Sunday News: Matt Damon in #SNLPremiere as Brett Kavanaugh; “Trump denies limiting FBI probe”; “Trump delivers bizarre fake history of ‘Democrat Party’ name”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, September 30.

• Indonesian quake toll jumps to 832 dead as rescuers struggle
• Trump: No limits on FBI’s investigation into allegations against Brett Kavanaugh (“The FBI has not been permitted to investigate the claims of Julie Swetnick, a White House official confirmed to NBC News.” Which means that the FBI investigation will be VERY weak, ineffectual, and quite possibly a complete sham. The White House should stay completely out of this.)
• White House Directs FBI to Interview First Two Kavanaugh Accusers, But Not the Third (“FBI probe won’t include interviewing Julie Swetnick, drawing criticism from her attorney”)
• UPDATED: Trump denies limiting FBI probe into Supreme Court pick Kavanaugh (Problem is, Trump is a lying liar who has no credibility at all.)
• Kavanaugh lied when he claimed Ford’s accusation is ‘refuted.’ Ford’s friend just called him on it. (“Blatant dishonesty.”)
• Trump: Kim Jong Un and I ‘fell in love’ (OMG, just when you think Trump can’t say something even more outrageous than he’s already said, he says he “fell in love” with a brutal dictator, thug, nuclear-armed adversary, etc. Can you even IMAGINE Republicans’ reaction if Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama had ever said they “fell in love” with Kim Jong-un???)
• BUSTED: Brett Kavanaugh lied about ‘busting tail’ to get into Yale with ‘no connections’ — he was a legacy
• Classmate: Kavanaugh drank heavily (Brett really REALLY likes chugging brewskis while talkin’ girls with his bros! LOL)
• Lindsey Graham and Brett Kavanaugh: Welcome to the smoldering ruins of American democracy (“Lindsey Graham is a massive hypocrite. But his outburst during the Kavanaugh hearings point hinted at deeper truth”)
• Kavanaugh Confirmation: Former Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy Says We’re Seeing The ‘Death and Decline of Democracy’ (How about discussing your own role in that “death and decline,” Justice Kennedy? “Citizens United?” “Bush v. Gore?”)
• ‘Women are watching’: Kavanaugh hearing focuses activists’ anger (VOTE VOTE VOTE!)
• Kavanaugh v Ford: the parading of sexual assault victims has to end (“The Senate hearing resembled nothing so much as a 17th-century rape trial. Let’s hope the grotesque spectacle enhances justice”)
• Our View: Brett Kavanaugh has shown he doesn’t belong on the Supreme Court (“The man who testified Thursday can’t control his temper, he is overtly partisan and he doesn’t always tell the truth.” He mostly lies, actually.)
• Warren says she will ‘take a hard look at running for president’ (I presumed she was already doing that.)
• Capitol Hill Ralph Club (“If the Republicans wanted to discern the character of who they’re putting on the court, rather than simply solidifying the conservative majority, they would already have subpoenaed Judge and anyone else who could provide clarity.”)
• Brett Kavanaugh Loves His Beer (“The Supreme Court nominee paired a frothy beverage with identity politics.”)
• Unwavering support of Kavanaugh shows GOP knows ‘the House is gone’ and is betting on the Senate: NYT sources
• House Dems fight super PAC attacks with small donor windfall (“Democratic House candidates raised nearly $36 million online in August, giving many the resources to air early TV ads.”)
• Donald Trump delivers bizarre fake history of ‘Democrat Party’ name in sweaty West Virginia speech (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, THIS unhinged cretin is our “president”)
• Christine Blasey Ford’s Experience Was Just as Bad as Anita Hill’s—Maybe Worse (“Ford spoke with disarming directness and vulnerability, but the hearing unleashed in Brett Kavanaugh a bitter, partisan rage pumped up with conspiracy theory.”)
• For female Republicans, party loyalty trumps #MeToo (Yep, like Barbara “Trumpstock”)
• Republicans Push Kavanaugh Nomination Forward, But At What Cost?
• “Nobody’s ever had a presidency like this,” Trump says at West Virginia rally (Well THAT is certainly true, if he means “nobody’s ever had a presidency f’ed up like this”)
• The Memo: GOP risks disaster with Kavanaugh, midterms
• Matt Damon as an angry Kavanaugh grilled on ‘SNL’ season opener
• Elon Musk’s Fait Accompli (“Musk and Tesla have settled the SEC’s securities fraud lawsuit. The outcome feels like the end of an era for Musk.”)
• Elon Musk to Resign as Tesla Chairman, Pay SEC $20 Million Over Tweet (Musk is brilliant and a visionary, but also has major flaws.)
• The Mueller investigation: Where it stands at the midterms
• FB data breach: Senator Mark R Warner demands action
• How Serious is the New Facebook Breach?
• EDITORIAL: Virginia’s never-ending redistricting (I’d just let the court do it at this point.)
• Editorial: Judges should not draw redistricting lines (Why not, Republican Times-Disgrace editorial board? I think that a neutral “special master” would be a great alternative to politicians drawing their own lines.)
• Attack ads fly in Taylor-Luria race. We help you sort the truth from the half-truths. (This could have been a good fact check…but it wasn’t at all, because it did the usual false equivalence dance and also didn’t call out Taylor for his ridiculous lies.)
• Baliles: Restating the case for higher education — defining new roles for SCHEV and presidents
• Editorial: Baliles calls for a ‘Marshall Plan’ for rural Virginia
• Full text of former Gov. Baliles’ speech to SCHEV
• Virginia school district to get solar panels soon (Every school district in Virginia should be upgrading their buildings for energy efficiency and other forms of clean energy, where appropriate. The savings in energy costs over the years should more than pay for themselves.)
• Making up for lost time with sun and warmth