Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Maria Sarrhou talks to doctors about their frustrations treating COVID-19 in patients who chose not to be vaccinated. And Daniel Villareal reports on the hundreds of COVID cases spread through a single Texas church camp. 

- Bob Henson and Jeff Masters point out how the heat dome over Western Canada may have been the most extreme weather event in recorded history. Lisa Cox reports that Nordic countries are now seeing record or near-record temperatures of their own. And Chris Saltmarsh writes that we can no longer talk about climate change disaster as a future development as it manifests itself so widely in the present. 

- Ed Struzik discusses how increased numbers of large wildfires in particular are about to become the norm in Canada. And Larry Barzelai and Warren Bell highlight the desperate need to keep British Columbia (like the rest of our planet) from burning. 

- Bruce Campbell notes that eight years after the oil train explosion in Lac-Mégantic, there are still far too many unanswered questions about its causes and about how to prevent similar disasters. 

- Finally, Kim Siever exposes how the UCP slashed funding for health and education over the last year, exploiting a pandemic to distract from their plans for austerity. And Andrew Moore highlights how business-dominated governments are forcing universities to serve as labour service providers for the private sector, rather than sources of knowledge and independent thought. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Dirk Richter and Lucy Foulkes point out how any mental health concerns arising out of public health rules would pale in comparison to the anxiety and bereavement resulting from the choice to allow a deadly disease to run rampant. 

- The Economist highlights how unvaccinated people are facing increasing risks as COVID-19 mutates and spreads. And Jeremy Samuel Faust, Katie Dickerson Mayes and Céline Gounder make the point that the coronavirus itself represents a far greater threat to young people than the vaccines which could protect them.  

- Morgan Modjeski reports on the Moe government's disregard for the health and safety of people who live and work in provincial correctional facilities. 

- Ben Spurr reports on the work of Canadians for Tax Fairness showing how ride-sharing providers may be avoiding the payment of $135 million in taxes every year (in addition to evading employment protections) by misclassifying their workers. 

- Trent McDonald discusses the benefits of sectoral bargaining to ensure workers aren't at the mercy of a single employer in pushing for improvements in wages and working conditions. 

- Finally, Paul Burrows writes that we should be far less concerned with defaced statues than with the humanity of the activists looking to bring awareness to the suffering they've faced at the hands of the people depicted.

Misreading the waves

How actual people (PDF) see the need for continued public health rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

Do you think governments should lift all restrictions related to COVID-19 right now? Yes 24% / No 69% / Don't Know 6% (Canada); Yes 33% / No 58% / Don't Know 9% (SK/MB)

How Murray Mandryk spins the public's mindset where it means giving Scott Moe an excuse to put us all at risk:

One gets it. The demand to end COVID-19 restrictions must feel like a tsunami to the Saskatchewan Party government, so even mild resistance to things like vaccine passports probably feels heavier than it is.

In reality, any tsunami of public opinion is manifestly on the side of taking care to avoid more avoidable COVID deaths. And to the extent there is any push to the contrary, it's largely a product of Moe and his party using every tool at the disposal of a government to tell the province that the pandemic is over - again in the face of the obvious reality.

But as long as pundits are willing to treat Saskatchewan Party talking points as gospel even in the face of actual evidence, it figures to be far more difficult to put that actual consensus into effect. And once again, innocent and vulnerable people will pay the price with their health and their lives.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Ed Yong sets out the three simple rules of COVID-19 at this stage - with the spread of variants among unvaccinated people threatening to undo the success achieved so far in limiting the risk to vaccinated populations. James Tapper and Robin McKie report on the WHO's warnings that a failure to ensure vaccines are available globally is allowing the Delta variant to gain the upper hand. And Robert Hart discusses the vulnerability of children to the Delta variant - even as that risk seems to have been largely ignored in a rush to slash public health protections.

- William Lindsley et al. find that masks and HEPA air cleaners - both individually or particularly in combination - are highly effective in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. And Sarah Addleman et al. confirm (PDF) that  it's essential to limit the spread of airborne particles.

- Angela Dewan discusses how the climate crisis is frying the northern hemisphere. And Robinson Meyer highlights how the U.S.' infrastructure isn't yet built - and indeed isn't being planned - to deal with the extreme weather resulting from a climate breakdown, while CBC News reports on the similar reality in Alberta.

- Sarah Kaplan reports on the direct human toll of extreme heat in the U.S.' Pacific Northwest. And John Vaillant writes that nowhere is safe from similar effects of climate change.

- Finally, Henry Giroux writes about how the sanitization of history reproduces longstanding inequalities. And Duncan Cameron argues that Canada can't allow a whitewashed national identity to prevent us from recognizing and acting to remedy historical violence and genocide against Indigenous peoples.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Simon Lewis discusses how Western Canada's heat dome and associated catastrophes offer a warning that nobody is safe from the effects of a climate breakdown. And Jonathan Watts notes that the simultaneous record heat in Canada and Siberia goes far beyond even the most pessimistic models for the acceleration of climate change.

- David Moscrop rightly takes record-setting temperatures and the resulting destruction as a compelling call to action. Max Fawcett discusses how climate change is already killing us (even as it stands to get far worse). And Carolyn Fortuna highlights Bill McKibben's observation that we're at the point of baking the Earth.

- Meanwhile, Rishika Paridkar writes that fossil fuel companies are continuing to greenwash attempts to delay any meaningful transition away from the carbon pollution that's putting our living environment in danger. 

- Aaron Wherry notes that it's the people with the least who are predictably bearing the brunt of the first wave of climate crises. Karen Pederson reports on the rise in deaths among residents of mobile homes in Arizona, while Gordon McIntyre reports on a threefold increase in sudden and unexpected deaths in British Columbia due to the recent heat wave. And Raidin Blue proposes a push toward building retrofitting as a way to both reduce emissions in the future, and mitigate the effects of the climate change which can't be avoided.

- Finally, Nora Loreto writes about Ontario's failure to track and report on COVID-19 outbreaks in homes for disabled adults. The Guardian reports on the British Medical Association's desperate call for the UK's government to maintain public health rules rather than letting the Delta variant run wild.

Musical interlude

Marshmello feat. CHVRCHES - Here With Me

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Roni Caryn Rabin, Apoorva Mandervilli and Shawn Hubler discuss the U.S.' reconsideration of plans to lift COVID-19 recommendations and restrictions in the face of the Delta variant, while Mike Hager points out the expert response to the push by some Canadian premiers to eliminate masking requirements. Nikolaj Skydsgaard and Jacob Gronholt-Pederson report on the WHO's warning of another wave in Europe (driven in substantial part by spread through sports venues and bars), while Derek Hawkins reports on an 85-person outbreak at a single Illinois summer camp. And Emma Tranter reports on the Yukon's COVID crisis which has broken out despite it being Canada's most-vaccinated jurisdiction.

- Joe Roberts highlights how most of the support governments have provided throughout the pandemic has served to prop up corporate interests rather than people's well-being - raising the question of when we'll insist on building something better than an exploitative economy. 

- Matthew Klein argues that we should be looking to err (if it all) on the side of overshooting what's needed to build the economy and society we want, rather than once again falling short. And Diane Francis (!) writes that the U.S.' downfall as a society can be traced to the systemic cultivation of distrust in government which has allowed bad actors to run wild.

- PressProgress discusses new research showing the difference between younger people who want the facts about issues such as climate change and systemic racism, and older ones with a preference for false "neutrality". Crawford Kilian writes about Thomas Piketty's analysis of Canadian politics - confirming that the Cons' base in particular is aging and insular while strong patterns as between the NDP, Greens and Libs are far more difficult to find. And Paul Willcocks notes that Erin O'Toole is only exacerbating his party's weaknesses by playing to ignorance and bigotry.

- Finally, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq discusses her reasons for not celebrating a legacy of colonialism and genocide. And Cindy Blackstock writes that the long-overdue moment of awareness has come about only after years of activists screaming into a void, while Suzanne Shoush wonders whether Canada is finally waking up to the cries of Indigenous peoples for relief and justice.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

 Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Frances Mao discusses how the Delta variant has exposed weaknesses in Australia's COVID response, while Madline Holcombe notes that it's causing the U.S. to revisit the measures needed for people who have been vaccinated. The Royal Society of Canada examines how our already-tragic national death tolls underestimate the lives lost to the pandemic. And Rob Breakenridge writes that no matter how desperately the UCP tries to deflect responsibility, it (like any other government doing the same) will be fully responsible for the consequences of barging ahead with the elimination of public health protections. 

- Nick Estes writes about his relatives' experience at a Catholic residential school. And Jason Warick reports on the Catholic church's pitiful excuse for a contribution to the harm it inflicted on children taken away from their families and placed under its care. 

- Tara Sutton discusses the need for Canada as a whole to take responsibility for our history of genocide. Max Fawcett writes that it's long past time to move past apologies to meaningful action, while Denise Balkissoon discusses how land back and reparations represent an important start to any meaningful attempt at reconciliation with Indigenous people. 

- Finally, Joshua Benson takes a look at the faces of British Columbia's unprecedented heat wave. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cat ascension.

 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Lauren Pelley surveys the latest on COVID-19 - including the reality that viral variants and different affected populations are resulting in it presenting with different symptoms than previously. Natalie Grover discusses how the Delta variant seems to be winning the race against vaccines in the UK. And CBC News' Manitoba update includes news of a girl under 10 who has died of the coronavirus. 

- Pooja Salhotra and Amy Zimmer report on New York City's plan to ensure all classrooms have two air purifiers to limit the spread of COVID-19 among unvaccinated school populations. And BBC News reports on Australia's decisive moves to stop the spread of the Delta variant. 

- Aparna Gopalan discusses how big pharma is using COVID vaccines as a profit centre at the expense of public access in India (just as it's doing elsewhere). 

- Sudipta Saha argues that we can't expect an exploitative capitalist system to respond to either the COVID-19 pandemic or the climate crisis. And Katharine Hayhoe writes that we shouldn't need another IPCC report to recognize that it's vital to start reversing our climate's breakdown as quickly as we can. 

- Michael Byers calls out the Trudeau Libs for abandoning Canada's long-held (and hard-won) resistance to ballistic missile defence systems. 

- Finally, Leyland Cecco reports on Murray Sinclair's call to reveal the "undiscovered truths" of residential schools before it will be possible to begin to heal. 

Sunday Morning Links

 This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Patricia Treble discusses how the rise of the Delta COVID-19 variant is making it vital to hit higher vaccine targets than previously set. And the Star's editorial board argues that any responsible government should be laying out a plan to get children back to school safely this fall - rather than offering vague assurances coupled with no planning. 

- Robin Sears makes the case to build back better once the pandemic actually is done with rather than merely settling back into the same conditions that created so much insecurity.   

- Cathy Crowe notes that Toronto's violent eviction of homeless people and their tents from Trinity Bellwoods Park represents little more than history repeating. And Rick Salutin discusses how the goal of the eviction was to place a continuing crisis beyond the perception of most people, rather than to do anything to actually resolve it.  

- Kenny Stancil writes about the growing U.S. support for socialism relative to capitalism - and the supermajority in favour of closing the gap between the rich and the poor. 

- Finally, Tiffany Crawford reports on the scientific confirmation that unprecedented heat waves (including the one now hitting B.C.) are linked to the climate crisis. But while the European Union is set to make emissions reduction targets legally binding, John Woodside writes that Newfoundland and Labrador - like far too many other jurisdictions - has chosen to prioritize a last trickle of oil industry profits over massive public demand to transition to a clean economy to help avert a total breakdown. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan highlight how inequitable access to vaccines around the globe increases the risk of variants which will hurt everybody. Charles Schmidt takes note of the work being done to track variants - but also the massive blind spots which only exacerbate the dangers. And Berkeley Lovelace Jr. reports on the recommendation from the WHO that people continue to mask and take other precautions even after being fully vaccinated, while Darren Major reports on the Public Health Agency of Canada's recommendation that we not look at fully lifting indoor protective measures until 75% of the population reaches that threshold.

- Max Fawcett writes that Jason Kenney may end up having access to the spoils of Alberta's last oil boom - though the predictable result is that it will end up frittered away in corporate giveaways with even less to show for it than previous ones. And Michelle Gamage highlights how British Columbia is spending more money subsidizing fossil fuels than acting to protect our climate.

- David Moscrop makes the case to treat housing as a right rather than a commodity.

- Finally, David Pugliese reports on the Canadian military's use of COVID-19 as an excuse for illegal activity including spying on Black Lives Matter activists and other protesters, as well as distributing domestic propaganda, while PressProgress follows up on the meager level of responsibility it's taken so far. And Kaitlin Peters discusses how Doug Ford's use of the notwithstanding clause to silence political opponents far in advance of any election fits with his general suppression of dissent.

Musical interlude

 Tracey Thorn - Dancefloor

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- ABC News reports on the risk that the Delta COVID-19 variant can be spread through "fleeting" exposure rather than prolonged proximity. Daniel Boffey reports on the push to speed up vaccination rates in Europe in response. And Attila Somfalvi and Alexandra Lukash report that Israel is reinstating its mask mandate after realizing how much more danger the Delta variant poses. 

- Seth Klein wonders whether Jonathan Wilkinson will ever parallel the role of C.D. Howe in assembling the full force of Canada's economic capacity to serve a vital end in the fight against climate breakdown - though the more likely result for appears to be the Libs continuing to echo the "phony war" prior to full mobilization. John Woodside reports on the PBO's conclusions that the federal government is far from having any realistic plan to reach Canada's existing emission reduction commitments. And Michelle Gamage writes about the importance taking into account the climate disaster of forest emissions in assessing what needs to be done. 

- Tom Parkin examines how Justin Trudeau has chosen to delay any legislation against conversion therapy for political purposes. 

- Bianca Mugyenyi discusses the need to organize to transform Canada's foreign policy into a force for human rights and environmental protection. 

- Penelope Mason reports on the call by a top IMF official for the richest people in Latin America to pay far more in taxes to fund equitable development.  

- Finally, Naomi Klein interviews Doreen Manuel and Kanahus Manuel about the deliberate choice to steal Indigenous children from their families and communities as part of a colonial land grab. And Brendan Kennedy and Alex Boyd talk to Indigenous leaders in Saskatchewan about the children's gravesites yet to be discovered. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Bryan Eneas reports on the discovery of 751 unmarked graves near a single residential school in Saskatchewan. And Samantha Beattie reports on a Catholic priest's attempt to justify the genocide committed through the residential school system, while John Paul Tasker reports on Erin O'Toole's predictable choice to demand the uncritical celebration of Canada Day rather than allowing for any meaningful recognition of the lives and culture lost to the systemic oppression of Indigenous people. 

- AFP reports on a new draft IPCC report finding that severe climate impacts are closer than we've generally assumed. Haroon Siddique reports on a newly-developed definition of ecocide intended to allow for wanton environmental destruction to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court. Jessica Corbett writes about the social cost of carbon emissions as a factor which should be central to decision-making - but instead largely gets ignored in favour of raw GDP. And Michelle Gamage offers a reminder of the dangers of focusing on distant "net zero" targets rather than actual emission reductions. 

- Daniela Gabor discusses why we shouldn't expect private capital to transition us to a clean economy, and instead need to push the public sector to lead the way. And Steven Morris reports on the Welsh government's decision to suspend further road construction as a noteworthy example of the type of shift in priorities needed to avert a full climate breakdown.  

- Finally, Karl Nerenberg warns that a thoroughly unnecessary federal election is on the way due to the Trudeau Libs' preference for an unchecked majority over a minority Parliament in which they're already able to pass progressive legislation when they bother to advance it. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Zania Stamataki warns that we can't afford to treat vaccines as a magic bullet against the dangers of the coronavirus when public health regulations remain needed to limit its spread and severity. Brishti Basu examines the reasons for both concern about the Delta variant of COVID-19, and for hope that its harm to the public can be contained through high vaccination rates and continued public health measures - at least in provinces which are bothering to pursue them. And Madeline Holcomb reports on the recognition by CDC Director Rochelle Wolensky that any COVID deaths at this point are entirely preventable. 

- But Dhruv Kullar notes that the Delta variant is particularly dangerous to unvaccinated people - making Scott Moe's elimination of precautions in the face of Canada's lowest vaccination rate particularly destructive. Jonathan Levin reports that U.S. states where people have refused vaccines are seeing surges in case numbers. And Sophie Harman, Eugene Richardson and Parsa Erfani discuss the need for global vaccine justice to enable anybody to be fully protected from COVID-19, while Abdi Latif Dahir points out the growing case numbers in Africa. 

- Nora Loreto calls out the refusal of most provincial governments to provide any transparency about viral transmission and associated illness and death caused by hospital outbreaks. 

- Meanwhile, Dorothy Woodend invites us to consider what we've learned from the "great pause" caused by COVID-19. 

- Finally, Shawn Micallef writes about Toronto's ugly and violent response to people camped in Trinity Bellwoods park - making for a particularly stark contrast against the kid gloves used toward anti-maskers who actually present a threat to the public. And Charlie Smith highlights why there's growing reluctance to set up unreserved celebrations of a history steeped in genocide. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Water cats. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- The Canadian Press reports on new Leger polling showing that over two-thirds of Canadians want to see COVID-19 protections remain in place - even as Scott Moe and Jason Kenney barge ahead in slashing public health measures. Mark Lautens warns against treating vaccinations as a matter of consumer choice rather than social importance. And Christopher Whaley, Jonathan Cantor and Megan Pera study the effect of small household gatherings on the spread of COVID-19. 

- Members of the Alberta Nurses Coalition for Harm Reduction highlight how shutting down harm reduction sites is an utterly counterproductive response to the opioid crisis. 

- Joshua Posaner reports on the EU's draft policy which figures to presage a complete shift away from the use of combustion engines in vehicles. Rebecca Leber writes about the self-serving attempts of fossil fuel producers to hype miniscule differences in production emissions as an excuse to keep pushing consumers to pollute. And Robert Tuttle reports on CCPA research showing that Canada's managed forests are actually a major source of greenhouse gas emissions rather than a sink.  

- David Sirota duly questions the assumption that whatever billionaires do to avoid paying taxes must be legal. And Christopher Reynolds reports on the CRA's failure to manage a single prosecution or conviction after auditing 44 ultra-wealthy individuals. 

- Finally, Mariana Mazzucato examines how to build a political economy which facilitates sustainable and public-focused development rather than short-term profit-seeking. 

Monday Afternoon Links

 Assorted content to start your week.

- Josh Taylor reports on contact tracing which has revealed that "fleeting contact" can be enough to result in the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. And Chris MacIntyre reports on some of the Yukon's largest outbreaks yet even in the face of widespread vaccination. But Theresa Kleim reports on Scott Moe's refusal to accept anything other than the complete elimination of any measures to protect public health in the face of an ongoing pandemic (not to mention a failure to reach Moe's own insufficient thresholds). 

- Heather Long writes about some of the changes to the U.S.' economy arising out of the pandemic - including both a further inflated real estate market, and the retention of some of the technology adopted to facilitate work in the face of public health restrictions. And Umair Haque discusses how the U.S.' economy is rigged against the working class. 

- Robert Cribb, Kelly Bennett and Emma Jarratt report on both the worsening working conditions in the clothing industry, and the failure of promised auditing and inspection processes.  

- Finally, Robert Reich writes that the attempt to paint China as the main threat to the U.S. serves only to distract from the much more real and severe threat of domestic fascism. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- As Jason Kenney and Scott Moe rush to slash public health protections including mask mandates, Gavin Leech et al. study how important masking has been in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Sarah Bridge, Ioanna Roumeliotis and Joseph Loiero highlight how rules which actually responded to the dangers of the coronavirus could have saved thousands of lives in Ontario. And Concepcion de Leon offers some suggestions for families considering traveling in the midst of the continued pandemic - with the key point being to recognize (unlike government officials) that children under 12 are at substantial risk.

- Meanwhile, Umair Haque writes about the shortages of catastrophe caused by the pandemic - and the likelihood that after failing to address the underlying causes of supply fragility, we'll see even worse economic breakdowns in the future. 

- Zachary Wolf discusses the drought and water depletion which represent the new normal for the western U.S. 

- Joe Pinsker argues that we should be pushing for a four-day work week as part of a logical progression toward making life less centred on work.

- Finally, Jake Thompson makes the case to lower the legal voting age to 16 in order to ensure that the people most affected by policy decisions in the long run actually have some say.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Joe Vipond, Kashif Perzeda and Danielle Cane write that Canada's failure to talk about the airborne transmission of COVID-19 (or the public health implications of what we've learned) is making it difficult for people to protect themselves and their communities. Gabrielle Douaud et al. study (PDF) the effects of COVID on the brain and nervous system. And William Werbel et al. find that  a third dose of vaccine may be needed to produce a full antibody response in transplant patients.

- Meanwhile, Kellyanne Navare discusses the rush to remove improvements to accessibility implemented in response to the coronavirus pandemic - including ones which have long been requested by people with disabilities. 

- Christopher Reynolds reports on Jagmeet Singh's justified outrage in response to a terrorist attack on a Muslim family which reflects bigotry stoked for political purposes. 

- Finally, Jen Gerson writes that Justin Trudeau exemplifies a hollow national vision in which appearances trump any meaningful action. And Mumilaaq Qaqqaq writes about her experience in Parliament - and the failure of the people with power to improve the lives of her constituents:

I’m glad people are finally listening to what I’ve been saying over and over in my time in federal politics: Nunavummiut live in some of the worst conditions in Canada and the federal government is to blame. We have the highest suicide rate in the world. Housing costs are far beyond the reach of most Inuit. Mouldy and overcrowded public housing is the norm. Many don’t have clean water year-round. There’s a food security crisis. In Iqaluit, a gallon of milk costs $20. Even on an MP’s salary, raising a family in my riding would be extremely challenging.

...

Dealing with these constraints is one thing, but then I have to listen to flowery rhetoric from Liberal MPs, cabinet ministers and, yes, the prime minister, about “reconciliation” or “transformational change,” all the while seeing little to no real change on the ground.

...

Government members have told me over and over that they know action on housing is needed, but in two years they have done almost nothing to address the crisis. The minister for Indigenous Services, Marc Miller, told me that he hadn’t even bothered to read my report and Adam Vaughan, the Liberal point person on the housing file, answers my pleas for immediate assistance by tweeting “more to do, more to come” on social media. The situation is so dire that even the Conservatives are asking hard questions about mouldy homes and federal underfunding of housing in Nunavut during Question Period.

Even small proposals with tiny price tags have been dismissed out of hand by the Liberal government. Take my amendment to Bill C-19, which would have put Indigenous languages on election ballots. A COVID-19 election seemed like a perfect time to protect Canadian democracy through adding Indigenous languages on ballots. I thought that breaking down a long-standing barrier would be a no-brainer for the Liberals and Conservatives on the committee. I was wrong. They shot it down.

Every time I’ve tried to make change, I’ve been blocked by a Liberal (or a Conservative) who smiles at me and condescendingly compliments my courage while they slam the door on me. Sometimes my work feels meaningless when those with power keep acknowledging that I’m right while they continue to do wrong themselves.

Musical interlude

Metric - Blindness

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- CBC News reports on the expert response to deaths caused by the spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant in a Calgary hospital - including needed warnings that vaccinations aren't a bulletproof line of defence against it. And Mary Van Beukesom discusses how the combination of the Delta variant and increased spread among younger demographics is driving a new surge in the UK. 

- Jeremy Corbyn and Niki Ashton question the G7's willingness to prolong the COVID-19 pandemic in order to preserve the pharmaceutical industry's plans to turn the coronavirus into a long-term profit centre. And Grant Robertson reports on the data gaps which have reduced the effectiveness of Canada's vaccination efforts. 

- Kerry Campbell reports on the conclusions of the House of Commons' standing committee on human resources that Canada's EI system needs to be reworked to ensuring benefits are available for all types of workers. 

- Marc Lee discusses how spin about distant and selective "net zero" emission targets serves only to distract us from the need to actually reduce carbon pollution as soon as possible. 

- Finally, Tristin Hopper discusses a few of the systemic choices which have resulted in decent housing being unaffordable for far too many Canadians. And Martine August points out the rise of institutional landlords (driven by preferential tax treatment) which is driving up the cost of rental housing. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jennifer Yang and Kenyon Wallace discuss how the Delta variant makes the COVID-19 pandemic far more dangerous than it had been before - even as far too many governments barge ahead with the elimination of public health measures. The Globe and Mail's editorial board writes about the work to be done to reach people who haven't yet been vaccinated. And Edward Nirenberg and Risa Hoshino remind us of the risk being foisted on children who aren't eligible for a vaccine, but face the threat of both severe short-term illness and long COVID. 

- Katrina Perehudoff, Nav Persaud and Lisa Forman write that we should treat access to needed medicine as a human right (and establish a national pharmacare system accordingly). And Jacob Albin Korem Alhassan, Cindy Hanson and Lori Hanson make the case for a national public transportation system to fill urgent needs which are only growing as provinces and the private sector abandon the field. 

- Elior Cohen studies the effect of providing housing to homeless people, and finds that up-front sticker price is largely recouped in reduced social costs within the first two years. 

- Tik Root reports on new research showing that the Earth is trapping far more heat than at any point in recorded history. 

- Finally, David Sirota and Andrew Perez write about the U.S.' "lottery society", where any sense of meritocracy has been overwhelmed by concentrations of money and privilege. Joe Roberts writes that Canada has historically had both an economy designed around the principle of wealth supremacy. And Andrea Reimer weighs in on the failure of our political system to reflect working class values. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Tavia Grant writes that a year and half of experience have confirmed that the most important element in reducing the workplace spread of COVID-19 is ensuring adequate ventilation - but that public health rules have utterly failed to reflect that knowledge. Mickey Djuric reports on the unions and workers pointing out that prematurely lifting mask mandates will only exacerbate the threat to front-line workers. And Ciara Linnane reports on the spread of the more infectious Delta variant which is becoming the dominant strain worldwide, while CTV News highlights how it looks likely to cause a fourth COVID wave in Alberta. 

- D.T. Cochrane argues that Canada needs to collect a fair amount of revenue from the rich and invest in a just transition. 

- Emma Pullman reports on the U.S.' use of privatized surveillance data - which could not legally be gathered by the government - to round up and deport immigrants. 

- Sheila Block, Grace-Edward Galabuzi and Hayden King examine how Canadian racial inequality persists into retirement. And James Murphy writes about the role of private schools in giving a wholly undeserved advantage to children of privilege. 

- Finally, Umair Haque discusses the dangerous political reality in which billionaires allow members of lower classes a measure of domination over out-groups as the price of being able to extract massive amounts of wealth from the general population. And Andrew Kersley writes about the growing threat of right-wing violence in the UK due largely to mainstream acceptance of fascist messages. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Naptime cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jessica Elgot, Aubrey Allegretti and Nicola Davis report on the UK's delay in lifting coronavirus restrictions as it battles the Delta variant. Bruce Arthur discusses how Ontarians are largely on their own in trying to secure access to a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Ivan Pereira and Joshua Hoyos report on an anti-masker's killing of a cashier for attempting to enforce a mask policy in Georgia. 

- Emma Howard-Boyd highlights how any action to avert a climate breakdown needs to include support for developing countries to respond to extreme conditions and build clean infrastructure. And Patrick Greenfield notes that the price of avoiding the breakdown of ecosystems is extremely modest compared to the cost of letting our planet degrade. But Adam Radwanski notes that Ontario is going in the wrong direction by increasing its reliance on gas for energy, while Kim Siever reports on the UCP's continued funneling of public money into fossil fuel infrastructure (this time by increasing the financing provided to an oil refinery). 

- Bryan Carney reports on revelations that price-fixing between major Canadian grocery chains went far beyond the familiar collusion on bread prices. 

- Jodi Kantor, Karen Weise and Grace Ashford offer a behind-the-scenes look at the unacceptable conditions facing Amazon workers. And Reuters reports on a million-dollar fine facing IKEA for spying on its staff. 

- Finally, Brendan Kennedy reports on the Libs' continued court battles against First Nations children. And Tom Parkin discusses how Canadians are increasingly recognizing the place of racism and genocide in our country's development - and how Jagmeet Singh is giving a voice to that recognition. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Tom Parkin calls out Jason Kenney's defence of genocide and its architects in an attempt to keep his party's white supremacist base onside. And PressProgress notes that Kenney's insistence on turning an in-person Stampede into the greatest summer outbreak ever has large sponsors and even Canada's military keeping their distance.

- Kim Siever highlights the UCP's choice to hand a large private lab services contract to a major donor with massive lobbying influence rather than ensuring that needed services were delivered publicly. And Bob Weber reports on the findings of Alberta's Auditor General that the province is utterly failing to ensure polluters pay to clean up their messes at mine sites. 

- Meanwhile, Chloe Farand points out the absurdity of "net zero" spin from tar sands exploiters whose business model depends on standing in the way of a transition away from dirty fuels. Thomas Homer-Dixon and Duane Froese discuss the melting of permafrost as both an indicator and a cause of continued climate breakdown. And Oliver Milman reports on Antonio Gutierres' message that we're approaching a point of no return.

- Finally, Alex Boutilier reports on the RCMP's previously-denied use of facial recognition software - and it disregard for the law both in engaging in wanton violations of privacy, and in covering up its actions.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Ed Yong discusses the preventable dangers created by a shift in COVID-19 messaging from one of public protection to one of individual choice. Moira Wyton offers some suggestions from experts as to people's options in getting a second vaccine dose - with the most important message once again to recognize the value of whatever vaccine is available, rather than worrying about custom shopping. And Murray Mandryk takes a brief break from his "everything is fine!" series to point out how vaccine hesitancy and complacency are putting Saskatchewan at risk, while Zak Vescera reports on the connection between vaccination rates and other forms of inequality and deprivation. 

- Meanwhile, Heide Pearson's report on Alberta's Foothills Medical Centre outbreak confirms that even full vaccination is far from bulletproof, as ten people who had received two vaccine doses nonetheless contracted COVID-19. Mickey Djuric reports on revelations that Extendicare Parkside residents were sent home from hospitals while still facing symptoms and complications from COVID-19. And Elizabeth Cooney discusses how children suffering from long COVID - no matter how many politicians try to wish away the risks based on their age.

- Chantal Braganza writes about Canada's deficient parental leave policy - and how it's been exposed by the pandemic.

- The Broadbent Institute busts some of the regularly-dispensed myths about a wealth tax. And Robert Reich points out the absurdity and gross unfairness of a U.S. tax system in which the wealthiest people can get away with paying absolutely nothing.

- Finally, Grace Blakeley discusses how capitalism has served to consolidate wealth and power into the hands of the richest few.

Musical interlude

Foo Fighters - Shame Shame

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Cameron MacLean reports that Manitoba is providing incentives to overcome vaccine hesitancy. But Guy Quenneville reports on the Saskatchewan Party's refusal to consider anything of the sort even as new vaccinations grind to a halt. 

- Djaffar Shalchi writes about the need to revamp our revenue collection systems to make sure the wealthy contribute their fair share. And NUPGE joins the movement for a 21% global minimum corporate tax rate to ensuring businesses do the same. 

- Meanwhile, Miriam Lafontaine reports on the dangers of allowing corporate donations to influence police decision-making. And Jeremy Appel points out how Calgary's police have been quicker to hand out tickets to human rights protesters than to anti-maskers who are actually threatening public health. 

- Aaron Wherry discusses how a combination of Lib slow-playing and Con delay is leaving MPs with a choice between passing weak climate change accountability legislation, or getting nothing done at all. 

- Meanwhile, CBC News reports on the demise of Keystone XL - and the billion dollars thrown away by the Kenney UCP in an effort to posture about fealty to the oil industry. And Michael Buchsbaum calls out subsidies for carbon capture and storage as paying the fossil fuel sector to keep burning the planet.

- Finally, Cindy Blackstock and Pam Palmater remind us that the horrific discovery of child graves at Kamloops' residential school is just the beginning of the buried evidence of genocide against Indigenous peoples. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Devon McKendrick reports on Manitoba's announcement of a digital vaccine passport as a means of both incentivizing people to get vaccinations, and ensuring that additional activity avoids unacceptable risks to the public. And Andre Picard writes about the merits of vaccination-based lotteries to similarly encourage hesitant people to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

- Zak Vescera reports on the Moe government's inexplicable plan to sweep away overdose prevention sites set up in the course of the coronavirus pandemic. And Jim Storrie writes that the constant stream of preventable drug-related deaths is the scandal which deserves to be top of mind for Albertans in evaluating the UCP.

- Richie Assaly highlights the need to be skeptical of empty words from the Cons (and Bloc) who have long minimize or stoked Islamophobia for their own political gain. And Max Fawcett reminds us how the Cons in particular are at the root of the prejudice which they now pretend to decry.

- George Monbiot discusses how a series of shifting targets and highly selective metrics has substituted for actual greenhouse gas emission reductions in the UK. And Andrew Nikiforuk examines some of the lies and spin used to excuse climate inaction in Canada.

- Finally, Doug Cuthand discusses the importance of finally giving due respect to the burial sites of children killed by violent colonialism.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats at rest.

 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Lauren Pullen reports on two outbreaks of the Delta variant of COVID-19 within a Calgary hospital. Emily Mertz reports on a push by Alberta doctors to have the province's major cities retain mask mandates until more people are fully vaccinated after the provincial government has abandoned the fight against COVID-19. 

- Jesse Eisinger, Jeff Ernsthausen and Paul Kiel report on newly-released documents showing how the wealthy in the U.S. pay lower tax rates than the people who have made them rich. And Noah Smith points out that the U.S. is facing multiple forms of self-induced scarcity to the detriment of people's well-being. 

- Paul Taylor argues that we shouldn't sweep inequality and injustice under the rug in order to return to an unacceptable pre-pandemic "normal". And Jack Trovato discusses how trickle-down economics have been a failure for everybody but the luckiest few looking to concentrate their own wealth and power. 

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the conviction of an industrial bakery for safety violations resulting in the death of two temporary workers. 

- Adam Radwanski highlights how the Trudeau Libs have ended any pretense of mapping out a just transition to a clean economy. And Naveena Sadasivam writes that the oil industry itself has been meticulous in planning its own escape from any responsibility for the wreckage it's leaving behind. 

- Finally, Raisa Patel reports on the Libs' continued insistence on fighting against residential school survivors and Indigenous children in court - even after the House of Commons' participating MPs have unanimously passed an NDP motion for an end to the obstruction. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Adam Miller writes about the race between vaccinations and COVID-19 variants. The Strategic COVID-19 Pandemic Committee of Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association highlights why it's reckless to be insisting on an end to public health regulations (and concurrent encouragement of potential superspreader events). And Lori Culbert writes about the Surrey ICU staff who have had to deal with the worst of British Columbia's case load. 

- Vass Bednar and Robin Shaban make the case for a national bus service to ensure the economic and social viability of rural regions - while noting that there's a healthy opportunity to use Canada Post's existing infrastructure as a starting point.  

- Jennifer Knoch points out how the Libs' Greener Homes Grant conspicuously fails to offer anything to most renters - resulting it exacerbating inequality even as it makes a contribution to energy efficiency. And Johanna Bozuwa and Olufemi Taiwo make the case to nationalize the fossil fuel sector to clear away a massive structural obstacle to a clean energy transition. 

- Finally, Kelly Candaele talks to Morris Pearl and Erica Payne about the need for a fair tax system in which the richest few contribute to social well-being, rather than paying a lower proportion of their income in taxes than people who lack the means to warp public policy to suit their greed. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- David Olive rightly questions why big pharma has been gifted intellectual property monopolies and multi-billion-dollar profit streams over COVID vaccines developed through publicly-funded research. Ivan Semeniuk and Kelly Grant write about the push to speed up the delivery of second vaccine doses in areas facing the spread of the Delta variant.

- Martin Lukacs exposes the choice of Seumus O'Regan and his Department of Natural Resources to act as oil lobbyists within government, including by trying to interfere with scientific decision-making on environmental issues.

- PressProgress reports on the Winnipeg Police Department's alliance with - and publicity work for - a secretive and insular religious sect. 

- Melissa Mancini reports that Ontario is once again promising improvements in living conditions for residents of long-term care homes while doing absolutely nothing to enforce the rules which would require it. 

- Alanna Smith highlights how the UCP's criticism of "red tape" hasn't prevented it from imposing punitive restrictions on harm reduction initiatives. And David Climenhaga points out that the same party that bleats constantly about "ethical oil" is going far out of its way to ensure Saudi Arabia can enrich itself off of Alberta agriculture.

- Finally, Luke Savage writes that we should be treating space exploration as a matter of humanity's common interest, not a source of amusement and profit-seeking for the world's wealthiest people.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Aaron Derfel writes about the threat posed by the Delta COVID-19 variant. The Leader-Post and Star-Phoenix editorial boards point out the Moe government's rush to "normal" (which includes abandoning even the most basic protections including masking). And Heidi Atter reports on public health advice suggesting that parents remain far more responsible than the Saskatchewan Party intends to be.

- David Milliken and Kate Holton report on the G7's agreement on a global minimum corporate tax - though the modest rate so far leaves a large amount of room for improvement. 

- Christopher Nardi reports on the NDP's push to have the auditor general review the CRA's limited resources to audit the richest people and corporations. And Harvey Cashore and Frederic Zalac report on the continued and unchallenged use of tax dodges even after the CRA had labeled them as shams.

- Seth Klein makes the case for a Youth Climate Corps to both provide young people with needed opportunities, and ensure we start the work we need toward a just transition to a clean economy. And David Hughes highlights the stark contrast between the steps needed to avert climate breakdown, and the determination of so many Canadian elites to keep pushing fossil fuels.

- Damian Carrington reports on new warnings from scientists as to how climate-change tipping points may create a domino effect. Sally Brown and Robert James Nicholls explain why sea levels are rising particularly quickly in large cities. And Alexandria Herr reports on Lake Charles, Louisiana's steps toward a planned retreat from land facing regular flooding.

- Finally, Shree Paradkar discusses how the reminder of the genocidal policy behind residential schools should challenge any perception of the "good Canadian". Nancy Dyson speaks up as to what workers saw. within residential schools Justin Ling writes about the school death of Jonnish Saganash as just one of an unconscionable number. And Jorge Barrera reports on the federal government's latest attempts to avoid providing even compensation long after the fact for the cultural loss suffered by residential school survivors, while Brett Forrester points out its concurrent argument against any help for First Nations families who were denied essential services.

Musical interlude

Dirty Vegas - Lost Not Found

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Max Fawcett writes about Jason Kenney's reckless wager of countless lives in the unlikely hope that a Stampede can save his political hide. And Bartley Kives writes that while Manitoba may finally be seeing case counts drop following its devastating third wave, it's still facing severe demands on its health care system. 

- Linda McQuaig discusses how Bill Gates ensured that COVID-19 vaccine development was driven by the business interests of pharmaceutical companies rather than a focus on ensuring a people's vaccine was available to everybody. 

- Liz Walker and Shanice Regis-Wilkins talk to union activists about the best ways to improve wages and working conditions through collective bargaining. 

- Jon Woodward examines how bike lane construction - just like road construction - tends to result in induced demand and changes to transportation patterns. 

- Finally, Tria Donaldson writes about the importance of remembering the children buried at residential school sites and to finally end the ongoing discrimination facing Indigenous people. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Ivan Semeniuk writes about the changing COVID-19 pandemic as the primary threat becomes the spread of variants which weren't known or accounted for in the development of current vaccines.

- Christine Freethy discusses the experience of seeing a family member among the faces in an anti-mask crowd - including the question it raises as to how to encourage those close to us to act responsibly. And V comments on the disaster patriarchy which has used the pandemic as an opportunity to exploit and control women.

- Nicholas Lemann writes about the battle over the treatment of business which played out through the 1960s and 1970s - and the consequences of the choice to prioritize consumerism over the well-being of people which ultimately left powerful corporate bodies with little organized opposition.

- Daniel Alpert points out that many Americans are understandably electing not to accept unliveable wages and working conditions as the price of a return to work. And Anders Melin and Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou write about the workers choosing to leave jobs rather than losing the ability to work from home to the whims of inflexible employers.

- Finally, John Michael McGrath points out that we can't plausibly treat residential schools and other systemic discrimination against Indigenous people as merely a footnote to be left in the past. And Shreya Kalra examines the many options to reduce racialized poverty which the Libs are tragically neglecting.