Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Carl Meyer explains how the Carney Libs are looking to push resource extraction at the expense of social and environmental realities to an extent beyond even the Harper Cons. And Corporate Europe Observatory criticizes the European Commission for likewise trashing needed regulations and subsidizing fossil fuels. 

- Meanwhile, Keith Brooks calls Mark Carney out for managing to turn even an electrification strategy into a means of prolonging fossil fuel dependency. And Alex Ballingall reports that after scrapping nearly every other means of limiting carbon pollution other than the industrial carbon price, Carney is now allowing Danielle Smith to undermine that.

- And in case anybody was under the illusion that there aren't superior alternatives to fossil fuels already available, Ben Feshbach, Ellie Garland and Julia Meisel highlight how the U.S. (like Canada) has immense geothermal power potential which is going unused due to the policy choice to favour dirty energy. 

- Elizabeth Elder and Neal O'Brien study the polarization of health outcomes in the U.S., as the anti-science ideology of Republicans is systematically resulting in shorter and sicker lives. And Joe Vipond, Dick Zoutman and Kashif Pirzada warn that the scattered response to the ongoing hantavirus outbreak signals that we've utterly failed to learn necessary lessons from previous contagions. 

- Finally, Maximillian Alvarez discusses how the wealthiest few are using their riches to try to untether us from reality. And Atrios rightly notes that in the case of Donald Trump and his ilk, the only responsible media response is to preface any coverage with a warning about their history of lying. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need to build a new woke political movement that actively fights against the forces of reaction rather than assuming that merely exposing them will be enough to drive change. 

- Wajahat Ali and Ellie Leonard discuss how the Trump regime's plans to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell reflect its determination to let the Epstein class exploit its victims with impunity and without consequences. And Victoria Elliott reports on new whistleblower revelations indicating that Elon Musk's attack on USAID did even more humanitarian damage than previously known. 

- Melissa Bruntlett and Chris Bruntlett discuss the connection between the election of female mayors and the reclamation of public space for people's health and well-being. And Carl Meyer writes about the price we pay in worse health for our fossil fuel addiction. 

- Darius Snieckus reports on a new Ember analysis showing that Canada is falling behind by subsidizing dirty fossil fuels as most of the world transitions to clean energy, while Mitchell Beer discusses the seemingly laughable prospect that we might end up paying to build yet another oil pipeline based on the hope of locking in decades of exports to countries who have no interest in remaining reliant on fossil fuels that long. Jake Johnson calls out the Trump regime's use of war powers to line the pockets of oil tycoons. And Dharna Noor reports on the Republican corporate puppets trying to prohibit anybody from holding big oil and gas to account for the harm it's inflicted on the public. 

- Finally, George Monbiot writes about the imminent breakdown of the AMOC circulation system - and the money and power that have been brought to bear to suppress any discussion around it. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Casey Newton notes that repeated studies showing the distorting effects of X and other social media sites are making it impossible to pretend that major tech platforms deserve the protection of a presumption of neutrality. And Raphael Satter and Alexandra Alper report on the Trump regime's demand that other countries avoid asserting any protection for data integrity or public privacy where its tech giants think there's something to be exploited.

- Rory White investigates the consultants looking to overwhelm political conversations with AI talking points. And Brett McKay reports on the right-wing astroturf entities who are skirting or deliberately violating Canadian election laws in order to flood the airwaves with election ads without providing timely (or in some cases any) disclosure of who's funding them. 

- A.R. Moxon discusses why toxic masculinity is damaging to the people who succumb to it, while recognition of others' humanity is necessary to the flourishing of one's own. And Kelly Hayes writes that it's no surprise that people who have been systematically isolated are unable to understand the connections being made in Minnesota where people are building support networks. 

- Finally, Sharlene Gandhi examines data from 211 calls which shows that housing and mental health are the most glaring unmet needs among people calling for crisis support. And Simon Enoch discusses Saskatchewan's continued place as the province with the highest rates of child poverty - which is only becoming both broader and deeper under the Sask Party. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Sarah Sloat discusses how the collapse of democracy in the U.S. is producing severe mental health problems for the people living through it. And Natalie Brender writes about the need to treat violent extremism as a threat to public health as well as safety.  

- Graham Readfearn experiences the effects of the type of extreme heat that the climate breakdown is imposing on increasingly large numbers of people, while the Associated Press reports on a new study again finding that the climate crisis is increasing the dangers caused by wildfires. And Disha Shetty highlights new research demonstrating how air pollution contributes to poor mental health. 

- Linda McQuaig weighs in on Mark Carney's plans to further entrench the corporate domination of Canada by placing any favoured businesses above the law. And Ariel Rabinovitch reports on the pitiful fine applied to Superstore for false "Product of Canada" displays. 

- Meanwhile, Justin Ling writes about the moral cost of relying (selectively) on military spending as the primarily mechanism for domestic industrial development. 

- Finally, Markham Hislop argues that Danielle Smith is an even more severe threat to Canada than Donald Trump - though the bigoted "authoritarian libertarianism" which rightly concerns him seems largely of a piece with what's happened in the U.S. And Emmett MacFarlane writes that Smith's plans to render Canada dysfunctional may be even worse than mere secession. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Zoe Williams writes that Donald Trump is just the most egregious and unrestrained example of the vice-signalling which has become standard operating procedure among right-wing political parties - but that we're finally seeing a fight back on the side of decency. And Dave Karpf warns that Kalshi and other sites which encourage gambling on everything will inevitably foment addictions and manipulations which we'll come to regret. 

- Patrick Wintour discusses Europe's growing realization that it needs to treat the U.S. as a threat rather than an ally or protector - as reflected in a report from the Munich Security Conference. And Ian Welsh writes that we shouldn't underestimate Canada's ability to be independent from the U.S. - particularly in the longer term if we avoid taking steps to further entangle ourselves with a dying empire. 

- Jack Flemming reports on a Rent Brigade analysis of the corporate price-gouging which added insult to injury in the aftermath of California's wildfires last year. 

- Meanwhile, Toula Drimonis discusses how funding to prevent evictions more than pays for itself in health and social service savings. And the Canadian Climate Institute highlights the need to prepare our infrastructure in advance of climate-related disasters. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Oliver de Leth reports on the fossil fuel barons using their wealth and influence to trash the EU's human rights and environmental laws, while Ella Nilsen points out how the real estate industry is trying to suppress accurate information about properties facing climate risks. Hannah Daly discusses the folly of accepting "too small to matter" as an excuse for avoidable carbon pollution - particularly when the size of the problem demands that everybody do what they can. Guido van der Werf examines why carbon emissions from fires are proving even worse than expected. And Ian Gill discusses the need to keep telling stories about the impacts of the climate crisis. 

- Amy Janzwood writes about the reality that Mark Carney's pipeline deal with Danielle Smith is purely a matter of concessions rather than remotely rational tradeoffs. And Bradley Lafortune notes that the UCP is once again planning to allow strip mining of coal in the Rockies in the face of constant public pushback and repeated assurances that it wouldn't do so. 

- Investigate Europe reports on the environmental risks posed by thousands of landfill sites across the continent. And Sandra Laville reports on Pew Charitable Trusts' recognition that plastic pollution is set to double over the next 15 years if we don't take readily available steps to stop it. 

- Yasmin Khan calls out corporate food operators for using dubious intellectual property claims to restrict access to food around the globe. And Dave Lewis notes that the corporate food industry is no more immune from environmental risks than anybody else. 

- Dennis Raphael and Toba Bryant rightly argue that Canada's plummeting place in global life expectancy rankings represents an inescapable signal that we're not adequately protecting people's health. 

- Finally, Ophélie Dénommée-Marchand discusses how Mark Carney is opening the door for Donald Trump's police state to threaten our rights and lives in Canada. And Supriya Dwivedi writes that Carney's eagerness to appeal to tech bros and misogynist regimes is threatening women's rights everywhere. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Moira Doneghan writes that the Jeffrey Epstein e-mails released over the past week provide a window into the anti-morality of the wealthy and powerful few who think the world exists solely to serve their whims. And Timothy Snyder discusses how the Trump regime's grift bubble looks to be a major contributor to the ultimate collapse of the U.S. 

- Robert Reich documents the failing Trump economy and the first steps needed to reverse the damage, while A.J. Schumann discusses how mass deportations are contributing to the economic collapse. Beth Mole traces the fallout from the Republicans' attacks on health, as over 74,000 participants in 383 clinical trials immediately lost access to treatment while countless more people will lose the benefits of study data. And Lesley Blume and Chloe Shrager discuss how the deregulation of nuclear radiation exposure may be catastrophic. 

- Rosie Hampton writes about the need to develop new physical spaces which allow for organizing within - and particularly between - progressive causes. Amanda Marcotte rightly notes that to the extent there is a crisis of men's loneliness, it can be traced directly to capitalist exploitation and isolation (which only stands to be exacerbated by the replacement of human interaction with manipulative AI). Jessica Winter discusses Scott Galloway's hope to develop an aspirational version of masculinity. Schuyler MItchell points out how the bigoted right is using the language of "gender ideology" to blame trans people for everything. And Adam Bonica and Jake Grumbach note that contrary to lazy pundit assumptions, Gen Z is far less inclined toward racial resentment and other forms of prejudice than earlier generations. 

- Finally, Aaron Richterman et al. study the effects of cash transfers and add to the pile of research showing how a social income makes people healthier. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. 

- Freddy Brewster reports on a new study finding that the corporate media has refused to mention the business class' greed and profit-taking as a major cause of increased consumer prices. And Sam Freedman discusses how many of the disastrous decisions of the past decade can be traced back to the 2008 financial crash caused by deregulation and financialization. 

-  Andrea Pitzer discusses the need to work on building a post-Trump world rather than focusing solely on reacting to the fire hose of immediate abuses. And Gina McCarthy implores us not to let Trump and other petropoliticians undermine the work of building a clean energy future. 

- Bloomberg notes that the U.S.' screeching halt to renewable development hasn't come close to turning the tide globally. And CBC News reports on the work being done to replace dirty and unreliable diesel fuel with solar energy in Canada's Arctic region. 

- Jonathan Watts reports on research showing that deforestation and associated temperature increases have been responsible for half a million deaths just over the past 20 years. And Freda Kreier examines how repeated exposure to heat waves can do as much damage to one's health as smoking or drinking, while Andre Picard writes that access to air conditioning may need to be treated as an essential medical intervention. 

- Finally, Taylor Noakes calls out Mark Carney for his appeasement toward the Trump regime. And Davis Legree reports on the work being done by progressive activists to build a movement to step in where Carney's promise of resistance has proven false.

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Stephen Marche writes that Canada is finding its voice in response to the U.S.' threats and bad faith under the Trump regime - at least as long as our corporate overlords don't insist on acquiescing. And Katia Dmitrieva and Philip Heijmans discuss how Donald Trump is making pay-to-play his government's standard modus operandi even where it's flagrantly illegal. 

- Devi Sridhar notes that the U.S.' elimination of vaccine research poses immense risks for people around the globe. And Robinson Meyer highlights how Trump's favouritism toward dirty energy donors is effectively handing the future of energy development to China.

- Campbell Clark discusses how the Libs are letting their promise of a foreign interference registry lapse even as our largest trading partner is operating as a protection racket. And John Woodside reports on their concurrent failure to appoint a Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise to deal with abuses by resource companies operating internationally. 

- Finally, Steven Henke reports on yet another basic income pilot project showing how recipients benefit in terms of housing stability, mental health, education and overall well-being. But Georgie Smith reports that instead of acting on the overwhelming body of research showing that a basic income produces benefits far beyond its costs, we're continuing to force people to fend for themselves - including by sorting trash in order to scrape by. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Simon Tisdall discusses the fallout from the Trump regime's choice to launch a war in Iran - with its culture of denial doing nothing to mitigate the harm. And Anthony Fisher writes about the invariable stupidity and malignancy of the people chosen to surround Trump (for the sole purpose of insulating him from inconvenient realities). 

- Meanwhile, Kyla Scanlon highlights how Zohran Mamdani's inspiring victory in the New York mayoral primary offers an example of how progressive values can win out in the current information environment. And both Hamilton Nolan and Lex McMenamin are optimistic that Mamdani's campaign can be the start of a movement to replace a captured Democratic establishment with a new organization structure that is both answerable and appealing to the general public. 

- Tiffany Hsu discusses how countries around the world are stepping into the gap left by the U.S.' abandonment of international cooperation. But Doug Saunders' analysis of Mark Carney's strategy serves mostly to confirm that the Libs are wasting an immense amount of capacity (and pursuing counterproductive policies) trying to placate Trump rather than looking forward. 

- Cindy Cho points out the case for treating dirty energy purveyors as responsible for unnatural heat waves. And Kendra Jewell, Rowan Burdge and Liv Yoon offer a reminder that the people who suffer most in extreme heat are those already living in poverty or otherwise vulnerable. 

- Ian Urquhart discusses how Alberta is continuing to lie about its contribution to the climate breakdown while consistently increasing its carbon pollution. And Adrienne Tanner rightly questions how the oil industry and its fully-owned government subsidiaries consider themselves entitled to have the public fund the immense cost of carbon capture schemes. 

- Finally, Paris Marx discusses the dangers of allowing the U.S. to dictate both which technology will be used, and which countries have access to it. And Matthew Hughes writes about the tech industry's assumption over complete control of basic infrastructure with no regard for people's needs. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Shiri Pasternak and Dayna Nadine Scott discuss how Canada's elite consensus toward the Trump regime has turned to one of deference (particularly for the benefit of the corporate interests), while Lloyd Axworthy wonders what happened to the elbows which were supposed to be up in defence of Canadian values and interests. And Michael Harris notes that the need to resist Trump's government extends to leaders around the globe.

- Trevor Herriot writes about the justified anxiety people are feeling about an ongoing climate breakdown - and the need for moral courage to ameliorate the ongoing damage we're doing to our living environment. Heather Stewart discusses the need to incorporate the reality of climate change into economic policymaking, while Ryan Cooper discusses how climate change will soon be bankrupting governments if it isn't reined in. And Deborah de Lange calls out Mark Carney for turning his back on climate action, rather than meeting even a bare minimum of consideration for an ongoing crisis.  

- Ryan Ness responds to a cynical attempt to pit planning for climate disasters against the need for housing by pointing out the futility of building homes which we know will become unliveable due to foreseeable disasters. And Tim Aubry and Jino Distasio point out the tens of thousands of homeless Canadians who need immediate support through Housing First programs (rather than being able to wait for trickle-down development).

- Finally, Karen Weise and Cade Metz report on the mammoth environmental harm being inflicted by AI data centres. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jon Milton et al. discuss how the first speech from the throne under Mark Carney was based on Donald Trump's wish list rather than the priorities of Canadians. David Moscrop notes that while Carney is breaking his promise of patriotically standing up to U.S. threats and pressure, businesses are actively exploiting nationalism into a profit centre. Sonali Karnick interviews Nora Loreto about the corporate roots of the housing shortage and affordability crisis. And Simon Enoch warns that the privatization of Canada Post (which is a looming possibility only due to the federal government's refusal to allow it to expand its delivery of public services) would have immense costs for Canada as a whole. 

- Pat Rich offers a reminder (with reference to a speech from Dr. Andrew Boozary) that the most important building blocks of health are its social determinants including income, housing, and food security. And Mary Hudetz reports on the Trump regime's slashing of a program which provided Indigenous communities with access to healthy, locally-sourced food as another stark example of its destructive approach.

- Meanwhile, Andrew Nikiforuk laments how Danielle Smith and the UCP have chosen to give measles the advantage over Albertans.

- Finally, Michelle Gamage reports on the call for workplace temperature limits to protect British Columbia workers from extreme heat. And Ashley Cowburn reports on an Autonomy Institute report calling for the same in the UK. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Pema Levy observes that Elon Musk's use of the U.S. government to line his own pockets would be illegal under any standard in which conflicts of interest are recognized as being prohibited, while tengrain discusses how the Washington Post and other corporate media are content which dares to challenge Musk. And Brian Beutler points out what Democrats should be doing if they were interested in serving as a meaningful opposition, rather than merely taking up space and hoping for an authoritarian coup to fail on its own. 

- Don Moynihan writes about the obvious mismanagement involved in Musk's practice of purging staff first and asking whether they were needed later, while Tom Nichols discusses how the Trump regime is using weaponized ignorance to destroy government expertise which will be exceedingly difficult to rebuild. And Henry Carnell points out the costs of a war on equity and inclusion.  

- Heather Stewart interviews Joseph Stiglitz about the reality that investors have every reason to stay away from a U.S. regime marked by arbitrary and destructive decision-making. Jeet Heer discusses why the rest of NATO has every reason to set up an alternative defence structure that doesn't depend on an untrustworthy ally. 

- George Monbiot writes about the potential ways Trump may trigger a global collapse. And DeSmog reports on the collaboration between the administration, the fossil fuel sector and fascist politicians from multiple countries working toward that end. 

- Elizabeth Thompson reports on the work Canadian volunteers are doing to try to preserve U.S. public data before it's permanently disappeared. And Kristofer Harrison notes that one of Canada's strongest possible response to Trump's threats will be to fight the corruption at the heart of his regime. 

- Meanwhile, Cole Bennett calls out the conservatives who are eager to sell out Canada to the Trump administration. And Alex Cosh writes that Pierre Poilievre is absolutely unfit to respond to Trump - particularly as his obsession with cutting taxes and slashing government makes him an obvious fellow traveller/pawn rather than a foil to Trump's plans.  

- Finally, Maeva Shearlaw, Adam Sich, Ken Macfarlane and Temujin Doran discuss how the scourge of poverty is undermining the health-care system in the UK (as is the case in Canada as well). And the Australia Institute examines how the climate breakdown is creating all the more financial precarity for households. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way chart the likely road ahead in the U.S.' journey from democracy to authoritarianism, while Hamilton Nolan's interview with Stephanie Kelton includes the warning that it may be too late to salvage anything if a resistance movement limits its focus to electoral politics and timelines. Sam Freedman discusses how Elon Musk's influence - and the associated use of technology to seize unfettered power - is the main difference between Donald Trump's first term and his second. David Zipper notes that consumers have plenty of power to protest Musk's absues by making the choice to boycott Tesla as the main source of his current wealth. And Ed Zitron juxtaposes the promise of technology which could help improve people's lives against the reality that tech giants are exploiting us. 

- Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Bretty Murphy discuss the illegality of the immediate trashing of USAID. And Greg Sargent discusses how Pope Francis' response to the invocation of theology to excuse Trump's hatred has placed a spotlight on his administration's moral rot, while Sarah Newey reports on the first deaths directly traceable to the shutdown of its operations. 

- Paul Krugman writes that Trump and Musk have made it open season for scammers to steal money from the American public. And Liz Dye discusses how the destruction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a combination of spite and opportunism. 

- Dave Jamieson reports that large numbers of U.S. workers are joining unions in an effort to build collective strength against Trump. And Jon Milton notes that there's plenty Canadian governments can and should do in response to corporate union-busting, including Amazon's shuttering of its Quebec warehouse in response to an organizing campaign. 

- Steve Smethurst discusses new research about the threat of PFAs and other dangerous chemicals in sewage sludge which is used for agricultural purposes. And Andrew Gregory reports on a study showing that air pollution is responsible for upwards of a thousand annual cases of a single form of lung cancer in the UK, while Denise Balkissoon writes about the data gaps which limit our ability to identify similar threats in Canada. 

- Finally, Kim Pate discusses how Pierre Poilievre's draconian attacks on drug users would only exacerbate poverty and addiction. And Brett McKay reports on the 19-year difference in life expectancy between Indigenous people and other Albertans as a grim example of how discrimination and bigotry lead to severe health consequences. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your mid-week reading.

- Jeremy Corbyn writes about the denialism involved in refusing to deal with the climate crisis with language and action proportionate to its dangers. Zoe Schlanger discusses how the breakdown we're experiencing goes far beyond what was projected even by the models which have told us we should be doing far more. Bill McKibben points out the stark difference between Jimmy Carter's leadership and forward thinking as to the value of renewable energy, and the oil-fueled anti-science of Ronald Reagan which shut down any prospect of cleaner energy which wouldn't serve to enrich a small set of oil tycoons. David Roberts discusses the work of Greenlight America in seeking to organize people to support renewable projects. And Andrew Lam reports on new research showing a correlation between proximity to Alberta oil and gas infrastructure and respiratory and cardiovascular difficulties - while noting that the province has gone far out of its way to avoid accurately assessing the harms of fossil fuels.

- Peter Bloom examines the growing body of evidence showing that neoliberal "saviors" can't protect against the spread of authoritarianism - particularly as they seek to exacerbate the concentration of wealth and power. And Matthew Green and Joseph Gubbels discuss how Justin Trudeau's abandonment of electoral reform reflects his blinkered view of democracy as entitling people only to select which representatives of the elite will control them, while Christo Aivilis rightly argues that the NDP should be loudly committing to follow through where Trudeau broke his promise. 

- Nora Loreto writes about the concerted effort to infantilize younger adults in order to prevent the exercise of collective action. Miles Klee highlights how slurs which had long been treated as unacceptable are being revived as part of the alt-right's assault on human decency. And Rafael Behr writes that Kemi Badenoch is continuing the UK Cons' descent into conspiracy theory and fascist rhetoric.

- Finally, Katie Surma and Nicholas Kusnetz discuss Bolivia's long road to extricating itself from ISDS  corporate control agreements. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes that Canada is currently failing to carry out any energy transition, as any expanded use of renewables is only being added to rising fossil fuel extraction and consumption. Natasha Bulowski writes about a new Senate committee report showing how our transportation infrastructure is ill equipped to deal with the climate breakdown. And Dan Hendry discusses how free transit for youth represents one of the most promising ways to create healthy transportation habits. 

- But Alex Steffen notes that the oligarchs at the centre of the Trump administration have plans to make massive profits off of the climate breakdown. And Michelle Cyca discusses how politicians in Canada (like elsewhere) are choosing to amplify conspiracy theories and disinformation in order to avoid having to engage with the climate crisis. 

- Owen Jones comments on the collapse of any "centre" element to right-wing parties across the western world - and the concurrent rise of increasingly extreme and antisocial figures. Karl Bode worries that the pollution of the U.S.' media ecosystem with disinformation may be terminal, while Michael Harris warns about Donald Trump's plans to destroy the news media (and how that may spill over into Canada). And Matt Pearce points out how two corporate outlets are looking to undermine the Associated Press as one of the last credible sources of news standing. 

- Ned Resnikoff points out how the success of a Housing First policy for U.S. veterans makes clear that there's a readily-available option to help homeless people generally. Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi and T.Y. Yang discuss the need for federal leadership in treating housing as a right - not merely funding new technologies and hoping other jurisdictions will fix the lack of avaiable homes. Phil Tank notes that the Moe government is choosing to utterly neglect the soaring homelessness counts in Saskatchewan's major cities. And Neil Howard discusses how strings attached to basic social supports serve primarily to divert resources away from people who need it toward bureaucratic controls. 

- Finally, Zhu Li et al. study how poverty is a distinct cause of diabetes (among other dangers to health and well-being). Nick Tsergas talks to Dr. Joss Reimer about the state of Canada's health care system - including the need to ensure that fixable issues of process and capacity aren't used as excuses to allow the spread of pay-to-play medicine. And Maya Miller and Duaa Eldeib point out the perverse incentives from the U.S.' for-profit insurance system, as people receiving mental health care see their coverage cut off because their treatment is too successful. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- The UN sets out Antonio Guterres' New Year's message calling for us to divert course from the road to climate ruin. Hannah Osborne examines some of the grim impacts of the climate breakdown in 2024 (which only figure to get worse as action is delayed), while Julia Jacobo reports on the multi-trillion-dollar cost of climate disasters in a single year. But then Mark Olalde exposes how fossil fuel giants are determined to avoid paying any of the environmental costs they're creating for everybody else. 

- Oliver Milman reports on a new study showing the connection between car dependency and unhappiness in the U.S. David Zipper discusses how the U.S. is exporting its propensity for needlessly large and heavy vehicles. And Ricky Leong points out some recent Calgary examples as to how cities designed to privilege drivers over anybody else can be catastrophic for pedestrians. 

- Rob Csernyik reports on the rapid expansion of gambling in Canada - as governments consistently accept easily-foreseen social damage in exchange for their own hit of short-term revenue. 

- Jason Sattler offers a reminder that whatever other schisms might appear in the Musk-Trump administration, their shared hatred of workers will serve as a consistent organizing principle. And Annie Lowrey discusses the challenges facing parties confronted with anti-labour populism which speaks to grievances and false promises rather than any interest in workers' well-being. 

- Finally, Christopher Holcroft writes that the ultimate question in the 2025 federal election is whether Canada will be able to hold off an invasion by U.S. oligarchs. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Crawford Kilian reviews Richard Seymour's Disaster Nationalism as setting out the problem of fascists using emergencies both real and contrived as an excuse to shut down democratic processes and single out invented enemies for punishment - while recognizing that there's no easy way to inoculate against it. Steven Hill discusses how that analysis largely explains Donald Trump's election in the U.S. Jen St. Denis reports on the Russian influence being used to try to break down democracy in Canada and elsewhere. And Joseph Thomas offers his suggestions as to how to fight misinformation like a doctor in a one-on-one setting. 

- Maurice Mitchell comments on the need not to give up on electoral politics as a means of improving the well-being of the general public, while Marc Elias offers his take on how to build an opposition movement. Jared Yates Sexton discusses the predictable outcome if peaceful and democratic means of change appear to be completely blocked off. And Tara Raghuver and Ruthy Gourevitch discuss the potential for the growth of tenant unions as a mechanism for organization and collective action.  

- Chris McCahill writes about new research showing that higher levels of car dependence produce reductions in life satisfaction as well as health. Catie Gould discusses how parking requirements are a major obstacle to the availability of affordable housing. And John Michael McGrath examines the Charter case for a right to bike lanes, while Matt Hansen reports on the dooring of a cycling advocate on the day of a hearing into Ontario's anti-bike legislation.

- Katie Dangerfield reports on the dangers facing striking postal workers in their day-to-day employment (which Canada Post is seeking to exacerbate by making work even more precarious). And Tom VanHeuvelen, Xiaowen Han and Jane VanHeuvelen study the impact of unionization on mortality - finding that union membership leads to a longer and healthier life. 

- Finally, Oxfam America highlights the social and health benefits of a guaranteed income, while noting that it's possible to work toward one at any level of government. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Oliver Willis writes about the dangers of a second Donald Trump presidency - and the importance of not conceding core values out of deference or convenience in the face of an abusive state. Daniel Hunter discusses the importance of resisting the autocratic impulse to isolate and exhaust any opposition. And Hamilton Nolan rightly suggests that the labour movement should be a vital centre for organization. 

- Tim Rauf examines the source of the UCP's promotion of carbon pollution and other absurd statements of public policy. Crawford Kilian discusses how distrust and division produce direct damage to health and well-being. And Sander van der Linden and David Robert Grimes model how misinformation is passed between people - suggesting that it's similar to the spread of viruses, with the implication that prevention can limit both the spread and resulting damage. 

- But then, Kevin Quigley notes that public health is one of the areas where Trump is determined to inflict as much damage as possible - meaning that it will fall to Canada and other countries to develop our own capacity to monitor and manage risks. 

- Finally, James Wilt interviews Brett Christophers about the proliferation of asset managers who control many of the necessities of life - and are constantly extracting more out of the citizenry in order to boost owners' returns. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Mark Harris examines the competing pressures which will determine how a climate breakdown in progress affects our food supply, while Fiona Harvey discusses how European farm policy has provided subsidies to big agriculture while failing to achieve environmental goals. Friedereke Otto comments on climate denialism as a major cause of deaths and destruction in Spain, while Kelsey Lahr writes that Asheville, North Carolina is still months away from having potable water after the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene. And Michael Harris points out how Canada will soon be under major pressure to export water to increasingly parched areas of North America - even as our own supplies are under threat from global warming and industrial pollution.  

- Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston report on the seeming recognition by governments at this week's Colombia biodiversity conference that the climate and our natural environment are inextricably linked - but follow up by noting the absence of meaningful action as a result. 

- James Danckert and John Eastwood discuss how car-centric cities are boring as well as isolating. And Adam King highlights how the prioritization of house-based wealth over income security undermines social solidarity. 

- Finally, Dominique Charron and Cate Dewey write that a One Health plan would provide Canada with a needed knowledge network to address risks to our health and well-being. But it seems far too likely that the attitude of the powers that be will continue to be to demand that people "pretend to be well" - no matter how destructive that expectation provides to be.