#Elxn44 Roundup

Links, notes and comments up to and including the first week of Canada's federal election.

- Shannon Proudfoot reports on Innovative Research's polling into how voters perceive the federal parties - with the noteworthy findings including the fact that the NDP is the only national parties seen as likely on balance to make life better for voters. And Darrell Bricker takes note of the reality that the Libs are seen as the party with a hidden agenda.

- tcnorris offers a reminder that minority governments' gambles on being promoted to majority status may not be as safe as they appear. Christo Aivalis discusses both the opportunity and the need for the NDP to play a key role in keeping the Trudeau Libs from an undeserved false majority. And Dru Oja Jay examines how the NDP has used the balance of power for the benefit of Canadians in the past.

- Luke Savage examines the prospect of an NDP surge (which seems to be playing out at least through the campaign's early stages). And Andrew Perez looks at a few of the factors in Canada and around the globe which were feeding into the party's momentum even before the campaign began, while Lisa Van Dusen discusses the authenticity which provides Jagmeet Singh with an important contrast against the other federal leaders. 

- Meanwhile, Jen Gerson discusses the importance of giving leaders more than one election to grow into the role, rather than throwing them away in the hope that someone newer and shinier will avoid the work of actually building a party and movement. 

- Finally, Maria Della Mattia offers suggestions as to how to make a party's values and ideas stick with the voters who stand to benefit from them.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board discusses the need for far more Canadians to be vaccinated as part of any realistic plan to stop a calamitous fourth wave of COVID. And Marcus Gee writes that we're at the point where vaccine mandates are an entirely reasonable option, while Moira Wyton notes that it would be far more practical to set new baseline requirements before the start of the school year than after it's begun. But Kendall Latimer reports on the choice of Scott Moe - and everybody else responsible for keeping Saskatchewan healthy - to run and hide when action to protect the public is most needed. 

- Meanwhile, Andrew Kurjata and Shelley Joyce report on the health care workers fleeing their work as they face increasingly preposterous demands. 

- Christian Duttmann et al. study the reallocative effects of the introduction of a national minimum wage in Germany, and find a litany of positive outcomes: no loss of employment, increased wages, and the redeployment of workers to higher-paying and more-productive work.

- Finally, Chen Zhou asks when Canada's actions and policy choices will come within shouting distance of its rhetoric when it comes to fighting climate change. And Kate Yoder discusses the long-overdue transition toward media coverage which treats the climate breakdown as the undisputed problem it is, rather than going out of its way to bothsides an existential crisis for humanity.

Musical interlude

Tove Lo - Sweettalk My Heart

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Kai Kupferschmidt discusses how the Delta variant has caused responsible governments to radically change their response to the COVID in the face of increased risks - and how we can expect future variants to complicate the picture further. And Smitri Mallapaty notes that the Delta variant in particular has been spread primarily by pre-symptomatic carriers, making individual self-isolation insufficient to stop any spread. 

- PressProgress highlights how Doug Ford is trying to use the surgical backlog created by his own negligent response to COVID as an excuse to privatize essential health services. 

- Greta Thunberg and other youth climate activists question why world leaders (and other adults) appear determined to leave a damaged planet behind for their generation. And George Monbiot asks why life on Earth is still being treated as a less important consideration than fossil fuel profits. 

- But Sean Holman points out how Canada's media has fallen even below the standards of the U.S. in responding to ground-breaking news about the climate crisis. And Christian Favreau exposes the emergence of a "deep oil state" as fossil fuel corporations have engaged in even more lobbying under the Trudeau government than they did when the Harper Cons were in power as part of their push for massive subsidies and weak climate policy. 

- Finally, David Shields reports on how the Saskatchewan Party's policy on homelessness is to create more of it by ramming through changes to insufficient social benefits which will likely push people out on the streets. 

On time-shifting

There's been some discussion about parts of Canada's federal election campaign which are surfacing somewhat earlier than usual - ranging from party platforms (with the notable exception of the Libs'), to typical late-campaign scare tactics. But it's worth noting that there's obvious reason to make closing arguments from almost the beginning of the campaign - as well as a need for parties to consider what the means as the campaign progresses. 

The provincial elections held in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic have generally seen both a continuation of the trend toward increased advance voting, and a substantial increase in the use of mail-in ballots. But by the time the votes have been counted, the overall turnout hasn't been all that strong.  

And that combination of increased early voting and decreased election-day turnout raises important considerations for campaign. 

First, it means that persuasion in the opening days of the campaign will actually serve to lock in votes early - or conversely, that a failure to reach people by that stage could put them out of reach for the duration of the campaign. And so even to the extent a party might otherwise be tempted to hold off on messages or platforms to reduce the time in which they can be picked apart, the balance tilts strongly in favour of ensuring that early voters have a chance to see what's on offer. 

By the same token, the events which would normally be seen as shaping the outcome of an election - from debates to gaffes to movements behind a particular leader - are all likely to have comparatively less effect than in previous elections due to the votes which have already been banked by the time they would take place. 

At the same time, while those most motivated to vote need to be reached with persuasive messages early in the campaign, the voters left to be accessed on election day are then likely to be those who have put relatively little thought into how to vote as a matter of both partisan support and process. (This factor looms particularly large given the prospect of a COVID wave increasing the risk of attending any remotely busy polling station.)

That doesn't reduce the need to be perceived building momentum in the course of the campaign, or eliminate altogether the prospect of a late-campaign shift. But it does mean that the message for election-day voters may need to focus more than usual on making the case for people to vote at all - while at the same time taking into account the risk that relatively unmotivated voters may be tired of the campaign by then. 

We'll find out in time whether the federal campaign follows the pattern set at the provincial level. And it may be that a national-level air war leads to somewhat different results. But we shouldn't be surprised to see an "always be closing" principle applied in a campaign where potentially decisive votes may be cast long before election day. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Scott Larson reports on the continually rising number of active COVID-19 cases in Saskatchewan. Lauren Pelley discusses the likelihood that even fully-vaccinated people will be exposed to COVID infection - particularly if public health measures aren't maintained or put back in place. And Alexander Wong and Carla Holinaty comment on the importance of health protections in schools in particular. 

- Agence France-Presse reports on the WHO's justified condemnation of the promotion of "booster" vaccine shots while much of the world waits for its first access to vaccines. And Geoffrey York reports that even Johnson & Johnson vaccines produced in Africa have been secretly diverted to Europe to chase profits rather than supporting public health. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk points out the connection between wildfires and the ongoing pandemic, as increased air pollution exacerbates the effects of the coronavirus while increased indoor activity promotes its spread. 

- Cameron Fenton makes the case for Canada's federal election to be all about climate change, while Danielle Groen outlines a few environmental issues which demand our attention. And David Roberts looks at new research showing how climate tipping points affect the social cost of carbon - and finds that we may be valuing the cost of carbon pollution at half (or less) of its actual economic impact. 

- Meanwhile, Jorge Barrera exposes how Trans Mountain is engaged in surveillance and monitoring of environmental activists. 

- Finally, Jennifer Scott discusses the need for gig workers to be heard in consultations on the future of work - based on both the struggles they're facing now, and the likelihood that new types of employers will try to impose precarity on their own workforces. And Greg Jericho highlights how poor wage performance in Australia (like elsewhere) is the result of structural forces, including governments' refusals to bargain fairly with public servants. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Mickey Djuric reports on Saskatchewan's alarmingly high rate of positive COVID-19 tests as students prepare to return to school. And Heidi Atter reports on the Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation's call for mandatory vaccination to minimize the all-too-predictable spread in the school environment. 

- PressProgress notes that Justin Trudeau's campaign message about COVID benefits is based primarily on the CERB and other supports which he had to be pressured to provide in the first place, and which are gone or disappearing even as a fourth wave hits. But while any temporary gains for many workers have been reversed, David Macdonald and Alicia Massie document how the CEO class took advantage of the pandemic to rewrite bonus formulas in their favour. 

- Meanwhile, Joe Ryle makes the case as to how a four-day work week (without loss of pay) could lead to both a reduction in carbon emissions and a healthier environment for workers. 

- The Economist highlights new research showing a strong correlation between resource extraction and political corruption. Paul Krugman highlights the faulty economic assumptions of fossil fuel defenders. And Fitsum Areguy exposes how Canada enabled mining companies profiting from extraction linked to war and human rights abuses in Ethopia.  

- Finally, Jeremy Appel writes about the surveillance and psychological manipulation techniques used by the Canadian military in Afghanistan which are now being turned against the public domestically. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Sun-lounging cats.

COVID Zero, NDP Majority

Since it doesn't seem to have received the attention it deserves, I'll take the opportunity to highlight what may be the most important suggestion of Canada's election campaign so far:

Thinking about it, the NDP should run on "we'll take control of health from the provinces and crush Covid."

It's a perfect vote splitter, the Libs and Cons can't run on it, so even if it's not majority pop, it's a winner.

— Ian Welsh (@iwelsh) August 16, 2021

With occasional exceptions, Canadian politicians have fallen far behind the public in their willingness to prioritize health and well-being over "business as usual". And people now facing a fourth wave resulting largely from the false declaration that the pandemic was over should be particularly receptive to the message that the national interest in an emergency should far outweigh the whims of irresponsible premiers. 

Of course, it's well and good to have the strongest message when it comes to the measures which are already under discussion by other parties. But we should expect the NDP's opponents to continue to lie through their teeth about its position in order to generate confusion - and that's fairly easy to do when the only question is who deserves the most credit for relatively similar positions. 

As a result, the best option for the NDP - both to set itself apart from a political standpoint, and to set the most positive possible direction from a public health standpoint - is to highlight how far that discussion lies from what can be accomplished by a government truly dedicated to the health of its population. And the end result could be to take the Libs' choice of ballot questions, and turn it into a winning issue for both the NDP and the country. 

[Edit: fixed typo.]

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Janet French reports on Alberta's appalling move toward a see-no-COVID, speak-no-COVID policy as a substitute for basic precautions in schools. Gabriella Fourie highlights why a rush toward a social "normal" would pose problems for many people even if it wasn't linked to and impending new wave arising out of the spread of dangerous new variants. And Katharine Smart writes about the need for us to act like grown-ups in order to protect our children. 

- Jonathan Watts reports on polling showing a supermajority of people in the G20 recognizing the severity of our impending climate breakdown and wanting to see survival and well-being prioritized over oil profits. Lauren Fuge examines the mortality cost of carbon as an alternative and compelling measure of the harm we inflict on ourselves by insisting on the opposite. Andrew Freedman makes the case for a realistic view of what we can still do, rather than throwing up our hands as avoidable damage continues. Rebecca Solnit writes that we know perfectly well what we need to do to rein in the climate crisis, while Matt Simon emphasizes the importance of limiting methane emissions in particular. And Merran Smith and Trevor Melanson remind us that Western Canadians - including fossil fuel industry workers - are more than ready for a transition to a sustainable economy. 

- John Last reports on the extreme concentration of housing in Canada's North in the hands of one exploitative private operator. 

- Finally, Zak Vescera reports on Saskatchewan's continuing lack of psychiatric care - and the lives being lost as a result. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Guy Quenneville discusses takeaways from the latest COVID town hall for physicians - including how Saskatchewan health care workers are burning out even before a fourth wave hits with full force. Joshua Freeman reports on the Ontario Medical Association's call for mandatory vaccination of education workers. And in case there was any question that it's possible to do far more to prevent future waves from developing, Juliana Kaplan discusses a new Oxfam report showing how a one-time tax on windfall pandemic profits could fund the vaccination of every person on the planet while also providing large supports to every unemployed person on Earth. 

- Ryan Mulcahy interviews Peter Huybers about the latest IPCC report - including the significance of irreversible effects on our environment, and a brief look at how to respond. And Rick Smith offers an optimistic take on what we can still do to decarbonize and avoid the worst of the anticipated climate crisis. 

- Michael Mann writes that while everybody has reason to be concerned about the future being defined by a climate breakdown, fossil fuel executives should be petrified due to their existing responsibility for it. And the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that fossil fuel culture needs to end now.

- Finally, Terry Slavin reports on the massive gap between reported methane emissions and the actual carbon pollution spewed by the fossil fuel sector. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Doug Cuthand calls out the Kenney and Moe governments for prematurely and irresponsibly declaring victory over COVID rather than paying any attention to how they've put their citizens at risk. And Nesrine Malik highlights how decades of anti-government rhetoric have laid the groundwork for vaccine hesitancy in the midst of a pandemic.

- Darren Shore reviews Jonathan Gauvin and Angella MacEwen's Share the Wealth as an important read in understanding both the reality of wealth inequality, and the policy choices which can address it. Kim Siever discusses the overwhelming popular support for the principle that the wealthy should pay their fair share. And Katherine Scott examines the NDP's pre-campaign policy commitments in addressing social and economic inequality. 

- Sask Dispatch comments on the need to start talking about - and planning for - the failure of the climate system we've relied up to support us. And Jeremy Corbyn discusses how climate change is a class issue - both in its disproportionate impact on vulnerable people, and the need for class struggle to combat it.

- Finally, Jason Vermes reports on the reality that the growth of global temperatures is only accelerating even as the base temperature reaches higher levels than any seen in recorded history. And Bonnie Allen and Theresa Kliem report on what's becoming one of the worst droughts in Canadian history - even as farmers are forced to brace for the prospect of it turning into the new normal.

Relentless

The Libs' choice of themes to start off a needless federal election campaign is telling mostly in the contast it presents between their self-image, and the obvious realities facing people living under their government.

After all, there are plenty of issues which have been properly described as "relentless".

‘Relentless’ climate crisis intensified in 2020, says UN report | Climate change | The Guardian https://t.co/bhZL7k4K0T

— Reto Knutti (@Knutti_ETH) April 19, 2021

For example, there's the climate crisis which is approaching worst-case scenarios, even as the Libs' plans fall short of meeting the targets they once (rightly) slammed as far insufficient.

New cases of COVID-19 continue to climb. The relentless march of the Delta variant, particularly in states with low vaccination rates, is to blame.

More here: https://t.co/zoSI0rL92s#COVID19 #COVID #SCDHEC #AU #UniversityHospital #DoctorsHospital #AUHealth #theaugustapress

— The Augusta press (@AugustaPress) August 6, 2021

There's the ongoing - and indeed escalating - pandemic which the Libs have chosen to gloss over in their pursuit of unfettered power.

Would you like an optimistic take on the Canadian housing market? Well, too bad! https://t.co/zNn0sU2KtA by @mattgurney #onpoli #cdnpoli

— The Agenda | TVO (@TheAgenda) August 12, 2021

There's an escalating affordability crisis, including a lack of access to housing exacerbated by the Libs' choice to fund returns for developers rather than homes for people who need them.

Alex Hemingway: One year later: Canadian billionaire wealth up by $78 billion, via @VancouverSun https://t.co/5fQwEmiQ1H

— Seth Klein (@SethDKlein) April 19, 2021

And there's the massive concentration of wealth in the hands of billionaires, even as an outright majority of Canada's population teeters on the brink of insolvency.

In the face of those problems which actually pose constant threats to our health and well-being, the Libs' consistent response has been...to do as little as they can get away with, while focusing on what matters more to them. And if Trudeau manages to grab another majority, we can look forward to four more years of his relentlessly shirking his responsibility to look out for the well-being of Canadians.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- The editorial boards of the Leader-Post and Star-Phoenix discuss the individual math which makes the case for vaccination compelling - though it's worth noting the equation is even more obvious on the government level where Scott Moe is being allowed to get away with social murder. Anya Zoledziowski points out how the UCP has been forced to reverse course from its disastrous declaration that the pandemic was over. And Lisa Rison interviews Alexander Wong about the only-increasing importance of masking and other protections in schools.

- Nick Fillmore asks whether we're past the point of no return when it comes to avoiding a complete climate breakdown. Willam Rees writes about the need to severely reduce our ecological footprint in order to have a sustainable society and economy. And George Monbiot discusses how our approach to ecology needs to allow our environment time to exist naturally, rather than being razed and replaced based on whims. 

- Meanwhile, Shannon Devine points out that the gains made by workers through collective bargaining tend to have a lasting effect. And that in turn helps to explain why the UCP's anti-labour government is perfectly willing to pay grossly inflated salaries to privately-contracted scabs with the goal of undermining the province's existing health care workers.

- Finally, Deepa Shivaram discusses the obvious connection between increased child tax benefits in the U.S. and a decrease in family hunger and precarity.

Musical interlude

CARIBOU - Can't Do Without You

Which you can do by one-three thousand, three hundred and thirty-thirds

Peter Julian highlights exactly how little the Liberals have done with the promise of Pharmacare in the course of two terms in government before precipitating an election:

Undoubtedly the most deceitful thing he could have written.

In terms of progress on funding #public #universal #Pharmacare - this represents 3/100 of one percent (or 1/33rd of one percent!) of financing required.

After six years, this is #Liberal progress on #Pharmacare? #ndp https://t.co/bO23VWvSpm

— Peter Julian (@MPJulian) August 11, 2021

That means that if Justin Trudeau were to pick up his pace of Pharmacare announcements to match the PEI commitment every week, it would take...a mere 64 years to finally reach full funding. (Of course, that ignores the inevitable inflation of drug costs in the meantime.) And even an equal announcement every single day would leave the Libs short of a universal pharmacare plan through two more full terms in power. 

So voters will have the choice between national pharmacare in the next Parliament under a NDP government...or only three thousand photo-ops later if Trudeau gets to choose the pace. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Aaron D'Andrea reports on Dr. Theresa Tam's recognition that most of Canada is now firmly trapped in a fourth wave of COVID. Alexander Quon reports on research confirming that the people avoiding vaccines are also the least likely to take other protective measures. Robyn Urback discusses how vaccine mandates may actually offer relief for people currently on the fence. And Christine Gibson asks what Alberta plans to do about the lasting effects of a disease which creates long-term problems for its victims. 

- The Broadbent Institute highlights how Canadians are dealing with substantial anxiety over affordability and economic stability as a federal election looms.

- Robert Hiltz writes about both the need for the election to include serious talk about climate change - and the risk that we'll end up falling for empty rhetoric rather than electing MPs who will actually insist on action. Fiona Harvey and Giles Tremlett report on the IPCC's research showing that greenhouse gas emissions need to peak globally within four years - and be halved over the next decade - in order to avoid climate breakdown. Adam Tooze points out that the U.S.' push for more oil production makes it difficult to take seriously in claiming to want to do its part. And Norm Farrell notes that the result of massive natural gas subsidies in British Columbia has been increased production but reduced public revenue at a time when any fossil fuel development is mostly spun as a matter of gathering resources to fund a transition. 

- Meanwhile, David Moscrop reminds us that the wealthiest few are planning to spend their way into isolated bunkers to avoid the damage they're doing to the environment the rest of us rely on. And Ainsley Harris writes about Katie Porter's success in both calling out those who exploit everybody else to accumulate wealth and power, and development means to improve the lives of people who can't pay for lobbyists to torque the government apparatus in their favour.

- Canadians for Tax Fairness offers its approval to the NDP's plans to ensure that wealthy people pay more of their fair share. 

- Finally, Hiltz also comments on Canada's history of undermining both any meaningful definition of genocide, and any substantial effort to measure our treatment of Indigenous people against it. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Greg Jericho writes that the latest IPCC report confirms that we're running out of time to avert climate breakdown, but still have a narrow window in which to do so. Damian Carrington reminds us that the cost of climate negligence is far higher than that of planning for a just transition while we still have the chance. Simon Lewis discusses how the fossil fuel industry bears responsibility for endangering our future. Bill McKibben highlights the deliberate pollution of our political and social discourse which has only complicated any attempt to set us on a sustainable path. And Elizabeth Leier argues that we need to match the urgency applied to our initial COVID-19 response in addressing the climate crisis. 

- But in case there was any doubt how determined many people are to avoid dealing directly with any matter of public well-being, Max Fawcett points out the glaring gap between widespread public demand for vaccine passports, and a refusal to act by most Canadian political leaders. Jim Harding writes that Saskatchewan (among other jurisdictions) needs to demand better than the short-sighted government which has allowed COVID to run wild. Bruce Anderson examines the composition of Canada's as-of-yet-unvaccinated population, and finds that a substantial number of reluctant people would open up to vaccinations under the right circumstances. And Alexander Wong and Sean Tucker make the case for mandatory vaccinations in workplaces.  

- Kanecia Zimmerman and Danny Benjamin Jr. discuss the success of mandatory masking in limiting the spread of COVID in schools. And Lisa Schick reports on the rising number of cases among Saskatchewan children just as school is set to resume - together with Paul Merriman's complete lack of concern about the likelihood of outbreaks in schools. 

- Guy Quenneville provides a damning timeline of the Extendicare outbreak which killed 39 Saskatchewan residents. 

- Karen Weintraub and Adrianna Rodriguez write about the open question as to whether the Delta variant actually causes more severe symptoms than other forms of COVID-19 (in addition to being far more transmissible). And Ed Yong takes a general look at the current direction of the pandemic - including the certainty of "exit waves" as governments eliminate public health protections, and the eventual prospect of endemicity following whatever human toll we choose to accept in the meantime.  

- Finally, ProPublica exposes how the Republicans' tax cuts for the rich were not only a massive giveaway to the .1% generally, but specifically designed to hand extra goodies to a few closely-connected donors. And Alex Ballingall reports on the NDP's plan to apply a wealth tax to fortunes over $10 million in order to fund a functional set of social and health supports. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Lauren Pelley reports on the certainty that Canada is facing a fourth major wave of COVID-19 even as right-wing governments try to proclaim the pandemic over. Natalie Grover reports on the Oxford Vaccine Group's conclusion that any hope of herd immunity is "mythical" based on the spread of the Delta variant. Matthew Chapman reports on the catastrophic harm being done to children with COVID in Arkansas, while North Carolina State University models the likelihood that three-quarters of students in a given school could be infected in the absence of appropriate masking and testing. And Julia Wong reports on the expert response to Jason Kenney's decision not to bother tracking the spread of COVID-19 in Alberta even as that wave crests. 

- Meanwhile, David Suzuki reminds us that the break from a destructive business-as-usual scenario should open the door to reductions in the days and hours we treat as the default for work.   

-  Robin Shaban and Ana Qarri examine how competition law could be used to avoid corporate monopolies generally, and collusive anti-worker arrangements in particular. 

- The Broadbent Institute discusses new polling by Abacus Data showing the priorities of Canadian voters - including strong preferences for more progressive taxes, and increased investments in public goods. 

- Finally, Steven Chase reports on a new study by Project Ploughshares and Amnesty International into how the Libs' continued supply of military equipment to Saudi Arabia is flouting human rights and international law.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats on guard.

 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brad Plumer and Henry Fountain discuss the IPCC's latest report confirming that some climate degradation is inevitable - but that we face the choice how much to accept. Adam Moreton notes that it's all the more unacceptable to rely on accounting tricks rather than actual emission reductions as the consequences of inaction become more glaring. Eric Holthaus comments on the implications of entering the era of rapid climate change. Damian Carrington points out the inescapable responsibility of political leaders for the decisions which have caused the damage that's already locked in. And Kate Aronoff argues that undue deference to fossil fuel profiteers is indistinguishable in substance from climate denialism, while Seth Klein makes the case to ban fossil fuel advertising as one step toward breaking the stranglehold carbon polluters have over any discussion of transitioning to a clean society. 

- Jen Zoratti discusses how our failure to properly respond both to the climate crisis and to COVID-19 can be traced to a failure to challenge systems which cause harm to people by design, then hold them individually responsible for their circumstances. 

- Andre Picard writes about the "nasty" fall looming as the Delta variant takes advantage of reckless governments, while Kevin Sepkowitz notes that vaccinated people are still prone to transmitting it even if they're relatively protected against acute effects. Loren Smith highlights new research as to the psychology behind COVID non-compliers. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board argues that vaccine mandates need to apply to all kinds of social interactions (particularly those involving vulnerable people). 

- Finally, Matt Lundy puts the complaints of the business lobby to the test and finds no evidence of any meaningful wage growth in the midst of the pandemic. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Peter Singer reminds us of the one-time-opposition to mandatory seat belts to make the case to apply a similar principle to vaccinations, while Lorenda Reddekopp discusses the growing public groundswell for vaccine passports. James Keller reports on the UCP's decision to turn COVID testing into a matter of pay-for-play access - with the side effects of enriching a Jack Mintz-affiliated business, and undermining Alberta's information as to the spread of COVID-19. 

- Anne Helen Petersen discusses how the Delta variant may have arrived at just the wrong time - though it certainly hasn't helped matters to have anti-social politicians downplaying the pandemic and looking for excuses to do as little as possible from day one. And Pam Belluck discusses the damage long COVID is doing to children who have been deliberately left unprotected. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on today's release of the latest assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - confirming both the urgency to act to avert climate breakdown, and the utter failure of our current leaders to do anything of the sort. But Anna North offers some hope that it's not too late to fight climate change if we work within our communities rather than despairing over how little we can do individually. 

- Finally, Rich Penney discusses how the label of a "liberal" (in both small- and large-L terms) refers more to the defense of an unequal and unsustainable status quo than any progress from it.  

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Erika Edwards reports on a push from U.S. pediatricians to speed up the development and distribution of COVID vaccines for children due to the significantly increased threat of the Delta variant.

- Jim Stanford responds to the spin of greedy bosses and antisocial politicians by pointing out how attempts to slash social supports due to supposed labour shortages have no basis in reality.

- Leyland Cecco reports on Monte Lake, the second B.C. community to be burned off the map by climate breakdown-induced wildfires this year. Daisy Nguyen and Noah Berger report on the California towns being destroyed by the Dixie fire. And Mehdi Leman juxtaposes a number of the unprecedented fires being seen around the globe as an indication of how severe and immediate our climate crisis is. 

- Stephanie Spera offers a primer on the upcoming IPCC climate change report set to be released tomorrow.

- Paul Thacker examines how corporations endangering the public and the planet have engaged in disinformation campaigns designed to call into question anybody who dares to point out their actions.

- Finally, Daniel Heath Justice and Sean Carleton suggest eight ways to respond to residential school denialism.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Holly Yan examines the growing medical recognition that children need to be protected from COVID-19 (and particularly the Delta variant). David Holtgrave et al. highlight why we need to be increasing our testing and monitoring - not abandoning the effort as the UCP has chosen as part of its "just give up" philosophy. Alessia Simona Maratta reports on Quebec's move to implement a vaccine passport - and the resulting increase in vaccination rates. Eleanor Murray and Ruby Barnard-Mayers discuss when it will be safe to remove mask mandates - and how far the U.S. (like most of Canada) is from that point. And on the bright side, Jennifer Abbasi examines evidence of the lasting effect of COVID immunity.

- Meanwhile, Christopher Reynolds reports on the hardship facing seniors whose Guaranteed Income Supplement is being slashed without warning based on their temporary receipt of CERB benefits last year.

- Frances Bula discusses how the Libs' supposed housing plans are in fact aimed at boosting developers' profits rather than the availability of affordable rental units.

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the responses provided to Ontario's one-sided consultation on the future of work.

- Finally, Ben Oquist makes the case for tax being a needed aspect of our public policy debate rather than a dirty word. And Abacus Data finds a strong (and growing) majority of Canadians eager to see a wealth tax among other means of ensuring that the wealthiest pay their fair share toward a functional society.

Musical interlude

BT feat. Emma Hewitt - No Warning Lights (Alpha 9 Remix)

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Erika Edwards reports on the increase in the number of children being admitted to hospital due to the spread of the Delta variant. And Sarah Rieger reports on the growing number of infections traced back to the reckless slashing of protections during the Calgary Stampede (despite the Kenney government's attempt to release a laughably low preliminary number then stop counting). 

- Nora Loreto writes about the need for the media to include the connections between business lobbyists and government decisions in its general reporting, rather than saving discussion of those links for all-too-rare special investigations. 

- Stephanie Ross and Larry Savage ask why more workers aren't organizing their workplaces in light of the well-documented advantages of being represented by a union. 

- Jeremy Appel discusses how the UCP's state-directed inquisition against environmental activism has had toxic effects even if the resulting report isn't going to produce any meaningful findings. And Amanda Follett Hosgood observes that seven years after the Mount Polley tailings pond spill, the corporate operator is still using a "temporary" permit to keep dumping toxic water into Quesnel Lake. 

- Finally, Zak Vescera reports on the need for millions of dollars in urgent repairs to Regina's hospitals as the Moe government has allowed our health infrastructure to decay. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Brooks Fallis highlights why a strategy limited to vaccines won't stop a fourth wave of COVID-19. The CP reports on the call by doctors (and others) to have the UCP reverse its declaration of surrender to the pandemic, while David Cournoyer points out that the axing of all public health precautions is leaving a large number of Albertans behind. Jacquie Miller reports that even the Ford government is promising to buy air filters to somewhat improve the safety of schools in the fall. And John Ibbitson discusses the latest polling showing that a strong majority of Canadians support restricting unvaccinated people from attending public gatherings. 

- Karen Howlett points out the lack of coroners' reports or other accountability mechanisms for the thousands of Canadians who died of COVID in long-term care homes. 

- Sarah Lawryniuk discusses how a drought linked to climate change is disrupting agriculture in Manitoba, while Bonnie Allen and Heidi Atter report on the dire plight of Saskatchewan ranchers who can't find food for their herds. Damian Carrington reports on evidence that the Gulf Stream (a major regulator of the global climate) is on the verge of collapse. 

- Jaby Dayle rightly questions how so many people are eager to blame minimal social supports for people's understandable reluctance to accept dehumanizing work.  

- Finally, Jillian Horton expresses her understandable frustration at the disconnect between public needs and demands, and the priorities of those who govern us. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Nora Loreto points out the thousands of deaths known to have been caused by the spread of COVID-19 in Canadian hospitals - and the virtual certainty that the numbers available to date represent a significant undercount. Allan Massie discusses the spread of COVID-19 through the majority of the attendees at a party where every guest was fully vaccinated. Vincent Del Guidice reports on Idaho's stark rise in cases among babies and toddlers. And Don Braid calls out the UCP for axing even the most uncontroversial and necessary of public health measures to limit COVID transmission. 

- Scott Gilmore argues that we're past being able to rely on rewards and bribes to try to get people vaccinated, and need to start instead limiting holdouts' access to the "normal" they claim to value as long as they make it needlessly more dangerous. 

- David Wallace-Wells writes that a climate breakdown happening at an unforeseen speed is leaving us with the choice to either adapt or die (while still needing to limit the amount of damage to be taken into account). And the Globe and Mail's editorial board rightly recognizes that there's no point in banking on liquified natural gas exports which are far from viable both environmentally and economically. 

- Finally, Tom Parkin writes that the Governor-General has a legitimate role to perform in determining whether an election call is necessary where the prime minister relies on laughable assertions of non-confidence. And Andrew Jackson points out that the Libs may not be on the safe ground they're expecting in trying to plunge Canada into a mid-pandemic election. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Leisurely cats. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Emily Anthes highlights what the people paying attention to COVID-19 (and particularly the Delta variant) have learned about the risks of transmission in schools - including the need for ongoing mitigation measures to avoid outbreaks. Simon Rella et al. study the spread of vaccine-resistant strains and find a continuing need for public health protections. Antonio Regalado and Casey Crownhart discuss the numerous outbreak clusters among vaccinated people around the globe. And Megan Molteni writes about the reality that the fight against an ongoing pandemic is a long war, not a one-time skirmish which can be left behind us. 

- Ubako Ogbogu and Lorian Hardcastle write that the UCP is playing Russian roulette with the health of Albertans by eliminating public health measures, while the same criticism would of course apply equally to the Saskatchewan Party. Brad Reed reports that Louisiana has been forced to reinstate a mandatory masking policy due to the disastrous results of reopening without protections. And Akiko Okamoto, Linda Sieg and Kiyoshi Takenaka report that Japan's choice to prioritize large-scale sports over public health have led to its health care system having to turn away COVID patients and hope they can survive at home. 

- Rebecca Hersher writes about new research showing that a rapid transition to clean energy could save tens of millions of lives. Rebecca Leber discusses how a clean power grid is an absolute must as part of any climate change plan. Julia Peterson reports that Saskatoon is doing its part to shift toward solar energy even as the provincial government tries to stifle its development. And Mitchell Beer weighs in on the large number of fossil fuel workers eager to transition to more sustainable industries. 

- Meanwhile, Amy Harder points out the importance of addressing the demand side of our energy equation to enable a transition to a clean economy. 

- But Emily Atkin notes that for all the public support for a shift to renewables, advocates for a just transition are being prevented from advertising due to the refusal of media properties to serve as anything but shills for dirty energy tycoons. 

- Finally, David Dayen provides an inside look at employer union-busting efforts. And Sara Ashley O'Brien reports on the recommendation for a new vote after Amazon went all-out to intimidate employees against unionizing. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.

- Jonathan Howard writes that the recognition of higher COVID-19 risks in adults has been used as a means of misleadingly minimizing the risks of death and long-term effects in children. And Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz offers the receipts as to how the dangers of COVID itself are far more severe than any effect of public health measures intended to reduce its spread.

- Ahmed Mushfiq Moborak and Saad Moer recognize that we should be sending vaccines to the countries where they're most needed, rather than allowing them to expire in the midst of populations unwilling to receive them. And Sasa Petricic discusses how glaring failures in the face of the pandemic are leading to the unraveling of longstanding governance structures around the globe. 

- Liz Walker and Shanice Regis-Wilkins talk to Jim Stanford about the prospect of increasing the use of sectoral bargaining to increase the bargaining power of Canadian workers.

- John Woodside reports on the difference between the Libs and the NDP as to whether new infrastructure necessitated by a climate breakdown should primarily be built with public money for public benefit, or whether (as the Libs prefer) any planning is going to bake in private profit-taking.

- Finally, Paul Dechene discusses the downside of increased sprawl which seems to be under consideration by Regina's City Council. And Katelyn Duncan highlights how the Moe government has gone out of its way to make it difficult for Saskatchewan residents to mitigate some of the effects of car and truck-focused cities by switching to electric vehicles.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Lauren Pelley examines the impact of the Delta variant in Canada. And Marieke Walsh notes that we're facing an increasingly tight time frame to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations to avoid it resulting in a fourth wave, while reports on U.S. research showing vaccines alone won't be enough to respond to Delta or other new variants. 

- Paul Krugman discusses how COVID-19 has followed political lines in the U.S. due to the irresponsibility of Republican governments. Blake Murdoch comments on the repugnance of Jason Kenney's decision to let a deadly disease run rampant, while Kelly Cryderman notes that an ideological aversion to acting in the public interest is entirely consistent with the UCP's brand. The CP points out warnings from public health officials as to how the recklessness of Kenney's choices will echo far beyond Alberta's provincial borders. And Kendall Latimer examines the risks arising from Saskatchewan's increasing case counts even as Scott Moe likewise insists on removing any protection for people. 

- Rebecca Casey and others review how the pandemic has highlighted the need for paid sick leave. 

- Oxfam highlights how intellectual property restrictions have already quintupled the cost of distribution COVID vaccines, while Reuters reports that Pfizer and Moderna have gone into full-on shameless profiteering mode by hiking the prices of COVID vaccines in Europe. And Linda McQuaig offers a reminder that Canada has chosen to allow big pharma to engage in price-gouging rather than ensuring that medications and vaccines are both accessible and affordable.

- Noelle Allen discusses the folly of relying on market to fix problems with housing which find their root in the prioritization of profits over people's rights and needs.

- Finally, Jane Gleeson-White writes about the patriarchal bias underlying what's presented as objective and neutral economic thought.

Musical interlude

Glass Animals - It's All So Incredibly Loud

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board highlights the folly of declaring victory in the race to vaccinate Canadians against COVID-19 when we're far short of anything remotely resembling a conclusion. Sarah Rieger reports that Alberta is seeing unprecedented spread as its fourth wave begins to crash into the general public. And Rob Vanstone rightly questions why the Saskatchewan Roughriders are prepared to let COVID into packed football games. 

- The Angus Reid Institute examines public attitudes toward improving our system of long-term care - and as for so many other issues, there are far more people who believe change is needed than who expect it to actually happen. And Janet French reports on the UCP's moves to turn Alberta's health sector into a profit centre at the expense of workers in both surgical centres and laundry facilities. 

- Camille Bains reports on the damage being inflicted on Canadian agriculture by extreme heat and drought conditions. 

- David Gray-Donald discusses two new books on how the fossil fuel industry has manipulated both public information and political choices to block action to ameliorate climate breakdown. And Emily Eaton, Andrew Stevens and Sean Tucker comment on the Co-Op refinery's attack on workers as an example of how a transition will be entirely unjust if corporate interests dictate its terms. 

- Finally, Gillian Steward rightly argues that a federal election is the last thing Canada needs in the midst of a pandemic and summer of climate chaos. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Stepped-up cats.

 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Apoorva Mandavilli reports on the CDC's return to recommending that people wear masks indoors to try to avoid another COVID wave. Matt Elliott asks why nobody is taking the lead on proof of vaccinations when it represents another necessary step to control spread. Jean-Paul Soucy pieces together a full picture of Saskatchewan's COVID timeline which the Moe government had conspicuously avoided making available. 

- Richard Paddock and Muktita Suhartono report on the growing number of children dying of COVID-19 in Indonesia. Adam Hampshire et al. study (PDF) the effects of long COVID. And Wency Leung reports on how the pandemic has aged people prematurely. 

- Mitchell Thompson discusses how the Trudeau Libs are barging ahead with a plan to put workers back on the path to increasing precarity by slashing or withdrawing supports even as the pandemic continues. And Aaron Wherry notes that the push toward austerity comes even as all major parties seem to have accepted the public's willingness to run deficits to tend to people's well-being. 

- Barry Saxifrage reports that the spread of wildfires in British Columbia is resulting in more carbon pollution than the province's burning of fossil fuels. And Fraser Thomson rightly argues that Canada can't claim to be anything but a climate villain as long as we refuse responsibility for emissions from our oil and gas exports. 

- Finally, Steven Chase reports on the Libs' decision to approve a $74 million sale of explosives to Saudi Arabia, once again prioritizing the military-industrial complex over the lives at risk at the hands of an warmongering regime. 

Monday Afternoon Links

 Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- CBC News reports on the research which is just starting to systematically identify and treat the worrisome symptoms of long COVID. Gabriel Scally weighs in on the dangers of the UK's choice to end any public health response to COVID-19 even as the Delta variant is starting to run rampant, while Amanda Holpuch reports that the U.S. is looking at guidance which may include reinstating mask mandates. And Apoorva Mandavilli discusses the broader dangers of the U.S.' environment of vaccine refusal. 

- Doug Gordon writes that a shift toward increasing car traffic represents just one more example of the lack of learning from a pandemic which exposed it as unnecessary. And Emma Arkell points out that young women in particular have borne the brunt of the economic damage from COVID-19. 

- Patrick Brethour highlights the likelihood that the rich in Canada are only getting richer while the Libs do nothing to address income or wealth inequality. And David Moscrop calls out the space race between billionaires as reflecting our complete failure to harness extreme wealth toward any useful end. 

- Meanwhile, Torsten Bell reports on new research showing how public and political corruption spreads into everyday activity. 

- Jonica Newby describes her climate grief - and highlights how it should be an important factor in pushing us to needed action. And Ruth MacLean writes about the oil industry's plan to abandon the mess it's made in Nigeria now that there are no easy profits to be extracted. 

- Finally, Max Fawcett discusses the attempt by the UCP's anti-environment inquiry to throw a report together at the last minute. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board recognizes that any responsible government would be continuing to apply public health rules to prevent a fourth wave of COVID, rather than hyping partial vaccination as a cure-all. Zeynep Tufecki discusses how the U.S.' political dysfunction is limiting its ability to mount a full public health defence - though it's well worth noting that Canada and other countries are facing similar difficulties without the exact political barriers south of the border. avid Connett reports on the justified backlash against the UK Cons' attempt to portray responsible risk management as cowardice. Shondipon Laha writes that our growing level of experience in responding to COVID-19 doesn't mean it's getting any easier to ask ICU staff to deal with new waves. Rob Stein and Selina Simmons-Duffin report on new modeling showing how the Delta variant is set to cause a new wave of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.

- Blake Murdoch and Lorian Hardcastle point out that there's no reason why a vaccine passport can't be designed to protect privacy while also achieving the public health goals of encouraging vaccination and protecting against community spread.

- Arthur White-Crummey reports that the Saskatchewan Party's attack on the solar industry has achieved its goal of destroying an immediate renewable alternative to fossil fuels - as well as the jobs that went with it. And if we needed to be reminded as to how corporate-friendly regimes have worked to tie the hands of anybody trying to implement effective climate policy, Josephine Moulds reports on a UK oil company's use of ISDS provisions to try to force Italy to approve offshore drilling or hand it hundreds of millions of dollars of free money.

- Meagan Day interviews Carol Burris about the use of "nonprofit" charter schools to transfer education funding into the hands of the corporate sector.

- Finally, Paul Krugman calls out the corporatist politicians in then U.S. who are insisting that tax laws should only be enforced against the working class.