Thursday, June 6
Tomorrow, Mike Bloomberg will deliver the commencement address to graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he will lay out details of an ambitious campaign called Beyond Carbon that will move the U.S. toward a 100 percent clean energy economy.
As he said in March, the campaign is based on the conviction that, as the science has made clear, every year matters. You can watch the speech tomorrow after 10am Eastern time here or follow the latest updates on Mike’s Twitter account here.
New Report: Climate Change Could Pose ‘Existential Threat’ by 2050 (CNN)
A new analysis that models future climate scenarios paints a bleak future in which more than a billion people are displaced, food production drops off and some of the world’s most populous cities are left partially abandoned. The report authors identified probable scenarios that could devastate societies by 2050 if swift and dramatic action isn’t taken to curb climate change.
Can the Paris Climate Goals Save Lives? Yes, a Lot of Them, Researchers Say (New York Times)
The half-degree temperature increase between 1.5 and two degrees may not seem like much, but, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, it could mean saving or losing thousands of lives each year in the United States alone.
Brexit Latest: How the Tory Rivals for Prime Minister Reckon They Can Fix Brexit (Bloomberg)
The contest officially begins on Friday, with Conservative MPs whittling down the field to just two by June 22 in a series of votes. The final pair are then put to a postal ballot of the party’s 160,000 members, with the new prime minister to be announced in the week of July 22.
Today in Trade: U.S. Trade Deficit Narrows as Exports, Imports Both Plummet (Bloomberg)
Shipments abroad from the U.S. fell 2.2% for the biggest drop in three years, and the data precedes intensifying trade tensions with China and Mexico.
Lobby Watch: Tech Giants Amass a Lobbying Army for an Epic Washington Battle (New York Times)
Financial News:
-BOE Ramps Up Pressure on Banks to End Reliance on Libor (Bloomberg)
-Wall Street Broker Conflict Regulations Approved by Divided SEC (Bloomberg)
-Rise of ETFs Is Improving the Bond Market, Say BofA, Jane Street (Bloomberg)
-Latest U.S. Salvo Against Chinese Firms Could Benefit Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (Bloomberg)
Get Smart: Human-Centered Data and the Quest for Equity (Medium – Simone Brody)
Simone Brody of What Works Cities, directly takes on the oft-cited critique that being data-driven is the opposite of being human-centered. Instead, she says, the best use of data spurs innovation that changes people’s lives in this Medium post.
Shannon Watts’ Work Diary: The Demanding Job of Running ‘Moms Demand Action’ (New York Times)
One of the most prominent gun-control organizations in the United States got its start at her kitchen table. Now she crisscrosses the country pushing for change.
Reminder: Wear Orange tomorrow to mark National Gun Violence Awareness Day in the U.S. The campaign is dedicated to honoring the lives of Americans affected by gun violence and elevating the voice of every American who demands an end to gun violence. Click here to find events near you.
Transport of Tomorrow: Amazon Unveils Futuristic Helicopter-Plane Hybrid Drone for Deliveries (Bloomberg)
Six Flying Robotaxis That Are Preparing for Takeoff – Some As Soon as Next Year (Bloomberg)
The first commercial models autonomous or semiautonomous electric aircraft that can take off vertically from almost anywhere are scheduled to hit the market next year. The German-made Lilium Jet is an electric air taxi that uses 90% less energy than helicopter-like drones.
Best of late night.
On the record-breaking winning streak by Jeopardy TV game show contestant James Holzhauer who was eliminated from the show on Monday:
“He was finally taken down by a librarian from Chicago named Emma Boettcher. And it almost seemed like the producers wanted her to win, because these were the categories: “Things That Bother Chicago Librarians,” “Favorite Chicago Librarian Lunch Spots,” “Items in Emma Boettcher’s Purse,” “Member’s of Emma Boettcher’s Immediate Family,” “The Dewey Decimal System,” and “Stuff James Holzauer Won’t Know.”
— Jimmy Kimmel
“This guy was on Jeopardy so long that it’s going to take him years to stop answering things in the form of a question.”
–Jimmy Kimmel
“He was eaten by dogs, which is why they call it “Final Jeopardy.”
–Jimmy Kimmel
“And just like that, everyone under the age of 75 can go back to not caring about Jeopardy again.”
— Jimmy Kimmel