Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Damien Cave writes about the lessons Australia's successful containment of COVID-19 offer to any other jurisdiction willing to listen and learn rather than recklessly endangering public health, while the Globe and Mail's editorial board questions why Canada doesn't fit that bill. And Tristin Hopper notes that mandatory quarantine has been one of the important factors in New Zealand's similar control over the coronavirus.

- Alex Nguyen highlights how the recognition of the risks workers face in coffee shops may be leading to a pattern of organizing and unionization. 

- Greg Rosalsky discusses how the poverty treated as the norm for so many service sector workers ultimately harms productivity at work as well as overall well-being. And Rosa Saba points out the needed movement to have the federal government avoid piling on CERB recipients in the midst of another pandemic wave.

- Zak Vescera reports on the danger homeless people in Saskatchewan are facing due to a combination of limited resources and extreme weather. 

- Duncan Cameron writes about the opportunity to reduce inequality and raise public revenue through taxes on financial transactions. And Kristy Koehler reports on the problems with using credit checks as a precondition to employment - particularly in public service work.

- Finally, Adam Serwer rebuts the theory that the Capitol insurrection (and the Trump movement generally) was the product of deprivation rather than an attempt to preserve unequal privilege.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jim Stanford reminds us that a focus on protecting health is the best strategy to ensure a functioning economy. And Gary Mason writes about the increasing fatigue Canadians have with the feckless responses of all levels of government - aside from the Atlantic provinces which have been largely successful in suppressing the spread of COVID-19. 

- Meanwhile, Gillian Petit and Lindsay Tedds study (PDF) how instead of looking to help people or keep them safe, right-wing governments have used emergency COVID supports as an opportunity to cut people off from provincial benefits.

- Rita Trichur discusses how paid sick leave in particular is a must as a matter of economic policy alone (even leaving aside the social and health implications of incentivizing people to work while sick). And Sara Mojtehedzadeh and Andrew Bailey report on the immense number of workers treated as essential for the purpose of being kept at work, while Bill Kaufmann reports on the care home workers who are being told to keep reporting for work even while testing positive for COVID-19 (and who want to see more responsible management in charge). 

- Nature highlights how after over a year of experience with the coronavirus, we're still far too focused on rare surface transmission rather than air transmission. And Carl Zimmer notes that the new UK strain may be able to resist the vaccines that have been developed so far - making control of community spread all the more important.

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg reports that while the Libs make a show out of trying to cut belated deals with the private sector, the NDP is leading the charge to have medicine and long-term care treated as public services rather than sources of corporate profit. And Kevin Barry argues that there's no reasonable explanation for allowing public goods like vaccines to be manufactured and distributed with profit-seeking in mind.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Elevated cats.

 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Gabrielle Drolet discusses how essential workers have been left to bear the physical and emotional burdens of workplaces designed to prioritize the interests of bosses and customers first. And Bruce Western and Jake Rosenfeld study (PDF) the effect unions have in pushing for equity - and the associated lack thereof as governments and businesses have spent decades in an all-out war against labour. 

- Meanwhile, Dylan Matthews reports on the Biden administration's moves to make meatpacking work at least somewhat less abusive.

- The Guardian's editorial board comments on the need for speed in taking action to avert a climate breakdown. Peter Oldridge writes that the prairie premiers should start recognizing that the future will be powered by renewable energy. And Alex Ballingall rightly challenges Justin Trudeau's attempt to treat perpetual fossil fuel development and responsible climate policy as being remotely compatible with each other.

- Sharon Riley exposes how Alberta has undercut the protection of birds put at risk by tar sands tailings ponds. And Brian Cross notes that Alberta's farmers will be far worse off due to the UCP's choice to eliminate any credit for emission offsets.

 - Andrew Nikiforuk points out how the UCP tipped off foreign investors about their plans to push coal mining long before providing any notice to the communities which will bear the brunt of the resulting environmental damage. 

- Finally, Emma Gilchrist calls out Jason Kenney's attacks on journalists and environmental activists as a poor distraction from their own failings. And Jeremy Appel weighs in on the use of public money to fund conspiracy theories.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Linda Geddes discusses the problem with people approaching COVID-19 restrictions based on the question of what's permitted (or worse yet what they can get away with), rather than what choices are most likely to limit the spread of the virus.

- Richard Horton writes about the growing expert push for a no-COVID strategy, while Michael Baker and Martin McKee offer 16 reasons for any country to pursue that goal. Lynsey Chutel and Marc Santora point out the need to fight the pandemic everywhere for anybody to be safe from future spread and newer, more dangerous variants. May Warren wonders what ever happened to contact tracing as part of the plan to control community spread in far too much of Canada, while the Globe and Mail's editorial board laments the failure to use rapid testing as one means of identifying potential sources of transmission before symptoms have appeared. And Winnie Byanyima argues that it's unconscionable for vaccines developed largely at public expense to be turned into corporate profit centres at the expense of universal availability as a public good, while Reshma Ramachandran and Zoey Thill take note of the rhetorical sleight of hand involved in associating vaccines with pharmaceutical companies rather than public sources of research and support.

- Meanwhile, Scott Gilmore discusses how Canada's national response to the coronavirus ranks among the world's worst. Andre Picard notes that the latest federal announcements involving limitations on some type of travel figure to offer far more in terms of symbolism than substantial outcomes. Mike Blanchfield reports on the growing recognition that we need domestic vaccine production capacity. And Charles Shaver highlights the importance of paid sick leave, particularly for people working to keep the public healthy.

- AFP reports on Argentina's implementation of a wealth tax to help fund coronavirus relief. And Christian Paas-Laing interviews Miles Corak about the need to do more to rein in wealth inequality - including the fact that Chrystia Freeland earned much of her public reputation documenting and (at least implicitly) recognizing the need for greater equity which her government is choosing not to pursue.

- Finally, Zarah Sultana discusses how big money distorts the U.S.' political system beyond any reasonable definition of the term "democracy". And Umair Haque writes about the dangers of being satisfied with a return to the same normal which produced the rise of Trumpian fascism to begin with.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Jerusalem Demsas discusses the strong popular support for affordable social housing even as governments continually fail to provide it. Daphne Bramham rightly asks why we haven't seen far more of a move toward the Housing First models (including both secure housing and the availability of associated supports) which have consistently proven effective at assisting people facing addictions and homelessness. And Richard Warnica weighs in on the death toll from Ontario's reliance on for-profit long-term care homes. 

- Moira Wyton reports on the outcome of British Columbia's panel on a basic income - which found that more targeted income and basic services would represent a better use of public resources. And Heather Scoffield offers her take on why a basic income isn't the right option to try to eliminate poverty. 

- Timothy Bond, Jillian Carr, Analisa Packham and Jonathan Smith study how the timing of food benefits directly affects students' scores on tests which affect their future.

- Bill Blaikie puts some of the forces behind the U.S.' Trumpist insurrection into historical context. And Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan write about the needed push from social movements for change as the Biden/Harris administration begins its tenure.

- Meanwhile, Scott Harold Payne wonders whether the relentless flow of corruption and incompetence from the UCP will lead to the end of Alberta conservatism as we know it.

- Finally, Kendall Latimer reports on Saskatchewan's long-overdue end to the use of birth alerts - while also noting the need to make up for the damage they've done already.

Musical interlude

 Joywave - Doubt

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the even greater urgency to get to COVID zero as more dangerous strains of the virus spread in Canada. And Adam Miller reports on growing recommendations that we wear more effective masks, including while outdoors. 

-Truc Nguyen reports on some of the ways to deal with the anxiety arising out of the pandemic, while Natalie Grover reports on research showing that the coronavirus itself leads to mental illness and brain disorders. And James Wilt points out the public health implications of people drinking more in the course of the pandemic.

- Sarah Jaffe discusses the problem of burnout generally - including by recognizing that it's an inevitable outcome of economic and social systems designed to impose as many costs as possible on individuals for the benefit of businesses. Meghan Bell calls out the attempt by Bell (and so many politicians) to turn mental health into a single-day distraction while standing in the way of the support people need at all times. And Ray Fisman and Michael Luca point out how the effort to squeeze concessions out of workers - rather than providing a stable and secure livelihood - is ultimately a damaging one for employers.

- But in case anybody thought there was hope for consensus on a change in course, Tom Scocca writes that the Trump years have offered an appalling test of how much suffering the U.S. is prepared to inflict on people. And Mindy Isser discusses the need to ensure that organizing efforts include people who have been willing to support the likes of Donald Trump.

- Finally, Nana Ama Sarfo makes the case to end Canada's current status as a haven to hide the beneficial ownership of corporations. And Canadians for Tax Fairness argues that we shouldn't let Pfizer use COVID-19 as an excuse to claim yet another round of tax concessions and corporate giveaways.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Ciara Nugent writes about Amsterdam's embrace of doughnut economics focused on finding the sweet spot which accounts for human well-being and environmental sustainability.

- Ross Belot discusses why the world doesn't need Keystone XL, while Angus Reid notes that only the prairie petro-provinces have any apparent insistence on continuing to fight in the face of the U.S.' decision not to grant a permit for it to proceed. Andrew Nikiforuk points out a few of the realities which rebut Jason Kenney's talking points for prioritizing oil infrastructure over any other purpose or principle. Gary Mason notes that Kenney's decision to pour billions into pushing Keystone XL was always a losing bet with public money. The Canadian Association of Journalists calls out the UCP's publicly-funded propaganda campaign against media who dare to report on environmental issues rather than serving as cheerleaders for fossil fuels. And even the Globe and Mail's editorial board is past pretending that the pro-pipeline bluster is anything more than a farce - which fits into Jim Storrie's recognition that Kenney is engaged in little more than theatre.

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing a connection between air pollution and macular degeneration. 

- Nikiforuk also calls out the UCP's disinformation about additional coal development. And Bob Weber reports that as the Kenney UCP seeks to ram through new coal mining, Alberta's existing mines are getting away with contaminating river water with selenium. And Carrington reports on the recognition by two-thirds of the world that we're facing a climate emergency, while Elizabeth Weil offers a stark look at what's coming as our natural environment continues to break down.

- Finally, Adrian Humphreys reports on polling showing strong support among Canadians to limit the spread of hate and racism. But PressProgress reports on the continued convergence between pro-oil forces and anti-democratic propaganda.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- George Monbiot writes about the COVID disinformation which is so dangerous as to need to be suppressed. Maggie Keresteci, Nili Kaplan-Myrth and Naheed Dosani highlight the need for equity to figure into our plans and messaging about vaccine distribution. And Dakshana Bascaramurty discusses the challenges in reaching racialized Canadians with the information needed to protect themselves and the public.

- Bruce Arthur points out the futility of blustering about borders when a province already has community outbreaks of highly dangerous variants. And Walker Bragman and David Sirota report on the factors which have had the most impact in suppressing the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. - with work from home and housing security at the top of the list. 

- The Star's editorial board joins the calls for paid sick leave to ensure workers don't put people at risk in order to pay their bills. And Omar Mosleh reports on the limited number of retail employers offering anything of the sort when not required to do so.

- Theresa Boyle reports that Ontario is among the provinces falling far short of using even the federal resources available to it - let alone contributing appropriately on its own - to offer COVID-19 relief and support. And Matt Elliott calls out Doug Ford's almost total lack of investment in social housing, even as he looks to destroy greenspace and heritage buildings alike to grease the skids for private developers.

- Grace Blakeley discusses how the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated poverty and inequality. And Arwa Mahdawi makes the case for a greed tax to reverse that trend. 

- Finally, Dr. Jacelyn Hanson and Dr. Larissa Kiesman remind us of the existing public health emergencies of homelessness, opioids and HIV which have been worsened by COVID-19. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

 Toying cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Simon Enoch traces the COVID-19 spending that's taken place in Saskatchewan - finding that most of the support has come from the federal government, while Scott Moe has combined a refusal to lift a finger (and indeed a failure to make use of all the federal money available) with constant complaining that the feds aren't doing enough:

(T)hroughout the pandemic, the Saskatchewan government has been quick to tout the state of its finances, in spite of the crisis, reporting lower deficits than anticipated and continuing to commit to a balanced budget by the 2024 election.

The irony is, that for all the ire that Mr. Moe directs at Prime Minister Trudeau, it may very well be the largesse of the federal government, coupled with the underspending of transferred dollars, that has allowed Saskatchewan to post such rosy fiscal numbers.

While in any other situation such news might be greeted by some as evidence of fiscal responsibility, during the worst public health crisis in 100 years, failure to spend and access every available dollar to protect us from the ravages of this pandemic looks a lot less like financial caution and a lot more like callous recklessness.

- Justine Hunter and Ian Bailey report on British Columbia's vaccine distribution plan - showing that it's possible to actually do the work of helping to keep people healthy, rather than devoting one's sole efforts to whining about the federal government. And Gary Mason notes that B.C. has also managed to get caught up on its surgical backlog.

- Robert Reich writes that the threats to U.S. democracy aren't limited to the Trumpist white supremacist uprising, but include corporate sedition aiming to capture the government for the benefits of the wealthiest few.

- Finally, Mitchell Anderson points out that Canada is home to a similarly dangerous set of violent actors who are often encouraged by our right-wing parties, while Matthew Remski documents the spread of Qanon in particular. And Geoff Dembicki notes that the work product from Alberta's anti-environment inquiry includes a smear campaign against journalists funded out of public money.

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Jim Brumby writes about the multiple growing disruptions to economic health and security which could be addressed by a wealth tax.

- Kim Siever highlights how the oil industry continues to scam Alberta while pretending that its interest is that of the province - which of course applies with equal force in Saskatchewan. The Energy Mix points out that the fossil fuel sector is marked by disproportionate returns to capital for the amount paid in wages - making a transition entirely affordable as long as we focus on the public good rather than aiming primarily to enrich the few billionaires who want to add even more to their fortunes. And Cameron Fenton notes that Keystone XL is just the latest example of the Libs refusing to act consistently with their rhetoric about climate change. 

- Peter Giger offers a reminder of the multiple environmental tipping points which could see us fall into irreversible climate breakdown if we don't transition to a clean economy. And Brian Kahn writes that the decisions we make about the oil industry this year will echo long into the future.

- Tom Cardoso reports on analysis showing over a million Canadians engaged in overnight holiday travel in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Globe and Mail's editorial board asks why we're still allowing the coronavirus to spread to Canada on international flights. Laura Woodward reports on Dr. Nazeem Muhajarine's call to finally end the risk of spread through in-person restaurant dining. And the Star's editorial board argues that we should be doing far more to ensure that long-term care homes don't turn into death sentences for the people who raised and nurtured us.

- Finally, Jen Gerson writes that the Cons should be looking to excise the violent alt-right as a matter of self-preservation as well as civic duty. And David Climenhaga notes that the problem runs far deeper than Derek Sloan alone.

On root causes

Shorter Scott Moe on threats against Dr. Saqib Shahab:

I have no idea how these idiots got the idea that policy disagreement entitles you to engage in violent rhetoric and personal harassment. 

Shorter Scott Moe's CO2Anon donor base:

Environmentalists are child molesters! But the good news is that I think I've figured out the coded meaning of their pizza orders!

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Grace Blakeley comments on the connection between neoliberal ideology, and the replacement of even the possibility of collective action with an assumption that we're only in it for ourselves. 

- Aditya Chakrabortty writes about the need to eliminate poverty in all of its forms - including by dealing with it head-on rather than slicing it into a series of less significant problems. And Gaby Hinsliff reminds us of the work that will need to be done to ensure a COVID generation doesn't miss out on the opportunity to engage in basic socialization and development. 

- Meanwhile, Peter Goodman reports on research showing that the world as a whole will be better off it we work on ensuring the distribution of vaccines based on need rather than national wealth.

- Daniel Oran and Eric Topol write about the consequences of being wrong in basic assumptions about the coronavirus - such as the question of whether it's possible to be contagious without symptoms (as we now know to be the case). Elizabeth Gulino discusses some of the changes we'll need to make in response to more contagious strains of COVID-19, while Patricia Treble points out that we're likely not managing to fully test and trace for the UK variant which we know has arrived in Canada. And Armine Yalnizyan offers a reminder of the desperate need for paid sick days to allow employees to avoid contributing to community spread out of financial necessity.

- Finally, Jen Gerson recognizes that Jason Kenney's belligerence is doing nothing but embarrassing himself and his province. And Scott Schmidt calls out Kenney's refusal to answer for the harm he's inflicting on Alberta.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Anna McMillan reports on the disproportionate effect COVID-19 has (predictably) had on First Nations reserves in Saskatchewan. And Maan Ahmidi reports on the appearances and realities arising out of the Libs' continued appeals against orders to stop withholding equal access to services from Indigenous children.

- Diane Collier and Anne Burke write about the need to start listening to teachers about COVID in the classroom. 

- Of course, it may also be a nice touch to not raid teachers' pension funds to be placed under the the politicized control of an incompetent administrator (as the Kenney UCP is doing). And Elise von Scheel reports that Jason Kenney has also gone out of his way to replicate the federal Phoenix experience by implementing a new payroll system which is resulting in public servants being shorted on their pay.

- The CP reports on Erin O'Toole's belated statement that the far right is unwelcome within the Con party rather than representing its core. But Sean Holman rightly argues that the only way for the Cons to avoid a Trump-style takeover is to push back hard against denialism and bigotry in all their forms - even as there's little reason for optimism that O'Toole or any of his provincial counterparts has any interest in that effort.

- Finally, David Climenhaga writes about Jim Stanford's work showing how a just transition to a clean economy is both possible and necessary. And Jessica Green studies the extremely limited effect carbon pricing has had in actually reducing greenhouse gas emissions - confirming the need for both direct regulation of emissions, and a strategy to scale up the use of cleaner replacements for the dirty systems we still rely on (without counting on nuclear unicorns from the future when there's technology already available).

Musical interlude

 snarls - Walk in the Woods

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- David Brancaccio and Rose Conlon write about the tendency for people involved in deliberately-rigged contests to believe their success is the result of skill rather than manipulation - offering an important comparison to wealthy people who can't sort out luck from merit in their own riches and power.

- Scilla Alleci discusses the prospect that the new year will see the public begin to collect a reasonable share of the revenue currently being sucked up by COVID profiteers and environmental scofflaws. Ian Vandaelle reports on CIBC Deputy Chief Economist Benjamin Tal's recognition that increased taxes on the wealthy are likely - and properly - on their way. And Michael Smart suggests looking to a capital gains tax instead to both increase revenue, and limit the disproportionate accumulation of wealth.

- Supreet Kaur, Sendhil Mullainathan, Suanna Oh and Frank Schilbach examine the effect of financial security on workers, showing that even a modicum of reassurance about cash on hand produces demonstrable improvements in productivity. And Dara Lee Luca and Michael Luca study the effect of minimum wage increases on restaurants, finding that higher-quality businesses do just fine when required to pay a fair wage. 

- Veena Dubal and Juliet Schor write about the need to ensure that gig workers have the same protections available to traditionally-classified employees. 

- But Josh Rubin points out that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have been disproportionately felt by lower-income workers, while the already-secure have largely thrived. And Pia Arenata takes note of the health dangers of precarious work as people are forced to risk the spread of a deadly virus for want of other options to support themselves.

- Neil O'Brien highlights why we can't merely ignore anti-social COVID spreaders.

- Finally, Robert Reich discusses the need for radical action to avoid slipping back into the same "normal" which allowed Donald Trump to take power.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jim Stanford explores how a just transition plan can ensure that workers have new opportunities in the midst of a needed shift away from dirty fossil fuels - and also highlights how a blinkered refusal to accept the decline of the oil sector will only make matters worse for workers. And Thomas Lukaszuk writes that there's no reason for Alberta (or any other province) to obsess over oil rather than emerging clean technology.

- Karim Bardeesy writes about the need for a paid sick leave plan which ensures that people don't feel the need to contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in order to keep paying their bills. And Maryse Zeidler highlights how a focus on high-risk populations is crucial to our COVID response, while Bruno Mégarbane, Fanchon Bourasset and Jean-Michel Scherrmann find that stay-at-home orders do create a substantial benefit in reducing viral spread. 

- Jeremy Nuttall examines what other countries have been able to accomplish in providing long-term care where their focus is on the personal well-being of residents, rather than opening up rent-seeking opportunities for investors.

- But Theresa Boyle warns that a policy vacuum is allowing our health care system to shift increasingly toward privatized and profit-seeking services. And Joel Lexchin discusses how big pharma is trying to limit Canadians' access to needed medication, while Rachel Aiello reports that Pfizer is taking advantage of the need for COVID vaccines to seek special treatment from the federal government's next budget.

- Finally, as most of the world celebrates Donald Trump's long-awaited removal from office, Ta-Nehisi Coates points out the need to recognize and challenge the forces that allowed him to take it in the first place.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

 Conflicted cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jim Stanford discusses the reality that even from the standpoint of GDP and economic activity, we're better off implementing strong enough measures to control (or better yet, eradicate) the spread of COVID-19 rather than allowing the virus to run wild. But in the latest signal that far too many provinces are going backward in ensuring people can survive the coronavirus, Kelly Bennett reports on Doug Ford's decision to force nurses to go unpaid while they're in mandatory quarantine. 

- CBS News reports on doctors' observations that COVID-19 can cause worse lung damage than smoking even for people who avoid exhibiting severe symptoms.

- Zeynep Tufecki and Jeremy Howard ask why we haven't seen more of a shift toward better masks for the public as the pandemic continues. And Ian Gauthier rightly calls out Erin O'Toole's complaints about vaccinating people in prison as a public health threat to everybody which serves no purpose but cheap pandering to base instincts. 

- Speaking of which, PressProgress exposes how the Cons have accepted donations from a self-proclaimed neo-Nazi - and are seeking to blame Derek Sloan alone for donations made into party coffers. And Aaron Wherry discusses how little O'Toole has done to depart from the Trump playbook, even as he claims offence at being associated with it.

- Finally, Emma Graney reports on the latest revelations about oil operators misleading Alberta about their failure to clean up abandoned wells. And David Climenhaga writes that Jason Kenney's combination of aggressive anti-environmentalism and reckless determination to bet on a dying industry with public money has resulted in billions going down the drain in the form of the failed Keystone XL pipeline.

Monday Afternoon Links

 Assorted content to start your week.

- Scott Gilmore discusses how our elected leaders have failed us in responding to COVID-19. Shannon Devine offers a warning to the Ford PCs about their insistence in putting workers' lives and health at risk in the midst of a pandemic. And Christy Somos reports on a new survey showing that over two-thirds of Canadians support the ability to bar unvaccinated people from business premises.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board highlights how the Atlantic provinces were able to contain the spread of COVID-19. And Caitjan Gainty and Agnes Arnold-Forster note that vaccines alone don't generally eradicate a disease in the absence of exactly the types of public health measures which have done the most to limit the spread of the coronavirus before a vaccine was available.

- Falice Chin examines Canada's worrisome literacy gaps - with one in six adults lacking even basic literacy skills, and fully half having difficulty processing complex texts in a world governed by them.  

- Lucas Edmond writes about the need for direct action to confront the attacks on labour by Brian Pallister (a point which of course applies to his ideological soulmates elsewhere as well).

- Finally, Noah Smith discusses how the vast majority of the economic profession has come to reject the corporatist dogma that higher minimum wages lead to meaningful job losses.

On climate pollution

Martin Olzynski's submission this week has called plenty of attention to the Kenney UCP's funding of climate denialism through an inquiry attacking environmentalism. But let's note that the response to Olzynski's observations only makes the inquiry look all the worse.

Here's the excuse from the inquiry's spokesman:

Boras suggested to Global News that concerns raised about whether some of the reports question climate change and the role humans play in it are irrelevant to the inquiry’s mandate.

“The inquiry is not about the status of climate, that’s not in its terms of reference,” he said. “A forensic accounting exercise about foreign funding of policy initiatives by groups in Canada (is).”

Even if the plan is to avoid any recognition of climate change (and it's telling that the inquiry's response is to try to downplay its existence), consider what the response implies about the inquiry's operations.

Taking Boras' explanation at face value, that would mean a public inquiry has spent substantial amounts of money on "expert" reports which consist of climate denialists spouting propaganda which has nothing to do with either the inquiry's mandate, or their own commissioned role. 

And rather than trying to at least ensure that the work product of its own process meets even the barest standards of accuracy or relevance, the inquiry has in turn willingly served as a conduit for that denialism by distributing it to participants - only to disclaim responsibility by saying people apparently shouldn't care that its hand-picked collaborators are engaging in gratuitous anti-science disinformation on the public dime.

Of course, it shouldn't come as any surprise that a process long steeped in corruption and bias is continuing to demonstrate both at appalling levels. But it's remarkable when the best defence the inquiry has to valid concerns about being anti-evidence is that it's also wasteful and careless.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Kate Aronoff writes about the need for a functional and representative democracy to ensure that public demand for climate action is actually represented in policy decisions. And Seth Klein rightly proposes that the NDP (or Bloc) should take the opportunity in a minority Parliament to push the Libs to add some far stronger and earlier action to their insufficient climate accountability bill.

- Meanwhile, Avery Shannon and Naia Lee note that Vancouver offers a model for other municipalities to follow at the municipal level.

- Veronica Penney reports on new data showing that electric vehicles may already have reached the point of being less expensive than combustion models even without accounting for the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels. 

- Reuters reports that even the IMF is now urging countries to increase spending in the midst of a pandemic which is suppressing economic activity - even as our tired right-wing politicians continue to demand that we sacrifice lives on the altar of deficit reductions.

- Finally, Monia Mazigh writes that as long as Canadian governments seek to maintain a "terrorist" designation as a basis for legal distinctions, we should push for it to be applied to the Proud Boys and other purveyors of right-wing violent extremism. And Amira Elghawaby argues that people opposing the white supremacism of Trumpists on both sides of the border should have no hesitation taking up the title of "anti-fascist".

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Owen Jones points out how attempts to primarily blame the public for the spread of COVID serve primarily to distract from unsafe workplace and other systemic risks which have been left in place to serve corporate interests. And Jolson Lim reports on the increasing push for provincial sick leave policies - which are particularly necessary due to the federal Libs' decision that it was more important to cut off the CERB program than to ensure people have the support they need to survive the pandemic.

- Randy Robinson discusses how the pandemic has made it all the more painfully obvious how Doug Ford's hatred of government makes him unable to lead one. Sarmishta Subramanian rightly notes that empty "stay at home" messaging was doomed to fail when it was accompanied by an insistence that business be able to carry on as usual. And Rick Salutin calls out the Ford PCs' choice to claim that the only form of COVID control they'll ultimately accept is a vaccine - no matter how much avoidable sickness and death results from a lack of responsible action in the meantime. 

- Murray Mandryk offers a periodic reminder that more of the same shouldn't be acceptable for Saskatchewan - which of course doesn't mean we can expect anything different from Scott Moe. And Laura Woodward interviews Kyle Anderson about the prospect that nothing short of a full lockdown will be enough to get the virus under something resembling control.

- Meanwhile, Brian Platt highlights how Nova Scotia has succeeded in using rapid testing to get a handle on community spread.

- Finally, Linda McQuaig discusses how the trend toward privatized long-term care has exacerbated the crisis for residents in Ontario. And Amy Dempsey reports on the for-profit care nursing home operators who have pocketed money explicitly targeted for personal care workers.

Musical interlude

 Metric - Gold Guns Girls

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Bruce Arthur calls out Doug Ford's choice to blame his constituents rather than himself and his government for a gross lack of leadership in trying to limit the damage from COVID-19. John Michael McGrath discusses the reality that no level of restrictions will stop the spread of the coronavirus as long as governments aren't ensuring people have social supports to tide them over in order to avoid taking risks. PressProgress focuses on Ford's refusal to offer paid sick leave in particular as an obvious step to protect the public which he refuses to take in order to keep a bit more money in the pockets of his corporate funders, while Anna Mehler Paperny notes that the problem extends across Canada. 

- Meanwhile, Murray Mandryk notes that Scott Moe's bad choices have led to Saskatchewan's disastrous recent outbreaks. And Heidi Atter and Phil Tank each report on the growing calls for stronger measures which Moe refuses to implement.

- Rosa Saba writes that a push for air travel by airlines - as well as their political mouthpieces such as the UCP - reflects a gross lack of respect for public health. And Dan Darrah notes that one worthwhile step in pushing back against anti-vaxxer messaging would be to remover the profit motive from vaccine production. 

- Tod McCoy takes a look at some recent examples of successful collective action in discussing how to fight against austerity in Alberta (and elsewhere).

- Finally, Sandy Hudson points out that the U.S.' coup attempt should remind us of the limitations and dangers of centrist complacency in the face of both systemic inequality and a well-funded right-wing hate machine. And Paul Krugman discusses how Trump Republicans' attempt to overturn the presidential election results by force has been decades in the making - and doesn't figure to end with Trump himself.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

 Curled-up cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board asks whether Doug Ford will again fall painfully short in responding to the public health threat posed by COVID-19 - though at this point the questions appears to be entirely rhetorical. Murray Mandryk discusses the lives put at risk by the Saskatchewan Party's selective interest in following experts' recommendations. And Paul Willcocks points out how Erin O'Toole's posturing to dehumanize incarcerated people represents a crucial unmasking for a leader mostly trying to keep his party's misanthropy hidden.

- Alex Crozier offers a reminder that lockdown orders are useless if they aren't accompanied by the means for people to survive in the meantime. And if we needed a reminder of the dangers of hoping employers will keep workers and their families safe, Dave Seglins, Sarah Rieger and Inayat Singh report on the RCMP's investigation into Cargill's role in the avoidable spread of COVID-19 which caused at least one death among hundreds of cases. 

- The Canadian Press reports on the effects of British Columbia's real estate speculation tax - which is raising tens of millions of dollars while also ensuring that more affordable housing is available for people who need it. And Rebecca Shapiro studies the positive effect rental assistance has on recipients in multiple areas.

- Finally, the CP reports on the Libs' continued delays in taking even first steps toward reducing prescription drug costs through pricing regulations. Kenyon Wallace discusses the need to substantially ramp up vaccinations even to meet a target of this fall. And Geoffrey York reports on the Libs' choice not to make any effort to donate COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries - which means that the people in the most need around the world will share in the price of the Libs' choice not to order available doses.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Roger McNamee argues that online platforms need to be held to account for their role in fomenting political violence. And Rebecca Traister writes about the need for U.S. Democrats to focus on improving people's lives rather than sacrificing the public good in the name of political compromises with hostile Republicans. 

- Meanwhile, PressProgress offers a reminder that the same forces which have let to Donald Trump's violent insurrection can be found in disturbing numbers in Canada as well. And CBC News reports on Ryan Meili's call for a unified message against the conspiracy theories and misinformation which have led to the U.S.' coup.

- Anna McMillan reports on the call by Cindy Blackstock and others for the federal government to stop making excuses as to why it refuses to implement fair access to public services for Indigenous children.

- Jeremy Klaszus examines how Jason Kenney's UCP (at the request of well-connected lobbyists) has conspicuously promoted high-priced travel to Hawaii and elsewhere while demanding anybody who can't afford that type of jaunt stay at home. 

- Finally, Damian Carrington reports that 2020 has officially been measured as the hottest year on record despite reduced activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And Marc Lee writes about the need for British Columbia to do far more to chart a path to meeting its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

On privileged positions

It's bad enough that Saskatchewan is governed by a party whose foundational principle is that a wealthy person' vacation home is more important that your life. But it certainly takes a step toward a Kenneyian level of absurdity for the likes of Joe Hargrave to now be whining that it's bullying to suggest the contrary.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Rebecca Solnit discusses the importance of accurately describing Donald Trump's attempted coup, rather than euphemizing a violent attack against democracy. Enzo DiMatteo highlights the similarities between Trump's playbook and that of the federal Cons. Murray Mandryk writes that the U.S.' experience with authoritarian demagoguery should result in our recognizing the need to strengthen our own political systems against similar threats, while David Climenhaga warns conservatives that de-Trumpification is coming to Canada. And Christina Warner notes that part of the process of strengthening our defence against political violence is to use our collective power and wealth to ensure nobody is left out from the essentials of social and political life. 

- Arthur White-Crummey exposes how the Sask Party was fully aware of the imminent risk of a COVID spike even as it hemmed and hawed about new public health measures following last fall's election. Bruce Arthur points out the need for something far more than desperation to lead a province to safer terrain. And Andrew Nikiforuk examines Yaneer Bar-Yam's work trying to get us to aim for zero COVID, rather than accepting needless sickness and death.

- Michael Johansson, Talia M. Quandelacy, Sarah Kada et al. study how much COVID transmission has been asymptomatic - concluding that over half of spread is from people who aren't yet experiencing, or never will experience, symptoms to provide any warning. And Amanda Follett Hosgood reports on the justified concerns that limitations on industrial work camps fall short of what's needed to avoid spread through particularly vulnerable northern communities. 

- Elizabeth Payne reports on the risks posed by personal support workers who are so underpaid in their high-risk jobs as to have to rely on homeless shelters to sleep at night. And Christopher Curtis writes about the crisis in Montreal's homeless shelters as a curfew decrees that people stay at home whether or not they actually have one.

- Finally, PressProgress talks to health care workers about their reaction to the politicians who have seen a pandemic as an opportunity for a beach vacation, rather than a time to share in sacrifices for the common good. And Elizabeth Thompson points out how Conservative Senator Don Plett ranks high on the list of offenders after signing a directive barring international travel and admonishing people to stay home - only to take his own personal jaunt to Mexico.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Jesse McLaren offers a reminder that a COVID-19 vaccine isn't a cure-all, as measures to help people through the pandemic (including paid sick days) remain a must.

- Aris Roussinos writes about the UK's "guilty men" responsible for a feckless response to a global pandemic. And Adam Miller highlights how provincial attempts to minimize public health measures have produced the worst outbreaks in Canada.

- Lauren Kaori Gurley reports on the type of anti-worker product generated by today's union-busting operations. 

- Justin Ling points out the Cons' latest attempt to dehumanize incarcerated people - and how their desire to withhold life-saving vaccines may be illegal as well as grossly immoral. And Cory Charles Cardinal offers the perspective of somebody currently fearing for his health while imprisoned.

- Finally, David Sirota, and report on the Republican tycoons behind this week's coup attempt - who are certain to keep funding an anti-democratic movement even as they try to distance themselves from the inevitable consequences of their actions. And Richard Seymour writes that an attempt to paint a single election result as a return to civility won't do anything to quell the violent alt-right movement that's been cultivated for so long.

Musical interlude

 Best Ex - Gap Tooth

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Macdonald examines (PDF) the continued pay gap which sees CEOs rake in more money the morning of the first day of work than their employees will earn all year. Canadians for Tax Fairness highlights how that signals the need to eliminate tax policy choices which contribute to the concentration and polarization of wealth. And Larry Elliott reports on the Institute for Fiscal Studies' call for steps to rein in the additional inequality resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, while Paul Taylor argues that we should be focusing more on reducing inequality generally.

- Brendan Haley highlights how we need a green industrial policy alongside a higher carbon price to ensure a just transition to a clean economy which doesn't leave current workers behind. And Stanley Reed discusses how large-scale wind turbines represent a clean and affordable alternative to fossil fuels in generating the energy we need. 

- Meanwhile, Janet Silver writes that plans to put off emission reductions for another three decades may result in irreversible damage to Canada's northern region. And Sara Connors reports on a plan for an eleven-figure railroad from Fort McMurray to Alaska as yet another attempt to lock us into costly and dirty fossil fuel infrastructure before a transition can take place.

- Finally, Paul Krugman notes (even in advance of yesterday's anti-democratic insurrection) that the Republican party has gone feral. But Charles Pierce points out how much of what's happened in the past few years has been in the works since the Reagan era, and reflects more a cause than a consequence of Donald Trump's tenure in the presidency.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Robyn Urback writes that the second wave of COVID-19 can be traced largely to people - including far too many political leaders - who have been able to treat a pandemic as somebody else's problem due to their own privilege. Aaron Wherry points out the cost to social solidarity when politicians make it clear they don't think they're included in admonitions that we're all part of the effort to control a deadly disease, while Shree Paradkar highlights how they should be named and shamed. And in a prime example of corporations valuing business revenue over public health, Ashley Burke reports on the lobbying by airlines to delay any testing requirements for people flying back to Canada.

- Guy Quenneville reports on the reality that unnecessary delay in setting rules and half-hearted messaging from the Moe government have resulted in Saskatchewan at best plateauing in trying to limit the spread of COVID-19. John Ivison warns that an even worse third wave may not be far away if provincial governments continue to ignore what's worked based on the implausible hope that they can get away with continuing what hasn't. Bruce Arthur calls out Doug Ford's pitiful incrementalism in the face of a crisis which demands an all-out response. And Adam Miller points out how and why Canada is behind many international counterparts in distributing the first round of vaccines, while Andre Picard rightly questions the lack of urgency.

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera reports on the damage the pandemic has done (and will continue to do) to people's mental health in Saskatchewan. And Lee Berthiaume reports on the danger that a prolonged pandemic will fuel violent right-wing extremism.

- Hannah Seo writes about the ongoing environmental damage caused by abandoned offshore oil and gas wells. And Matt McGrath examines Christian Aid's research into the loss of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars extreme weather events in 2020 (as just one of the prices of failing to combat a climate breakdown).

- Finally, Bob Berwyn takes a look at some new developments in climate science over the past year - including some reason for hope that a rapid transition may be able to stop climate feedback effects faster than previously assumed.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Playful cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andre Picard warns not to expect the end of the COVID-19 pandemic (however distant that may be) to result in any particular triumph. And Reuters reports on the looming possibility that the vaccines developed to date may not protect against the coronavirus variant now spreading in South Africa.

- Jennifer Francis reports that the outbreak of COVID-19 at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary is creating both mental and physical health dangers. And Anna McMillan reports on the hunger strike in provincial correctional facilities protesting Christine Tell's neglect in allowing outbreaks to run rampant.

- Neil Irwin and Weiyi Cai discuss the particularly glaring divergence between people's well-being and the stock market in the midst of a pandemic which has pushed more money into markets.

- Simon Read writes about new research showing that a 4-day work week can substantially improve well-being with little if any effect on productivity. And Peter Goodman points out how co-operatives have helped workers in Spain weather the pandemic - though it's well worth noting that co-operative structures can become as corporatized as any privately-owned business.

- Finally, Harrison Samphir interviews Rob Larson about the corporate takeover of the Internet, and the prospects of converting to a socialized alternative.