Tuesday Afternoon Links

 This and that for your Tuesday reading. 

- Olufemi Taiwo discusses how the political and corporate elite have declared that consequences for bad decisions will apply only to the plebes - even as events make clear that's not a viable strategy. And Rachel Louise Ensign and James Benedict point out the fifteen-digit wealth stash in the hands of older Americans - along with the reality that most of it figures to stagnate rather than being transferred or put to any positive use. 

- Natalie Donback reports on the efforts of cities to plan and rehearse for the most predictable climate disasters even as national governments subsidize their causes. And Oliver Milman reports on a new study finding that New Orleans for one will likely be swallowed up by the sea within a matter of decades. 

- Meanwhile, Jack Ewing reports on Costa Rica's success in fostering electric vehicle adoption by ensuring people have ready access to charging infrastructure.  

- Josh Taylor notes that public opposition to data centres is as strong in Australia as in much of the rest of the world. And Robert Walton writes that while the strain from power usage has drawn more attention so far, large data centres can be equally problematic in causing rapid load reductions which aren't accounted for in grid planning. 

- Finally, Erin Weir discusses how Saskatchewan is giving away its potash resources - and indeed incentivizing the shutdown of mines which pay more royalties. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Daisy Dunne examines the takeaways from the Santa Marta energy transition conference, which offered needed hope that it's possible to cooperate at a global level without dirty energy interests obstructing against any progress. And Daniela Gabor and Benjamin Braun write about the need for a transition to happen through careful planning rather than unmanaged shocks. 

- Curtis Williams and Helen Clark report that even in the midst of a fuel shock Woodside and other producers can't find viable markets for fossil gas. And Irina Slay points out how Asia is rapidly reducing its reliance on gas imports. 

- But Alex Cool-Fergus discusses Don Gillmor's observations on the degree to which Canada has been propagandized into equating the oil industry with the national interest in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Jon Auger highlights the pernicious role of low oil royalties in ensuring that Alberta remains dependent on oil extraction rather than being able to fund its own transition. And Abrahm Lustgarten exposes how oil tycoons are trying to influence U.S. judges to accept climate denialism as fact. 

- Naema Ahmed and Sarah Kaplan report on new research showing that the "more CO2 is good for plants!" spin of fossil fuel sycophants is false, as increase carbon dioxide instead results in the production of less nutritious food. 

- Finally, Ellen Cushing points out that emotional surveillance of individuals by employers and other powerful actors is one of the most worrisome outcomes of the proliferation of AI. Ben Beveridge highlights how the Sask Party's use of public resources to enrich Bell through a new data centre represents a prime example of how not to govern in the public interest. Arwa Mahdawi notes that beyond state-sanctioned abuses, the proliferation of police surveillance is also enabling law enforcement officials to use data or personal benefit. And Sam Freedman weighs in on the certainty that prediction markets will allow people to manipulate public events for the benefit of bettors. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Adam Serwer points out the glaring contrast between real accountability for bad actors in other countries, and the U.S.' culture of absolute elite impunity epitomized by the Trump regime. And the Boston Globe reports on the Republicans' deliberate trashing of institutional knowledge which served to benefit the general public. 

- Norm Farrell weighs in on the reality that clean renewable energy is also far more affordable than dirtier sources. But Carl Meyer reports on the Moe government's determination to burn a billion dollars and large amounts of avoidable coal just to prove it's above the law - even as the Libs show little inclination to enforce it. 

- Alexander Gazmararian, Nathan Jensen and Dustin Tingley study the Biden administration's failure to promote or take credit for its green investments - making it far too easy for Republicans to both take power and reverse course. 

- Dean Baker discusses some of the factors which figure to cause the eventual bursting of the AI bubble. And in case public opprobrium wasn't already high enough on the list, Clare Duffy and Leah Eadicicco report on Anthropic's sudden dismantling of any binding guardrails against the misuse of its system.   

- Finally, David Dayen writes that Kalshi and other prediction markets are inadvertently conceding that their platforms create the potential for deliberate manipulation that far exceeds any innocent or neutral purpose. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Garrett Graff writes about the importance of good character as the ultimate check on the abuse of power - even as the Trump regime looks to purge anything of the sort. And Bruce Arthur notes that Pierre Poilievre's inability to act as anything but an arsonist is starting (at long last) to be seen as a liability both within his party and in the broader political scene. 

- Simon Nixon highlights how China is taking control over global supplies of critical minerals - with a boost from Trump's flailing trade policies. Steff Chavez and Antoine Gara report that the regime's response has been to try to cut shady deals with big capital. Jon Shell warns that the Carney Libs' approval of the debt-financed U.S. takeover of a major refiner and gas supplier signals that they're entirely willing to play along. And Tammy Robert writes about the capital takeover of Saskatchewan farmland - and the Saskatchewan Party's role in undermining any attempt to monitor, let alone manage, foreign and private ownership. 

- Ben Casselman and Colby Smith report on the chasm between higher-income Americans with absurd amounts of money to spend, and an increasingly desperate working class. Matt Egan and Chris Isidore report on new data showing a surge in defaults on subprime car loans as a leading indicator of an economy about to collapse. 

- Meanwhile, Greg Ryan reports that Massachusetts' wealth tax continues to bring in even more revenue than projected - confirming that more progressive tax policy can produce far more fair outcomes. And  in another example of the options to align revenue generation with intrinsically desirable policy, Graham Redfearn notes that Australia is looking at ensuring that companies can't profit from breaking environmental laws. 

- Systems Change Lab examines the state of climate action - finding that while there's been some work done with measurable impacts, the overall picture is one of a grossly insufficient response to a well-known crisis. 

- Finally, the University of Leeds discusses new research showing how UK children are dying as a result of poverty. And Zoe Grunewald rightly calls for the Labour government to prioritize children's well-being over an ideological commitment to austerity. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Naomi Klein discusses how Canada is failing the basic test of resistance to a fascist regime. 

 

- Meanwhile, Linda McQuaig recognizes that Canadians have every reason to be disappointed in Mark Carney's choice to veer to the right and into the U.S.' corporate orbit, rather than governing based on the "elbows up" message at the core of his campaign. And Dale Smith writes that it's long past time to stop pretending that there's any point in negotiating with Donald Trump.

- Mike Allen reports on the corporate loyalty ratings which have been developed to ensure that political favouritism is the defining principle in the Trump White House's decision-making. And Maximillian Alvarez warns that Trump and his corporate backers are turning the entire U.S. into a giant environmental sacrifice zone.

- Tammy Robert discusses how the Sask Party's standard operating procedure in dealing with agricultural approvals (among other choices) is similarly to hand favours out to cronies with no regard for the public interest.

- Finally, Steven Lewis notes that the choice to build the medical system around private physician practices has long limited the effectiveness of social-level health planning - and is at the heart of a failing primary care system today. And Kevin Jiang discusses how people facing long COVID rightly feel like they've been forgotten by the health care system (and by governments generally).

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Roge Karma discusses how Donald Trump's tariff chaos is threatening to reinstate a consensus against any strategic decisions around trade. And Garrett Evans highlights how the contrast between free-flowing capital and constraints on public political influence results in distorted decision-making. 

- Hannah Natanson, Joseph Menn, Lisa Rein and Rachel Siegel report on the dangers of DOGE's illegal harvesting and pooling of sensitive personal information. And Jill Lawrence writes that one of the main uses Trump is making of government power is to wage information warfare - as full and accurate data sets are disappeared in favour of selectively-edited data and propaganda. 

- Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports on the Moe government's choice to lobby on behalf of the corporate pesticide industry at the expense of people's health. And Andrew Mitrovica discusses how petropoliticians including Pierre Poilievre and Danielle Smith are undermining any unified Canadian response to the Trump regime. 

- Meanwhile, Bill McKibben notes that countries which don't act as fully-owned subsidiaries of the oil sector are making significant progress in transitioning to cleaner and more efficient energy sources. And Kate Yoder examines new research showing that it's possible to prime public support for climate action by focusing on binary indications of the climate breakdown rather than less-visible trends.

- Finally, Alex Cosh writes that the polarized Canadian election result is best seen as a temporary response based on strategic considerations, rather than a locked-in expression of approval or transfer of support toward the largest parties. 

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. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Jessica Glenza reports on a new survey showing that the overwhelming majority of U.S. youth are (rightly) worried about the climate crisis. Pamela Swanigan argues that an imminent existential threat needs to be met with a campaign of courage, rather than a mere invocation of hope. And Adam Hanieh reminds us that any effort to mitigate the climate breakdown in progress will be met with the accumulated wealth and clout of one of the most powerful industries on the planet - which is determined to keep up carbon pollution as usual regardless of the human cost. 

- Carl Meyer reports that Canada's federal government is set to meet its schedule in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its own assets - making it all the more damning that private action continues to keep the country as a whole far behind schedule. And Felicity Bradstock discusses the rightful outcry against the UCP's determination to stifle clean energy. 

- Drew Anderson takes a look at the Moe government's plans to pour money into a Lake Diefenbaker irrigation scheme based solely on wishful thinking about the value of corporate giveaways (coupled with absolute denial that clean water or a healthy environment matter at all). And Geoff Leo exposes how Jeremy Harrison and the Saskatchewan Party purged a Crown corporation of whistleblowers in order to allow cronies to take it over for their own profit while neglecting to mention their multiple conflicts of interest. 

- Sheila Regehr and Ben Earle highlight the ample data showing that a basic income helps improve people's health and well-being without reducing their efforts to find work. But Kenan Malik is rightly aghast that multiple UK governments have shown more interest in pumping drugs into unemployed people in the hope it'll push them back to work than in recognizing even an ounce of human dignity. 

- Finally, Gerry McGovern is justifiably frustrated with the proliferation of junk data, while Zachary Basu points out the deliberate spreading of disinformation from Elon Musk and the rest of the alt-right. And Julia Angwin decries the TikTokification of social media as people have lost the ability to see what they value rather than what tech giants want to serve up, while Geoffrey Fowler calls out Instagram and other platforms for stifling personal political messages. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Blake Murdoch discusses how long COVID is harming a large number of children - and getting worse as constant reinfection has become the norm. Carly Cassaela discusses new research identifying the brain stem as a crucial site for its worst effects. And Heather Mallick writes about her experience with long COVID.

- Meanwhile, Sarah Boden writes that the public health measures taken at the start of the pandemic appear to have caused one strain of influenza to go extinct - showing again that the steps taken to limit the spread of COVID-19 also helped avoid other public health threats.

- Leslie Hart and Miranda Dziobak examine the growing body of knowledge as to the spread of toxic microplastics - which can be breathed in through the air as well as taken in through food and water. And Sandra Laville reports that most soft plastic collected for the ostensible purpose of recycling is instead burned, while Sean Amato reports on Alberta's choice to adopt the Beaverton's energy policy and encourage the burning of used tires. (Needless to say, the actual spin that "it's no worse for people than burning fossil fuels!" should be taken as a compelling reason to rein in the latter, not a basis to support the former.)

- Finally, Mary Stuart reports on the deep connections between the Flu Trux Klan and the BC Cons, while Peter Smith examines the sources of some of the conspiracy theories being peddled by the corporate class' choice of parties. And Pratyush Dayal reports on Scott Moe's sudden campaign announcement that using the power of government to bully trans kids is far higher on the Saskatchewan Party's priority list than such trifling considerations as health, welfare and affordability.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Geoffrey Deihl warns that this year's U.S. election may represent a point of no return in trying to avoid civilization-shaking climate breakdown (even if even the best possible result falls far short of ensuring the action we need). Tim Winton writes that it's understandable to experience rage and dread when we're treated as colonial subjects by politicians and tycoons who couldn't care less for our futures. And Jake Bittle points out that the costs of calamities like Hurricane Helene aren't currently accounted for - meaning that the general public will end up paying the price for the corporate-driven insistence on continuing to spew carbon pollution.

- Meanwhile, Christopher Oldcorn reports on Brett Dolter's observation that Saskatchewan can readily afford to be a full participant in Canada's clean energy system - contrary to the denialist impulses of the Sask Party and its fossil fuel backers. 

- Phillip Inman offers a reminder to UK Labour of the importance of investing in maintaining existing infrastructure rather than presuming the sole role of government is to pursue new and shiny photo-ops. And Maya Singer Hobbs discusses why new roads in particular are an unconscionable waste of public money compared to superior transportation options.

- Jamie Mann reports on the connections between the UK Cons and a billionaire family involved in blacklisting workers for daring to unionize.

- Finally, Trevor Herriot writes about the precipitous drop in Saskatchewan voter participation in recent elections - and the risk that a population which has given up on the possibility of change for the better will simply set itself up to be exploited all the more.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Paul Abela writes that the continual concentration of wealth is patently unsustainable. Alex Himelfarb discusses how neoliberalism has laid the groundwork for the violent authoritarianism of Donald Trump and his fascist fellow travelers. And Karen Landmand examines how private equity's takeover of health care in the U.S. is endangering patients' lives while driving health care workers out of their professions. 

- Josh Pringle reports on a new survey showing Canadian workers see substantial benefits from remote work (even as many employers have sought to put an end to it). And Cory Doctorow juxtaposes the impetus toward in-person control and extensive supervision with Wells Fargo's complete neglect of well-being to the point of leaving a dead employee rot for days. 

- Katia Lo Innes and Tannara Yelland take a look at the double-dipped donations from the corporate elite which are funding the Saskatchewan Party's election campaign. And Ricardo Acuna discusses how the UCP is determine to avoid anything resembling fair taxation. 

- Finally, Stephen Magusiak exposes the hasty scrubbing of the BC Cons' platform, while Andrew MacLeod points out a few questions which should be directed at John Rustad if he deigned to interact with actual journalists. And Rumneek Johal notes that even the sanitized version of the party's plans includes using the notwithstanding clause to lock up people dealing with substance addiction. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Avery Lotz reports on Al Gore's latest reminder that the fossil fuel sector is far better at capturing politicians than carbon pollution. And Max Fawcett discusses how the UCP continues to make polluter-paid its primary operating principle in dealing with the oil and gas sector. 

- Marietje Scheeka points out the dangers of treating "innovation" (defined as corporate impunity) as the sole end to be pursued through economic policy. And Pauline Gerrard writes about the need to keep plastics out of our fresh water.  

- Alex Hemingway rightly questions why municipalities are banning small, liveable apartment buildings while complaining about a housing crisis. 

- Kendal David and Hannah Owczar note that Leah Gazan's basic income bill offers an immediate chance to move toward eradicating poverty in Canada. 

- Finally, Randy Robinson points out how the Ford PCs use big headline numbers to paper over real cuts to public services - and it's well worth noting the similar pattern of the Moe government as it pretends not to have starved Saskatchewan's health and education systems. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Monday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- The Climate Change Performance Update's latest update shows Canada tumbling to the bottom of the world's development countries in climate performance - even as right-wing petropoliticians demand that we make matters worse. Justin Ling discusses how we've ended up with that painful gap between any reasonable response to the climate crisis and what's seen as politically possible, while Colin Bruce Anthes makes the case for a sharp shift toward direct government intervention as a carbon tax put in place to appease free-market zealots faces imminent execution at the hands of Canada's corporate party. And Bill McKibben rightly opines that the business sector's antipathy toward protecting our living environment can only be seen as suicidal. 

- Meanwhile, Aliénor Rougeot and Anna McIntosh note that beyond their feeble climate policy, the Libs have also failed to address water pollution from the tar sands. And Rachel Uda reports on new research showing that the microplastics shed by the oil industry's backup plan to continue production can produce increased risks of heart attacks and stroke beyond their other harmful environmental effects. 

- George Monbiot laments the reality that we've allowed our politics and societies to be dominated by bullies. And John Harris discusses how a new political movement rooted in nature is beginning to build up strength in the UK. 

- Rosa Marchitelli and Jenn Blair report on the poisoning of multiple teenaged Co-op employees with carbon monoxide - and the Sask Party government's choice not to hold the employer responsible for repeatedly exposing young workers to severe risks.  

- Finally, Jason Markusoff discusses the UCP's plans to subject all university research in Alberta to alt-right ideological screening. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jenna Wenkoff discusses how "ethical oil" is purely a (risible) marketing concept rather than any meaningful description of actual fossil fuel operations, while Chris Russell discusses how the tar sands' environmental disinformation is even worse than people assume. Ian Urquhart writes that the UCP's fervent ideological aversion to clean energy is resulting in it blocking viable development. And Jeremy Appel reveals the details of Danielle Smith's publicly-funded trip to undermine any climate progress in Dubai. 

- Bob Weber reports on the release of documents showing how the UCP conspired to push open-pit coal mining in the Rocky Mountains without any public scrutiny. And Gregory Beatty discusses how Scott Moe is bent on further endangering Saskatchewan's already-precarious water supply by planning to suck up massive amounts for industrial and irrigation use while undermining the natural wetlands which help protect water quality. 

- Meanwhile, Nature offers a warning that fossil fuel lobbyists are undermining any effort at developing a treaty to account for the dangers of plastics pollution. 

- Adele Peters discusses how thoughtful lawmaking can make a massive difference, as Oregon's right-to-repair law is forcing Apple and other manufacturers to start making part replacement an option rather than pushing people to discard their products and buy new. 

- Finally, Bob McDonald interviews Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly about the latest studies showing COVID-19's long-term impacts on the brain. And Nhung Trinh et al. find that a large set of data from Norway supports the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the prevalence and severity of long COVID.

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Anthony Newall et al. study the effects of the influenza vaccine - finding that each percentage point in vaccine uptake saves over a thousand U.S. lives which would otherwise have been lost to the flu and pneumonia. And Kit O'Connell discusses how people suffering from long COVID are advocating for a healthier living environment for everybody.

- Chris Hatch writes that the narrow focus on carbon taxes which dominates Canada's climate change policy discussion misses the far more important realities of a global crisis in progress. And Benjamin Shingler reports on Environmental Defence's latest study showing how the federal government continues to subsidize dirty energy, while Kendall Latimer notes that the official policy of the Saskatchewan Party remains one of strict climate denialism. 

- Daniel Otis takes note of an internal RCMP report showing that we're trending toward disaster on multiple fronts (though of course in ways that the Cons only want to exacerbate). Peter Walker writes that the U.K. Cons along with other right-wing parties are eagerly copying the Trump playbook of constant disinformation and bullying. And Abby Ferber discusses how the U.S.' bigoted right has set back racial progress by decades with a concerted attack ideas as basic as diversity and inclusion. 

- Angus Deaton writes about the lessons he's learned about the failings and frailties of capitalist orthodoxy. 

- Finally, Ian Welsh discusses the converse of the key principle that anything we can do, we can afford: when crisis hits, we can't afford anything which we've abandoned the capacity to accomplish. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to end your week.

- Amy Peng et al. examine the profound positive impact of mask mandates in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario. And Sheena Cruickshank warns about the avoidable harm we can expect as so many respond to the political and social signals to abandon all precautions in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. 

- Luis Guanter et al. document an immense methane leak from a single well blowout in Kazakhstan. Michael Barnard offers a reminder that the definition of a carbon capture and storage "success story" is the release of 25 times more carbon pollution than is captured.

- Zoe Yunker reports on the federal government's choice to scrap pipe supply and testing requirements for a particularly treacherous stretch of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Fatima Syed discusses how the Ford government has suppressed a study which shows how the climate crisis endangers numerous facets of life in Ontario. And Raidin Blue and Betsy Again study (PDF) how bottlenecks in labour and material supplies are among the obstacles to making buildings more energy-efficient - making clear that the price of subsidizing dirty energy expansion is to divert the resources needed to transition to a cleaner economy. 

- Matthew Kurtz examines the problems with making educational institutions beholden to capital investments.

- Finally, Erika Shaker writes that trans children deserve far better than to be used as pawns in the right's culture wars. Rob Reiner discusses how hostility toward diversity is behind the willingness of U.S. religious nationalists to support Donald Trump. And Laura Woodward reports on the appalling demand by a Saskatoon church to shut down support services for homeless people - and how it's being echoed in Sask Party policy. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Cordell Jacks writes about the need for an economic model which evolves beyond the short-term exploitation of people and the planet. And Jessica McKenzie interviews Charlotte Kukowski about the importance of reprioritizing in the context of readily-apparent feedback loops between inequality and the climate crisis. 

- Daria Shapovalova reports on a landmark court decision determining that oil companies won't be able to avoid answering for downstream emissions in environmental assessments in Norway. But sadly, both Canada and the UK are continuing to rush through as much extraction and export as possible before anybody applies that standard to their fossil fuel sectors. 

- Marcus Baram reports on new legislation under consideration in New York which would ensure that large-scale wage thieves lose the privilege of doing business. 

- Adam King writes about the fight of Saskatchewan's teachers for tolerable working and learning conditions - and the Moe government's determination to avoid providing anything of the sort. 

- Aaron Wherry asks whether Justin Trudeau is reaching the point of regretting not keeping his promise of a fair and proportional electoral system. 

- Finally, Luke LeBrun points out that Stephen Harper's International Democrat Union has quietly scrubbed its links to Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party - though the main news appears to be that  there exists a level of authoritarianism that even the IDU will disclaim. 

On harm exacerbation

Ryan Meili offers an important values-based critique of the Sask Party's "do more harm" policy on addictions treatment. But it's worth taking a closer look at who stands to benefit from the pursuit of harm maximization and treatment-for-profit.

A single private business, ROSC Solutions Group, has been trotted out by the Moe government at various points as an adviser and author of a report, an "expert" validator and a source of rebuttals against the people calling to continue work on harm reduction. 

Presumably that combination of consulting and PR work hasn't been carried out for free. And it's telling that the primary party apparently willing to say anything supporting the Sask Party's position is the one which has been hand-selected and paid to support the government's line. 

Meanwhile, it's abundantly clear who stands to receive ongoing public funding as a result of the plan.

As part of the incomplete list of spaces to date, EHN Canada is listed as being funded for both virtual and in-treatment care. (The inclusion of virtual programs as part of the government's promised number of spaces is left as a degradation of health services for another day.)

And in case there's any doubt about its goal of using public funds to build a private care system, EHN's own intake page for online services lists Saskatchewan's funding alongside a general assumption of patient-paid treatment:

Worried About Paying For Treatment? 

We know not everyone has the same financial situation. There are options when it comes to covering the cost of treatment, give us a call to discuss the possibilities. 

We are proud to have partnered with the Saskatchewan Health Authority to provide funded treatment for our online substance use disorder program to residents of Saskatchewan. Click here to learn more.

Not surprisingly, both of those actors seeking to profit from attacking harm reduction and emphasizing unregulated, for-profit "recovery" are tied into similar movements in B.C. and Alberta - as documented by Rumneek Johal last year. (ROSC is listed as having done similar work for Alberta, while EHN has a dubious and controversial history of work in both B.C. and Alberta.)

To be sure, there's also a moralistic "war on some people using some drugs" at play as well. But while the cruelty may be the point for parts of the Sask Party's base, the overarching purpose again looks to be the funneling of public money into connected businesses - no matter how much harm is done as a result.