My thanks to the reader who alerted me to "A Trump dictatorship is increasingly inevitable. We should stop pretending,” an opinion essay by Robert Kagan in The Washington Post. While I like to end the week with good news from Future Crunch, Kagan lays out possible political scenarios it seems important to be aware of. Kagan worked in the Reagan administration, is described as a neoconservative, is a Post columnist, and has written numerous books on politics and political history. Kagan’s essay concludes: "Is descent into dictatorship inevitable? No. Nothing in history is inevitable. Unforeseen events change trajectories. Readers of... Continue reading

On first day, UN’s COP 28 climate conference sets up fund for countries hit by disasters like flood and drought Israel, Hamas trade blame for cease-fire's end as combat resumes NYTimes: Israel knew Hamas’ attack plan more than a year ago, dismissed it as aspirational House passes bipartisan resolution to block Iran’s access to $6 billion from prisoner swap House debates New York GOP Rep. George Santos' expulsion; vote is set for Friday Senate Democrats authorize subpoenas of donor Harlan Crow, activist Leonard Leo in Supreme Court ethics probe EPA proposes requiring removal of all lead drinking water pipes across... Continue reading

For people who want to do their part to limit climate change but find going meatless unpalatable, there are plant-based and lab-grown meat options. Plant-based meat According to a University of Michigan study, if half of U.S. animal-based food was replaced with plant-based substitutes by 2030, the reduction in emissions for that year would be the equivalent of taking 47.5 million vehicles off the road. "An explosion of new types of plant-based 'meat' — the burgers, nuggets, sausages and other cuts that closely resemble meat but are made from soybeans and other plants — is attracting customers all over the... Continue reading

Israel, Hamas extend Gaza truce to 7th day Reuters explainer: How countries measure climate action at COP28 summit U.S. is ill-prepared to ensure housing for the growing number of older people, report says Wolverines listed as threatened species under Endangered Species Act New technology installed under Detroit street can charge electric vehicles as they drive Six-planet solar system in perfect synchrony found in Milky Way Google to start deleting inactive accounts Dec. 1; here's how to save your data KFF: Federal Trade Commission chief gears up for showdown with private equity over acquisitions in health care Henry Kissinger, controversial statesman... Continue reading

Worldwide, beef is the biggest agricultural source of greenhouse gases, and it has a bigger carbon footprint than any other type of protein, reports The Associated Press. Climate scientists say the remedy is simple: Eat less beef and raise fewer cattle. But even with the wide availability of plant protein and the popularity of initiatives like Meatless Monday, most people around the world are eating more beef, not less, AP says. And as the population grows and more people move into the middle class, demand is expected to grow. Researchers and an increasing number of ranchers agree that there are... Continue reading

Reuters explainer: What happens at a COP climate summit, this year bringing together 70,000 people from 200 nations Climate contradictions at COP talks: Less future warming projected, yet there’s more current pain Argentina President-elect Javier Milei tells top Biden officials at White House meeting he’s committed to freedom Michigan to join state-level effort to regulate AI political ads as federal legislation is pending Koch network endorses Nikki Haley, pledging its coalition and ‘virtually unlimited funds’ to helping her defeat Trump Amazon unveils Q, an AI chatbot for businesses One of biggest studies ever on mental health, internet use finds no... Continue reading

Before Thanksgiving, The Associated Press published a series of articles titled “The Protein Problem," on the global increase in animal food products and the environmental impacts. It felt kinda churlish and out of sync to focus on the series in the run up to America’s Turkey Day but seems appropriate now, in the run up to the global climate talks starting Nov. 30. In 1961, there were about 61.5 grams of protein available daily per person worldwide, and 32 percent came from animal sources, AP says. In 2020, 84.5 grams were available, with about 40 percent from animals. "But livestock... Continue reading

Israel, Hamas extend 4-day ceasefire for at least 2 days to let more hostages go free United Arab Emirates, host of UN COP28 climate talks, planned to use them to make deals for its oil, gas firms WSJ: 'Now for some good news about climate' — renewables costs have plummeted, growth exceeds expectations Biden touts supply chain progress, announces new actions at first meeting of his supply-chain resilience council New Mexico’s Supreme Court upholds Democratic-drawn congressional map KFF: Many autoimmune disease patients struggle with diagnosis, costs, a 'fight to be believed' KFF explains nationwide shortage of physical therapists Continue reading

As we pursue a more balanced perspective of global developments than the usual “if it bleeds, it leads” headlines, here is a Thanksgiving weekend offering by Peter Coy, a business and economics columnist for The New York Times. — Artificial intelligence is being used against multidrug-resistant bacteria. In May, scientists reported in the journal Nature Chemical Biology that they'd used machine learning to develop a compound against Acinetobacter baumannii, which can infect people with catheters or on ventilators in hospitals. — Nanotechnology may eventually enable organ banking, transforming organ transplantation into a planned procedure that more equitably reaches patients regardless... Continue reading

Israel, Hamas look to extend cease-fire on its final day, with 1 more hostage swap planned Anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders’ win in Netherlands election New Zealand's new government says it plans to scrap the country's world-leading smoking ban, to help pay for tax cuts Key issues at the 2-week COP28 climate talks starting Nov. 30 in Dubai China turning to households to cut carbon emissions, help world’s biggest emitter become carbon-neutral by 2060 IRS delays tax reporting rule change for business payments on apps such as Venmo, PayPal The saga of Sam Altman’s return to OpenAI Tomorrow’s Giving Tuesday 2023:... Continue reading

Warm wishes for a happy Thanksgiving! I’ll see you next on Monday, Nov. 27. Continue reading

Among the items in the Nov. 15 newsletter from Australia’s Future Crunch: — After setbacks caused by the pandemic, there's been a significant worldwide recovery in the scale-up of diagnosis and treatment for tuberculosis, the World Health Organization reports. Global efforts against TB have saved more than 75 million lives since 2000. “For millennia, our ancestors suffered and died with tuberculosis, without knowing what it was, what caused it, or how to stop it,” says Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general. “Today, we have knowledge and tools they could only have dreamed of. We have political commitment, and we have... Continue reading

Much to do to keep temperatures at relatively safe levels, says U.N. report in runup to global climate talks More than 200 people convicted in what's been described as Italy’s largest mafia trial in 3 decades Senate panel issues bipartisan subpoenas to CEOs of Discord, Snap and X to testify about children’s online safety Company that created ChatGPT in turmoil as many employees threaten to follow ousted CEO to Microsoft WSJ: Amazon launches free AI classes in effort to win talent arms race Federal appeals court deals blow to Voting Rights Act, ruling that private plaintiffs can’t sue More free... Continue reading

In this week of giving thanks, let’s focus this morning on the life and example of Casey McIntyre, a 38-year-old New York book publisher, wife and mother who died Nov. 12. Two days after she died, her husband posted a note for her on her social media accounts, saying: “A note to my friends: if you’re reading this I have passed away.” “The cause was stage four ovarian cancer. I loved each and every one of you with my whole heart and I promise you, I knew how deeply I was loved.” McIntyre asked for donations to RIP Medical Debt,... Continue reading

Right-wing populist Javier Milei wins Argentina presidency Biden opinion article in WPost: 'The U.S. won’t back down from the challenge of Putin and Hamas' Colorado judge keeps Trump on ballot, rejecting challenge under 14th Amendment's insurrection clause Microsoft hires Sam Altman and another co-founder of ChatGPT maker OpenAI after they depart the company SpaceX launches its mega rocket Starship, loses both booster and spacecraft in a pair of explosions minutes into test flight New hardiness zone map aims to help U.S. gardeners keep pace with climate change KFF/NYTimes: Extra fees driving assisted living profits Former President Carter says wife Rosalynn... Continue reading

We have two issues from our good-news friends at Australia’s Future Crunch, but let’s save one for next week, when they’ll likely be publishing too late for me to run pre-Thanksgiving. — The World Health Organization is hailing the elimination of several life-threatening diseases: Visceral leishmaniasis – a parasitic disease spread by sandflies – has been wiped out in Bangladesh, as has rubella in North Korea. Bangladesh also has become the first country to eliminate visceral leishmaniasis, a life-threatening neglected tropical disease that's common in the region. — "It’s rare to get a standing ovation at a scientific conference," says... Continue reading

Pedro Sánchez reelected Spain prime minister despite controversy over amnesty for Catalan separatists World’s first gene therapy for sickle cell disease approved in Britain At Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference, Biden talks workers' rights, stable Chinese relations Biden signs bipartisan short-term funding bill to keep the government open ahead of deadline How Biden administration has wiped out student loans totaling $127 billion for 3.6 million borrowers House Ethics chairman to seek Santos’ expulsion after report finds new violations; Santos says he won’t seek reelection Man who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband is convicted of federal assault and attempted kidnapping charges General... Continue reading

The presidents of the United States and China spent four hours in talks at a mansion outside San Francisco on Wednesday, agreeing to resume communications between their militaries, cooperate on choking off fentanyl production and begin a dialogue on the risks of artificial intelligence. Biden told reporters afterward that the talks were “some of the most constructive and productive conversations we’ve had.” Xi’s meeting with Biden "was an unmitigated success, according to the Chinese version of events, as state media made an about-face so abrupt it caused whiplash on social media," reports The Washington Post. Zoe Liu, a fellow for... Continue reading

Britain's top court rejects plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda as unlawful FCC adopts rules that regulators say are the first major U.S. digital civil rights policy House lawmakers leave early for Thanksgiving after hardliner revolt over speaker’s handling of stopgap spending bill New House Speaker Mike Johnson formally endorses Trump, a step beyond predecessor Kevin McCarthy Sen. Joe Manchin says Trump would destroy U.S. democracy if he wins a second presidential term U.S.' fifth National Climate Assessment lays out growing threats, opportunities as temperatures rise The new coronavirus variants Continue reading

My thanks to the reader who alerted me to a new antibiotic — and the potential for more. It’s been nearly 14 years since I ran the first item in this blog on the threat of superbugs: bacteria that had become resistant to antibiotics. A big problem has been drug companies’ lack of a profit motive for doing the R&D to find new antibiotics. Why spend a lot of money to create a drug someone will take briefly when you can be working on something they’ll take for the rest of their lives? So while the creation of this new... Continue reading

U.S., China agree to restart climate talks in run-up to international climate negotiations later this month in Dubai House passes 2-tier bill to avert government shutdown, with all but 2 Democrats voting for it and 93 Republicans against Michigan judge rules Trump can stay on primary ballot, rejecting 14th Amendment challenge Two reports on global climate efforts highlight increased fossil fuel subsidies, ill health Good news for care of the elderly: lots of geriatric research, innovation. Bad news: shortage of geriatric specialists. Continue reading

The court’s release on Monday of an explicit, written code after 234 years is of "surpassing historic significance,” says former federal appellate judge J. Michael Luttig. “The court must lead by the example that only it can set for the federal judiciary, as it does today.” The code comes after months of news reports by ProPublica and other outlets of undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices. But the code, agreed to by all nine justices, is being criticized by legal ethics experts and others. It lacks a means of enforcement, doesn’t appear to impose any significant... Continue reading

BBC News: Why foreign businesses have been pulling money out of China at a faster rate than they've been putting it in BBC News: Former British Prime Minister David Cameron’s surprise comeback as foreign secretary White House releases plan to grow radio spectrum access needed for cellphones, satellites, navigation, space travel New rule would make it easier for millions of Americans to unionize; businesses are pushing back Roll Call: Encouraging signs in Congress for avoiding a government shutdown at week's end KFF: Why it’s so hard to reduce unnecessary medical care Continue reading

You may recall the opinion article on this topic a couple of months ago by longtime media columnist Margaret Sullivan. Now she has another article in The Guardian. Sullivan is particularly qualified to assess media performance; she's a former public editor (essentially an internal critic) at The New York Times, as well as a media columnist at The Washington Post. Journalists are making the 2024 election "about the horse race — rather than what would happen a few lengths after the finish line," Sullivan says. "Here’s what must be hammered home: Trump cannot be re-elected if you want the United... Continue reading

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit opens in San Francisco: Biden, Xi meet there Wednesday House censures Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, its only Palestinian American member, over Israel-Hamas rhetoric Joe Manchin's decision threatens Democrats’ Senate majority, sparks new speculation about a presidential bid Democrats’ big wins around the country in last week’s elections Tim Scott suspending his presidential campaign Jill Stein launches a long-shot Green Party presidential campaign that could be a problem for Biden Meta says it will start labeling political ads that use AI-generated imagery; Microsoft to launch digital watermarks First-of-a-kind nuclear project is terminated in blow to Biden’s... Continue reading