Tuesday News: “Donald Trump’s Barbarism,” “flirtation with fascism”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, March 8.

• Michael Bloomberg: The Risk I Will Not Take (“As the race stands now, with Republicans in charge of both Houses, there is a good chance that my candidacy could lead to the election of Donald Trump or Senator Ted Cruz. That is not a risk I can take in good conscience.”)
• Donald Trump’s Barbarism (“The GOP front-runner’s plans to prosecute the war on terror are sickening.” Also illegal under both U.S. and international law; in fact, subject to the death penalty in the case of torture.)
• Trump’s flirtation with fascism (“Where does it end? Nobody knows, but don’t say you didn’t see it coming.”)
• GOP elites, seeing Trump as vulnerable, eye convention fight
• Will Latinos wall off Trump from the White House ? (Let’s hope.)
• Michigan Is the Big Prize as Four States Head to Polls
• What We’re Watching as 4 States Vote and Both Parties Court Michigan
• More Than Half Of Ted Cruz’s Super PAC Money Comes From Fossil Fuel Sources (That tells you a great deal, nothing good, about Cruz.)
• Supreme Court upholds gay adoptions across state lines
• Gov. Terry McAuliffe has said he’ll veto attempts by the GOP-led General Assembly to block state funding for Planned Parenthood
• Some Virginia lawmakers avoid recorded votes on gay-rights issues (Profiles in cowardice.)
• GOP moves toward Senate vote on Alston, but doesn’t consult Melvin
• Senate shelves bill that would have deregulated some health services (“Rules are rules and, with that, a House bill to deregulate some health care services, including MRI and CT imaging, was shelved Monday on the grounds it had revenue implications and needed to be considered by the Senate Finance Committee.”)
• House, Senate reconcile differences on economic development, R&D proposals
• A fight over open government in Virginia (“Lawmakers try to reverse a bad ruling by the state’s Supreme Court. Gov. McAuliffe should let them.”)
• State Sen. Bryce Reeves to run for Virginia lieutenant governor (“The Republican was a leading force behind a recent gun deal with Gov. Terry McAuliffe.”)
• Va. Senate votes for using electric chair if execution drugs stay scarce (Nasty.)
• Va. legislature passes bill to shield special-needs minors from some charges
• 17 coal ash protesters cited in DEQ lobby sit-in
• Editorial: Virginians need more information about coal ash disposal (Just another reason to ditch coal-fired power ASAP!)
• Cuccinelli discussed for possible election to Virginia Supreme Court (Ee gads, are you people INSANE??? Wait, don’t answer that question.)
• Northam and Levine: Virginians must prepare now to prevent Zika
• ‘Ask a Muslim’ sign in Roanoke elicits hugs, hostility
• Parents file suit against Roanoke County schools to reverse son’s expulsion in BB gun case
• Warner tells Chesterfield students not to get soured on political process
• For some Va. lawmakers staying in Richmond, Airbnb debate hits close to (temporary) home
• Spring is on fast forward — 80s possible later this week