Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Kevin Jiang reports on the reality that COVID-19 has resulted in a crash in life expectancy (which has already been stagnant due to the failure to reduce the harm of the drug poisoning crisis). And Victoria Wells points out that even ruthlessly selfish employer shills should be concerned about a disease whose effects are devastating the labour market. 

- Meanwhile, Rowena Mason and Jessica Elgot expose how at the start of the pandemic - when most themes were ones of "we're all in this together!" - the UK Cons were actively pressuring the BBC to both echo government talking points about public health measures, and engage in partisan attacks and coverups on their behalf. 

- Caroline Hillier reports on the particularly dangerous stressed on parents facing perpetual burnout and illness as the default expectation of their corporate overlords. And Stefanie Davis reports on the Saskatchewan Union of Nurses' call for a meaningful response to understaffing and exceeded capacity in hospitals. 

- Finally, Rebecca Solnit writes that we should be treating a just transition to a clean economy as an opportunity for abundance and well-being, not a threat of deprivation (which better describes the oligarchical system in which we're currently trapped). Janetta McKenzie and Scott MacDougall examine (PDF) how Canada already provides more fossil fuel subsidies than the U.S. - even as the oil and gas sector continues to demand more. And The Breach offers an honest ad about Canada's treatment of toxic tar sands leavings:

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Camille Bains reports on Dr. Mona Nemer's warning that long COVID represents a mass disabling event with potentially devastating social and economic consequences. And Zeynep Tufecki examines the evidence showing the importance of masking in reducing the spread and severity of COVID-19. 

- Natasha Bulowski reports on DT Cochrane's rightful concerns that the spin from grocery magnates summoned to testify before Parliament didn't accurately reflect the reality of how prices have been inflated to generate windfall profits. And Linda McQuaig calls out the Libs for meekly letting big pharma dictate that needed medicines will continue to be subject to inflated prices as well. 

- Carl Meyer reports on the anticipated effects if banks actually comply with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions ' plan to include the cost of a climate breakdown in disclosures about their lending portfolios. Alex Panetta interviews Drew Anderson about the fallout from Alberta and Imperial Oil's joint cover-up of massive tailings ponds leaks. And Helena Horton reports on the BBC's decision to squelch David Attenborough's show on the destruction of nature based on the fear of retaliation from a fossil-backed government. 

- Finally, Andy Kroll, Andrea Bernstein and Nick Surgey examine the billions of dollars being funneled into smashing solidarity and entrenched corporate control over the U.S.