| Wind accounts for about 20 percent of the electricity mix in Europe. Michael Probst/Associated Press |
Trump wants to kill clean energy abroad
President Trump is not just trying to stop the transition away from fossil fuels in the U.S. He is pressuring other countries to retreat from their climate pledges and burn more coal, gas and oil.
He is doing that by applying tariffs, levies and other mechanisms of the world’s biggest economy, my colleague Lisa Friedman reports from Washington. A White House spokesman said that the administration “will not jeopardize our country’s economic and national security to pursue vague climate goals.”
Here are some of the ways the Trump administration is trying to affect other countries’ climate policies:
| The administration promised to apply tariffs, visa restrictions and port fees to countries that vote for a global agreement to slash greenhouse gas emissions from shipping.Virtually all of the administration’s trade deals include requirements that trading partners buy vast amounts of U.S. oil and gas.The administration joined oil-producing countries like Saudi Arabia to oppose limits on the production of petroleum-based plastics. |
Energy experts and European officials called the level of pressure Trump is exerting on other countries worrisome. Scientists widely agree that to avoid worsening consequences of climate change, countries need to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels to clean energy sources like wind, solar, geothermal power and hydropower.
India reels after Trump’s tariffs take effect
Businesses across India begged Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for help after Trump’s 50 percent tariffs went into effect. The government announced a program, worth $28 billion over six years, to help exporters find new markets and borrow more easily.
Industry groups asked the government for money to pay workers and for lower-priced electricity and bank loans. The levies will strike hard at businesses that provide mass employment, like the textile industry, which makes up about 2 percent of India’s formal economy.
Clean-energy casualty: India has worked to become a player in the renewable energy market. Its fledgling solar industry will be battered by the tariffs.
Europe’s big bet on defense
Compelled by Russia’s war in Ukraine, leaders in Europe and Britain are meeting with weapons manufacturers and pouring billions into defense. They are promoting military spending as an economic cure that will create jobs and growth.
But economists warn that the payoff is small unless serious money is spent on research and innovation rather than on stockpiles. Financing through taxes as opposed to public debt could drag growth further down. Germany has expanded borrowing to bankroll rearmament, while debt-laden France, Italy and Britain face tighter choices.
| MORE TOP NEWS |
| India: At least 34 people were killed in the Indian-controlled part of Jammu and Kashmir after days of intense monsoon rains caused landslides and flash floods. U.S.: A gunman fired through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis where students were celebrating Mass, killing two children and injuring 17 other people. Health: The White House said it fired the new C.D.C. director after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tried to remove her from her post and she refused to resign. Diplomacy: Denmark summoned the U.S. envoy after allegations emerged that Americans with close ties to Trump were running “covert influence operations” in Greenland. Gaza: Trump held a lengthy White House meeting with his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and former adviser Jared Kushner about the future of the enclave. Ukraine: Since the war began, men ages 18 to 60 had been barred from leaving the country. A new rule eases that ban, allowing young men to travel until they turn 23. United Arab Emirates: An Egyptian activist was extradited to the U.A.E. and then detained without trial after he condemned “shameful Arab regimes” in a video. Germany: A proposed military recruitment plan offers new incentives to address the country’s troop shortage, but conscription may return if enlistment goals aren’t met. |
| Tech: Nvidia’s sales rose 56 percent in the last quarter, topping Wall Street’s expectations and reassuring investors that the A.I. boom isn’t slowing. Iran: U.N. nuclear inspectors were allowed to return for the first time since Tehran suspended its cooperation last month, a possible first step toward restoring oversight. U.K.: Homes built to trap warmth are now overheating in hotter summers, demanding costly retrofits that go far beyond adding air-conditioning. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Tennis: Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula and Carlos Alcaraz won their matches on Day 4 of the U.S. Open. Here are the highlights. Soccer: Here’s what we’re hearing about Kobbie Mainoo, the golden boy frozen out at Manchester United.Formula One: The Athletic took a look inside the luxurious world of hospitality at F1 races. |
| MORNING READ |
Demand for home saunas is soaring in Britain and the U.S., as interest in sweat bathing returns. An English sauna company said that it had recently experienced an 80 percent year-on-year rise in online sales.
Why the resurgence? An author who has spent the past five years immersed in sauna culture sees it as a powerful antidote to modern life. Read more.
| CONVERSATION STARTERS |
| Taylor Swift: Our fashion critic took a close look at her engagement photos with Travis Kelce. Jewelers praised her ring’s “heirloom look.” Royalty TV: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is back for a second season of her Netflix lifestyle series, despite widespread criticism of its first season. At the museum: Our critic weighs in on when it’s OK to walk between a work of art and a viewer. Sexy produce: Hispi cabbage has become a star in London restaurants. |
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
The film festival season kicked off in Venice
A trio of film festivals in the coming weeks offers a launchpad for some of the most tantalizing titles of the year. The Venice Film Festival opened yesterday and will be followed by festivals in Telluride and Toronto.
My colleague Kyle Buchanan, who covers the awards season, writes that some star-studded films featuring the likes of Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Emma Stone will make their debuts in Italy, but some big names are skipping the fests. Read more.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
Bake: These gluten-free baked oatmeal cups are as substantial as a bowl of oatmeal.
