In another blow to China’s economy, the credit ratings agency Moody’s said Tuesday that it had issued a negative outlook for the Chinese government’s financial health. Moody’s expressed concern at the potential cost to the national government of bailing out debt-burdened regional and local governments and state-owned businesses. Moody’s, which previously viewed China’s finances as …
Got Climate Angst? At the U.N. Summit, There’s a Quiet, Spiritual Place.
Among the hubs for climate scientists, activists and fossil fuel lobbyists at the United Nations climate summit is a new addition this year: a place to pray. The first-ever Faith Pavilion, inaugurated by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, in a video message on Sunday, offers a space for meditation, daily …
Harris Takes Forceful Tone With Israel in a Foray Into Mideast Diplomacy
Vice President Kamala Harris’s trip to the Middle East over the weekend was both a major foray into wartime diplomacy and an effort to show that the administration is taking a harder line with Israel about the civilian toll of its war against Hamas. The message was aimed at leaders in the region as Israel …
Supreme Court Appears Split Over Opioid Settlement for Purdue Pharma
The Supreme Court justices seemed divided on Monday over a fiercely contested bankruptcy settlement for Purdue Pharma that would funnel billions of dollars into addressing the opioid epidemic in exchange for shielding members of the wealthy Sackler family from related civil lawsuits. The U.S. Trustee Program, an office in the Justice Department, had challenged the …
Global Carbon Budget Report Finds Fossil Fuel Emissions Still Rising
Despite years of commitments from countries to slash the emissions of greenhouse gases that are warming the planet, they are still on the rise. Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels is expected to rise by 1.1 percent in 2023 compared with 2022, scientists found in an extensive peer-reviewed analysis published this week. Researchers from …
White House Warns Congress That Weapons Money for Ukraine Will Run Out
The White House warned on Monday that the United States would run out of money to send weapons to Ukraine by the end of the year if Congress does not approve additional emergency support for the war that has been snarled by funding debates. The warning, delivered in a blunt letter to the House speaker, …
Spotify to Cut 1,500 Jobs in Third Round of Layoffs this Year
Spotify said on Monday that it would cut nearly a fifth of its work force, at least the third round of layoffs this year, as it has struggled to become consistently profitable after spending aggressively to expand beyond music streaming into areas such as podcasting. Spotify’s chief executive officer, Daniel Ek, wrote in a note …
The Wild Card in Taiwan’s Election: Frustrated Young Voters
In the months leading up to a pivotal presidential election for Taiwan, candidates have focused on who can best handle the island democracy’s volatile relationship with China, with its worries about the risks of war. But at a recent forum in Taipei, younger voters instead peppered two of the candidates with questions about everyday issues …
DeSantis Says He Would Pass a Bill to ‘Supersede’ Obamacare
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida said on Sunday that, if elected president, he would pursue legislation that would “supersede” the Affordable Care Act, echoing former President Donald J. Trump’s comments, which Democrats seized upon last week. “What I think they’re going to need to do is have a plan that will supersede Obamacare, that will …
China Evergrande Gets Reprieve in Talks With Foreign Investors
Once China’s most prolific property developer, China Evergrande has narrowly averted liquidation. A Hong Kong bankruptcy judge on Monday gave Evergrande another two months to work out a deal with foreign investors who lost money when the company defaulted two years ago with hundreds of billions of dollars in debt. The judge set another court …