Good morning.
There is still a chance for the world to avoid the worst ravages of climate breakdown and return to the goal of 1.5C if governments take concerted action on greenhouse gas emissions, according to an assessment.
The Climate Analytics report says governments’ goals are inadequate and need to be urgently revised. It calls for the rapid scaling-up of the use of renewable energy and electrification of several sectors including transport, heating and industry.
The timing of the report is significant, as world leaders are meeting for Cop30 in Belém, Brazil, where all countries are expected to produce national climate plans under the 2015 Paris agreement. Last week, the Trump administration confirmed the US would send no high-level representatives to Cop30.
How do things stand? For the past two years, global temperatures have surpassed the 1.5C threshold above preindustrial levels set out in the 2015 Paris agreement. A UN Environment Programme report published this week said governments’ current plans would lead to devastating heating of about 2.3-2.5C.
What has Brazil’s president said? “This [summit] is an opportunity for politicians, diplomats, scientists, activists and journalists to witness … the true state of the forests, the planet’s largest river basin, and the millions of people who live in the region,” Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote for the Guardian.
Supreme court justices express skepticism over legality of Trump tariffs
The supreme court appeared skeptical of the legal basis of the Trump administration’s sweeping global tariff regime on Wednesday, after justices questioned the president’s authority to impose the levies.
Even conservative justices sounded doubtful of the strength of the administration’s position. “The vehicle is the imposition of taxes on Americans, and that has always been a core power of Congress,” said the chief justice, John Roberts.
What is the case about? Trump has imposed tariffs via the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which in some circumstances grants the president authority to regulate or prohibit international transactions – but only during a national emergency.
What happens if the court sides against the president? It would force the White House to reconsider its aggressive tariff policy, which has strained global trade ties.
Zohran Mamdani announces all-female transition team as he prepares for New York mayoralty
Zohran Mamdani’s incoming administration began taking shape on Wednesday as the New York City mayor-elect announced a transition team to help enact what he called the city’s most ambitious policy platform in a generation.
In Queens, the 34-year-old democratic socialist revealed an all-female transition team led by Elana Leopold as executive director. It also includes the co-chairs Maria Torres-Springer, a former first deputy mayor; Lina Khan, a former federal trade commission chair; the United Way’s president and chief, Grace Bonilla; and the former deputy mayor for health and human services Melanie Hartzog.
What are Mamdani’s main campaign policies? He wants a rent freeze for stabilized apartments, free bus service, universal childcare and city-run grocery stores, all funded by increased taxes on corporations and the wealthy.
What obstacles does his administration face? Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani takes office. New York City’s budget for fiscal year 2026 includes approximately $7.4bn in federal funding, accounting for about 6.4% of total spending.
In other news …
Moscow’s forces appear to be tightening their grip on Pokrovsk, as street fighting continues in the strategic eastern Ukrainian city, much of which lies in ruins.
Safety investigators arrived in Kentucky to analyze how a UPS cargo plane crashed and erupted into a huge fireball, killing at least 11 people and injuring about 15.
Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, was groped by a man on the streets of Mexico City, underscoring the level of sexual harassment faced by the country’s women.
Five people were injured after a driver rammed into pedestrians on Île d’Oléron, an island off France’s coast.
Stat of the day: Government shutdown now officially the longest in history
The federal government shutdown became the longest in history yesterday, surpassing the 35-day record set in December 2018 and January 2019 during Donald Trump’s first term. For the nearly 42 million people who receive food stamps, the Department of Agriculture is providing only 50% of the usual funds. Meanwhile, officials said the federal government would reduce airline traffic by 10% from Friday if the government shutdown was not resolved by then.
Don’t miss this: This machine could keep a baby alive outside the womb. How will the world use it?
In the US, premature birth remains the second-biggest cause of infant death. Scientists have been developing an artificial womb for years, engineered to gestate babies outside the body. How will this technology affect the ways we preserve life and define life itself?
Climate check: Archaeologists discover how oldest American civilization survived a climate catastrophe
Archaeologists in Peru have found evidence showing how the oldest known civilization in the Americas adapted and survived a climate catastrophe without resorting to violence. About 4,200 years ago, severe drought forced people to leave the city of Caral and resettle. They left friezes depicting victims of a famine, with messages for future generations.
Last Thing: The Guardian has only ever published 15 zero-star reviews. Here they are
Lucy Mangan’s review of Kim Kardashian’s drama All’s Fair stood out for giving the drama a rare zero-star rating. The Guardian has revisited every single thing our critics panned – from a gadget in 2014 that claimed to ease jet lag by “shining light into the ear canal”, to the 2021 season of Love Island and the London Selling Sunset spin-off.
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.
Get in touch
If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com
