The World Health Organization declared a “public health emergency of international concern” over the potential spread of mpox last week. Should that escalate, especially as media report domestic cases, I think we’re going to discover one of the darker realities of the post-pandemic: You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to have trust issues with governmental failure to lead, set meaningful metrics, or even clearly narrate in a crisis.

Let us praise Annie Hylton for reminding us, with her recent profile of premier Scott Moe in the Walrus, that we ignore Saskatchewan provincial politics at our peril. The anecdote about the text from his brother-in-law, following his successful leadership bid, is worth the price of admission alone.

The two minds behind the “Expanse” science fiction franchise have returned with the first work in a new universe entitled, The Mercy of Gods (2024). I’m already looking forward to the next one.