Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Omar Mosleh discusses the growing damage being caused by repeated wildfires in Canada, while David Wallace-Wells writes that there's no escape from the air pollution being spread across the continent. And Don Pittis points out how public accounts which don't assess the non-pecuniary costs of climate change have resulted in a grossly distorted framework for discussion of climate policy.  

- Meanwhile, Frank Corini discusses Rhode Island's version of secretly-funded fossil fuel lobby groups who are polluting any effort to move to clean energy. 

- Angela Symons reports on a new UN Environmental Programme report showing how an 80% cut in plastic waste is entirely feasible by 2040 - though again getting there will require pushing back against the self-serving spin of the pollution industry. 

- Charles Rusnell offers a reminder that the UCP's history of bullying and dehumanization dates back to its founding and entire time in office. And Joel Dryden reports that even a normally-placid ethics commissioner accepting the UCP's preferred version of events without question has found Danielle Smith to have violated conflict of interest legislation by attempting to interfere in the prosecution of anti-public health extremists. 

- Finally, Cory Doctorow discusses how the U.S. has eventually reached the point of providing a free tax filing service (over the furious objection of the corporate monopolist which was otherwise taking a massive tithe on mandatory tax returns). And Tom Malleson writes that Canada has the ability to ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes - as long as we don't accept the excuse that it's not worth the political will to make it happen. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Martha Lincoln writes about the needless harm caused by public health messaging about being people being "tired" of pandemic precautions which many (if not most) are entirely willing to take. Rachel Gilmore reports on the WHO's warnings about the continued human toll from COVID. And Patrick Rail warns that Ontario is careening toward a brutal eighth wave this fall, while Josh Rubin reports on the recognition that the elimination of any isolation period will only increase the number of worker absences caused by COVID.

- Alexander Quon reports that a shortage of workers continues to devastate Saskatchewan's health care system and put patients at risk. And Heather Ganshorn and Medeana Moussa discuss the problems with "privatization creep" being imposed on Saskatchewan schools by the Moe government. 

- Meanwhile, Russell Wangersky points out that Scott Moe's recent bloviating about basic environmental enforcement actually means complaining about federal action which he specifically demanded - not that we can expect any acknowledgment of such inconvenient realities from a government focused purely on posturing and hate-mongering. Jared Wesley discusses how that same philosophy has resulted in Jason Kenney's downfall. And Luke LeBurn reports on the latest revelations of threats to the lives of federal cabinet ministers as a result of the Flu Trux Klan which continues to be supported by the Cons and their provincial cousins. 

- Martyn Brown suggests that Anjali Appadurai's campaign for the leadership of the B.C. NDP should include a much stronger message about the need to build labour solidarity and challenge the dominance of the rich. Darren Shore discusses how Canada is being far outpaced by other countries in bringing in tax revenue from the wealthiest few. And Umair Haque writes that soaring energy prices - like so many unfair and frustrating elements of our world - are the result of an economic system designed to enrich a well-connected few. 

- Finally, Tameed Hawfiq reports on a new report showing how increased mercury levels are threatening human and animal life in the Arctic. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Kaylyn Whibbs reports on the entirely justified concerns of parents whose children have been unable to receive a COVID booster due to provincial neglect. And Dana Smith discusses how polio has managed to make a resurgence in the U.S. as the same anti-social attitudes and aversion to science which have allowed COVID-19 to run rampant are also reversing previous victories over preventable diseases. 

- Richard Wolff discusses how messaging about "economic policy" typically serves as a cover for class warfare (though it's worth distinguishing between corporatist policy serving only to enrich the wealthy, and development policy which actually seeks to help people). And David Climenhaga rightly calls out Jason Kenney for trying to lure unsuspecting workers to Alberta with the promise of wages he's actively working to suppress. 

- Kate Aronoff examines how Ron DeSantis and other right-wing demagogues are trying to eradicate the slightest trace of social responsibility from corporate governance in order to justify continued carbon pollution. And in case there was any doubt that the balance instead needs to tilt toward greater consideration for the public interest rather than a sociopathic focus on short-term profit, Peter Milne reports on the massive amount of money the Australian public will be paying to clean up a Chevron oil field. 

- Meanwhile, Shah Meer Baloch and Damian Carrington report on the devastating monsoon and flooding hitting Pakistan, while Michael Le Page reports on the unprecedented heat wave endangering millions in China. 

- Finally, Peter Wehner argues that we can't afford to give in to the fatalism of Trumpists (which holds as true in Canada as in the U.S.). But as Stephen Maher writes, there's little reason to think Pierre Poilievre and his ilk will do anything but continue to court and support violent extremism since it suits their own political ends. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Kimberlyn McGrail examines the excess deaths caused by COVID-19 in Canada. Eric Berger discusses the continued lack of progress in diagnosing and treating a growing number of long COVID cases. Joshua Chong reports on the CCPA's study showing that women continue to bear the brunt of an unmanaged pandemic. 

- Meanwhile, Andre Picard writes that our response to a small number of cases of monkeypox may indicate whether we've learned anything at all from COVID. And Kristina Fiore notes that one of the enduring effects of the pandemic is the development of wingnut welfare for a new set of anti-science cranks. 

- Gillian Steward discusses how Alberta's health care system is suffering as a result of Jason Kenney's war on doctors (among other workers). And Zak Vescera reports on the growing recognition among health agencies that Saskatchewan needs to take action to limit the spread of HIV. 

- Marc Fawcett-Atkinson writes about the plea from Ontario's food banks for the province's next government to put them out of business, rather than continuing to make food deprivation into a growth industry. But Jessica McDiarmid warns that Doug Ford is on the verge of taking another majority by pretending to be everything to everyone (while governing only to funnel wealth toward his personal cronies). 

- Finally, Omar Mawji finds (PDF) that even in the midst of soaring prices, oil companies aren't bothering to set aside anywhere near enough money to clean up their existing messes. Geoff Dembicki discusses the reality that Suncor is one of the U.S.' worst climate villains, as it tries to undermine any effort to reduce pollution from refining and burning its products while posturing in Canada based solely on its extraction processes. And John Woodside reports on how Canada's major banks are propping up the TMX pipeline. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- The Associated Press reports on Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus's warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over. Mary Papenfuss discusses how people living in Trump-supporting counties (with lower vaccination rates driven by COVID denialism) have thus far been twice as likely to die of the coronavirus. And Ja'Han Jones writes about the latest research showing how widespread the ill effects of long COVID have been even among people fortunate enough to avoid severe initial symptoms.

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera reports that the list of public health crises being allowed to run rampant by the Moe government includes Saskatchewan worst-ever level of HIV infection.

- Nisha Patel writes about the "shrinkflation" which is allowing corporations to pad profits while providing less of what people need. And Scott Horlsey discusses the corporate concentration that resulted in the U.S. having no baby formula available for families which desperately need it. 

- Jon Quealley writes about Oxfam's call for taxes on concentrated wealth and windfall profits to reduce poverty and inequality. And Will Bunch notes that even the oligarchs of the world are ultimately better off not competing for total domination.

- Dave Robbins interviews George Monbiot about his new book on how to sustainably feed the planet. And Mia Rabson points out the need for more resilient infrastructure and more effective disaster response to address the harm already wrought by climate change.

- Finally, Brian Topp offers a post-mortem on Jason Kenney's tenure in charge of Alberta. But Scott Schmidt warns that nobody should assume the UCP can't find someone even worse.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Liz Szabo discusses how improved ventilation has plenty of additional benefits beyond limiting the spread of COVID - making it the COVID policy equivalent of the familiar image:

 

- Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail's editorial board writes that there's no excuse for pretending that two past COVID-19 vaccine doses are still sufficient for people to be "fully vaccinated", while Sonia Furstenau and David Fisman question why public health authorities are abandoning their core responsibilities while a global pandemic rages on. And Penny Daflos reports on the lack of available treatment for long COVID - and how for-profit providers are taking advantage where public health care systems are failing to meet people's needs. 

- On that front, Doreen Nicol warns that Conservative premiers are working their way through the health privatization playbook by failing in their responsibilities and encouraging people to pay for help elsewhere. And Mitchell Thompson reports that Doug Ford is also actively outsourcing responsibility for social assistance to businesses - with the intention to strip away the benefits which currently keep people alive while also setting up a corporate profit stream. 

- Danyaal Raza, Ritika Goel and Suzanne Shoush write about the need to push toward racial justice within our health care system as it stands. And Rachel Browne reports on the stark (if unsurprising) difference in arrests for drug possession by race. 

- Finally, Armine Yalnizyan writes that there's no reason to treat temporary inflation as an excuse for another round of '90s-style austerity. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- William Haseltine writes about the long-lasting and severe cognitive effects of long COVID, while Danny Altmann discusses the urgency of developing effective treatment given the reality that vaccines do little to prevent it. Katherine Wu warns that the U.S. is rapidly losing any window to set up a relatively safe summer, while Yasmine Ghania reports on the prospect that Saskatchewan could be in for months of high transmission to come. And Phil Tank rightly criticizes Scott Moe's choice to deprive people of any current information about the spread of COVID-19 in Saskatchewan even as he claims he wants them to manage their own risks. 

- Brigitte Pellerin points out the Libs' failure to live up to their promise of a disability benefit for Canadians even as provincial governments eliminate any pandemic supports or protections. 

- Naveena Sadisavam writes about the IPCC's conclusion that it's not too late to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius if countries live up to their climate commitments immediately. And Mia Rabson discusses the problem with a climate change policy which is designed to allow the largest emitters to pay the least for their carbon pollution. 

- Qi Yang, Mohsen Mosleh, Tauhid Zaman and David Rand study the familiar gripe that Twitter content management is biased against conservatives, and finds instead that content moderation is consistently based on the level of misinformation being shared by users of any political leaning.  

- Meanwhile, Stephen Magusiak discusses how Jason Kenney is trying to import Republican culture wars - including an attack on any recognition of historical or systemic discrimination - into Alberta's curriculum and education system. 

- Finally, David Dayen writes about the risks of making global trade dependent on China's monopoly in shipping container manufacturing. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- David Wallace-Wells examines the massive global toll of excess deaths from COVID-19 (likely far exceeding even the already-alarming official counts). Nele Brusselaers et al. examine how Sweden's choice to ignore science in favour of wishcasting and a strategy of deliberate infection resulted in avoidable tragedy, while Heidi Ledford looks at the possibilities and uncertainties in trying to medicate our way around long COVID. And Dr. Thomas Piggott discusses why he's still making sure to mask up to avoid not only illness for himself, but potentially deadly consequences for people who can't protect themselves. 

- Stewart Lansley examines the causes and consequences of the UK's model of extractive capitalism - with the predictable result being the concentration of wealth and power in a lucky few while everybody else faces perpetually more precarity. And Erica Pandey notes that the executive class is far more eager to force employees back to the office in person than workers are to take avoidable risks in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.

- Meanwhile, Laura Chinchilla and Maria Fernanda Espinosa discuss the importance of ensuring that the women who stand to bear the brunt of climate change are at the table in determining how best to avert and adapt to it, while Jeremy Appel writes that we can't afford to doom ourselves to a climate breakdown as part of a toxic masculinity contest with Vladimir Putin. And Donna Lu reports on satellite data showing that Antarctica's Conger ice shelf has collapsed. 

- David Moscrop writes about the hopeful prospect that the NDP-Lib supply and confidence agreement will lay the groundwork for a universal drug plan. And Jacques Gallant reports on the Libs' recognition that increased health care investment needs to be tied to specific priorities and outcomes, rather than being redirected to suit the political purposes of premiers. 

- Finally, Scott Schmidt examines the constant internal bickering and backstabbing within conservative parties which seems to have completely overtaken any interest in discussing policy choices. Graham Thomson reminds us that Jason Kenney has spent his entire time in Alberta politics courting the lunatics he now claims to need to control. And Taylor Lambert reports on the background to Jason Nixon's ascent to environment minister - featuring one of the UCP's trademark appointments of the person with the absolute worst combination of qualifications and suitability to oversee a government department. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Steven Woolf examines the inescapable connection between political choices and avoidable COVID-19 deaths between U.S. states. And Christopher Blackwell discusses how the pandemic may never end in prisons where authorities are even less interested in ensuring the health of the people whose lives depend on their decisions. 

- Luke Savage makes the case to tax the windfall profits being greedily accumulated by the fossil fuel industry. And Scott Schmidt writes that the Kenney UCP's refusal to consider any budgeting philosophy other than crushing austerity even in the midst of an oil boom proves that there's no time it will ever invest in the well-being of Albertans. 

- Naomi Klein discusses the use of toxic nostalgia to keep us tethered both to the continued of fossil fuels, and the extractive mindset needed to overlook its harms. And Philippe Fournier writes about surveys showing a large number of Con and PPC members who have fully bought into Trumpism. 

- Tim Louis writes about the growing scientific consensus around the reality - and imminent danger - of climate feedback loops. 

- Finally, David Moscrop argues that it's long past time to decriminalize drug use and focus on harm reduction rather than gratuitous criminalization and stigmatization. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Kit Yates discusses how the lifting of COVID-19 public health protections in the UK has predictably precipitated another wave of infections. Natalie Grover writes about the two-year-long battle to get decision-makers to accept that COVID-19 is transmitted through the air. And Catherine Pearson examines the factors which have allowed people to avoid becoming infected through the pandemic so far - with the effectiveness of public health measures (even when they haven't been recommended or required by governments) serving as the most important factor. 

- Meanwhile, Annie Lennon writes about research showing how COVID-19 can cause lasting nerve damage. And Adnan Qureshi et al. find that it can be responsible for new onset dementia. 

- Josh Rubin reports that far too many business are following cues from governments eager to declare the pandemic over in the face of any scientific evidence. Charlie Smith reports on research showing how racialized people suffer disproportionately from the elimination of public health protections, while the Canadian Press reports on the impossible situation facing parents of children under 5 who lack the protection from vaccination that the rest of the population is relying on to avoid the worst effects of COVID-19. And Adam Miller discusses how our mental health care system is in crisis while lacking any new resources to deal with new cases and issues arising out of the pandemic. 

- Finally, Markham Hislop contrasts Canada's largely empty words about transitioning to a clean economy against Europe's developing plan to make the shift over a decade or less. And Max Fawcett points out that Canada's oil industry is beholden to exactly the same Russian interests which its political puppets are claiming to be able to replace.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- The Max Planck Society explores how COVID-19 has developed to hide out and mutate within the human body. Tami Luhby discusses how even a receding Omicron wave has continued to have devastating effects on millions of Americans. And Jessie Anton reports on the concerns of Saskatchewan teachers about having to try to assess risk in the dark, while Mickey Djuric reports that what little Scott Moe is allowing anybody to see includes a spike in emergency room visits by children under 5. 

- Debra Satz and Stuart White write about the damage income inequality does to the fundamental underpinnings of democracy. And Elise von Scheel exposes Jason Kenney's selective calls to insulate Alberta-connected Russian oligarchs from sanctions, while Duncan Kinney reports on the money the AIMCo pension fund has invested in Russian assets. 

- Nick Gottlieb writes that a U.S. court reviewing the Biden administration's cancellation of oil and gas leases has recognized the folly of claiming to be addressing climate change by subsidizing and expanding fossil fuel production - and calculates how Canada's own choices are indefensible when that factor is taken into account. John Woodside discusses how Canada is both contributing to and suffering from the climate breakdown in progress based on the IPCC's most recent findings. And Rebecca Leber discusses the need for climate policy to be informed by social science research in order to be effective. 

- Finally, Mitchell Thompson highlights how Doug Ford's plan for gig workers is to strip them of benefits and protections which would otherwise be available to them. 

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Robin McKie and Michael Savage write about the warnings of UK scientists that the reckless elimination of public health protections will lead to far more preventable deaths. Alanna Smith reports on a letter from public health experts recognizing the dangers of the Kenney UCP's similar recklessness in the face of the Omicron wave. And Nathaniel Dove reports on the Saskatchewan Party's systematic hiding of COVID data (even from the province's health authority).

- Scott Schmidt is understandably frustrated that coddling the #FluTruxKlan has been added to the Alberta/Saskatchewan cycle of belated public health measures and premature celebration of the end of a pandemic which isn't going away. And Yasmine Ghania reports on the much-needed backlash against Scott Moe for indulging anti-science bigots.

- Meanwhile, recognition that the #FluTruxKlan itself is largely the product of foreign interference has begun to surface around the globe - with Ben Collins, Steve Reilly et al., and Zack Beauchamp each highlighting how it reflects cynical manipulation rather than public opinion. And Emma Graham-Harrison and Tracey Lindeman discuss the reality that the convoy isn't about COVID measures.

- The Star's editorial board calls out the Cons for their eagerness to join and promote the most hateful and evil of what the convoy has to offer. And Chauncey Devega talks to Joe Walsh about the reality that the Trump movement would happily destroy its own country in an expression of anger.

- Finally, Molly Shah reviews Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaeilian's the Privatization of Everything as a warning of how much more difficult it is to work toward the common good when our key social and economic infrastructure is built around the concentration of profits and wealth. But Rosa Saba points out one promising sign, as Canadian unionization rates are beginning to rise as workers recognize neither their employers nor their governments will work to keep them healthy and safe.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Kuodi et al. find some hopeful evidence that vaccinations may help to prevent long COVID symptoms as well as more acute ones. Nili Kaplan-Myrth rightly questions why safety is being treated as a privilege to be withheld from vulnerable people. And Yasmeen Serhan discusses how responsible leaders are challenging the anti-social actions of those who have chosen to remain unvaccinated, while Adam Hunter reports that Scott Moe's nonexistent public health response and insistence on coddling anti-vaxxers are being rejected by a growing majority of Saskatchewan's public. 

- Leyla Asadi, Raina MacIntyre, Lisa Brosseau and Trish Greenhaigh highlight the need to upgrade to respirators which effectively control the inhalation of viral particles. Josh Mark reports on John-Mark Opondo's call for people to self-isolate even with mild cold-like symptoms in order to reduce COVID spread. And Megan Ogilvie reports on Ontario's shortage of therapeutic drugs to treat COVID patients.  

- Taylor Lambert discusses the toxic mix of intimidation, disinformation and heavy-handed legislation that defines Jason Kenney's reign in Alberta - though one would be hard-pressed to find much basis for distinction from the governing philosophies of Scott Moe or Doug Ford. 

- Scott Schmidt calls out the familiar con being used once again by corporate spokesflacks to try to attack universality in health care. And Luke Lebrun reports on a new study documenting the Canadian Taxpayers Federation's deliberate choice to push racist messages and themes.  

- Matthew McClearn discusses how far Canada has to go in eliminating fossil fuel subsidies from a starting point of pouring more money into them than any other G20 country. And Amory Lovins and M.V. Ramana point out how a fully renewable power grid is entirely feasible with current technology - as long as we don't let climate deniers and corporate polluters set our energy agenda. 

- Finally, Joel Dryden reports on the effect of gig platforms on Alberta's labour market - including the reality that corporations are using apps as an excuse to avoid basic protections for workers who are actually their employees. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Ben Cohen points out some of the ways the Omicron variant deviates from what we've come to assume about COVID-19. And Colin Horgan writes that we should draw lessons from the pandemic in exposing some of the ways our social system is built to collapse. 

- Max Fawcett discusses how Jason Kenney and Doug Ford are proving themselves cowards with their grossly insufficient responses to the impending Omicron wave. But contrary to Fawcett's conclusion that Kenney ranks as the worst premier in the country, Scott Moe's refusal to implement a single public health measure - even in the face of modelling showing how a reasonable government could snuff out the wave entirely - stands out as uniquely callous even among this lot. 

- Kate Aronoff writes that the U.S.' failure to move ahead with even basic climate change legislation endangers the world as a whole. Trevor Melanson notes that the public needs to be better informed about the success stories that have arisen to date. And Julia Rock reports on Enbridge's attempt to squeeze even more windfall profits out of its pipelines now based on the argument that they'll be obsolete in just a decade or two. 

- PressProgress surveys some of the most important fights taken up by Canada's labour movement this year. And the Canadian Labour Congress responds to the Ford PCs' attempt to entrench second-class status for gig workers - including by highlighting the importance of universal social programs in not tying the necessities of life to employment (however it's disguised). 

- Finally, Stephen Maher looks to the history of tobacco companies' public denial of scientific facts in raising the likelihood that social media giants are similarly hiding the deliberately harmful effects of their own products. 

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- David Bush discusses how the latest wave of COVID-19 would have been entirely avoidable if we hadn't allowed corporate interests to suppress vaccine availability and turn workplaces into super-spreaders, while Andreas Laupacis confirms that we had (and have) more than enough knowledge to rein it in if our leaders cared enough to bother. Clara-Laeila Laudette reports on new research showing that the Omicron variant is far more likely to cause reinfection than previous versions of COVID, but no milder when it does take hold. Alexander Quon reports on Dr. Saqib Shahab's warning that people need to be cautious over the holidays, while Denis Campbell reports on the calamitous state of the UK's health-care system as massive spread among workers leaves nobody to treat increasing numbers of patients. Sabrina Maddeaux writes about the importance of proper ventilation in reducing viral spread.

- Ashleigh Stewart reports on the disinformation campaign pushing anti-vaccine positions in Canada. And Phil Tank reports on the steps anti-vaxxers took to take over Saskatchewan's Buffalo Party before putting themselves at Scott Moe's service.

- Graham Thomson discusses why Albertans need to be wary of the UCP's attempts to torque the province's political system to gloss over their past wrongs and eliminate competing voices just in time for the next provincial election.

- Finally, Matt Gurney writes that Justin Trudeau's hatred for the left reflects the fact that it actually stands for the principles which he seeks to claim for his own through mere lip service. And Eoin Higgins discusses how the COVID pandemic and other crises have pushed people to distinguish fakery from actual principles and solutions.

Return of the Talking Head

I appeared on CTV's News at 5 with Matt Young today, around 24:00 in this show. 

And of course, there were a few points I didn't make in the process, most notably this: pathetic though it is that Scott Moe's plan for Saskatchewan "autonomy" is copied from Jason Kenney, it's all the more embarrassing that Moe's chosen to plagiarize from someone who's flunking out of the class.

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Sara Birlios examines the grim state of Saskatchewan - including the numerous areas where Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party are consciously choosing social murder over even the slightest concern for the well-being of non-donors. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board calls out Jason Kenney for continually picking the wrong fights (and accruing a lengthy list of failures in the process). 

- Ryan Patrick Jones reports on the escalating pressure on already-overstretched food banks to help people to get by. And Rosa Saba highlights the backlash against the Libs' choice to keep subsidies flowing for businesses while leaving workers to fend for themselves. 

- Luis Feliz Leon and Maximillian Alvarez write about the importance of converting the visible worker militancy reflected in the U.S.' Striketober into substantial results and systemic change. 

- Heather Wetzel writes about the problem with discussing economics without recognizing and accounting for the distortionary effects of land and resource ownership.

- Kyle Bakx and Tony Seskus review Canada's history of underdelivering when it comes to averting the climate crisis. And Thomas Gunton examines how much more action is needed even to meet our current targets.  

- Andre Picard writes that the Libs' choice to identify a minister in charge of mental health means little if it isn't backed by funding and a commitment to action. 

- Finally, Umair Haque discusses why societies may be unable to see their own downfall - and how the U.S. and UK are falling prey to that phenomenon. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Fickling responds to the attempt by petropoliticians to blame high gas prices on limited climate action rather than the vagaries of commodity economics. Lisa Friedman reports on the agreement among 30 countries to slash methane emissions as a crucial short-term step in mitigating a climate breakdown. And Pratyush Dayal reports on the embarrassing gap between Saskatchewan residents' acknowledgment of the reality of the climate change, and their unwillingness to be part of the solution in fighting it. 

- Emma Black argues that any successful push toward a just transition needs to originate in the working class. Chris Saltmarsh highlights the importance of a Green New Deal which reflects state planning in the public interest, rather than attempting to get capital interests to develop a clean economy. 

- Lucy Ellman discusses how we've prioritized frequent and gratuitous air travel over basic health and safety (among other far more important concerns).   

- Kim Moody writes about the needless fragility of just-in-time supply chains as exposed by events ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, to the disruption caused by a single stuck ship. 

- Jennifer Sweet reports that out-of-control housing markets are pricing cooperatives out of the picture along with most individuals. 

- David Climenhaga writes about the dangers of Jason Kenney's all-in bet on an equalization referendum to salvage public support. 

- Finally, Doug Cuthand notes that the racism which led to Joyce Echaquan's death remains embedded in Canada's history and established social structures. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Ricky Leong discusses the complete lack of any reasonable explanation for the UCP's failure to protect the health of Albertans in the face of the fourth wave of COVID-19. And Murray Mandryk comments that the Sask Party likewise insists on doing too little, too late even as people suffer as a result of their negligence.

- Adam King writes that the Pandora Papers offer just the latest reminder that any refusal to fund the society we want is a matter of choice rather than lack of resources.

- Matt Bruenig points out the U.S.' dangerous combination of gratuitously-slashed unemployment benefits and a lack of new employment. And Lysa Lloyd offers her perspective on the precarity and drudgery that come with surviving on social assistance. 

- Sandy Carrier discusses how a general disability benefit in particular would provide a desperately-needed basic standard of living. And Andre Picard writes that all parties should be able to agree on the need to ensure people with disabilities aren't trapped in poverty.

- Angela Smith interviews Jessica Whyte about the neoliberal movement's use of human rights language to impose cruel capitalist structures. 

- And finally, Alan Finlayson discusses the need to present progressive politics based on concrete proposals and demands, rather than nebulous values which are easily distorted by opponents while offering little of substance for potential supporters to draw upon.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Smriti Mallapaty reports on new research suggesting that vaccines provide only partial protection against the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19. Sarath Peiris asks when Scott Moe and his minions will be held accountable for sacrificing hundreds of lives and thousands of people's health to science denial and wishful thinking. And the Maple examines the failure of both Moe and Jason Kenney to take steps to protect public health in the face of record case and hospitalization counts. 

- Jim Stanford writes about the importance of frontline workers in a pandemic - and the economic forces trapping them in precarity and deprivation. 

- Alec Salloum discusses how the Moe government's changes to Saskatchewan social programs are depriving the people who most need housing and income supports of those basic building blocks of a healthy life. And George Eaton points out how cuts to pandemic supports look to increase poverty and inequality in the UK. 

- Cole Hanson highlights how Canada has chosen to legitimize tax evasion rather than making it a priority to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share. And Adam Ramsey similarly writes about the UK's role in the Pandora Papers and the global system of tax avoidance, while Peter Oborne discusses the partisan connections between tax evasion and big-money donations to the UK Cons. 

- Meanwhile, Umair Haque and Doug Saunders each discuss the self-inflicted damage the UK faces as a result of Brexit. 

- Finally, Magdi Semrau explores how the U.S.' media distorted coverage of withdrawal from Afghanistan in favour of a frame of permanent war with no regard for consequences. And David Pugliese exposes how Canada has trained far-right extremists in the Ukraine.