Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Ewen Callaway discusses the COVID-19 "variant soup" which we'll be drowning in this winter due to the deliberate elimination of any public health protections as politicians value denial over people's lives. And Tyler Cheese reports that Ontario hospitals are going to be forced to issue alerts about emergency rooms with no capacity to help patients.

- Umair Haque writes about the transition from late-stage capitalism to end-stage capitalism, as both the concentration of wealth and its social harms continue growing unchecked. And Katharine Mach and Galen Treuer discuss the need for climate adaptation plans to deal with substantial changes to everyday life, not only responding to disasters as they arise. 

- Nicole Stillger reports that most of the revenue from soaring oil production and prices is being sucked out of Alberta, while Andrew Leach calls out Danielle Smith's plan to hand even more free money to the oil industry under the guise of cleaning up some of its messes.

- Joshua Freeman reports on the response to Doug Ford's plan to turn flood-prone conservation lands into a source of short-term profit for his developer buddies with no regard for the harm to everybody else.

- Finally, Theresa Kliem reports on the growing number of people in Saskatchewan who have been forced to turn to food banks - along with the Moe government's complete lack of interest in doing anything to help.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Lara Herrero discusses how infection with COVID-19 can leave people more vulnerable to all kinds of other diseases. And the Canadian Press reports on the rise of two new subvariants in Ontario (and elsewhere) while public health officials beg for the return of at least basic precautionary measures.

- Mitchell Beer writes about the inflection point in an energy transition: there's no longer a prospect of fossil fuels being a viable long-term energy source compared to cheaper and cleaner renewable alternatives, but not enough being done to limit their continued harm to the climate in the short to medium term. And Sofia Quaglia reports on new research showing that extreme heat resulting from climate change has inflicted tens of trillions of dollars in damage, largely on countries who haven't been responsible for much of the carbon pollution that's caused it.

- Steven Greenhouse comments on the absurdity of blaming inflation caused by concentrated corporate power on the few leaders willing to occasionally question it. And Brian Sullivan points out that New York's lack of housing is being exacerbated by landlords choosing to keep homes empty rather than making them available at affordable rates. 

- Meanwhile, Noam Scheiber writes that Starbucks' cynical fight to avoid collective bargaining is being seized on by other employers to tell their employees that collective action is futile.

- Finally, Judy Trinh reports on the latest revelations as to how police bias in favour of violent white supremacists led to their failing to protect the public from the #FluTruxKlan. And Shachi Kurl discusses how telling it is that the Saskatchewan Party is willing to celebrate a good ol' boy best known for domestic abuse and the murder of his wif.

Musical interlude

PVRIS - Animal

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- The Star Phoenix reports on Saskatchewan's latest COVID-19 data showing 26 more deaths in just the last two weeks along with a rising positivity rate, while CBC News reports on Ontario's alarming numbers of deaths and hospitalizations. Wency Leung discusses the risks we're facing based on the combination of another COVID wave and a potentially severe flu season. And Meghan Grant reports on the Alberta court decision determining that decisions about mitigation measures were improperly made by politicians rather than public health officials. 

- Meanwhile, Laura Sciarpelletti reports on the increasing lack of access to emergency services in Saskatchewan. 

- Ishaan Tharoor writes that the real-world effects of an ongoing climate breakdown are far worse than the few headlines which manage to attract attention. And Kate Aronoff highlights the gas industry's attempt to claim victimization as it extracts windfall profits while continuing to pollute our atmosphere with no regard for the well-being of humanity. 

- Finally, Shannon Bond discusses the possibility of limiting the effect of misinformation by encouraging people to think critically. But Linda McQuaig points out that the right-wing extremists pushing conspiracy theories and violent obstruction have all too often found sympathetic ears among government and law enforcement authorities. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the lives lost to COVID-19 in Ontario workplaces and the deliberate choice by employers and governments to enable that outcome. And Carly Weeks reports that children's hospitals are having to brace for yet another wave of respiratory illnesses while all public health measures have been eliminated. 

- David Wallace-Wells writes about both the implausibility of avoiding catastrophic climate change, and the possibility of a transition to what's on the other side. 

- Padraig Moran reports on the record grocery profits being taken by a corporate oligopoly which is pretending not to be responsible for soaring food prices. And Sharif Hassan reports on the increasing number of people relying on food banks to fill in the gap in their ability to pay for the essentials of life. 

- Gordon Cleveland examines the progress Canada is making toward a national system of early learning and child care, while noting the need to ensure additional funding and support goes to workers.

- Finally, Simon Enoch offers his take on Scott Moe's preposterous excuse for a position on federalism. But if anybody thought there was a line of absurdity or sociopathy that Moe and his government wouldn't cross...it's time to think again. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Erik Swain discusses new research showing that even "mild" cases of COVID-19 produce massively increased risks of death from cardiovascular issues. And Charlie McCone questions why people being told to assess their own risk aren't being informed of the well-documented dangers of long COVID. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on the United Nations' recognition that the current emission reduction policies announced by governments fall far short of meeting the global goal of averting catastrophic climate change. 

- The Globe and Mail's editorial board points out the flawed math behind Scott Moe's temper tantrum masquerading as a governing agenda. And Howard Anglin notes that the white paper intended to declare a push toward nationhood is written at a level that would be unacceptable for schoolchildren.  

- Finally, Alex Boutilier reports on the Ontario Provincial Police's assessment that the #FluTruxKlan was leveraged by foreign actors to serve their own agendas. And Luke LeBrun points out that Ottawa's police facilitated that effort by minimizing the destructiveness of the occupation and siding with convoy cultists (and their propagandists) over the interests of the public. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Contained cats.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Hussein Kadhem Al-Hakeim et al. examine the relationship between oxygen deprivation and severe long COVID symptoms. Crawford Kilian makes the case for an inquiry to show where our pandemic response has gone wrong, while recognizing that the people responsible for those very decisions won't be eager to see their actions put under the microscope. And CBC News reports on the reality that the pandemic remains an ongoing nightmare for health care workers even as far too many others try to deny its continuing existence. 

- Alec Salloum reports on the justified frustrations of those working to help homeless people in Regina and encountering a mix of neglect and outright hostility from the governments who should be taking responsibility for people's safety and well-being. And CBC News reports on the similar choices made in Toronto (which don't figure to change any in light of an austerian mayor winning re-election). 

- Mark Schapiro highlights the financial interests pushing for continued climate degradation, while noting most people have far more to gain from a transition to a sustainable economic model. Simon Evans writes about a new study from the International Institute for Sustainable Development concluding that new fossil fuel development is entirely incompatible with our meeting existing climate targets. 

- Peter Schadt and Hans Zobel interview Hans-Jurgen Urban about the options to make sure workers don't pay the price for an energy crisis based on continued fossil fuel dependence. 

- Finally, AFP reports on new Greenpeace research into the gross failure of plastic recycling in the U.S., which is seeing only 5% of plastic waste (and falling) actually being repurposed. 

Saturday Evening Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Bob Becken discusses the use of "no smell" complaints about scented candles as a sad substitute for meaningful public reporting of ongoing COVID cases. And Aastha Shetty reports on a pilot project which is just beginning to measure air quality in a few Waterloo schools two and a half years into the COVID-19 pandemic. 

- Jim Stanford writes that Loblaws' price freeze stunt has served only to show that grocery magnates have the ability to avoid price increases when they want to - but have instead been choosing to profiteer in the course of a pandemic. Arthur Delaney discusses how the U.S. Federal Reserve is choosing to suppress wages after doing nothing to stop the portion of price hikes that could be siphoned off in pure profit. And Colette Murphy writes about the price everybody ultimately pays when we allow inequality to get out of control - as well as the readily-available measures we could be using to rein it in. 

- Mohamed Bsat notes that while there's a need to build more housing, there's also plenty that can be done to protect renters who need a home within the housing stock that already exists. 

- Finally, Bill Fortier reports on newly-released court documents showing the real steps toward violent conflict taken by the #FluTruxKlan agitators at Coutts, AB. And Jonathan Montpetit and Lori Ward investigate the influx of anti-trans candidates seeking to take over school boards to facilitate discrimination against LGBTQ children. 

Musical interlude

Tove Lo - How Long

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Marc Fortier reports on the spread of the XBB COVID-19 variant which looks to be causing widespread reinfections where it's been able to get a foothold. And Josh Pringle reports on the plea from Ottawa Public Health for people to resume masking indoors (to the extent they'd stopped in the meantime). 

- Andrew Jackson discusses why Liz Truss' laughably short and chaotic tenure as the UK's prime minister would represent decisive evidence against conservative economics - at least if the philosophy of further enriching the wealthiest people and corporations was ever subject to scrutiny by politicians and media outlets which are themselves dedicated to their service. 

- Timothy Gardner reports on a new World Resources Institute study showing that the climate promises and policies made so far fall short of being sufficient to avert a catastrophic breakdown.

- Mirzokhidjon Abdurakhmonov et al. study how U.S. Senators' stock purchases lead to inflated share values - particularly where they're responsible for overseeing the industry. And Stephanie Taylor reports on the OPP's recognition (revealed through the #FluTruxKlan Emergencies Act inquiry) that Pierre Poilievre and the Cons exacerbated the siege of Ottawa by legitimizing the occupying forces. 

- Finally, Libby Giesbrecht reports on the plight of homeless people in Saskatchewan facing a severe shortage of shelter beds - even as multiple levels of government focus more on breaking up any forms of mutual aid which could possibly offer at least a partial alternative.

Thursday Evening Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Claire Sibonney talks to Colin Furness about the cell dysregulation which looks to produce many of the most dangerous effects of long COVID. Sabrina Moreno discusses the connection between COVID-19 and a rising number of maternal deaths. And Betsy Ladyzhets offers suggestions for people looking for the most useful information still available about the risks around them, while Phil Tank rightly calls out Scott Moe and the Sask Party for keeping Saskatchewan's people in the dark (and thereby facilitating another COVID wave). 

- Meanwhile, Creeden Martell reports on CanAge's research showing the Moe government also lacks any plan to either limit avoidable cases of dementia, or address its consequences for care providers. And Steven Lewis points out that the growing cost and duration of health care education creates a barrier to filling the large (and growing) number of vacancies in the health care system. 

- Lindsay Ellis reports on the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's long-overdue recognition that toxic workplaces represent a needless danger to physical and mental health. 

- Finally, Kat Exner reports on a study from the Daily Bread Food Bank showing that most food bank users face deep poverty alongside their lack of food security and other risk factors. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Andre Picard discusses how Canada is unprepared (by choice) for the effects of long COVID, while Jennifer Lee reports on warnings from Alberta doctors that people need to take the dangers far more seriously than their political leaders are bothering to do. Matthew Braunginn writes that the ripple effects of long COVID have broad economic and social implications. And Tanya Lewis notes that the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drug poisoning crisis has set the U.S. back by decades in terms of individual life expectancy. 

- The Canadian Labour Congress has released a report from Jim Stanford on the need to stop a pattern of interest rate increases which is doing far more to harm workers than to avoid inflation. And Hadas Their discusses Jamaal Bowman's work to address inflation through price controls which target the corporates which have used it as an excuse to extract record profits. 

- Meanwhile, Umair Haque warns that the precarious state of personal finances creates a substantial risk of systemic failure. 

- Tom Randall discusses the clean energy adoption curves which see widespread shifts toward renewable power, electric vehicles and battery storage on a scale which is likely to lead to a permanent transition.

- Finally, Justin Ling exposes a few more of Danielle Smith's more alarming public pronouncements and thought patterns - even as UCP MLAs, including the leadership contestants who previously identified at least some concerns, line up meekly behind her. 

On democratic decisions

Today looks to be a watershed moment for the future of the B.C. NDP, as its provincial council determines whether to follow a recommendation to disqualify Anjali Appadurai from its leadership race - and in the process effective disenfranchise the entire membership in favour of a coronation. 

But it's worth noting that the issue isn't an entirely new one. And the recommendation in the B.C. campaign seems to be applying drastically different standards and results than what Saskatchewan experienced in relatively recent memory. 

By way of background, in the 2009 Saskatchewan NDP leadership campaign, a volunteer on behalf of Dwain Lingenfelter's campaign submitted and paid for 1100 membership applications in the names of members of two Saskatchewan First Nations without their knowledge or consent. (The volunteer would end up pleading guilty to the criminal charge of attempting to utter forged documents.) 

Lingenfelter's campaign manager had approved of payment for the memberships - without knowing they were being submitted without the putative members' knowledge, but also without following up to determine whether there was any financial need to justify the mass payment of membership fees. And when the mass signups without consent were discovered, both the campaign and the party had to determine how to respond. 

For Lingenfelter's part, he treated the matter as being one of an "overexuberant volunteer", while not imposing public consequences on the campaign manager or anybody else. 

The Saskatchewan NDP's response was to cancel the memberships that had been falsely submitted, and to commission an investigative report into how the problem arose and how to prevent it from happening again. And while there were some calls for Lingenfelter to withdraw from the race voluntarily, I don't recall any serious possibility that he would be disqualified, either for the initial violation or for his reaction. (Indeed, my view at the time was that it was best for him to remain in the race and let members decide how his handling of the issue weighed in evaluating his suitability as a leader.) 

Comparing that situation to the one now facing the B.C. NDP, there looks to be little reason why a more severe penalty would result in Appadurai's case. Any issue about the validity of new memberships would result solely from potential regulatory non-compliance in reaching people who wanted to become members, not outright forgery to bring people in unwittingly. The investigation was able to contact questioned members at a level of detail which allowed for the flagging of specific memberships based on existing membership in another party (if one presumes that should itself result in cancellation). And there isn't an obvious difference in Appadurai's response as compared to Lingenfelter's: both acknowledged some wrongdoing, while minimizing how it would be characterized and declining to punish members of their own campaign for less-than-perfect oversight. 

That leaves a strong perception that the difference in treatment arises largely from the question of deviation from expectations. Lingenfelter was the heavy favourite entering the campaign, meaning that his disqualification might have been seen as producing an unexpected result. And conversely, Appadurai's campaign is under particular scrutiny due to the perception that she might well have signed up enough members to change the previously-anticipated outcome. 

Hopefully it goes without saying that campaign rules shouldn't be made and applied with the goal of channeling the results toward predetermined outcomes. And if the B.C. NDP decides it would rather deny members any vote than find a mechanism to cancel only questionable memberships, that figures to have far-reaching effects within the party and beyond as to whether people see democratic change as a meaningful possibility. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Casual cats.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Mike Crawley reports on new research showing both the growing number of Canadians suffering from long COVID, and its tendency to result in greater strain on our health care system. And Crawford Kilian writes about the dangers of voting against public health - particularly in the midst of an ongoing pandemic. 

- Ricardo Tranjan discusses the connection between predatory lending and housing insecurity, as people forced into short-term, high-interest loans are increasingly unable to find homes in the fact of soaring rental costs. And Heather Vogell exposes the secretive rent algorithm which is being used to extract every possible dollar from tenants. 

- Dan Cameron examines some of the options available to enhance the voices of workers in shaping their own workplaces. 

- David Climenhaga offers a reminder that the Flu Trux Klan's support was never widespread - even in Alberta where its warped worldview is now reflected by the newly-installed premier. And Charles Breton, Olivier Jacques and Andrew Parking examine the differing levels of resentment between Canadian provinces - with Saskatchewan ranking atop the set of petroprovinces as the most resentful of both Canada as a whole and its other regions. 

- Finally, Mitchell Thompson investigates some of the systematic efforts by racist and anti-LGBTQ forces to take over Canadians school boards to indoctrinate students with their own hate. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Melissa Lopez-Martinez reports on the belated effort to get Canadians to resume taking precautions against the spread of COVID-19. And the Guardian is telling the stories of people living with long COVID - and what they've lost to a pandemic whose damage could largely have been averted by remotely responsible public policy.

- Jared Wesley offers an important look at Danielle Smith's populist playbook which seeks to simultaneously portray privileged people as victims and as an unstoppable force whose will must be given effect. Brett Dolter and Russell Wangersky both point out how Scott Moe reflexively deceives the public about empirical reality to serve the continued inflation of his own ego. And Mary Elizabeth Williams discusses the connection between conservative politics and lower levels of empathy - though perhaps the most important point to be drawn from recent empathy research is how the right is winning the war to eliminate it in people of all political persuasions.

- Chandler Dandridge interviews Gabor Mate and Daniel Mate about how a capitalist society is harming everybody's mental health and well-being. Kim Siever points out how corporate profits have consistently outpaced any gains in wages for Canadian workers. And Katie Underwood interviews Lana Payne about her efforts to ensure members of the working class are valued by governments and employers alike.

- Finally, Brett Marsh comments on how the effects of a climate breakdown will fall disproportionately on the people least able to bear them. And Andrew Nikiforuk discusses the mounting cost - and lack of benefit - being inflicted on the Canadian public due to the Libs' decision to build the Trans Mountain pipeline at public expense.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Umair Irfan discusses the importance of getting COVID-19 booster shots - particularly the bivalent versions better targeted toward newer strains - in order to help limit the damage from a pandemic which is otherwise being allowed to wreak havoc with little restraint. And Keeanga Yahmatta-Taylor points out how parents and teachers bear the brunt of politically-oriented refusals to allow schools to close where necessary to protect public health.

- Simon Enoch discusses how the oil industry's propaganda and rage farming birthed the Flu Trux Klan. And Christopher Bonasia notes that while the fertilizer lobby is trying to disavow its connections to the convoy which laid siege to Ottawa, it's still planting its messaging firmly in the realm of denialist disinformation.

- Justin Ling examines some of Danielle Smith's more appalling public positions which were either overlooked or accepted as she ascended to power in Alberta. And Tyler Kingkade, Ben Goggin, Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny report on the roots of the Republicans' talking point about litter boxes in classrooms - though it's especially telling that to the extent there's even a hint of reality to the claim, it flows directly from the Republicans' own fanaticism in pushing a gun culture where the prevalence of school shootings requires classrooms to be provisioned for what should be unthinkable. 

- Finally, Sisonke Mismanga discusses how the combination of tax giveaways to the rich and shrinking opportunities for the working class is exacerbating Australia's class divide. And Katie Verigin points out how Canadian consumers stand to be further squeezed by a settlement which will allow businesses to charge fees for credit card use (without any expectation that they'll lower base prices accordingly).

Musical interlude

Dayseeker - Without Me

Friday Afternoon Links

 Assorted content to end your week.

- Alvin Chang charts some of the grim realities of long COVID which is being allowed to disable people with little to no restraint. And Frances Stead Sellers discusses how COVID-19 can undo a decade of work toward individual health and fitness. 

- The Energy Mix points out that Alberta's oil war room has revealed that the oil sands are increasing their carbon emissions even on a per-barrel basis. Kevin Crowley writes that Exxon is finally running out of people willing to dedicate their lives to polluting the planet for profit. And Brett March notes that the poor stand to suffer the most - and inequality stands to be exacerbated - as our climate breaks down. 

- Meanwhile, Emily Atkin explores how the pushback against ESG (environmental, social and governance) principles can be traced entirely to corporate puppets and the climate denial movement. 

- Jonathan Vigliotti reports that the ecological toll we've taken on the Earth includes the disappearance of a billion snow crabs (and the resulting cancellation of a fishing season). And Umair Haque discusses the developing age of extinction which we're blithely allowing to overtake us.

- Finally, Carlton Reid reports on new research showing that changes from car trips to bicycle or train can make an outsized difference in reducing emissions. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus examines how long COVID is producing disastrous social and economic effects. Helena Perez Valle interviews Deepti Gurdasani about the lessons we should be learning both to address the continued spread of COVID-19 and to prepare for future pandemics, while David Wallace-Wells discusses the need for more compelling stories about the continued toll of COVID in order to make the case for the public health measures needed to keep people safe. And Nergis Fertina explores how COVID itself may be changing people's personalities to be more aggressive and less engaged. 

- Glorie Dickie reports on new research showing that the Earth's wildlife population has dropped by more than two-thirds in just the last half century. Emily Hofstaeder reports on the grossly one-sided relationship between pharmaceutical manufacturers which have been devastating Puerto Rico's environment by dumping pollutants and using limited water resources, and the public which has subsidized that harm. And Camilla Hodgson discusses how "loss and damage" funding for developing countries looms as the next major issue in global climate talks. 

- Meanwhile, the Alberta Federation of Labour has offered a blueprint (PDF) for economic development which accounts for the need to transition to the economy of the future - rather than continuing to operate in denial as the UCP and Saskatchewan Party are both determined to do. 

- Josh O'Kane reports on a new study showing how Microsoft has evaded even more taxes than previously known by shifting profits between jurisdictions. 

- Finally, Mitchell Thompson highlights how inflation is being used as an excuse to suppress real wages in Canada while big business goes unquestioned about its increased profit share. Robert Reich discusses the need for a bottom-up economy rather than the trickle-down model which benefits only those at the top. And Juliana Kaplan and Madison Hoff report on new research showing that union membership can boost a worker's lifetime income by over a million dollars - offering as much of a boost to earnings as a college degree.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Axe reports on the spread of a new COVID-19 subvariant which pairs increased transmissibility with resistance to antibody therapies. And Andrew Gregory reports on the World Health Organization's pleas for some recognition of the damage being done by long COVID, while Benjamin Mazer writes about the particular dangers of the post-infection phase in causing long-term damage.  

- Darren Major reports that the disaster relief fund intended to respond to climate change-fuelled disasters until 2031 has run out of money to deal with even the damage done to date.

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing that the spread of toxic microplastics extends into humans' breast milk.

- Leyland Cecco reports on the AusterityTO public art which is bringing attention to the costs of municipal neglect - even as the establishment looks to lock it in for yet another term. Jennifer Pagliaro points out the gross underinvestment in community supports as money is instead funneled into an already-inflated police budget. And Alec Salloum reports on the continued lack of resources for unhoused people in Regina, as Sandra Masters focuses the city's immediate attention on dismantling any help they might obtain through mutual aid while putting off even a preliminary discussion of funding until the dead of winter. 

- Finally, Katie Hyslop is able to offer a look at the socially conservative school board candidates being advance in order to make bigotry a central element of public education.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats on top of the world.

 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.

- Robert Reich rightly questions why trickle-down economics are still being pushed even after decades of consistent failure to accomplish any goal other than increased inequality. And James Galbraith and Mariana Mazzucato each offer an outline as to how to reshape economies to achieve social goals other than further engorging the obscenely-wealthy.

- Carina Marquez et al. study how the length of actual COVID infection has changed over the course of the pandemic, finding an increased length of infection in the Omicron phase even as isolation and leave policies have been weakened. And Kenyon Wallace and Andrew Bailey warn that Ontario is seeking another rise in the number of cases in long-term care homes just in time for increased indoor activity to drive even more transmission.

- Greta Thunberg highlights the need not to accept the word of governments and corporations claiming to be doing their part to avert a climate breakdown while in fact exacerbating the problem. Alastair Marsh reports on new research showing the need for a drastic transition in investment from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy in order to meet existing commitments. And Nina Lakhani reports on TC's cynical use of Black community leaders to create the pretense of community support for pipelines which in fact stand to impose environmental costs on people who can't afford to bear them.

- Oliver Moore discusses how many municipalities have learned valuable lessons about the merits of keeping space open for walking and pedestrian use rather than parking - while Regina stands out as one of the few Canadians cities actively going in the opposite direction.

- Isaac Chotiner examines the longstanding racism and neglect behind Alabama's widespread prison strike.

- Finally, Brodie Thomas reports on the organized ignorance which is on the verge of completely taking over the UCP's party structures. And Cara McKenna reports on the large amounts of money being dumped into municipal campaigns in Squamish, B.C. by the natural gas industry and its puppets to try to bulldoze over popular disapproval for gas projects.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Dhruv Khullar writes about the likelihood that a continued lack of public health measures will push the vast majority of people toward multiple COVID-19 reinfections, including ones which may not show up on less-sensitive tests. And Carolyn Barber discusses how decision-making around the continued pandemic is being dumped on individuals who largely aren't aware of the long-term risks of constant exposure. 

- Trevor Dunn tells the story of Lynn Spiegel and other seniors who are facing homelessness due to a broken housing system which is oriented toward capturing profits rather than providing for people's basic needs and rights.

- Tim Di Muzio and Matt Dow write about the need for a fundamental change in our energy system in order to extricate ourselves from both the environmental toll of a climate breakdown and the social harm resulting from our fuel supply being under the control of a cartel of bad actors.

- Finally, Graham Thomson wonders whether Danielle Smith's constant pandering to the alt-right will change at all now that she's set to take power - though the early indications look anything but promising. And Frank Graves and  Jeff Smith examine the spread of authoritarian populism in Canada.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- David Moscrop hikes how Canada's financial elite is engineering a recession to ensure that workers don't see wage increases to match the price hikes caused by corporate profiteering. And Gaby Hinshiff writes about the UK Cons' plan to blame everybody but themselves (and their disastrous combination of nationalism and trickle-down economics) for what looks to be a particularly desperate winter for the UK's working class.

- The Canadian Press reports on the connection between the ongoing climate breakdown and the extreme weather seen in the course of Hurricane Fiona. And the Morning Star reports on the massive number of lives at stake if we don't work on limiting emissions and transitioning to a clean economy immediately.

- Meanwhile, Steven Donziger discusses the threat to U.S. democracy posed by a an impending case which could see the whims of gerrymandered Republican state legislatures take precedence over any effect of votes cast by the electorate.

- Finally, Pat Van Horne offers a reminder that the development of the universal health care system which we now value so strongly was the result of a determined focus by Tommy Douglas and the CCF - not a philosophy of taking only incremental gains toward no particular end.

Musical interlude

The Knocks feat. X Ambassadors - Comfortable

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Nicola Davis, Pamela Duncan and Carmen Aguilar Garcia report that the toll of long COVID in the UK has surpassed a million people. And Jane Dalton reports on the UK's massive increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations - which in past waves had tended to precede similar jumps in Canada. 

- Eric Levitz interviews Adam Tooze about the damage the U.S. Federal Reserve's obsession with suppressing wages figures to inflict on the global economy. And Paul Krugman likewise warns of impending self-inflicted economic damage. 

- Meanwhile, Robinson Meyer discusses the transformative potential of the U.S.' newly-passed climate legislation if it isn't completely counteracted by measures to prevent economic growth. Alex Ballingall reports on the push by Canadian oilsands workers for a transition to work that isn't tied to a dying industry, while Natasha Bulowski reports that the Libs have instead committed to an ever-escalating price tag for the Trans Mountain pipeline. And Aime Williams reports on the IMF's recognition that the costs of a total climate breakdown far exceed the investment needed to avert it to the extent possible. 

- Elizabeth Thompson reports on the growing amount of unpaid taxes identified from the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers - while noting that the Canada Revenue Agency can't say whether it's started a single audit to being recouping money that's been hidden offshore. 

- Finally, Tom Cardoso and Robyn Doolittle report on Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard's warning that the reflexive tendency to suppress and redact information has left Canada's access-to-information system falling far short of its legislated requirements while also costing far more than it should. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Nate Holdren calls out the people in power who have chosen nihilism and social murder over taking any responsibility to limit the harm from an ongoing pandemic, while Stephen Maher notes that months of talking points about COVID being over will only make it more difficult to change course if the need for public health protections becomes inescapable. Eleanor Hamilton examines some of the readily-available options to improve indoor air quality - which have unfortunately mostly been ignored in favour of doing nothing. And Mary Kekatos reports on the CDC's recent findings about the large number of long COVID patients who face long-term difficulty in maintaining their daily lives.

- Andreas Karelas writes about our lack of preparation for the readily-foreseeable effects of a climate breakdown. And Kit Stolz reports on the growing recognition that what was previously considered a "normal" climate has already been destroyed by carbon pollution. 

- Meanwhile, Pete Evans reports on the latest instance of the fossil fuel industry extracting windfall profits by hiking gas prices even while the price of oil has fallen. 

- Damian Carrington reports on new research showing that toxic air pollution finds its way into fetuses' brains, livers and lungs long before they have any direct exposure to the outside world. And Diane Peters writes about the efforts of some Ontarians to escape from constant noise pollution. 

- Joanne Hussey discusses how reliance on developers to determine housing is available has led to a gross lack of stable and secure homes for the people who most need them. And Zak Vescera reports on the effect of union-based cost-of-living adjustments as a key factor in protecting workers from corporate price gouging. 

- Finally, Yanis Varoufakis takes note of the IMF backlash against Liz Truss' round of handouts to the wealthy in the midst of multiple crises - but warns that we shouldn't treat an institution which has deliberately exacerbated inequality for decades as doing anything more than trying to prop up existing financial structures. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Melody Schreiber writes about the perfectly awful timing of Joe Biden's wrong-headed declaration that the COVID-19 pandemic is "over" even as a particularly damaging wave was cresting. And Troy Farah reports on new research showing that the treatments which previously offered some means of mitigating the effects after an individual was infected are no longer helping against the emerging variants. 

- Jim Stanford warns that the Bank of Canada is inflicting an entirely avoidable recession by failing to pay attention to the actual causes of inflated prices. And DT Cochrane studies how corporate Canada has avoided $30 billion in taxes even while profiteering at the expense of the public. 

- Meanwhile, Armine Yalnizyan warns against allowing the corporate powers that be to paint workers as the villains for seeking to have their pay keep up with the cost of living. And Stephen Magusiak points out that the list of disqualifying characteristics of UCP frontrunner Danielle Smith includes absolute contempt for service industry workers. 

- Matthew Cunningham-Cook and Ricardo Gomez discuss how Jackson, Mississippi's water crisis can be traced directly to Wall Street exploitation. And Adam Ramsay points out the predictable harm to the UK's economy and democracy arising from Liz Truss' choice to begin her stay in power with a blizzard of disaster capitalism, while Max Fawcett notes that the Cons are once again stubbornly refusing to learn anything from the damage wrought by their policy choices abroad. 

- Finally, Andrew Coyne writes that Quebec's election results provide one of the most glaring examples yet of the unfairness of a first-past-the-post electoral system. And Fawcett suggests that the federal NDP push Justin Trudeau to keep his long-broken promise of electoral reform as the price of continued support. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Huddled cats.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Ryan Tumilty reports on research showing how many Canadian lives may have been saved by COVID protection measures - making for a rather grim bit of information as the previous protections have been almost entirely eliminated in the midst of another wave. And Alison Braley-Rattai makes the case to add COVID to the list of designated diseases for childhood vaccinations in schools. 

- Emily Gruenwoldt points out that children's access to medical care is even more likely to be delayed than that of adults, signaling the need for better children's health planning. CBC News reports on the practical effect of a shortage of pediatric medicine - if not so much on its obvious cause. And the Canadian Press reports on the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table's warning that primary health care providers aren't set up to deal with the ongoing stress from the pandemic, while Andre Picard writes that Canada's health care system generally needs to be substantially improved. 

- Fares Alghoul reports on new research from Canadians for Tax Fairness showing that Canada's corporate giants dodged over $30 billion in taxes last year. And Ian Hussey examines how the oil and gas industry has long since stopped pretending to deliver jobs or general prosperity in exchange for the massive subsidies and preferential treatment it demands from governments. 

- Alyssa Battistoni reviews Aaron Benanav’s Automation and the Future of Work and Sarah Jaffe’s Work Won’t Love You Back as important discussions of the growing gap between the types of job people want and those actually on offer. 

- Finally, Anand Giridharidas examines how Russia's online operations in the U.S. have been aimed at eliminating the possibility of meaningful conversations and persuasion - and how a shift toward constructive politics demands pushing back. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ed Yong writes that the tragic legacy of the COVID-19 is one of policymakers repeating (and indeed increasing) the same mistakes at the expense of people's lives and health. And Stephanie Kampf and Adrienne Arsenault discuss the desperate situation facing emergency rooms as an unchecked pandemic is piled on top of an already-underresourced health care system. 

- Meanwhile, Molly Gill writes about the reality that the release of prisoners to limit the spread of COVID produced virtually no effect on public safety - raising the question of how many more people are being incarcerated at great expense without any social benefit. And Mikkael Sekeres explores what it took for regulators to remove ingredients including antifreeze from what were pitched as curative elixirs - offering a stark reminder of how dangerous it is to take a  manufacturer's word as to the effect of a product without a sound regulatory system. 

- Michael Green studies the connection between inequality in smoking rates and other related health problems including dementia. Elizabeth Chuck reports on the plight of U.S. students who are going hungry for want of eliminated school lunch programs. And Kat Eschner discusses how the housing crisis (driven by a political imperative to inflate property values for the benefit of wealthier voters) feeds into wider inequalities in Canada.

- David Borer offers a reminder that the best solution to a lousy job is a union, though Andrea Hsu reports that Starbucks is among the employers engaging in wanton law-breaking and retaliation in order to prevent workers from achieving that outcome. And Dylan Matthews discusses the need for "encompassing coalitions" (such as class-based unions) to ensure that public policy doesn't merely cater to smaller interests including the wealthy. 

- Finally, Marc Fawcett-Atkinson reports on the coordination between the Poilievre Cons, the alt-right noise machine and the fossil fuel industry to spread conspiracy theories about fertilizer bans in order to farm outrage. 

Musical interlude

Bob Moses - Love Brand New

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Emily Henderson discusses new research showing the harm COVID-19 does to the central nervous system. And Stuart Layt reports on a new study suggesting that it damages the DNA in people's hearts (rather than merely causing inflammation as an ordinary flu virus would).

- Andrew Lodge writes that a climate breakdown deserves to be treated as a public health emergency to be met with every resource possible - though of course the precedent of operating in denial of COVID seems aimed at ensuring we don't set a pattern of responding to social crises with appropriate urgency. Michael Mann and Susan Joy Hassol highlight how climate change is exacerbating extreme weather and its effect on our living environment. Aaron Wherry points out how the Lib/Con climate debate is limited (out of the interests of both parties) to performative outrage over grossly insufficient policy when there's a glaring need to do far more. And Phoebe Weston writes that the world can't afford another decade of talk as a means of delaying profound action to curb carbon pollution.

- Meanwhile, Esme Stallard, Owen Pinnell and Jess Kelly report on the immense and undeclared emissions caused by natural gas flaring - even as the fossil fuel sector attempts to claim that gas production is somehow a cleaner alternative to other harmful fuels. And Blair Fix examines how the oil and gas sector would already be bankrupt if it was required to account for its damage to our planet.

- Robert Reich makes the case for price controls to rein in inflation that's based on corporate price gouging rather than any gains for workers. And George Hewison highlights how Canada's response to inflation has been dedicated to locking in corporate gains rather than keeping anything affordable for workers or people on fixed incomes.

- Finally, David Moscrop comments on the need for the NDP to respond to Pierre Poilievre's false populism with consistent class-based action. And Max Fawcett offers a reminder that the electoral reform promised by the Libs to put Justin Trudeau in power would work wonders in ensuring that the Cons can't implement their toxic agenda with a minority of support.

Truth & Reconciliation Day Links

Some material for learning and reflection on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

- The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action can be found here, And Peter Zimonjic reports on the limited progress that's been made in giving effect to them. 

- The reports and calls for justice of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls are here, while Leah Gazan writes that pursuing that justice is a necessary step before we can approach reconciliation.

- The University of Alberta's free online course on Indigenous Canada is here. 

- Finally, the Tyee offers its own reading list, including a number of further resources from Indigenous and Metis writers. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the growing recognition that COVID-19 may have severe and long-term effects on the brains of people who get infected, while Hannah Devlin reports on research showing it may also have systematic personality effects on younger people. And Nam Kiwanuka discusses the appalling lack of discussion of a shortage of children's pain medication as one obvious symptom (and indicator) of a devastating COVID wave in Ontario, while Adam Toy reports on the soaring hospitalization rates in Alberta in a health care system already in crisis. 

- Jessica Corbett discusses how the UK Cons have crashed their country's economy by handing gigantic tax cuts to business while paying no regard to the well-being of actual people. And Jon Schwarz and Ken Klippenstein report on yet more corporate executives - this time the CEO and CFO of Iron Mountain Inc. - confirming that businesses are using the cover of inflation to extract windfall profits. 

- Ghada Alsharif reports on Canada Post's new offering of personal loans - though it's of course telling that it was only permitted to proceed with a private bank standing to profit. 

- Finally, Kate Wagner interviews Katharine Hayhoe about the effects of climate change in exacerbating extreme weather events like Hurricane Ian. And Max Fawcett reminds us of the oil industry's sociopathic plans to delay any action to reduce or mitigate the damage caused by continued carbon pollution until they can install a Poilievre government which will eliminate any climate policy whatsoever. 

Tuesday Evening Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Marina Hyde laments Liz Truss' decision to hit the gas pedal on free money for the people who need it least while most of the UK struggles to make ends meet due to her party's mismanagement.

- Jessica Silver-Greenberg and Katie Thomas report on the exploitative turn taken by "not-for-profit" U.S. hospitals which are extracting massive profits and failing to treat patients while being managed with a business mindset.

- Alex McCuaig reports on the fossil fuel companies who are still refusing to pay municipal taxes owing even as they're swimming in windfall profits, while Joel Dryden notes that the oil and gas sector is likewise falling far short of its already-insufficient emission reduction targets despite record cash on hand. Bill McKibben calls out the banks which are continuing to finance a climate breakdown and all kinds of pollution. And Britt Wray writes about the industry-funded defeatism being used as the latest prominent strategy to evade any climate action.

- Finally, CBC News offers competing perspectives on the Moe government's obsession with nuclear reactors - with the inescapable conclusion being that there's no point in insisting on an expensive set of vaporware a decade down the road when cheap and plentiful renewables are an option today. And Jeremy Simes reports on the literal downstream consequences of the Saskatchewan Party's neglect of water management and regulation.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats looking up.

Monday Morning Links

Assorted material to start your week.

- Jeremy Faust laments the removal of the few remaining COVID public health recommendations when we've had ample opportunity to learn about the costs of letting the coronavnirus run rampant. Dave Sherwood and Marc Frank report that Cuba has set an example for other countries in reducing the harm of COVID through widespread vaccination and a focus on children, while Nina Notman highlights how we have the means to clear the air around us to reduce the spread of multiple diseases. Ed Yong discusses how widespread long COVID is forcing health care system to reckon with the realities of chronic fatigue syndrome more generally. 

- Danielle Barnsley writes about the grim choices facing people whose existing poverty is being exacerbated by corporate price gouging. And Anna Fazackerley reports on the heartbreaking number of UK children going hungry as underfunded schools and overworked food banks try desperately to keep up with the deprivation being inflicted on them. 

- Meanwhile, Umair Haque writes about the UK's continuing self-destruction under a Conservative government which is undermining any semblance of a functional state in order to hand still more money to the corporate sector. And Pippa Crerar reports on revelations that a large amount of announced public procurement is being promptly sent to offshore tax havens  

- Finally, John Cochrane, Daniel Litvin, Yanis Varoufakis and Isabella Weber discuss the case for windfall taxes to ensure fossil fuel companies don't rake in undeserved profits while shirking any responsibility for the harm they're doing both to consumers and to our living environment.