Musical interlude

Against The Current - Strangers Again

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Jason Sattler examines how a corporatist SCOTUS laid the groundwork for the fascist takeover of the U.S. by prioritizing money over people. Brian Tyler Cohen discusses the absurdity of Elon Musk demanding to be treated as a victim while declaring everybody but himself to be subhuman (with gross contempt for people's lives and well-being serving as the common theme of all of his business and government actions). And Amanda Marcotte discusses Musk's disdain for retirees and benefit recipients as he looks to strip them of their Social Security income. 

- Tom Phillips and Clavel Rangel report on how the U.S. rendition of hundreds of people to be used for prison slave labour in El Salvador is based solely on tattoos which demonstrably establish nothing about any wrongdoing. And Shirin Ali and Mark Joseph Stern focus on soccer player and Venezuelan refugee Jerce Reyes Barrios in particular as someone who was rendered in the absence of any explanation.  

- Charlie Angus offers some hopeful dispatches from his Elbows Up Resistance tour. Iglika Ivanova points out how the policy response to the U.S.' hostility can also improve the quality of life for Canadians in general, while Shauna MacKinnon, Catherine Lussier and Mark Hancock focus on the value of social housing in particular in improving people's well-being. And in case there was any doubt how much need there is for improvement on that front, Natalie Stechyson reports on our decline in glboal happiness rankings even before the second Trump regime took power. 

- David Macdonald and Sonja Macdonald study the spread of news deprivation in Canada. Linda McQuaig calls for an end to control of media by foreign capital interests who are motivated both to slash reporting and impose corporatist editorial lines. Crawford Kilian writes about the need for Canada to fight back against the U.S.' information warfare. And Cole Bennett calls out Pierre Poilievre's war against the truth, while Luke LeBrun exposes Canada Proud's big-money attempt to spam Canadians with QAnon-esque disinformation. 

- Finally, Erin Blondeau examines how Poilievre's "anti-woke" messaging is copied directly from the U.S.' dangerous white nationalist scene. But Sarah Sahagian notes that Mark Carney isn't helping matters any by eliminating ministries with responsibilities for diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Kenneth Vogel and Shane Goldmacher discuss how the Trump regime is using the power of the state to attack any opposition voices and actors. Madeline Sherratt reports that the Republicans' shredding of the U.S. constitution includes trying to keep Trump in power past the maximum of two terms. Josh Marshall reports on DOGE's use of federal contracting power to coerce a private security firm into helping it break into the U.S. Institute of Peace. And Paris Marx highlights how techbros are seeking to unleash DOGE-style assaults on public services in Canada and around the globe - even as the U.S. experiences the grim consequences of a government being in the hands of vandals determined to destroy it beyond repair. 

- Meanwhile, Mike Konczal reviews two books touching on the ability of progressive parties and leaders to get things done. 

- Evan Dyer discusses how Canada and Europe can help meet each others' defence needs as the U.S. turns into a hostile actor. 

- Matt Bruenig examines how to measure the number of people who live paycheque to paycheque in the U.S., finding that an estimate of up to 60% referenced by Bernie Sanders is entirely plausible. And Jason Linkins discusses the strong public response to Sanders' anti-oligarchy tour. 

- Finally, John Calvert discusses why we shouldn't accept a race to the bottom when it comes to regulating in the public interest - particularly as a supposed response to the corporatism of the Trump administration. And Michael Gorman reports on the rapid backtrack after Nova Scotia's Cons passed legislation which would have effectively eliminated professional regulation. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Coated cat.

Sunday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Randi Weingarten calls out Elon Musk for robbing workers to pay for tax giveaways to the billionaire class. And Sharon Kelly traces the Trump EPA's plan to use environmental policy to force the public to pay for dirty AI development. 

- Doug Saunders writes that we can't presume Trump's threats are merely a means of trying to pressure us into a better deal for resource access. And Dave Vetter points out that the Trump regime's eugenic policy is inextricably linked to a long line of neoliberal propaganda seeking to devalue human life where it doesn't suit the interests of capital. 

- Alisa Yurchenko reports on the supply chains which are keeping Russia stocked with supposedly-banned microchips which can then be used to attack Ukraine. And the Canadian Press reports on the federal government's review of its options to avoid relying on F-35s and other U.S.-controlled defence equipment. 

- Allan Smith and Peter Nicholas report on the development of Donald Trump's obsession with taking over Canada. Armine Yalnizyan offers her plan to build resilience and strengthen our national position in response to the threat. Janet Bufton writes about the significance of being able to say "no" as a matter of national sovereignty. And Gil McGowan discusses why Danielle Smith should side with Team Canada over the Trump regime - though there's little reason for confidence she'll make that choice.  

- Finally, Bee Wilson writes about the risks of loading young children full of ultra-processed snacks. And George Monbiot points out the need for localized food solutions as global supply chains break down.