Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Donal Gill and Isaac Peltz discuss the need to strengthen Canada's democracy against a descent into nihilistic populism like the one looming in the UK. And Kelly Hayes emphasizes the particular need to maintain - and act on - a sense of decency when institutional forces are actively looking to destroy anything of the sort. 

- On that front, Sarah Kendzior discusses how the Republican government shutdown fits perfectly with their view that power exists only for self-dealing and vengeance. Mari Eccles reports on a new European Ombudsman investigation into secret meetings leading to regulatory giveaways to corporate interests. And Christopher White interviews Tzeporah Berman about the fossil fuel industry's hijacking of climate change policymaking. 

- Meanwhile, the newest Lancet Countdown report documents how millions of people are dying each year due to the fossil fuel dependence being forced on us by the people whose obscene wealth is tied to continued carbon pollution. 

- Rebecca Graff-McRae discusses how the Smith UCP has abandoned preventative public health to cater to conspiracy theorists. And Crawford Kilian rightly argues that vaccinations should be free to all Canadians - not restricted by geography, age, profession or other barriers which serve only to facilitate the spread of preventable disease. 

- Finally, Danyaal Raza makes the case for universal pharmacare as a nation-building project.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Amanda Marcotte writes that Joni Ernst's latest pro-death messaging is just another example of the Republican war on empathy and human decency. And Wajahat Ali discusses how dehumanization aimed first at trans people (among other marginalized groups) is being universalized into a general attack on public well-being. 

- Shannon Osaka reports on new data from the World Meteoroligical Organization warning that we're blowing past dangerous levels of global warming years sooner than previously projected. Phil de Luna examines how wildfires are among the disasters making homes uninsurable due to the ongoing climate breakdown. And Solomon Gebrechorkos et al. examine how atmospheric evaporative demand alone is resulting in a massive rise in drought severity. 

- Elizabeth Thompson reports that Trump's budget includes plans to squeeze Canadian investors (while showering free money on other capital). But Jeremy Appel writes that Mark Carney has chosen to bend the knee to Trump by imposing a severe surveillance state in response to fabricated complaints, even as Canada is being singled out for discrimination. 

- Finally, Alex Hemingway examines how a wealth tax could both strengthen Canada's position globally and alleviate inequality and deprivation within it. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Krugman examines the regressiveness and cruelty of the Republicans' planned budget which imposes massive costs on those who already have the least in order to fund tax cuts for the uber-wealthy. Sam W writes about the "let them skip meals" demand being made of people suffering already in poverty. And Jessica Donati et al. report on the amount of food aid currently rotting away due to the Trump regime's callousness, instead of going to people in developing countries who relied on it to survive. 

- In case there was any doubt whether the American public is on side with being under constant attack in a one-sided class war, Aaron Sojourner and Adam Reich note that public opinion is simultaneously supportive of unions and enraged at big business. But Josh Marshall rightly criticizes the establishment Democrats who are refusing to fight. 

- David Suzuki discusses how the concentration of wealth can be traced to the destruction of our living environment.  Amanda McKenzie notes that emission targets mean nothing if they're not paired with action to meet them (and through actual emission cuts rather than accounting tricks). Marc Lee writes that B.C.'s choice to lock in decades of fossil gas exports is nothing to celebrate, while Fenner Stewart examines how Canada's dirty energy industry has foisted the cost of its operations off on the public. And Mitchell Beer points out Mark Carney's stark choice between taking a golden opportunity to work toward a just transition, and allowing oil and gas magnates to saddle us with a dying and unsustainable economic policy. 

- We Don't Have Time points out how global temperatures continue to soar due to carbon pollution, while Chris Hatch notes that we're likely to see another summer of extreme wildfires. And Brendan Montague comments on the need for climate policy to reflect the worsening risks and realities. 

- Finally, Laurent Carbonneau discusses how Canada is handing out more and more corporate subsidies compared to its investment in people - while seeing no apparent benefit. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Michael Harriot writes that the U.S. is past the point of being able to talk about mere threats to democracy, and needs instead to start from the reality that it's operating under a fascist regime. Hamilton Nolan warns that the most comfortable and privileged people aren't about to lead the resistance. Jill Lawrence talks to Phil Satre about the long-standing recognition among his business and social peers that Donald Trump is incapable of dealing with people in good faith. And Daniel Schuman discusses the Trump regime's plans to effectively eliminate the legislative branch of government, while Bo Erickson reports on the choice of compliant Republicans to eliminate their own authority to reverse Trump's tariff madness. 

- Courtney Kube, Gordon Lubold and Carol Lee report on Trump's steps to take military control of the Panama Canal, while Robald Diebert writes that Justin Trudeau's initial attempt at accommodation is giving Trump what he wants in putting Canada under the control of a police state. And the National Review weighs on why Trump's attempts to take Canada by force are utterly reckless, while David Moscrop discusses why that doesn't mean he'll abandon them anytime soon. 

- Robert Reich writes about the need for a renewed free speech movement which takes up the mantle of civil rights. And Christopher Holcroft writes about the need to push back against the Trump regime's propaganda machine machine in Canada, while the Canadian Press reports on new Manitoba legislation aimed at holding parties responsible for election disinformation. 

- Finally, Steve Lambert reports on another new Manitoba bill to treat people with communicable diseases as patients rather than prisoners. And in a particularly noteworthy advancement worth emulating elsewhere, Carol Sanders reports on the Kinew government's introduction of legislation ensuring an active focus on the psychological well-being of workers. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Tim Snyder calls out the coup in progress as unelected lackeys take over major elements of the U.S.' government, while Jamelle Bouie rightly makes the case that the damage being done to the U.S.' constitutional order by the combination of a power-mad executive and fully compliant legislative branch is irreversible. Elizabeth Popp Berman discusses how unilateral control over government payments by an unelected political crony represents the end of any pretense of democracy, while David Dayen points out the flagrant illegality of Elon Musk's usurpation of that power. Jill Filipovic writes about the Trump administration's scheme to asset-strip the U.S. government. 

- Robert Reich writes that the point of Trump's trade posturing is to demonstrate a willingness to punish anybody who doesn't bow before him. Kaylin Hamilton discusses the futility of limiting opposition to demands for civility which ultimately serve only to further empower those already in control. And Greg Sargent interviews Andy Craig about the options that are available to meaningfully respond - including loud protest backed by every available action. 

- Paresh Dave and Caroline Haskins report that Google's place within the new authoritarian regime includes reversing a policy which previously prohibited its AI from being used for weapons and surveillance. Oliver Milman reports on the state of fear among scientists as all accurate information about climate change is purged from official sources. And Jeff Tollefson points out the impending clash between a regime insistent on pushing dirty fossil fuels to enrich a major donor group, and a transition to more affordable clean energy already in progress. 

- Pete McMartin discusses why Canada and other countries aren't about to ignore or forget the U.S.' bullying even if some immediate threats are being delayed, while Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean comments on the warnings we've received against future reliance on the U.S. Crawford Kilian's proposed resistance against Trump's extortion includes building closer international ties while treating collaborators' brands as toxic. Paul Wells makes the case for applying our own tariffs rather than letting Trump continue to make threats with apparent impunity. And Heather McPherson discusses what a principled and courageous foreign policy would properly include. 

- Finally, Gaby Hinsliff writes that no country can afford to appease or encourage a regime which is willing to wreck the world. And Andy Bounds reports on the EU's ability to target tech giants and intellectual property monopolies as part of an anti-coercion response. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your new year.

- Michael Mann and Peter Hotez write about the combined threat posed by climate change, pandemics and an anti-science message which makes it far more difficult to deal with real problems. Katharine Hayhoe offers a year-end summary of the state of the climate - featuring the juxtaposition of a climate breaking down faster than previously assumed with growing recognition that we have (but are failing to implement) means to stop the harm. And Holly Elser et al. study how the effects of wildfire smoke include increased risks of dementia and other brain damage. 

- Andrew Egger highlights how Republicans have become trained to reward chaos agents while seeing actual governance as a problem. Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein discuss how the plan for Donald Trump's second term is to replace any trace of public service with patrimonialism based solely on Trump's connections and interests. 

- Jared Yates Sexton offers his take on how Americans need to prepare for Trump's ascension to power. And Ian Dunt notes that the most important individual action will be to act with decency even in the face of a government bent on cruelty. 

- Finally, Paul Krugman discusses how social media fits into the culture of generating profits from addictions. And Thor Benson interviews Ryan Cooper about the options available to build a new information ecosystem beyond the poisoned social media giants. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Michael Scherer and Josh Dawsey document the dark-money false flag operation used by Republicans and their wealthy owners to depress Democratic turnout. And Justin Ling calls out Pierre Poilievre for relying on absurd claims to try to generate outrage within the Cons' low-information base. 

- Meanwhile, Thomas Zimmer laments how the U.S.' upper class is indicating its plans to accommodate Donald Trump's authoritarianism in order to preserve its position of privilege. 

- Clement Nocos discusses how Justin Trudeau's temporary GST giveaway is a poor substitute for removing consumption taxes from essential goods. And Danyaal Raza points out that Canadians in general are paying for the private health insurance that's prioritizing the wealthy and undermining our public health care system. 

- Mike Moffatt points out that mixed-use, walkable neighbourhoods can do wonders to both alleviate the housing crisis and minimize avoidable carbon pollution. And Iglika Ivanova and Anastasia French discuss how soaring housing costs are driving up the living wage needed to get by in Vancouver (among other cities). 

- Finally, Nadia Hasan writes about the need for real disability benefits to account for the fact that most people will be disabled at some point. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your Saskatchewan election day reading. And if you haven't voted yet, now's the time! (Update: Also, ReginaPosterBoy's summary of the Sask Party's track record (via Cathie) is well worth a look.)

- Alex Birrell and Sophie Jin report on the children who have died in Regina's underresourced shelter system. And Peter Zimonjic reports on Scott Moe's refusal to even reply to the federal government about any plan to provide people with needed housing over the winter. 

- Alex Ballos, Bashir Bello and Jared Wesley call out the UCP for importing the U.S. Republican playbook to Alberta (after providing no warning whatsoever in the province's election campaign). And Ben Quinn discusses how the UK's National Trust has fought back against anti-environmental disinformation. 

- Wes Davis and Richard Lawler report on the attempt by cable, home security and advertising lobby groups to block any attempt to make it easy for consumers to unsubscribe from services. And Freddy Brewster reports on the business groups pushing to eliminate any liability for the nondisclosure of business failures - and in the process confirming that any rhetoric about shareholder interests is secondary to the presumed supremacy of unaccountable corporate insiders. 

- Meanwhile, both Will Bunch and Noah Berlatsky offer scathing criticisms of the billionaire media owners who have chosen to bow down preemptively in the face Donald Trump's plans to misuse public power to punish his enemies, rather than allowing for editorial decisions to support democracy and the rule of law. 

- Finally, John Cartwright writes that the answer to destructive right-wing populism and atomization is to work on building a society that focused on public well-being. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- William Ripple et al. provide an update on the state of the Earth based on 2024 data, and warn that we're continuing to spew carbon pollution even as it precipitates an active global emergency. Ripple and Thomas Newsome also discuss the implications of a projected path toward nearly 3 degrees Celsius of global warming. And each of Wim Carton and Andreas Malm and Peter de Kruijff warn that even leaving aside the folly of procrastinating on the preservation of a liveable environment, any planned "overshoot" of climate targets is highly likely to produce consequences that can't be reversed. 

- Peter Hannam reports on a new study showing that in Australia (as in many other jurisdictions) the fossil fuel industry is emitting far more methane than it's reporting. 

- Ajit Niranjan reports on the Clean Air Fund's observation that wealthy countries are pouring foreign aid into further fossil fuel development. And Isabella Kaminski points out the justified shock and outrage at the UK's plan to claim the burning of biomass fuel from North Korea and Afghanistan as a credit based on the inexplicable design of emission credit systems. 

- Amber Bracken documents how people in Fort Chipewyan are fighting for their lives in the face of water pollution and government denialism. And Will Falk discusses how Utah's response to the destruction of the Great Salt Lake by data centers has been to try to stop anybody from advancing rights of nature. 

- Finally, Ashleigh Fields reports on new research showing that the increases in the risk of strokes and heart attacks caused by COVID-19 can last for years after a single infection. And Sheryl Gay Stolberg discusses how U.S. Republicans are planning to make hostility to public health a foundational governing principle. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Joelle Gergis offers a reminder that we're running out of time to avert a climate calamity - and that the only reasonable goal is a rapid push toward zero emissions, not yet another decades-away "net zero" target divorced from any action which could possibly result in its achievement. Umair Irfan discusses how solar energy is far exceeding even the most optimistic projections in both price and deployment, making any fossil fuel-based power generation (or delay tactics built around nuclear distractions) into a clear financial loser for everybody but the oil and gas sector. And Abdul Martin Safraz reports on the Toronto Transit Commission's refusal of false advertising from the fossil fuel sector as an example worth emulating.

- Meanwhile, Jon Queally reports on the pesticide industry's use of public money to target people who dare to point out the environmental and health harms caused by chemical pollution. 

- Polly Thompson discusses how the executive-driven edicts requiring full-time in-office work reflect the real-world consequences of a corporate echo chamber. And John Quiggin notes that the objective success of remote work only shows how the CEO class doesn't deserve the level of entitlement it's claimed - and indeed seems to serve little useful purpose at all.

- Finally, Thomas Zimmer highlights how Project 2025 is shifting votes toward Democrats by providing rare advance warning of what the Republicans plan to do if handed any more power.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Annika Stechemesser et al. study the effectiveness of various countries' climate policies - and find that while carbon pricing is a necessary element in achieving emission reductions, it needs to be part of a full policy mix in order to get us anywhere near a country's Paris commitments. Dana Nuccitelli offers a reminder that the climate crisis represents a collective action problem where it's essential for everybody to be part of the solution (rather than looking for excuses to refuse). And Lisa Friedman writes about Kamala Harris' rightful characterization of climate policy as an issue of freedom - with the fossil fuel industry wanting nothing more than to eliminate any choice other than to keep feeding it profits by blocking cheaper and cleaner energy alternatives.

- Meanwhile, Flora Graham discusses the role of flash droughts in contributing to Canada's catastrophic string of wildfires. And Luca Ittimani reports on the unprecedented "heat engine" resulting in summer weather in the middle of Australia's winter season,

- Northwestern University examines how COVID-19 has mutated to more easily infect the central nervous system.

- Finally, Ali Velshi highlights how Project 2025 sets out the U.S. Republicans plan to undermine the wages and bargaining power of workers if they get the chance. And Tom Wall discusses how life as a gig worker in the UK is only getting more precarious - as a decade and a half of eliminating protections for migrant workers has only resulted in deteriorating conditions for everybody.

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Leslie Sattler discusses new research showing that carbon concentrations are continuing to increase by record amounts. David King writes about the immediate and large-scale changes needed to avert an imminent climate catastrophe. And Mohammed Muizzi writes about the existential threat facing the Maldives and other low-lying areas as a result of carbon pollution from wealthier countries.

- Cynthia McCormick Hibbert points out a new study suggesting that the environmental harms of microplastics may include reducing the ability of oceans to absorb atmospheric carbon. Zoe Schlanger discusses Maine's attempt to respond to the ubiquitous threat of PFA "forever chemicals" in water. And Sattler also notes that sandwich bags are rife with PFAs. 

- Meanwhile, Carl Meyer reports on the attempt by the tar sands-based Pathways Alliance to both evade any environmental assessments for planned megaprojects, and help itself to massive amounts of public money in the process. 

- Caitlin Owens discusses the mental health crisis which may have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, but which continues to hamper wide swaths of people. And Jonathan Ore writes about the "great exhaustion" arising out of a combination of work and social stressors.  

- Aaron Wherry writes about Food Banks Canada's report card indicating that the Libs are barely treading water in ameliorating poverty (while right-wing provincial governments are doing no better and the Cons are bent on making matters even worse). And Thom Hartmann highlights the U.S. Republicans' "mudsill" theory which relies on a trapped underclass of labour to further enrich the already-wealthy. 

- Finally, Timothy Cooke writes about Josh Chernofsky's escape from the alt-right's cult. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jessica Wildfire writes about the desperation to return to some past normal (stoked of course by the people who profit from it) which is leading far too many to take obviously reckless risks with their health in the midst of a pandemic. And Kevin Jiang points out that it isn't only people's lungs being harmed by wildfire smoke, as "smoke brain" is also resulting in devastating health impacts. 

- John Timmer discusses the contradiction between the U.S. public's general desire for action to avert a climate breakdown, and its disapproval of many of the steps needed to get there. And Ryan Cooper points out that the car culture which dominates development patterns in the U.S. and Canada can only be seen as a death cult. 

- Matt Stoller and David Dayen comment on the urgent need to move past neoliberalism as its harm to the bulk of the population becomes inescapable. And Chris capper Liebenthal writes that the destruction of the Titan submersible (and the deaths of its occupants) can be traced entirely to laissez-faire capitalism run amok. 

- Finally, Phil Paine discusses how an educated and active populace is vital to democratic governance. Which should mean it's little surprise that the right is pushing to expand the use of child labour - both to undermine the bargaining power of workers, and to reduce the prospect that citizens will be sufficiently informed and engaged to exercise their franchise effectively. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Jenna Cartusciello examines the connections between COVID-19 and gastrointestinal issues as yet another poorly-studied and potentially long-lasting effect of infection with a disease we're being told not to worry about. And Omar Mosleh reports on the backsliding in Canadian public health as diseases long understood to be eradicated are surging thanks in large part to anti-vaxxer ideology.

- Steven Lewis discusses the breaches of the Canada Health Act which are already undermining universal public health care while threatening to get worse if left unaddressed. 

- Lisa Harris, Calvin Sandborn, Matt Hulse and Leah Temper write that we can't afford to let oil-soaked disinformation obstruct the action needed to avert catastrophic climate change. And Patrick Greenfield reports on Denis Hayes' rightful condemnation of the use of Earth Day to greenwash environmental destruction by fossil fuel giants.

- Meanwhile, Michelle Lewis reports on the development of a new EV truck battery which offers the prospect of powering a heavy truck for 1.5 million kilometres while being manufactured with less impact than existing options. And Geoff Meggs writes about the combination of social and environmental benefits from the Squamish First Nation's Sen̓áḵw project - while noting the need for far more where it came from.

- Finally, Robert Reich discusses how the Republicans are hurtling ever faster toward fascism by removing elected representatives who dare to assert the humanity of the people they're looking to silence.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Ed Yong discusses how the brutal realities of long COVID are being systematically erased from the public eye. And Josh Lynn reports on the state of crisis in a Saskatchewan hospital - even as the Moe government's top priority is to squelch any public awareness of the desperate circumstances facing patients and health care workers alike. 

- Ian Urquhart contrasts the self-congratulatory spin of the federal Libs against Canada's already-miserable track record of failing to even approach any of our climate change targets. And Steve Lorteau writes about the harm being done by state-owned polluters, while Troy Farah discusses the role of the rich in exacerbating both a climate breakdown and the harm it does to the rest of humanity. 

- Cory Doctorow discusses the cruelty behind the Republicans' constant attacks on people's access to the necessities of life. Umair Haque writes about the social collapse evidenced by the fear and violence that's led to a spate of shootings at doorsteps and in public places. And Robert Reich points out that Fox News' settlement with Dominion Voting Systems is designed to turn the consequences of deliberate lies about electoral outcomes into a readily-affordable cost of engaging in the fearmongering business.  

- Finally, Jared Wesley writes that Alberta's impending election reflects a referendum on democracy itself, as the rule of law figures to have little chance to survive another term of UCP government. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Meara Conway examines the absolute frivolousness of the Saskatchewan Party's Ottawa-bashing, while Stephen Magusiak offers a reminder of the oil-backed astroturf project behind Alberta sovereignty messaging (and its Saskatchewan copycats). And Simon Enoch discusses Scott Moe's choice to keep underfunding public services even when the province has more money than it knows what to do with. 

- Meanwhile, Sheila Block, Randy Robinson and Ricardo Tranjan point out that Doug Ford has chosen to "balance" Ontario's budget by starving public services which are already on the brink of collapse. And Helena Pamic discusses how food banks are having to serve a growing share of Ontario's working class as the necessities of life become increasingly unaffordable.

- Adam McKay rightly points out that we're continuing to fail to treat the climate crisis as an emergency even as its direct effects become all the more frequent and stark. And Andrew Nikiforuk writes that by any reasonable measure, the skyrocketing price tag on the climate-busting Trans Mountain pipeline expansion would be treated as a massive scandal.

- Finally, Timothy Noah discusses how the Republicans (who of course set the agenda for Canada's Cons and their right-wing allies) have become unabashed cheerleaders for the exploitation of child labour.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the need for a revolution in ventilation practices to limit the spread of COVID-19 and other illnesses. Emmanuel Heilmann et al. study the risks of relying on antiviral drugs rather than preventative measures, as it fuels the evolution of newer and less controllable variants. And Gregg Gonsalves calls out far too many media outlets for making a concerted choice to silence any continued discussion about the COVID-19 pandemic and other avoidable risks to health which are crying out for policy solutions. 

- Stuart Benson talks to David Fisman about the need for any federal health-care funding to Canada's provinces to be paired with accountability measures - particularly based on the provinces' choice to pocket pandemic resources rather than actually using them for their intended purposes. And Isaac Callan and Colin D'Mello report on the Doug Ford PCs' infuriating refusal to even acknowledge how many workers are needed to fill in existing gaps in the province's health care system. 

- Tracy Sherlock and Xavier Richer Vis report on the fossil fuel sector's lucrative lobbying which resulted in it being handed billions of federal dollars. And Robert Ascah discusses how oil and gas companies are pocketing windfall profits while sticking consumers with intolerable prices and demanding that governments clean up their pollution at public expense.  

- Finally, Robert Reich writes about the coalition of oligarchs and violent bigots which dominates the U.S.' Republican Party. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes that what information we continue to receive about COVID shows that we can't afford to stop working on preventing its spread. And Katherine Wu offers a warning as to what this winter's flu season might bring based on the experience of southern-hemisphere countries over the summer. 

- Umain Haque points out that we should have a fairly easy decision to make in determining whether to fund a transition to clean energy - as the price of doing the work would pay for itself in six years, while the long-term cost of failure is an existential threat to civilization. Max Wakefield discusses how the UK is paying an alarming price - while fossil fuel operators rake in gigantic windfall profits - due to its subsidization of oil and gas over efficiency and renewable energy. And Damien Gayle reports on research showing how oil giants' much-publicized funding for clean alternatives is a tiny fraction of the riches they've hoarded by perpetuating dirty energy. 

- Meanwhile, Damian Carrington reports on a new study showing that we're passing or approaching some of the most crucial tipping points in determining whether we fall into catastrophic climate breakdown. And David Wallace-Wells discusses how massive floods are exposing Pakistan's vulnerability to extreme weather events. 

- Eric Gardner points out that discount stores are the latest example of corporate behemoths filling their coffers at the expense of affordable necessities for workers. Charles Rusnell and Jennie Russell expose the Calgary Police Service's ties to a seedy California degree mill which is supposedly providing training on crisis intervention. And Kaley Kennedy writes about the need to take profits out of child care. 

- Finally, Madeleine Carlisle discusses how U.S. libraries are in the cross-hairs due to Republican efforts to disappear books which could result in the inconvenient development of empathy and recognition of diversity. Jeff Labine warns that the extreme right is looking to take over school boards in Canada as it's already managed to do south of the border. And Bob Hepburn calls out Pierre Poilievre for fomenting the deplorable culture of bigotry and exclusion. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Ontario's COVID-19 Science Table has published a primer on long COVID (and the need for associated supports) just in time to be abolished for interfering with the Ford PCs' message that everything is fine. Sri Taylor reports on a massive jump in U.S. cases as students have returned to classes. And Marilyn Thompson and Jenny Deam report on how Republicans in power are using the force of the state to cater to anti-vaxxers and Trumpist quackery while imposing intolerable demands on already-strained hospitals. 

- Meanwhile, Ja'han Jones writes about the poisoning of black America as a result of selectively inadequate infrastructure and deference to corporate polluters. 

- Emily Stewart interviews Nathan Tankus about the need for an authority with the ability to take rational steps in response to imminent inflation, rather relying solely on an after-the-fact response which is limited to suppressing wages and killing jobs. And Grace Blakeley writes that the UK can't afford another bout of Con austerity, while Umair Haque identifies it as the country offering the most jarring example of how not to succeed in the 21st century. 

- Kenneth Mohamed writes about the need to rein in an oil industry that's destroying our living environment in order to extract gigantic windfall profits. Max Moran points out that any plan for a just transition needs to include the development of a civil service capable of doing the work. And Brady Dennis reports on new research showing the massive amounts of land which the U.S. stands to lose to rising sea levels. 

- Finally, Bruce Arthur discusses the futility of trying to argue with radicalized rightists who are impervious to facts and rational debate. And Meghan Grant and Rachel Ward report on the attempt by Flu Trux Klan fanatics to smuggle guns into what were billed as peaceful protests - a plan which was foiled only by the fact that undercover officers were selected to carry out the operation. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Elizabeth Yuko reports on the Biden administration's creation of an office to address long COVID, while Joe Middleton reports on the soaring number of Britons excluded from economic and social participation due to the disease. And Erin Prater reports on new CDC research finding large numbers of rare pediatric health problems caused by COVID-19. 

- Jacelyn Wingerter discusses her chaotic experience as a newly-employed nurse in a collapsed Saskatchewan health care system. And Madeline Smith reports that Edmonton is the latest home of systematized hallway medicine as emergency rooms struggle to cope with their case loads.  

- Paul Sinclair writes that nobody can afford continued delay in working to avert a climate breakdown. Damian Carrington examines how the global warming already locked in is exacerbating the effects of extreme weather. And David Gelles reports on the Republican climate destruction zealots who are not only refusing to take any action to rein in climate change, but setting out to punish anybody who tries. 

- Jason Warick follows up on the growing list of students reporting abuse at the private schools which have been promoted and funded by the Saskatchewan Party, even as the government provides its tacit approval by refusing to lift a finger to protect students unless a police investigation results in criminal charges. 

- Finally, Nathan Robinson reviews Luke Savage's The Dead Center as making a compelling case against establishment liberalism which couples a professed commitment to positive social change with a determination to put barriers in its way.