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A new climate change report shakes up the White House but misses the world; US Border Patrol agents fire tear gas at migrants in Tijuana.
“Demonstrably false” White House claims on climate change
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- A major government report warning of the immense dangers on climate change was quietly released on Black Friday, when Americans were busy shopping, feasting, and catching up with family. [CNN / Chris Cilizza]
- The latest installment of the National Climate Assessment, published under law and to the White House’s chagrin, spans more than 1,600 pages and delineates how climate change will devastate the US economy. By the end of the century, environmental factors will cost the US some $500 billion a year. [Vox / Umair Irfan]
- Other than the costly nature of climate change, Umair Irfan writes that it’s deadly (think California wildfires, which have burned down a record number of acres and brought about some of the worst air quality in US history). Some of the possible solutions include changing to cleaner energy and pulling carbon dioxide out of the air. [Vox / Umair Irfan]
- In response to reporters’ questions Monday, President Trump said he doesn’t believe the findings and that he’s read only some of the report. This is one of several times the president, even before his White House residency, rebuked environmental findings. [The Hill / Timothy Cama]
- Katharine Hayhoe, who leads the Texas Tech University Climate Science Center and contributed to the report, blasted the White House’s remarks as “demonstrably false,” and wrote that the climate scenarios are wide-ranging and inclusive. [Twitter / Katharine Hayhoe]
- According to the New York Times, White House officials calculated that the contradiction between the president’s rhetoric and the findings of the scientific report will not sway his core base of supporters. A member of Trump’s transition Environmental Protection Agency team called the results “made-up hysteria.” [NYT / Coral Davenport]
Tear-gassing at the border
- US Border Patrol agents fired tear gas and pepper spray at migrant families attempting to cross the southern border Sunday, in line with President Trump’s order allowing military troops to use force to keep asylum seekers from entering the country. [Axios / Stef K. Wright]
- The event is an explosion of pressure mounting for more than a week, with caravan members joining thousands of asylum seekers in northern Mexico. The San Ysidro port is frequented by Central Americans hoping for safe passage into the US. [Vox / Dara Lind]
- Trump defended the security agents’ use of tear gas, pointedly saying that “nobody’s coming into our country unless they’re coming legally.” On Monday, he tweeted that he’ll “close the Border permanently if need be.” [CNN / Maegan Vazquez and Geneva Sands]
- Rob Colburn, president of the Border Patrol Foundation, claimed to Fox News that the type of deterrent used at the border is akin to a condiment, as you can “put it on your nachos and eat it.” [Vox / Aaron Rupar]
- However, many American officials denounced the action, especially after photos of children fleeing from tear gas began circulating the internet. California’s Democratic Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom said, “This is not my America.” [Washington Post / Tim Elfrink and Fred Barbash]
- In the meantime, the US was thought to have struck a deal with Mexico for the asylum seekers to remain there before their cases are decided. Yet Mexico’s incoming Interior Minister Olga Sánchez Cordero said no such deal has been reached. [USA Today / William Cummings]
Miscellaneous
- Bernardo Bertolucci, the pioneering yet controversial director behind films like Last Tango in Paris and Dreamers, has died at age 77. [Guardian / Andrew Pulver]
- The new Lion King movie trailer dropped last week, and it’s definitely had people talking about it over Thanksgiving. While some praised the remake for retaining the nostalgic feel of the 1994 animated classic, others said they felt misled by the “live action” branding, as the film appears to be mostly CGI. [Twitter Moments]
- Apple’s antitrust case is heading to the Supreme Court, and the company is prepared to face allegations that the App Store is a monopoly in a historic case for the technology industry. [CNBC / Tucker Higgins and Steve Kovach]
- Christmas is less than a month away. Here’s how first lady Melania Trump is decorating the White House. [Time / Ashley Hoffman]
Verbatim
“What we want is more learning in schools and less activism in schools.” [Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison received backlash after he told students protesting government inaction on climate change to let the politicians do their jobs / Guardian]
Watch this: Fox News keeps breaking its own rules
Sean Hannity appeared onstage at a Trump rally before the midterm elections. It’s the latest example of Fox News’s transformation from right-wing news network into full-on Republican campaign operation. [YouTube / Carlos Maza and Hunter Boone]
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