As the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, more than 5.2 million people have died from the disease worldwide, including over 788,000 Americans, according to real-time data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering. Just 59.9% of the population in the United States is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced a vaccine mandate for all private sector employees. On the talk show "Morning Joe," the mayor called the mandate, which goes into effective Dec. 27, a "preemptive strike."
New York City will also now mandate two vaccine doses, instead of one, for indoor activities, and will require proof of vaccination for indoor dining for kids ages 5 to 11. - ABC News
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Teen fatally shot on Florida college campus after armed confrontation with officers, police say12/6/2021 Alhaji Sow, a sophomore originally from Georgia studying aeronautical science, died from his wounds at the scene of the late Friday shooting.t the scene of the late Friday shooting. An 18-year-old student at the Florida Institute of Technology was fatally shot in an armed confrontation with officers over the weekend, police have said.
Alhaji Sow, a sophomore studying aeronautical science at the college, which is based in Melbourne, southeast of Orlando, was shot late Friday, police said in a press release. The Melbourne Police department said officers responded to the campus after reports of a male allegedly "armed with a knife and assaulting students" around 11 p.m. Friday evening. Officers and campus security members entered Roberts Hall, a residence hall for freshman, and confronted Sow, who “was armed with an edged weapon," police and school officials said. During the confrontation, Sow, who was originally from Riverdale, Georgia, allegedly “lunged at the police officer with the weapon." The officer and a security member then both discharged their firearms, striking Sow, police said. The officers attempted life saving measures, but Sow succumbed to his injuries on scene, they said. The Melbourne Police officer who opened fire was a 5-year veteran of the department. He sustained an injury in the confrontation but it is not clear what type of injury. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the officer involved shooting. The school is arranging counseling and support services for the campus community in the wake of the incident. “My heart goes out to everyone in pain. I mourn any loss of life, while I also remain steadfastly thankful for the men and women who invest their lives in protecting us," University President Dr. T. Dwayne McCay said in a statement on Saturday. "The safest university campuses are the ones where students, staff, faculty and others look out for one another. We do that at Florida Tech," McCay said. - NBC News ![]() Warnings over the risk that Christmas could lead to a surge in Covid cases and possible restrictions in the new year lead the Daily Mirror. The paper quotes an expert as saying it is a "terrible time" for the emergence of the Omicron variant, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has issued a plea for anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to get a jab. ![]() The Daily Telegraph is reporting that ministers have been accused of ignoring the people most vulnerable to Covid-19 over booster vaccines. The paper says at least 300,000 housebound people are yet to get a third jab after GPs opted out of home visits to administer them. Relatives of elderly and vulnerable people say they have been given "no answers" by the NHS. ![]() The backlash over the new stricter travel rules due to come into force on Tuesday leads the i paper. The travel industry have called it a "hammer blow" that people will need to test negative for Covid-19 before arriving in the UK. The paper says the new policy could add up to £800 to the cost of a family holiday. ![]() The Sun leads on the tragic case of murdered six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, whose father and stepmother were jailed for his death this week. Arthur's grandfather has said his killers should never be released, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson "poised" to back a review of their sentences this week, the paper reports. ![]() The Metro front page is warning another winter storm - named Barra - is due to hit the UK, with thousands of families in northern England still without power after Storm Arwen 11 days ago. Storm Barra will bring gusts of more than 70mph across the UK, with heavy snow forecast in the areas still recovering from Arwen, the paper says. ![]() The prime minister is set to kick off a "fresh war with judges" over possible plans to allow ministers to "throw out any legal rulings they don't like", the Times reports. Boris Johnson wants to reduce the power of the courts to overrule the government through judicial review and has ordered Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to "toughen plans" for reforming judges' powers, the paper says. ![]() The Daily Star is on the hunt for Justice Secretary Dominic Raab's "missing brain", after he said claims a Christmas party were held in Downing Street in breach of lockdown rules did not need to be investigated because the alleged incident took place a year ago. The government has insisted no rules were broken. ![]() And finally, the new boss of Lloyds bank is looking to expand the banking group's ambitions in the property market and wealth management sector after years of poor growth, the Financial Times is reporting. The paper says Charlie Nunn has been "plotting" his annual update since taking over as chief executive in August, with an extra £4bn "war chest" to play with. Many of Monday's papers cover the government's drug strategy announcement, focusing on the the proposed punishments for middle-class illegal drug users, who could face losing their passports or driving licenses. The Guardian says the measure is meant to "target wealthier users" who the government will argue are "fuelling exploitation with their demand". Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel has written in the Daily Mail that the actions of "recreational" users are leading to an increase in violent crime and people dying but they pay no price, which she says this strategy intends to change. "More than 300,000 housebound yet to get booster jab" is the Telegraph's headline. The paper says ministers have been accused of ignoring those who are at the greatest risk of becoming ill with Covid. An NHS spokesperson says local health officials are contacting eligible patients and additional funding is being provided to help teams get additional staff.
The Sun features an interview with a grandfather of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes, the six-year-old boy who was tortured and killed by his stepmother and father. Peter Halcrow tells the paper he had not realised how much his grandson had suffered until the court case and adds he believes the killers should never be released. The Guardian is reporting that children's safety groups are calling for the UK data watchdog to introduce age verification for adult websites. They have written to the Information Commissioner's Office saying that the current failure to prevent children seeing pornography is causing lifelong trauma and putting them at risk of abuse, the paper says. Downing Street is to begin a "fresh war with judges" around plans to "let ministers throw out any legal rulings they do not like", the Times reports. The paper says Boris Johnson wants to reduce the power of the courts to overrule ministers through the process of judicial review. He's also ordered Justice Secretary Dominic Raab to "toughen plans" for reforming judges' powers in such circumstances. The Daily Mail says Prince Harry has "risked another public rift with his father" after claiming he had raised concerns about a Saudi donor who was given a CBE. The paper reports that Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz has been accused of giving money to charitable causes close to Prince Charles in the hope of obtaining an honour and British citizenship. Clarence House has said Prince Charles has no knowledge of the accusations. "Smile and the whole world might think you're older" says the Telegraph. It reports on a study suggesting that a grin could be adding years to the appearance of someone's face, but this doesn't seem to apply to those over the age of 60. An expert says this suggests older people already have "so many facial wrinkles" that any "smile-related wrinkles" make little difference to their perceived age. - BBC News The World Health Organization says it could still take some time to get a full picture of the threat posed by omicron, a new variant of the coronavirus as scientists worldwide scramble to assess its multiple mutations. Stock markets swooned, some public gatherings got canceled, and countries across the globe suspended incoming flights after scientists in South Africa last week identified the new version that appears to have been behind a recent spike in COVID-19 infections in the country’s most populous province. Over the weekend, the list of countries that have spotted the new variant in travelers grew. Portugal detected 13 cases linked to the new variant among members of a single soccer club — only one of whom had recently traveled to South Africa. On Friday, WHO designated it as a "variant of concern," its most serious designation of a COVID-19 variant, and called it "omicron" as the latest entry into its Greek alphabet classification system designed to avoid stigmatizing countries of origin and simplify understanding. WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OMICRON? By Sunday, U.N. health agency issued a statement on omicron that boiled down to: We don't know much yet. It said it wasn't clear whether omicron is more transmissible — more easily spread between people — compared to other variants like the highly transmissible delta variant. It said it wasn't clear if infection with omicron causes more severe disease, even as it cited data from South Africa showing rising rates of hospitalization there — but that could just be because more people are getting infected with COVID-19, not specifically omicron. From just over 200 new confirmed cases per day in recent weeks, South Africa saw the number of new daily cases rocket to more than 3,200 on Saturday, most in Gauteng, the country’s most populous province. Now, up to 90% of the new cases in Gauteng are caused by it, according to Tulio de Oliveira, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform. "There is currently no information to suggest that symptoms associated with omicron are different from those from other variants," WHO said. It said there's no evidence — yet — that COVID vaccines, tests and treatments are any less effective against the new version. WHY ARE SCIENTISTS WORRIED ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT? So far, the main difference with other variants appears to be that there may be an increased risk of reinfection with omicron — in other words, that people who’ve already had COVID-19 could get reinfected more easily. The variant appears to have a high number of mutations — about 30 — in the coronavirus’ spike protein, which could affect how easily it spreads to people. Some experts say that could mean that vaccine makers may have to adapt their products at some point. Sharon Peacock, who has led genetic sequencing of COVID-19 in Britain at the University of Cambridge, said the data so far suggest the new variant has mutations "consistent with enhanced transmissibility," but said that "the significance of many of the mutations is still not known." Lawrence Young, a virologist at the University of Warwick, described omicron as "the most heavily mutated version of the virus we have seen," including potentially worrying changes never before seen all in the same virus. WHAT SETS OMICRON APART?Scientists know that omicron is genetically distinct from previous variants including the beta and delta variants, but don't know if these genetic changes make it any more transmissible or dangerous. So far, there is no indication the variant causes more severe disease. It will likely take weeks to sort out if omicron is more infectious and if vaccines are still effective against it. Peter Openshaw, a professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London said it was "extremely unlikely" that current vaccines wouldn’t work, noting they are effective against numerous other variants. Even though some of the genetic changes in omicron appear worrying, it’s still unclear if they will pose a public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially alarmed scientists but didn’t end up spreading very far. "We don’t know if this new variant could get a toehold in regions where delta is," said Peacock of the University of Cambridge. "The jury is out on how well this variant will do where there are other variants circulating." To date, delta is by far the most predominant form of COVID-19, accounting for more than 99% of sequences submitted to the world’s biggest public database. ![]() Students from the Tshwane University of Technology make their way back to their residence in Pretoria, South Africa, on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. The world is racing to contain a new COVID-19 variant, which appears to be driving a surge in South Africa and is casting a pall there. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell, File) HOW DID THIS NEW VARIANT ARISE? The coronavirus mutates as it spreads and many new variants, including those with worrying genetic changes, often just die out. Scientists monitor COVID-19 sequences for mutations that could make the disease more transmissible or deadly, but they can't determine that simply by looking at the virus. Peacock said the variant "may have evolved in someone who was infected but could then not clear the virus, giving the virus the chance to genetically evolve," in a scenario similar to how experts think the alpha variant — which was first identified in England — also emerged, by mutating in an immune-compromised person. ARE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS JUSTIFIED?Depends on who you ask.
Israel is banning foreigners from entering the country and Morocco stopped all incoming international air travel. Scores of countries in Europe, North America, Africa and beyond restricted flights from southern Africa. Given the recent rapid rise in COVID-19 in South Africa, restricting travel from the region is "prudent" and would buy authorities more time, said Neil Ferguson, an infectious diseases expert at Imperial College London But WHO noted that such restrictions are often limited in their effect and urged countries to keep borders open. South Africa’s government said the country was being treated unfairly because it has advanced genomic sequencing and could detect the variant quicker and asked other countries to reconsider the travel bans. - Fox News ![]() Dozens of animals taken from the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter were quarantined and treated as Humane Society officials take over shelter operations. JENNIFER KING [email protected] Read more at: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article256063757.html#storylink=cpy PASCO, WA Pasco officials are asking the public’s help in getting animal control services for the Tri-Cities back in better order after ousting its contractor. Neo’s Nation Animal Foundation was forced out two weeks ago as the operator of the animal shelter for lost and abandoned pets, as well as the contractor responding to animal complaints in Pasco, Richland and Kennewick. The nonprofit is facing a host of legal troubles and allegations of financial mismanagement and animal mistreatment, according to court records and police reports. Top leaders of Neo’s Nation paid themselves bonuses and bought a home for their now-married adult children after a more than half-million-dollar donation earlier this year. A surprise tour by city officials led to a search by police and veterinary staff to remove animals that needed medical treatment, though the nature of their illnesses was not made public. About 30 cats and four dogs needed immediate treatment after being taken from the crowded Pasco shelter on Nov. 11. The city elicited the help of the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, which has taken over animal services in the cities for the time being. “The care of these animals and the cleanliness of the facility is our top priority,” the Humane Society posted on its Facebook page. “Please be patient with us as we continue to move through this process. We are navigating through it as quickly as possible to ensure the animals and the public feel as little turbulence as possible.” The nonprofit arranged for care and treatment for the animals that were removed and is caring for the more than 200 cats and dogs still at the shelter. But some of its employees have been facing harassment as they take over animal control. City officials have heard that employees have been cussed at and insulted when they respond to animal complaints in the community, said Zach Ratkai, Pasco’s administrator and community services director. “We are asking people to give them a little bit of grace and a little bit of patience,” he said. “The Animal Control Authority has confidence in the Benton-Franklin Humane Society, so we have confidence that the staff ... are here for the community good.” While the city of Pasco handles the contracts with the shelter, it is run by the authority, which is made up of representatives from each of the three cities. They normally meet quarterly, but have increased the frequency of their meetings after the problems with the shelter came to light earlier this month. Neo’s Nation had the contract for less than a year when the city received tips alleging poor conditions at the shelter. No charges have been filed related to the condition of the animals. SHELTER TAKEOVERHumane Society officials could not be reached by the Herald but an update posted on Facebook says the aging Pasco facility has been deep cleaned and all of the animals were examined by a vet. The sick animals were isolated, taken in by other pet rescues or are were treated at VCA Animal Hospital facilities in Tri-Cities. Incoming animals were separated from those that were already at the facilities, either by being kept away physically, or being sent to rescues.
“Ensuring the health, safety and mental well-being of all animals is why we are here,” the organization posted. One animal rescue they are working with is Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue. Andrea Moreno, Mikey’s Chance executive director, told the Herald they took medically needy dogs to begin with, but are still looking for some foster homes. If anyone is concerned about a pet they received recently from the Tri-Cities Animal Shelter, they should watch for signs of circular patterns of missing hair, runny nose or eye discharge, and take the animal to their veterinarian. Animal control calls and other questions related to the shelter can still be directed to the usual shelter number. Ratkai said all of the people working at the shelter now were brought there by the Humane Society. A number of employees who had worked for Neo’s Nation have quit. Many volunteers continue to be needed too. “There is a great community of animal lovers out there,” Ratkai said. “I want to make it worth their while to (continue to help.)“ The Animal Control Authority is considering what its next steps will be, but it hasn’t stopped plans for a new animal shelter that is to be built at the site of the current one. Donations can be made to the Humane Society to help with efforts at the Tri-Cities shelter and the Humane Society’s shelter on Seventh Avenue in Kennewick can go to www.bfhs.com. You also can contact these pet rescues to offer help: Tumbleweed Cat Rescue at [email protected], Silver Cloud Cat Sanctuary at [email protected], or Mikey’s Chance Canine Rescue at [email protected]. - Tri-City Herald Austria has returned to a full national lockdown as protests against new restrictions aimed at curbing Covid-19 infections spread across Europe. From midnight, Austrians have been asked to work from home and non-essential shops have closed. New restrictions have sparked protests throughout Europe. People clashed with police in the Netherlands and Belgium. Infection rates have risen sharply on the continent, prompting warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO). On Saturday WHO regional director Dr Hans Kluge told the BBC that unless measures were tightened across Europe - such as on vaccines, wearing masks and with Covid passes for venues - half a million more deaths could be recorded by next spring. Last week Austria became the first European country to make Covid vaccination a legal requirement, with the law due to take effect in February. Politicians in neighbouring Germany are debating similar measures as intensive care units there fill up and case numbers hit fresh records. 'A sledgehammer' to cut casesThis is Austria's fourth national lockdown since the pandemic began. Authorities have ordered residents to stay home for all but essential reasons, including work, exercise and shopping for food. Restaurants, bars, hairdressers, theatres and non-essential shops must all close their doors. These measures will continue until 12 December, although officials said they will be reassessed after 10 days. Speaking on ORF TV on Sunday night, health minister Wolfgang Mueckstein said the government had to "react now". "A lockdown, a relatively tough method, a sledgehammer, is the only option to reduce the numbers [of infections] here," he told the broadcaster. Tens of thousands of people protested in the capital Vienna ahead of the lockdown. Brandishing national flags and banners reading "Freedom", protesters shouted "Resistance!" and booed the police. Resinger Harald, a 62-year-old from the southern Carinthia region, is fully vaccinated and feels the lockdown is not necessary.
"It will hurt some of the smaller businesses severely and they might run into financial difficulties," she told the BBC. Jennifer Wall, a British woman who moved to Vienna about two years ago, has also been double-jabbed. She described the protests over the weekend as "disruptive" and "scary". "The situation here is really tense," she said. "There is a clear divide between vaccinated and not vaccinated." About 65% of Austria's population is fully vaccinated - one of the lowest rates in Western Europe. The country's daily vaccination rate has risen sharply in November, but some people are still hesitant. In Vienna, one unvaccinated woman told the BBC that Austria's plan to make vaccinations compulsory amounted to a "restriction of human rights". "It's always a person's choice," she said. - BBC News South Korean schools made a full return to in-person classes from Monday, as part of the government's "living with Covid-19" policy.
The measures aim to "bring back normal educational activities and to help students struggling with the psychological or emotional impact of the prolonged Covid-19 situation," according to an Education Ministry statement explaining the decision. Living with the virus: South Korea began easing its Covid-19 restrictions on November 1 as the first step in the "living with Covid-19" policy, which also included the lifting of curfews for all businesses except for night clubs and karaoke bars. The restrictions are to be eased in three six-week phases. At the end of each phase, the government will evaluate the Covid-19 situation. In the second phase, all business curfews will be lifted; in the third phase, restrictions on private gatherings will be removed, according to the Health Ministry. Cases increase: Since South Korea began its "living with Covid-19" plan, the country's daily Covid-19 caseload has been on the rise. Confirmed daily cases were above 3,000 for six consecutive days last week, peaking at 3,292. Meanwhile, the number of Covid-19 patients in serious condition, requiring intensive care or help with breathing, hovered around 500. On Monday, the total number of patients in serious condition stood at 515, according to a Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) release. South Korea reported 2,827 daily new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 418,252, and total deaths to 3,298, since the start of the pandemic. According to the KDCA, 82.3% of the population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and 78.9% of the population has received a second shot. - CNN Chick-fil-A customers looking for their fix over Christmas weekend this year will be disappointed.
The chicken chain will be closed on Christmas Day, which falls on a Saturday, in addition to the Sunday after. Traditionally, Chick-fil-A is closed on Christmas. But because of when the holiday falls this year, that means the restaurant's roughly 2,600 US locations will be closed for two days in a row. It will reopen Monday, December 27. Chick-fil-A closes its restaurants on Sundays because of its devout Christian ownership. Its owner's beliefs has drawn controversy in the past. For example, CEO Dan Cathy said in 2012 that the company supports "the biblical definition of the family unit."In a 2018 interview with a local Atlanta TV station, Cathy reiterated his position on same-sex marriage but said he's not anti-gay. The company has since tried to distance itself from its less-than-supportive stance toward the LGBTQ+ community. In 2019, Chick-fil-A made major changes to its charitable foundation, ending donations to two organizations that have been criticized for being anti-LGBTQ+ — the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Both organizations have taken controversial stands on homosexuality and same-sex marriage.In a blog post from last year, Chick-fil-A said the chain's restaurants will be open on New Year's Eve and Day — including this year because they're on Friday and Saturday, respectively. - CNN The killing of a pet dog in China while the owner was in Covid-19 quarantine has led to social media outrage and the sacking of a health worker.Video footage of the incident, in Shangrao in Jiangxi province, appeared to show one of the Covid health workers who were disinfecting the woman's flat beating the dog with a crowbar.
It was recorded by her security camera. The owner, who posted the footage online, said she was quarantining in a hotel that did not allow pets. Local authorities issued a statement apologising for the incident and saying that one of the health workers had been dismissed, but claimed the dog had been the subject of a "harmless disposal". The Shangrao neighbourhood, where the dog's owner lived, had been labelled a Covid-19 controlled area, meaning residents were forced to quarantine while health workers disinfected their homes. The incident has added to criticism of China's "zero-Covid" strategy, under which local authorities have reacted quickly to individual cases with massive programmes of testing, tracing and localised lockdowns, including forced quarantine for residents. The attack on the dog sparked outrage among social media users on China's Weibo platform, which is similar to Twitter. The video has been viewed millions of times, despite the dog owner's original post apparently having been taken down, and the incident was among the top trending items on Weibo on Sunday. Among the most liked posts were one that read: "Who gave them the right to break into her home and kill her dog?" Another said: "This is a violation of a citizen's privacy and the security of her property!" And one Weibo user wrote: "Pets are an owner's private property and they cannot be culled without permission! Even if culling is necessary, there needs to be a solid, scientific basis for it!" The Shangrao dog is reportedly not the first animal killed in China after its owner was sent to quarantine. Earlier this month, cats belonging to a resident of Chengdu were said to have been killed after testing positive for Covid-19. And there were reports in September that three cats in Harbin in the province of Heilongjiang were euthanised while their owner was in quarantine, despite not having been tested for the disease. - BBC News “It really comes down to countries — the big emitters — that need to act on this,” Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said.A South Pacific island nation at risk from rising sea levels has expressed disappointment with the international climate pact struck last week after it was watered down at the last minute.
Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe on Monday said the deal signed over the weekend should have pledged to the “phasing out” instead of the “phasing down” of carbon emissions. The agreement’s wording was changed just before the conclusion of the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit after interventions by India and China, two of the world’s largest producers of greenhouse gases. “We were disappointed with the last minute change to the language around coal from ‘phasing out’ to ‘phasing down.’ I think we were quite disappointed, as well as other Pacific island countries, with that last minute change,” he told Reuters following the pact that was sealed Saturday. Tuvalu, a nation of 12,000 people and nine small low-lying islands, may soon become uninhabitable as sea levels rise 0.2 inches a year, a rate higher than the global average. Its highest point stands at 15 feet, meaning any rise in sea levels will wash away parts of the islands and make surrounding areas unfit for living. Other island nations in the Pacific Ocean face the same existential threat. The outcome of the summit, which concluded two weeks of negotiations and saw almost 200 countries sign an agreement on how to battle climate change, has been criticized by activists and politicians as being insufficient to avert an impending climate-led catastrophe. The summit’s president, United Kingdom lawmaker Alok Sharma, has told the BBC both India and China will have to “explain themselves” to countries most vulnerable to the effects of rising temperatures after the last minute wording change. Meanwhile, in his closing remarks at the climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres commended delegates from around the world on reaching a deal but acknowledged that there is more work to be done. “Our fragile planet is hanging by a thread,” he said in a video address. “We are still knocking on the door of climate catastrophe.” The deal includes several key pledges, including an agreement to reduce coal power and fossil fuel subsidies. However, critics say, the commitments are not aggressive enough to avert the worst impacts of climate change and that they do not provide enough support to developing nations disproportionately affected by global warming. Kofe added that stronger action against climate action was crucial to the survival of Tuvalu and other small island nations, saying larger countries, such as neighboring Australia, should have vowed to take more substantial cuts to their carbon emissions. “It really comes down to countries — the big emitters — that need to act on this. But we will continue to push on, we will continue to advocate to, you know, reduce emissions moving forward,” the minister continued. “What is important now is the implementation plan and moving forward. Making pledges is one thing, but it’s something else to actually see countries act on those,” Kofe said. Kofe had urged world leaders to take action against climate change during a speech to the summit Nov. 9. He delivered his appeal submerged up to his knees in water in an area in Tuvalu where there once was dry land. “We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is rising around us all the time … We must take bold alternative action today to secure tomorrow,” he said in his address. Footage of his speech went viral on social media, drawing international attention to the island nation’s plight. Studies show global carbon emissions must be slashed by 45 percent by 2030 to avoid a temperature rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the threshold scientists say is necessary to avoid the most devastating results of climate change. - NBC News |