U.S. Politics: Debt-Ceiling Troubles Continue
According to “Reuters,” President of the United States of America Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have yet to reach an agreement on raising the U.S. government’s 3.14 trillion-dollar debt ceiling. The president has proposed a tax hike for the wealthy as well as a closure of tax loopholes for oil and pharmaceutical companies. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans have fought for cuts on the 2024 federal spending budget which Democrats have called “extreme.” “Brookings” noted that, if an agreement is not reached before early June, the U.S. government will default on its obligations including social security and federal paychecks. Based on a 2013 simulation, a short-term default could lead to a mild recession and a loss of 2.5 million jobs, which would worsen and be prolonged over an extended period of time. The only way to avoid such a scenario would be for a bipartisan deal to be passed in the next few days, something both parties remain hopeful for.
Environment: U.S. States Create a Deal to Help Prevent the Colorado River from Drying Up
More than 40 million people currently rely on the water supplied by the Colorado River. However, the climate crisis and the extraction of water for agricultural needs have pushed the river to its limit, according to “The Guardian.” For the past 20 years, the region has been undergoing the worst drought in 1,200 years, with nearby lakes on the verge of being unable to provide electricity to residents via hydroelectric turbines. As such, according to “The New York Times,” California, Arizona, and Nevada have agreed to take 13 percent less water from the lower Colorado basin in exchange for 1.2 billion dollars in aid from the federal government. This agreement is set to last until 2026 and will likely lead to significant water restrictions on all the regions’ residents.
World Politics: Ukraine’s Influence on the 2023 G7 Summit
The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal organization of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America that hopes to combat harmful global trends as well as prevent international crises. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a surprise speech at the 2023 G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, according to “Reuters.” His appearance served as an excellent opportunity to win over currently unaligned countries such as Brazil and India. Furthermore, through meetings with Western allies, he was able to further garner support such as U.S. President Joe Biden’s pledge of 375 million dollars in aid, supplies of fighter jets, and Britain’s new wave of Russian sanctions.
Weather: Climate Change’s Effects on Storms like Super Typhoon MawarAccording to “NPR,” climate change is making rapid intensification of cyclones and hurricanes more common as heat is a major fuel for large, powerful storms. Super Typhoon Mawar is an example of such an occurrence as, in just one day, it went from a Category 1 storm with relatively mild winds to a Category 4 storm with the power to rip off entire roofs. The National Weather Service even referred to Mawar as a “triple threat” that could threaten the lives of many as it approaches Guam and the Mariana Islands. This kind of rapid intensification poses an immense threat as there is less time to warn those in harm’s way.
