That’s how the Center for American Progress’s Christy Goldfuss described Trump’s anticipated decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement. After months of back-and-forth, Trump will announce his final decision on the Paris Climate Agreement this afternoon. It is widely assumed (though unconfirmed) that he will withdraw from the deal, a move that would leave the U.S. alone with Syria and Nicaragua as the only other countries not participating in the global pact to fight climate change.
In fact, almost everyone except President Trump seems to know what a devastating decision withdrawing from the deal would be. More than one thousand companies have called for the implementation of the agreement. Just last month, a dozen Fortune 500 companies including Apple, Microsoft, and Google wrote a letter to Trump urging him to remain in the deal. Even energy giants like ExxonMobil, Shell, and BP, not historically friends in the fight against climate change, support remaining in the deal.
What all of these companies (and Pope Francis and the European leaders and the bipartisan members of Congress and well known Republican leaders) that support remaining in the deal know is that withdrawing from the agreement will undermine America’s economic and security interests and threaten the future of our planet. U.S. leadership was crucial to solidifying this landmark global pact, and pulling out now could cause other countries to do the same, undermining the world’s best chance at fighting climate change. For more on what pulling out of Paris would mean, check out this bonus episode of ThinkingCAP to hear more from Christy Goldfuss.
ACTION OF THE DAY
Support Paris. Trump is expected to announce his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement this afternoon. Climate change affects the poor, communities of color and Indigenous people first and worst, which is why we must stand up for action, even if Trump won’t. Join us TODAY at 5pm in front of the White House to show solidarity against this disastrous decision.
#WearOrange. This June 2nd on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Americans across the country will Wear Orange—a color that demands to be seen—to send the powerful message that there is more we can do to end gun violence. Join the movement by wearing orange tomorrow and posting on social media using #WearOrange!
WHAT’S TRENDING
“Patriotically minded.” Today, Vladmir Putin said the Kremlin was not behind cyberattacks aimed at interfering in the U.S. election but “patriotically minded” Russians might have been. Not convincing. Reminder: the U.S. intelligence committee has concluded that the Russian government was, in fact, behind the attacks. And now, the FBI and congressional investigators are currently looking into the Trump team’s involvement with Russian officials. Speaking of investigations, Former FBI Director James Comey is expected to testify in front of Congress next week about his conversations with Trump regarding Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
Israel. While Trump seems poised to keep his campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, he has postponed following through on another: moving the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Today, Trump signed an order to keep the embassy in Tel Aviv at least for the next six months.
Filling The Swamp. At least 16 White House staff members were granted ethics waivers to allow them to work on issues they formerly covered as paid lobbyists or to allow contact between their former private-sector colleagues. Here are the other top 10 risks and remedies for conflicts of interest in the Trump Administration and anti-corruption political reforms to actually start to drain the swamp.
#ImmigrantHeritageMonth. Today marks the first day of immigrant heritage month, so join in all month long to tell your story or the stories of those you love. Go to IAmAnImmigrant.com for upcoming events and ways to get involved. Then share this video with favorites like America Ferrera, Ilana Glazer, George Takei, and more to spread the word.
Segregation. Public schools are in just as much need of integration today as they were 100 years ago. That’s according to a new CAP report that shows the extent to which poor students are isolated in high-poverty schools. The report shows that four out of 10 U.S. public school districts experience intense economic isolation.
UNDER THE RADAR
Trumpcare. We know the impact Trumpcare will have on the nation as a whole, but the impact the bill would have on American kids has flown under the radar. Trumpcare calls for reducing Medicaid’s federal minimum eligibility for kids ages 6 to 19 from 138 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent of the federal poverty level. That might not sound like much, but a new study finds that change would cause 5 million children to lose Medicaid eligibility. This would have a disproportionate impact on children of color: 14 percent of Hispanic kids and 12 percent of black kids would lose Medicaid coverage under Trumpcare, according to the study. Speaking of the negative impacts of Trumpcare, this interactive map shows how it will impact health care premiums in every county. Add these to the list of reasons to resist Trumpcare.
GOOD NEWS
Paving The Way. In the absence of strong federal action to address pay disparities, states have taken matters into their own hands. Last year, California and Massachusetts led the way in passing laws banning employers from asking candidates about their salary history. This year, 25 states and D.C. are considering similar measures. Laws like those passed in California and Massachusetts are a crucial first step in helping narrow the wage gaps for women and minorities.