Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Jun 26, 2017 - Energy & Environment

Carbon in atmosphere climbs even as emissions level off

Branden Camp / AP

Earth has a climate conundrum: the amount of carbon dioxide released globally each year has, for the most part, stopped increasing.

But for some reason, CO2 has continued to build up in the atmosphere at a fast pace, reports the New York Times. In 2015 and 2016, amounts of excess CO2 in the air increased at a faster rate than any previous year. It slowed in 2017, but the rate of increase is still above average.
What's happening: Unclear. Although nations are still pumping out high levels of CO2 and greenhouse gases, it's less than in previous years. Some researchers think that something could be happening to the carbon "sinks" like the ocean and forest, which help store excess carbon and curb warming.
Why it matters: If carbon sinks are in trouble, levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases could continue to rise, even as emissions rates continue to drop.

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7 hours ago - Politics & Policy

CCP releases two jailed Canadians after Huawei CFO deal with DOJ

Photo: Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Two Canadians imprisoned by the Chinese government for over 1,000 days have been released and are expected to arrive in Canada on Saturday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday.

Why it matters: Their release comes hours after Huawei Technologies CFO Meng Wanzhou reached a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice that resolves the criminal charges against her and could pave the way for her to return to China.

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Updated 12 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Arizona GOP's private recount of 2020 election confirms Biden's win

Contractors working on behalf of the GOP examine and recount 2020 ballots at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix in May. Photo: Courtney Pedroza/Getty Images

In an odd coda to the 2020 election, private contractors conducting a GOP-commissioned recount in Arizona confirmed President Biden’s win in Maricopa County.

Why it matters: The unofficial, party-driven recount has been heavily covered on cable news as part of former President Trump's continued effort to sow doubt about the election result.

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Oriana Gonzalez

14 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Del Rio bridge camp empty following Haitian migrant surge

A boy bathes himself in a jug of water inside a migrant camp at the U.S.-Mexico border on Sept. 21 in Del Rio, Texas. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

The last migrants camping under the Del Rio International Bridge, which connects Texas and Mexico, departed on Friday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced during a White House press briefing.

Driving the news: Thousands of migrants, mostly from Haiti, had arrived to the makeshift camp after crossing the southern border seeking asylum. Roughly 1,800 migrants will now head to U.S. Customs and Border Protection processing centers.

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