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Clean Power Surpassed 40% of Global Electricity Generation in 2024: Report (Maria)

The author writes, “Record renewables growth led by solar helped push clean power past 40% of global electricity in 2024, according to a new report from Ember. Renewable power sources added a record 858 terawatt-hours (TWh) of generation in 2024, 49% more than the previous record of 577 TWh set in 2022. This was largely driven by an increase in solar power generation, which has doubled over the last three years to reach over 2,000 TWh.”

International Tourism to the US Is Cratering Under Trump. Americans Will Pay the Price. (Dana)

From MSNBC: “In March, arrivals of noncitizens to the U.S. by plane dropped almost 10% from a year earlier. OAG Aviation Worldwide, a flight database, found that Canadian flight reservations to the U.S. are down 70% through September versus the same period last year. That’s Canada, which accounts for more than a quarter of tourism to the U.S. In a new worst-case estimate, Goldman Sachs says reduced travel and boycotts could cost the U.S. almost $90 billion in lost GDP this year alone. Again, that’s money that flows from foreigners to Americans that Trump, in his infinite wisdom, may choke off.”

Immigration Attorneys Are Getting Flooded by Calls From Panicked International Students. Here’s Why. (Reader Steve)

The author writes, “The speed and scope of the federal government’s efforts to terminate the legal status of international students have stunned colleges across the country. Few corners of higher education have been untouched, as schools ranging from prestigious private universities, large public research institutions, and tiny liberal arts colleges discover status terminations one after another among their students.”

The Battlefield Lessons North Korea Has Learned Fighting Ukraine (Al)

From The Wall Street Journal: “At first, it seemed like a typical Russian assault. Glide bombs smashed into the dugouts of Ukrainians from the 225th Separate Assault Regiment, then waves of enemy infantry advanced in small groups supported by artillery fire. … The Ukrainians tapped into their opponents’ radio channels and heard a language they couldn’t understand. Their adversaries were speaking Korean. The decisive battles in the Kursk region, from which Ukraine’s army has now largely retreated, show how North Korean forces adapted their once outdated tactics for Europe’s biggest war since World War II with lightning speed.”

Have We Vastly Underestimated the Total Number of People on Earth? (Sean)

The author writes, “While the official UN estimate for the global population is around 8.2 billion, Láng-Ritter says their analysis shows it is probably much higher, though declined to give a specific figure. ‘We can say that nowadays, population estimates are likely conservative accounting, and we have reason to believe there are significantly more than these 8 billion people,’ he says. The team suggests these counting errors occur because census data in rural areas is often incomplete or unreliable and population estimation methods have historically been designed for best accuracy in urban areas. Correcting these systematic biases is important to ensure rural communities avoid inequalities, the researchers suggest. This could be done by improving censuses in such areas and recalibrating population models.”

Why Aren’t Women Allowed to Play Baseball? (Laura)

From The Atlantic: “When the game became big business at the turn of the 20th century, women were welcomed at the ballpark as spectators. Their presence was thought to help civilize the environs and increase the likelihood of entire families becoming fans and spending money on the sport. But that welcome didn’t extend to the diamond.”