by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, December 4.
- Trump lawyer says president knew Flynn had given FBI the same account he gave to vice president (“The president was aware of the issue a couple of weeks before he asked the FBI director to consider letting the issue with Flynn go. If Trump knew Flynn might not have been accurate with the FBI, it could provide motivation for a possible effort to obstruct justice, a legal expert said.”)
- Blow: The Ghost of Steve Bannon (“Bannon is Dickensian in the way his presence — and nominal absence — haunts the Trump presidency, defining its past, dictating its present and damning its future.”)
- CVS Deal to Buy Aetna Could Alter Health Industry (“The $69 billion deal would combine the drugstore giant with one of the United States’ biggest health insurers. That could lead to lower prices — or fewer choices — for consumers.”)
- A Fractured 2017 (“As the world lurches into a new year, peace feels fragile and the truth is blurred.
- Is Trump About to Blow Up Jared Kushner’s Mideast Peacemaking? (“Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer says he’s an ‘optimist.’ But the president’s plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital could make his ‘ultimate deal’ a lot harder to cut.”)
- Jared Kushner’s ‘failure to disclose’ list grows to include illegal Israeli settlement foundation (“Kushner has already revised his security clearance application three separate times.”)
- Trump’s crusade against immigrants is an attack on America
- Pay very close attention to what Trump’s lawyer is saying. He’s making absolutely no sense. (“A sorry excuse.”)
- Vox’s Ezra Klein explains how the GOP tax bill is “going to upend American health insurance markets”
- The Trump Tax Cuts for the Rich Must, and Will, Be Repealed (“Indeed, the passage of the Trump tax cuts will help lay the groundwork for their undoing by increasing the chances Democrats regain control of Congress.”)
- The Odds of Impeachment Are Dropping (“Despite Robert Mueller’s damaging disclosures, Republican voters offer Trump unwavering support.”)
- Shrinking Bears Ears: Another massive insult to Native Americans (“Not long after his ‘Pocahontas’ slur, Trump will try to undo Native tribes’ preservation work with a single stroke”)
- New email suggests Russia tried to use NRA to build relationship with Trump campaign (Completely f’ed up.)
- As Shutdown Looms, G.O.P. Tries to Buy 2 More Weeks
- Juan Williams: The GOP has divided America (And severely harmed it.)
- FCC’s net neutrality repeal sparks backlash
- The populist mask is slipping for Trump and the GOP (“Thanks to the tax bill, we now know that Senate Republicans are just less flamboyant versions of the plutocrat in the White House.”)
- Dianne Feinstein Sees Possible Obstruction of Justice Case Against Trump on the Horizon
- Trump Says FBI Credibility Is in “Tatters,” Denies Telling Comey to Stop Flynn Probe
- “The People Have Spoken” (“How Republicans will use a Roy Moore victory to absolve him of sexual assault.”)
- Flynn Will Roll Over on Kushner, Pence, and Trump Himself If He Has To
- Trump and Bannon Don’t Want Senator Romney – But They Might Not Have Much Say
- Grassley: Ending estate tax ‘recognizes people that are investing,’ not ‘spending every darn penny’ (Grassley epitomizes Republican “thinking” – shit for brains, cold stones for hearts.)
- Billy Bush: Yes, Donald Trump, You Said That (“President Trump is currently indulging in some revisionist history, reportedly telling allies, including at least one United States senator, that the voice on the tape is not his. This has hit a raw nerve in me.”)
- CBS News poll: Alabama Republicans say allegations against Roy Moore false (Alabama Republicans live down to every stereotype many of us have about them.)
- Trump moves to block Romney from the Senate (“The president is working hard to persuade 83-year-old Sen. Orrin Hatch to run for reelection, and Mitt isn’t happy about it, people close to him say.”)
- Exclusive: Trump lawyer claims the “President cannot obstruct justice” (Oh yes he can – and he apparently
has!) - Trump’s uncontrollable tweeting triggers deeper anxiety among advisers (“By Sunday, he had already claimed Michael Flynn was fired in part for lying to the FBI and had moved on to accusing the nation’s top law-enforcement agency of being ‘in tatters.'”)
- Warner calls for McFarland to testify about ‘thrown’ election emails
- Warner: Voting on GOP tax reform ‘my single worst day as a US senator’
- Warner Calls Senate Tax Vote ‘Swamp 101,’ GOP Cites Transparency
- With crucial Virginia pipeline votes looming, Northam stays out of water-quality debate (“The spokeswoman did not respond when asked whether Northam thought the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s proposed certifications will adequately protect state waters.” We need Ralph Northam to speak up against these pipelines, or at least to relentlessly press the State Water Control Board to be as rigorous, stringent, and aggressive as possible in this process. Is that happening? By the way, gotta love Dominion’s disingenuous/dishonest “who, us?” act.)
- Editorial: Beach needs input on sea-level rise
- Virginia expands Express Lanes toll roads inside Beltway
- Metro handcuffs its inspector general
- Editorial: Eliminating historic tax credits bring a halt to downtown redevelopment
- U.Va. researchers partner with Charlottesville schools to promote STEM education
- D.C.-area forecast: Two more days of mild weather before a decisive flip to cold
