Good morning.
Despite being the world’s largest oil and gas producer, the US continues to be a force for good in dealing with the climate emergency, John Kerry has argued.
In an interview with the Guardian, the outgoing US climate chief acknowledged that strong safeguards were needed to phase out oil and gas infrastructure before the country could permanently transition to renewables.
“I don’t agree that we are a force for ill,” he said. “We are living up to our obligations to transition … we are in transition, and as our renewables come online they [fossil fuels] are going out at a very rapid rate.”
Fracking and exploration have expanded in the world’s largest economy amid rising fossil fuel prices. The US has also been criticised for stalling on the “loss and damage” rescue funds that are vital for the world’s poorest countries, with wealthy countries pledging just $700m at Cop28 – less than 0.2% of what is needed.
Will the US meet its climate goals? Kerry said the US was on track to more than halve emissions by 2030, compared with 2005 levels, thanks to Joe Biden’s climate legislation, which had scaled up renewable energy capacity.
Kamala Harris to meet Israel war cabinet member after calling for ceasefire
Kamala Harris has demanded Israel do more to ease the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza amid rising pressure on the Biden administration to constrain its close ally.
In the sharpest criticism of Israel by a senior US government figure yet, the US vice-president said “the Israeli government must do more to significantly increase the flow of aid” to Gaza, where conditions were “inhumane”. She called for an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to accept a deal to release hostages in return for a six-week stop to fighting.
Harris’s comments came before her scheduled meeting with Benny Gantz on Monday at the White House. Revealing the growing schism in Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime leadership, an official from the Likud party said Gantz did not have Netanyahu’s authorisation for his Washington meetings.
What’s the latest on the ceasefire? A Hamas delegation was in Cairo on Sunday for ceasefire talks after it appeared that Israel had provisionally accepted a six-week deal. Egyptian media has reported that there has been “significant progress in the negotiations”.
Nikki Haley wins her first Republican primary in Washington DC
Nikki Haley, Donald Trump’s sole remaining challenger, has won her first Republican primary race, after clinching the District of Columbia, just before a Super Tuesday that analysts say has “never mattered less”.
Haley won 62.9% of the vote to Trump’s 33.2%. Her campaign team has said it makes her the first woman to win a Republican primary.
Despite the historic victory, which secured her 19 delegates, Haley would need 1,215 delegates to gain the nomination – a steep uphill climb as Trump has won eight primaries and is forecast to win nearly all contests.
How are things looking for Trump? He is pretty much a dead-cert for the nomination – despite confusing Barack Obama with Joe Biden at a Virginia rally on Saturday, the third time he has done so in six months.
When will we know? Trump’s victory is expected to be confirmed after 15 states hold primaries tomorrow, known as Super Tuesday.
In other news …
Four people have been killed and three injured in a shooting on Sunday evening at a party in central California. A group of masked men opened fire at the outdoor event in King City at 6pm, with three men pronounced dead at the scene. A woman died of her injuries after being transported to hospital.
Malaysia’s prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, has said the country will reopen investigations into the 2014 disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 if there is strong new evidence. Gathering before the 10-year anniversary, families of passengers called for a renewed search.
Residents and city workers are ploughing through tumbleweeds after Utah towns including South Jordan and Eagle Mountain were inundated with them after a powerful storm. The weeds piled up in stacks reaching three metres (10ft), in some places.
Stat of the day: Double jailbreak allows thousands of inmates to escape in Haiti, triggering state of emergency
Haiti has declared a 72-hour state of emergency and a night-time curfew after gang members stormed two prisons at the weekend, freeing thousands of inmates. Arnel Remy, a human rights lawyer whose NGO works in the country’s prison system, said fewer than 100 of the nearly 4,000 inmates remained locked up.
Don’t miss this: ‘Musk needs to be adored … Zuckerberg is out of his depth’
Kara Swisher has spent her life studying the giants of big tech, and her view of the industry has changed over time. But while she chronicles the disappointments delivered by the likes of Elon Musk (and labels Mark Zuckerberg “the most damaging man in tech”), she still has hope for the potential of tech – for example, the role of AI in cancer screening.
Climate check: ‘We need to talk about water – and the fact that the world is running out of it’
To keep up with the growing global demand for food, crop production needs to rise by at least 50% by 2050. While technological innovation may make this feasible, there is a huge barrier: water.
A 2017 study estimated that to reach this goal, water use in the farming sector would need to rise by 146%, at a time when we are already maxing out supplies. George Monbiot considers what needs to be done – with an adaptation of our diets at the center.
Last Thing: Kylie Minogue does a ‘shoey’
At the Brit awards over the weekend, Kylie Minogue was coerced into doing a ‘shoey’ – described by the New York Times as “Australia’s grossest drinking tradition” – where a person drinks from a shoe. Harry Styles and Post Malone are among other singers who have been peer-pressured into performing the bizarre move; the latter did seven shoeys during one Brisbane show.
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com
