Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Tim Wu discusses how the richest few have come to dominate our politics (with our health and well-being paying the price), while Ian Welsh examines the obscene concentration of wealth in the U.S. Jeff Horwitz exposes how Meta's business model includes the deliberate facilitation of scams as a major revenue source, while Harrison Mooney interviews Gil Duran about the rise of techno-fascism. And Jared Yates Sexton writes that oligarchic buyup of politicians and ad blitzes hasn't succeeded in winning over the public.

- Carl Beuer writes that the devastating results of Trump regime's withholding of food stamps demonstrate the need for effective government to provide social supports, while Kristen Crowell offers a reminder that the long-time plan of the Republicans and their anti-social cronies has been to eliminate anything of the sort. Marisa Kabas talks to SNAP recipients about their experience having minimal supports stripped away. And Rene Sylvestre-Williams discusses how there's more governments can do to ensure necessities are affordable, including by directly providing basic needs so people aren't stuck paying corporate markups for everything. 

- Luke Savage discusses the stark difference between a future where people have an option of pluralistic social democracy, and one where neoliberal acquiescence is the only perceived alternative to fascism.  And Jason Sattler comments on the importance of a politics based on people taking action rather than merely being acted upon, while Taylor Noakes highlights how Canadians can draw inspiration from Zohran Mamdani's mayoral victory. 

- George Goehl writes about the need to give people clear calls to action at a time when they're eager to make a difference. And Katherine Wu discusses the large number of scientists stepping up to run for office as their life's work has been negated by ignorant political choices. 

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg comments on Mark Carney's choice to focus the federal investments on militarism and little else. Alex Hemingway points out a few of the most glaring missed opportunities,  while Emmett MacFarlane notes that the budget misses the real causes of Canada's problems. And Rachel Samson points out the mismatch between Carney's supposed goals and the level of resources provided, while Carl Meyer examines the particular reduction in both rules and funding for environmental priorities. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- A.R. Moxon writes about the need to restore the capacity for shame as a precondition to reversing the decline of the U.S. Noah Berlatsky notes that it's particularly damning when both major parties are willing to agree to kick down at marginalized people. And Kyla Scanlon writes about the massive number of losing bets at the heart of Trump's economy, while Justin Ling points out that the only guaranteed winners from the Trump regime are the insiders being allowed to loot the public purse. 

- Meanwhile, Tatiana Homonoff, Min Lee and Katherine Mechel study the effects of Trump's theft of SNAP benefits, finding that process-related loss of benefits leads to even more precarious financial situations among other harms. 

- Peter Foster, Attracta Mooney and Kaye Wiggins report on the Trump regime's hostage-taking tactics to prevent even a first step toward establishing emission rules on global shipping. And while each of Rick Smith and Rachel Doran, Vittoria Bellissimo and Peter McArthur make compelling cases for viable clean economy transition strategies, it's worth noting that a willingness to push back against Trump and his Canadian puppets is a necessary precondition to the development of any alternative.  

- On that front, Christopher Holcroft is rightly concerned by Mark Carney's willingness to give the techbros behind the Trump regime everything they want rather than standing up for Canadians' privacy and security. And Linda McQuaig highlights how the U.S.' "golden dome" provides nothing but an illusion of safety - both in terms of its dubious prospects of ever functioning as promised, and in the dangers of being more closely tied to an impetuous regime even if it does. 

- Finally, Andrew Nikiforuk writes about Yaneer Bar-Yam's warning that we're falling far short of taking the continuing risks of COVID-19 seriously. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Noah Berlatsky writes about the dangers of treating the existence of marginalized groups - rather than the bigots seeking to dehumanize them - as the primary barrier to solidarity and unity. Ashifa Kassam reports on Olivier De Schutter's warning that a shredded social safety net has fuelled the rise of right-wing hate. And Geoffrey Johnston discusses how a deliberately-constructed manosphere has caused misogyny to spread, while Stacey Abrams and Esosa Osa call out the Trump regime's targeting of Black history for erasure.  

- Blayne Haggart discusses how Mark Carney is failing to recognize the threat posed by the Trump regime even if one (questionably) gives him the benefit of the doubt as to who he's trying to serve. And Karyn Pugliese writes about Carney's thoroughly scripted plan to inflict austerity on everybody other than capitalists, who are being singled out for preferential treatment. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on the recommendation from a group of retired military leaders that investment in renewable energy should be treated as defence funding - offering an interesting opportunity to meet otherwise arbitrary defence spending targets in a way which actually results in long-term security. Isaac Phan Nay talks to Lin Al-Akkad about the options available to help workers through a green transition.  And Silas Xuereb examines how the current practice of shovelling public money toward dirty energy is doing nothing but exporting profits from Canadian resources to U.S. owners. 

- Finally, Peter MacLeod argues that the most important nation-building project Canada can pursue is the renewal of democratic engagement as a substitute for insider politics. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Tressie McMillan Cottom calls out how the Trump regime is using political violence to eliminate any democratic forms of opposition and accountability. David Roth discusses how fascist regimes tend to provoke chaos in order to eliminate the sense that it's possible to build anything better. And Jeet Heer writes that there is a window for a popular backlash to stop a sustained war in Iran, but only if public outcry manages to drown out the warmongers pulling the strings around Trump. 

- Luke Goldstein reports that the Republicans' plan to rob from the poor to give to the rich includes tax breaks for private equity when it loads companies up with debt and slashes workforces. Jameson Berkow reports on a new finding that CEO pay is soaring in Canada while so many people continue to struggle. And Brendon Hadden examines some of the options to apply a fairer tax system. 

- The Guardian's editorial board writes about the inescapable choice between making investments in averting climate change and its effects, and facing perpetually more (and more severe) breakdowns of the systems that support life. And Andre Picard writes about how wildfire smoke is eliminating summer holidays we we know them. 

- Kostansa Rangelova and Dave Jones point out that solar power has reached the point of being the most affordable option even when adding in the need for battery storage - even with the cost of both still having plenty of room to fall. Rose Dixon write that renewable energy has reached the point of being given away in Spain and Germany. And Umair Irfan notes that there are cheap and effective options available to eliminate the vast majority of methane emissions - even as the fossil fuel sector fights against any effort to clean up its act. 

- Finally, Don Moynihan examines how Australia's experience with flawed algorithmic debt assessment and recovery shows the dangers of making access to the necessities of life reliant on automation and AI.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jill Lawrence discusses how the U.S.' current kleptocracy was caused directly by the dangerous conflation of concentrated wealth with free speech. Luke Goldstein reports that in his efforts to extract $56 billion in insider bonuses from Tesla even as he torpedoes its market value, Elon Musk is attempting to virtually obliterate any corporate regulation at the state level. Marcy Wheeler surveys some of the less-recognized actions of the Trump regime, including its mass "corporate clemency" to ensure that corporate criminality goes unpunished. And Oliver Laughland reports on its decision to drop oan environmental case against a petrochemical company contributing to the plight of Louisiana's Cancer Alley. 

- Meanwhile, Nora Loreto writes that Mark Carney's own corporate track record involves extensive use of whatever loopholes, leverage and political favours have been available to extract public money while avoiding contributing to the public good. 

- Thom Hartmann and Robert Kuttner each weigh in on the imminent Musk-led attack on Social Security and any other social programs which keep people alive and healthy at the expense of maximizing the amount of money available to be shoveled into profiteers' offshore accounts. And Abby Vesoulis' report on the illegal elimination of USAID adds "severely malnourished children" to the list of people who are being told by the world's wealthiest man that they need to fend for themselves. 

- Cathie from Canada weighs in on the need to take Trump's threats against Canada seriously. And Joseph Brean reports on new Leger polling showing that nearly two-thirds of the country has gotten the message. 

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing how microplastics are causing dangerous levels of crop losses as well as harm to other food sources. And Sanjana Gajbhiye reports on a new study finding that proximity to major roads increases the risk of dementia.  

- Finally, Craig Spencer examines how the U.S.' destruction of global public health capacity will allow communicable diseases to run wild. Blake Murdoch discusses how the unsupported denial of airborne COVID-19 transmission has undercut both the response to the pandemic in progress, and the precautionary principle in general. Rachel Obordo writes about the continud human toll of COVID-19. And Jessica Wildfire warns that even people who have been vaccinated face severe risks as measles spread across North America thanks to denialists and anti-social cranks.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Grace Blakely discusses the prospect of democratizing finance as the needed antidote to the concentration of wealth and power. And Stephen Eisenman writes about the deadly effects of greed - though too late to avert the imposition of a Trump regime whose sole principles are that and vindictiveness. 

- On that front, Spencer Woodman reports on the expectation that the IRS will stop auditing wealthy people due to purely ideological cuts. Stephanie Kelton notes that any risk to the long-term health of Social Security is the result of the rich refusing to pay their fair share - even as recipients face an immediate risk of benefit disruptions due to the wanton destruction of the civil service. Don Moynihan writes that DOGE's latest casualties include the 18F government tech unit which was the public's defence against being exploited by outside contractors. And Ryan Cooper discusses how Elon Musk's chocie to put USAID through the wood chipper represents a death sentence for millions of people and a victory for communicable diseases generally.

- Paul Krugman writes that part of Trump's loathing of Canada arises from his disdain for decency. Bethany Lindsay and Zak Vescera analyze how much Canadian public money is being lavished on Elon Musk as his regime attacks our sovereignty. David Climenhaga chimes in on the value of reversing intellectual property concessions as part of our response to the Trump tariffs. And David Moscrop looks more generally at the opportunities available to us as we face the need to decouple from a dying empire.  

- Finally, Warren Mabee and Balie Walker point out that we've been going backwards in any clean energy transition. Justin Mikulka discusses how the fossil fuel sector had little left but a bluff to squeeze out short-term profit through a pump-and-dump scheme. And Brett Christophers notes that BP's backtracking on renewable energy only shows that we can't trust corporations to be anything but intractable obstacles to needed progress. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Carole Cadwalladr highlights the Elon Musk-led coup against democratic governance in the U.S., while Sarah Kendzior discusses how Musk and the rest of his toxic techbros are best described as strip-mining the future of humanity. Brian Barrett points out the obvious dangers of treating the civil service underpinning a functional society as a startup where "breaking things" is the primary objective. And Jonathan Martin notes that many American lives are at risk (along with far more from people in affected countries) due to the Trump administration's obliteration of USAID. 

- Robert Rubin, Lawrence Summers, Timothy Geithner, Jacob Lew and Janet Yellenall offer their warning that American democracy is in grave danger. Brian Beutler writes that U.S. Democrats have just enough levarage to face the choice between either standing up for representative institutions by insisting that government funding be conditioned on their effectiveness, or enabling Trump to take unfettered control. Jared Yates Sexton writes that it will ultimately take concerted collective action to win the existential fight against a Trump autocracy. And Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor points out how the fascist right's attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion have gained ground primarily because of policies which have fallen far short of their billing. 

- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood offers a reminder of the need for Canada to fight back against economic warfare (among other attacks) from Trump. Dan Gardner writes about what might happen as historic alliances crumble - though I'd question his doomerist assumptions that Canada willl inevitably give in to Trump's demands and other countries will have no interest in developing alternative alliances. Charlie Angus points out that boycotts are already having a massive impact on U.S. tourism and other industries, while Anthony Rosborough discusses how a strengthened right to repair can help us break free of corporate shackles which could all too easily be commandeered by the Trump regime. And Steven High argues that we need to work on reversing the deindustrialization of Canada, while Ricardo Tranjan makes the case that we need a stronger safety net (similar to what we had with the CERB just a few years ago) to ensure people aren't cowed into submission by a risk of deep poverty. 

- Finally, David Moscrop argues that Ontario voters shouldn't reward Doug Ford for his combination of blatant corruption and implausible posturing against a regime for whom he's long proclaimed his unwavering support. And Carolina Aragao notes that Ford's track record also includes the lowest levels of well-being of any province. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Brian Beutler discusses how U.S. Democrats need to respond to Donald Trump's attempt to end democracy and human rights with something more than complaints about higher prices - a point which applies equally to other countries. Tom Scocca and Joe MacLeod note that Trump's power grab now includes trying to take sole control over the disbursement of public funds - even where the result is to deliberately leave people destitute or destroy vital institutions. And Adam Barnett maps out Trump's anti-environmental network seeking to keep carbon spewing and the planet burning. 

- Gil Duran writes about the "strict father" framework which represents the attempt to attach some (abusive) model of morality to Trump's actions. And David Moscrop offers some perspective and advice on carrying on dealing with the death of a seemingly vanished order.  

- Tom Parkin examines how Doug Ford is seeking to be rewarded for making life worse for Ontarians, while John Michael McGrath focuses in on the massive sums of public money Ford has wasted trying to get voters drunk. And Inori Roy points out how anti-immigrant policy is preventing Canada from making up ground in dealing with a housing deficit. 

- Finally, Claire Turner discusses new research showing the sustained cognitive and physical effects of long COVID. Heidi Ledford writes about some of the lessons COVID-19 has taught scientists about the immune system. And CBC News reports on the award of a $24 million grant to the University of Saskatchewan to research vaccines which could address multiple coronaviruses. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Sandra Laville reports on a new actuarial study showing that the shocks expected on our existing path of climate breakdown could result in half of the world's economic activity disappearing before the end of the century, while Nikhil Venkatesh argues that anybody caring about long-term welfare needs to incorporate challenges to the capitalist forces which threaten it. And Sharon Kelly maps out the echo chamber used by the oil, plastics and agrichemical industries to try to prevent us from perceiving any option other than destruction as usual. 

- Rebecca Shaw expresses surprise only at how embarrassing our corporate overlords are in seeking approval while destroying the planet, while Felix Salmon discusses how the wealthiest few now feel empowered to impose their worst impulses on everybody. And Amanda Marcotte discusses how Donald Trump's populist con job has given way to strictly-enforced oligarchy, while Marc Lee points out how Pierre Poilievre is yet another cynical politican pretending to speak for the working class in order to better serve his corporate masters.  

- Grace Blakeley offers a reminder that the only viable response to concentrated wealth and power is collective action. And Andrea Pitzer discusses the need to move beyond worrying and speculating to shape the course of events. 

- Noelle Allen writes that Canada doesn't need yet another "pro-business" prime minister when it's deference to corporate interests that has trapped so many people in precarity and despair to begin with. And John Clarke discusses how neoliberal austerity has fed the rise of the alt-right.

- Suzanne Rent interviews Scott Santens about the value of a basic income in giving people the ability both to say "no" to exploitation, and to say "yes" to causes worth pursuing. 

- Finally, Simon Enoch points out how public libraries which are perpetually starved for funding serve far more people (and perform far more important functions)  than the major event venues which are regularly showered with public money. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Isabella Weber points out the key elements in common between the governments which have survived the anti-incumbent trend over the past year - with both price controls on essentials and progressive tax policy serving as key elements in assuring voters that they weren't being sacrificed to corporate interests. Erica Ifill laments that the Libs appear to have decided their problem is a failure to concede to the Cons' racism and bigotry rather than a lack of action to address citizens' material conditions. And Aloysius Wong, Valerie Ouellet and Rachel Houlihan report on immigrant workers seeking to help provide care in Canada are being scammed by recruiters. 

- Ben Turner reports on China's developing plans to effectively end energy scarcity with a solar power array in space. And the foreseeable development of that type of energy source makes it all the more unconscionable that Danielle Smith and the UCP are putting oil industry profits ahead of country, including by using public money to guarantee oil producer profits and avoid any Canadian (but not American) tariffs. 

- Clare O'Hara reports on another record year of Canadian insurance losses from natural disasters in 2024, as well as the reality that more regions are becoming uninsurable. But Katya Schwenk discusses how developers in California (and elsewhere) have blocked any efforts to direct development out of harm's way. And Tom Perkins reports on the oil industry's attempt to stifle any legislation which would require it to pay a dime toward the damage it's inflicted on everybody else through wildfires, floods and other climate-connected disasters. 

- Finally, Evert Lindquist reports on one Nova Scotia plant trying to salvage some use out of garbage - though the plan to use material sources laden with plastics and other hazardous waste to produce fertilizer in particular seems sure to do more harm than good. And James Hannay writes about the need for an inclusive farm economy to replace the corporate-controlled monoculture that's become the current norm. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Owen Schalk writes that there's no need for Canadian leaders to be doormats for the Trump administration. And A.R. Moxon offers some lessons as to how an opposition party and movement should respond in the face of rising fascism - with a willingness to fight being the first step to both achieving substantive results and earning trust. 

- Jonathan Weisman discusses how U.S. Democrats lost enthusiasm among the working class by hoping policy aimed at long-term stability would overcome an immediate sense of precarity and unfairness. Michael Podhorzer notes that the most important difference between the 2020 and 2024 U.S. elections was a collapse in interest among anti-Trump voters. Brian Beutler writes about the need for simple and repeated messages to reach voters - and the danger that corporatism and corruption will run rampant if opposition leaders don't focus attention on them. 

- Meanwhile, Charlie Warzel and Mike Caulfield write about the most important effect of the right-wing information ecosystem, as it serves to rationalize and excuse even what's obviously wrong. Brandi Buchman talks to Michael Fanone about the disillusionment of security officers seeing the leader of a  violent riot returned to office. 

- Amanda Marcotte writes about the role of toxic masculinity in fomenting terrorist violence against inclusivity and equality (currently framed in terms of "woke" culture). Yves Engler discusses how Pierre Poilievre is using the same themes, while at the same time planning to impose far more draconian restrictions on speech than anything he claims to be complaining about. And Olufemi Taiwo highlights the need for solidarity against the divide-and-conquer bullying from the right. 

- Finally, Amos Barshad discusses how buy now, pay later services are creating sustained precarity (particularly among those who are already the most financially vulnerable). Aballah Fayyad weighs in on the value of universal social programs which both reduce administration costs and ensure far greater income security for recipients. Ned Fresnikoff points out that modest income redistribution alone may do little if anything to reduce homelessness if it's not accompanied with action to make more affordable housing available. And Laura Dwyer-Lindgren et al. study the radically different life expectancies among ten distinct groups of Americans based on factors including race, geography and income. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Ajit Niranjan reports on Climate Action Tracker's latest assessment that we're making minimal progress toward any climate commitments, while Damian Carrington reports on new data showing that even the use of dirty fuels like coal, oil and gas continues to increase. 

- Bonny Ibhawoh writes about the need to address climate inequality if we're going to make any headway. Peipei Tian et al. study the relative share of responsibility for the overuse of natural resources - finding that the vast majority of environmental damage is caused by between 10-20% of people. And Phoebe Weston discusses how rapacious corporate conglomerates have taken over the COP biodiversity conference to an even more extreme degree than the fossil fuel-dominated climate version.

- Christina Pagel discusses new research showing that while COVID-19 still remains a problem for the general population, it leads to a particularly large increase in hospital admissions for babies (along with the elderly). Lian Duan et al. study the link between maternal infection and neurodevelopmental disorders. Katie Kerwin McCrimmon writes about the potential that COVID may increase the risk of cancer. Andn Josh Robertson reports that COVID-19 deaths are continuing to drive down general life expectancies in Australia.

- Ruth Patrick points out the unfairness and futility of demonizing people receiving social benefits as lazy - noting that conditionality and restrictions on benefits cause substantial harm to recipients while doing nothing to increase their rates of employment. 

- Finally, Diana Chan McNally offers a perspective on the real needs of people who have had to resort to tent communities - and the importance of treating them as human beings rather than as objects to be stripped of all rights in the name of denial.

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. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Francesca Paris examines the cognitive disability facing many younger American adults (among others) as a result of long COVID. 

- Trish Hennessy discusses the need for a focus on social investments and preventative action to improve public health.  

- But both Graham Thomson and Gillian Steward warn that Danielle Smith is instead trashing Alberta's existing health care system to cater to anti-vaxxers and corporate interests alike. And in case there was any doubt as to the damage which will result from ideological anti-socialism, Bryn Levy reports on research showing how important vaccine mandates were in overcoming systemic barriers to basic preventative action.  

- Meanwhile, Gaye Taylor reports on the call for a fossil fuel phaseout from 46 million health professionals - which figures to be another reason why the very concept of health is in the crosshairs of petropoliticians. 

- Finally, Clara Pasieka reports on the continued escalation of food bank reliance in Toronto, as 1 in 10 people are unable to afford food for themselves. And Ximena Gonzalez points out how a punitive "welfare" system produces worse outcomes both for the people trapped in poverty, and the society which allows it to fester.

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Qiulu Ding and HanJun Zhao study the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain, including lasting effects on function and memory. Ida Mogensen et al. find that the younger people who were so frequently declared to be "low-risk" are entirely vulnerable to long COVID. And Thomas Graham, Amrit Dhillon and Caroline Kimeu discuss the devastating effects of COVID-19 on the global South which have been almost entirely neglected by wealthier countries. 

- Aarhus University studies the accumulation of "forever chemicals" even in some of the most remote populations in Europe. 

- Tony Keller points out that Canada is one of the worst climate offenders in the world in terms of both inefficient personal vehicles, and a transportation system designed to require their use. And Markham Hislop highlights how the demand of fossil fuel tycoons and their puppet governments to the public on the hook for site remediation reflects an attempt to break a decades-old deal to have the oil industry clean up at least one aspect of its own mess. 

- Linda McQuaig contrasts Doug Ford's endless supply of free money for developers and donors against his brutal austerity when it comes to social needs. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow points out the selective security in the U.S.' welfare system which makes strict demands of recipients, while providing no security against fraud and abuse aimed at them.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Nippon.com discusses a new survey indicating that a large majority of people in Japan continue to mask regularly to protect their own health and that of others. But Richard Woodbury reports that Nova Scotia (like other Canadian jurisdictions) is seeing significant unexplained excess mortality now that it's stopped making any effort to limit or track the spread of COVID-19. 

- Martha Bailey et al. study how investments in the social safety net pay for themselves dozens of times over. But Patrick Butler discusses how the UK has chosen to provide minimal cost of living supports which fall far short of providing a stable financial base. And Michael Casey and R.J. Rico write about the escalating rate of evictions in the U.S. as landlords push people out of their homes to pursue higher rents.  

- Tzeporah Berman highlights how the oil sector is the arsonist responsible for setting much of Canada on fire. Luke Barratt discusses how existing carbon offsets are generally fictitious rather than representing any true reduction in carbon pollution. And Jamie Swift writes about the need for a political movement to work on averting a climate breakdown. 

- Florian Dietrich et al. find that the climate harm caused by fossil gas is far more severe than assumed in existing policies. And Zoë Yunker examines how one carbon-fueled disaster can cause another, particularly as fires make land more vulnerable to flooding. 

- Finally, Andrew Hawthorn rightly argues that "thinking of the children" shouldn't be taken as an excuse for bigotry or violence. And Jae Puckett points out how the anti-social right's attacks on LGBTQ+ people are imposing new burdens and stresses on people who aren't asking for anything more than to be able to live life as themselves. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Piers Forster reports on new research showing that both greenhouse gas emissions and temperatures continue to push past all recorded records. Andrew Freedman adds sea surface temperatures to the list of indicators setting off alarm bells for anybody bothering to pay attention. And Shannon Osaka, Michael Miller and Beatrice Rios write about the danger that we're sleepwalking into a "fire age" even as our corporate overlords command us to keep burning things. 

- Bryan Owens writes about the causes of what may be an entire season of wildfire in Canada, while  David Ball reports that British Columbia is among the provinces facing the prospect of a devastating drought. Caroline Mimbs Nice connects California's recent spate of fires to the effects of climate change. Justine McDaniel writes about the possibility that direct experience of the consequences of a climate breakdown will make people more eager to push for action - along with the risk that it will be minimized and memory-holed at the first opportunity. 

- Frank Jordan comments on the glaring gap between the corporate sector's empty "net zero" pledges, and its willingness to follow up in any meaningful way. 

- Vanmala Subramaniam discusses how temporary CERB benefits provided workers with a modicum of opportunity to seek out better positions - which explains why it was discontinued so quickly and has been attacked with such vitriol by the Cons and their anti-social base. And Nicholas Hune-Brown discusses how libraries have been turned into the social service provider of last resort and singular cost-free public space (without having been provided with the resources needed to fill those roles). 

- Finally, Chris Pepin-Neff points out how the bigoted right's anti-trans campaign fits into the history of violent moral panics. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Umair Haque discusses the absurdity (and manufactured idiocy) that results in us continuing with extractive business as usual as we enter a palpable age of extinction. And Richard Eskow writes about the reasons why billionaires can't tolerate the prospect that most people would enjoy even a modicum of security and well-being. 

- Meanwhile, both Dharna Noor and Zeeshan Aleem discuss how the wildfire smoke blanketing the U.S. is just part of the new, broken-down climate we'll be living with thanks to oil barons continuing to dictate our social choices. 

- On that front, Fiona Harvey reports that the fossil fuel peddlers put in charge of the next major global climate talks are refusing to even talk about limiting dirty energy. Carl Meyer exposes how Suncor is being allowed to dictate Canadian federal climate policy (even as the official opposition spends its time complaining that such a thing even exists). And Mark Sweney reports on the UK Advertising Standards Authority's determination that Shell's greenwashing is "likely to mislead" the public about the harm it's causing to our planet.

- Finally, Harvey also reports on new data showing that greenhouse gas emissions continue to reach record highs. And Yvonne Gordon reports on the discovery of microplastics in even the most remote of ocean environments as we continue to use the Earth as a dumping ground.

Sunday Evening Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- David Cox talks to Akiko Iwasaki about the reality that we're still far from being done with major harm from COVID-19. Keith Muziguchi discusses the stories of some of the people living with long COVID and finding few receptive listeners for either their experiences or their warnings. And Dylan Lubao points out the connection between the removal of mask mandates in health care facilities, and another fully-preventable COVID surge. 

- Ian Austen discusses the choices facing voters in Alberta's election - though the apparent belief of people who recognize the dangers of the UCP that they can accomplish as much by destroying a ballot as by voting for a viable alternative bodes poorly for the province's prospects. 

- Meanwhile, Jim Stanford highlights how the UCP's corporate tax giveaway (which Danielle Smith is pushing to lock in) was utterly counterproductive, gutting public revenues while showing no evidence of encouraging investment or economic development. And Nojoud Al Mallees reports on new data from Statistics Canada which suggests that any business complaints about a labour shortage are both overblown, and based primarily on their own refusal to provide decent work. 

- Tom Sanzillo writes about a new study showing how what little major oil companies are doing to claim to reduce emissions often involves selling high-emitting assets to others to continue operations.. 

- Finally, John Cartwright and Bianca Mugyenyi make the case for investing our public resources in butter rather than guns - particularly as the greatest threats we face involve social and environmental needs rather than plausible military confrontations. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Esther Choo and Scott Duke Kominers are the latest to point out the need for a focused effort (comparable to the Operation Warp Speed project to develop the original COVID-19 vaccines) to respond to the public health emergency that is widespread long COVID. Phil Tank highlights how the Moe government's elimination of masking protection in Saskatchewan health care facilities is a purely political decision to cater to anti-science cranks (which figures to produce disastrous health consequences). And Josiah Mortimer reports on the UK's apparent coverup of workplace COVID infections and fatalities in health facilities.

- Max Fawcett writes about the clear connection between strong social safety nets and people's happiness and well-being. Claire Cain Miller and Alicia Parlapiano chart how the U.S. built a functioning welfare state at the outset of the COVID pandemic - and has since dismantled it based on the perceived imperative to stop helping people. Andre La Rosa-Rodriguez reports on the rightful concerns by food banks that governments are entrenching the need for private charity rather than doing anything to ameliorate systemic deprivation. And Moira Welsh reports on the high rates of poverty and precarious housing among older women - and some of the options available to ensure a reasonable standard of living.

- Monica Potts discusses how rural America's combination of moral puritanism and limited economic development traps women based on their family backgrounds and sexual choices.

- Finally, Ann Pettifor writes about the importance of applying the principle that "we can afford what we can do" to the task of transitioning to a clean energy society. And Michael Mann discusses how climate change deniers seem to have finally been left behind in Australia's policy discussions - though many of us know from experience how other delay and obfuscation tactics can temporarily take the place of outright denial with a substantially similar effect.