Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Tori Cowger et al. study how the presence or absence of mandatory masking policies affects the number of COVID-19 cases among students and school staff. The Canadian Press reports on the plea from Ontario doctors for parents and public health officials alike to avoid COVID spread as a priority. And Bob Ferguson reports on a leaked report showing that Ontario's emergency rooms are in an even more desperate state than previously known. 

- Meanwhile, Steven Staples rightly questions why so many provincial premiers expect to be handed gobs of money from the federal government in the name of health funding without providing any assurance it will actually be used on health care. 

- Paul Cowley writes that Alberta (like other jurisdictions) shouldn't be handing free money to the oil industry to clean up its own messes, while Climate Action Tracker calls out opportunistic polluters for planning to send fossil fuel production soaring for decades in response to temporary geopolitical conditions. And Sabaa Khan points out how a just transition needs to take into account the "invisible" informal workforce. 

- The Star's editorial board writes that there's no excuse for paving over Ontario's greenbelt in the name of new development which is designed primarily to funnel money to Doug Ford's supporters rather than to actually improve housing supply. And Gregor Craigie interviews Michael Andersen about Portland's experience in allowing for multi-unit zoning. 

- Finally, Phil Tank discusses the lessons Scott Moe could learn from Danielle Smith's attempts to chase an anti-reality fringe if he was interested in anything of the sort. And Nigel Bankes, Andrew Leach and Martin Olszynski point out that Moe's own anti-Ottawa legislation is matter of playing games rather than responsible governance. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Gwynn Guilford and Lauren Weber report on the recognition by economists that COVID-19 continues to be a mass disabling event - even as public health officials and politicians try to pretend the pandemic no longer exists. And Cory Franklin and Robert Weinstein discuss the potential social effects of an attitude dispensing with social responsibility. But there's little indication that people are actually as irresponsible as their political class, as Melissa Lopez-Martinez reports on a new survey showing a supermajority of Canadians support or somewhat support a return to mandatory masking if necessary.

- Chris Christensen offers his take on how a failure to invest in preventative measures is overloading our health care system. And Andrew MacLeod talks to Robert Brown about the dangers of turning family care into a corporate profit centre rather than a social priority. 

- Brett Wilkins reports on the recognition by the U.N.'s High Level Expert Group that there's no value to "net-zero" spin from businesses and governments using vague and distant commitments to excuse continued carbon pollution. Barry Saxifrage points out that we can't claim to be making progress in averting a climate breakdown while greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. And Miryam Naddaf offers a reminder that lower-income countries are bearing the brunt of a changing climate while having contributed little to its causes. 

- Matt Lundy and Vanmala Subramaniam discuss how Canada systematically relies on temporary foreign workers to suppress wages. And Yvette Brend reports on how the failure to ensure an adequate supply of housing serves to reinforce anti-immigration messaging. 

- Finally, Luke LeBrun reports on the background of Pierre Poilievre's director of communications Sarah Fischer as a supporter of the #FluTruxKlan (even at its most destructive) and general alt-right extremist - as well as the lack of any recognition by her or the Cons that there's any problem with those affiliations.  

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Attentive cats.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Andrew Nikiforuk discusses the looming prospect that COVID-19 infections will cause ongoing damage by exhausting people's immunity, while Betsy Ladyzhets writes about the lack of benefits for people who are disabled as a result of long COVID. Andre Picard highlights how children have been affected by COVID in ways not readily anticipated or apparent. And Nili Kaplan-Myrth offers some reassurance that people who are still masking aren't alone in their efforts to protect themselves and others.  

- Moira Wyton reports on the continued death toll of toxic drugs in British Columbia.

- Emma McIntosh discusses Doug Ford's plan to turn part of Ontario's greenbelt into a profit centre for his developer buddies. 

- Edward Keenan writes that the success of CUPE and other unions in pushing back against Ford's use of the notwithstanding clause to end collective bargaining and the right to strike is far from the end of the fight. 

- Finally, Sophie Tanno reports on a new study showing the disproportionate damage billionaires are doing to our planet. And Alex Himelfarb points out that we shouldn't accept the claim that economic laws require public policy to be biased in favour of corporations at the expense of people. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Erin Prater reports on research showing how long COVID may be traced to excessive pruning of connections in the brain. Faye Flam highlights why anybody who's been infected will need to be on the outlook for stroke symptoms. And Norman Swan warns of the aging effect COVID-19 has on a person's body. 

- Adam Morton reports on a study suggesting that Australia's system of carbon credits managed to reward businesses for "forest regeneration" even as they reduced tree cover. And Nicholas Kusnetz discusses the likelihood that private equity is snapping up unviable fossil fuel properties with the intention of continuing to spew carbon pollution long past the point when any publicly-traded company could justify that course of action to shareholders. 

- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood and Noah Kathen outline what a green industrial policy could look like if Canada wanted to invest in a liveable future, rather than prolonging the damage done by reliance on oil and gas. And David Macdonald highlights how the federal government (like its provincial counterparts) has plenty of fiscal room for both industrial policy and social supports if it wasn't bent on pushing austerity. 

- John Anderson laments that Canada Post's theoretical nod to postal banking has been set up as a corporate income stream rather than a service for people. And Paul Dechene reports on the City of Regina's farcical attempt to force a series of entertainment projects onto residents rather than paying any attention to its previous consultations and promises. 

- Finally, Nora Loreto points out how authoritarianism has consistently been the establishment response to meaningful labour activism in Canada. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Keenan Sorokan reports on the unprecedented number of students out sick from school in the Saskatoon area, while Karen Bartko reports on a spike in respiratory illnesses among Edmonton students. And Andrew Potter writes about the concurrent drops in government capacity and trust in public services with reference to ArriveCAN - though it's particularly worth noting that the important public successes earlier in the pandemic have largely been written out of history, while a counternarrative claiming none of them should ever have been bothered with has spread among the anti-science fever swamps.

- Meanwhile, Mazen Maurice Guirguis highlights Danielle Smith's apparent intention to declare a constitutional right to harm others, while Medicine Hat News reports on her plans to invite Paul Alexander and his "let-'er-rip" approach to define Alberta's further pandemic response. 

- Doug Henwood writes that any response to temporary inflation needs to recognize and ameliorate the longstanding failure of the U.S. economy to generate benefits for any but the richest of people. Jake Johnson reports on Bernie Sanders' crucial end-of-campaign message that Republicans are itching to make matters even worse if given the chance, while David Rothkopf and Bernard Schwartz offer a reminder that right-wing politicians are bad for the economy even on their own terms of promoting growth at the expense of fairness and inclusiveness. Lawrence Martin discusses how conservative politics everywhere have become synonymous with fear and bigotry as a substitute for any attempt to produce positive outcomes by rationale measures. And Murray Mandryk tries to hold the Moe government to at least the standard of not actively promoting anti-science myths in publicly-funded schools.

- Charles Smith discusses how Doug Ford is taking the usual right-wing attack on workers to new extremes by invoking the notwithstanding clause to terminate collective bargaining, while Linda McQuaig calls out his choice to make public education generally into a combat zone rather than a system intended to promote learning and socialization. And David Bush offers a reminder that the labour rights workers enjoy today are the product of collective against against unjust laws.

- Finally, Brandon Gage reports on the World Meteorological Organization's findings that the last eight years have been the hottest in recorded history. And Conrad Swanson reports on the megadrought which is threatening to make the entire area of the U.S. which relies on the Colorado River unliveable.

Musical interlude

Sneaker Pimps - Fighter

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- A panel of experts has offered a set of recommendations to deal with the current COVID-19 reality, including a particular focus on the need for whole-of-society action rather than leaving a global pandemic to individual choices. And David Berger highlights how the facts starkly contradict the claim that we've beaten COVID rather than surrendering to it.  

- Jon Milton offers a primer on the Ford PCs' unilateral negation of collective bargaining and striking in order to avoid sharing money which the province has in hand with education workers. David Moscrop writes that the use of the notwithstanding clause in particular is indefensible from the standpoint of remotely competent governance. And Adam King highlights the importance of solidarity in pushing back against Ford's abuse of power to attack workers. 

- Meanwhile, Laura Glowacki reports on the soaring costs of healthy food which is being pushed further out of reach by wage suppression. 

- Jennifer Ludden reports on Cincinnati's smart move to take over housing from absentee landlords to ensure it's available for residents. And that makes for a stark contrast against what's happening in Regina, as Gillian Massie reports on the plight of homeless people as winter weather arrives without the city doing anything but threatening them. 

- Finally, Zeynep Tufecki writes that we shouldn't let the absurdity of Elon Musk's takeover of Twitter distract from the problems with allowing our main social media connections to be operated to primarily serve the interests of corporate advertisers rather than users. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Armine Yalnizyan writes that in the face of an impending self-inflicted recession, governments should be using their available resources (and taxing the richest people and corporations) to make sure people at the bottom of the income scale don't once again bear the brunt of economic upheaval. And David Macdonald points out that Canada's provinces have plenty of extra cash on hand compared to this year's projections to take care of people who need help. But Jim Stanford notes that central banks are instead focusing on suppressing wages while raising no issue with profit shares far exceeding their acceptable rate of inflation. And Marco Chown Oved reports that Loblaws in particular has turned inflation into an opportunity for massive profiteering.

- Johannes Van Zul reports on new research showing that COVID-19 can activate the same inflammatory processes in the brain as Parkinson's disease. And Melanie Paradis discusses the glaring shortage of medication for children facing the combination of COVID, cold and flu. So naturally, corporate Canada's response is...to demand that government workers be forced back into offices to increase the spread of the coronavirus. 

- Robin McKie discusses how the window to avert climate catastrophe is rapidly closing. And Christopher Flavelle reports on the Biden administration's recognition that many communities will have no choice but to relocate in the face of baked-in climate change. 

- Meanwhile, Ben Elgin and Sindura Rangarajan report that many of the already-insufficient emission credits claimed so far are the result of accounting tricks and impossible promises rather than actual work to reduce carbon pollution. And Simon Enoch and Emily Eaton point out what Regina could be doing to implement its climate equity framework - even as its current decisions are almost invariably tilted in the opposite direction.  

- Finally, Edward Keenan writes that there's reason for anger at Doug Ford's glaring disrespect for school support staff (among other workers).

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Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Prop cats.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Umair Haque discusses how the UK has become a failing state which lacks the capacity to provide either basic public services or a functional economy of any kind. Adam Bychawski wonders whether any of the corporate-sponsored "think tanks" which pushed for the most destructive policy choices will ever be treated as discredited. And Owen Jones calls out the Cons' typical choice to distract from their own failings by demonizing refugees. 

- Meanwhile, Berenice de Suzanne writes that more and more Canadian corporate money is being stashed in tax havens to avoid funding a functional society. 

- Isabella Simonetti and Julia Creswell note that U.S. consumer prices are continuing to increase far past the point necessary to cover retailers' costs - confirming that much of the inflation people are facing is the result of corporate profiteering. And Kelly Geraldine Malone reports on the large number of people having to turn to food banks or skipping meals as a result of inflated food prices. 

- Daniel Drache and Mark Froese ask whether authoritarian populism will self-destruct. But Mitchell Anderson notes that hate is being cultivated by several interconnected forces which demand far more of a response than Canada has yet been able to muster. And Susan Delacourt writes that Pierre Poilievre is avoiding answering for his own support for the #FluTruxKlan. 

- Finally, Katherine Wu discusses both how COVID-19 is evolving far too quickly for much-hyped monoclonal antibodies to keep up, and how U.S. pediatric care is facing its worst crisis in decades as the coronavirus is allowed to spread unabated. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Knvul Sheikh reports on new research showing how a single COVID-19 can "rebound" whether or not it's been treated with Paxlovid. Pooja Toshniwal Paharia discusses another study estimating that 15% of the U.S.' adult population is new suffering from long COVID. And David Shield reports on massive wastewater positivity spikes in the three cities monitored by the University of Saskatchewan. 

- Meanwhile, Wayne Mantyka reports on the emergency rooms in Regina which are being crushed by failures in public health and social policy. And Allison Hanes reports on Quebec's overwhelming pediatric units.

- Zak Vescera highlights the efforts of organized labour to ensure people have adequate housing (even as the corporate sector seeks to freeze renters out of housing to keep prices up). 

- Aaron Clark, Zahra Hirji and Akshat Rathi discuss how Canada's choice to keep spewing methane emissions undermines any claim to be a responsible actor in terms of climate policy. 

- Finally, Rose Lemay writes that the Emergencies Act inquiry into the federal response to the #FluTruxKlan is exposing the preferential treatment granted to privileged white occupiers. But Justin Ling notes that they're still trying to claim victimization for facing the indignity of having some journalists point out the actual harm and potential threat they posted. 

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.