A global energy transition

December 15, 2015 - Daily News Briefing

Whatever the pros and cons of the Paris accord, the world is rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels.

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In an effort to ease fears relating to terrorism, President Obama will spend much of this week discussing his strategies for combatting the influence of the Islamic State (IS) militant group at home and abroad. In recent weeks, the president has taken an increasingly soothing tone in response to terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., urging Americans not to allow themselves to be pulled apart by distrust and fear. In January a Press-GfK poll found 5 in 10 Americans believed the risk of a terrorist attack in the United States was high. A new survey reveals that number has increased to 7 in 10, despite attempts by the government to assure citizens there are no credible threats to the US.

Over 700,000 people fled their homes and communities braced for heavy rain and coastal floods of up to 13 feet as Typhoon Melor (known as 'Nona' locally) slammed Monday into the eastern Philippines, officials said. Classes, flights and ferry trips were suspended. The government's weather bureau said the typhoon was packing winds of 95 miles per hour with gusts of up to 115 mph, and heavy to intense rain within its 185-mile diameter. It made landfall Monday morning on tiny Batag Island in the eastern Philippines, and a second landfall was expected in Sorsogon province.

The Obama administration is reviewing procedures for vetting would-be immigrants, with an eye toward examining applicants' online presence, to close security gaps in the U.S. visa system, the White House said Monday. The Homeland Security Department said it is specifically reviewing policies on when authorities at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services can look at social media posts as part of the vetting process for would-be immigrants applying for certain visas.

In a push to move past national gridlock over immigration reform, Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced a $7.9 million investment on immigrant New Yorkers. The program, which Mr. de Blasio laid out at the annual National Immigrant Integration Conference in Brooklyn, will center on creating navigation hubs to help residents seek free legal services to apply for citizenship or receive protection from deportation. Dubbed ActionNYC, the initiative is set to work with 14 community organizations and includes plans to reach up to 75,000 immigrants in its first year, which begins in April, The New York Times reports. The effort is meant to bolster the city’s existing immigration initiatives.

Seattle on Monday became the first city in the nation to allow drivers of ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize over pay and working conditions. The City Council voted 8-0 in favor of the legislation, which is seen as a test case for the changing 21st century workforce. The companies strongly oppose it and are expected to challenge it in court.

Some of the top minds in tech today have banded together to prevent artificial intelligence (AI) from becoming a scourge for humanity – and instead optimize its potential for good. With an initial investment of $1 billion from the leading names in technology, the new nonprofit Open AI launched Saturday with the ambition of ensuring that AI has a positive impact on society.

With some 700,000 hobby drones expected to arrive in homes this holiday season, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday drone owners will need to register before they can fly. The policies shift follows a study that confirmed hundreds of close encounters between drones and manned aircraft. The new policy will affect all drones weighing between just over half a pound and 55 pounds, with the payload, including any attached cameras, included in the weight. Drone owners who are over 13 years old can register online and parents are expected to complete registration for younger children. Registration costs will total $5, but those fees have been waived until Jan. 20 in anticipation of the large number drones expected to be given as gifts this month.

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