Wednesday News: Rest of World Laughs at Trump’s Boasts About His “Achievements,” “middle schooler’s approach to foreign affairs”; “Brett was a sloppy drunk”; “Toxic Masculinity” and the “Cruelty of Male Bonding”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, September 26.

• UN audience laughs when Trump boasts of achievements (And rightfully so, as Trump has accomplished among the LEAST of any president in their first year and a half. A terrible, debt-exploding tax cut for the wealthy and a stolen Supreme Court Seat. Congratulations, dumbass.)
• Trump’s Speech at the U.N. Triggers Laughter—and Disbelief
• President Trump Addresses the United Nations (laughter) (“A dark and cramped view of the world from an increasingly isolated leader.”)
• Trump’s U.N. speech pitting globalism against patriotism proves the president has no idea what patriotism means (“Trump has a middle schooler’s approach to foreign affairs — and it will make the United States weaker and less able to lead as a result.” A really dumb middle schooler, maybe.)
• Trump’s UN speech: America First with a side of patriotic word salad
• Trump administration turns ire toward Iran, alienating allies at UN
• Trump’s U.N. Speech Was a Laughingstock Until It Was a Terror (“The rest of the world wasn’t giggling in the end.”)
• The President Treats the U.N. to a Good Old-Fashioned Trump Rally
• The World Just Laughed at Donald Trump (“The president has often warned that the United States has become the butt of global jokes, and with a silly boast on Tuesday, he demonstrated it.”)
• Donald Trump Issues a Scathing Rejection of ‘Globalism’ (“In his UN speech, the U.S. president went after several countries and institutions—but perhaps none more so than the world order itself.” Imbecile.)
• Behold, Another Signal of the Coming Climate Apocalypse That Will Go Ignored by Half Our Political System (“There are methane lakes in the Arctic spouting carbon-trapping gas into the atmosphere. Nobody cares.”)
• Bolton Drops Verbal Bombs on Iran
• Questions Brett Kavanaugh Needs to Answer (“Because there’s still a lot America needs to know.”)
• Why Haven’t Republicans Abandoned Brett Kavanaugh?
• The Republicans’ Big Hire for the Kavanaugh Hearing Is Fooling No One (“They don’t want to see campaign ads featuring them badgering Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. That’s it.”)
• Rod Rosenstein’s departure was imminent. Now he is likely to survive until after the midterms, officials say
• Three Yale Law School classmates who endorsed Kavanaugh call for investigation into sexual misconduct claims
• In a Culture of Privilege and Alcohol at Yale, Her World Converged With Kavanaugh’s
• Kavanaugh’s ‘choir boy’ image on Fox interview rankles former Yale classmates (“Brett was a sloppy drunk, and I know because I drank with him. I watched him drink more than a lot of people. He’d end up slurring his words, stumbling…You can’t lie your way onto the Supreme Court, and with that statement out, he’s gone too far. It’s about the integrity of that institution.”)
• Brett Kavanaugh and the Cruelty of Male Bonding (“When being one of the guys comes at a woman’s expense.”)
• Lisa Murkowski Delivers Message: Take Kavanaugh Accusations Seriously
• Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell is GOP choice to question Kavanaugh and accuser at hearing (Utterly ridiculous.)
• How Brett Kavanaugh Erases Inconvenient Women (“He is a champion of the women he knows personally. For the rest, he has no compunction about dismissing their very humanity.” Kavanaugh is a sociopath.)
• Kavanaugh Battle Traps Republicans Between Base and Female Voters
• Senate panel schedules Kavanaugh vote for Friday
• Democrats have leads in Rust Belt states that Trump won: Reuters poll (“A Reuters/Ipsos/UVA Center for Politics Poll released on Wednesday found that a majority of likely voters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana disapprove of the Republican president and more than one-third were ‘very motivated’ to back someone who would oppose his policies.”)
• Fed likely to raise rates, possibly end ‘accommodative’ policy era
• McConnell projects confidence but doesn’t have the votes for Kavanaugh yet (“While a small group of GOP senators are considered the most problematic to Kavanaugh’s confirmation, there are potentially several more watching closely.”)
• Republicans start to pull plug on members (“…so far, the party is showing no signs of giving up on her suburban, Northern Virginia-area district that Clinton easily carried in 2016.”)
• Poll: Democrats have narrow lead in top Florida contests (“In the Senate race, Bill Nelson, the incumbent Democrat, is favored by 48 percent of likely voters, while Republican Rick Scott, the state’s governor, gets 45 percent.”)
• Poll: Nearly 6-In-10 To Closely Watch Kavanaugh-Ford Hearing; Many Undecided On Truth
• A Federal Judge Restored Endangered Species Protection for Grizzlies in Yellowstone (“The move comes just days before Idaho and Wyoming were set to allow the hunting of 23 bears.” Thank goodness.)
• Kavanaugh claims he had a sterling reputation at Yale, is immediately shot down by ex-roommate (“Life comes at you fast.”)
• Anita Hill Says Kavanaugh Accuser Hearing ‘Cannot Be Fair’
• Science Says Toxic Masculinity — More Than Alcohol — Leads To Sexual Assault
• Democrats Have A Shot At Winning The Senate — And Blocking Trump’s Court Picks (“Yes, they have a real chance to grab a majority. No, it won’t be easy.”)
• Inside the Fight for Medicaid Expansion in America’s Reddest States (“The fate of Obamacare is now up to voters in Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, and Utah.”)
• This Is Not the End of the Cosby Story (“The comedian has been sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for the rape of Andrea Constand. But as she and her family eloquently insisted during this week’s hearing: The effects of his crime will live on.”)
• How YouTube facilitates right-wing radicalization (“Extremists are better for watch time, because more extreme content is more engaging.”)
• Petition Scandal Deflates Scott Taylor’s Supporters
• Kaine mocks Trump over UN laughter, resurfaces old tweet calling Obama a ‘laughing stock’
• When Sen. Mark Warner Stuffed Shrimp in His Pockets (“Take Five: Warner shares earliest Senate memories, says he and Tim Kaine are ‘yin and yang’”)
• Olivia Wilde to Knock on Doors for Mom’s Congressional Run
• GOP ad uses shark to hit Dem on ‘government takeover’ of health care (Hahahahaha.)
• Peckman: Regulators were fooled by pipeline
• Bob Woodward, speaking at VCU, on Trump White House: ‘There is a war on truth’ (And on the rule of law. And on democracy. And on the environment.)
• In a swingy Virginia suburb, can Republican Barbara Comstock out-hustle a blue wave? (“A major battle in the incumbent’s House contest with Democrat Jennifer Wexton is being waged in the affluent bellwether of Loudoun County.”)
• New Monmouth VA-07 Poll: Abigail Spanberger 47%-Dave Brat 42%
• Poll shows Rep. Dave Brat in tight race with Democrat Abigail Spanberger
• Dave Brat to Speak At Rally In Support of Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To Supreme Court, Despite Multiple Sexual Assault Allegations
• Fired FBI leader Comey speaks of leadership and Trump’s “forest fire” presidency before approving Norfolk audience
• Republican Joe McNamara outraises Democrat Carter Turner in House of Delegates race (Pretty close – McNamara raised $49k, Turner raised $42k.)
• Aunt Flo Visits the Prison, But She Can’t Wear a Tampon! [UPDATED: Brian Moran Backs Down]
• Virginia Backtracks On Tampon Ban For Prison Visitors
• Schapiro: Redistricting is shorthand for lawmakers behaving badly
• Former McGuireWoods intern launches crowdfunded site for ‘regular people’ to hire lobbyists(Interesting.)
• State selects its medical cannabis dispensaries, but Hampton start-up not in the mix
• Does the SCC finally see the light on customer-owned solar?
• Pipeline’s federal review is looking a lot less ‘thorough and exhaustive’
• Gwynn’s Island homeowners lose the battle over floating oyster cages in Milford Haven
• Loudoun, Fairfax officials talk Amazon, but won’t bet the farm on HQ2
• Fairfax County Board of Supervisors bans loaded guns in cars
• Virginia regulators pick five companies to open state’s first medical cannabis dispensaries
• Fairfax Co. wants more mowing along major Va. roads (Plant pollinator-friendly species and leave them alone; minimize or eliminate “mowing.”)
• >Arlington manager warns of higher taxes, more service cuts next year (“Revenue growth is slow and expenses are rising, he told the County Board.”)
• Editorial: Richmond needs better plans for its bike lanes
• Editorial: RVA’s homeless population deserves basic decency
• Warm today with some sun and storm chance; clouds back tomorrow, but a bright weekend awaits