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☆ ‘Save the Whales’ was a shining success. Now can humpbacks save us from ourselves?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Antarctic Peninsula CNN —About 15 billion miles from where you sit, two 12-inch golden records are hurtling through outer space with multilingual greetings to the universe from 55 humans and one humpback whale. WWF's Johnson said the whales are not harmed by this -- to the whales, the dart feels like "a mosquito bite." It feels like “a mosquito bite” to the whales, Johnson said, but what they can test for is priceless: from stress hormones to toxins to — most importantly — pregnancy rates. Ten million copies were inserted into National Geographic magazine in 1979 — the largest single pressing in history — and a global movement to Save The Whales grew big enough to … save the whales. Seth Wenig/AP“I don’t think a wind turbine can kill a whale,” Friedlaender told CNN.

Persons: Anderson Cooper, Carl Sagan, ” Sagan, could’ve, “, Ari Friedlaender, Friedlaender, ”, Chris Johnson, ” Eva Prendergast, WWF's Johnson, Evelio Contreras, Bill Weir, Johnson, ” Friedlaender, Shepherd, WWF’s Johnson, Roger, Katy Payne, David Keyton, Frank Watlington, cetologist Scott McVay, Donald Trump, ” Trump, Seth Wenig, that’s, Biden, ” Johnson, Twain, CNN “, ” Brenda McCowan, Fred Sharpe, ” McCowan, ’ ” Sharpe, Natalia Botero, Acosta, ’, Maria Camila Medina Martínez, Julian Quinones, ” Carl Sagan Organizations: Antarctic Peninsula CNN, “, ” CNN CNN, University of California, International Monetary Fund, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Endeavor, CNN, UC Santa Cruz, Shepherd Global, Norwegian Aker, United Nations, Geographic, Whales, International Whaling Commission, Atlantic, Republican, Templeton Foundation, Whale SETI, UC Davis Locations: Santa Cruz, Colombia, British, Antarctica, Norwegian, Southern, Orkney, Bermuda, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Atlantic, South Carolina, Lido Beach , New York, Davis, Alaska, Columbia, Colombian, Tribuga, United Nations, Palau, Chile, Maldives

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Underneath his umbrella, NFL legend Dan Marino stood nearly drenched on the sideline watching Prince’s epic “Purple Rain” Super Bowl halftime performance in 2007 during a torrential Miami downpour. “The halftime performance has come a long way,” said the Hall of Fame quarterback who played 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and competed in the 1985 Super Bowl. His show will be vastly different than the NFL’s first Super Bowl halftime show in 1967, which featured marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State University, a historically Black college, along with hundreds of flying pigeons, thousands of balloons and two soaring men wearing jetpacks. After the inaugural Super Bowl, the NFL kept bringing back other marching bands, drill teams, signed Chubby Checker and Up with People, an organization that stage positive thinking through dance and song performances. Dudowsky recalled when Coldplay frontman Chris Martin said the “Super Bowl of music is the Super Bowl.” He said the halftime show has been able to grow thanks to the NFL's ability to adjust to the current culture and giving deserving artists the platform to express their artistry.

Persons: Dan Marino, Marino, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Aerosmith, ”, Marino's, Rihanna, Katy Perry's, Scarlett Johansson, doesn’t, she’s, Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson ’, Gaga, ” Johansson, “, you’ve, Kris Jenner, Jenner, ” Usher —, Chubby Checker, Gloria Estefan, Billie Jean, Diana Ross, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Seth Dudowsky, Jay, —, don’t, Dudowsky, Chris Martin, Dr, Dre, Snoop Dogg, Dogg, Roger Goodell, ” Dogg, Usher, he's Organizations: ANGELES, of Fame, Miami Dolphins, Super, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, Associated Press, Bowl, University of Arizona, Grambling State University, NFL, New, Rose Bowl, Coldplay, Roc Nation Locations: Miami, Las Vegas, U.S, Southern California

SEATTLE (AP) — The governor of Washington on Tuesday called for the state to develop best practices on how agencies should use generative artificial intelligence as it continues to incorporate the technology into government operations. Wes Moore signed an executive order creating an AI subcabinet that will develop a plan to create appropriate guardrails for agencies’ use of AI. The executive order in Washington highlights the huge potential for generative AI, including how it could be beneficial for language translation, code generation and contract management. And he called for state agencies, along with tribal governments, community members and others to come up with best practices for how agencies should evaluate the impact this technology could have on vulnerable communities. “Our goal is to help the state continue using generative AI in ways that help the public while putting up guardrails around uses that present a lot of risk,” said Katy Ruckle, the state’s chief privacy officer.

Persons: “, Jay Inslee, Wes Moore, ”, Katy Ruckle Organizations: SEATTLE, Democratic Gov, Maryland Gov, Biden Locations: Washington, “

☆ How to Exercise When You Just Do Not Want To
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Danielle Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +10 min

You set a goal to exercise regularly, but when the moment comes to get moving, your mind unleashes a torrent of excuses: I’m tired. I asked experts in exercise science and psychology to share their best advice for conquering common reasons people struggle to build an exercise habit. If you face a jam-packed daily schedule, try starting small, said Kate Baird, an exercise physiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. When even the word “exercise” makes you feel tired, experts recommend meeting your body where it is — in a few different ways. Exercise carries some risks, but remind yourself that the benefits of physical activity outweigh them, Dr. Phillips said.

Persons: Katy, ”, Kate Baird, you’re, Baird, Kelly Roberts, Roberts, Grayson Wickham, “, Wickham, —, Edward Phillips, I’ve, ’, “ You’re, that’s, Phillips, Dr, “ It’s, Ms, Kelly McGonigal, McGonigal, haven’t, Tamanna Singh Organizations: University of Pennsylvania, Hospital for Special Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Stanford University, Sports Cardiology Center, Cleveland Clinic Locations: New York, New York City, Dr

☆ Time Out reveals world’s best cities for 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Perhaps it’s no wonder, then, that media company Time Out has named New York City as its best city for 2024. Time Out surveyed some 20,000 city-dwellers across the world, alongside its network of global writers and editors, to compile its latest round-up of the best cities in the globe. Smaller cities in the top 10 include Liverpool, UK (number 7) and Porto, Portugal (number 10). New York City, USA2. Cape Town, South Africa3.

Persons: CNN —, Katy Scott, Scott, ”, “, ” Scott, Grace Beard Organizations: CNN, New, Cape, Theatre, . New Locations: New York City, ”, York, Cape Town , South Africa, Cape Town, France, South Africa, Cape, Robben, Berlin, Germany, London, Madrid, Spain, Liverpool, Porto, Portugal, . New York City, USA, Mexico City, Mexico, Tokyo, Japan, Rome, Italy

He dreamed of studying business administration to help his family’s stores. He enjoyed taking care of his younger siblings and was “very polite, very respectful, very intelligent,” according to his mosque’s president. A Palestinian-American teenager was killed by a barrage of gunfire in the occupied West Bank on Friday. The U.S. State Department confirmed the killing without naming the victim, but the teenager’s family identified him as Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, 17. Tawfic and his family had moved to the West Bank temporarily in May to connect with relatives — he hoped to improve his Arabic while he was there and planned to return to the United States for college.

Persons: Tawfic Abdel Jabbar, Tawfic, ”, Sherean Murad, — Organizations: West Bank, U.S . State Department, Muslim Academy Locations: Palestinian, New Orleans, America, Gretna, United States

Three people were killed overnight Sunday after a gathering in a short-term rental turned deadly near Houston, Texas. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies responded to an emergency call around 2:15 a.m. at a suburban neighborhood in Katy, Texas, just 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Houston. Gonzalez estimated about 10 to 20 young people were gathered at a short-term rented home before the shooting started. When the first deputy arrived, two people had already died at the scene and another person would later be confirmed dead at a hospital. The victims are thought to be in their 20s, but no exact ages or identities were confirmed Sunday morning.

Persons: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, ” Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Harris County Sheriff Locations: Houston , Texas, Harris County, Katy , Texas, Houston

☆ These are the skills employers are looking for as AI use expands, according to leaders at Davos
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Kylie Kirschner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSince the release of ChatGPT just over a year ago, it's become increasingly clear that the world will have to adapt as the influence of generative AI grows. And that's been borne out at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, where AI has been a key topic. Business Insider spoke to industry leaders from companies including McKinsey, KPMG, IBM, and Coursera about the skills they believe will be important in the era of generative AI. Know how to optimize data for generative AI. "Being able to look at data, evaluate data, cleanse data, anonymize data — all that — is going to be even more important than historically it's been," Knopp said.

Persons: —, it's, Katy George, George, Paul Knopp, Knopp, that's, Jeff Maggioncalda, Maggioncalda, John Granger, Granger Organizations: Service, Business, Economic, McKinsey, KPMG, IBM, KPMG US, IBM Consulting, Employees Locations: Davos, Maggioncalda

☆ Activists protest against fossil fuel industry at COP28 climate summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Climate activists protest against fossil fuel emitters, demanding action and more contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund, during the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 5, 2023. Chiponda argued that language calling for the phase-out of "unabated" fossil fuels was merely a distraction that would allow for their continued use. Governments at COP26 agreed to phase down the use of unabated coal, the most polluting of fossil fuels. This year, countries remain split over what role fossil fuels should play in the future. Jaber has made a point of including the fossil fuel industry at the summit, insisting that oil and gas companies should be part of discussions on tackling climate change.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Lorraine Chiponda, Chiponda, Sultan Al Jaber, Jaber, Thomas Joseph, Jainno Congon, Alexander Cornwell, Katy Daigle Organizations: Damage, United Nations, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, United, COP26, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, COP28, Glasgow, Paris, United Arab Emirates, UAE, California

The first option in the draft is listed as "an orderly and just phase-out of fossil fuels". The second option calls for "accelerating efforts towards phasing out unabated fossil fuels". "I don't think we're going to leave Dubai without some clear language and some clear direction on shifting away from fossil fuels," he added. China's fossil fuel emissions rose after it lifted COVID-19 restrictions, while India's rise was a result of power demand growing faster than its renewable energy capacity, leaving fossil fuels to make up the shortfall. "Leaders meeting at COP28 will have to agree rapid cuts in fossil fuel emissions even to keep the 2C target alive," he said.

Persons: Stephane Mahe, Jean Paul Prates, Patrick Pouyanne, Jennifer Morgan, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, David Waskow, Exeter, Pierre Friedlingstein, Kate Abnett, William James, Valerie Volcovici, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle Organizations: REUTERS, Petrobras, European, Oxford University, Saudi Arabia's Energy, Bloomberg, World Resources, University of Exeter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: France, Montoir, Bretagne, Saint, Nazaire, DUBAI, COP28, Brazil's, United States, European Union, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Dubai, India, China, Paris

But industry experts say governments need to offer incentives for companies to bring sustainable AC technologies to market and scale up. Removing humidity requires cooling air to the point at which water vapour becomes a liquid to be drained. This inability to get rid of humidity without first cooling the air makes conventional ACs less efficient. The company's AC prototype uses these materials to dry out air, aiming to produce fewer emissions than traditional ACs. More than 1 billion people living in warm climates still lack access to cooling, according to nonprofit Sustainable Energy for All.

Persons: Pedro Rodriguez, Susana Vera, We've, Lily Riahi, Riahi, Sorin Grama, Grama, Gree, Daikin, Miki Yamanaka, Larissa Gross, UNEP's Riahi, Baolong Wang, Wang, Xavier Moya, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Simon Jessop, Josie Kao Organizations: Puerta del, REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, United Nations Environment Programme's, Cool Coalition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Daikin's Global Environment Center, Sustainable Energy, Tsinghua University, University of Cambridge, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Puerta del Sol, Madrid, Spain, Seville, Europe, Spanish, Beijing, Indonesia, Britain, U.S

The Global Cooling Pledge would mark the world's first collective focus on energy emissions from the cooling sector. That would equal one-tenth of expected global emissions, the report said, and would strain electric grids. Organizers hope to see at least 80 countries supporting the cooling pledge, given the urgent need to slash climate-warming emissions and keep people safe from dangerous heatwaves. Nearly three-quarters of the potential for reducing cooling emissions by mid-century can be found in G20 countries, the UNEP report said. UNEP estimates that global efforts to tackle cooling emissions could avoid the release of up to 78 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Brian Dean, Gloria Dickie, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Katy Daigle Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, United Nations Environment Programme, Reuters, U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Sustainable Energy, UNEP, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, United States, U.S, Kenya, India

At least 118 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai have backed a pledge to improve energy efficiency rates by 4% each year until 2030. In its simplest form, energy efficiency can simply mean using appliances, technology, or electronics that are designed to consume less energy, such as heat pumps or LED lighting. Industries worldwide could save $437 billion per year by 2030 with improved energy efficiency, according to an October 2023 industry collective report by the Energy Efficiency Movement. As a result, energy efficiency improved globally this year by about 1.3% compared with last year, slower than the 2% improvement posted in 2022 due largely to rising energy demand, the IEA's annual Energy Efficiency report said. In the U.S., energy efficiency is beating the global average efficiency improvement rate this year at 4%, with $86 billion allocated for the goal under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Larissa Gross, Sofie Irgens, Nick Eyre, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, International Energy Agency, BE, European Union, Industries, Energy, U.S . Department of Energy, IEA, Oxford University, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, Dubai, leakages, India, Africa, U.S, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands

United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber speaks during a press conference at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 4 (Reuters) - COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber defended his role in hosting this year's U.N. climate summit on Monday and insisted he understood and respected the science of climate change. "I am quite surprised with the constant and repeated attempts to undermine the work of the COP28 presidency," Al Jaber said on Monday. During Monday's news conference, Al Jaber complained to reporters that "one statement taken out of context with misrepresentation" had received "maximum coverage". IPCC Chair Jim Skea joined Al Jaber at the news conference and said he had held several meetings with the COP28 chief on climate science.

Persons: Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Thaier, Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, Jim Skea, Dr, Sultan, Skea, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Alison Williams Organizations: United Arab Emirates Minister of Industry, Advanced Technology, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Guardian, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab

In this year's gleaming host city of Dubai, billboards advertise the benefits of wind energy, climate ambition and Exxon Mobil's (XOM.N) carbon capture projects. This is seen by some as a sign of success and by others as a dangerous distraction from the business of combating climate change as over nearly three decades global oil demand, carbon emissions and temperatures have marched steadily upward. "It's a lobby fest where polluters can schmooze with politicians, all under the guise of tackling climate change," Pascoe Sabido, a researcher at the Corporate Europe Observatory, which scrutinizes corporate influence on policy-making, said. Delegates walk at the Dubai's Expo City during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Exxon Mobil's, Pascoe Sabido, Alden Meyer, Meyer, Lisa Jacobson, Jacobson, Thaier, We're, –, Daniel Lund, Joko Widodo, COP28, Jake Schmidt, Darren Woods, General Antonio Guterres, Al Gore, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Kate Abnett, Sarah McFarlane, Bernadette Christina, Richard Valdmanis, Alexander Smith Organizations: Exxon, Corporate, Observatory, United Nations, Business Council, Sustainable Energy, Global Strategic Communications Council, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Natural Resources Defense, Exxon Mobil, Drillers, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Berlin, The Hague, COP28, United Arab, Fiji, Indonesia, China, UAE

On Monday, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, energy minister and the key climate negotiator, for the kingdom, was a no-show at the Saudi Green Initiative. "The climate finance that they have pledged at this COP28 is simply not enough," said Pakistani activist Zaigham Abbas, whose country was devastated last year by widespread flooding. Elsewhere, France and Japan said they would support a move by the African Development Bank to leverage IMF Special Drawing Rights for climate and development. This year also features the biggest-ever representation of business at the annual U.N. summit, amid hopes for more private investment toward climate causes. "The scale of the climate crisis demands urgent and game-changing solutions from every industry," COP28 President Ahmed Al-Jaber said.

Persons: COP28, Johanna Geron, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Nicholas Stern, Mia Mottley, Antonio Guterres, Zaigham Abbas, Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Al, Jaber, Simon Jessop, Maha El, Al Sayegh, Alexander Cornwell, Elizabeth Piper, David Stanway, Katy Daigle Organizations: of, European Union, REUTERS, Companies, Saudi, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Green Initiative, Crown, Grantham Research, Asian Peoples ' Movement, Development, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, BlackRock, HSBC, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Brussels, Belgium, Companies UAE, DUBAI, COP28, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Paris, China, Grantham, Barbados, France, Japan, Copenhagen, Abu

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks during the unveiling of her portrait, at the State Department in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Sunday for reform of the insurance sector, where companies are increasingly withdrawing assistance against climate shocks. Lower-income countries and workers in nations most affected by climate change are struggling to access insurance to help protect them from economic shocks. "We need to rethink the insurance industry," Clinton said during a panel on women and climate resiliency. "People in the United States, Europe, they're going to wake up and say, 'What do you mean, I can't get insurance?'"

Persons: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ken Cedeno, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, it's, Valerie Volcovici, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: U.S, State Department, REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Insurance, Foundation Resilience, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Former, India, U.S, United States, Europe

These are just a few of the ways that public health has been impacted and compounded by climate change - a focus for the first time ever at the annual U.N. climate summit COP28. Here's how climate change is harming people's health across the world today, and what countries might expect in the future. Floods in Pakistan last year, for example, led to a 400%increase in malaria cases in the country, the report said. MURKY WATERSStorms and flooding wrought by climate change are allowing other infectious water-borne diseases to proliferate as well. Diarrhoea, too, receives a boost from climate change, with increasingly erratic rainfall - resulting in either wet or dry conditions - yielding a higher risk, research has found.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Martin Edlund, Gloria Dickie, Alexander Cornwall, Katy Daigle, Diane Craft Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Health Organization, WHO, Nature Medicine, American Thoracic Society, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Evros, Greece, West Nile, Brazil, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Africa, United States

[1/2] Members of the International Federation of Medical Students Associations hold placards during a protest demanding an end to fossil fuels at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 3, 2023. Climate-related impacts "have become one of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century", COP28 President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber said in a statement. The World Bank on Sunday launched a new Climate and Health program to explore possible interventions and public health solutions for developing countries. "We have new tools at the lab level that decimate mosquito populations," said Gates, whose foundation supports public health research and projects for the developing world. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also spoke on Sunday at COP28, urging reform to the world's insurance system as another key requirement to keep people safe.

Persons: Amr Alfiky, Sultan Ahmed Al, Jaber, COP28, Joseph Vipond, Storm Daniel, Bill Gates, Gates, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, Gloria Dickie, Elizabeth Piper, Alexander Cornwell, Simon Jessop, Kate Abnett, William James, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: International Federation of Medical, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Physicians, World Health Organization, Bank, Sunday, Health, World Bank, Microsoft, Former U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Alberta, Canada, Western, Libya, Pakistan, COP28

☆ COP28: Exxon Mobil CEO rebuffs IEA criticism of carbon capture strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, reacts at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in San Francisco, California, U.S., November 15, 2023. "So, you could say that about carbon capture today, you could say that about electric vehicles, about wind, about solar. The future role of carbon capture technology and fossil fuels is a key issue at the conference. Exxon has announced $17 billion of investment in its low carbon business, which includes carbon capture, and has argued that greenhouse gas emissions are the problem causing climate change, not the fossil fuels themselves. Woods declined to provide details of the contracts, but said U.S. subsidies in last year's Inflation Reduction Act of up to $85 a ton for carbon capture and sequestration would make the investments profitable.

Persons: Darren Woods, Carlos Barria, Woods, EVs, We're, Richard Valdmanis, Katy Daigle Organizations: ExxonMobil, Economic Cooperation, REUTERS, Rights, Exxon Mobil, International Energy, Reuters, Exxon, IEA, Thomson Locations: Asia, San Francisco , California, U.S, Dubai, Gulf of Mexico, United States

People arrive to attend the Pledging Conference of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the First Replenishment in Paris, France, October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The United States will pledge $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, sources familiar with matter said on Saturday as Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Dubai for the U.N. climate summit. The fund, with more than $20 billion in pledges, is the largest international fund dedicated to supporting climate action in developing countries. The latest pledge, which Reuters was first to report, would be additional to another $2 billion previously delivered by the United States. In addition to supporting climate adaptation, the fund also finances projects to help countries shift to clean energy.

Persons: Pascal, Kamala Harris, Harris, replenishments, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Nandita Bose, Valerie Volcovici, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Climate, REUTERS, Rights, Climate Fund, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, United, Dubai, United States, U.S, COP28

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Transforming Food Systems in the Face of Climate Change event on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit at Dubai Expo, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates December 1, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSummary COP 'side deals' have boomed in recent yearsVoluntary climate pledges yield mixed resultsSome have led to tougher CO2-cutting policiesDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - While the world's climate diplomats huddle over draft decisions to be made at the end of this year's U.N. climate summit, governments at COP28 are firing off a flurry of new promises for action. Among the expected pledges at COP28 are a goal to triple renewable energy capacity and initiatives on methane and coal power. These voluntary side deals have proliferated in recent years, even as global temperatures and greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. "They go much further than what you can do multilaterally," said Marc Vanheukelen, a former EU official who led the bloc's work on an international methane emissions pledge launched at the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

Persons: Antony Blinken, SAUL LOEB, Marc Vanheukelen, Jonathan Banks, Laurie van der, OCI, It's, Erin Matson, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Matson, Kate Abnett, Tommy Wilkes, Katy Daigle, Jon Boyle Organizations: Food Systems, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS Acquire, EU, Global, Air Task Force, Reuters, Bank, U.S, Change, WWF, Rainforest Alliance, Climate, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, DUBAI, COP28, Glasgow, U.S, Nigeria, Canada, The U.S, China, Russia, COP26, Britain, France, United States, Italy, Germany, Brazil

"Since then, the United States has turned ambition into action." On the sidelines of the conference, the United States also unveiled new measures to curb emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations. That awkward coincidence underscores one of COP28's most contentious questions: Can the world's response to climate change involve continuing use of fossil fuels? Harris told the conference that the United States supports phasing out of "unabated coal" use, but she did not mention other fossil fuels. "We're in a context in which we need to reduce production of fossil fuels and ... we need to be on a path of lower consumption.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Harris, haven't, aren't, Catherine Abreu, John Podesta, Richard Valdmanis, Valerie Volcovici, Sarah McFarlane, Simon Jessop, Katy Daigle, Kevin Liffey, Diane Craft Organizations: Climate Fund, OPEC, United, UAE, Saturday, Exxon Mobil, Saudi Arabia's Aramco, Oil, Climate Initiative, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, United States, Dubai, COP26, America, China, Texas, New Mexico, United Arab Emirates, U.S, Saudi, Ukraine

☆ George Santos Faces House Expulsion Vote After a Year of Mounting Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. George Santos (R., N.Y.) delivered a speech this week in which he said it would be improper for lawmakers to vote to expel him before the legal process fully plays out. Photo: elizabeth frantz/ReutersWASHINGTON—The House is set to vote Friday on whether to expel embattled Rep. George Santos over allegations the New York Republican stole money from his own campaign and committed other misdeeds, in what would be only the third expulsion from the chamber since the Civil War. A two-thirds House supermajority is required to remove a member, meaning that 290 votes would be needed to oust Santos if all 435 House members vote. Most Democrats are expected to back expulsion, leaving Santos’s hopes in the hands of his GOP colleagues. While many Republicans support the move to remove Santos, some—including Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.

Persons: George Santos, elizabeth frantz, Santos, Santos’s, Mike Johnson, — Organizations: Reuters WASHINGTON, New York Republican, GOP Locations: N.Y

☆ George Santos Expelled From Congress in Tense House Vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. George Santos (R., N.Y.) delivered a speech this week in which he said it would be improper for lawmakers to vote to expel him before the legal process fully plays out. Photo: elizabeth frantz/ReutersWASHINGTON—The House voted Friday to expel embattled Rep. George Santos over allegations the New York Republican stole money from his own campaign and committed other misdeeds, in only the third expulsion from the chamber since the Civil War. The vote was 311 to 114, just slightly more than the two-thirds House supermajority required to remove a member. While Democrats and many Republicans supported the move to remove Santos, some—including Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La. )— had expressed reservations about expelling him before his criminal case had been resolved.

Persons: George Santos, elizabeth frantz, Santos, Mike Johnson, — Organizations: Reuters WASHINGTON, New York Republican, Republicans Locations: N.Y

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