Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way chart the likely road ahead in the U.S.' journey from democracy to authoritarianism, while Hamilton Nolan's interview with Stephanie Kelton includes the warning that it may be too late to salvage anything if a resistance movement limits its focus to electoral politics and timelines. Sam Freedman discusses how Elon Musk's influence - and the associated use of technology to seize unfettered power - is the main difference between Donald Trump's first term and his second. David Zipper notes that consumers have plenty of power to protest Musk's absues by making the choice to boycott Tesla as the main source of his current wealth. And Ed Zitron juxtaposes the promise of technology which could help improve people's lives against the reality that tech giants are exploiting us. 

- Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Bretty Murphy discuss the illegality of the immediate trashing of USAID. And Greg Sargent discusses how Pope Francis' response to the invocation of theology to excuse Trump's hatred has placed a spotlight on his administration's moral rot, while Sarah Newey reports on the first deaths directly traceable to the shutdown of its operations. 

- Paul Krugman writes that Trump and Musk have made it open season for scammers to steal money from the American public. And Liz Dye discusses how the destruction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a combination of spite and opportunism. 

- Dave Jamieson reports that large numbers of U.S. workers are joining unions in an effort to build collective strength against Trump. And Jon Milton notes that there's plenty Canadian governments can and should do in response to corporate union-busting, including Amazon's shuttering of its Quebec warehouse in response to an organizing campaign. 

- Steve Smethurst discusses new research about the threat of PFAs and other dangerous chemicals in sewage sludge which is used for agricultural purposes. And Andrew Gregory reports on a study showing that air pollution is responsible for upwards of a thousand annual cases of a single form of lung cancer in the UK, while Denise Balkissoon writes about the data gaps which limit our ability to identify similar threats in Canada. 

- Finally, Kim Pate discusses how Pierre Poilievre's draconian attacks on drug users would only exacerbate poverty and addiction. And Brett McKay reports on the 19-year difference in life expectancy between Indigenous people and other Albertans as a grim example of how discrimination and bigotry lead to severe health consequences. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Alex Cosh discusses how our response to the new Trump administration needs to move beyond avoiding tariffs toward routing our international relations around a clear and present danger. And Ashleigh Stewart reports that Steve Bannon's plans to for "hemispheric control" go far beyond trade as well. 

- David Smith highlights how Trump is following in the footsteps of Viktor Orban (who is of course a model for Canadian Cons as well in his attacks on democracy). Paul Krugman writes that the key factor to watch for at this stage is the concentration of power via autogolpe. Moira Donegan writes about Elon Musk's effective control through shadow government mechanisms, while Robert Reich examines his minions' burrowing into government computer systems (which Charlie Warzel and Ian Bogost observe to be a terrifying reality according to the people who know those systems best),

- Meanwhile, Mark Frauenfelder highlights how Google's monetized reCAPTCHA system is simultaneously a means of tracking people in alarming detail, a profit centre and a massive waste of time for users. And Charlotte Cowles discusses the current reality of surveillance pricing. 

- Brittany Welsh and Julian Aherne report on a new study showing that Ontario's cottage country lakes aren't immune from the proliferation of microplastics, while Tik Root and Joseph Winters report on Exxon's plans to spend billions of dollars making the problem worse. Lorne Fitch notes that Alberta coal spokesflacks are pushing nonsense research to claim that selenium contamination is just fine for you, while Phillip Meintzer points out how four oil sands companies have signed on to endorse increased cancer rates for Indigenous communities. And Zoya Teirstein discusses how the smoke from California's recent wildfires is particularly toxic due to the large amount of plastic and chemical content. 

- Finally, the Climate Institute examines the importance of building new housing in areas which mitigate the likelihood of climate-related emergencies - rather than in ones which are particularly vulnerable to them (or already the sites of recent disasters). And Katya Schwenk reports on the greed and folly of real estate developoers pushing to be build developments in areas which are already running out of water. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Tyler McBrien writes about the U.S.' state capture which makes it impossible to know who's making decisions which can have catastrophic effects (let alone allow for any democratic accountability). Gil Duran examines the techbro plan to install a CEO-dictator to control the U.S. in place of any responsive government, while Brian Merchant discusses the attempt to build an AI-based permission structure to allow that state of affairs to continue. Adam Gurri argues that Elon Musk is a greater threat to the U.S. public than Donald Trump. Jonathan Last notes that in addition to historic dictators, the apparent models for Musk's takeover of the U.S. include Batman villains. Mike Brock points out Musk's obvious conflicts of interest (and the utter impossibility of his being able to avoid them even if he wanted to). 

- Robert Reich details the coup in progress against the U.S. government. Don Moynihan discusses why Musk's takeover and manipulation of data is no less important than his seizure of the public purse. Mike Masnick points out the obvious risks of allowing a takeover of - and backdoor into - the U.S.' public payments system. 

- Frank Miroslav offers the hopeful view that Trump may be stupid enough to fall short of the damage he intends to inflict, while Hamilton Nolan notes that the corporate sector had also proven its own idiocy by supporting a chaotic regime which makes any predictable development impossible. Robert Kuttner writes that the U.S. needs a more effective opposition than a Democratic Party which is utterly supine in the face of corporate corruption, while Les Leopold points out the need for a political movement for working people. And Blair Fix highlights how Republicans have used populist messaging to further concentrate the wealth and power of plutocrats. 

- Marv Shaffer warns against limiting Canada's response to the protection of our own corporate class against tariffs when there's a need for massive international cooperation to fill a vacuum of influence and support, while Simon Enoch likewise notes that we shouldn't allow business lobby groups to turn our response into a profit centre and source of leverage against the public. Heather Mallick discusses the need for a wartime footing which includes focusing on necessities rather than conspicuous consumption. And Nora Loreto writes that one of the major challenges in assembling a principled response in the face of a threat is the dismantling of Canadian culture at the behest of corporate forces.

- Eric Wickham talks to experts about the need to become less dependent on the U.S. And the National Farmers Union highlights how to protect food sovereignty in the face of a hostile neighbour, while Charles Conten and Tia Hentra discuss how the electric vehicle industry can thrive regardless of what Trump does.  

- Finally, David Moscrop points out how Doug Ford's continued attachment to both Trump and Musk shows him to be absolutely unfit to hold power. And Shellene Drakes-Tull writes about the level of contrived naivete needed for Ford to express surprise that Trump would follow through on his threats toward Canada.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Tim Snyder calls out the coup in progress as unelected lackeys take over major elements of the U.S.' government, while Jamelle Bouie rightly makes the case that the damage being done to the U.S.' constitutional order by the combination of a power-mad executive and fully compliant legislative branch is irreversible. Elizabeth Popp Berman discusses how unilateral control over government payments by an unelected political crony represents the end of any pretense of democracy, while David Dayen points out the flagrant illegality of Elon Musk's usurpation of that power. Jill Filipovic writes about the Trump administration's scheme to asset-strip the U.S. government. 

- Robert Reich writes that the point of Trump's trade posturing is to demonstrate a willingness to punish anybody who doesn't bow before him. Kaylin Hamilton discusses the futility of limiting opposition to demands for civility which ultimately serve only to further empower those already in control. And Greg Sargent interviews Andy Craig about the options that are available to meaningfully respond - including loud protest backed by every available action. 

- Paresh Dave and Caroline Haskins report that Google's place within the new authoritarian regime includes reversing a policy which previously prohibited its AI from being used for weapons and surveillance. Oliver Milman reports on the state of fear among scientists as all accurate information about climate change is purged from official sources. And Jeff Tollefson points out the impending clash between a regime insistent on pushing dirty fossil fuels to enrich a major donor group, and a transition to more affordable clean energy already in progress. 

- Pete McMartin discusses why Canada and other countries aren't about to ignore or forget the U.S.' bullying even if some immediate threats are being delayed, while Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean comments on the warnings we've received against future reliance on the U.S. Crawford Kilian's proposed resistance against Trump's extortion includes building closer international ties while treating collaborators' brands as toxic. Paul Wells makes the case for applying our own tariffs rather than letting Trump continue to make threats with apparent impunity. And Heather McPherson discusses what a principled and courageous foreign policy would properly include. 

- Finally, Gaby Hinsliff writes that no country can afford to appease or encourage a regime which is willing to wreck the world. And Andy Bounds reports on the EU's ability to target tech giants and intellectual property monopolies as part of an anti-coercion response. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Jessica Wildfire discusses how the Trump/Musk administration is meeting or exceeding the most damning predictions, while Ian Dunt points out the similar pattern following from Brexit as the same anti-social right undermined the public interest in the UK. Timothy Snyder writes about the effects of government based on the logic of destruction, while Taya Graham interviews Stephen Janis about the acceleration of the U.S.' decline already in progress. And Ezra Klein highlights the dangers of trusting Trump's false claims to dictatorial authority, while Thom Hartmann rightly calls out the seizure of invented power as a form of treason.  

- Alex Kirshner interviews Ed Zitron about the dystopian future we'll face if tech tycoons get their way.  Caleb Ecarma and Judd Legum report on the pillaging of Americans' personal information in government data banks by Elon Musk and his incel cultists, while Mike Masnick notes that Musk is following the playbook which destroyed Twitter in dealing with the U.S.' state apparatus. 

- Stephen Marche writes that Trump's threats to conquer Canada will come to nothing (at least as long as we don't let his apologists dictate our response), while David Moscrop comments on the type of nationalism which will best defend Canada's identity as a country capable of recognizing and improving upon its own failings. Adam King argues that the lesson to be drawn from Trump is to confirm the longstanding need to become less tied to the U.S. Blayne Haggart notes that nothing that happens with the current round of tariffs will change the reality that the U.S. is an unreliable actor, while Stewart Prest sets out some principles to deal with that lack of trust and credibility (including the need for other countries to work together). Jennifer Robson discusses how the public response to the COVID-19 pandemic offers lessons in how to structure supports in the wake of a tariff war, with a key consideration being to support workers' livelihood rather than to funnel money to businesses. And in another analogy to the pandemic, Nora Loreto offers a warning that we can fully expect unscrupulous businesses to profiteer off of the imposition of tariffs. 

- Luke LeBrun reports on the labour movement's call to hit back hard against Trump's attack on Canada, while the Climate Action Network sets out a civil society response looking to put people first and build resilience. Taylor Noakes discusses how Canada's long-term defence is best served by investing in a climate army. And Evan Scrimshaw notes that the corruption of the Trump regime sets up opportunities for a targeted response against his cronies. 

- Finally, Lois Ross discusses how the Libs have chosen to allow for still more concentration of wealth and power in the agricultural sector through a corporate merger. And Maura Forrest reports on new research showing that Canadian preschoolers get more than half of their calorie intake from ultra-processed foods. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Julia Kollewe reports on Oxfam's latest data on inequality showing that the wealth of billionaires grey by over two trillion dollars in 2024, with the prospect of multiple trillionaires looming as an imminent posibility. And Seamas O'Reilly discusses how tech oligarchs are making life objectively worse for the general public, while Philip Moscovitch talks to Ed Zitron about the spread of the rot economy. 

- Katherine Rempel reports on the reaction of businesses to Trump's tariff threats - which understandably involve routing import supply chains around the tariffs to the extent possible rather than building a new manufacturing sector from scratch. Gabriel Zucman makes the case for Europe to develop a trade regime managed to counter carbon pollution and wealth accumulation. And Christo Aivalis discusses how Canada's response should involve a move toward public ownership and economic planning, while Cory Doctorow suggests that Canada focus on developing alternatives and workarounds to rent-seeking in tech and consumer goods. 

- Meanwhile, Heather Stewart writes about a new paper on the importance of cohesion and trust to produce both economic and social success.  

- Finally, Joan Westenberg discusses the need to work on building rather than falling into cynicism and inaction. And Charlie Warzel notes that the internet can and should be a source of support and engagement, rather than merely a source of material for doomscrolling. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Marc Elias explores what it means to worry that "we're on our own" in the face of a fascist government and crumbling institutions - while noting that one of the most important tasks in building resistance is to ensure people don't give up the fight for democracy and solidarity. Brian Beutler makes the case to work on pro-social activity - particularly in contrast to engaging with the social media outlets which have been turned into propaganda mills by techbros. And Josh Marshall rightly notes that there's a massive opportunity to tap into existing public sentiment in opposing government by billionaires for billionaires. 

- A.R. Moxon writes that an economic system built on the principle of unconstrained growth and ruthless efficiency in extracting wealth regardless of the cost to human life can hardly expected to do anything but grind through the population without any compunction. Angel Munarriz writes about the "nationalist international" seeking to impose discriminatory authoritarianism on a country-by-country basis. David Howarth implores UK Labour to limit plutocratic domination of media and politics before it's too late. And Dale Smith warns about the need to beware of Pierre Poilievre's own plan to turn public policy over to the broligarchy. 

- Jon Ungoed-Thomas reports on the multinationals who are exercising discretion to let the value of UK  employees' pensions erode even while raking in massive profits. And David Climenhaga notes that  the UCP is looking to dismiss a readily-foreseeable report from the chief actuary of Canada saying that Alberta can't steal over half of the value of the Canada Pension Plan to funnel into dirty energy. 

- Jim Stanford writes about the high cost of not striking - as the failure of workers to stand up for each other produces a far worse outcome for the entire working class. And Adam King points out the Trudeau Libs' contempt for collective action - with its squelching of the Canada Post strike representing just the latest of many choices to prioritize management control over the interest of workers and the public. 

- Ashley Wan-Tzu Lo and Suman Kumar Mitra study the effect of urban design, and find that denser and more accessible environments improve mobility and social activity. And Ron Johnson discusses new research showing how biking to work is associated with a bevy of health benefits (including lower cancer rates). But Trevor Potts discusses how Doug Ford is determined to pour public money into highways while deliberately destroying bike and pedestrian infrastructure. 

- Finally, Paul Krugman writes about the U.S.' choice to cultivate gambling and other addictions in order to create profit centers at the expense of far greater social harms. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Kat Kerlin writes about new research showing that the true social cost of carbon pollution is over $280 per ton - far higher than the prices currently attached to it, even as our policy debates center on whether to subsidize the climate crisis even further. And Nina Lakhan reports on the growing list of countries pushing for a just transition away from fossil fuels to avert a climate breakdown. 

- Martha Bebinger reports on the prescriptions for rooftop solar power which are helping to ensure people with specific medical needs aren't vulnerable to being cut off by private utilities. And Julian Fell, Tim Leslie, Alex Lim and Ashley Kyd discuss the global spread of solar power - and its ability to meet humanity's energy needs with far less disruption than fossil fuel alternatives. But Kate Aronoff warns that the fas of AI data centers risks keeping dirty energy onstream far longer than can reasonably be accepted. 

- Michelle Goldberg calls out the tech industry elites who have chosen fealty to Donald Trump over any other interest. And Andrew Egger warns that the silent surrenders of media organizations offer a dangerous precedent for the prospect of Trump's future wrongdoing being the subject of investigation and reporting. 

- Finally, Ron Filipkowski discusses the need for U.S. Democrats to build means of communicating with people in the face of a loud and closed conservative media ecosystem. And Ettingermentum examines the U.S. Democrats' retreat from substantive policy positions - which is now being used as an excuse to demand further drift toward the right. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jo Lauder, Tyne Logan, Fran Rimrod, Alex Lim and Stacy Gougoulis discuss how a largely-forgotten 2009 heat wave is the deadliest natural disaster in Australia's recent history - and how the climate breakdown is threatening to undermine the work done since then to protect people from extreme heat. 

- Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood points out that Donald Trump's plans to push increased American fossil fuel extraction may make Canadian production into a money-loser even faster than anticipated. Mitch Anderson reports on CAPP president Lisa Baiton's abandonment of any pretense that Canada's oil sector will ever contribute to even net-zero emissions. But Robert Tuttle reports that an abject refusal to be part of any solution isn't stopping Imperial Oil from demanding tens of billions of public dollars for a carbon capture scheme. 

- Oliver Milman reports on the U.S. climate scientists facing the reality of a denialist federal government. Ned Resnikoff writes that there's no reason to pretend the Republicans' plans to trash the any trace of a functional state will be anything but destructive to the general public. And Denny Carter discusses how people have been trained to think of any regulation as undesirable - while being open to recognizing the protectie function that regulations are intended to serve. 

- Nora Loreto points out that the austerity pushed by parties who rely largely on rural voters is responsible for the erosion of smaller communites. 

- Zoe Williams writes about the realities of life in the midst of a "quad-demic" even as most people operate in utter denial. Devi Sridhar discusses the particularly acute danger of a bird flu pandemic based on the foreseeable mutation of strains which have already been detected. And C. Alfaro et al. examine how it's possible to detect aerosolized COVID-19 - and how care homes and healthcare settings have the most dangerous concentrations. 

- Finally, Edward Zitron discusses the corporate enshittification of everything, as the software systems underlying an increasingly large proportion of human activity become perpetually more focused on extracting profits at the expense of people.  

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Will Noel, Lia Codrington and Scott MacDougall examine the lessons to be learned from jurisdictions who have been making a successful transition to renewable energy. David Roberts talks to Cory Doctorow about the need to avoid letting clean energy fall into the enshittification trap that's ensnared so many other parts of our economy and society. Mark Paul, Holly Caggiano and Emily Grubert discuss a new survey showing that there's strong public support even in the U.S. for curtailing fossil fuel extraction. 

- Grant Smith reports that even OPEC is grudgingly acknowledging that demand for fossil fuels is headed for a precipitous decline - though the oil-soaked Canadian right figures to be the last group of people willing to acknowledge that reality. Peter Kalmus discusses the desperate need to stop giving oil barons and their lobbyists a veto over climate action. Ecojustice exposes how CNRL alone is blatantly violating its obligations to report carbon pollution at hundreds of Alberta sites, while Mike de Souza reports that even when the UCP government is aware of violations by oil companies its priority is to suppress the truth rather than enforcing the law. And Yue Qui, Aaron Sojourner and Paolo Volpin examine how mergers and acquisitions tend to signal more dangerous work environments in mines. 

- Jack Marley discusses how increasing desertification of land demonstrates the need to rapidly contain the climate breakdown. And Harriet Reuter Hapgood reports on new research showing how that the reach of drier conditions extends to over three quarters of the Earth's land.  

- Kate Yoder wonders whether talk of tipping points serves to encourage or demoralize people in the pursuit of climate action. And Paul Waldman warns of the dangers of politics based on shapeless disgruntlement. 

- Derek Robertson writes about the tech sector's plan for the Trump administration to foster a culture of impunity and corporate waste. Jarrett Renshaw, Rachael Levy and Chris Kirkham report on a particularly noteworthy example in Elon Musk's plans to eliminate reporting requirements for car crashes to ensure Tesla's carnage on the roads can't be studied or regulated.  

- Finally, Dhruv Khullar writes about the new gilded age of medicine in a system increasingly designed to exploit patients rather than treating them or supporting their health. Annie Waldman reports on UnitedHealth's choice to systematically limit access to treatments for autism. And Christina Jewett and Sheryl Gay Stolberg report on the attempt by one of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s associates to cancel any approval for polio vaccines as RFK is set to assume control over public health in the U.S. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- John Ganz discusses how a number of tech tycoons chose to support Donald Trump as part of a broader distaste for democracy and popular empowerment. And Oliver Darcy discusses how the Los Angeles Times (like other major media outlets) has been converted into a propaganda arm of the business oligopoly after falling under billionaire control.  

- Jesse Drucker examines how the U.S.' estate tax has been undermined, resulting in stagnant public revenues even in the face of systematic concentration of wealth. And Margit Schratzenstaller examines how the rich respond to inheritance taxes - finding far more evidence of evasion and avoidance than of any real moves to avoid paying a fair share. 

- Marcela Garcia reports on the takeover of veterinary medicine by private capital, resulting in corporate control over both consumers and veterinarians.

- Anna Merlan reports on the rise of one prominent climate denial account on X thanks to active support from numerous members of the Trump regime. And Adamo Anthony Donovan writes about the misinformation campaign against bike infrastructure. 

- Joel Bourne discusses the climate and environmental effects of a global food system based on fragile monocultures in stressed ecosystems. And Kiley Price examines how the climate breakdown is both increasing the need for vaccines, and interfering with their availability. 

- Finally, Lise Courteau points out the need to recognize and value unpaid work in order to promote equality and safety for women - even as dangerous political forces are attempting to push in the opposite direction. 

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Joshua Pearce discusses the reality that the climate crisis could carry a ten-figure death toll over the course of this century - which would give rise to an obvious responsibility to act among any but the most inhuman of leaders. Mario Alejandro Ariza reports on the connection between insurance costs rising as a result of the climate breakdown, and a resulting spike in people who can't pay their mortgages. And Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood highlights the need for Alberta and other jurisdictions currently under the thrall of petropolitics to prepare for reduced demand. 

- But Joakim Kulin examines how finger-pointing and blame-shifting have been used to translate nationalism into climate obstruction. Raphael Satter and Christopher Bing reports on the emerging revelations as to how Exxon Mobil and its corporate buddies have sponsored and made use of the hacked e-mails of environmentalists to disrupt climate litigation and activism. And Geoff Dembicki reports on the astroturfing efforts of the fossil gas lobby in its attempt to undercut Vancouver's ban on gas heating - though Seth Klein is relieved to note that attempt to drag the city backwards just barely fell short. 

- Henry Obanya discusses the immense amount of microplastic pollution caused by vehicle tires. 

- Negin Owliaei and Maya Schenway point out that the incoming Trump administration has a detailed and dangerous playbook to shut down progressive civil society. And Robert Reich offers a reminder that an ostensibly populist campaign has given way to a cabinet of plutocrats and their sycophants, while Gil Duran talks to Brooke Harrington about the tech bros' plans to exploit the power of the presidency. 

- Finally, David Moscrop discusses the belated recognition by some commentators that a "liberal" consensus which does nothing to challenge concentrated wealth and power will never earn the support of the working class. And Kim Siever reminds us that billionaires are an economic drain on society - not a goal to be pursued, or even a necessary evil to be accepted.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- The American Institute of Biological Sciences weighs in on the growing scientific recognition that we're approaching - and indeed barreling toward - irreversible climate disaster. Benjamin Shingler reports on the International Energy Agency's projections that renewable energy will make cheap and abundant power available in the very near future - but that an "all of the above" energy strategy won't go far in reducing fossil fuel use or carbon pollution. And Marco Chown Oved reports on a new study showing that a switch to an electric vehicle can lead to significant cost savings at the individual level. 

- The Jamaica Observer highlights the multiple environmental problems posed by electronic waste. And Nathan Proctor discusses the findings from a study of community repaid events - showing that numerous products are already capable of being repaired, and that the vast majority could be if not for design or parts issues.  

- Nicholas Shaxson writes that Keir Starmer's whining about "red tape" represents a deliberate choice to serve corporate elites at the expense of public health and safety. And Cory Doctorow writes that governments are perfectly capable of applying fair taxes to billionaires' wealth if they haven't abdicated their responsibility for the general welfare, while Thomas Piketty discusses the importance of not overcomplicating fair tax plans (as the wealthy are of course eager to demand in order to delay implementation and create loopholes). 

- Finally, Jeremy Appel calls out several corporate media outlets for fueling authoritarian drug policies through sensationalized reporting on mental health and homelessness issues. And Zak Vescera reports on the Alberta oil money swamping British Columbia's election with ads in order to install the violently loony BC Cons in power.