Court leaves dwindling paths for Biden's climate mission
The Hindu
Mr. Biden has pledged to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade.
More than 500 days into his presidency, Joe Biden's hope for saving the Earth from the most devastating effects of climate change may not quite be dead.
But it's not far from it.
A Supreme Court ruling on Thursday not only limited the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate climate pollution by power plants but also suggests the court is poised to block other efforts by Mr. Biden and federal agencies to limit the climate-wrecking fumes emitted by oil, gas and coal.
It's a blow to Mr. Biden's commitment to slash emissions in the few years scientists say are left to stave off worse and deadlier levels of global warming. And it's a sign, to Democrats at home and allies abroad, of the dwindling options remaining for Mr. Biden to reverse the legacy of former president Donald Trump, who mocked the science of climate change.
Mr. Trump's three Supreme Court appointees provided half of the affirmative votes in Thursday's 6-3 ruling.
After the ruling, a veteran Democratic lawmaker acknowledged he saw little hope of Congress producing any meaningful climate legislation, either.
“There's no easy fix from Congress from this mess,” Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse said. The foreign allies whom Mr. Biden once spoke of leading to a global clean-power transformation are wondering if the U.S. can even lead itself.
EU and Israel in war of words as ties nosedive ahead of Spain, Ireland recognizing Palestinian state
EU-Israel relations strained over Palestinian state recognition, with threats of sanctions and ICC involvement in conflict.