President Biden is hosting world leaders in a virtual climate summit beginning today. Forty leaders were invited to attend, including 17 nations responsible for roughly 80% of global emissions.

• He is expected to announce a new emissions goal for the U.S. to attain by 2030.

🤿 A deeper dive…
Biden’s actions in office thus far:

• On his first day in office, Biden rejoined the Paris Agreement, a nonbinding international accord to limit global warming below 2ºC (preferably below 1.5ºC).
• That same day, he also revoked the March 2019 permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, saying approval of the project “would undermine U.S. climate leadership.”
• Last month, Biden proposed a $2T infrastructure plan that requests hundreds of billions of dollars to boost the EV market and upgrade the national electric grid to be more resilient to climate disasters.

The U.S. and China issued a joint statement last Saturday wherein the two countries “committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis.”

Elsewhere… The 27 EU member countries agreed to a new climate change law yesterday that aims to reduce emissions 55% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels).

• Global emissions are projected to increase 4.8% in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency, which would wipe out 2020’s drop in emissions due to the pandemic (but would be slightly below 2019 levels).

⏭️ What’s Next?
Earlier this month, more than 400 businesses and investors - including Apple, Google, and Coca-Cola - signed an open letter to Biden asking him to cut U.S. emissions by at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030. (More than 1k scientists have signed a similar letter.)

• Full circle: Biden’s pending announcement is expected to align with the open letters’ suggestions, per WaPo.

Ma’Khia Bryant Shooting

Columbus police officials released 911 calls and new bodycam footage yesterday providing more details around the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old girl named Ma'Khia Bryant on Tuesday.

• In the first call, an unidentified female can be heard asking the dispatcher to send police to the address because of a fight, while a loud argument is heard in the background. The woman does not respond when the dispatcher repeatedly asks if she could see a weapon. "We need a police officer over here now. We need a crisis officer over here now," she said before hanging up. Another woman also called 911, but by the time they were able to speak to an operator, police were already arriving.
• The extended bodycam footage shows Officer Nicholas Reardon getting out of his car and approaching a group of people standing in front of a house. Ma'Khia appears to lunge with a knife at a girl on the hood of a car in the driveway, after which Reardon fired his weapon four times, striking Ma'Khia. She was transported to the hospital and died a short time later.

More: Columbus officials said a third-party investigation being conducted by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation would need to answer key questions, including what information the officer had, what he saw at the scene, and what would have happened if he “had taken no action at all.”

From the Left 

From the Right

Polls…

In the immediate aftermath of the verdict, an Ipsos snap poll found a majority of Democrats and Republicans thought the jury made the correct decision (85% D, 55% R, 71% total).

• Twenty-two percent of Republicans answered “Don’t Know” compared to 6% of Democrats.

Perspectives…

From the Left:

“It's imperative that America take action now — not just with reforms in policing but also by creating a more just and inclusive society. We have a verdict in Derek Chauvin's murder trial and justice for George Floyd. Now we need lasting change and justice for all.” – Editorial Board, Star Tribune

“The Chauvin conviction is important, but it’s not repeatable. It’s a floor, not a ladder. Floyd’s family can finally begin the process of healing. They have received some measure of justice, and hopefully they can find peace. The rest of us have to get back to work.” – Elie Mystal, The Nation

From the Right:

“Our conclusion is that the jury and justice system performed better than political critics predicted or behaved themselves as they condoned violent protests and demanded a guilty verdict from afar.” – Editorial Board, WSJ

“The judicial system worked. It usually does. It won't bring George Floyd back, or eliminate all bad policing, but police are now on notice. And good cops still vastly outnumber bad ones. It's time to refine and reform the policing system, not tear it down.” – Quin Hillyer, Washington Examiner

+News from the DOJ: AG Merrick Garland said the department will open a ‘pattern-or-practice’ probe to investigate whether the Minneapolis PD repeatedly engages in behaviors like excessive force, Fourth Amendment violations, discriminatory policing outcomes, and more.

Yesterday’s Question: Are you in favor of a universal basic income?

Responses...

Yes - “[Innovation} is made harder when so many rely on starvation wages that barely pay the bills. A guaranteed income means not needing to work two or three jobs to pay the bills, leaving time to do just those things: creating, innovating, experimenting, and focusing on ways to make a difference in the world. Because as it turns out, money doesn't follow goodness wherever it goes, so we need to make goodness a worthwhile path.

Experimenting sometimes means failing first. Folks with wealth have the privilege to experiment much easier, but they are not the only ones with ideas. Give everyone greater privilege and freedom with a guaranteed income, and watch great ideas come in, I guarantee it.”

No - “While the concept is noble, our local, state, and federal government has shown no ability to develop programs to elevate people and have them graduate into being self-sufficient. I would rather provide services, such as food stamps and low-rent housing, to incentivize people to contribute to society.”

Unsure - “I am worried about the potential for price inflation for basic rent, services, and goods as a result of UBI payments, making them a moot point. I am also worried it could have a negative effect on people’s motivation and desire to enter the workforce. But I see a clear need to address chronic homelessness and poverty.”

+Note: Y’all are amazing. 👏 We received ~400 responses, the vast majority of which were extremely well-thought-out and nuanced opinions – even though we had to lightly edit some for grammar and spelling. 😉

“I hope people see me and go, ‘Hey, maybe next time I walk around I’ll bring a trash bag and do that, too.’”

There’s nothing better than taking a nice stroll around your neighborhood in the morning. For Washington D.C resident Billy Adams, his daily walks are a way of changing the world.

• The 54-year-old traverses ~12 miles each morning, picking up litter the entire way. Most days, he fills up two full bags.

Images: WaPo

Dressed in activewear and carrying a trash bag in one hand, Billy will “pick up pretty much anything” if it means his neighborhood is a bit cleaner.

• After walking the route so many times, he even began to notice trends in the type of litter depending on the area. 🤯
• Halfway through, Billy always makes a stop at the local Starbucks. Instead of pairing his coffee with a scone, he asks for a side of extra trash bags.

Known as “The Garbage Guy” around town, Billy’s humble work inspires many.

"It has a contagious impact on you,” shares Billy’s sister Caroline, “Anybody who went on one walk with Billy would feel the same way.”

☀️ Floating Sunshine… Thailand’s government is nearing completion of one of the world’s largest floating solar panel installations, covering nearly 300 acres in the South China Sea.

💰 Free Trade… an NFT by Edward Snowden called Stay Free sold for $5.5M last week at a one-day online auction.

🔒 Password Protection… in a post last month, Microsoft said it would stop recommending mandatory password changes, calling them “ancient and obsolete mitigation of very low value.”

💧 I’ll Drink to That… researchers from Australia developed a method of using sunlight to produce clean, safe drinking water in a process made cost-effective through the use of sustainable materials.

On which continent can you find tigers in the wild?

A) South America
B) Asia
C) Africa
D) Europe

(keep scrolling for the answer)

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B) Asia

According to the last tiger census in 2018, there are 13 wild tiger range countries in the world – all of them in Asia.