Vox Sentences: The Green New Deal gets real

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AOC’s Green New Deal; tension between France and Italy.

A sweeping resolution to address climate and economic issues

Alex Wong/Getty Images

• The Green New Deal — a Democratic idea meant to address climate change and boost the economy simultaneously — has been a hot concept on the left for a while, but now it finally has a congressional resolution attached: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) introduced the resolution Thursday. [Vox / David Roberts]
• The resolution includes ambitious goals to eliminate all US carbon emissions and address economic inequality. But for now, this is not a bill — it’s an agenda. [NPR / Danielle Kurtzleben]
• The deal also calls for the creation of millions of new jobs to eliminate poverty and address the impact of climate change on low-income people and people of color, as well as universal health care, affordable housing, and union protections. [CNN / Lydia DePillis]
• Ocasio-Cortez is rallying 2020 Democratic candidates to express support for the plan, and now there’s finally a specific outline to talk about on the campaign trail. If the candidates prop up the resolution, it will serve as a litmus test for a number of other progressive policies that candidates may also include in their campaigns, including Medicare-for-all and a jobs guarantee. [Vox / Ella Nilsen]
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hasn’t expressed her feelings one way or another for the deal. In an interview Wednesday with Politico, she referred to the plan as the “green dream,” but said carefully in a press conference Thursday that she was looking forward to reading the “enthusiastic” plan. [Politico / Zack Colman and Anthony Adragna]
• Pelosi also named Democrats to a special House committee on climate change on Thursday — though Ocasio-Cortez’s name was not on the list. [NYT / Lisa Friedman and Glenn Thrush]
• A few important things aren’t mentioned in the Green New Deal, such as how American cities can address urban sprawl, highway usage, and the best ways to build new housing in cities if it becomes available. [Slate / Alex Baca]
• Republicans responded by calling the nonbinding resolution “socialist,” saying the goals would threaten the current rate of economic growth. Some labor groups that work in nuclear energy are also concerned the plan would threaten their industries. [Politico / Zack Colman and Anthony Adragna]

The French ambassador leaves Rome

• A spat between France and Italy culminated in France recalling its ambassador to Italy on Thursday, saying Italy’s populist leaders are attacking French President Emmanuel Macron in order to boost their standing in the upcoming elections. [Politico Europe / Emma Anderson]
• “France has been, for several months, the object of repeated accusations, unfounded attacks and outrageous declarations that everyone knows and can recognize,” the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. This is the first time a French ambassador has been withdrawn from Rome since the 1940s. [Washington Post / James McAuley and Chico Harlan]
• The Italian candidates are using attacks on the pro-Europe Macron to strengthen their nationalist platform. Recently, Italian Minister of Economic Development Luigi Di Maio invited French protesters from the Yellow Vest movement to Rome. Welcoming popular movements helps candidates like Di Maio appeal to his party, which was largely formed by social media messaging. [Washington Post / James McAuley and Chico Harlan]
• Macron and Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini frequently disagree on topics such as migration and border checks: The French disputed Italy’s refusal to accept refugees who arrive via the Mediterranean; Di Maio has called France “neo-colonial.” [Euractiv / Cécile Barbière]
• Di Maio’s party is aligned with the pro-Italy Five Star Movement, which is often compared with the Yellow Vests. [Politico Europe / Hannah Roberts]

Miscellaneous

• Virginia’s top leaders are currently embroiled in scandal, but there’s history behind these controversies. As Democrat leadership waivers, black Virginians feel they’ve been brought back to the past. [NPR / Debbie Elliott]
• Chair of the House Judiciary Committee Rep. Jerry Nadler has been authorized to subpoena acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker to come to a hearing on Friday, if Whitaker chooses not to show up or claims executive privilege. The committee is inquiring into Whitaker’s supervision of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. [Politico / Andrew Desiderio and Darren Samuelsohn]
• The Farm Belt is facing a wave of bankruptcies. Commodities grown in states like Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin have seen competition from producers in Russia and Brazil. [WSJ / Jesse Newman and Jacob Bunge]
• Amazon made almost $100 billion more revenue in 2018 than in 2016. Here’s how data on the company’s real estate holdings reveal Amazon’s growth. [Atlantic / Alexis C. Madrigal]
• Studying one’s passion may come at a cost. Graduate students are more likely to experience mental health disorders and depression, according to a Harvard study. Chasing intellectual freedom, these students dedicate years to study their fields for little pay, only to face uncertain job prospects later. [Scientific American / Prateek Puri]

Verbatim

“This is a civil law violation, and the continued detention of Mr. Abraham-Joseph serves no other purpose than to unnecessarily punish him and try to intimidate him into giving up his right to fight to remain in the United States.” [21 Savage’s lawyer in a statement after the rapper was detained by ICE, via the New Yorker]

Watch this: How this legendary hip-hop producer humanized a machine

Without a doubt, J Dilla was one of the greatest music producers in history. Here’s how he brought hip-hop to a new level. [YouTube / Estelle Caswell]

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