International News
Venice floods: Climate change behind highest tide in 50 years, says mayor
BBC World News
Severe flooding in Venice that has left much of the Italian city under water is a direct result of climate change, the mayor says.
The highest water levels in the region in more than 50 years would leave "a permanent mark", Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro tweeted.
"Now the government must listen," he added. "These are the effects of climate change... the costs will be high."
How Chileans are reclaiming public areas, rebuilding amid unrest
Al Jazeera
"We are sharing opinions and ideas, as we don't want to go back to where we came from before," Gonzalez told Al Jazeera as he and his neighbours discussed a way forward in the country, which is experiencing its worst unrest in decades.
As rockets rain down, Israel intensifies its strikes in Gaza
AP News
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli aircraft struck Islamic Jihad targets throughout the Gaza Strip on Wednesday while the militant group rained scores of rockets into Israel for a second straight day as the heaviest round of fighting in months showed no signs of ending. The death toll rose to 32 Palestinians, including a 7-year-old boy and two other minors.
US News
US household debt hits a record, nearing $14 trillion: NY Fed
Al Jazeera
United States households added $92bn of debt in the third quarter of 2019, led by a rise in mortgage loans, and overall debt levels set another record, nearing $14 trillion, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said on Wednesday.
Congress can have access to eight years of Trump’s tax records, appeals court orders
Washington Post
Congress can seek eight years of President Trump’s tax records, according to a federal appeals court order Wednesday that moves the separation-of-powers conflict one step closer to the Supreme Court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit let stand an earlier ruling against the president that affirmed Congress’s investigative authority on a day when the House was holding its first public impeachment inquiry hearing.
Disney says its new Disney+ streaming service is so popular you can’t stream it
Vox News
Disney spent billions of dollars to launch its long-awaited streaming service today, and ... lots of people can’t stream it.
The internet lit up with reports of consumers who were unable to find, download, or get Disney+ to work on Tuesday (it worked fine for this reporter). Launch day snafus are common for any consumer internet product, but this one is apparently large enough that Disney can’t brush it off as carping from a few disgruntled tweeters.
Science/ Environment News
Democratic Presidential Contenders Chart Different Paths to Clean Energy
Scientific American
The most direct approach would be to force the United States to change its power mix by adopting a national clean energy standard. Both Sanders and Warren have embraced this tactic.
Warren wants to aggressively remove fossil fuels by requiring U.S. utilities to be 100% carbon neutral by 2030. She would up the ante five years later by requiring “all-clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy” by 2035, according to her climate plan.