver Willis notes that he's been able to get away with denialism in large part due to the refusal of Democrats to engage in a meaningful fight as to the controlling narrative. And Simon Wren-Lewis rightly argues that progressives shouldn't fall into the trap of echoing and reinforcing the politics of stupid. 

- Finally, Ryan Romard writes that public sector strikes in Canada (spurred by years of relatively high inflation paired with pay freezes) are helping to set up opportunities for all kinds of workers to seek better wages and working conditions. 

[Edit: added link.]

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Graham Lawton writes that continued (or worse yet growing) inequality represents an intractable obstacle to ameliorating the climate crisis. Laurence Tubiana discusses the importance of taxing polluters, while Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin expose how big oil is trying to bribe its way out of any accountability for the damage it's caused. And the Economist points out that even as the industry at the centre of the climate crisis tries to buy its way out of any responsibility, there's no obvious answer to the question of who will pay for the homes and infrastructure being destroyed by a climate breakdown. 

- Tom Perkins discusses the EPA's tentative steps toward regulating a few "forever chemicals" in drinking water, but notes that there's far more to be done both in cleaning up existing contamination and expanding the range of carcinogens covered. 

- Mike Crawley reports on the grocery oligopolists who are lobbying Doug Ford's government to have somebody else pay for the mess they create with excessive waste. And Milca Meconnen, Tasmin Adel and Kari Guo discuss the dangerous combination of worsening poverty and escalating costs of essentials including food and housing. 

- Finally, Richmond and Richmond note that Britons who narrowly voted for Brexit based on a steaming pile of disinformation have come to deeply regret that decision. And Lisa Young writes that there's every reason to be similarly concerned about Danielle Smith's plans to sever Alberta from any federal plans or funding which don't pass the UCP's ideological vetting process. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rachel Fairbank discusses how a patient-led research collaborative is filling in the gaps in long COVID research and treatment. 

- Re.Climate examines (PDF) the state of Canadian public opinion on the climate crisis - which sadly features a stark and growing gap between recognition of the need for action, and support for meaningful policy. David Stanway reports on a new study showing that renewable energy deployment is lagging far behind what's needed to allow for a clean energy transition. Anand Ram and Benjamin Shingler report that Canada's wildfires more than counterbalanced any gains made in global tree cover in 2023. And Max Fawcett notes that the Cons' current excuse for a climate plan is an unfunny joke, while Doug Cuthand points out that the Saskatchewan Party and UCP are determined to make matters worse. 

- The Basic Income Earth Network and other signatories discuss how the security provided by a basic income is necessary to achieve climate justice. 

- Rupert Neate reports on new research showing that not a single one of the world's young billionaires obtained that status other than through gigantic inheritances. 

- Finally, David Climenhaga offers a warning about the UCP's plans to turn massive amounts of health care funding over to the cause of drug harm exacerbation. And Armine Yalnizyan points out that the Ford PCs are going out of their way to throw money at the same corporate care operators who caused mass illness and suffering at the start of the COVID pandemic. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Francesco Pierri et al. study the roots of COVID-19 vaccine denialism, with misinformation becoming more and more prevalent as the pandemic continues. And David Climenhaga discusses how Alberta (and many other Canadian provinces) are taking a new step in pandemic denialism by planning to limit citizens' access to vaccine boosters.

- Meanwhile, Crawford Kilian points out that we should be doing far more to reduce the death toll and health issues caused by air pollution. But Sharon Lerner reports that the oil industry is instead being permitted to label the burning of toxic plastics as a "biofuel".

- Philippe Fournier notes that a majority of Canadians want to see stronger climate action, and are thus being ill served by a Lib-Con debate between not doing enough and doing even less (if anything). And the Globe and Mail's editorial board weighs in on the complete lack of justification for Danielle Smith's plans to hand tens of billions of dollars to the oil industry to comply with its legal obligations.

- Mitchell Thompson reports on polling showing that even the Fraser Institute can't load the dice enough to find popular support for capitalism over socialism. But Judy Rebick points out the need for popular action to replace pay-for-play politics with government that's remotely representative of people's interests.

- Finally, Justin Ling discusses the connections between the Cons and the global alt-right - including Christine Anderson who has been feted by Con MPs and the Western petropolitical powers that be for her bigotry.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rachel Aiello reports on Health Canada's approval of COVID booster vaccines targeted at the Omicron variants. And Andrew Romano discusses the hope that the updated vaccines will result in a turning point in combating COVID - though getting enough people vaccinated to limit further spread and variation looks to be a serious challenge after months of messaging that people could move on from taking any precautions. 

- Owen Jones discusses how UK Con leadership frontrunner Liz Truss is one of the appalling number of right-wing politicians who values fossil fuel profits over human life, while Trevor Herriot calls out the Moe government's attack on the very concept of enforcing environmental laws. Geoff Leo exposes the case of a 14-year-old who died while under the "care" of social services. And Brody Langager reports on the work being done to push the Sask Party to fund harm reduction, while Zak Vescera offers a reminder that nobody can avoid the devastating effects of the drug poisoning crisis.  

- Alice Lee et al. study the increase in fuel poverty in the UK, while noting that a transition to clean energy would also reduce inequality of access and ensure a more stable supply. Mia Rabson reports on new research showing the particular ubiquity of toxic chemicals in dollar store products. And Damien Gayle reports on a new study showing how carbon capture and storage isn't part of the solution in trying to avert a climate breakdown. 

- Paul Prescod writes about the importance of unions in fighting for the rights and interests of minority workers. And Molly Smith reports on new research showing that single women without children are managing to accumulate more wealth than men in the same cohort - but those with children lag far behind other groups. 

- Finally, James McCarten reports on new opinion polling as to the main concerns of Canadians - with climate change and misinformation ranking as major public concerns even as so many right-wing politicians dedicate themselves fully to preventing any action on them. Aaron Wherry writes that political leaders need to part of the solution in ending rage farming as a political strategy - though there's plenty of reason for concern that the Cons and their allies only plan to keep pushing the envelope in lying to stoke anger, rather than taking anybody's advice to do what they can to avoid having people get hurt. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Liz Szabo examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved - and the reality that the large number of infections in the Omicron wave is overwhelming the benefit of existing immunity.  And Andre Picard highlights how counterproductive it is to be eliminating Ontario's Science Advisory Table and other expert groups in the midst of a pandemic where ignorance has already seized an advantage over evidence-based precautions. 

- Meanwhile, Jane Greenhalgh and Selena Simons-Duffin report on the jarring drop in overall U.S. life expectancy due to the pandemic. Sarah Neville discusses the aftershocks of each COVID wave in increasing the risks of a myriad of other health conditions. And Carly Weeks reports on the drop in routine vaccination rates as anti-vax fanatics have applied their politically-cultivated disregard for public health to other diseases. 

- Justin McCarthy reports on the increasing public support for unions in the U.S., with over 70% of respondents approving of organized labour even in a generally polarized political environment. Caitlin Clark reports on the success of port workers in Tacoma in doubling their pay and securing better benefits and working conditions by unionizing, while Randy Thanthong-Knight reports on Unifor's push for wage increases following the election of Lana Payne. And Gregory Beatty discusses the potential for a four-day work week to improve health and work-life balance without affecting productivity. 

- Beatty also examines the Sask Party's attempt to push students into religious schools rife with abuse and scandal by cutting support for public education. And in the wake of public revelations of exorcisms at a Bible camp, Jason Warick reports that officials actually argued that they were necessary in the name of "spiritual warfare". 

- Nick French writes that the nonsensical and counterproductive response to student debt relief by U.S. Republicans only serves to signal how important and powerful a policy it is. 

- Finally, Pollara finds that a strong majority of Albertans are firmly opposed to both the goals and methods of the Flu Trux Klan (even as the UCP's leadership contenders go out of their way to cater to it). 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jennifer Hulme discusses how long COVID is causing devastating long-term effects on women in particular, with little apparent prospect of treatment to improve matters. And Linda Gaudino's report on the prevalence of long COVID offers an important reminder that the damage is both economic and physical. 

- Emily Leedham surveys the response of Ontario's major unions to Doug Ford's attempt to claim to have workers' interests in mind. And Adam King argues that Canadian labour law should be changed to enhance the right to strike - particularly by ensuring that non-union workers are able to strike in order to effect change in the workplace. 

- The CCPA examines how Saskatchewan's minimum wage continues to lag far below the cost of living even for a two-income family. And Don Pittis discusses how Canadians generally are seeing a need to cut back on consumer spending.

- Mitchell Beer reports on Caroline Dennett's revelations about Shell's complete disregard for the need for climate action despite a glossy greenwashing campaign. Innovative Research Group examines Canadian public opinion on the need for a just transition - with the phrasing of a particular question having an outsized effect on many respondents' support for change. 

- Sharon Udasin reports on Massachusetts' move to sue manufacturers over the "forever chemicals" used in a fire suppressant. 

- Finally, David Moscrop writes that the planned Rogers-Shaw merger is just the latest indication that private telecoms can't be expected to serve as anything but profit extractors - strengthening the case for public providers to ensure people have access to information. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your Sunday reading.

- Carly Weeks reports on the work being done to begin to understand and treat long COVID, while Erika Edwards reports on the profiteers directing people toward lucrative (if not necessarily effective) interventions where governments have failed to offer anything. Mario Canseco finds that more than half of Canadians are anxious about the political class' inexplicable decision to eliminate public health protections, while Bruce Arthur discusses the impossibility of mounting any effective fight against a pandemic while trying to pretend it's over. And Maiike Swets et al. find that in a particularly painful twist on attempts to minimize COVID as "no worse than a flu", the combination of the coronavirus and an actual flu produces particularly severe outcomes.

- Niki Ashton highlights how public ownership can serve as a level for effective climate action. John Vidal discusses Amory Lovins' work demonstrating that energy efficiency should be central to our carbon mitigation plans. And Maddelin McCosker and Danielle O'Neal report on the farce that is Australia's carbon credit scheme, as credits (and associated profits) have been handed out regardless of any contribution to emission reductions.

- Meanwhile, the National Post reports that the proliferation of plastics has reached the point where microparticles are contaminating human bloodstreams.

- Finally, Jon Queally discusses Joe Biden's laudable effort to ensure the wealthiest few in the U.S. contribute at least something toward funding a functional society.

Wednesday Evening Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Gavin Yamey, Abraar Karan and Ranu Dhillon write that the COVID pandemic is far from over even in the U.S. where the Omicron wave is receding. Frederik Lyngse et al. study (PDF) the transmission of Omicron and find that vaccination is indeed effective in reducing spread, while Daichi Yamasoba et al. conclude that the B.A2 variant which is becoming the dominant strain pairs the original Omicron's spread with significantly more severity. Lauren Pelley reports on new research showing how vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of the pandemic in Canada, while Ed Yong comments on the plight of immunocompromised people left in limbo. And Sayako Akita discusses the toll of long COVID from a personal perspective. 

- Zak Vescera writes that plenty of businesses recognize the recklessness of the Moe government's declaration of open season, and are maintaining their own vaccination checks even as the provincial app is taken out of service. And Vescera also reports on yet another leaked record number of COVID hospitalizations which are resulting in surgeries being cancelled, while Chris Gallaway notes that Alberta's health care system is similarly being trashed by a callous government. 

- Molly Jong-Fast discusses the U.S. money and organization behind the #FluTruxKlan, while Ryan Cooper notes that it represents an alt-right fantasy made real. Frank Graves and Michael Valpy examine where the convoy's limited support lies - while noting that the number of people seeing potential for true class conflict far exceeds the number actually supporting the occupation. And James Hutt discusses how the citizen action at Billing Bridge can serve as a model to confront and overcome right-wing agitators. 

- Finally, George Monbiot writes that the #FluTruxKlan and its copycat/sibling campaigns of destruction around the globe represent incoherent rage rather than any solidarity or meaningful purpose. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Climenhaga writes about the need to investigate the U.S. funding which seems to have built the #FluTruxKlan's profile, while Saba Aziz discusses how the cross-border extremist ties have only become tighter as Ottawa has been occupied. Arwa Mahdawi discusses how the threat raised by the violent occupation in Canada may reverberate around the globe. Anna Drake notes that both the convoy itself and the kid-gloves treatment it's received from police reflect profound inequalities. PressProgress offers an introduction to some of the hateful extremists responsible for the siege. And Michael Coren writes that the convoy is using religious symbols to propagate a message antithetical to anything remotely Christian. 

- Meanwhile, Clifton van der Linden and Alexander Beyer find that contrary to the convoy's assumptions, the general public remains strongly in favour of public health protections. And Sasha Abramsky discusses how one town managed to fend off a hostile QAnon takeover attempt. 

- Justin Ling notes that the Cons stand to make their party utterly toxic by enabling what's recognized to be an illegitimate and destructive attack on democratic institutions and vulnerable people. And Heather Mallick writes that if Pierre Poilievre seems like a prohibitive favourite for the Cons' leadership, it's only because his substance-free nastiness fits a party which has no interest in building anything other than resentment. 

- Michael Mann and Susan Joy Hassol highlight how delaying action only makes our path to averting climate breakdown steeper. And Ryan Heath reports on new polling showing that people around the globe recognize that our political leaders are falling far short of their responsibility to respond to a world on fire. 

- Finally, Laszlo Radvanyi argues that Canada needs a national strategy for early cancer diagnosis - even as the collapse of COVID control measures reflects the distaste the Cons and their provincial cousins have for anything resembling preventative and precautionary action. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Melody Schreiber discusses how the U.S.' inequality and lack of support for workers has severely exacerbated the pandemic. And Eric Schwitzgebel examines what it means to be a COVID jerk - and how their ubiquity and prominence has made life worse for everybody else.

- The Canadian Press reports on new research confirming that a strong majority of Canadians still support vaccine mandates and passports, along with other public health measures to limit community transmission. And Sandy Garossino points out how the response of Donald Trump and other Republican politicians shows how the #FluTruxKlan convoy has been stoked and manipulated by the U.S.' most extreme political actors.

- Shree Paradkar discusses how the hate behind the convoy was always apparent to anybody who wasn't looking to make excuses for privileged white insurrectionists. And Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich writes that the convoy is effectively domestic abuse on a social scale.

- Finally, Helena Horton reports on new research showing that the carbon emission gap between the rich and the poor is only growing.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Kuodi et al. find some hopeful evidence that vaccinations may help to prevent long COVID symptoms as well as more acute ones. Nili Kaplan-Myrth rightly questions why safety is being treated as a privilege to be withheld from vulnerable people. And Yasmeen Serhan discusses how responsible leaders are challenging the anti-social actions of those who have chosen to remain unvaccinated, while Adam Hunter reports that Scott Moe's nonexistent public health response and insistence on coddling anti-vaxxers are being rejected by a growing majority of Saskatchewan's public. 

- Leyla Asadi, Raina MacIntyre, Lisa Brosseau and Trish Greenhaigh highlight the need to upgrade to respirators which effectively control the inhalation of viral particles. Josh Mark reports on John-Mark Opondo's call for people to self-isolate even with mild cold-like symptoms in order to reduce COVID spread. And Megan Ogilvie reports on Ontario's shortage of therapeutic drugs to treat COVID patients.  

- Taylor Lambert discusses the toxic mix of intimidation, disinformation and heavy-handed legislation that defines Jason Kenney's reign in Alberta - though one would be hard-pressed to find much basis for distinction from the governing philosophies of Scott Moe or Doug Ford. 

- Scott Schmidt calls out the familiar con being used once again by corporate spokesflacks to try to attack universality in health care. And Luke Lebrun reports on a new study documenting the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's deliberate choice to push racist messages and themes.  

- Matthew McClearn discusses how far Canada has to go in eliminating fossil fuel subsidies from a starting point of pouring more money into them than any other G20 country. And Amory Lovins and M.V. Ramana point out how a fully renewable power grid is entirely feasible with current technology - as long as we don't let climate deniers and corporate polluters set our energy agenda. 

- Finally, Joel Dryden reports on the effect of gig platforms on Alberta's labour market - including the reality that corporations are using apps as an excuse to avoid basic protections for workers who are actually their employees. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Katherine Wu calls out the wishful thinking (and deliberate neglect) behind any attempt to brand the Omicron COVID variant as "mild". Evelyn Lazare discusses the vicious circle created as the health care workers expected to care for the sick themselves become infected in droves by a disease that's been allowed to run rampant. And Ian Welsh offers a grim prognostication as to the consequences of the anti-precautionary principle being applied by Ontario's government (among so many others). 

- Meanwhile, Nathaniel Dove reports that the side effects of COVID include an escalating number of Saskatchewan people dying while waiting for surgery. And Kendall Latimer reports that the province also reached record highs in deaths due to drug poisonings, thanks in no small part to the provincial government's hostility to harm reduction and social determinants of health.  

- Dorothy Woodend responds to one of the main criticisms of Don't Look Up by arguing that we're long past any time for subtlety in dealing with a climate breakdown in progress. Maya Yang reports on research showing a strong majority of Americans recognizing the need for climate action - though sadly there's little reason to believe that will be reflected in policy outcomes. And CBC's What On Earth contrasts the progress other jurisdictions are making in transitioning away from fossil fuel infrastructure against Ontario's choice to build an increased number of natural gas connections. 

- Joseph Politano breaks down the components of the U.S.' current inflation, and finds no reason for concern about a wage-price spiral threatened as an excuse to impose punishing austerity on workers. 

- Finally, Linda McQuaig is hopeful that a new child care plan will remind Canadians of the value of investing in social development - but notes that the idea could go awry if it's hijacked by corporate profiteers, rather than building a public service. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- CTV reports on Alberta Health Services' recognition that tens of thousands of the province's residents project to suffer from long COVID. Alex McKeen reports on Ontario's missing health care workers as the Omicron variant runs rampant, while Enzo Dimatteo examines the potentially catastrophic consequences of a collapse in testing capacity. Clare Ansberry and Nidhi Subarraman chime in on the growing recognition that cloth masks fall short of cutting down sufficiently on the spread of Omicron. And Emily Oster discusses the risks of COVID for small children who can't get vaccinated.

- Tobias Debell and Mathieu Rousselin ask whether it's possible to move past the neoliberal belief system which has exacerbated the pandemic (along with so many other crises). And Andrew Parkin notes that while public opinion in Canada has changed very little in the wake of COVID-19, the general population remains strongly in favour of using the power of government to reduce inequality between the rich and the poor.

- Meanwhile, Branko Marcetic writes that Don't Look Up is particularly noteworthy in exposing the sheer stupidity of political discourse in comparison to the seriousness of the issues which actually require political resolution.

- David Wallace-Wells discusses the horrifying urban firestorms in Colorado as a new development in the breakdown of our climate. Harry Brechner, Anna Greenwood-Lee and Richard Kool call for a coherent and focused social fight to prevent it from deteriorating further. And Heather Short pushes people to move from words to direct climate action.

- Finally, Philip Goff writes that a land tax could go a long way toward ensuring the people with the most wealth contribute their fair share toward a society that works for everybody.