The Evening: A breakthrough climate deal

Also, Fed officials forecast three interest rate cuts in 2024.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 13, 2023 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. A breakthrough deal on climate change The Fed's plan for rate cuts Plus, ChatGPT and cheating Sultan Al Jaber, right, the president of COP28, with U.N. officials in Dubai today. Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press The world agreed to move away from fossil fuels After two weeks of furious debate, diplomats from almost 200 counties at the U.N. climate summit in Dubai approved a global pact today that explicitly called for "transitioning away from fossil fuels." The sweeping agreement, which came during the hottest year in recorded history, was the culmination of decades of climate science showing that the burning of oil, gas and coal was dangerously heating the planet. That consensus has long been clear, but negotiators at the previous 27 summits failed to come to such an agreement. Simply including the words "fossil fuels" in the pact was a potentially trajectory-altering moment, my colleague David Gelles wrote. "The text is not as clear as many leaders, activists and scientists had hoped," David wrote. "Nevertheless, the inclusion of explicit language calling for a move away from coal, oil and gas is being hailed as a major breakthrough." Specifically, the deal called on countries to accelerate a global shift away from fossil fuels during this decade and to quit adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by midcentury. It also called on nations to triple the number of renewable energy systems installed around the world by 2030. My colleague Lisa Friedman, who has covered the U.N. climate conferences for more than a decade, said that "many leaders said it sends the signal that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end, which is something I could not imagine this body doing even five years ago." "We believe we are likely at or near the peak rate for this cycle," Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, said.  Win Mcnamee/Getty Images Fed officials forecast three interest rate cuts in 2024 In a remarkable shift, Federal Reserve officials announced today that they expected to cut borrowing costs three times in the coming year. The forecast came after a meeting today in which the Fed, for the third consecutive time, opted to hold rates steady at the current range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent. The extended pause was widely anticipated, but the policymakers' rate-cut projections were even more optimistic than many analysts expected. Stocks rallied after the Fed's announcement. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by the end of its term, in late June. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The Supreme Court will hear major abortion pill cases The Supreme Court justices announced today that they would decide on the availability of a commonly used abortion pill, in what is set to be the most significant abortion ruling since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year. The cases challenge the availability of the abortion drug mifepristone, including whether the F.D.A.'s approval of it is lawful. The justices' decision to rule on the challenges sets up a high-stakes confrontation over the drug that could sharply curtail access to medication that is used in more than half of all pregnancy terminations in the U.S. Separately, the Supreme Court said it would decide the scope of the obstruction charge central to the election-interference case against Donald Trump and hundreds of other Jan. 6 cases. Representative James Comer, left, and Representative Jim Jordan have led the Republican impeachment inquiry. Kenny Holston/The New York Times The House approved a Biden impeachment inquiry The Republican-led House of Representatives voted this evening to approve a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden, pushing forward with a yearlong investigation that has so far failed to produce evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors. Republicans said that the vote, which passed 221-212, was needed to give them full authority to carry out their investigations amid anticipated legal challenges from the White House. They have focused heavily on Hunter Biden, who is under indictment on federal tax and gun charges, and the work he did for companies and partners overseas. More top news Israel-Hamas war: Biden met with the families of American hostages in Gaza at the White House. Tesla: The company recalled more than two million vehicles under pressure from regulators, who pressed the automaker to make updates to its Autopilot system. Court: Testimony ended today in Donald Trump's New York civil fraud trial. A verdict is still weeks away. Japan: The country wants a stronger military, but, as the population ages, experts worry it won't be able to find enough troops. Morning sickness: The nausea and vomiting that often define the first trimester of pregnancy are primarily caused by a single hormone, according to a new study. New York: The city is paying tens of thousands of dollars a month for meals that are supposed to go to feed migrants but instead are never eaten and are thrown away. Health: A 24-year-old's sudden death devastated his family — and caught the attention of the anti-vaccine movement. Lives lived: Andre Braugher, an actor on "Homicide" and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," died at 61. TIME TO UNWIND Victor Lee and Denise Pope, the Stanford researchers. Carolyn Fong for The New York Times A.I. cheating fears may have been overblown Many large public school districts, including those in Los Angeles and New York City, have blocked students' access to ChatGPT based in part on concerns that the A.I. tool would facilitate a rise in cheating. But new research from Stanford University suggested that access to chatbots had little effect on the frequency of cheating in high schools. In surveys this year, 60 to 70 percent of students said they had cheated — roughly the same as before the release of ChatGPT. Rune Fisker Cruises that offer a respite from the winter blahs If you live in a place where it's been getting cold, you may have considered escaping the winter for a few days — or longer. We gathered a list of some of this season's most anticipated cruises to sunny spots and explained what each offered. The most eye-popping option is Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, the world's largest new cruise ship, which can carry more than 7,000 passengers. But you can go smaller on itineraries that range from the Caribbean to the South Pacific. Paula Bronstein/Associated Press Dinner table topics Helping wildlife: Environmentalists say Christmas tree farms have ecological benefits. The Ethicist: I live in California. What do I owe climate-denying Kentuckians? A new age of surveillance: Meta's new $300 smart glasses offer a glimpse into a future with even less privacy and more distraction. A reader asks: How can I stop my in-laws from making impromptu visits? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Cook: This za'atar and labneh pasta has the texture of an alfredo but with a bright tang that brings levity. Watch: "Apollo 13" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas" were among the 25 films selected for preservation this year in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. Listen: Our music critic picked seven new songs that you should hear right now. Research: Flaxseeds have many potential benefits. But they can't do everything. Gaze: The Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak tonight. Game: Wirecutter picked out several free video games that are worth trying out. Compete: Take our quiz to see how well you know these novels with academic settings. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING McKinley, Michelle Miller-McNair's daughter, in Mooresville, N.C. TikTok All I want for Christmas is in this PowerPoint presentation When Michelle Miller-McNair asked her children to make Christmas lists this year, she was expecting a piece of paper or perhaps an emailed link. But her 13-year-old daughter wanted to make a bigger impression: She put together an 18-slide PowerPoint presentation explaining why she needed several gifts, including Nike sneakers and a necklace from Kendra Scott. Many other kids have taken a similar strategy with their lists this year, inspired by a growing crop of social media videos in which some parents seem impressed — and perhaps even convinced — by the sales pitches to Santa. Have an industrious evening. Thanks for reading. Sarah Hughes was our photo editor today. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. A correction: Yesterday's newsletter misidentified the position that Senator Mitch McConnell holds. He is the Senate minority leader, not the Senate majority leader. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? 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