by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, February 19. By the way, VPAP can claim the “gold medal,” as they did yesterday in an email, except for the fact that we beat them with the morning news every single day. Oh, and we also include national news PLUS link to blogs, which VPAP refuses to do for whatever reason. So…(kinda) nice try, VPAP, but you get the silver for Virginia morning news updates.
- Report: Rick Gates to plead guilty “within days,” testify against Manafort
- Former Trump aide Richard Gates to plead guilty; agrees to testify against Manafort, sources say
- America Is Under Attack and the President Doesn’t Care (“Trump’s gravest responsibility is to defend the United States from foreign attack—and he’s done nothing to fulfill it.”)
- Trump’s Evolution From Relief to Fury Over the Russia Indictment
- Trump attacks everyone but Russia (“The president continues his barrage of tweets after the Mueller indictments.”)
- How Unwitting Americans Were Deceived by Russian Trolls
- The Stoneman Douglas Students Are the New Faces of Gun Reform
- Trump’s Fixer Used Tough Talk, Hush Money and Tabloids (“Beyond facilitating a $130,000 payment to silence a pornographic film actress, Michael D. Cohen, President Trump’s longtime lawyer, spent years making aggressive behind-the-scenes efforts to protect him.”)
- Blow: Attacking the ‘Woke’ Black Vote (“One thing that is clear to me following the special counsel’s indictment of 13 Russians and three companies for interfering with our election is that the black vote was specifically under attack, from sources foreign and domestic. And this attack appeared to be particularly focused on young black activist-minded voters passionate about social justice: The ‘Woke’ Vote.”)
- Trump’s ‘Best People’ (“Many scandals in this administration aren’t getting the attention they deserve.”)
- Rex Tillerson opens up in rare, wide-ranging interview
- The sad truth this Presidents’ Day (“A holiday created to recognize the birthdays of Washington and Lincoln reminds us of the leadership we’re missing.” It is truly stunning.)
- On gun violence, we are a failed state (Thanks to the NRA and its loyal servant the GOP.)
- The nuclear agreement is ‘the worst deal ever’ — for Iran (“It is creating a rift between the public and the regime. Trump should leave it be.”)
- We’ve just hit a new presidential low (“Yes, Moscow must be laughing.”)
- Trump’s Miss Universe Gambit (“For years, he used his beauty pageants to boost business interests abroad. A 2013 contest, in Moscow, may also have helped give him the Presidency.”)
- NRA defends grant to Parkland shooting suspect’s rifle team, lashes out at critics (Poor babies.)
- Retiring lawmakers warn GOP move to Trump will drive away women, minorities, youth
- Trump fumes about Russia investigation as nation mourns
- Trump turns on “very insecure” Oprah over 60 Minutes clip
- What’s Missing From the Gun Debate (“It’s simple: Science.”)
- Calls mount from Dems to give platform to Trump accusers
- Shooting survivors on potential collision course with Trump
- Russia Warns U.S. Not to ‘Play With Fire’ in Syrian Conflict
- Exclusive: For now, U.S. wants Europeans just to commit to improve Iran deal
- Florida students, thrust in new role after shooting, find a powerful voice: ‘we can’t waste this chance’
- There’s Still Time to Act Against Russian Interference (“Obama didn’t move quickly enough. Trump doesn’t have to make the same mistake.”)
- A Republican Governor Just Called for a Ban on Assault Weapons (“Would you feel as though your Second Amendment rights would be eroded because you couldn’t buy a God-darned AR-15?”)
- The NRA was tasked with preventing the next Newtown. Instead, it helped train the Florida school shooter.
- Trump parties with a birther who floated protecting schools from mass shooters with armed drones (“Wayne Allyn Root spent a ‘magical evening’ with Trump, alongside Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera, from whom Trump already echoed a talking point”)
- CNN’s Brian Stelter calls out pro-Trump media’s “nonsensical” suggestion that FBI did not stop Florida shooting because of Russia probe (“This has been a talking point from pro-Trump media ever since Friday, that there’s a link between the FBI’s failure and the ongoing Russia probes. Again, this is nonsensical”)
- Morning Joe slams ‘lackey’ Florida governor for helping Trump undermine the FBI
- ‘This guy says we’re not going to be a laughing stock?’: John Oliver’s perfect Trump smackdown in epic return
- “The Canaries Are Dying”: How Trump Is Making Republicans Pick Their 2018 Poison (“Caught between the president’s rabid, loyal base and suburban women, Republican candidates may not survive a blue wave election.”)
- Virginia’s House Republicans finally put their weight behind Medicaid expansion
- Daphna Nachminovitch: Support bill that restricts dog tethering
- Editorial: Don’t chip away at Virginia’s DUI laws
- Virginia House and Senate budget plans are more than $600 million apart because of Medicaid expansion, cash reserve (“The stage is set for a showdown between the House of Delegates and Senate over expansion of Virginia’s Medicaid program, but the old roles have reversed in the five-year political battle.”)
- Soaring stakes for Metro funding (“Amazon’s HQ2 decision lends yet more urgency to bills in Md. and Va. to adequately fund the transit system.”)
- Detectives investigating “social media threat” against two middle schools in Stafford and in Spotsylvania
- Editorial: Northam should reconvene Virginia Tech shooting panel
- Hampton Roads residents call for immediate action against gun violence at vigil
- A few showers today give way to remarkable warmth Tuesday and Wednesday
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