Delegates and media watching Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain during his opening speech of COP26 summit, in Glasgow, Scotland.Credit...Kieran Dodds for The New York Times
“The United Nations climate agency on Wednesday released a draft of an accord that urges countries to ‘revisit and strengthen’ in the next year their plans for cutting planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.
The document marks an initial agreement among some 200 nations that will be used as a template to strike a deal as the two-week global climate summit in Glasgow nears its end Friday.
In addition to calling on countries to set more aggressive goals for cutting emissions, it urges nations to ‘to accelerate the phasing out’ of coal and to stop subsidizing other oil and gas. It also asks them to set policies to stop adding greenhouse gases ‘by or around mid-century’ to help keep global warming at relatively safe levels.
Still, a lack of firm deadlines and enforcement mechanisms in the document pointed to the hurdles ahead as negotiators try to reach a consensus at the summit known as COP26, where a primary goal is to agree on stronger action to keep the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), compared to preindustrial levels.
Beyond that threshold, scientists say, the likelihood significantly increases of deadly heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods and species extinction. The planet has already warmed by 1.1 degrees Celsius.
David Waskow at the World Resources Institute, a Washington think tank, said that the draft lacks a ‘clear sense’ that limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees is a global target, and that the language urging countries to toughen their emissions goals is vague and nonbinding.
Still, he called it a positive step that is ‘very much in line’ with the commitments that vulnerable nations have been seeking from heavily polluting countries.
The United States under President Biden has pledged to cut emissions 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade. China, the world’s largest climate polluter, has said its emissions will peak before 2030 and Russia has made a vague pledge to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by 2060 — but analysts say the goals of both countries are insufficient for getting the planet on a 1.5-degree trajectory.
On Tuesday, United Nations researchers released a report that found that under countries’ current pledges to reduce emissions, the Earth is on track to warm about 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit), a full degree beyond the goal outlined in the draft.” Read more at New York Times
Screenshot: MSNBC
“It turns out it's not OK to use the White House as a stage for the Republican National Convention:
A top watchdog found that 13 senior Trump officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, violated ethics law and helped create ‘a taxpayer-funded campaign apparatus within the upper echelons of the executive branch.’
A federal judge last night rejected Trump's request to block the National Archives from turning over documents sought by the House select committee investigating Jan. 6.
The committee has subpoenaed 16 former Trump aides over the past two days, including former senior adviser Stephen Miller, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and campaign adviser Jason Miller.
A second grand jury has been empaneled in New York's criminal investigation of the Trump Organization (NBC News).
An Atlanta district attorney is moving toward convening her own grand jury in an investigation of Trump's attempts to overturn the election in Georgia (N.Y. Times).” Read more at Axios
“Oklahoma’s highest court reversed a historic ruling against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday, finding a judge incorrectly interpreted public nuisance laws in the nation’s first major trial over the opioid epidemic.
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The 5-to-1 decision that overturned the $465 million verdict issued by Cleveland County District Judge Thad Balkman in 2019 is a blow to the argument that companies that marketed, sold and distributed opioids created a public nuisance and should abate some of the damage drugs have caused in communities. Oklahoma communities alleged they were inundated by billions of pills while people were becoming addicted and overdosing. A similar claim is being tested in courts by other communities nationwide that are suing companies, arguing they are in part responsible for the public health crisis that has killed more than 500,000 people in two decades.
Companies scored a win last week in California when a judge said he would rule against several large counties arguing public nuisance claims because they had not proved deceptive marketing increased medically unnecessary prescriptions. Other cases hinging on similar arguments have not yet been heard or decided. In West Virginia, a federal judge is considering his ruling in a case that centers on a public nuisance claim, in which hard-hit communities allege distributors shipped opioids to their area without regard for red flags. The distributors have denied wrongdoing.” Read more at Washington Post
“As expected, Pfizer and BioNTech announced they are seeking an amendment to the FDA’s emergency use authorization for their Covid-19 vaccine that would allow booster shots for everyone 18 and older. Federal health officials have repeatedly expressed concern about waning immunity as the US enters the winter months. The public is facing another dangerous pandemic obstacle as well: misinformation. Nearly 80% of Americans have been exposed to false claims about Covid-19, according to survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, with the most common claim being that the government is exaggerating Covid-19 death counts. About 3 in 10 respondents believed or weren’t sure about common vaccine misinformation regarding side effects.” Read more at CNN
“The Biden administration is set to announce today that it has brokered a deal to get more doses of the Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine into conflict zones around the world, a senior White House official tells Axios health care editor Tina Reed.
Why it matters: J&J doses could previously only be used for official government vaccination programs due to liability concerns. But in many humanitarian settings and conflict zones, there's no government entity to administer the doses and accept that liability.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken is expected to announce the deal as part of a virtual meeting with foreign ministers today.
He will also announce that the U.S facilitated a deal to make an additional 300,000 doses of J&J available for humanitarian, UN peacekeeping, and other frontline workers around the world.” Read more at Axios
“After stops at Capitol Hill in Washington, Parliament in London, the EU Parliament in Brussels and a tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal , Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen will next address French lawmakers in Paris Wednesday. Speaking to The Associated Press, Haugen warned the ‘metaverse’ – the all-encompassing virtual reality world at the heart of the social media giant's growth strategy – will be addictive and rob people of more personal information while giving the company another monopoly online. Haugen said her former employer rushed to trumpet the metaverse recently because of the intense pressure it is facing after she revealed deep-seated problems at the company. Mark Zuckerberg has defended the company he founded, complaining last month leaked documents have painted ‘a false picture.’” Read more at USA Today
“The Supreme Court heard arguments about whether a pastor could pray with a Texas inmate in the death chamber.” Read more at New York Times
“The N.F.L. fined the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers and Allen Lazard for not following Covid protocols.” Read more at New York Times
“NPR obtained copies of secret tapes recorded by senior officials of the National Rifle Association soon after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. The conversations show how NRA officials constructed their response to the deadly attack, and ultimately rejected a suggestion to cancel the NRA’s annual convention that year, fearing they would look weak.” Read more at NPR
“A white Georgia man didn't know if Ahmaud Arbery was armed or where he was running when he grabbed his gun and began chasing the 25-year-old Black man, an officer testified Tuesday.” Read more at USA Today
“As the Astroworld disaster unfolded, Houston fire officials had no way to directly communicate with medics from the festival medic group contracted to provide treatment to fans.” Read more at USA Today
“President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit the Port of Baltimore Wednesday to promote his $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which allocates funding to modernize the supply chain . While the president has yet to sign the bill into law, administration officials said they've started preparing to get the dollars out the door over the next few months. The bill provides billions of dollars for repairing outdated infrastructure at coastal ports and upgrading obsolete inspection facilities. Supply-chain disruptions – caused by a variety of factors including backups at ports and warehouses and a shortage of truckers, have resulted in shortages and higher prices for consumers. They’re also a drag on the economy and are causing political problems for the administration.” Read more at USA Today
“The 13 Republicans who voted for President Biden’s $1.2 infrastructure bill are facing retaliation from their own party. Some conservative House Republicans have discussed booting their colleagues from committee spots, though they are unlikely to succeed. Trump also criticized the group, calling them RINOs (‘Republicans In Name Only,’ a common GOP insult), and saying in a statement that all who "voted for Democrat longevity should be ashamed of themselves." Biden chastised GOP retaliation efforts, saying he hopes to get back to ‘civility.’ While it may take years for some of the projects covered in the bill to get underway, initial funds could be released over the next six months, providing a jolt to a backlog of projects across the country.” Read more at CNN
“Poland is attempting to repel a surge of migrants caught in the EU-Belarus standoff. Poland’s Ministry of Defense released a video today showing crowds of migrants, who are primarily from the Middle East and Africa, camped on the Belarusian side of the border fence, waiting to cross. The European Union has blamed Belarus's president for ushering the migrants to the bloc.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Republicans were stunned on Tuesday morning when New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who has widely been considered the top pending recruit for the GOP’s quest to retake the Senate, passed on a bid to unseat Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.). Instead, he opted to run for a fourth term in Concord, bluntly saying he has little appetite for being 1 of 100 lawmakers after six years as the Granite State’s chief executive.” Read more at The Hill
“Republicans — reshaped, controlled and defined by Donald Trump since 2015 — are slowly but surely charting a post-Trump ideology and platform.
Why it matters: Other than conservative courts, toughness on immigration and hostility toward modern liberalism, it's been impossible to specify the core and connective ideology of Republicans under Trump.
Now, Republicans are rallying around a plan to break up with corporate America and oppose Big Business, Big Tech, Big Media, Big Education — and big government:
Quit corporate America: A new breed of Republicans — led by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who last week called on the party to divorce Big Business — is championing the working class against the party's traditional boardroom allies. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a plan to ‘Bust Up Anti-Competitive Big Businesses.’
Pound parental rights: Terry McAuliffe's debate remark dissing parents allowed Virginia Republicans to mainstream an issue that was already burning up Fox News. The day after Glenn Youngkin's victory, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said the party will soon unveil a ‘parent's bill of rights.’ Democrats are now playing defense on education — an issue they used to own.
Terrorize tech: If Republicans win back the House and/or Senate majorities, curbs on Big Tech — including new taxes — will be a Day 1 priority. Cries of censorship — real or manufactured — are one of the surest GOP applause lines, milking the party's cultural gulf with Silicon Valley. J.D. Vance, the ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ author running for Senate in Ohio, is pushing to dismantle the ‘Big Tech Oligarchy.’
Malign mandates: President Biden's plan to require COVID vaccination or testing for employers of 100+ people beginning Jan. 4 has been a huge gift in the eyes of Republican governors. Florida's Ron DeSantis was among the first of several GOP governors to sue Biden over the mandate: ‘[T]he federal government cannot unilaterally impose medical policy under the guise of workplace regulation.’
Fan fear: House Republicans are building their regain-the-majority strategy around the trifecta of rising inflation, illegal immigration and crime. The GOP blames all those troubling trends on Democrats, since they're in charge. The fear factor has a receptive audience with the big prize in next year's midterms — suburban swing voters.
The big picture: Trump will probably run in 2024 and make the GOP about his various grievances. In that case, Republican candidates will try to smuggle these ideas to voters without offending the party leader.” Read more at Axios
“A Baltimore County-based veteran has been accused of illegally obtaining more than $1 million in Social Security and Veterans Disability benefits since 2007 by falsely claiming to be paraplegic, prosecutors said.
William Rich, 41, received benefits for more than a decade before being audited by the inspector general’s office in the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2018, when the office learned of behaviors that were “inconsistent with his purported condition,” prosecutors said.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office in Maryland, Veterans Affairs rated Rich 100 percent disabled because of the loss of use of both lower extremities, neurogenic bowel dysfunction and post-traumatic stress disorder with short-term memory loss. He was also awarded allowances for a caregiver, automotive and adaptive equipment, and specially adapted housing, authorities said in court records.” Read more at Washington Post
“TOKYO (AP) — Fumio Kishida was reelected as Japan’s prime minister on Wednesday after his governing party scored a major victory in key parliamentary elections.
Elected just over a month ago by parliament, Kishida called a quick election in which his Liberal Democratic Party secured 261 seats in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber legislature, enough to maintain a free hand in pushing through legislation.
The Oct. 31 victory increased his grip on power and was seen as a mandate from voters for his weeks-old government to tackle the pandemic-battered economy, manage the coronavirus and other challenges. Kishida said he saw the results as a signal that voters chose stability over change.” Read more at AP News
“Lives Lived: Max Cleland lost both legs and an arm in the Vietnam War. In 2002, Republicans impugned his patriotism when he sought re-election to the Senate. Cleland died at 79.
Dean Stockwell, who played Al Calavicci on the science fiction series ‘Quantum Leap,’ died at 85.” Read more at New York Times
“The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai got married.” Read more at New York Times
“A European Union court largely upheld a $2.8 billion antitrust decision against Google, adding new momentum to the bloc’s assault on big tech companies.
The EU’s General Court in Luxembourg on Wednesday gave its endorsement to a 2017 antitrust finding by EU competition regulatorsthat the Alphabet Inc. GOOG -0.07% search engine had broken antitrust laws by directing users toward its own comparison-shopping ads at the expense of rival services.
At stake in the case, which was argued a year and a half ago, is a legal precedent that is the focus of intense scrutiny globally: Whether the internet’s biggest platforms have a special responsibility to avoid favoring their own in-house products and services over those offered by competitors.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Zillow Group Inc. reached a deal to sell about 2,000 homes from its ill-fated house-flipping program, the company’s biggest bulk sale as it starts unloading thousands of homes and terminates the business.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“General Electric said it will split into three public companies. The plan is to spin off GE’s aviation, healthcare and power businesses into separate publicly traded companies, the latest in a yearslong effort to shrink the onetime manufacturing juggernaut that has struggled in recent years.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“‘End of a chapter and beginning of another”: After 28 years at NBC, Brian Williams has announced he will be leaving the network.” Read more at USA Today
“‘I’m going to own this’: ‘Ant-Man’ star Paul Rudd has been crowned People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2021.” Read more at USA Today
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