Musical interlude

Bryan Adams - We're Gonna Win

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Shiri Pasternak examines the history of enemies lists as a mechanism to oppress minority groups and stifle dissent. And Adam Serwer distinguishes between cowardice which is at least based on genuine fear, and the chickenshit elites who are eager to sell out to fascists to avoid the slightest inconvenience. 

- Rachel Abrams talks to Eric Lipton about the corruption involved in the Trump regime's sellout of U.S. tech policy. And Kate Niederhoffer et al. discuss how AI "workslop" is trashing productivity, while Victor Tangerman writes about new research showing that the excess power consumption from AI is even worse than anticipated as longer and more complex requests give rise to increased incremental energy usage.

- Julia Conley discusses a new report showing how a small group of fossil fuel producers (including Canada) are planning dirty energy expansion which on its own will place existing climate commitments out of reach. And John Woodside reports on Catherine McKenna's warning that we can't trust the oil industry to live up to its climate promises. 

- Finally, Arthur Bledson points out how remote communities are increasingly turning to renewable energy as both a more affordable and more secure option than clinging to a fossil fuel addiction. And Patrick Commins reports on a new study showing that Australia's power costs would be soaring if it had limited itself to dirty energy. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Noah Berlatsky discusses the Trump regime's policy of wanton violence and murder. And Choe Sang-Hun reports on the recognition by South Korean workers caught in a recent ICE raid that the U.S. is no safe place to work, while Wired tells the stories of federal workers who were caught in DOGE's purge of the public service. 

- Greg Sargent writes that ABC's about-face over Jimmy Kimmel has exposed the lack of public support for the Trump regime's culture war. And Paul Krugman expresses some hope that others facing similarly arbitary demands from the MAGA government will push back sooner and allow the U.S. to avoid the fate of states that lost all independent media to authoritarian regimes. 

- But then, Lord Foulkes notes that the UK's media is still treating its hard-right party with kid gloves and legitimizing its message of hate in the process. And Stephen Maher writes about the need for Canada to prevent alt-right grooming from turning into political violence. 

- Thor Benson discusses how China is taking what looks to be an insurmountable lead over the U.S. in developing and deploying clean energy. And Andrew Freedman reports on Climate TRACE's work allowing people to trace responsibility for air pollution (which confirms the disproportionate role of a few corporate super polluters in spewing harmful substances). 

- Finally, Melissa Heikkilä, Chris Cook and Clara Murray report on the glaring lack of substance behind most corporate spin about AI. But Anja Karadeglija reports that the Libs remain determined to bank on AI as a panacea.

Wednesday Night Cat Blogging

Naptime cat.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Jonathan Watts highlights how the global right is pushing extremes in both climate damage and reactonary politics. Jamelle Bouie discusses how the Trump regime is looking to destroy any principle of deliberative government. Robert Reich notes that Disney's about-face in returning Jimmy Kimmel to the airwaves shows that people do have some power to keep corporations from collaboration with fascists - but Luke Savage writes that we can't count on corporate self-interest to protect democracy and human rights. 

- Meanwhile, Hamilton Nolan rightly argues that there's nothing an individual can buy for a billion dollars that should be available for individual purchase in the first place - making the accumulation of further wealth little more than a direct assault on society as a whole. And Jean-Paul Bureaud calls out Canada's provinces other than Quebec for failing to create financial fraud compensation funds to protect individuals from corporate malfeasance. 

- Charlie Angus discusses the meaning of "elbows up" as a statement of collective determination and defence (which isn't about to end no matter how much MAGA complains that other countries should bow to its king). 

- Finally, there's plenty of good news as to new medical breakthroughs to the extent they reach people - with Kat Lay reporting on the potential for an HIV vaccine to end the global epidemic, Amber Carlson reporting on a more stable rabies vaccine which could reduce a death toll of tens of thousands of people each year, and James Gallagher reporting on the first successful treatment for Huntington's disease through gene therapy. But Olivia Bowden writes about the Libs' stalled implementation of pharmacare, particularly as Mark Carney has chosen not to bother following through with ensuring people have the medicine they need. 

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jared Yates Sexton writes about the Trump administration's attacks on reality and truth. Marisa Kabas laments the fact that the U.S. is deteriorating faster and in more ways than it's realistically possible to track even absent the harm being done to its information environment. And about the best available reason for hope is to note, as Agent Nkrumah does, that the Trump Republicans are running scared. 

- Scott Galloway writes about the rise of violence entrepreneurs as part of the MAGA propaganda machine. And Olufemi Taiwo discusses the need for shame as part of any functional social system - even as the Trump regime looks to purge anything of the sort (with far too much assistance from the corporate media). 

- Susan Delacourt reports on new polling showing that Canadians quite rightly don't see any point in negotiating a trade agreement with a regime which can't be trusted to honour it. 

- Erin Sikorsky discusses how the U.S.' war on climate action will leave it at a disadvantage as the global economy shifts toward clean energy. David Wallace-Wells offers a reminder that attacks on climate policy have had harmful effects around the globe. And John Woodside reports that environmental groups are being shut out of any direct interaction with a Carney government which is only interested in catering to CEOs. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk notes that spin about nuclear power serves mostly to delay a clean energy transition (and commit massive amounts of money to an inefficient, non-renewable energy source). And Adam Thorn writes about the importance of using public policy to foster a move toward electric vehicles. 

- Finally, Ryan Cooper reports on the success of Greenland's state companies in both providing employment and generating public returns as an example for other jurisdictions to follow. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Nikki McCann Ramirez examines Mike Duncan's take on how the U.S.' current position fits into the historical collapses of empires. Gary Engler offers a checklist to determine when a country has shifted from authoritarianism to fascism, while Andy Craig writes about the Trump regime's censorship binge in an attempt to squelch all opposing or dissenting voices. And Gil Duran discusses the alternative interpretations of Trump's abuses - which may reflect either dangerous steps toward the end of democracy, or desperate attempts to avoid the real consequences of public disapproval. 

- Alan Elrod rightly notes (with particular reference to the kidnapping of firefighters working to contain dangerous wildfires) that the Trump regime is seeking out virtue for the specific purpose of eradicating it in favour of absolute corruption and violence. And Jonathan Liew asks what the endgame is for politicians of any stripe seeking to use anti-immigrant messaging. 

- Adrienne Matei writes about the role of women in strongman regimes. And Noami Beinart writes about the increasing pressure being placed on U.S. girls to acquiesce in their own subjugation. 

- Alastair Marsh discusses how China has taken what may be an insurmountable lead in developing clean energy and battery technology - as decades of being told we have to focus on dirty energy have left us unable to contribute to the cleaner economy that's developing. Jespen Brun Petersen discusses new research on the interplay between solar panels and crops, even as Bharat Dogra writes about the harm wealthy countries have caused to the world's food production system. 

- Anton Nilsson et al. write about Google's plan to "rent its enemies" in order to ensure nobody regulates its monopoly activities. But Steven Levy points out that tech giants who thought they could avoid the dangers of the Trump regime are rapidly finding out otherwise. 

- Finally, Adam King offers a reminder that unions improve well-being for everybody, not only for their own members. And Adam Gabbatt writes about the elite class solidarity which has billionaires and landlords assembling their riches and influence to avoid even the slightest hint of redistribution of wealth or power. 

Musical interlude

Phantogram & Whethan - In My Head

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Uday Rana reports on new polling showing that a supermajority of Canadians will never trust the U.S. the same way again. And John Paul Tasker examines the ways the break from reliance on the U.S. is playing out in practice. 

- But Desmond Cole and Martin Lukacs discuss how Pierre Poilievre is trying to import as much of the Trump regime's anti-immigrant violence as people can be forced to consume. And Muhad Hemmadi reports on Mark Carney's echoing of the U.S.' blind faith in AI as a substitute for real development, while Dale Smith discusses how the Libs' online surveillance legislation reads as little more than a gift to a Trump-style militarized state. 

- Linda McQuaig writes that any forward-looking plan for national projects should be starting with a massive commitment to clean energy. And Darius Snieckus and Natasha Bulowski report on the Canadian Climate Institute's estimate showing that Alberta's oil and gas sector alone is blocking any prospect of reaching our climate commitments in both the short and medium term. 

- Kevin Crowley, David Wethe and Dave Merrill report on the groundwater pollution and resulting geological instability being inflicted by the oil industry in Texas (with the full support of petropoliticians). Olivia Lee reports that a project in Brighton is showing how toxic runoff can be cleaned up - while highlighting the absolute failure to make that a priority elsewhere. And Gary Fuller reports on new research showing that air pollution affects people's sleep among other profound effects. 

- Finally, Emily Atkin discusses how Charlie Kirk's hate (like much of the fascist right's noise machine) has been funded by fossil fuel tycoons. Adam Serwer notes that the definition of free speech in the U.S. is now limited to parroting administration talking points, while Moira Donegan wonders who's next to be silenced after even the most mainstream of comedians are being yanked off the air for daring to incorporate the U.S.' president in their material. And David Moscrop writes about the need for universal condemnation of political censorship. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Randi Weingarten discusses why fascists are hostile toward critical thinking as a threat to the viability of propaganda and disinformation. Henry Farrell writes about the limits of assertions of absolute power which aren't matched by at least some element of public support or credibility. Brian Beutler argues that Trump has offered a fairly stark us vs. them distinction which can be useful in framing responsibility for his abuses. And Max Fawcett discusses how Canada can respond to the U.S.' online misinformation factory. 

- Tyee Bridge and Jim Stanford study (PDF) how a just transition to a clean economy can generate massive numbers of new jobs. Sabrina Shankman highlights Bill McKibben's reasons for optimism about a shift to solar power. And Mitchell Beer points out how all of the indicators for fossil fuels point to a decline ahead (other than the stubborn refusal of a few wealthy tycoons to accept reality). 

- Drew Mitnick and Teresa Eder discuss the importance of building a firewall against control by U.S. tech giants and the regime which can use them for its malevolent purposes. And Michael Harris writes that Canadians are rightly becoming disillusioned with Mark Carney's willingness to appease Trump rather than standing up for Canada's sovereignty and values. 

- Finally, Amanda Follett Hosgood reports on the initial plan for regulators to hold CNR liable for contributing to the 2021 fire which destroyed Lytton, which gave way to a content-free investigation and failure to hold anybody responsible. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Zoe Williams reviews Nick Lowles' How to Defeat the Far Right (even while noting that the victories of Hope Not Hate have been limited in scope). And Stuart Turnbull-Degarte et al. examine how social democratic parties who have echoed anti-immigration rhetoric have done nothing but harm to themselves and their countries in the process.

- Meanwhile, Brian Beutler discusses how the Trump regime is focused solely on abusing its power, including by using state authority to generate propaganda while stifling accurate information. And Michael Mann and Peter Hotez weigh in on the existential threat posed by anti-science being peddled by both right-wing governments and corporate predators. 

- Adam Morton writes that Australia's Labour government has at least identified the threat posed by the climate crisis, but wonders whether it will match that recognition with commensurate action. And CBC News reports on the Outaouais Integrated Health and Social Services Centre's study identifying the climate breakdown as the most important public health threat of this century, while Agnes Black, Kaitlin Bloemberg and Caroline Murphy highlight how health care workers see the impacts of climate neglect. 

- Colin Carlson et al. examine the progress being made in attributing climate effects to specific sources. On that front, Damian Carrington reports on the direct blame borne by fossil fuel giants for deadly heat waves around the globe, while Ajit Niranjan reports on research showing that two-thirds of heat deaths in Europe this summer are attributable to manmade climate damage. And Simon Evans reports on the International Energy Agency's recognition that no new fossil fuel projects can be justified if we're going to have any hope of limiting global warming to the current 1.5C target. 

- But the Canadian Press reports on the UCP's predictable plan to facilitate carbon pollution, both by double-counting any emission reduction projects which are carried out, and by letting many businesses off the hook entirely for existing emission mitigation obligations. 

- Finally, Monique Kasonga discusses the extensive U.S. ownership of Canadian data centre infrastructure and the danger that poses to our sovereignty. And Don Lenihan makes the case for a sovereign cloud as one of the most important nation-building possibilities available to us.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Alert cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jonathan Cohn discusses how arbitrariness is one of the key factors in Donald Trump's destruction of the U.S.' economic prospects. David Silver suggests that businesses should be willing to stand up to autocrats (particularly where they're influential enough to make a difference). Marc Jones reports on the Bank for International Settlements' warning that share prices don't seem to bear any relationship to economic fundamentals, while Jeff Cox reports on Trump's push to reduce public earnings reporting as yet another example of his desire to prevent reality from being  known or acted upon. And Anna Sale talks to Megan Greenwell about how private equity has destroyed viable media and other businesses in the name of extracting short-term profits and fees. 

- The Institute for Research on Public Policy examines how industrial policy is vital to Canada's economy and sovereignty in the face of looming corporate and political threats. And Kyle Briggs discusses the importance of actively working to convert research into products, rather than hoping that tax credits will incentivize businesses to do so. 

- Asawin Suebsaeng, Nikki McCann Ramirez and Andrew Perez write that Stephen Miller's fear-based governance is the most consistent thread winding its way through the Trump administration's actions. And Ben Wieder and Shirsho Dasgupta report on the hundreds of people who have been disappeared after being snatched up into concentration camps. 

- Sasha Fury calls out Mark Carney for embracing political violence, most recently by joining in the effort to whitewash Charlie Kirk's track record of inflammatory racism. Jared Wesley discusses how Danielle Smith's move to attach citizenship markers to basic IDs serves as a dangerous step toward excluding people from basic rights and essential services. And Teren Hazzard writes about the UCP's biased "consultation" which is plainly aimed at stoking separatism. 

- Finally, John Clarke writes that the successes of Air Canada workers in defending their right to strike against government overreach have given rise to questions about what comes next. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Robert McCoy reports on new modeling showing that everybody besides the uber-rich will be worse off as a result of Donald Trump's economic policies (even leaving aside how his authoritarianism undermines any development). And Curtis Fric notes that the U.S. citizenry bearing the brunt of capitalist abuse is rightly turning against the system. 

- Dale Smith discusses the problems with Mark Carney's apparent willingness to treat "building things" as synonymous with "doling out corporate handouts". Charlie Angus rightly slams Carney for choosing to play nice with fascists rather than building resistance and alternative power structures, while Luke LeBrun writes that progressive voters who lent their support to Carney based on the expectation he'd stand up to Trump have every reason to be angry. And Matthew Miller and Leyla Soleymani make the case for investments in life sciences as one of the most important responses to the U.S.' abdication of any role in scientific progress. 

- The Financial Times reports on the imminent electrification of everything, while Peter Newman and Ray Wills discuss how the largest energy transition in history is well underway. And Micah McCartney points out that China is reining in its use of fossil fuels while positioning itself as the main beneficiary of a clean energy revolution. 

- Meanwhile, Anil Hira discusses how fossil fuels impose social costs that are consistently excluded from resource management decisions. Mitchell Beer reports on the scramble to try to wring short-term profits out of fossil gas both from U.S. producers generally and a Newfoundland development prioritized by the Libs in particular. And Drew Anderson reports on the rural Alberta residents who are fed up with the UCP's allowing oil and gas lobbyists to trample their rights and interests while leaving the public to clean up toxic messes. 

- Finally, A.R. Moxon writes about the glaring disparity in whose lives are seen as worthy of recognition in the U.S. And David Beers and Jen St. Denis report on the deliberate targeting of Rachel Gilmore by Andrew Scheer and other figures in Canada's alt-right for daring to point out the reality of right-wing violence. 

Musical interlude

Jerro - Mess It Up

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood writes about Mark Carney's disappointing list of priority "major projects" which reflect little apparent plan other than to serve capital at the expense of our climate. And in case there was any doubt whose influence pushing the Libs in that direction, Carly Penrose reports on the corporate money behind Canada 2020.

- Meanwhile, Willliam Bredderman and Aneela Mirchandani report on the Informing America Foundation as yet another shadowy source of reactionary propaganda. And Rachel Savage reports on new research from Outright International showing how anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has been taken up on dozens of countries. 

- Paul Brown reports on new research showing how even the best-case scenarios for carbon capture and storage show it having little impact on the climate breakdown, while Mingyu Li et al. point out the dangers of relying on hypothetical future carbon removal as an excuse to keep spewing carbon pollution today. 

- Javier Carbajal reports on new research showing that extreme heat accelerates the aging of the human body. Jane Burston discusses the urgent need to rein in air pollution as a priority to save lives and improve people's health, while RNZ points out the immense costs of poor indoor air quality which could be easily improved through investments in ventilation and filtration.   

- David Wallace-Wells highlights the intractable conflict between the two types of people who have identified themselves with RFK Jr.'s idea of "healthy". And David Nield reports on new research showing that a new COVID-19 nasal spray can significantly cut viral spread - as long as people don't operate in denial of a continuing public health threat. 

- Finally, Justin Holz, Ricardo Perez-Truglia and Alejandro Zentner examine the effects of tax evasion by the wealthiest - finding that it thankfully doesn't lead to systematic non-compliance by others even as they recognize the unfairness in the system. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Trevor Jackson's review of Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson's Abundance cautions against treating deregulation as anything but a cover for increased corporate control, while Bruce Campbell warns of the dangers of the Libs' anti-regulatory posture. Jared Walker and Silas Xuereb point out that Mark Carney's cuts to public services are being chosen over collecting tens of billions of dollars in money being shifted to tax havens.  And Don Curren questions James Galbraith and Jing Chen's attempt to paint entropy as an economic goal to be pursued when it both spurs inequality and rewards Trump-style agents of chaos. 

- Jim Stanford discusses the importance of targeted industrial policy to build an economy that's both less dependent on the U.S., and sustainable past the impending fossil fuel cliff. And Jason Hickel points out how democratic control over production is essential to a transition to solve the climate crisis. 

- Daniel Otis reports on new research showing the disproportionate climate damage done by fossil fuel and industrial corporations. Euronews Green reports on a study showing how even modest changes are threatening Mediterranean ecosystems. Amanda Follett Hosgood and Zoe Yunker discuss a call from scientists to stop fossil gas expansion (even as Carney is determine to barge ahead with it). Daniel Melser, Antonia Settle and Franscesca Perugia point out that the insurance industry has far more detailed information about climate risks than the general public (and is drastically changing its actions as a result). And Kerrie Holloway notes that people already facing displacement from conflict stand to be among the most affected by climate disasters. 

- Finally, Jamelle Bouie writes that the primary culture war being fought by the Trump regime is the U.S. Civil War, as white supremacists seek to undermine the principle that members of outgroups are people entitled to human rights or participation in public life. 

Wednesday Night Cat Blogging

Backyard cat.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Ari Berman writes about the Republicans' less-than-subtle plan to ensure the 2026 U.S. elections are anything but democratic. Robert Reich rightly argues that U.S. Democrats should be more than prepared to accept the shutdown of a government apparatus whose power is being systematically abused. And Paul Waldman suggests at least they should be making substantive demands rather than making concessions - though it's hard to see what's to be gained asking for legislative concessions which the Trump regime will refuse to implement. 

- Iglika Ivanova points out that part of the lesson to be drawn from the effect of Trump's tariffs involves the importance of investing in people rather than hoping for prosperity to magically be granted by markets which can be dominated by multinational firms and hostile governments alike. And Rob Ferguson points out Doug Ford's callous disregard for young people facing grim employment prospects due to the choices of others.

- Meanwhile, Shawn Micallef calls out Ford's war on public safety on behalf of reckless drivers. 

- Naveena Sadasivam reports on the opportunists and scam artists who have turned wildfires and other natural disasters into profit centres. Matt McIntosh discusses how Ontario has fallen far short of ensuring that fossil gas operators fund the cleanup of their wells, leaving the public on the hook for massive liabilities. And Mark Poynting writes about a warning from scientists again using dangerous Arctic geoengineering as a substitute for cutting down on carbon pollution. 

- Finally, Charlie Buckley and Tammy Ibrahimpoor report on new research showing the adverse health effects of ultra-processed food. And Dylan Scott highlights how the harms of alcohol are being suppressed by the Trump regime. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- David Sirota writes that the sources of America's descent into authoritarianism can be traced readily to the longstanding trend toward the consolidation of wealth and power. And Luke Savage discusses how elite "liberals" have facilitated rise of fascism both by reinforcing its themes of fear and dominance, and by failing to improve the well-being of the general public when in power. 

- Michael Mann discuss how weaponized disinformation aimed at attacking science represents a threat to humanity as a whole. And the Economist speculates that the decline of reading may be an important factor in the dumbing-down of politics. 

- John Woodside reports on the Carney Libs' push toward nation-building in batches based on political convenience and immediacy rather than any long-term vision for development. And Kenza Bryan reports on Greg Jackson's warning that the UK's plans to pour money into carbon capture and storage are ill-advised, while Lisa Schick reports that Saskatchewan scientists are pushing back against Scott Moe's determination to use public money to spew as mnuch coal pollution as possible. 

- Mark Lemley writes that a toothless order against Google even after a finding of an abuse of monopoly power confirms that competition law alone won't be sufficient to deal with the power of big tech. And Kelsey McKinney argues that any legal settlement which allows an AI company to steal first and turn over an amount it doesn't care about later falls far short of the mark. 

- Finally, Marc Trussler and Stephanie Perry report on polling showing massive gender and partisan gaps in Generation Z life priorities. And Erika Shaker discusses how "parental rights" spin represents a contrived effort to children as property and schools as profit centres.