Opinion

Federal officials on Tuesday held their first-ever wind energy lease auction off the West Coast, with dozens of companies competing to build floating wind farms off the California coast that could one day power more than 1.5 million homes . Though it will be years before any wind turbines are under construction off the coast of Morro Bay and Eureka, it’s the type of project California will increasingly have to pursue to generate enough carbon-free electricity to meet its climate and energy targets. California’s goal is to cut greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990s levels by 2030, reach 90% renewable electricity sales by 2035 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2045. Opinion Editorial: U.N. climate fund will become a money pit if we don’t stop burning fossil fuels A new agreement to compensate poor nations for the effects of global warming is an important step for climate justice. But it will be hollow victory until world leaders take decisive … [Read more...] about Editorial: Where can California squeeze in more solar panels and wind turbines?

If an outsider were to analyze Israel-Jordan ties in the weeks following returning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's election victory, he would be led to the mistaken assumption that the peace between the two countries is stable, if not good. Following the Israeli elections on Nov. 1, Jordan's King Abdullah II and Israel's President Isaac Herzog held warm meetings (at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh), and a follow-up pact was agreed upon to promote the implementation of the electricity-water project (in which Israel sends the parched Hashemite Kingdom desalinated water, and Jordan sends Israel electricity from its solar panels). Later, the two parties signed a letter of intent as part of a collaborative endeavor to restore and improve the Jordan River's ecology. In addition, a public phone call was held between Netanyahu and King Abdullah. Both sides described the call as favorable. But the above does not reflect the animosity and deep distrust between … [Read more...] about Can Netanyahu’s New Government Keep the Peace With Jordan?

In the past week, Kanye West has done the unthinkable. He’s made Alex Jones look like the voice of reason . In case you missed it, on Alex Jones’ Infowars show, Jones attempted to throw the scandal-plagued star a lifeline. “I get the Hugo Boss uniforms [are] amazing,” Jones said, perhaps attempting to explain West’s antisemitism. “But just because you’re in love with the design—you’re a designer—can we just kinda say you like the uniforms, but that’s about it?” “No, there’s a lot of things I LOVE about HITLER,” West replied . “A LOT of things.” At this point, Jones had that same look on his face that Mike Myers had when Kanye said , “George W. Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” But that wasn’t the only example of right-wing podcast hosts trying to moderate West, only to be rebuffed. During a recent interview with Ye, podcast host Tim Pool tried to defend West from media criticism, saying, “I think they’ve been extremely unfair to you—” before West shot back, “Who is … [Read more...] about Right-Wing Hosts Try Saving Kanye but He’s Too Far Gone

A wedding guest has shared her personal dilemma over whether to attend the wedding of her sister-in-law, after being expected to shell out around £4,000 ($5,479) for the destination wedding. The wedding is set to be her second "very remote" destination wedding, after guests apparently paid around £3,000 ($4,109) 10 years ago to attend her first wedding abroad. An anonymous mom shared her dilemma to the British forum Mumsnet, where she asked users if she was being unreasonable in not wanting to attend due to multiple reasons—primarily the costs, after already paying similar amounts for the first wedding, which ultimately failed shortly after. Destination weddings have grown in popularity over the years, with data from a 2019 survey of over 27,000 couples that 21 percent got married at what they consider a destination wedding. They don't come cheap either— the same study by The Knot found the average destination wedding cost to be $32,000 and $38,500 including the price of the … [Read more...] about Bride’s Expectation Guest Pays $5k to Attend Wedding Leaves People Stunned

A woman's decision to possibly skip their step-sister's wedding has been slammed online. In a viral post to the U.K.-based discussion forum Mumsnet, which can be seen here , user HR313 explained they had fallen out with their stepmother but were now invited to their step-sister's wedding. HR313 added the family had celebrated the father's 60th birthday at a holiday lodge, but that there was a big falling that led them to no longer speak. User HR313 explained they had received an invitation to attend part of her step-sister's wedding—something that was interpreted as an "olive branch." Rima Barakeh, wedding expert and deputy editor of Hitched.co.uk told Newsweek the, invitation needed to be carefully considered: "This may very well be the family holding out an olive branch. "Could they be using the wedding reception invite as a way to make amends and put the family argument to bed? "If so, you need to consider how declining the wedding invitation may come across to them. … [Read more...] about Woman declining invite to stepsister’s wedding branded “unreasonable”

It can be difficult to see your ex with someone else—but especially so if it's with your mom's best friend. A Mumsnet user turned to the parenting site's Am I Being Unreasonable? (AIBU) forum for advice after discovering her childhood sweetheart is dating her mom's pal, who is 17 years his senior. Since being shared on November 30, the post has received over 100 comments from users, who are divided on the issue. Some saw nothing wrong with the relationship, while others found the situation "icky" and "weird." Why Do I Care If My Ex Is With Someone Else? Whether you opt for a clean break, or try to remain friends, dealing with an ex can be complicated. Just ask one Redditor, whose ex-fiancé contacted her asking for "closure" —eight years after leaving her at the altar with no explanation—while another woman divorced her husband after discovering he was "living a second life with his ex-wife ." A man also recently wrote to Newsweek asking for advice after falling … [Read more...] about Woman “betrayed” as her mom’s best friend starts dating her ex splits views

WASHINGTON — When the Senate passed landmark legislation last month to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages, the vote was lauded as a rare moment of bipartisanship at a time of deep political polarization in the country. But the narrow coalition of 12 Republicans that joined every Democrat in support of the measure — which is poised to pass the House on Thursday and be signed by President Biden shortly thereafter — did not spring up spontaneously in a groundswell of cross-party harmony. Behind the scenes, a group of influential Republican donors and operatives, including some of the party’s most prominent gay leaders with long experience prodding their party to embrace L.G.B.T.Q. rights, banded together with the bill’s proponents in Congress for a coordinated, $1.7 million campaign to persuade G.O.P. senators that backing it would give them a political edge. Their quiet work helps explain how a bill to ensure recognition of same-sex marriages across the country went … [Read more...] about Prominent Gay Republicans Helped Smooth the Way for Marriage Bill

Follow our live coverage of the Supreme Court hearings that pits free speech against gay rights . WASHINGTON — The Senate passed landmark legislation on Tuesday to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages, as a lame-duck Congress mustered a notable moment of bipartisanship before Democrats were to lose their unified control of Capitol Hill. The 61-to-36 vote put the bill on track to become law in the final weeks before Republicans assume the majority in the House of Representatives at the start of the new Congress in January. It marked one of the final major legislative achievements for Democrats before Republicans shift the focus in the House to conducting investigations of President Biden’s administration and family members. The bill must now win final approval by the House in a vote expected as soon as next week, which would clear it for Mr. Biden, who said he looked forward to signing it alongside the bipartisan coalition that helped shepherd it through the … [Read more...] about Same-Sex Marriage Bill Passes Senate After Bipartisan Breakthrough

Nikenike Vurobaravu presides over a tiny country with a large hand in climate diplomacy. Rising sea levels threaten the very existence of his Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu and its population of just over 300,000 people. Its best defense, he says, it to raise its voice creatively in international diplomatic talks. From Vanuatu in 1991 came the idea that industrialized countries should pay for the irreversible climate-induced damage faced by developing countries like his. Last month at the United Nations climate talks in Egypt, an agreement was reached — after 30 years of negotiations — to establish a fund that would help poor countries cope with climate loss and damage. Earlier this year Mr. Vurobaravu used the United Nations General Assembly podium to demand, for the first time, a fossil fuel “nonproliferation treaty .” Now, he is dangling Vanuatu’s most provocative suggestion yet. He wants the International Court of Justice, the world’s highest judicial body, based in The … [Read more...] about Tiny Vanuatu Uses Its ‘Unimportance’ to Launch Big Climate Ideas

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gave its support on Tuesday to a federal bill that would provide increased protections for same-sex marriage , a limited but notable step from a church that historically has aggressively opposed gay rights . The move came on the same day senators announced a religious freedom amendment to the legislation in hopes of securing broader support. It signaled church leaders’ tacit backing for Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee of Utah to support the bill. Mr. Romney and Mr. Lee, both Republicans, are members of the church. On Wednesday afternoon, the Senate voted to advance the measure, 62 to 37. Mr. Romney voted yes, and Mr. Lee voted no. In an evenly divided Senate, Republican support was needed to clear the 60-vote filibuster threshold. The amendment clarifies that the bill “will not lead to the recognition of polygamous unions and has no negative impact on religious liberty and conscience protections,” according to senators who … [Read more...] about Mormon Church Backs Bill Supporting Same-Sex Marriage