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Around the world, it can still be very hard to live as an openly gay man. Host Michel Martin learns more from two LGBT activists: Jamaican Maurice Tomlinson and Nigerian Bisi Alimi.

Imagine there's a virus living inside you. This virus is harmless. Most of the time. But then, something causes it to change and it could kill you unless you take one dose of a powerful drug. Now imagine there is a critical shortage of this drug. This is the scary scenario at the heart of the debut novel by Hanover resident and Dartmouth professor Charles Wheelan. It's called The Rationing, but this isn't a book about a disease. It's a political satire about how the United States government handles the unfolding public health crisis. Personalities clash. Political ambitions get in the way of productive discussion. Fake News opportunists muddy the waters and foreign countries take advantage of a vulnerable United States. Charles Wheelan joined NHPR's Peter Biello to talk about his new book.

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Ed Sheeran will be performing Saturday night at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Sheeran is a one-man band, creating his music using only his voice, guitar and loop machines.

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The current Sinophobia in the 2nd Cold War between the U. S. and China has contributed to the 2nd strategic mistake that the U. S. is making by allying with India against China (without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences) -- just as the U. S. made the 1st strategic mistake by aligning with China against the U. S. S.R. in the 1st Cold War (also without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences). In global geopolitics, a friend of today can become an enemy of tomorrow. Therefore, is it too late for the U. S. to correct this 2nd strategic mistake by handling India with great care, due to the latter's hegemonic ambition as a new world power, which will then lead to the coming of what I call "Indophobia” in the next decade(s)? 1. Introduction: Historical Background In my 1999 book titled "The Future of Human Civilization” (published in 1999), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China as the dominant global power on Earth in the following decades, as it was based on the untimely prediction made in my 1995 doctoral dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). In my 2007 book titled "Beyond the World of Titans, and the Remaking of World Order” (published in 2007), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China and India as the two "hyper-empires” in the top (1st) tier of global politics, with the U. S. and the EU falling to the 2nd tier (as the two "meso-empires”).

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Liberty Gold Corp. (LGD:TSX; LGDTF:OTCQX) released the results of the first study, a prefeasibility study (PFS), of its flagship Black Pine project in Idaho, reported Canaccord Genuity analyst Peter Bell in an Oct. 10 research note.

"The completion of the prefeasibility study is a key step in advancing the project through permitting, bringing a Black Pine mine much closer to reality," Bell wrote. "This is positive."

885% Gain Possible

Canaccord Genuity has a CA$3.25 per share price target on the Canadian Idaho-based exploration and development company, trading at the time of the report at about CA$0.33 per share, noted Bell. These figures imply a potential return on investment of 885%.

Liberty is rated Speculative Buy.

Specifics of the PFS

Bell presented the details of the Black Pine operation as outlined in the PFS, based on reserves of 3,110,000 ounces (3.11 Moz) of 0.32 grams per ton (0.32 g/t) gold.

Average production is 183,000 ounces per year (183 Koz/year) gold for the first five years, peaking at about 231 Koz. The average annual production, based on a 50,000 ton per day throughput, over a 17-year life of mine (LOM) is 135 Koz.

The PFS has the head grade during years one through five at 0.45 g/t gold. Over the LOM, the head grade is 0.32 g/t gold and gold recoveries, 70.4%.

As for costs, operating costs are low at US$9.10 per ton processed. The all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) is US$1,205 per ounce (US$1,205/oz) of gold for years one through five and US$1,380/oz of gold for the LOM.

"We believe the study highlights a simple, lower-risk and long-lived operation with an attractive cost profile," Bell wrote. "We model Liberty achieving initial production at Black Pine in 2029, based on company disclosure around the permitting process."

Attractive Economics

Bell reported the economics outlined in the PFS for the base case using a US$2,000/oz gold price. The after-tax net present value discounted at 5% (NPV5%) is US$552 million, the internal rate of return (IRR) is 32%, and the payback period is 3.3 years. The strip ratio is low at 1.3.

"Of note is the study's leverage to higher gold prices with an NPV5% of US$1,296M (62% IRR at US$2,600/oz)," Bell wrote. At the same gold price, Canaccord Genuity's estimated NPV5% is higher, at US$1,569.

Bell noted that Liberty could enhance the value of Black Pine in any of four ways, by optimizing the resource and mine planning; delineating additional ounces or feed sources; using electric, maybe even autonomous, mining equipment; and defining options for using renewable energy like solar to potentially lower operating costs more.

How Results Stack Up

The analysts pointed out the similarities and differences between Liberty Gold's PFS and Canaccord Genuity's estimates on Black Pine. Between the two, the capex, AISC, mined throughput, and NPV are consistent, "which we view as positive," Bell wrote.

Among the parameters that differ are unit costs per ton processed, strip ratio, head grade, recovery, and total recovered ounces, all lower in the PFS. Mine life, though, is longer.

"The longer mine life and lower total ounce total equate to a lower number of ounces of annual production," Bell explained.

Process and general and administrative costs are lower in the PFS, which decreases the cutoff and the overall grade when compared to Canaccord Genuity's version. Bell indicated that the lower operating cost per ton, however, is positive.

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Important Disclosures:

1. Liberty Gold Corp. is a billboard sponsor of Streetwise Reports.
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Disclosures for Canaccord Genuity, Liberty Gold Corp., October 10, 2024

Analyst Certification Each authoring analyst of Canaccord Genuity whose name appears on the front page of this research hereby certifies that (i) the recommendations and opinions expressed in this research accurately reflect the authoring analyst’s personal, independent and objective views about any and all of the designated investments or relevant issuers discussed herein that are within such authoring analyst’s coverage universe and (ii) no part of the authoring analyst’s compensation was, is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by the authoring analyst in the research, and (iii) to the best of the authoring analyst’s knowledge, she/he is not in receipt of material non-public information about the issuer. Analysts employed outside the US are not registered as research analysts with FINRA. These analysts may not be associated persons of Canaccord Genuity LLC and therefore may not be subject to the FINRA Rule 2241 and NYSE Rule 472 restrictions on communications with a subject company, public appearances, and trading securities held by a research analyst account.

Sector Coverage Individuals identified as “Sector Coverage” cover a subject company’s industry in the identified jurisdiction, but are not authoring analysts of the report. Investment Recommendation Date and time of first dissemination: October 10, 2024, 09:56 ET Date and time of production: October 10, 2024, 09:56 ET Target Price / Valuation Methodology: Liberty Gold Corp. - LGD Our target price is based on a 0.85x multiple applied to our forward curve derived operating NAV less net debt and other corporate adjustments. Risks to achieving Target Price / Valuation: Liberty Gold Corp. - LGD In addition to the usual risks to target prices associated with commodity pricing, exchange rates, and mineral exploration/ development, we highlight the following: Commodity price risk: As a precious metals development company, LGD’s future revenue is dependent on the price of gold. Water rights: The Goldstrike Project does not currently have sufficient water rights to operate the proposed mine and heap leach. They announced June 1 that they have retained consultants to attempt to obtain water. Geo-political risk: Liberty is currently focussed on the western United States but retains exposure to Turkey through the TV-Tower project. Accordingly, Liberty’s operations could be adversely impacted by political or economic instability or changes in government policy that impact the ownership of assets, mining activities, exchange rates, taxation, or royalties in Turkey. We note that Liberty’s Turkish asset, TV-Tower, accounts for less than 3% of NAV in our valuation. Mining risk: LGD faces the typical risks inherent to mining companies relating to operating and capital costs, availability of capital, permitting requirements and timelines, technical and operating parameters, reserve and resource models, social license and community relations, taxation and royalty regimes, and regulatory and political risks. Black Pine does not currently have a published economic study so the estimates in our model are based on our own interpretation of how the operation may be designed. As such, our valuation of the Black Pine project may be impacted by differences in strip ratio, CapEx, mining throughput, recovery assumptions, and gold grade. Development risk: LGD is planning to develop the Black Pine and Goldstrike projects in Idaho and Utah respectively. The company faces risks associated with developing the project including capital and operating cost risk, financing, project permitting and timelines, and technical risks to achieve the planned operating rates. Permitting risk: Permitting is still underway at the Black Pine project. As such, the company may not be able to proceed with the project as it is currently envisaged if the required permits are not received in a timely manner. Financing risk: As a pre-cash-flow development company, LGD is reliant on the capital markets to remain a going concern. At present, the company has an estimated cash position of ~US$13.1M (Q2/24), which positions the company well in the near term to continue to advance its portfolio of exploration/development projects, in our view. We note that there is no guarantee that LGD will be able to access capital markets in the future as the result of potential changes in market sentiment/pricing and/or concerns involving project feasibility. As such, there is no guarantee that LGD will be able to secure the required funds to advance the Black Pine project, including but not limited to debt/equity financing and/or a strategic investment.

Required Company-Specific Disclosures (as of date of this publication) Canaccord Genuity or one or more of its affiliated companies intend to seek or expect to receive compensation for Investment Banking services from Liberty Gold Corp. in the next three months.

Past performance In line with Article 44(4)(b), MiFID II Delegated Regulation, we disclose price performance for the preceding five years or the whole period for which the financial instrument has been offered or investment service provided where less than five years. Please note price history refers to actual past performance, and that past performance is not a reliable indicator of future price and/or performance. Online Disclosures Up-to-date disclosures may be obtained at the following website (provided as a hyperlink if this report is being read electronically) http://disclosures.canaccordgenuity.com/EN/Pages/default.aspx; or by sending a request to Canaccord Genuity Corp. Research, Attn: Disclosures, P.O. Box 10337 Pacific Centre, 2200-609 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V7Y 1H2; or by sending a request by email to disclosures@cgf.com. The reader may also obtain a copy of Canaccord Genuity’s policies and procedures regarding the dissemination of research by following the steps outlined above.

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Research Distribution Policy Canaccord Genuity research is posted on the Canaccord Genuity Research Portal and will be available simultaneously for access by all of Canaccord Genuity’s customers who are entitled to receive the firm's research. In addition research may be distributed by the firm’s sales and trading personnel via email, instant message or other electronic means. Customers entitled to receive research may also receive it via third party vendors. Until such time as research is made available to Canaccord Genuity’s customers as described above, Authoring Analysts will not discuss the contents of their research with Sales and Trading or Investment Banking employees without prior compliance consent. For further information about the proprietary model(s) associated with the covered issuer(s) in this research report, clients should contact their local sales representative.

Short-Term Trade Ideas Research Analysts may, from time to time, discuss “short-term trade ideas” in research reports. A short-term trade idea offers a near-term view on how a security may trade, based on market and trading events or catalysts, and the resulting trading opportunity that may be available. Any such trading strategies are distinct from and do not affect the analysts' fundamental equity rating for such stocks. A short-term trade idea may differ from the price targets and recommendations in our published research reports that reflect the research analyst's views of the longer-term (i.e. one-year or greater) prospects of the subject company, as a result of the differing time horizons, methodologies and/or other factors. It is possible, for example, that a subject company's common equity that is considered a long-term ‘Hold' or 'Sell' might present a short-term buying opportunity as a result of temporary selling pressure in the market or for other reasons described in the research report; conversely, a subject company's stock rated a long-term 'Buy' or “Speculative Buy’ could be considered susceptible to a downward price correction, or other factors may exist that lead the research analyst to suggest a sale over the short-term. Short-term trade ideas are not ratings, nor are they part of any ratings system, and the firm does not intend, and does not undertake any obligation, to maintain or update short-term trade ideas. Short-term trade ideas are not suitable for all investors and are not tailored to individual investor circumstances and objectives, and investors should make their own independent decisions regarding any securities or strategies discussed herein. Please contact your salesperson for more information regarding Canaccord Genuity’s research.

For Canadian Residents: This research has been approved by Canaccord Genuity Corp., which accepts sole responsibility for this research and its dissemination in Canada. Canaccord Genuity Corp. is registered and regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and is a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Canadian clients wishing to effect transactions in any designated investment discussed should do so through a qualified salesperson of Canaccord Genuity Corp. in their particular province or territory. For United States Persons: Canaccord Genuity LLC, a US registered broker-dealer, accepts responsibility for this research and its dissemination in the United States. This research is intended for distribution in the United States only to certain US institutional investors. US clients wishing to effect transactions in any designated investment discussed should do so through a qualified salesperson of Canaccord Genuity LLC. Analysts employed outside the US, as specifically indicated elsewhere in this report, are not registered as research analysts with FINRA. These analysts may not be associated persons of Canaccord Genuity LLC and therefore may not be subject to the FINRA Rule 2241 and NYSE Rule 472 restrictions on communications with a subject company, public appearances and trading securities held by a research analyst account. For United Kingdom and European Residents: This research is distributed in the United Kingdom and elsewhere Europe, as third party research by Canaccord Genuity Limited, which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This research is for distribution only to persons who are Eligible Counterparties or Professional Clients only and is exempt from the general restrictions in section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 on the communication of invitations or inducements to engage in investment activity on the grounds that it is being distributed in the United Kingdom only to persons of a kind described in Article 19(5) (Investment Professionals) and 49(2) (High Net Worth companies, unincorporated associations etc) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended). It is not intended to be distributed or passed on, directly or indirectly, to any other class of persons. This material is not for distribution in the United Kingdom or elsewhere in Europe to retail clients, as defined under the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority. For Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man Residents: This research is sent to you by Canaccord Genuity Wealth (International) Limited (CGWI) for information purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to purchase or sell investments or related financial instruments. This research has been produced by an affiliate of CGWI for circulation to its institutional clients and also CGWI. Its contents have been approved by CGWI and we are providing it to you on the basis that we believe it to be of interest to you. This statement should be read in conjunction with your client agreement, CGWI's current terms of business and the other disclosures and disclaimers contained within this research. If you are in any doubt, you should consult your financial adviser. CGWI is licensed and regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission, the Jersey Financial Services Commission and the Isle of Man Financial Supervision Commission. CGWI is registered in Guernsey and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. For Australian Residents: This research is distributed in Australia by Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited ABN 19 075 071 466 holder of AFS Licence No 234666. To the extent that this research contains any advice, this is limited to general advice only. Recipients should take into account their own personal circumstances before making an investment decision. Clients wishing to effect any transactions in any financial products discussed in the research should do so through a qualified representative of Canaccord Genuity (Australia) Limited or its Wealth Management affiliated company, Canaccord Genuity Financial Limited ABN 69 008 896 311 holder of AFS Licence No 239052. This report should be read in conjunction with the Financial Services Guide available here - Financial Services Guide. For Hong Kong Residents: This research is distributed in Hong Kong by Canaccord Genuity (Hong Kong) Limited which is licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission. This research is only intended for persons who fall within the definition of professional investor as defined in the Securities and Futures Ordinance. It is not intended to be distributed or passed on, directly or indirectly, to any other class of persons. Recipients of this report can contact Canaccord Genuity (Hong Kong) Limited. (Contact Tel: +852 3919 2561) in respect of any matters arising from, or in connection with, this research.

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( Companies Mentioned: LGD:TSX; LGDTF:OTCQX, )

The dangerous Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading so quickly in the United States that it's likely the mutant strain will become predominant in the U.S. within weeks, according to a new analysis.

The variant, first identified in India, is the most contagious yet and, among those not yet vaccinated, may trigger serious illness in more people than other variants do, say scientists tracking the spread of infection.

The Delta variant apparently already accounts for at least 14% of all new infections, according to the research analysis posted online Monday of more than 242,000 infections nationwide over the last six months.

Another reason to get vaccinated

"It definitely is of concern," says William Lee, the vice president of science at Helix, which is under contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help track the variants.

"Just the fact that it's so transmissible means that it's it's dangerous," Lee says, "and so I think you'll see outbreaks of Delta around the country and more people will get sick from it."

Helix launched the study when researchers spotted a drop in the prevalence of the Alpha variant, a contagious strain first spotted in the U.K. that had quickly become the dominant variant in that country and the U.S.

The researchers discovered the drop in relative frequency of the Alpha variant in their spot checks of strains circulating in the U.S. was due to a rapid increase in two other variants: the Gamma variant, first spotted in Brazil, and the Delta variant. The Gamma variant may be slightly better than the original strain at outmaneuvering the vaccines, researchers say.

"It looks like both of them are going to slowly push out Alpha," says Lee, whose study has not yet been peer-reviewed but has been posted on a pre-print server.

How Delta could prompt another U.S. COVID-19 surge

All the vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. appear, in general, to provide powerful protection against all the variants, including Delta. But the rapid spread of the variants is still raising concern because of the large number of people who remain unvaccinated.

"There still are big portions of the country where the rates of vaccination are quite low," notes Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. "And, in fact, the Helix paper shows that this Delta variant is increasing in frequency — the speed at which it's increasing in frequency is greatest in those areas where vaccination rates are lowest."

The Delta variant could trigger yet another moderate surge of infections through many parts of the U.S. because of these pockets of unvaccinated people, according to a recent set of projections from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, which is helping the CDC plot the future course of the pandemic.

The projections indicate that infections could start to rise again as soon as some time in July, especially if the vaccination campaign continues to stall.

"For the most part, it's a moderate resurgence," says Justin Lessler, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University who is helping coordinate the hub.

"We're not having massive epidemics at a national level, but we have this kind of continuation of the virus just sticking around and keeping us on our toes," Lessler says. "And in specific places there could be substantial epidemics still."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A COVID-19 vaccination clinic last month in Auburn, Maine. A drop in life expectancy in the U.S. stems largely from the coronavirus pandemic, a new study says.; Credit: Robert F. Bukaty/AP

A new study estimates that life expectancy in the U.S. decreased by nearly two years between 2018 and 2020, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the declines were most pronounced among minority groups, including Black and Hispanic people.

In 2018, average life expectancy in the U.S. was about 79 years (78.7). It declined to about 77 years (76.9) by the end of 2020, according to a new study published in the British Medical Journal.

"We have not seen a decrease like this since World War II. It's a horrific decrease in life expectancy," said Steven Woolf of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and an author of the study released on Wednesday. (The study is based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and includes simulated estimates for 2020.)

Beyond the more than 600,000 deaths in the U.S. directly from the coronavirus, other factors play into the decreased longevity, including "disruptions in health care, disruptions in chronic disease management, and behavioral health crisis, where people struggling with addiction disorders or depression might not have gotten the help that they needed," Woolf said.

The lack of access to care and other pandemic-related disruptions hit some Americans much harder than others. And it's been well documented that the death rate for Black Americans was twice as high compared with white Americans.

The disparity is reflected in the new longevity estimates. "African Americans saw their life expectancy decrease by 3.3 years and Hispanic Americans saw their life expectancy decrease by 3.9 years," Woolf noted.

"These are massive numbers," Woolf said, that reflect the systemic inequalities that long predate the pandemic.

"It is impossible to look at these findings and not see a reflection of the systemic racism in the U.S.," Lesley Curtis, chair of the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, told NPR.

"This study further destroys the myth that the United States is the healthiest place in the world to live," Dr. Richard Besser, president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (an NPR funder), said in an email.

He said wide differences in life expectancy rates were evident before COVID-19. "For example, life expectancy in Princeton, NJ—a predominantly White community—is 14 years higher than Trenton, NJ, a predominantly Black and Latino city only 14 miles away," Besser said.

Life expectancy in the U.S. had already been declining — albeit slowly — in the years leading up to the pandemic. And the U.S. has been losing ground compared with other wealthy countries, said Magali Barbieri of the University of California, Berkeley, in an editorial published alongside the new study.

The study estimates that the decline in life expectancy was .22 years (or about one-fifth of a year) in a group of 16 peer countries (including Austria, Finland, France, Israel, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom) compared with the nearly two-year decline in the United States.

"The U.S. disadvantage in mortality compared with other high income democracies in 2020 is neither new nor sudden," Barbieri wrote. It appears the pandemic has magnified existing vulnerabilities in U.S. society, she added.

"The range of factors that play into this include income inequality, the social safety net, as well as racial inequality and access to health care," Duke's Curtis said.

So, what's the prognosis going forward in the United States? "I think life expectancy will rebound," Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth said.

But it's unlikely that the U.S. is on course to reverse the trend entirely.

"The U.S. has some of the best hospitals and some of the greatest scientists. But other countries do far better in getting quality medical care to their population," Woolf said. "We have big gaps in getting care to people who need it most, when they need it most."

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The USGS is pleased to announce the release of new US Topo maps for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These updated topographic maps offer valuable, current geographic information for residents, visitors, and professionals, providing essential resources for communities in these areas.

American and Mexican families play with a seesaw installation at the border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in July 2019. London's Design Museum recognized the project with an award for best design of 2020.; Credit: Luis Torres/AFP via Getty Images

An art project that turned the border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border into the temporary base for pink seesaws – inviting children on each side to come play together – has won the London's Design Museum award for best design of 2020.

"We are totally surprised by this unexpected honor," said Ronald Rael, who designed the project with fellow architect Virginia San Fratello. They share the award, he said, with the Ciudad Juárez, Mexico-based art collective Colectivo Chopeke.

"That's amazing," San Fratello said in a video feed announcing the prize. The seesaw installation won both the overall prize and in the transportation category.

"Most importantly, it comes at a time when we are hopeful for change and that we start building more bridges instead of walls," Rael added.

"The Beazley Designs of the Year are the Oscars of the design world," said Razia Iqbal, a journalist who chaired the Design Museum's panel of judges. The award, she noted, highlights work that pushes boundaries of creativity and innovation.

The metal wall was meant to be a stark barrier dividing the U.S. and Mexico, the centerpiece of President Trump's aggressive immigration policies. But in one spot, it became a junction point instead – a fulcrum for a series of seesaws that let children in the two countries share a playground toy.

The project, officially named Teeter-Totter Wall, was first installed in July 2019 when workers slid steel beams through the slats of the border near El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez.

"For the first time, children from both El Paso, Texas, and the Anapra community in Mexico were invited to connect with their [neighbors], in an attempt to create unity at the politically divisive border," the museum said.

"Everyone was very happy and excited to engage the seesaws," Rael told NPR at the time. The installation went smoothly, turning an idea that had been growing for 10 years into a reality.

"It was peaceful and fun — a day at a park for the children and mothers of Anapra," Rael said.

"The project resonated with people around the world in a way that we didn't anticipate," San Fratello said when the award was announced. "It speaks to the fact that most people are excited about being together, and about optimism and about possibility and the future. And the divisiveness actually comes from the minority."

Rael is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley; San Fratello teaches at San José State University.

The seesaw project was chosen out of more than 70 nominees from dozens of countries, including a customized "stab-proof vest" that the artist Banksy designed for musician Stormzy.

Also considered: the gray and red rendering of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Commissioned by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and designed by Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins, the famous sphere, with its menacing clusters of crowns, won the design award in the graphics category.

The Impossible Burger 2.0 won in the crowded product category, which also included Lego Braille bricks and a self-sanitizing door handle.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Tim Cook, chief executive officer of Apple Inc., speaks during an event in 2018. Apple is one of 310 companies calling on the Biden administration to slash carbon emissions.; Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

More than 300 businesses have signed an open letter calling on the Biden administration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States to at least half of 2005 levels by 2030. That would nearly double a previous target set by former President Barack Obama in 2015, who pledged a 25 to 28% reduction by 2025.

The United States is not currently on track to meet either goal.

The signatories include some of largest companies in the United States, including Walmart, Apple, McDonald's and Starbucks. "A bold 2030 target is needed to catalyze a zero-emissions future, spur a robust economic recovery, create millions of well-paying jobs, and allow the U.S. to 'build back better' from the pandemic," the letter said, echoing the president's economic recovery slogan.

A 50% reduction target would put the Biden administration in line with what groups such as the United Nations and National Academies of Science say is necessary to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change.

In a March statement calling for the same reductions target, the environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council said such a plan would "help pull the country out of the pandemic-induced recession by putting millions of Americans to work" and inspire more ambitious international climate action ahead of a major United Nations climate conference this November.

Like President Joe Biden's campaign promise to guide the United States to carbon-neutrality by the middle of the century, a 50% emissions reduction target would require steeper emissions cuts than the country has ever achieved.

In 2019, greenhouse gas emissions were approximately 13% below 2005 levels, a decrease of just 1.8% from the previous year.

The Biden administration has identified climate action as one of its top four priorities and has named prominent, experienced Washington insiders, including former Secretary of State John Kerry and former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy, to oversee climate policy efforts at the White House.

As NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben has previously reported, activists on the left are cautiously optimistic about the administration's climate plan after expressing doubts about Biden's climate record during the Democratic primary.

Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate group that champions the Green New Deal, gave candidate Biden's initial climate plan an "F" grade. Now, the group's executive director Varshini Prakash is publicly celebrating his administration's latest climate-focused $2 trillion infrastructure bill — including its commitment to spend 40% of the infrastructure plan's money on disadvantaged communities and launch a jobs program called the Civilian Climate Corps.

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told NPR earlier this month that she feels that Biden has ultimately come around to the side of progressives on climate issues. She said: "As much as I think some parts of the party try to avoid saying 'Green New Deal' and really dance around and try to not use that term, ultimately, the framework I think has been adopted."

The emphasis on climate comes as a sharp departure from the Trump administration, which withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement and set no emissions reductions targets.

Signatories to the Paris deal, which Biden rejoined on the day he was sworn into office, are all required to set these targets — formally known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs.

The agreement also encourages nations to revise their goals every five years, in hopes that the proposals become more ambitious as the cost of environmental reform goes down.

Since the Paris agreement was first agreed to in 2015, though, just fifty of the deal's nearly 200 signatories have submitted revised targets. A recent U.N. analysis of international climate action found that many countries were doing far too little to reduce emissions for the world to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

So far, the White House has not indicated exactly how ambitious their plan will be. An announcement is expected in the coming days as the White House prepares for its Earth Day climate summit with world leaders, scheduled for Thursday, April 22.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The United States and China, the world's two biggest carbon polluters, agreed to cooperate to curb climate change with urgency, just days before President Joe Biden hosts a virtual summit of world leaders to discuss the issue.

The agreement was reached by U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry and his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua during two days of talks in Shanghai last week, according to a joint statement.

The two countries "are committed to cooperating with each other and with other countries to tackle the climate crisis, which must be addressed with the seriousness and urgency that it demands," the statement said.

China is the world's biggest carbon emitter, followed by the United States. The two countries pump out nearly half of the fossil fuel fumes that are warming the planet's atmosphere. Their cooperation is key to a success of global efforts to curb climate change, but frayed ties over human rights, trade and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and the South China Sea have been threatening to undermine such efforts.

Meeting with reporters in Seoul on Sunday, Kerry said the language in the statement is "strong" and that the two countries agreed on "critical elements on where we have to go." But the former secretary of state said, "I learned in diplomacy that you don't put your back on the words, you put on actions. We all need to see what happens."

Noting that China is the world's biggest coal user, Kerry said he and Chinese officials had a lot of discussions on how to accelerate a global energy transition. "I have never shied away from expressing our views shared by many, many people that it is imperative to reduce coal, everywhere," he said.

Biden has invited 40 world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, to the April 22-23 summit. The U.S. and other countries are expected to announce more ambitious national targets for cutting carbon emissions ahead of or at the meeting, along with pledging financial help for climate efforts by less wealthy nations.

It's unclear how much Kerry's China visit would promote U.S.-China cooperation on climate issues.

While Kerry was still in Shanghai, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng signaled Friday that China is unlikely to make any new pledges at next week's summit.

"For a big country with 1.4 billion people, these goals are not easily delivered," Le said during an interview with The Associated Press in Beijing. "Some countries are asking China to achieve the goals earlier. I am afraid this is not very realistic."

During a video meeting with German and French leaders Friday, Xi said that climate change "should not become a geopolitical chip, a target for attacking other countries or an excuse for trade barriers," the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

On whether Xi would join the summit, Le said "the Chinese side is actively studying the matter."

The joint statement said the two countries "look forward to" next week's summit. Kerry said Sunday that "we very much hope that (Xi) will take part" in the summit but it's up to China to make that decision.

Biden, who has said that fighting global warming is among his highest priorities, had the United States rejoin the historic 2015 Paris climate accord in the first hours of his presidency, undoing the U.S. withdrawal ordered by predecessor Donald Trump.

Major emitters of greenhouse gases are preparing for the next U.N. climate summit taking place in Glasgow, U.K., in November. The summit aims to relaunch global efforts to keep rising global temperatures to below 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) as agreed in the Paris accord.

According to the U.S.-China statement, the two countries would enhance "their respective actions and cooperating in multilateral processes, including the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement."

It said both countries also intend to develop their respective long-term strategies before the Glasgow conference and take "appropriate actions to maximize international investment and finance in support of" the energy transition in developing countries.

Xi announced last year that China would be carbon-neutral by 2060 and aims to reach a peak in its emissions by 2030. In March, China's Communist Party pledged to reduce carbon emissions per unit of economic output by 18% over the next five years, in line with its goal for the previous five-year period. But environmentalists say China needs to do more.

Biden has pledged the U.S. will switch to an emissions-free power sector within 14 years, and have an entirely emissions-free economy by 2050. Kerry is also pushing other nations to commit to carbon neutrality by then.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Immigration benefits the U.S. economy overall and has little negative effect on the income and job opportunities of most native-born Americans, says a new report by a panel of the National Research Council.

The nations health care industry has foundered in its ability to provide safe, high-quality care consistently to all Americans, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Reorganization and reform are urgently needed to fix what is now a disjointed and inefficient system.

The United States should ban human reproductive cloning aimed at creating a child.

The value of what the United States loses because of the poorer health and earlier death experienced by the 41 million Americans who lack health insurance is estimated to be $65 billion to $130 billion every year, according to a first-ever economic analysis of the costs of uninsurance for society overall.

Police officers are perhaps the most visible faces of the law, and one of the few groups authorized to use force when dealing with the public. But despite the pivotal role that officers play in preventing and controlling crime, and in promoting justice, the science base is often inadequate regarding the value, fairness, and legitimacy of police practices and policies.

To enhance the vitality and overall operation of the nations patent system, federal officials should take decisive steps to increase the systems flexibility, openness, and reliability, says a new report from the National Academies National Research Council.

The high rate of premature births in the United States constitutes a public health concern that costs society at least $26 billion a year, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

The National Research Council today released its assessment of U.S. doctoral programs, which includes data on over 5,000 programs in 62 fields at 212 universities nationwide.

Despite being used for several decades, test-based incentives have not consistently generated positive effects on student achievement, says a new report from the National Research Council.

A report released today by the National Research Council presents a new framework for K-12 science education that identifies the key scientific ideas and practices all students should learn by the end of high school.

A new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council proposes priorities for a research agenda to improve understanding of the public health aspects of gun-related violence, including its causes, health burden, and possible interventions.

Current federal tax provisions have minimal net effect on greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from the National Research Council.