The U.N. vs. Climate Change, A President vs. His VP, & Streaming vs. Cinema
November 25, 2024
Hello, readers – happy Monday! Today, we’ll be talking about the U.N. climate summit, the Middle East, drama in the Philippines, Iran’s nuclear powers, Thanksgiving weather, the Trump transition, and the magic of cinema.
Here’s some good news: Minnesota’s 2024 Give to the Max Day brought in more than $37 million in donations to support over 6,000 nonprofits and schools. Also, Björk has created an immersive soundscape called “Nature Manifesto” that can be heard in Paris. It blends the noises of endangered and extinct animals with her own voice.
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child.” – Pablo Picasso
I Got 99 Problems And $300 Billion Is One Of Them
U.N. climate talks have led to a $300 billion annual investment in the fight against global warming. Most of the cash will go to developing countries to help them shift their economies away from fossil fuels and towards renewables. Hooray, right? Well, not really – it seems like most of the world isn’t happy with the decision, as it’s well short of the $1.3 trillion that developing countries were requesting from the U.N., and it was signed into law with little chance for objectors to speak their minds.
When the investment deal was brought to the floor of the U.N., COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev quickly banged his gavel to accept the deal before anyone could object. Of course, the unhappy parties promptly expressed their opinions after that fact – “It’s a paltry sum,” India’s negotiator Chandni Raina said as the crowd cheered. “I’m sorry to say we cannot accept it.” Panama’s representative, Juan Carlos Monterrey, added, “I’m disappointed. It’s definitely below the benchmark that we have been fighting for for so long.” Even U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres chimed in over Twitter, saying he’d hoped for a “more ambitious outcome” but that the deal “provides a base on which to build.”
More Bombardments & More Banishments
In an unsurprising turn of events, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged missiles over the weekend. Hezbollah’s volley included 250 rockets, which ended up wounding seven Israelis on Sunday when some of the missiles landed in the Tel Aviv area. The rocket barrage was a response to an Israeli attack on Saturday, which killed at least 29 people and injured 67 more in the central Beirut area. Another Israeli attack on Sunday – this time targeting a southwestern Lebanese army center – killed one person while injuring 18 others.
Meanwhile, the IDF ordered the evacuation of more parts of northern Gaza over the weekend, forcing hundreds of Palestinians to flee the area. The Israeli attacks only add to the hellish situation in northern Gaza, according to multiple international aid agencies – tens of thousands of people in the area are unable to access water, sanitation, food, and medical supplies thanks to Israel’s sustained offensive. Over the weekend, a senior member of Israel’s security cabinet said that the IDF would be stationed in Gaza “for years,” stating, “Gaza will never be a threat to the state of Israel, no matter how long it is going to take … I think that we are going to stay in Gaza for a long time … I think most people understand that that will be years.”
A New, Clear Deal
- This Friday, Iranian deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi is set to meet with E.U. leaders to discuss a new nuclear deal. While Iranian leaders had hoped to secure a separate deal earlier in the week to stop Iran from enriching its uranium above 60% (just below weapons-grade) in exchange for dodging the threat of international sanctions, Western leaders didn’t bite. Instead, they hope to come closer to an agreement later this week, though nothing is likely to be signed until after the Trump inauguration.
- Iran has admitted to blocking International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) investigations since 2018, when Trump pulled the U.S. out of a nuclear deal that lifted Western sanctions in exchange for regular inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. Just last week, the IAEA voted to censure Iran for not complying with those investigations, putting it on the path to being sanctioned again in the future. Both sides hope to come to an agreement before that becomes a reality.
Getting Violent On An Island
- In an outrageous twist of workplace drama, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte stated publicly on Saturday that she had hired an assassin to murder President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife, and the country’s House Speaker if she’s ever killed. She made sure to emphasize that the statement was not a joke.
- Duterte, the heir to one of the Philippines’ most influential political families, has accused the Marcos regime (also run by a top political family) of corruption and unfairly targeting her family and its allies. Last weekend’s threat was a response to House Speaker Martin Romualdez and President Marcos detaining her chief of staff, who’s been accused of blocking a congressional inquiry into her budgeting as vice president and education secretary.
- Later in the weekend, Duterte attempted to walk back her threats, claiming her statements were not a direct threat against Marcos. “If I expressed the concern, they will say that’s a threat to the life of the president?” she asked. “Why would I kill him if not for revenge from the grave? There is no reason for me to kill him. What’s the benefit for me?”
More Mixed Nuts
- Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed (AP)
- Hundreds flee deadly sectarian violence in north-west Pakistan (Guardian)
- Huge election year worldwide sees weakening commitment to act on climate crisis (Guardian)
- Taiwan’s former president says Ukraine needs US weapons more urgently than Taipei (Politico)
- Mexico acknowledges Canada’s concerns about a Chinese auto plant, but says none exists (AP)
- Italian police and social workers leave Albania after staffing empty migrant centres (Guardian)
Turkey, Family Drama, & Winter Storms, Oh My!
- Well, folks, it’s almost Thanksgiving, which means it’s time to get stressed out about traveling. The National Weather Service office in Sacramento, California, issued a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, the Midwest and Great Lakes regions will see rain and snow Monday, and the East Coast will be the most impacted on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
- A low pressure system is forecast to bring rain to the Southeast early on the holiday before making its way north. Now for the good news: no major storm systems are forecast for the weekend anywhere in the country so if you’re a Sunday traveler, you should be okay.
A Sign Of The Times
- President-elect Trump has not yet signed the standard trio of ethics and transparency agreements with the federal government, which has prevented the incoming administration from having any formal contact with federal agencies. Holding off on signing the agreements means Trump doesn’t have to abide by a $5,000 cap on donations and a requirement to disclose their donors.
- This is the first time a president has done this in modern memory – even Trump himself signed the agreements in 2016. Typically, the incoming president would have already sent in groups of policy advisers known as “landing teams.” The administration also can’t access cybersecurity support or secure email servers for transition-related work, or request FBI background checks for their nominees.
More Nuts In America
- 2 charged in connection to death of 20-year-old Dartmouth College student Won Jang (ABC)
- US allies repudiate doubts about women in combat (Politico)
- Trump’s Choices for Health Agencies Suggest a Shake-Up Is Coming (NYT, $)
- Trump taps loyalist Rollins for USDA chief in surprise pick (Politico)
- How the Trump administration and congressional Republicans may crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters (NBC)
- Ohio’s Sherrod Brown won’t rule out running for Senate again (Politico)
Heartbreak Feels Good In A Place Like Apple Headquarters
- It looks like Silicon Valley is having a hard time mixing with Hollywood. Apple has had a series of rough movie releases made in partnership with big-name American directors, most of which have seen little success – and even fewer appearances on the big screen. Yesterday, Jon Watts (director of all three Marvel Spider-Man movies) said he would no longer be working with Apple after his film with the tech giant, Wolfs, was pulled from its theatrical release and instead sent straight to Apple TV Plus after experiencing multiple high-profile box office failures with previous Apple TV film deals.
- Watts told Deadline yesterday that he “no longer trusted [Apple] as a creative partner” following the surprise, and added that he even told the company that he didn’t want to work on a sequel following the debacle. “They ignored my request and announced it in their press release anyway, seemingly to create a positive spin to their streaming pivot,” he continued. “And so I quietly returned the money they gave me for the sequel.” Besides that ruined relationship, Doug Liman criticized Amazon for handling his film Road House in a similar manner, and Steve McQueen also expressed his dissatisfaction that Apple only gave his WWII film Blitz a limited theatrical release.
More Loose Nuts
- Connecticut couple charged in alleged Lululemon theft spree that netted up to $1 million (USA Today)
- These alternatives to popular apps can help reclaim your online life from billionaires and surveillance (TechCrunch)
- Aaron Rodgers ‘Resisted Scans’ This Season So He Wouldn’t Have to Stop Playing (Sports Illustrated)
- 4,000-year-old canals used for fishing by Maya predecessors discovered in Belize (Guardian)
- ‘We were willing to risk everything’: Gen-Z duo started a pasta sauce brand that brings in $1 million a month (CNBC)
- Mathematicians Just Debunked the ‘Bunkbed Conjecture’ (Wired, $)
