Wednesday morning news drop
Constructions workers in Western Canada heavily represented in overdose deaths An analysis of 872 overdose deaths carried out by the BC Coroners Service showed that 44% of the individuals were employed at the time of death and of those, 55% were employed in the trades and transport industry. (ATAC)
There Is Shadow Inflation Taking Place All Around Us Some companies haven’t been raising prices. Instead, they’ve been cutting back customer services and conveniences, but how should that be measured?(Upshot)
What Does Frances Haugen Want From Facebook? I don’t think she loves the product in the current form. I think she considers it to be a threat to democracy and human life. But in terms of the general idea that this technology doesn’t have to be this way and that a company that is committed to Facebook’s stated mission of connecting the world and bringing people closer together, that that is a possible thing. If people just ended up being angrier at Facebook as a result of what she’d done, it was kind of a waste. (Slate)
Al Gore’s $36 Billion Fund Sees New Urgency to Cut Off Oil Money Five years. That’s roughly how much time the investment universe has left to stop feeding capital to greenhouse-gas emitters before it’s too late. “The urgency of the challenge will require us to think differently around capital allocation,” Blood said in an interview. “And we don’t have 15 years or 18 years to get there. We have probably five years.” (Bloomberg Green)
Kyrie Irving facing justified consequences isn’t a moment to gloat The Brooklyn Nets have called Kyrie Irving’s bluff. Following weeks of cajoling and coddling and respectful nodding about the all-star point guard’s “personal views” when it comes to refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the organization that is on the hook for his $35.3 million salary — only to be faced with prospect of having him work part-time — finally said “enough.” (Sportsnet)
The best- and worst-case scenarios for Covid-19 this winter Last year, almost nobody was vaccinated against Covid-19. 56% of the US population is fully vaccinated as of October 7. That includes 84% of people over 65, who are generally the most vulnerable to dying from the virus. FDA will soon consider whether to authorize a vaccine for children as young as 5, which would push vaccination rates higher. More than half the population being vaccinated is the primary reason for optimism about the coming months. (Vox)
On B.C.’s Sunshine Coast, some of Canada’s oldest living trees escape the chopping block The treasured high-elevation Dakota Bowl has been slated for auction with BC Timber Sales every year for the last five years. Determined to protect the old-growth forest, home to culturally modified trees, hanging lakes and ancient cedar bear dens, a local conservation group brought new tactics and independent science to the table (Narwhal)
Dwayne Johnson Lets Down His Guard A no-holds-barred talk with the megastar and entrepreneur about his volatile childhood, his heartbreaking relationship with his dad, and Vin Diesel’s “bullshit.” (Vanity Fair)
Will a Canadian Team Ever Win the Stanley Cup Again? An expert explains what it would take to end the nearly three-decade dry spell (Walrus)
