by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, December 20.
- North Korea Says It Will Never Denuclearize Unless U.S. Removes Its Nuclear Threat
- Asian shares battered after Fed raises rates for fourth time
- World stocks slide as Fed aggravates recession fears
- Senate passes short-term spending bill to avert shutdown (“The legislation was passed by voice vote and will keep the government open until Feb. 8, provided the House will pass it.”)
- Shocking Syria withdrawal plan is pure Trump (“The President announced an apparently impulsive decision that shook the world, showed little sign of nuanced consideration, confounded top advisers and by the end of the day left Washington in chaos and confusion.”)
- Pullout Plunges America’s Middle East Strategy Into Disarray (“The president overruled his military and diplomatic advisers, who warned against abandoning Kurdish allies and ceding influence in Syria to Russia and Iran.”)
- Trump’s withdrawal from Syria is victory for Iran and Russia, experts say (“Analysis: The move provides ‘Iran with solid control over the entire arc of the Levant from Baghdad to Beirut,’ one expert said.”)
- Trump’s Syria Pullout Is a Grave Mistake (“Leaving would tell allies large and small: You can trust America to let you down.”)
- Is Trump’s Plan for Syria a Withdrawal or a Surrender? (“Russia will be seen in the region as having done everything possible to rescue its ally, Assad, while the U.S. once again left the Kurds to fend for themselves in a hostile neighborhood.”)
- Republicans rip Trump’s surprise Syria withdrawal in meeting with Pence (“GOP senators told the vice president they were outraged by Trump’s move.”)
- Push to quickly leave Syria startles allies and White House aides (“President Trump made his decision after a small meeting with senior White House aides and the secretaries of defense and state, most of whom, if not all, sharply disagreed, according to people familiar with the issue.”)
- Mattis, once one of ‘my generals,’ loses clout with Trump
- Trump’s abrupt decision to pull American troops from Syria is riskier than it looks (“What’s truly distressing is that until now, the United States had something of a virtuous cycle going in the region.”)
- This is not the way to leave Syria (“Trump’s decision to yank U.S. troops leaves allies unprotected and gives the Islamic State an opportunity to return.” And betrays the Kurds. And benefits Assad and Iran and Putin.)
- Stephen Colbert Slams Tucker Carlson: ‘He’s Nothing If Not a Little Racist Who Could’
- It Is So Much Worse Than I Thought (“How can a family that can’t run a charity run a country?”)
- Paul Ryan’s War on the Safety Net Failed Because Democracy Worked (“Politics defeated Ryan, and the country is immensely better off for it.” Yep, good riddance to Lyin’ Ryan.)
- What happened to all that ideological and moral conviction, Paul Ryan?
- Rudy Giuliani is the fool for our time (“Occasionally he speaks accidental truths, but mostly he plays the clown.”)
- The First Step Act Is Very Aptly Named. But What the Hell, Let’s Celebrate. (“Even a small step forward is a Christmas miracle these days.”)
- Secret Experiment in Alabama Senate Race Imitated Russian Tactics (“A project to help the Democratic contender, Doug Jones, in his closely contested race against Roy Moore used deception on Facebook and Twitter.”)
- Trump admin to lift sanctions on firms owned by Russian oligarch Deripaska
- Fox News host: ‘We’d be up in arms’ if Obama did what Trump has done with funding border wall (They’d be up in arms if Obama did just about ANYTHING Trump did. Massive double standard.)
- Trump’s EPA is trying to undermine climate science by targeting the law (“The Trump administration is looking for legal loopholes that will allow it to weaken limits on carbon pollution.” Evil.)
- House Republicans Got Away With It—Again (“The GOP came to power raging about the deficit, and now it’s gigantic. They’ll start the raging soon enough.”)
- Facebook Just Got Hit With a Massive Lawsuit. It Could Cost the Company Billions.
- Wilbur Ross said he divested a stock holding — but he didn’t (“Failure to dump BankUnited shares is the latest inaccurate statement by Trump’s Commerce secretary.”)
- Virginia Delegates Rasoul, Guzman Launch “Green New Deal” Coalition with Economic, Environmental, Social Justice Groups
- Retiring Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA06) Blocks Savanna’s Act; His Republican Successor Is Utterly Clueless.
- Air Board delays decision on Buckingham permit and plans new public comment period
- Video: Live Updates From the State Air Pollution Control Board Meeting on Dominion’s Proposed Fracked-Gas Compressor Station in Union Hill [UPDATE: No Vote in 2018]
- Virginia regulators unexpectedly delay decision on controversial gas project
- Air Board puts off vote on Buckingham compressor station for Atlantic Coast Pipeline
- SCC reluctantly says Dominion can recover from ratepayers for putting lines underground
- Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Hampton partner to tackle flooding, pollution runoff
- Nearly 200,000 uninsured Virginians have enrolled in Medicaid under expansion for Jan. 1 start date
- After a federal ruling against Affordable Care Act, Virginia plows forward with Medicaid expansion enrollment
- Justice Department says Hampton Roads Regional Jail’s treatment of inmates “cruel and unusual”
- Hampton Roads Regional Jail not providing proper medical and mental health care, Department of Justice finds
- Editorial: CNU poll shows curious numbers on tax cut vs. tax credit (“Why wouldn’t affluent Northern Virginia want a tax cut instead of a tax credit most of its residents won’t be using? Conversely, why wouldn’t poorer Southwest and Southside be more supportive of a tax credit that would disproportionately put more money into the local economy?”)
- Political opponents team up to help those in need for the holidays (Fine, except for the Salvation Army part.)
- University of Mary Washington could’ve done more to shield students from online harassment and threats, judges say
- Stoney, Richmond Public Schools leaders celebrate new school construction supported by meals tax hike
- Video: Arlington County Board Member John Vihstadt Goes Out the Same Way He Came In…False Statements, Republican Rhetoric, “Both Sides” B.S.
- Lime-E electric bikes are now in Arlington
- Rain arriving this afternoon becomes heavy tonight. Drying out over the weekend.
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