'What he wants'
| 'What he wants'  The fate of the planet may depend on one single US senator.
West Virginia's Joe Manchin has the leverage to scupper Joe Biden's sweeping social spending agenda, thanks to his pivotal role in the Senate's tiny Democratic majority. He can also gut the President's green energy plan -- which would deal a huge blow to the looming UN climate summit in Scotland and the future of the global climate change fight.
The coal state lawmaker opposes Biden's proposed Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP), which is designed to eventually eradicate fossil fuels by rewarding energy companies for generating green forms of power -- including wind, solar and nuclear -- and penalizing those that don't. The program, along with separate clean energy tax credits, is expected to account for the vast majority of Biden's target for the US to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% relative to 2005 levels by 2030. But Biden cannot afford to lose a single vote in the 50-50 Senate, so Manchin's distaste for the CEPP means that it will likely have to be dropped from a final budget deal.
If the President goes to Glasgow without such a commitment, US credibility on climate change will be badly hit, other nations might be less likely to make big commitments and the success of the entire conference would be in doubt. Manchin's spokesman told CNN that the senator wants to tackle climate change but doesn't want to spend taxpayer cash on getting firms to do what he says they are already doing -- pursuing alternative forms of energy. Critics warn that without meaningful climate change provisions, the bill won't even get past progressives in the House.
Democratic officials and the White House now have to find other ways to meet US climate commitments that could win Manchin's support, but it is hard to see another approach that will be as effective. Without the force of the law, presidential directives could be vulnerable to court challenge and could be quickly reversed by a future Republican President. Given the opposition of most GOP lawmakers to climate change legislation, it's hard to see any attempt to put the CEPP in a standalone bill succeeding.
The situation is stunning indicator of just how much influence one single senator can have in a deadlocked Senate — not just on vital policies within the United States, but on the Earth's fast warming climate.  'What he wants' Democrats are trying to find ways to restructure the CEPP program to fit Manchin's concerns -- while still reducing greenhouse gas emissions, one aide with knowledge of the negotiations told CNN. "Whatever comes through will not be called the CEPP, but we're strongly hoping and thinking there will be ways to meet what he wants," the aide said, adding, "If there's a deal to be struck in the next few days, I don't think there's anything resembling CEPP in there." The world and America More than 350 people were evacuated from Afghanistan.
Five groups won the inaugural Earthshot Prize -- the equivalent of $1.3 million each -- for innovations to protect the environment.
And the Dominican Republic just celebrated its best month for tourism ever.
 Human rights protesters raised a Tibetan flag and banner reading "Free Hong Kong – Revolution" in Athens on Sunday to oppose the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. 'Everyone is upset' The White House now has two hostage crises on its hands.
In Haiti, 16 US missionaries and one Canadian have been kidnapped according to their organization, Christian Aid Ministries. And in Venezuela, five US citizens and a permanent resident already under house arrest have been abruptly moved to a notorious prison.
The two incidents threaten to spiral into yet another foreign policy crisis for the embattled Biden White House. Hostage incidents, as well as being distressing and dangerous for those involved, pose political peril for US administrations and make them look weak on the world stage.
Five children are involved in the situation in Haiti that underscores the country's months-long kidnapping epidemic. The missionaries were abducted on the road just north of capital Port-au-Prince, after visiting an orphanage. One of them appealed for help on WhatsApp, the Washington Post reported. "Please pray for us!! We are being held hostage, they kidnapped our driver. Pray pray pray. We don't know where they are taking us," the message said, according to the Post.
The State Department and the FBI were working to secure the release of the abducted Americans but currently do not know where they are, a senior US official said. While Haitian authorities say they're working with the US on the matter, much is out of their control – more than half of the capital area is run by gangs.
In Venezuela, the detained oil executives, known collectively as the "CITGO 6," were picked up from house arrest over the weekend by the country's intelligence service – in apparent retaliation just hours after Alex Saab, a Colombian financier close to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, was extradited from Cape Verde to the US. The six were first arrested in 2017 in Caracas on embezzlement charges, which they deny. The US has called for their immediate release and return to the United States -- but the weekend's events hardly suggest progress toward their liberation.
"Everyone is upset, looking for answers, not excuses, and rightfully so," said Carlos Añez, stepson of one of the detained men Jorge Toledo. "Right now, it feels that politics and foreign policy is more important than bringing back innocent Americans. It feels like it's more important to jail one wanted individual (Alex Saab), than to bring back 6 innocent people." 'You want to have a fairytale ending' The Irish coastal town of Dingle held a wake for a bottlenose dolphin on Sunday -- the famously friendly Fungie who lived near the town harbor since 1983, then vanished last year.
"We always knew Fungie wouldn't stay here forever," said Bridget Flannery, owner of Dingle Sea Safari, one of the companies that run boat tours out in the harbor. "You want to have a fairytale ending -- don't you -- that he's gone back to his buddies. But you know in your heart of hearts that he's in a good place, somewhere. Dingle is a good place, but he's in a better place." Thanks for reading. On Monday, polls close in Rome's closely-watched mayoral election. European Union foreign ministers meet in Luxembourg. And Saab, the Colombian businessman extradited to the US, will appear in court in Florida. View in browser | All CNN Newsletters
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