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Inside the Secret World of McKinsey, the Firm Hooked On Fossil Fuels (Maria)
The author writes, “Two giant, mirrored walls are set to rise out of the sands of the Arabian desert. They will run parallel for more than 100 miles from the coast of the Red Sea through arid valleys and craggy mountains. Between them, a futuristic city which has no need for cars or roads will be powered completely by renewable energy. This engineering marvel, its creators say, will usher in ‘a revolution in civilization.’ … It will supposedly put the powerful petrostate at the forefront of the energy transition. For American consulting giant McKinsey & Company, its advising on this project appears to be making good on the firm’s green promises. But behind closed doors, it has also helped the Saudi kingdom find lucrative ways to keep its oil industry afloat.”
Matt Gaetz Is Barely a Lawyer (Laura)
The author writes, “Aside from being the subject of a recent criminal investigation himself, Gaetz has limited familiarity with the workings of the federal Justice Department — and conspicuously little experience actually using his law degree. In announcing Gaetz as his pick to lead the DOJ, Trump praised him as a ‘deeply gifted and tenacious attorney.’ But Gaetz barely ever practiced law before going into politics, having followed his father into the Florida state legislature less than three years after passing the bar. Gaetz spent that time not as a prosecutor, but as a junior associate at a small litigation firm near where he grew up.”
Climate Crisis To Blame for Dozens of ‘Impossible’ Heatwaves, Studies Reveal (Gerry)
From The Guardian: “At least 24 previously impossible heatwaves have struck communities across the planet, a new assessment has shown, providing stark evidence of how severely human-caused global heating is supercharging extreme weather. The impossible heatwaves have taken lives across North America, Europe and Asia, with scientific analyses showing that they would have had virtually zero chance of happening without the extra heat trapped by fossil fuel emissions. Further studies have assessed how much worse global heating has made the consequences of extreme weather, with shocking results. Millions of people, and many thousands of newborn babies, would not have died prematurely without the extra human-caused heat, according to the estimates.”
Aiming to ‘Radicalize Main Street,’ Christian Nationalists Set Sights on Tiny Jackson County, Tennessee (Dana)
The author writes, “They want to go back to an America before the civil rights movement ‘ruined everything.’ They want to kick out legal immigrants even if they became U.S. citizens decades ago. And they want to put women back where they think they belong. If necessary to achieve their goals, they are prepared to accept a Protestant dictator who will rule according to their own interpretation of what it means to be a Christian. Now, an exclusive NewsChannel 5 investigation has discovered that those Christian nationalists have set their sights on a remote Middle Tennessee county, hoping to attract hundreds, even thousands, of like-minded people from across the country as part of efforts, in the words of one activist, to ‘radicalize Main Street.’
The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel Breathes Fire on Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s Big Tech Enablers (DonkeyHotey)
From Status: “The Verge Editor-In-Chief Nilay Patel is one of the most blunt voices in American media. Which is precisely why I wanted to sit down with him for a discussion on Elon Musk’s transition to ‘dark MAGA’ billionaire and, more broadly, how Donald Trump’s victory will impact the technology world. Suffice to say, Patel did not pull any punches.”
Young People Are Struggling to Deal With Their Trump-Supporter Parents — Again (Russ)
From Teen Vogue: “Kate’s parents think she’s going to hell for the abortion she had. They believe vaccines are dangerous and that elite politicians are pedophiles running the world. Though Kate’s parents were always Republicans, something changed around the time president-elect Donald Trump ran for office for the first time. Now she can barely hold a conversation with them anymore. ‘I just avoid them as much as possible,’ she says. With Donald Trump securing victory in the 2024 election, some Gen Z voters are struggling to deal with their Trump-supporter parents — again. … The disconnect between young people like Kate, 24, and their parents is only widening, leaving families further fractured in the wake of another divided election.”
Italian Village Is Offering Homes for a Buck (Reader Jim)
The author writes, “For the 48.3% of Americans who might be feeling sore about the 2024 election results, the offers from abroad continue to roll in: As CNN reports, the tiny Italian village of Ollolai says that if you’ve got about a buck, you can buy a house. Located on the island of Sardinia, Ollolai, population just over 1,000, is looking to re-populate and sees disgruntled Americans as one way to do it.”
