Trump pulls out of Cop28 loss and damage deal that recognises harms done by richer, polluting economies to vulnerable nations

The Trump administration has withdrawn the US from a global agreement under which the developed nations most responsible for the climate crisis pledged to partly compensate developing countries for irreversible harms caused by global heating.

The loss and damage fund was agreed at the Cop28 UN climate summit in late 2023 – a hard-won victory after years of diplomatic and grassroots advocacy by developing nations that bear the brunt of the climate crisis despite having contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions. The fund signalled a commitment by developed, polluting countries to provide financial support for some of the irreversible economic and noneconomic losses from sea level rise, desertification, drought and floods already happening.

Fires broke out in southern Appalachia this week as a storm from California took casualties in Mississippi and Nebraska

Extreme weather conditions continue to threaten parts of the southern plains and midwest on Thursday, after six people were killed earlier this week in a powerful storm that wreaked havoc across multiple states.

As damage assessments continued in the south, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) warned of critical fire conditions for parts of south-east New Mexico and western Texas on Thursday.

Republicans are expected to fall short of their goal to slash the budget by $1.5tn despite Donald Trump’s assurances

Republicans cannot reach their budget goal of slashing at least $1.5tn in spending over the next decade to fund Donald Trump’s tax cuts and immigration crackdown without cutting healthcare relied upon by tens of millions of Americans – including seniors and children, according to the non-partisan budget assessor.

House Republicans last week narrowly passed a budget instructing the energy and commerce committee, which is responsible for federal healthcare, to cut spending under its jurisdiction by $880bn – in order to pay for Trump’s tax cuts, mass deportations and defence investments.