Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Arundhati Roy writes that pandemics may herald new political directions - though that reality makes the exploitation of compassion fatigue by corporate extractive forces all the more alarming. Gregg Gonsalves discusses the risks of declaring a premature end to a pandemic, while Dan Lett highlights how Manitoba's declaration of a "new normal" is only courting disaster. Adam Taylor reports that Africa may have already seen widespread infection which wasn't documented due to a lack of testing. Ed Stannard reports on new research showing the long-term symptoms of COVID include limited absorption of oxygen from blood. Laura Spinney notes that long-term disabilities are an entirely foreseeable outcome of a pandemic which is allowed to run out of control. And Brenda Goodman reports on the growing evidence of the increased severity of the BA.2 Omicron variant. 

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera reports on the tuberculosis outbreak in northern Saskatchewan which the Moe government is treating with the same strategy of denial as the COVID pandemic. 

- Joyce Green and Gina Starblanket discuss how police deference to the #FluTruxKlan highlights a grossly unequal view as to whose interests matter, while Anya Zoledziowski writes that the effect of the convoy has been to make BIPOC people all the less safe in their own cities. And Justin Ling reports that authorities allowed the occupation to take hold despite having received ample warning that it was serving as a cover for violent extremists.  

- Finally, Abdul Al-Sayed discusses how corporate greed is the main driver of the inflation currently being used as an excuse to suppress wages and social supports. And Alex Hemingway reminds us about the importance of public planning and investment to ensure outcomes that benefit everybody - not only the few with the wealth and power to dictate decision-making behind closed doors. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Sabrina Eliason, Tehseen Ladha and Sam Wong highlight how the elimination of public health protections puts children at particular risk. And CBC News examines what we know so far - and still have yet to learn - about the ultimate impact of long COVID. 

- Umair Haque writes that the #FluTruxKlan may represent the first obvious example of the collapse of democracy in the U.S. sending ripple effects around the globe. Justin Ling reports on the connections between the convoy and the extreme right, while Brian Palmer also looks into the origins of the occupation. And Talia Lavin traces what the participants and their backers have been discussing while rendering Ottawa unliveable (and seeking to do the same across the country) in the name of overturning democracy. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk discusses how the apparent choice between fascism and fecklessness may signal the erosion of democracy in Canada as well. And Innovative Research notes that Canadians are understandably frustrated with both the convoy and the ineffective government response. 

- Jon Stone reports on Michael Gove's admission that trickle-down economics have been an utter failure for any purpose other than further enriching the already-wealthy.

- Finally, Joe Hernandez reports on new research confirming how the fossil fuel sector is greenwashing its continued carbon pollution. Brett Tryon discusses why gas stoves are untenable based on their contribution to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. And Jennifer Balch et al. study yet another harmful climate feedback loop, as hotter and drier night contribute to the easier spread of wildfires. 

Wednesday Evening Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Gavin Yamey, Abraar Karan and Ranu Dhillon write that the COVID pandemic is far from over even in the U.S. where the Omicron wave is receding. Frederik Lyngse et al. study (PDF) the transmission of Omicron and find that vaccination is indeed effective in reducing spread, while Daichi Yamasoba et al. conclude that the B.A2 variant which is becoming the dominant strain pairs the original Omicron's spread with significantly more severity. Lauren Pelley reports on new research showing how vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of the pandemic in Canada, while Ed Yong comments on the plight of immunocompromised people left in limbo. And Sayako Akita discusses the toll of long COVID from a personal perspective. 

- Zak Vescera writes that plenty of businesses recognize the recklessness of the Moe government's declaration of open season, and are maintaining their own vaccination checks even as the provincial app is taken out of service. And Vescera also reports on yet another leaked record number of COVID hospitalizations which are resulting in surgeries being cancelled, while Chris Gallaway notes that Alberta's health care system is similarly being trashed by a callous government. 

- Molly Jong-Fast discusses the U.S. money and organization behind the #FluTruxKlan, while Ryan Cooper notes that it represents an alt-right fantasy made real. Frank Graves and Michael Valpy examine where the convoy's limited support lies - while noting that the number of people seeing potential for true class conflict far exceeds the number actually supporting the occupation. And James Hutt discusses how the citizen action at Billing Bridge can serve as a model to confront and overcome right-wing agitators. 

- Finally, George Monbiot writes that the #FluTruxKlan and its copycat/sibling campaigns of destruction around the globe represent incoherent rage rather than any solidarity or meaningful purpose. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Helpful cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Abdullah Shihipar discusses why one-way masking is far from an adequate solution to the public health problems posed by even the current variants of COVID-19, while Monica Torres points out how far we are from the point where prudent people can reasonably take the invitation to stop masking in the workplace. And Sarah Trick writes that telling immunocompromised people they can isolate themselves completely while a "new normal" develops without them is far from an acceptable position. 

- Nora Loreto rightly raises the question of why the Trudeau government has applied the Emergencies Act only to protect commercial transit, but not to keep tens of thousands of people from dying as a result of a pandemic. An anonymous Ottawa resident describes how citizen activism was able to do what police failed or refused to do in blocking the #FluTruxKlan, while Vanessa Balintec notes that the occupation of Ottawa has only exacerbated some of the health concerns arising out of the COVID pandemic. And the Angus Reid Institute finds overwhelming public opinion in opposition to the convoy of disease and hate.  

- Henry Giroux writes that the purpose of the convoy is to destroy the ability of democratic governments to act for the common good, while Paul Krugman notes that the only "right" being effectively asserted is the right to destroy. And Tom Cardoso reports on the financial backers - both Canadian and foreign - offering up millions of dollars toward those ends, including fossil fuel interests looking to undermine acceptance of science generally. 

- Finally, Charlotte Grieve reports on the less-than-surprising revelation that the gas industry is just as deceptive in seeking approval for continued carbon pollution as the coal and oil industries have been to put us on the precipice of climate breakdown. And the Associated Press reports on the U.S.' "megadrought", along with its roots traceable directly to climate change. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Doug Cuthand writes that falsely pretending we're "back to normal" in the midst of a pandemic does nothing but put people at needless risk. CBC Radio talks to experts about what we should be doing with vaccine passports, and finds that if any change is in order it's to ensure that the definition of being vaccinated includes the receipt of booster doses. And Ian Welsh writes that there's no way to describe people fighting against public health protections other than unambiguously pro-death.  

- Mohy-Dean Tabbara, Jennefer Laidley and Garima Talwar Kapoor point out how single people living in deep poverty have been neglected in the design of pandemic supports (even before governments started slashing those in the name of forcing people back to unsafe work).  

- Robert Danisch warns that a foreign-funded extremist movement should push Canada to start reckoning with the collapse of democracy in the U.S. CBC Radio discusses the perversion of the concept of "freedom" fuelling the #FluTruxKlan's rhetoric. And Mitchell Thompson writes about Ted Byfield's legacy as one of the people most responsible for laying the groundwork for reactionary extremism in Canada.  

- Finally, George Monbiot calls out the UK Cons for using crocodile tears about affordability for the poor as an excuse to shovel profits toward the fossil fuel sector. And The Energy Mix highlights how a methane feedback loop may be causing a climate breakdown on an even more rapid pace than we'd previously anticipated. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Robin McKie and Michael Savage write about the warnings of UK scientists that the reckless elimination of public health protections will lead to far more preventable deaths. Alanna Smith reports on a letter from public health experts recognizing the dangers of the Kenney UCP's similar recklessness in the face of the Omicron wave. And Nathaniel Dove reports on the Saskatchewan Party's systematic hiding of COVID data (even from the province's health authority).

- Scott Schmidt is understandably frustrated that coddling the #FluTruxKlan has been added to the Alberta/Saskatchewan cycle of belated public health measures and premature celebration of the end of a pandemic which isn't going away. And Yasmine Ghania reports on the much-needed backlash against Scott Moe for indulging anti-science bigots.

- Meanwhile, recognition that the #FluTruxKlan itself is largely the product of foreign interference has begun to surface around the globe - with Ben Collins, Steve Reilly et al., and Zack Beauchamp each highlighting how it reflects cynical manipulation rather than public opinion. And Emma Graham-Harrison and Tracey Lindeman discuss the reality that the convoy isn't about COVID measures.

- The Star's editorial board calls out the Cons for their eagerness to join and promote the most hateful and evil of what the convoy has to offer. And Chauncey Devega talks to Joe Walsh about the reality that the Trump movement would happily destroy its own country in an expression of anger.

- Finally, Molly Shah reviews Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaeilian's the Privatization of Everything as a warning of how much more difficult it is to work toward the common good when our key social and economic infrastructure is built around the concentration of profits and wealth. But Rosa Saba points out one promising sign, as Canadian unionization rates are beginning to rise as workers recognize neither their employers nor their governments will work to keep them healthy and safe.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Gary Mason writes about the combination of fatigue and outrage which is producing a particularly toxic mix for anybody attempting to limit the damage caused by COVID-19. Phil Tank laments the sense that protecting people from avoidable infection and death has become controversial, while also reporting on "Unified Grassroots" and other anti-public health forces who have organized to create that reality. And Adam Hunter highlights how Scott Moe's messaging about and to unvaccinated people has turned deferential even as more dangerous variants have emerged.

- Robert Hiltz discusses how Ontario has been one of many jurisdictions which has repeatedly wasted the downtime between waves by choosing to operate in denial rather than doing anything to prepare for foreseeable events. Don Darrah discusses how conservative premiers including Moe are using the damage they've inflicted on health care systems as an excuse to turn more and more necessarily medical services into profit centres for their donors. And Catherine Varner writes about the physicians who are looking at leaving jurisdictions or even the profession due to the violence directed at them by anti-vaxx extremists. 

- Van Badham writes about the crank and conspiracy behind anti-public health protests around the globe. And PressProgress has offered plenty of important reporting on the #FluTruxKlan - including a systematic look at its donors, as well as reports on the intention to pursue intimidation and violence for political ends and how that's been carried out.

- Finally, Cam Scott writes that there are limited lessons for progressive organizers to draw from the right's populist organizing which is necessarily built around fabrications and illusions rather than solving real-world problems. And John Geddes discusses the institutional differences that have helped somewhat in limiting the translation of far-right ideology into formal power.

Musical interlude

The Avener feat. Ane Brun - To Let Myself Go

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Elian Peltier reports that Denmark's message that the COVID pandemic is over has predictably given rise to a new - and particularly dangerous - wave as people abandon even the most elementary care to avoid community transmission. And Brittany Gervais reports on the justified outrage of immunocompromised Albertans who have been told the new normal involves their being unable to participate in society due to uncontrolled viral spread. 

- Cindy Blackstock, Leilani Farha, Monia Mazigh and Alex Neve offer some important questions about how we treat protests generally in the wake of the #FluTruxKlan being allowed to lay siege to Canada's capital. Doug Cuthand discusses how the deference shown to violent extremists shows the operation of white privilege in action. And Justin Ling points out the role of QAnon and other conspiracy theorist groups in driving the convoy. 

- John Anderson discusses what Canada has lost through two decades of corporate tax revenue lost to tax slashing and loopholes. 

- Meanwhile, Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood notes that workers predictably haven't benefited from yet another temporary boom in oil prices. And Marc Lee, Tom Green, Peter McCartney and Anjali Appadurai discuss the need for British Columbia's royalty regime to take into account the transition away from relying on carbon pollution for energy. 

- Alyshah Hasham writes about a new learning hub intended to ensure that people facing criminal charges aren't trapped in a cycle of poverty and recidivism. 

- Finally, Lee discusses the need for more medium-density not-for-profit housing to ensure that a fundamental right isn't left to the whims of market forces and exclusionary zoning. 

Thursday Evening Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Zak Vescera reports on leaked information showing that Saskatchewan's COVID hospitalization rate has reached a record high just as Scott Moe decided to starve the public of information about the toll being taken by an ongoing pandemic. Meredith Wadman discusses the growing recognition of the long-lasting effects of infection - including heart disease lasting a year or more after "recovery". And a Nature editorial highlights the need for far more research into the harm long COVID is inflicting on children.

- Linda McQuaig is rightly angry that violent racist insurrectionists were handed the keys to Canada's capital. And James Gacek writes that it's past time to put #FluTruxKlan and its denial of science (along with reality in general) behind us. But Robert Hiltz notes that there's plenty that we should be concerned about in our governments' lack of action to protect people's health and well-being over the course of the pandemic - which makes it all the more appalling that the most prominent voices of opposition are complaining about their having done too much.

- Meanwhile, Joe Roberts offers a reminder that there's a readily-available option to ensure that the convoy and its political enablers can't take full power over our federal government with the support of a minority of voters.

- Henry Fountain discusses the new satellite imagery of methane leaks, while adding the observation that Canada and China bear the dubious distinction of having so many concentrated leaks in fossil fuel-producing areas as to make it impossible to distinguish them. And Stephen Huddart writes that we need to start living based on the reality that a climate breakdown is already well underway.

- Finally, Larry Elliott highlights how much better off everybody would be if labour movements were stronger.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Climenhaga writes about the need to investigate the U.S. funding which seems to have built the #FluTruxKlan's profile, while Saba Aziz discusses how the cross-border extremist ties have only become tighter as Ottawa has been occupied. Arwa Mahdawi discusses how the threat raised by the violent occupation in Canada may reverberate around the globe. Anna Drake notes that both the convoy itself and the kid-gloves treatment it's received from police reflect profound inequalities. PressProgress offers an introduction to some of the hateful extremists responsible for the siege. And Michael Coren writes that the convoy is using religious symbols to propagate a message antithetical to anything remotely Christian. 

- Meanwhile, Clifton van der Linden and Alexander Beyer find that contrary to the convoy's assumptions, the general public remains strongly in favour of public health protections. And Sasha Abramsky discusses how one town managed to fend off a hostile QAnon takeover attempt. 

- Justin Ling notes that the Cons stand to make their party utterly toxic by enabling what's recognized to be an illegitimate and destructive attack on democratic institutions and vulnerable people. And Heather Mallick writes that if Pierre Poilievre seems like a prohibitive favourite for the Cons' leadership, it's only because his substance-free nastiness fits a party which has no interest in building anything other than resentment. 

- Michael Mann and Susan Joy Hassol highlight how delaying action only makes our path to averting climate breakdown steeper. And Ryan Heath reports on new polling showing that people around the globe recognize that our political leaders are falling far short of their responsibility to respond to a world on fire. 

- Finally, Laszlo Radvanyi argues that Canada needs a national strategy for early cancer diagnosis - even as the collapse of COVID control measures reflects the distaste the Cons and their provincial cousins have for anything resembling preventative and precautionary action. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Sprawled cats.

Tuesday Evening Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Sarath Peiris discusses the foolishness of prioritizing the self-indulgence of the grossly uninformed over the protection of the vulnerable. For those looking for a thoughtful discussion of how to avoid recklessly gambling with public health, Andre Picard discusses how protections could be removed responsibly. And Yasmine Ghania talks to public health experts about what living with COVID would mean if it wasn't based in wilful denial. 

- Jacob Serebrin reports on Quebec's soaring count of pediatric hospitalizations, while Noah Ivers and Cora Constantinescu urge parents to get children vaccinated as soon as possible. And Yan Xie et al. examine the long-term cardiovascular damage caused by COVID. 

- Stefanie Davis reports on the push by Saskatchewan workers to demand some protection - though that was met with a typically callous response as Scott Moe has chosen to surrender utterly to COVID. And Julia Raifman, Alexandra Skinner and Aaron Sojourner study how low-income workers have borne the brunt of the pandemic.

- Peter Coy discusses how wealth inequality in the U.S. has reached a higher level than has been seen since World War II. Heather Vogell points out the problem with private equity taking over needed housing and turning a human right into a profit centre. And Alex Collinson discusses how the UK's cost-of-living crisis is the result of the systematic transfer of wealth from workers to the wealthy - which won't be improved any by suppressing wages. 

- Finally, Peter Votsch offers some thoughts about building labour strength in the workplace. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board argues that Canada needs to ensure its labour and employment laws protect gig workers.

Monday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Bruce Ziff highlights how axing vaccine passports and other basic health protections would only eliminate freedom for the vast majority of people who want to be able to act responsibly in the face of a pandemic. And Karen Mossman and Matthew Miller write that we'll face far more difficulty trying to build a better future after COVID if we allow it to run rampant now. 

- Meanwhile, Judy Rebick and Corvin Russell discuss the need for a strong left position on the pandemic, including increase social solidarity and support, as well as protections for the workers being placed at risk while facing increased demands from callous governments. And Jen St. Denis notes that part of the response to #FluTruxKlan intimidation has been renewed recognition of the importance of health care and service workers. 

- David Climenhaga traces the convoy to interference by the U.S.' far right in Canadian politics, while Eli Sopow notes that it has also exposed some of the bigotry and violence which had been waiting below the surface. And Abbas Rana discusses the growth of "disruption politics" even where it runs contrary to the interests and choices of most citizens. 

- Finally, Rick Smith writes about the importance of the next year in developing climate policy which will chart Canada's path for decades to come. And Tim Radford discusses the need to put an end to systematic plastic pollution as another element of living within our planetary boundaries.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Melody Schreiber discusses how the U.S.' inequality and lack of support for workers has severely exacerbated the pandemic. And Eric Schwitzgebel examines what it means to be a COVID jerk - and how their ubiquity and prominence has made life worse for everybody else.

- The Canadian Press reports on new research confirming that a strong majority of Canadians still support vaccine mandates and passports, along with other public health measures to limit community transmission. And Sandy Garossino points out how the response of Donald Trump and other Republican politicians shows how the #FluTruxKlan convoy has been stoked and manipulated by the U.S.' most extreme political actors.

- Shree Paradkar discusses how the hate behind the convoy was always apparent to anybody who wasn't looking to make excuses for privileged white insurrectionists. And Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich writes that the convoy is effectively domestic abuse on a social scale.

- Finally, Helena Horton reports on new research showing that the carbon emission gap between the rich and the poor is only growing.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Mike Mariani writes about the difficulty people suffering from long COVID have experienced trying to have their condition recognized and treated under governments looking to diminish or deny the existence of their disease. And Hannah Devlin and Nicola Davis discuss how scientific knowledge of COVID has evolved - with the recognition of the importance of masking (which is of course only becoming all the more vital in the face of the Omicron variant) serving as one of the most important developments.

- Wendy Glauser writes that in addition to providing frontline care, health workers have been performing vital work in providing the public with accurate informaion. Omar Mosleh discusses Tara Moriarty's fight to share accurate data in the face of Scott Moe's attempt to overrule health experts. And Jason Warick talks to several political scientists who conclude that Moe's combination of science denial and support for the bigoted #FluTruxKlan is unprecedented in Canadian history.

- Danyaal Raza and Wendy Lai are hopeful that the development of an unpatented vaccine will significantly shorten the timeline to vaccinate the world - though prioritizing public health over intellectual property rights when it comes to existing vaccines remains an important part of any plan. And until it's possible to achieve global protection through vaccination, Molly Jong-Fast discusses the importance of living - and doing our best to limit the spread of COVID - one day at a time. 

- Scott Schmidt asks where Alberta (among other jurisdictions) will end up in dealing with foreseeable future COVID waves if it allows violent ignorance to carry the day now.

- Finally, Doug Cuthand rightly notes that the police deference to violent anti-vaxx occupiers demonstrates the obvious presence of white privilege. And SURJ Toronto highlights the importance of using that privilege to push for fairness and equality.

Musical interlude

Elderbrook - Why Do We Shake In The Cold?

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week. 

- Gregg Gonsalves writes about the continued dangers of responding to COVID with wishful thinking rather than realistic public health measures, while Meredith Wadman reports on how the spread of the Omicron BA.2 strain has caught the scientific community off guard. The National Institute for Health Research points out new research showing long-term lung abnormalities resulting even from mild cases. And Zak Vescera reports on the desperate state of Saskatchewan's hospitals as Scott Moe declares it's open season for community transmission, while Scott Larson reports on the continued conversion of testing into a corporate profit centre rather than a public service. 

- Omer Aziz writes about #FluTruxKlan's assault on Canadian democracy. And Emma Jackson writes that the left can learn some lessons about outreach (while of course advancing an equitable vision rather than the destructive one of the right).  

- Grace Blakeley discusses the appalling level of control exercised by the wealthiest few over the economic and social structures that stand in the way of well-being for so many. And John Nichols suggests a 92% pandemic windfall tax to at least ensure that a public emergency doesn't serve to exacerbate the concentration of wealth and power. 

- Peter Nicholson highlights the three tragedies that stand in the way of the action we need to avert climate breakdown. And Georgina Rannard reports on satellite mapping showing that methane leakage is far worse than normally assumed - making the rate of climate destruction even more severe. 

- Finally, Ricardo Tranjan, Tania Oliveira and Randy Robinson discuss the need for new investment to enable schools and students to catch up after two years of near-constant disruption. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Thomas Bollyky et al. examine the factors which have led to reducing the spread COVID-19 and resulting harm - with trust in fellow citizens and government ranking at the top of the list in improving vaccination rates and limiting transmission. And Wei-Bi Shen et al. study the neurological effects of COVID, including creating an Alzheimers-like effect on brain function. 

- Meanwhile, Blake Murdoch points out the folly of pretending that letting the Omicron variant run wild would somehow represent the end of the pandemic, rather than another wave of avoidable harm. Laura Sciarpelletti reports on the pleas from Saskatchewan's health care workers not to scrap the vaccine mandate and other (already insufficient) measures which are somewhat containing the damage for now. And Jacob Stern and Katherine Wu discuss the meaninglessness of declaring COVID "endemic" when that can still mean immense ongoing harm. 

- Crawford Kilian maps out how the #FluTruxKlan wants to drive Canada into Trumpist territory, while Aaron Wherry notes that the Cons don't seem to care at all about the end goal as long as it provides an excuse to foment anger in the short term. Emily Leedham exposes the convoy's connections to anti-worker violence in the course of the Co-Op refinery lockout. And John Michael McGrath recognizes the need to highlight the work of the people making every effort to control the pandemic, rather than focusing solely on the destructive few determined to exacerbate it. 

- Finally, the Canadian Press reports on the NDP's push toward decriminalizing drug use in order to contain the damage from another public health crisis. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Puzzled cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Alexander Quon reports on the politicization of Saskatchewan's COVID policy in the summer of 2021, with political staffers and commercial interests winning out over public health recommendations surrounding Saskatchewan Roughrider games. Zak Vescera reports on Scott Moe's deliberate dishonesty as an excuse to scrap what few protections remain in place. And Hilary Brown, Yona Lunsky, Sandi Bell, Fahad Razak and Amol Verma highlight the need to start taking into account the people with disabilities who are being told they should self-isolate without supports in order to allow those in power to avoid the slightest inconvenience. 

- Brandi Morin discusses how the #FluTruxKlan is based entirely in white supremacy, while Max Fawcett calls out the double standard involved in allowing a mob of bigots who had expressly threatened violence far more leeway than any other type of protest. And Ariel Troster points out how that choice resulted in residents of Ottawa being held captive at the behest of the extremists.  

- David Dayen and Rakeen Mabud examine how the U.S.' corporatist policy laid the groundwork for its current supply chain failures. And Rebecca Graff-McRae points out the dangers of the UCP's plans to turn labs and other parts of Alberta's health care system into corporate profit centres rather than public services. 

- Unifor makes the case for Canada to reinvest in national passenger rail service.

- Finally, Emily Chung reports on the emergence of new oil and gas heating bans in jurisdictions with even a modicum of foresight - while also recognizing how fossil fuel interests are lobbying to stand in te way.  

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Yasmin Tayag discusses the progress being made in determining how long COVID is caused - though the only point that appears beyond dispute for now is that avoiding infection is the only sure way to escape it. And Theresa Kliem reports on the swift response from experts calling out Scott Moe's science denialism in declaring that vaccines don't help stop community transmission. 

- Meanwhile, Supriya Dwivedi is appalled by conservative politicians' embrace of the racism and violence at the root of #FluTruxClan, while Max Fawcett suggests they'll end up paying an appropriate price. And Michael Harris rightly argues that the lunatic fringe have no right to impose their destruction on everybody else. 

- Julia Rock discusses how the U.S.' regulatory state is encouraging the funding of obsolete pipelines at public expense. 

- Umair Haque writes about the need to start building effective global systems to ensure people have even the most basic necessities met. 

- Finally, as a prime example of how warped our current service structures are, Alexandra Levine reports on the collection and sale of data from a suicide hotline to turn pleas for mental health assistance into a profit centre. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Eric Topol charts how vaccines to date have continued to provide essential protection against the Omicron COVID variant, even as people with an actual interest in public health recognize that they don't mean the pandemic is over. Ng Keng Gene discusses how Singapore is launching a major study to determine how to avoid the spread of infectious diseases in buildings. Julie Henry and James Tapper report on the UK's inevitable conclusion that it needs to start reapplying public health rules after it's let yet another wave cause unacceptable damage. And Ian Reifowitz highlights how basic precautions against a continued public health threat are in fact the only hope we have for freedom.

- But Andrew Nikiforuk offers a depressingly accurate depiction of the decision to abandon the fight for health and well-being on the part of far too many Canadian leaders. And Justin Ling and Al Jazeera staff each report on the #FluTruxKlan's appalling arrival in Ottawa.

- Karen Hamilton discusses the importance of ensuring that the end to fossil fuel subsidies in Canada is swift and decisive, rather than getting dragged into the usual pattern of delay associated with any challenge to corporate giveaways. And Drew Anderson examines the massive costs and dubious returns of carbon capture and storage projects - particularly when combined with attempts to shift emissions from oil consumption off the books.

- Finally, Sarah Lawryniuk explores the current status of plans to make the burial of nuclear waste near Ignace, Ontario into yet another high-priced attempt to hide the side effects of extractive energy.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Doug Cuthand writes that all spin to the contrary, the #flutruxklan has nothing to do with freedom. Rachel Gilmore reports on the its connections to white nationalism and racism. Justin Ling reports on the warnings to MPs that they're at risk of violence - even as conservatives both provincial and federal continue to support the convoy. And Elizabeth Thompson and Roberto Rocha point out that the firehose of money directed toward the violent overthrow of Canada's federal government includes large donations made anonymously or using fraudulent aliases.  

- CTV News reports on the spread of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant in Canada. Zak Vescera reports on the warning to Saskatchewan's medical community that this will be the worst wave yet even as Scott Moe leaves the province at the mercy of the pandemic, while Phil Tank looks at the soaring rate of outbreaks in long-term care homes. And as our governments actively make a goal out of ensuring that everybody gets infected, Katie Russell discusses a few of the factors which increase one's risk of suffering from long COVID.

- Meanwhile, Walker Bragman and Andrew Perez expose how businesses have lobbied against any protections for workers or customers. And John Bell discusses the connection between profiteering and pay-for-play cronyism reflected in Doug Ford's private vaccine clinic contract.

- Jim Stanford examines the connection between income security and power dynamics in the workplace. And Steve Early reports on the harm done to workers through false promises of cooperation from employers in schemes to increase workloads without raising pay.

- Finally, Umair Haque discusses how acceptance of social Darwinism is at the root of the U.S.' inability and refusal to address collective problems.

Burning question

Where could Scott Moe have possibly developed the idea he's entitled to dictate what questions the media is allowed to ask?

Musical interlude

Cannons - Shadows

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Zak Vescera reports that the Moe government's push toward privatizing COVID testing has turned into such a fiasco that even the for-profit operators are calling for somebody to apply regulations to protect the public. Ninan Abraham et al. call out a Globe and Mail opinion column for feeding anti-vaxx narratives in the absence of any evidence. And Doug Saunders discusses how Europe's latest wave can be traced to politicians catering to science denialists. 

- Bruce Arthur argues that while we may need to live with anti-vaxxers, we should at least expect our leaders to have the sense not to lend them support. And the Canadian Anti-Hate Network documents how the Flu Trux Klan convoy has turned into little but a show of fascist hate on wheels. 

- George Monbiot highlights how carbon offsetting is only encouraging the continued use of fossil fuels by allowing people to treat them as climate solutions rather than the continuation of a problem. Data For Progress examines both the health impacts of poor air quality, and the public's desire to see political action to remedy it. 

- Colin D'Mello reports on Doug Ford's grant of a sole-source private vaccine clinic contract after a flurry of donations from board members and their families. And Kim Siever reports on the UCP's decision to put the son of private ambulance magnate in charge of a review of emergency services. 

- Finally, Luke Savage writes about the essential role unions play in protecting and advancing democracy far beyond the workplace. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Stephanie Carvin, Kurt Phillips and Amarnath Amarasingam discuss how anti-vaxx themes in Canada are being pushed and used by the fascist right. Alex Boutilier and Rachel Gilmore highlight how the convoy supported by Scott Moe, Jason Kenney, and so many other right-wing politicians is explicitly seeking to create its own January 6th riot and overthrow the federal government. Emily Leedham exposes the conspiracy theories and racism of Moe's new friend Nadine Ness. And a medical officer of health offers some needed tips in responding to targeted harassment by the anti-vaxx cult. 

- Kate Aronoff writes that a return to meaningful public planning is a must to deal with climate change (among other problems which can't be solved by hand-waving in the general direction of "market forces"). And Stephen Leahy discusses the counterproductive realities of tax giveaways to the fossil fuel sector for promised carbon capture and storage. 

- Lisa Friedman reports on new research showing the health consequences of even small levels of soot pollution. And Raymond Zhong reports on research revealing that gas stoves and other appliances may be leaking methane even when not turned on. 

- Finally, Aaron Gordon and Lauren Kaori Gurley report on Amazon-funded high school courses intended to indoctrinate students into an exploitative corporate mindset. And Michael Smart and Sobia Hasan Jafry ask why Canada isn't applying reasonable inclusion rates to capital gains to ensure the rich pay their fair share. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Emma Farge and Mrinalika Roy report on the World Health Organization's warning that it's dangerous to act like the COVID pandemic is over. Davide Mastracci observes that governments who have been willing to bother protecting citizens against substantial community spread have been successful even against the Omicron variant - meaning that the illness and death sweeping over countries with less responsible governments are a matter of choice. Vincent McDermott reports on the Alberta Workers' Compensation Board's recognition of thousands of cases in the province's workplaces, while Zak Vescera reveals that Scott Moe and his government have blocked any enforcement of the vaccine mandate which was supposed to reduce the risk of transmission in Saskatchewan's health care system. And Sarath Peiris argues that we should be expecting Saskatchewan Party MLAs to speak up about their leader's refusal to keep the province healthy - though there's no apparent precedent for their doing anything of the sort. 

- Zackie Achmat discusses how Cuba's vaccine development and distribution efforts are creating a needed alternative to the corporate pharmaceutical industry which has sought to prolong the pandemic in the name of profiteering. But Joel Lexchin offers a reminder that the Libs are choosing to side with big pharma over the Canadian public when it comes to ensuring that people have the medication they need. 

- Dylan Matthews reports on new research reaching the entirely predictable conclusion that improved income supports enhance children's brain development. CBC News reports on the recognition by anti-poverty activists that the aspect of inflation which needs to be fought is its effect on people already struggling to get by - not the prospect of slightly reduced net returns on capital. And Meara Conway has released her consultation report on housing and social supports in Saskatchewan. 

- Finally, Rachel Snow discusses how the right-wing denial of mass graves and other residential school abuses represents a continuation of white supremacy and colonialism. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Puzzled cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andre Picard recognizes that stoking sentiment about being "done with COVID" only increases the likelihood of further transmission and mutation, while Gail Bowen writes about the need to cultivate the strength to push back rather than succumbing to a sense of futility. Gwynne Dyer discusses the far more justifiable fatigue with anti-vaxxers and deniers who are making the pandemic worse for everybody. The Canadian Press reports on Statistics Canada's finding that life expectancies saw their most severe drop in nearly a century as the pandemic began in 2020, while Phil Tank reports on the stark gap between what's been reported in Saskatchewan and the far higher number of deaths likely attributable to the coronavirus. 

- Katie Hyslop talks to young British Columbians about their eagerness to get fully vaccinated. Leana Wen discusses the need to update vaccine policies to account for the importance of third (and additional) doses in maintaining continued protection. And Katherine Wu is hopeful that a three-dose vaccine will eventually help to protect children under 5 - though the prospect of that development in the near future makes it all the more senseless that kids are currently being sent into viral incubators. 

- Saleemul Huq writes about the need for any effective climate action plan to address the loss and damage a deteriorating climate imposes on the people who can least afford it, while Oliver Milman notes that the rarely-recognized consequences of the climate crisis include massive interference with insect populations. 

- Fatima Syed highlights how businesses are cashing in on the Ford PCs' cancellation of a previous provincial climate policy - signaling how destructive climate policy represents a corporate giveaway as well as environmental negligence. And Michelle Gamage reports on the latest example of the polluting fossil fuel sector being put in charge of deciding what to bother fixing and cleaning up - this time being site contamination in British Columbia. 

- Meanwhile, Marc Lee, Belinda Li, Sue Maxwell and Tamara Shulman point out how a focus on a zero-waste society can create both economic and environmental benefits.

- Finally, Robert Reich argues that corporate sedition is an even greater threat to democracy than the violent political version. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Katharine Wu examines how the effect of immunity is just one more area where people are seeing profoundly unequal results of the COVID pandemic - with a disproportionate burden being placed on those who were already facing disadvantages. Lauren Pelley reports on the current state of knowledge around long COVID, as well as the danger that many people may face symptoms and aftereffects for decades to come. And Ian Welsh discusses the example set by Western Australia in demonstrating that COVID has always been controllable - making for a particularly stark comparison to the resource-based provinces in western Canada which have instead chosen to let it run wild. 

- Jacob Lorinc points out that the workers who have left restaurant work during the course of the pandemic have done so for good reason. And Dan Darrah discusses the prospect of a four-day work week coming to Canada in the wake of successful trials elsewhere. 

- Diana Chen McNally and Naheed Dosani write that while we should be looking to eradicate homelessness altogether, we should at least ensure that all people have access to basic hygiene and sanitary services.

- Zoe Craig-Sparrow, Shelagd Day and Margot Young discuss how all levels of government in Canada have prioritized fossil fuel profits over Indigenous rights.

- Finally, David Climenhaga and Ryan Lindley each write about the combination of separatist fanaticism and cynical grifting behind the latest yellow vest convoy. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Alex Ballingall and Raisa Patel ask why Canada's federal government seems to have learned nothing from four previous waves of COVID. And Kari Dequine Harden writes about the large number of children saddled with the effects of long COVID because their leaders didn't bother to keep public health protections in place for the benefit of those who couldn't yet be vaccinated.

- Umair Haque discusses how the U.S.' elite consensus around unrestrained capitalism has led to its political ruin - and while the U.S. may stand out for now, it's not hard to see the same dynamic playing out in Canada and elsewhere. And Elizabeth Meager points out that investor protection agreements have been treated as barring countries from meeting their climate commitments. 

- Meanwhile, Phil MacDonald and Sarah Brown note that soaring energy costs in the UK are the result of continued reliance on fossil fuels. And Marc Fawcett-Atkinson writes that access to safe food is just one more area in which inequality of income and wealth feeds into disparities in other aspects of well-being.

- Finally, Stephanie Kelton discusses the dangers of treating reflexive interest rate manipulation as the only - or best - means of responding to inflation.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Katharine Wu writes that contrary to the continued attempt by right-wing talking heads to equate mass viral transmission with immunity, we can't assume that the spread of the Omicron COVID strain will offer substantial protection from future infection. Kayla Rosen reports on new research showing the widespread cognitive dysfunction caused even by COVID cases treated as "mild", while Moira Wyton points out the "test trap" facing people with less-than-life-threatening symptoms who may not have access to the testing needed to support claims based on disabilities. And Danielle Groen discusses what would be needed for governments to be able to responsibly reopen - which (spoiler alert) means far more than simply asserting in the face of all evidence that the pandemic is over.

- Ben Cousins reports that a majority of Canadians are now having trouble feeding their families, making for an 18-point jump from just a few years ago. Umair Haque discusses how the greed of the wealthiest few is impoverishing everybody else, while Michael Schaub reviews Peter Goodman's "Davos Man" as a helpful reminder as to where wealth and power is currently concentrated. And Andrew Perez and David Sirota highlight how the Senate filibuster serves not as a democratic check, but as corporate America's kill switch to prevent any meaningfully progressive policy from being implemented no matter how necessary or popular.

- Tanya Talaga reminds us that deaths in house fires within First Nations are traceable to the poverty and deprivation which have been structurally embedded in communities. And Mitchell Thompson exposes how Tom Flanagan and his Conservative cronies continue to engage in brazen denial of the horrors of residential schools.

- Finally, Douglas Todd discusses how Singapore has implemented strong incentives against speculation in its housing market, and suggests that Canada pursue the same.

Musical interlude

Cowboy Junkies - White Sail

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Claire Horwell highlights how masking and other continued public health measures to rein in spread to the extent possible are the only way to avoid catastrophic results from the Omicron wave. Mickey Djuric reports on leaked modelling reaching the same conclusion based on Saskatchewan data (as well as the call by labour for public health action based on the science). Tyler Barrow talks to both Cory Neudorf and Alexander Wong about the painfully-misinformed spin being used by Scott Moe to avoid doing anything to keep people safe. And Alexander Quon interviews Nazeem Muhajarine about the Saskatchewan Party's choice to abandon any effort to even track, let alone contain, the spread of COVID. 

- Matt Keeling et al. study what circuit breaker policies can achieve in limiting infections as well as severe health outcomes. And Chansavath Phetsoupanth et al. find that people who suffer from long COVID can be expected to have long-term immunological deficiencies as a result. 

- Katharine Smart weighs in on how the pandemic has exposed the weaknesses caused by decades of neglect of our health care system. Nora Loreto points out how even the most immediate problems are primarily the result of neoliberal governments rather than individual anti-vaxxers. And Emma York discusses the shift toward for-profit health care as both a cause and consequence of the current crisis. 

- Tony Seskus and Kyle Bakx discuss the mountains of money being hoarded by fossil fuel companies even as they demand massive public subsidies, while Anya Zoledzowski reports on Shell's Quest plant as yet another example of a CCS project which only adds to carbon pollution even at massive expense. Gordon Laxer rightly notes that the UCP's spin about "foreign-funded" environmentalists represents nothing but blatant projection as Jason Kenney seeks to send more cash to foreign-owned petrogiants. And David Suzuki calls out climate-denying media for demonizing the people working on transitioning toward a sustainable society. 

- Finally, John Michael McGrath examines the preliminary findings of Ontario's housing task force -which would go some way toward encouraging multi-unit development, if doing so in ways which seem to cater more to developers than to people in need of homes.