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Negotiators get closer to agreeing on a plastic pollution treaty

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Negotiators get closer to agreeing on a plastic pollution treaty


BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — Negotiators working on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution inched closer to an agreement Friday, with more countries saying they want to address the total plastic on Earth.

The most contentious issue of the talks is whether there will be a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce. Panama proposed text for the treaty to address plastic production on Thursday.

Juan Carlos Monterrey, head of Panama’s delegation, said it’s a compromise proposal to build consensus because it does not include a numerical target or production cap. Instead, it says countries would adopt a global target at a later conference of the parties meeting.

Support for Panama’s proposal quickly grew to over 100 countries. Some plastic-producing and oil and gas countries, including Saudi Arabia, vigorously oppose including plastic production in the treaty, calling it a red line. Russia’s delegation has said if the world is serious about this treaty, negotiators must concentrate on provisions acceptable for all delegations.

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On Friday afternoon, Luis Vayas Valdivieso, the committee chair from Ecuador, issued a paper with draft treaty text, condensing the views expressed by negotiators during the week. The treaty article on production has Panama’s proposal. The other option is to strike that article.

“This is great! This is great,” Monterrey said as he read the document on his cellphone just after it was issued.

“It is a big show of force, of muscle, for those countries that are ambitious. And also this shows that consensus is still possible,” he said in an interview.

Global plastics production is set to reach 736 million tons by 2040, up 70% from 2020, without policy changes, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Environmental organizations demonstrated with signs outside the convention center Friday morning, demanding that negotiators show courage.

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Negotiators began meeting Monday in Busan. They split into groups to consider text for treaty articles. By the midpoint of the negotiations, none had agreed to anything. They were having long discussions over topics where there’s more agreement, such as the need to manage plastic waste better. And they hadn’t settled on some of the basics of the treaty, such as the scope and definitions.

Valdivieso told them Wednesday night their progress was too slow and they had to speed up significantly.

The delegations will now discuss Valdivieso’s paper and decide whether to agree to the articles. The meeting ends late Sunday or early Monday.

U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Inger Andersen said there’s still enough time to land an agreement, “if we work hard.”

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.



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San Diego County Gun Owners PAC gives reaction to latest shooting death by ICE

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San Diego County Gun Owners PAC gives reaction to latest shooting death by ICE


The San Diego County Gun Owners PAC (Political Action Committee) calls the fatal shooting of Minnesota man Alex Pretti by ICE agents “tragic and deeply troubling.”

The executive director of that organization, Michael Schwartz, told NBC 7 he’s calling for full transparency and due process moving forward.

“Both sides, Mr. Pretti and whoever the border agent was involved in the shooting, deserve a thorough investigation,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz says gun owners are loyal to principles, not parties, and believes it’s important to not turn Alex Pretti’s death into a political narrative.

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“The Second Amendment has never been a Republican, Democratic or Libertarian or Green or any party issues, it’s nonpartisan. When people no matter their party do something to support the Second Amendment, we sing their praises and when they do something against it, we harshly condemn them. You saw that in this case, you saw Gun Owners of America and the National Rifle Association quickly come out with statements that were bashing certain Trump Administration officials and saying, hey we need to investigate this shooting,” Schwartz said.

On Tuesday, when talking about the most recent deadly ICE shooting in Minnesota, President Donald Trump said, “You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns.”

Schwartz disagrees with what the Trump Administration has recently said about those legally carrying a firearm.

“I am completely opposed to some of the statements by Trump employees, like Kash Patel and others, who implied that somehow being a concealed carry permit holder somehow makes you more dangerous to law enforcement or implies that you’re a criminal,” Schwartz said.

According to Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, strict regulating of public carry laws are associated with lower rates of firearm crimes. Schwartz believes the rise of physical interactions between citizens and ICE might provide an opportunity.

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“I think law enforcement needs to be better educated on who a concealed carry permit holder is. The fact that they go through a background check and training and the fact that as a group they tend to commit fewer crimes than the general public. Educating on who they are and what their motivation is is important to all levels of law enforcement,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz says gun rights advocates have been concerned with government overreach for decades surrounding the Second Amendment and will be closely following how current events play out.

While California has some of the most restrictive gun carry laws in the nation, it’s interesting to note that San Diego County has gone from 11,000 carry permits to over 26,000 in last seven years.



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Investigation underway after person shot, injured by Escondido police

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Investigation underway after person shot, injured by Escondido police


An investigation is underway after one person was shot and injured by an Escondido Police officer early Tuesday.

Police were called to a transitional house on the 100 block of S Elm Street, on reports of a man who cut himself and was armed with a knife, San Diego Police Homicide Lt. Lou Maggi said.

Police tried to negotiate with the man, who then barricaded himself inside a bathroom. Officers then left to try to de-escalate the situation, Maggi said.

Police were called again after the man had left the bathroom and was roaming the outside of the property. A K-9 officer arrived to find the man in an alleyway with a “24-inch stick.” After multiple calls from the officer to drop the weapon, the man then charged at the officer, prompting the officer to shoot the man, Maggi said.

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The man was shot multiple times and taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The Escondido officer involved in the shooting was not injured.

Neither the man nor the officer has been identified at this time.

The other residents at the transitional housing were safely evacuated.

The San Diego Police Department is investigating the incident per a memorandum of understanding that prevents law enforcement agencies from investigating use-of-force cases involving their own officers.

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Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.



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55-year-old Lakeside school employee arrested on child sex abuse charges

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55-year-old Lakeside school employee arrested on child sex abuse charges


Authorities arrested a 55-year-old Lakeside Union School District employee for child sexual abuse charges on Sunday, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

The department announced on Monday that back on Sept. 8, 2025, they received information regarding allegations of sexual abuse on a minor by 55-year-old Kent Cable. Detectives working with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Child Abuse Unit (CAU) stepped up to take over the investigation and did a follow-up.

Following the investigation’s completion, detectives said they had probable cause to believe Cable was in violation of three counts of sexual penetration with a child 10 years of age or younger, and four counts of lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14 years of age.

Cable was arrested on those charges and booked into the San Diego Central Jail on Sunday, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Cable was employed by the Lakeside Union School District in a non-teaching role, the sheriff’s office added.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Child Abuse Unit at 858-285-6222 or after hours at 858-868-3200. You can remain anonymous by calling San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.



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