Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- George Monbiot highlights how his own experience being injured as a result of an unrepaired pothole demonstrates the cost of austerity for everybody. And Simon Enoch and Jon Milton write about the importance of defending Canada Post - particularly as communities which are already isolated and lacking other social infrastructure will bear the largest burden from any loss of services.

- Katherine Kruger discusses how the Trump regime is systematically handing the most possible power to the most pitiful losers it can find. David Dayen points out the utter farce of Russ Vought claiming that he's being reluctantly forced to carry out the type of traumatic cuts he's gleefully proclaimed his intention to inflict. And Melody Schreiber reports on Debra Houry's warning about the damage being done by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s takeover of U.S. federal public health.

- Samantha Hancox-Li writes about the need for Democrats to take on a war mindset to counter a fascist regime dedicated to their eradication. And Doug Saunders notes that Canada's choices in dealing with the U.S. will also include deciding who to side with as between the Trump regime and an opposing group of jurisdictions and entities.

- Finally, Jen Gerson discusses how the UCP's stoking of separatist anger serves mostly as a distraction from its own unwillingness to govern - and ultimately only proves that it can't be trusted to responsibly exercise the added power it wants to claim.

Musical interlude

Tomcraft - Loneliness (StereoUnderground Remix)

On changed realities

Readers may have noted that I've set up a reference page for the 2026 NDP leadership election, which will be updated with both reference information and my own posts on the race. (And yes, you can expect more new content here than I've posted recently.)

Before delving into the candidates individually, though, I'll take a moment to note what I'll be looking for throughout the campaign which will differ from past leadership races.

There has been plenty of acknowledgement that the NDP's dismal election result reflects both the change in political reality created by the Trump regime in the U.S., and the federal party's failure to respond to it with a campaign that took heed of a radically changed public mood. But with that in mind, one of the crucial tests I'll be applying to the leadership candidates is whether they're accounting for the Trump reality in their plans.

That doesn't mean that any particular leadership candidate, or the NDP as a party, can merely hope to step into the shoes of the Carney Libs as the main beneficiary of the public's general backlash against Trump. Instead, it means:

- organizing in ways which assist in developing a broader resistance movement on both sides of the border;

- identifying areas where the NDP can present a distinct and principled message, including by serving as the primary opposition to Trump's actions in areas where the Libs and Cons aren't prepared to do so; and

- pointing out the connections between Trump and his Canadian sympathizers and collaborators, while developing policies which help break the connection between concentrated wealth, corporate cronyism and government corruption.

While other issues will of course  be discussed as well, it's as much the case in Canada as in the U.S. that the other challenges of the time can't be met without a plan to counter or work around the abuses of the Trump regime. And any candidate who plans to use an outdated playbook can expect to fare little better than the party's national campaign.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- William Davies writes about the systematic stupidity being imposed by the Trump regime, while Noah Berlatsky notes that it's a feature rather than a bug for a fascist government seeking to keep the populace uninformed. And Aditya Chakrabortty discusses how Javier Milei is yet another right-wing darling whose government has proven an utter disaster. 

- Toby Buckle writes about the role of reactionary centrists in clearing the way for fascism. Waleed Shahid offers a reminder that bending over backward to appear "moderate" has done nothing to help U.S. Democrats win elections (and everything to cede political territory to increasingly radical Republicans). And A.R. Moxon warns against allowing the Trump regime to define political choices as a series of trolley problems where other people's agency is limited to making deliberately cruel decisions. 

- N+1's Editors discuss the best-case scenario for commercial-scale artificial intelligence as involving the generation of junk to further enrich the wealthy few. Edward Zitron points out the laughable improbability of AI living up to its hype based on obvious and inescapable resource limitations. And MacKenzie Sigalos reports on the disproportionate effect of crypto money on the 2024 U.S. elections. 

- Bill McGuire laments that politicians are responding to a worsening climate crisis by pouring perpetually more resources into dirtier activities. Niklas Boers et al. discuss the connection between key climate components which are all destabilizing. And Damian Carrington reports on a new study showing a dramatic increase in extremely hot days in the world's major cities. 

- Finally, Ratina Omidvar and Sabina Vohra-Miller discuss the need for a tax system that ensure the wealthy contribute to the well-being of Canadians. And Dru Oja Jay discusses the stark choice of directions for Canada Post - which can either be shrunk into uselessness to allow corporate raiders to take over profitable operations, or treated as nation-building infrastructure to support communities and services. 

NDP Leadership 2026 Reference Page

A one-stop source for general information about the NDP's 2026 leadership election. 

General Information
NDP Constitution (PDF)
Leadership Rules (PDF)
NDP Leadership 2026

Candidate Information

Candidate	Website	Bluesky	Profile	Prediction Ranking	Ballot Ranking
Rob Ashton	Rob Ashton - A Voice for Everyday People	@rob-for-ndp-leader.bsky.social	Here	3	4
Tanille Johnston	Tanille for NDP Leader	@votetanille.bsky.social	Here	4	3
Avi Lewis	Lewis for Leader - Avi Lewis for NDP Leader	@avilewis.ca	Here	1	1
Heather McPherson	Heather McPherson for Leader of Canada's NDP	@heathermcpherson.bsky.social	Here	2	2
Tony McQuail	Tony McQuail Green Progressive	@mcquail4ndp.bsky.social	Here	5	5

Posts
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Discussion
Bluesky: #ndp - #ndpldr

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jamelle Bouie offers a reminder that Donald Trump's assertion of the power of a dictator-for-life is based on his winning an election by electoral margins then embarking on a constant stream of reviled plans. Greg Sargent discusses polling showing that challenges to Trump's supposed economic prowess are proving particularly effective, while Gabe Ortiz points out that MAGA attacks on immigrants are a major cause of rising food prices. And Brian Beutler notes that for Democrats in the U.S. as for governments around the world, there's no point in trying to strike deals with a regime which considers itself entitled to thumb its nose at them. 

- James Hardwick highlights how financial speculators have set up a debt bomb which will eventually be blamed on (and directed toward) Canadian consumers. And John Anderson offers a reminder that postal banking has historically been a crucial part of the national infrastructure which has allowed Canada to develop - and is only being ruled out now due to the Libs' insistence that Canada Post not look for ways to better serve the public. 

- John Woodside writes that Mark Carney's attempt to address climate change through the morality and decency of the financial sector has proven as comically ineffective as one would expect, while Elizabeth May notes that Carney has abandoned climate policy altogether now that he holds power. Jocelyn Timperley discusses some of the most effective actions which are possible at the individual level, but Isaac Callan and Colin D'Mello report on on Doug Ford's dirty transportation policies as a prime example of governments sabotaging their already-insufficent climate plans. And Markham Hislop discusses yet another example of the oil sector slashing jobs while still demanding public policy concessions in order to extract massive profits: 

- Finally, Simon Enoch rightly calls out arsonists like Danielle Smith and Scott Moe for pushing separatism as a distraction from their working against their citizens. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Fall cat.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Truth and Reconciliation Day reading.

- Doug Cuthand offers a reminder of the systematic harm done to Indigenous people by a settler state seeking to eradicate them. And Tanya Talaga writes about the need to protect today's Indigenous youth, while Eva Jewell points out the Indigenous women who are still largely ignored as they suffer violence and discrimination. 

- Jonathan Last discusses how the Trump regime's abuses have exceeded even the seeming worst-case scenarios from a year ago. And Andy Craig writes that the least U.S. Democrats can do is stop funding an authoritarian government - which should make for an important consideration for other actors deciding how to deal with the Trump administration as well. 

- Lisa Held reports on the Democrats' much-needed efforts to point out how corporate control and consolidation are making food less healthy and more expensive. Sara Connors reports on the Libs' choice to cut funding for a program to feed Indigenous children in the Yukon. And Prem Sikka discusses how direct government investment and ownership are a must to support economic growth that isn't directed entirely toward further enriching the wealthiest few. 

- Mitchell Beer reports on the call by Canadian municial leaders for Canada's nation-building projects to avoid exacerbating the climate crisis. Dean Baker discusses how action against the climate crisis also helps to ensure affordability for the general public. And Kyle Stock reports on the popularity of used electric vehicles in the U.S. as a demonstration of the demand for cleaner transportation as long as it isn't artifically overpriced, while Enrico Moretti and Harrison Wheeler examine the benefits of reduced traffic noise from EVs.

- Aaron Gell exposes a new report showing how the insurance industry is booking massive profits while refusing to cover the most important risks people face. 

- Finally, Pamela Duncan et al. study how far-right Facebook groups have radicalized anti-immigrant bigotry in the UK. And Cory Doctorow discusses how the AI bubble is set to pop at any time now.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Chris Mowles discusses how growing uncertainty requires our public institutions to develop redundancies and alternate means of providing services, rather than focusing on the false "efficiency" of austerity. Emiliano Brancaccio reports on France's "block everything" movement against austerity as an example for citizens elsewhere. And Miiki Ilomaki notes that other countries should be following Finland's lead in ensuring stockpiles of food and needed supplies to deal with foreseeable geopolitical shocks.

- Maia Mindel discusses how the dangers of inequality are manifesting themselves as the greediest, most power-hungry few systematically take over more decision-making power. And Iglika Ivanova notes that British Columbia is yet another example of a jurisdiction where revenue giveaways to the wealthy few are being treated as an excuse to cut services for everybody else. 

- Nicholas Grossman points out that Ezra Klein offers a lamentable example of how the corporate media has greased the skids for Donald Trump's fascist regime by simultaneously normalizing its cruelty and tone-policing anybody who dares to engage in principled criticism. Adam Bonica writes that abandoning minority groups to the predations of the Trump regime is no way to build a resistance movement or opposition party, while Katelyn Burns discusses the parallels in the treatment of anti-trans and anti-science disinformation. And Brian Beutler laments the prominent Democrats who are refusing to engage with a system increasingly stacked against them. 

- Finally, Gilbert Gaul notes that the climate breakdown is making home insurance increasingly unaffordable (or just plain unavailable). And Paul Krugman discusses how the Trump regime is planning to send health care insurance costs into the stratosphere in order to partially pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest few. 

Musical interlude

Bryan Adams - We're Gonna Win

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Shiri Pasternak examines the history of enemies lists as a mechanism to oppress minority groups and stifle dissent. And Adam Serwer distinguishes between cowardice which is at least based on genuine fear, and the chickenshit elites who are eager to sell out to fascists to avoid the slightest inconvenience. 

- Rachel Abrams talks to Eric Lipton about the corruption involved in the Trump regime's sellout of U.S. tech policy. And Kate Niederhoffer et al. discuss how AI "workslop" is trashing productivity, while Victor Tangerman writes about new research showing that the excess power consumption from AI is even worse than anticipated as longer and more complex requests give rise to increased incremental energy usage.

- Julia Conley discusses a new report showing how a small group of fossil fuel producers (including Canada) are planning dirty energy expansion which on its own will place existing climate commitments out of reach. And John Woodside reports on Catherine McKenna's warning that we can't trust the oil industry to live up to its climate promises. 

- Finally, Arthur Bledson points out how remote communities are increasingly turning to renewable energy as both a more affordable and more secure option than clinging to a fossil fuel addiction. And Patrick Commins reports on a new study showing that Australia's power costs would be soaring if it had limited itself to dirty energy. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Noah Berlatsky discusses the Trump regime's policy of wanton violence and murder. And Choe Sang-Hun reports on the recognition by South Korean workers caught in a recent ICE raid that the U.S. is no safe place to work, while Wired tells the stories of federal workers who were caught in DOGE's purge of the public service. 

- Greg Sargent writes that ABC's about-face over Jimmy Kimmel has exposed the lack of public support for the Trump regime's culture war. And Paul Krugman expresses some hope that others facing similarly arbitary demands from the MAGA government will push back sooner and allow the U.S. to avoid the fate of states that lost all independent media to authoritarian regimes. 

- But then, Lord Foulkes notes that the UK's media is still treating its hard-right party with kid gloves and legitimizing its message of hate in the process. And Stephen Maher writes about the need for Canada to prevent alt-right grooming from turning into political violence. 

- Thor Benson discusses how China is taking what looks to be an insurmountable lead over the U.S. in developing and deploying clean energy. And Andrew Freedman reports on Climate TRACE's work allowing people to trace responsibility for air pollution (which confirms the disproportionate role of a few corporate super polluters in spewing harmful substances). 

- Finally, Melissa Heikkilä, Chris Cook and Clara Murray report on the glaring lack of substance behind most corporate spin about AI. But Anja Karadeglija reports that the Libs remain determined to bank on AI as a panacea.

Wednesday Night Cat Blogging

Naptime cat.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jonathan Watts highlights how the global right is pushing extremes in both climate damage and reactonary politics. Jamelle Bouie discusses how the Trump regime is looking to destroy any principle of deliberative government. Robert Reich notes that Disney's about-face in returning Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves shows that people do have some power to keep corporations from collaboration with fascists - but Luke Savage writes that we can't count on corporate self-interest to protect democracy and human rights. 

- Meanwhile, Hamilton Nolan rightly argues that there's nothing an individual can buy for a billion dollars that should be available for individual purchase in the first place - making the accumulation of further wealth little more than a direct assault on society as a whole. And Jean-Paul Bureaud calls out Canada's provinces other than Quebec for failing to create financial fraud compensation funds to protect individuals from corporate malfeasance. 

- Charlie Angus discusses the meaning of "elbows up" as a statement of collective determination and defence (which isn't about to end no matter how much MAGA complains that other countries should bow to its king). 

- Finally, there's plenty of good news as to new medical breakthroughs to the extent they reach people - with Kat Lay reporting on the potential for an HIV vaccine to end the global epidemic, Amber Carlson reporting on a more stable rabies vaccine which could reduce a death toll of tens of thousands of people each year, and James Gallagher reporting on the first successful treatment for Huntington's disease through gene therapy. But Olivia Bowden writes about the Libs' stalled implementation of pharmacare, particularly as Mark Carney has chosen not to bother following through with ensuring people have the medicine they need. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jared Yates Sexton writes about the Trump administration's attacks on reality and truth. Marisa Kabas laments the fact that the U.S. is deteriorating faster and in more ways than it's realistically possible to track even absent the harm being done to its information environment. And about the best available reason for hope is to note, as Agent Nkrumah does, that the Trump Republicans are running scared. 

- Scott Galloway writes about the rise of violence entrepreneurs as part of the MAGA propaganda machine. And Olufemi Taiwo discusses the need for shame as part of any functional social system - even as the Trump regime looks to purge anything of the sort (with far too much assistance from the corporate media). 

- Susan Delacourt reports on new polling showing that Canadians quite rightly don't see any point in negotiating a trade agreement with a regime which can't be trusted to honour it. 

- Erin Sikorsky discusses how the U.S.' war on climate action will leave it at a disadvantage as the global economy shifts toward clean energy. David Wallace-Wells offers a reminder that attacks on climate policy have had harmful effects around the globe. And John Woodside reports that environmental groups are being shut out of any direct interaction with a Carney government which is only interested in catering to CEOs. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk notes that spin about nuclear power serves mostly to delay a clean energy transition (and commit massive amounts of money to an inefficient, non-renewable energy source). And Adam Thorn writes about the importance of using public policy to foster a move toward electric vehicles. 

- Finally, Ryan Cooper reports on the success of Greenland's state companies in both providing employment and generating public returns as an example for other jurisdictions to follow. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Musical interlude

Phantogram & Whethan - In My Head

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Uday Rana reports on new polling showing that a supermajority of Canadians will never trust the U.S. the same way again. And John Paul Tasker examines the ways the break from reliance on the U.S. is playing out in practice. 

- But Desmond Cole and Martin Lukacs discuss how Pierre Poilievre is trying to import as much of the Trump regime's anti-immigrant violence as people can be forced to consume. And Muhad Hemmadi reports on Mark Carney's echoing of the U.S.' blind faith in AI as a substitute for real development, while Dale Smith discusses how the Libs' online surveillance legislation reads as little more than a gift to a Trump-style militarized state. 

- Linda McQuaig writes that any forward-looking plan for national projects should be starting with a massive commitment to clean energy. And Darius Snieckus and Natasha Bulowski report on the Canadian Climate Institute's estimate showing that Alberta's oil and gas sector alone is blocking any prospect of reaching our climate commitments in both the short and medium term. 

- Kevin Crowley, David Wethe and Dave Merrill report on the groundwater pollution and resulting geological instability being inflicted by the oil industry in Texas (with the full support of petropoliticians). Olivia Lee reports that a project in Brighton is showing how toxic runoff can be cleaned up - while highlighting the absolute failure to make that a priority elsewhere. And Gary Fuller reports on new research showing that air pollution affects people's sleep among other profound effects. 

- Finally, Emily Atkin discusses how Charlie Kirk's hate (like much of the fascist right's noise machine) has been funded by fossil fuel tycoons. Adam Serwer notes that the definition of free speech in the U.S. is now limited to parroting administration talking points, while Moira Donegan wonders who's next to be silenced after even the most mainstream of comedians are being yanked off the air for daring to incorporate the U.S.' president in their material. And David Moscrop writes about the need for universal condemnation of political censorship. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Randi Weingarten discusses why fascists are hostile toward critical thinking as a threat to the viability of propaganda and disinformation. Henry Farrell writes about the limits of assertions of absolute power which aren't matched by at least some element of public support or credibility. Brian Beutler argues that Trump has offered a fairly stark us vs. them distinction which can be useful in framing responsibility for his abuses. And Max Fawcett discusses how Canada can respond to the U.S.' online misinformation factory. 

- Tyee Bridge and Jim Stanford study (PDF) how a just transition to a clean economy can generate massive numbers of new jobs. Sabrina Shankman highlights Bill McKibben's reasons for optimism about a shift to solar power. And Mitchell Beer points out how all of the indicators for fossil fuels point to a decline ahead (other than the stubborn refusal of a few wealthy tycoons to accept reality). 

- Drew Mitnick and Teresa Eder discuss the importance of building a firewall against control by U.S. tech giants and the regime which can use them for its malevolent purposes. And Michael Harris writes that Canadians are rightly becoming disillusioned with Mark Carney's willingness to appease Trump rather than standing up for Canada's sovereignty and values. 

- Finally, Amanda Follett Hosgood reports on the initial plan for regulators to hold CNR liable for contributing to the 2021 fire which destroyed Lytton, which gave way to a content-free investigation and failure to hold anybody responsible. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Zoe Williams reviews Nick Lowles' How to Defeat the Far Right (even while noting that the victories of Hope Not Hate have been limited in scope). And Stuart Turnbull-Degarte et al. examine how social democratic parties who have echoed anti-immigration rhetoric have done nothing but harm to themselves and their countries in the process.

- Meanwhile, Brian Beutler discusses how the Trump regime is focused solely on abusing its power, including by using state authority to generate propaganda while stifling accurate information. And Michael Mann and Peter Hotez weigh in on the existential threat posed by anti-science being peddled by both right-wing governments and corporate predators. 

- Adam Morton writes that Australia's Labour government has at least identified the threat posed by the climate crisis, but wonders whether it will match that recognition with commensurate action. And CBC News reports on the Outaouais Integrated Health and Social Services Centre's study identifying the climate breakdown as the most important public health threat of this century, while Agnes Black, Kaitlin Bloemberg and Caroline Murphy highlight how health care workers see the impacts of climate neglect. 

- Colin Carlson et al. examine the progress being made in attributing climate effects to specific sources. On that front, Damian Carrington reports on the direct blame borne by fossil fuel giants for deadly heat waves around the globe, while Ajit Niranjan reports on research showing that two-thirds of heat deaths in Europe this summer are attributable to manmade climate damage. And Simon Evans reports on the International Energy Agency's recognition that no new fossil fuel projects can be justified if we're going to have any hope of limiting global warming to the current 1.5C target. 

- But the Canadian Press reports on the UCP's predictable plan to facilitate carbon pollution, both by double-counting any emission reduction projects which are carried out, and by letting many businesses off the hook entirely for existing emission mitigation obligations. 

- Finally, Monique Kasonga discusses the extensive U.S. ownership of Canadian data centre infrastructure and the danger that poses to our sovereignty. And Don Lenihan makes the case for a sovereign cloud as one of the most important nation-building possibilities available to us.