by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, June 26.
- ‘Most of it was dead’: scientists discover one of Great Barrier Reef’s worst coral bleaching events (Horrifying.)
- Is Putin’s Ukraine obsession distracting him from a rising threat at home? (“The Kremlin has sought to downplay the prospect that Islamist militants were behind this week’s attacks in Dagestan, hinting at what could be a growing vulnerability.”)
- Austin and Russia’s New Defense Minister Speak via Phone for the First Time
- Russia begins espionage trial of reporter Evan Gershkovich in secret hearing condemned by the US (This is utterly outrageous.)
- Falsely Accused WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich in Court for Secret Trial
- U.S. Talks Tough on Russia and Iran—So Long as It Doesn’t Raise Gas Prices
- Zelensky’s Formidable Task: Keeping the West and His Citizens On Board
- UN tells Israel it will suspend aid operations across Gaza without improved safety
- It’s All Catching Up to Bibi Netanyahu
- A Palestinian was shot, beaten and tied to an Israeli army jeep. The army says he posed no threat
- The war in Gaza may end Israel’s unfair draft exemptions for Orthodox Jews
- I’ve never seen Israelis as gloomy as they are today (They’re right.)
- How the UK election could make or break the pound’s run
- Macron’s election gamble puts French democracy on the table
- What if Macron is enemies with his next prime minister? (“A liberal president constantly fighting a far-right prime minister would be a recipe for political catastrophe.”)
- EU braces for the nightmare scenario – a Eurosceptic France (“National Rally win may hamper bloc’s ability to get things done and pose existential question over French role”)
- Kenya starts clearing debris after anti-tax protests in which at least 6 died
- Julian Assange lands in Australia after leaving US court a free man (Yuck.)
- Battered Mexico Opposition in Disarray as AMLO Pushes for Reform (“The slate of constitutional reforms has sparked worries about the erosion of checks and balances and Mexican democracy itself.”)
- The Covid summer wave is here
- Depletion of major groundwater source threatens Great Plains farming
- Rising sea levels will disrupt millions of Americans’ lives by 2050, study finds (“Floods could leave coastal communities in states like Florida and California unlivable in two decades”)
- The numbers behind the ‘public health crisis’ of gun violence
- The Science Is Clear: Offshore Wind Isn’t What’s Killing Whales (“Politicians and nonprofit groups have blamed offshore wind turbines for whale deaths, but the science doesn’t support those claims—at all” Anyone making such claims should never be listened to again – on anything.)
- Biden to pardon U.S. veterans convicted in gay-sex cases by military (“Thousands of former service members involuntarily discharged under old sodomy laws will be allowed to apply for withheld benefits.”)
- Inside Project 2025’s attack on reproductive rights (“Organizations looking to staff and provide policy for a second Trump administration want severe roll-backs on access to surrogacy, IVF, mifepristone, and contraception”)
- From Trump’s immunity to abortion, the Supreme Court’s most controversial decisions this term are about to drop (“The court is scheduled to issue opinions Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. By far the biggest pending decision is Donald Trump’s bid to be declared immune from federal criminal charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election.”)
- Once Again, Originalism’s Hollow Core Is Revealed (“In Rahimi, the Supreme Court made the right decision for the wrong reasons.”)
- The Memo: Liberal fears build over Supreme Court Trump immunity decision (ALL Americans should fear having a president with “absolute immunity,” as that is effectively a dictator.)
- Trump Now Free to Go to Town on Jury in Hush-Money Case (“Judge Merchan loosened a gag order on Trump, though there are still limits to how far the former president can go.”)
- The Nuclear Weapons Document Trump Stashed under Bubble Wrap and a Christmas Pillow
- New Pics Show Nuclear Secrets Stashed Beside the Diet Cokes at Mar-a-Lago
- Judge Cannon is skeptical that evidence from Mar-a-Lago should be thrown out
- Golf shirts and classified docs: New court filings show Trump’s clutter
- Speaker Johnson wants to lower the debate bar for Trump (Mike Johnson is a HORRIBLE person.)
- Will Trump chicken out of the presidential debate? Probably. He’s a Grade-A coward.
- Trump’s predictable campaign to discredit the debate moderators
- What Republicans Are Hoping Trump Doesn’t Do During His Debate With Joe Biden
- We Know the Debate Is Total Bullshit, but We’ll Watch Anyway
- Trump appears to prefer menacing his foes over clearing his name
- The debate night contrast Biden hopes will win the 2024 election (“Biden’s team is seizing on the most critical presidential debate in years to spell out a contrast on character and policy”)
- Most Americans plan to watch Biden-Trump debate, and many see high stakes, AP-NORC poll finds
- MAGAnomics Receives Straight Fs on Economic Report Card Showing Second Trump Term Leads To Recession, Spiking Inflation, and Tax Hikes
- Trump’s MAGA Veepstakes: VP Contenders Would Help Trump Rig the Economy for Himself and His Ultra-Wealthy Donors
- Trump’s claim that Biden is “jacked up” on drugs is more than projection — it’s cult conditioning (“Parroting Trump’s obvious lies creates the groupthink that keeps followers from asking too many questions”)
- Donald Trump May ‘Reignite’ Inflation, Nobel Prize-Winning Economists Warn
- Fox News returns to “migrant crime” fixation as migrant crossings, crime plummet
- Mike Johnson to file brief backing Steve Bannon’s Supreme Court appeal (Mike Johnson is a f’ing disgrace.)
- Steve Bannon Prepares for Prison
- Rosendale pushes spending amendment that declares IVF ‘morally wrong’
- Utah Republicans pick Trump skeptic John Curtis to replace Mitt Romney (“He defeated Trent Staggs, whom Donald Trump had endorsed.”)
- Trump’s endorsement is starting to show its limits
- Gov. Spencer Cox Holds Off Challenger From Right in Utah’s G.O.P. Primary
- Trump, progressives suffer a rough night: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
- Jamaal Bowman was a Democratic Trump. Now he’s gone.
- Why Jamaal Bowman’s New York primary is huge for pro-Israel groups
- Jamaal Bowman’s Defeat Is a Fatal Blow to the Anti-Israel Left
- Why Jamaal Bowman Lost (“The New York progressive veered too far left of his constituents.”)
- Jamaal Bowman’s Loss Is the Start of a New Era (“Pro-Israel forces now have a blueprint to driving critics out of Congress”)
- Latimer ousts ‘Squad’ member Bowman in Democratic primary in N.Y. (By close to 20 points – wow.)
- Boebert wins GOP primary after switching Colorado districts (Republican voters go with the fascist/crazy person.)
- Republican Who Called For Pride Flags To Be Burned Loses GOP Primary Race In Colorado
- Texas’s “Pro-Life” Abortion Law Has Literally Led to More Infant Deaths (“The infant mortality rate went up in the state by nearly 13% the year after the Heartbeat Act went into effect.”)
- Cop: Jeff Bezos’ WaPo CEO Deceived Police, Framed U.K. Prime Minister
- The Chesapeake Bay Program Flunked Its 2025 Cleanup Goals. What Happens Next?
- Republican Party of Virginia Chair Congratulates John McGuire on 5th CD Win
- GOP colleagues sneer at Rep. Good’s election complaints
- A recount is likely on the way in Virginia’s 5th District; what does that process look like?
- Bob Good confirms he will pay for recount as he trails in GOP primary (“The Virginia conservative has previously indicated he wanted a recount, but he’s now committing to pay for it.”)
- A Knives-Out House Primary: MAGA in Microcosm (“It’s been one week since Virginia held its primaries for congressional races, and one of them remains up in the air. In Virginia’s 5th district, the Republican nomination to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives has turned into a scale model of the larger MAGA universe”)
- Virginia could clear up fuzzy line between sports betting and fantasy contests
- Virginia works toward meeting federal PFAS standards by 2029
- Hundreds of prisoners to be released early, starting July 1st
- Limited continuing-care options in rural Virginia create challenges for an aging population
- Virginia votes to reopen winter crab dredge season (Dumb.)
- First Lady Jill Biden to visit Virginia Beach on Thursday
- Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler running for Virginia Beach School Board
- ‘An already sparse calendar’: Some Fairfax Co. parents frustrated with extra elementary early release days
- Opponents of Proposed Dominion Gas Plant File Appeal with Chesterfield County Board of Zoning Appeals
- Faraldi wins Lynchburg council race as canvass widens his margin
- D.C.-area forecast: Sizzling today, strong storms possible late; more comfortable tomorrow
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