Musical interlude

Lest anybody worry there wouldn't be a definitive song of summer 2025...

Tame Impala - End Of Summer

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Ed Burmilla highlights Donald Trump's appeal to bored and self-indulgent people who are prepared to change their identities and voting patterns based on the pettiest grievances possible. And Paul Krugman discusses how Trump's attempt to control the global economy through tariffs and threats is doomed to fail (even if he may never realize that fact), while Ian Welsh notes that Canada is as well equipped as nearly anybody to stand up to Trump's bluster. 

- Jonathan Last writes about the moral monstrosity involved in DOGE's responsibility for tens of millions of deaths, while Stephen Brager points out a U.S. Senate report confirming that Elon Musk's chainsaw brigade failed even on its own blinkered mandate of austerity.  

- Felipe de la Hoz highlights how Trump has normalized and expanded the concept of indefinite detention without cause. And Nicole For and McKenzie Funk report on his implementation of smash-and-grab immigration policy. 

- Simon Evans discusses the IEA's new forecasts showing that renewable energy will overtake coal power to become the world's foremost source of electricity by next year at the latest. And Jeet Heer discusses how Trump's dirty fossil fuel obsession is ceding the future to China, while Gerald Butts, Peter Nicholson and Rick Smith point out Canada's golden opportunity to become North America's economic leader as a result. 

- Amanda Seitz reports on the Trump regime's plans to centralize personal health information in the hands of tech giants (where it will then be available for the use of the surveillance state). And Alison Northcott reports on the risk of Canadian data being commandeered through U.S. service providers - offering yet another reason to avoid letting any corporation under Trump's thumb have any ability to undermine the interests of Canadians. 

- Finally, Katherine Scott offers a reminder of the devastating long-term effects of the Chretien Libs' choice to impose austerity rather than investing in Canadian society. And Kim Siever makes the case for free public transit as a means of ensuring everybody has access to a crucial public service.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thusday reading.

- Ross Andersen discusses how the Trump regime's combination of funding cuts and anti-knowledge ideology is destroying the U.S.' position as a scientific and technological power. Heather Cox Richardson points out how Trump is implementing Project 2025 (or worse) to use every possible form of power for political purposes after feigning offense at the prospect he planned to follow it. Paul Krugman notes the media's unwillingness to treat Trump's regime as the bad faith actor it's proven to be at every turn. And Bill McKibben discusses how Trump's claims of gains for his fossil fuel donors surrounding the U.S.-EU trade deal aren't much more credible than any of his other promises. 

- Meanwhile, Julie Buckner Armstrong and Thomas Hallock write about the undiluted evil of Trump's concentration camps. And Juliana Vandermark reports on the combination of cruelty and corruption as a company without so much as an office has been handed over a billion dollars to slap up a detention centre. 

- CBC reports on the stark reality that Miner's Marsh in Nove Scotia is now a patch of parched dirt. And Jody MacPherson discusses the absurdity of the Alberta district of Greenview pushing plans for a water-guzzling data centre project even as it's already declared a state of agricultural disaster due to drought. 

- Finally, Natalie Stechyson reports on the increasing cost of food in restaurants. And Marc Fawcett-Atkinson discusses how the federal Libs are allowing agricultural employers to brutally exploit workers.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Leana Hosea and Sarij Pathirana report on new data showing that tens of thousands of oil slicks every year are going unreported and doing immense damage to the oceans. And Abrahm Lustgarten discusses new research showing how the climate breakdown and poorly-regulated resource extraction are destroying vital groundwater reserves. 

- Fiona Harvey reports on Antonio Gutierres' pointed observation that renewable energy is vastly (and increasingly) more affordable than fossil fuel energy even without accounting for the environmental harms of the latter. Adrienne Tanner weighs in on China's leading role in transitioning to clean energy - and the choice facing Canada and other countries as to whether to cling to the past or build for the future. 

- Meanwhile, Natasha Bulowski reports on new research showing that electric vehicles have substantial public health benefits even beyond their reduction of carbon pollution compared to dirty energy alternatives. Bill McKibben examines how the Trump regime is trying to stifle the development of renewable energy, while also discussing the options to counter that thumb on the scale. Drew Anderson compiles a thorough list of the subsidies currently keeping Canada addicted to fossil fuels both for our own energy use, and for export purposes. And Mitch Anderson points out that production increases in the Alberta tar sands haven't done anything to help either workers or the province's finances. 

- Greg Sargent talks to Paul Krugman about the reality that the Trump regime's trade deal announcements bear very little resemblance to the reality - as they make everybody worse off, but particularly his own base. And Nathaniel Denaro calls for Canada to approach any negotiations of its own based on the reality that the U.S. is an entirely unreliable trading partner. 

- Andrew Coyne discusses how the Cons' tough-on-crime posturing has given way to advocating for crime without punishment in the case of the Flu Trux Klan. Betsy Powell reports on the response of the Ontario Crown Attorneys Association calling out the demand that prosecutorial discretion in the public interest give way to naked political bias. And Fakiha Baig reports that the UCP is fueling violent racism with its attacks on immigrants.  

- Finally, Kelly Hayes writes that the long-overdue revelations about Donald Trump's close connections to Jeffrey Epstein are crucial in examining the U.S.' culture of elite impunity. And Kate Manne points out the implausibility that dozens of similar but distinct reports of sexual abuse are somehow all to be disbelieved as compared to Trump's ever-changing and farcical denials and evasions.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Handy cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Robert Reich discusses the challenge of trying to live ethically and morally under circumstances where bullying and cruelty are being systematically normalized. And V discusses some of the options available to resist the tide and strengthen a sense of purpose. 

- Shawn Donnan writes that Donald Trump's erratic tariffs are causing real damage to the global economy while being shrugged off by markets. And Alan Beattie is rightly perplexed at the EU's willingness to sign off on a worthless deal at the expense of validating Trump's tariff policy. 

- Paris Marx comments on Mark Carney's choice to give the U.S. tech giants who have bent the knee to Trump everything they want in deciding not to regulate artificial intelligence. And Joe Mullin discusses how Carney's surveillance legislation is everything the Trump regime could have asked for in allowing people's online activity to be monitored and used against them. 

- Stephen Magusiak reports on the direct connections between the Trump regime and the Alberta separatist being promoted by Danielle Smith and the UCP.

- Finaly, Carbon Brief looks in detail at the significance of the International Court of Justice's decision holding that governments can be held responsible for climate damage, while Michael Byers highlights how the ICJ's conclusion is incompatible with Canada's insistence on subsidizing the extraction of dirty fossil fuels (including Alberta's choice to stick the public with cost of reclamation to make sure oil operators don't pay for the messes they've made). Zoe Daniel writes about the "intergenerational bastardry" involved in pushing for continued carbon pollution at the expense of the future of humanity. And Tim Sahay and Kate McKenzie note that China is well on its way to fostering a transition to clean energy - meaning that the countries who drag their heels figure to be left behind in short order. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Adam King discusses how the income gap in Canada has reached more extreme levels than ever before. And Henry Farrell writes about the reality that the uber-rich live in an entirely different world than most of humanity - including in their ability to have their worst and most ill-informed whims turned into government policy through compliant politicians. 

- On that front, Adam Gabbatt reports on the Trump regime's plan to let a glorified chatbot destroy the U.S.' regulatory state - even though it's already well known that AI isn't suited to making government decisions. John Cole's review of Sam Freedman's Failed State discusses how the UK's privatization has proven disastrous - even as the Labour government elected due to public dissatisfaction follows in the footsteps of its Conservative predecessor.

- Doug Saunders highlights how complaints about political polarization inevitably ignore the reality that it's only the right that's veered far outside of reality. Judd Legum notes that Axios is among the media outlets that has exacerbated the problem by treating conservative spin as objective truth. David Pressman discusses how the Trump regime is following Viktor Orban's playbook in entrenching power at the expense of any rational view of the puoblic interest. And Joan Smith points out the connection between domestic abuse and public violence - which unfortunately is more relevant for its explanatory power than any sense that the powers that be will act in response to the former for the purpose of averting the latter. 

- Maalvika writes about the dangers of "compression culture" which imposes uniformity, oversimplification and brittleness in the name of efficiency. And Andrew Nikiforuk laments the triumph of stupidity in the face of the apt warnings of Kurt Vonnegut and others. 

- John Michael McGrath highlights CivicAction's new report on how workers are being priced out of Toronto. Cy Neff reports on the rise of investor-owned homes as an element of the housing crisis in California and elsewhere. And Lauren Scott reports on the status of Manitoba's work to find homes for unhoused people - along with the reality that private market-rate units in particular haven't proven to be part of the solution. 

- Finally, Jeet Heer writes about Zohran Mamdani's success offering hope-based politics in the face of a system set up ito deny anything of the sort, while Greg Sargent points out that Mamdani has also succeeded with outreach that actually earns voters' attention rather than serving merely as placeholding pablum. And David Gulliver discusses some of the lessons the NDP and its leadership contestants can draw from Mamdani's campaign. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Charlie Angus discusses how MAGA is recognizing the effects of Canada's resistance - so long as our leaders don't sell us out. 

- But Martin Lukacs and Nikolas Barry-Shaw warn that there's little reason for confidence Mark Carney plans to treat the U.S.' threats as anything but an excuse to impose a corporate agenda. And David Macdonald predicts the scale of public-sector job cuts we can anticipate based on Carney's plans to waste any available fiscal capacity on military spending and tax cuts.

- Scott Forbes discusses how Canada has become a petrocracy, where the plans of oil barons to extract resources and leave the public with the bill are consistently put first over social well-being. And Chris Severson-Baker highlights how the UCP's obsession with dirty energy pipelines which will never be economically viable is resulting in Alberta missing out on far better opportunities. 

- Finally, Adam Barnett reports on a new study showing how Alex Jones and other denialists are drowning out needed information about climate catastrophes as they occur. And Brian Beutler highlights the dangers of allowing fascists to exploit liberal principles to demand the respect they deny to their perceived out-groups while disseminating their propaganda.

Musical interlude

Rainshow - Aurora

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Harj Narulla weighs in on the effects of the International Court of JUstice's determination that countries can be held liable for contribution to a cliamte breakdown, while Stella Levantesi reports on an Italian court decision allowing for a lawsuit against an oil giant for its own climate damage. And Somini Segupta reports on the joint effort being made by China and the E.U. to keep the Paris Agreement in play - making for a stark choice between working with the world's leading economic powers, or signing on to Donald Trump's denial agenda. 

- Meanwhile, Harrison Mooney interviews Stephen Marche about the need for Canada to be willing to drop the gloves with the Trump regime rather than looking for every possible opportunity to accommodate it. 

- Luke Savage comments on the reality that the AI revolution is nothing but a theft of the information which already exists online and is being turned into word slurry - though I'd think there are arguments to be made that there are equally important heists from investors, and from the people who will face adverse decisions based on artificial non-intelligence. And Paris Marx notes that Mark Carney is fully on board with the use of AI as a means to further enrich the existing tech oligopoly. 

- Finally, Samuel Girard discusses how "build more" is an overly simplistic answer to a housing crisis which is rooted in the use of existing units for investment and profit at the expense of people whose right to a home isn't sufficiently profitable. Jill Atkey highlights the absurdity of prioritizing parking requirements over the availability of accessible homes. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board weighs in on the need for cities to reverse their past car-centric policies which have made communities less walkable and liveable. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Isabella Kaminski reports on the International Court of Justice's advisory ruling that climate destruction can be a source of state liability for reparations, while John Woodside discusses the particular impact on Canada as our governments continue to lavish money on the sources of carbon pollution. Steven Wilhelm reports on Alberta's choice to discriminate against clean energy by setting far higher reclamation standards for an industry which doesn't pollute than for the fossil fuel sector which consistently leaves a toxic mess behind. And Lorne Fitch points out that anti-regulatory rhetoric about "red tape" is absolutely incompatible with environmental protection. 

- Paul Krugman writes about the general theory of enshittification and its effect on us as citizens and consumers. Emanuel Maiberg discusses how Google's AI overview is trashing both the Internet and the brains of users, while Jonathan Durand Falco comments on the role of Elon Musk's Grok in precipitating an era of techno-fascism. And Timothy Caulfield offers a warning about the spread of health misinformation  - as well as suggestions to avoid propagating it. 

- Jared Walker and Silas Xuereb make the case for Canada to crack down on the stashing of wealth in tax havens. And Linda McQuaig rightly argues that if Canada is going to get roped into inflated military costs, we should expect the wealthiest few to foot the bill. 

- Kim Siever writes that handouts to for-profit developers will do little to ameliorate a housing crisis based on inequality and a lack of affordable units. And Jonathan English and Stephen Jacob Smith note that our continued attachment to U.S.-based elevator rules represent a barrier to the construction of more affordable rental housing. 

- Finally, Sophia Harris exposes how corporate grocery giants are using false country of origin information to get shoppers to buy U.S.-based products. 

Wednesday Night Cat Blogging

Blanketed cat.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Blayne Haggart and Eric Duchesne point out that Mark Carney's idea of nation-building reflects little more than barely warmed-over 1980s neoliberalism - making for a particularly inapt response to a reality in which the corporations who stand to dominate us are themselves under the thumb of the Trump regime. Jim Stanford discusses how Canada is far better off avoiding a new trade deal with the U.S. rather than signing over our sovereignty to a bad-faith actor who will never respect any theoretical gains. 

- Janelle Lapointe writes that the "fast-track" laws pushed by Carney and conservative premiers are designed primarily to bulldoze Indigenous rights for corporate benefit. Abigail Jackson, Rachel Samson, and Ricardo Chejfec note that rural and remote communities and local workers stand to lose out if the push for major projects doesn't include a plan to build a local workforce. And Angella MacEwen discusses how workers stand to lose out from Carney's austerity. 

- Carol Schwartz writes that there's no excuse not to be setting - and reaching - net-zero carbon emission targets. Kate Aronoff discusses how climate neglect is driving up grocery prices among other costs of living. 

- Meanwhile, Saul Griffith highlights the ready availability of affordable electricity - particular if we focus on cheap solar and improved storage and distribution rather than allowing fossil fuel interests to dictate that we keep lining their pockets. And Arthur Zhang discusses how a zero-emission vehicle target is still well within reach (and worth pursuing). 

- Finally, Cathy Bussewitz reports on the Trump regime's declaration that protections for workers are obsolete, with Trump's supposed concern for the masses now resulting in attacks on minimum wages, overtime pay and protection from hazardous substances. And George Monbiot rightly calls out the Starmer government for facilitating the importation and use of toxic chemicals without meaningful controls or assessments based solely on the say-so of a single other jurisdiction. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Tom Nichols discusses how the only discernible values behind the Trump regime are those of corruption and retribution. And Toby Buckle writes about the right's choice to prioritize humiliation for perceived others over benefits for anybody. 

- Meanwhile, Lauren Egan writes that U.S. Democrats are only now understanding the importance of competing in the attention economy - but are doing so just in time for the corporate media to use its full reach to serve Trump. 

- Piers Forster and Debbie Rosen discuss the recognition by climate scientists that we have only a few years left to avoid the worst impacts of a climate breakdown. Andrew Freedman writes that 2025 is shaping up to be a summer of flooding in the U.S. among other catastrophic impacts. And Emma Court reports on the connection between climate change and increased food prices. 

- Mark Hertsgaard writes that most Americans are at least concerned about climate change, but don't understand the scope of the danger - while Ketan Joshi notes that Australia's media (like that in many other countries) is grossly failing to keep people informed about the dangers of carbon pollution. And Fiona Harvey reports on Antonio Guterres' message that a transition to clean energy is in sight. 

- Lisa McKenzie and Nicole Deziel discuss how children near fossil fuel installations face a higher risk of acute lymphocytic leukemia (among other health harms). And Tom Perkins reports on new research showing the dangers of exposure to a combination of pesticides in the course of pregnancy. 

- Finally, Emily Atkin discusses how Microsoft's AI, developed in part based on the promise of helping the climate, is instead being used to increase fossil fuel production. And Faine Greenwood writes about the need to stop relying on platforms which are designed to maximize corporate control rather than recency and accuracy for emergency warnings. 

Musical interlude

Deftones - My Mind Is A Mountain

Hiatus

There will be little or no posting from this corner until next week. Hope everybody's enjoying their summer...

Musical interlude

Tori Amos - Lovesong (Aching Heart Mix)

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- George Monbiot discusses how fascist concepts of "joking" are used to normalize the dehumanization of the targets of a regime's abuses. And Greg Sargent talks to Todd Schulte about the gap between ICE agents coming face to face with public opprobrium, and the Trump regime which wants footage of cruelty for entertainment and propaganda value. 

- Sidney Blumenthal highlights how Trump's budget thoroughly betrays his political base. And Paul Krugman offers a warning as to the dangers of allowing Trump to seize control of the Federal Reserve Board and turn monetary policy into an instrument of political convenience and corruption. 

- Dean Blundell reports on one insider's account that Trump's announced tariffs are all "fake" - though that hardly represents any reason to treat him as a rational or good faith actor. And Jim Stanford points out that Canada has room to respond to the latest announcement of arbitrary tariffs by applying far more justified taxes on the U.S.' corporate services surplus. 

- Rebecca Hersher and Lauren Sommer write about the growing risk of floods across the U.S., while Emily Sanders offers a reminder that the reflexive denialism of Greg Abbott and other Republicans isn't shared by their fossil fuel funders. But then, Kate Aronoff notes that the Republicans are also using the chaos they've caused through environmental negligence and gutted disaster response mechanisms to sow fear and confusion. 

- Hiroko Tabuchi reports on Trump's plans to slash a chemical safety investigator even over the objections of the businesses it oversees. And Leah Borts-Kuperman reports on the newly-recognized health effects of chemical contamination at CFB Moose Jaw.

- Finally, Tess Collier reports on the UK's longstanding failure to respond to the use of toxic sludge as a fertilizer. And Rachel Salvidge follows by reporting on both the cover-up between government and corporate forces, and the widespread contamination of waterways by PFAs. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Qasim Rashid offers a reminder that the U.S.' deficit and debt are the result of a political system controlled by and for the oligarch class. Paul Krugman writes that Donald Trump's use of punitive tariffs to try to interfere in the Brazilian criminal justice system for the benefit of his crony Jair Bolsonaro represents a new level of abuse of power. Brian Beutler rightly argues that an essential element of any Democratic plans for a post-Trump government will need to include a plan to hold people accountable for their criminal activity. And Toby Buckle warns that moderation and conflict aversion in the face of fascism serves only to exacerbate the danger. 

- Antonia Juhasz reports on Trump's giveaways to dirty energy - which are even larger than generally assumed. Seth Klein questions why governments can always find immense amounts of money for military spending, but won't invest anything close to what's needed to deal with the imminent security threat of climate change. And Sophie Hurwitz writes about the widespread support for carbon prices in affluent countries even as their governments shy away from defending anything of the sort. 

- Bill McKibben writes about the ongoing transformation of energy systems as solar power proves itself to be far more affordable and more stable than fossil-fuel based energy. And Zachary Shahan writes that past projections for oil production and use are grossly outdated as a result, while Max Fawcett points out that Alberta's insistence on trying to vastly increase production lacks any grounding in reality. 

- Carlo Dade writes about the folly of rushing into a trade agreement with a Trump regime which couldn't care less about holding up its end of any bargain, while Sophia Harris reports that Canadian consumers are still eager to boycott U.S. products (but are facing increased difficulty as the corporate class tries to normalize Trump's abuses). 

- Finally, Christo Aivalis calls out Mark Carney's plans to bring DOGE to Canada by another name. And Nora Loreto writes that Carney is following the Chretien-era Libs' legacy of austerity for its own sake even after we've seen the consequences of defunding necessary services. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Paul Krugman discusses how toxic masculinity is being used by the oil and gas sector to keep people addicted to dirty fossil fuels. And Cathy Orlando highlights the need for Canada's energy policy to be based on the recognition that renewables are cheaper, cleaner and more secure, rather than letting the burn-it-all fantasies of oil tycoons dictate our plans. 

- Joseph Gedeon reports on the latest U.S. court decision decreeing that the most basic consumer protections (in this case the requirement for providers to offer a mechanism to cancel services) offend the overriding principle that corporations have a right to avoid restrictions on their extraction of wealth from the public. And Paul Glastris and Kainoa Lowman report on the problems with the U.S.' rural broadband strategy created by incumbent providers and their Republican spokesflacks which are now being trumpeted as reason to avoid public action altogether.  

- Meanwhile, Paris Marx discusses the need to build our own digital infrastructure rather than being subject to the whims of either corporate monoliths or the Trump regime. And Joseph Stiglitz warns that Mark Carney's capitulation to Donald Trump on the digital services tax is threatening the global discussions which were supposed to offer an alternative. 

- More broadly, Blayne Haggart questions how Carney can pretend to be so clueless about the constant bad faith action of the Trump administration. Neil Moss points out that even former Lib cabinet ministers are sounding the alarm that their party's new leader is selling us out. Christopher Holcroft points out the lack of any defensible rationale for increased military spending (especially where it serves to tie us even more tightly to the U.S.), while William Eltherington reports on the damage Carney's planned austerity will do to our civil service capacity. And Tom Goldsmith writes that the problem is Carney's determination to follow a corporate playbook rather than having any vision for Canada as a country. 

- Finally, David Macdonald and Martha Friendly write that there's a long way to go for the promise of $10 per day child care to be fulfilled at the national level - even as Scott Moe and other right-wing premiers look to reverse the progress that's been made by refusing to sign on to an extension of funding.