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Thousands March to Demand End to Fossil Fuels Ahead of UN Climate Summit (Maria)

The author writes, “Tens of thousands of people marched in New York City and across the US Sunday to demand President Biden and other world leaders to end fossil fuels ahead of this week’s UN Climate Ambition Summit. Several of the speakers at the New York event that kicks off Climate Week NYC took aim at the Biden administration for approving new oil and gas drilling permits. ‘Biden, you should be scared of us,’ said Emma Buretta, a 17-year-old Brooklyn organizer for youth protest group Fridays for Future. ‘If you want our vote, if you don’t want the blood of our generations to be on your hands, end fossil fuels.’”

Younger Voters Will Be Critical in 2024. Biden and Trump Are Taking Different Paths to Reach Them (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “Getting students … off the sidelines is one of the top challenges for the White House as Biden seeks a second term as the oldest president in American history, and it’s one that Harris will confront as she crisscrosses between campuses in the coming weeks. Although young people lean left, they’re less likely to vote, and preventing them from tuning out is crucial in close campaigns that hinge on narrow margins.”

What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate (Al)

From The Atlantic: “In an exclusive excerpt from [a] forthcoming biography of the senator, Romney: A Reckoning, he reveals what drove him to retire.”

Kim Davis Must Pay $100,000 to Same-Sex Couple She Denied Marriage License (DonkeyHotey)

The author writes, “A former Kentucky county clerk is being ordered to pay $100,000 to a local couple who sued the clerk after she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Kim Davis, the former clerk of Rowan county in eastern Kentucky, rose to national prominence for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses in 2015, arguing that such actions violated her religious beliefs that marriage is between a man and a woman. … [Last] week, in a trial to determine damages Davis must pay, a federal jury ordered Davis to pay $50,000 each to David Ermold and David Moore.”

Neocolonial Debt Traps Are Forcing Poorer Countries to Rely on Fossil Fuels (Reader Jim)

The author writes, “In the current age of climate emergency, many countries in debt are being forced by Global North elites and institutions to continue to rely on fossil fuels in order to repay loans taken from rich countries. This neocolonial debt trap creates a vicious cycle because — as a new analysis from the organization Debt Justice shows — revenues from fossil fuels are not enough to repay debts and instead leave countries even deeper in debt while at the same time worsening the prospects of achieving the goal of zero global emissions by 2050.”

The Spectacular Downfall of a Common, Useless Cold Medicine (Dana)

From Ars Technica: “Advisers for the Food and Drug Administration [last] week voted unanimously, 16 to 0, that oral doses of phenylephrine — found in brand-name products like Sudafed PE, Benadryl Allergy Plus Congestion, Mucinex Sinus-Max, and Nyquil Severe Cold & Flu — are not effective at treating a stuffy nose. The vote was years in the making.” 

How Ashes Can Be Turned Into Diamonds After You’re Dead (Mili)

From Popular Mechanics: “Some bereaved folks today are turning to a lesser-known way to hold their loved ones close — by turning their cremated remains into a diamond that they can treasure, and perhaps wear as jewelry. … While transforming ashes into diamonds is a relatively novel approach, and still a rare choice, the industry has grown over the past 20 years.”

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