Columbia University In Crisis: Jewish Students Warned To Avoid Campus
Earth Day: The cost of climate change; House passes $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan
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Good morning,
It’s Earth Day! 🌎 A day to think about our planet’s well-being.
How it started: Back in 1970, the inaugural Earth Day included protests across the US calling for environmental protections.
🌳 In response to the growing public outcry, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established that July.
This year, President Biden says, “This work has never been more urgent. Climate change is the existential crisis of our time; no one can deny its impacts and staggering costs anymore.”
More on the estimated economic impact of climate change in story #3.
If you want to join in today, here’s a list of Earth Day events happening around the world! 🌎 Have a good one!
Mosheh, Jill, & Lauren
📌 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY UNDER FIRE AS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS ESCALATE
As Passover begins tonight, Jewish students on a number of university campuses across the US are expressing concern for their safety. Yesterday, a rabbi at Columbia University advised Jewish students to ‘return home as soon as possible’ following reports of ‘extreme antisemitism’ on and around campus. The college is now ensuring remote learning options are available.
The White House and other lawmakers are condemning reported instances of antisemitic chants and statements, including “go back to Poland,” and “go back to the gas chambers.” One anti-Israel protester at Columbia University held a sign in front of a group of Jewish, pro-Israel students gathered, stating "Al-Qas[s]am's next targets," referring to the military wing of Hamas.
HOW WE GOT HERE
It follows the arrest of over 100 Columbia and Barnard students on Thursday, including Rep. Ilhan Omar’s daughter, at the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” by the NYPD. It came at the request of University President Minouche Shafik, who said they were violating multiple Columbia rules.
By Sunday night, several dozen protesters (Columbia and non-Columbia students), calling for the university to divest in companies that do business with Israel, among other demands, had reestablished the encampment. Columbia appears to be debating what to do next.
Over the weekend, students at other universities — including Yale and Harvard — also worked to create similar tented encampments, with further reports of violence against Jewish students.
HOW POLITICIANS ARE WEIGHING-IN
President Biden put out a statement late Sunday night calling out “harassment and calls for violence against Jews. This blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous – and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik called on Columbia President Shafik to resign, saying she’s failed to protect Jewish students on campus.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams also addressed the violent rhetoric in a lengthy Twitter statement below.
📌 HOUSE PASSES $95 BILLION FOREIGN AID PACKAGES AMID SPEAKERSHIP THREATS
A months-long deadlock ended over the weekend after the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives, with overwhelming support from Democrats, passed a $95 billion aid package to assist Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, as well as humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.
The legislation advanced to the Senate — where votes could be held tomorrow — despite threats from far-right Republicans that they will oust Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for working with Democrats.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Before the vote, Johnson said if Republicans controlled the Senate and White House the legislation would look different, but “this is the best possible product that we can get under these circumstances."
He added: “To put it bluntly, I would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.” Johnson’s son is headed to the US Naval Academy in the fall.
Notably, more than 75% of the package, approximately $73 billion, is set to be domestically invested, with $59 billion going directly to US defense companies, and their workers.
What it includes:
Ukraine: The vote was 311 to 112 (all Republicans), with one member voting present.
The largest part of the package, Ukraine’s $60 billion aid package sets aside a sizable amount to "replenish American defense stockpiles" and allots $13 billion for the purchase of US defense systems, which Ukrainian officials for months have said are badly needed.
Israel: 366 to 58.
The $26 billion for Israel and Gaza will be divided, with about $14 billion going to bolster Israeli anti-missile shield and purchasing weapons and $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian aid—mainly for Gaza.
Taiwan: 385 to 34 with one member voting present.
Of the $8 billion for US allies in the Indo-Pacific region (notably, Taiwan) and countering China, about a quarter will replenish US weapons provided to Taiwan. Then, over $3 billion will be allotted to submarine infrastructure and development.
TIC-TAC-TOE, A WINNER
The House also passed on Saturday another TikTok bill, which would require the Beijing-based owners to sell the app or face a ban in the US. The measure is now tied to the foreign aid bills, which fast-tracks it for passage by the Senate.
The vote was 360-58, similar to the 352-65 vote in mid-March. Opponents included both Democrats and Republicans.
SAME: The broad bipartisan support remains in the House over concerns of national security.
CHANGES: This version of the bill addresses legal concerns from some members of the Senate about the deadline to force a sale: Instead of six months, Bytedance will have up to a year to sell TikTok.
THE NEXT BATTLES
If signed into law, the Biden administration will have 45 days to provide a strategy to Congress for what it seeks to achieve in Ukraine — as some critics have argued the US is funding a war if there is no end in sight.
For Speaker Johnson, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) continued her calls yesterday for him to resign, or get ousted like his predecessor, Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
So far, there are three Republicans calling to oust Johnson — if Democrats join them, that’s enough to get the simple majority needed. But some Democrats say they may vote to save Johnson.
🌎 CLIMATE CHANGE GLOBAL IMPACT OVER NEXT 25 YEARS
This Earth Day, data is signaling that the cost of heatwaves, severe floods and wildfires in 25 years is greater than previous research suggested. A new study says the economic impact of climate change could cost the global economy $38 trillion annually.
Notably, a few countries may see some economic benefits from climate change and a melting arctic: Canada, Russia, Norway, Finland and Sweden. Though diseases from a melting permafrost and expansive wildfires could also hit the northern countries.
Across the globe, climate change is predicted to reduce future income by about 19%, more than double the annual GDP of the European Union.
WHO’S GETTING HIT
The research looks at how 1,600 geographical areas — smaller than countries — will be impacted by changing temperatures and extreme weather.
If global warming is limited to 2° Celsius (3.6° Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times — the upper limit of the Paris Climate Agreement — the global financial hit is estimated at 19%.
The UN says, emissions must fall by 28% by 2030 to stay in that 2°C target.
Economies with the largest losses are likely at warmer latitudes — across South American, Africa, and the Middle East.
Countries with smaller economies will experience a 61% greater income loss compared to the wealthiest ones, the study calculates.
NEXT STEPS
The study argued that investing in green technology outweighs the cost of damage brought by climate change. Researchers say that investing $6 trillion by 2050 in green technology is the needed investment to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement…much less than the $38 trillion in annual losses predicted.
✔︎ Mo News Reality Check: Energy is at the heart of the climate challenge – and the UN says it’s also the key to the solution. Here are some recommended ways to save energy and a quiz on more effective saving strategies.
⏳ SPEED READ
🚨NATION
📌 Supreme Court to decide if ban on homeless camps is 'cruel and unusual,' arguments today (ABC NEWS)
📌 Abortion-rights groups get signal boost after Florida, Arizona rulings (AXIOS)
📌 Opening statements in Trump’s hush money trial start today, here are the key players (CNN)
📌 RFK Jr. candidacy hurts Trump more than Biden, NBC News poll finds (NBC NEWS)
📌 Two young siblings killed, at least nine kids seriously injured, after a drunk driver plowed into a child’s birthday party in Michigan (CNN)
🌎 AROUND THE WORLD
📌 US expected to sanction IDF unit for human rights violations in West Bank (AXIOS)
📌 Ecuadorians head to polls for referendum as current president seeks backing for war on crime (GUARDIAN)
📌 Thousands protest in Spain's Canary Islands over mass tourism, calling for limited visitors (REUTERS)
📌 Frustrated Qatari government looks to potentially kick Hamas leaders out of Doha (TIMES OF ISRAEL)
📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH
📌 Diversity goals are disappearing from companies’ annual reports (WSJ)
📌 Universal Studios tram crash injures more than a dozen, park and fire officials say (ABC NEWS)
📌 Tax breaks to hire local journalists approved in New York, a national first (POLITICO)
📌 Climate doom is out. ‘Apocalyptic Optimism’ is in. (NY TIMES)
🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT
📌 A Chinese doping scandal rocks Olympic swimming and clean sport (YAHOO SPORTS)
📌 Victoria Beckham: Spice Girls reunite... at Posh's 50th birthday (BBC)
📌 Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’ first album in Spotify’s history with 300M streams in single day (BILLBOARD)
📌 Nigerian chess champion Tunde Onakoya plays for 60 hours in Times Square, breaking marathon record (CNN)
📌 Kevin Bacon returns to ‘Footloose’ high school to mark film’s 40th anniversary (EW)
🗓 ON THIS DAY: APRIL 22
1974: Barbara Walters became the first woman to be named co-anchor of the Today Show on NBC, breaking barriers for women in journalism.
1989: Madonna’s ‘Like A Prayer’ reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
1993: The US Holocaust Memorial Museum was dedicated in Washington, DC, to honor and educate about the millions of victims of Nazi extermination.
2000: The US government orders the return of six-year-old Elián González to Cuba from his relatives’ home in Florida, after a protracted public battle.