*By Christian Smith*
If you didn't find this weekend's dramatic climate report unsettling, read it again.
Andrew Light, distinguished senior fellow at the World Resources Institute and co-author of the report, said on Cheddar Monday that the effects of climate change are imminent ー unless the federal government acts now.
"It is threatening almost every sector of the economy ー of course more so those sectors that are dependent on natural resources," Light said.
"We should start moving with the most effective and efficient policies that can begin switching our energy sources in earnest from fossil-fuel based to non-fossil fuel based, and also begin to lead the entire country on measures towards adaptation and resilience."
The Trump administration released its dire findings on the Friday after Thanksgiving, timing many have called suspicious ー among them, Politico reporter Matt Daily, who thinks officials meant to bury the news on a holiday weekend.
"I don't know if burying it on Black Friday was a very successful tactic," Daily told Cheddar, noting that the attempt to downplay the news only handed environmental advocates a new line of criticism against the administration.
The [National Climate Assessment](https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/), which is required by federal law to be published every four years, found that climate change will cost the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century and will endanger thousands of American lives each year. The White House issued a [statement](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/25/climate/trump-climate-report.html) saying that the report, which was instituted under the Obama administration, was "largely based on the most extreme scenario” of global warming.
Daily disagreed.
"That's a bit of a stretch, to put it mildly," Daily said. "The report offers quite a wide range of what's possibly coming our way by the end of the century."
Light noted that some states and cities were already moving in the right direction ー but he added the federal government needs to take the lead.
"The U.S. federal government is not leading even though we are seeing states and cities do quite a lot," Light said.
John Lewis was celebrated as an American hero during his funeral as former President Barack Obama and others called on people to follow Lewis’ example and take action in the face of injustice.
Statues commemorating the Confederacy are being torn down across America as a result of racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. But the largest monument in the country has been left out of the conversation: Stone Mountain monument in Georgia. The 42-foot-deep, 76-by-158 foot carving of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson sits on the face of the world’s largest piece of exposed granite. Removing it could require bitter political debate and a year-long demolition. But for most, the racist history it represents is too hard to ignore.
Unemployment claims rise for the second week as states reverse course on reopenings amid spikes in coronavirus cases. Tyler Goodspeed, acting chairmain of White House council of economic advisers, talks current standing of the economy.
Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain has died after battling the coronavirus. He was 74.
President Donald Trump is for the first time floating a “delay” to the Nov. 3 presidential election, as he makes unsubstantiated allegations that increased mail-in voting will result in fraud.
Four Big Tech CEOs are fending off accusations of stifling competition in front of a congressional panel that is investigating market dominance in the industry.
Cheddar takes a look at some key differences between proposals by Republicans and Democrats on the next phase of economic stimulus amid the pandemic crisis.
The Federal Reserve expressed concern Wednesday that the viral outbreak will act as a drag on the economy and hiring in the coming months and said it plans to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate pegged near zero.
Cheddar delves into the differences on approaches toward economic recovery and business between the House Democrats and the Senate Republicans.
Attorney General William Barr is defending the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
