by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 13.
- Trump’s infrastructure plan is ‘a whole lot of waste’ just like his border wall (“Gutting environmental review means tens of billions wasted on projects that will be ruined by climate change”)
- Sessions goes off-script to mention ‘Anglo-American heritage of law enforcement’ during speech (“This dogwhistle was audible to human ears.”)
- Sarah Sanders tried to defend Trump’s praise for an alleged abuser. It was a disaster. (How does someone like Sanders live with herself? No conscience?
No brain? Both?) - All the Trump Budget Cuts Congress Will Ignore (“Lawmakers scoffed at the president’s calls to slash funding across the government a year ago. With a new spending deal now in place, they’re likely to do so again.”)
- A White House Budget Fit for the King of Debt (Trump is the master of going bankrupt personally; how he’s going to try to do it to the country.)
- Senate launches debate over immigration — and a GOP plan picks up support (“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell warned colleagues the exchange would require bipartisan cooperation to find a solution that can earn at least 60 votes to survive procedural challenges and earn final passage. Democrats do not like how the GOP plan would chip away at family-based legal migration and how much money would be spent to build a wall along the southern border.”)
- Trump Aides Galled by Criticism of Their Awful Rob Porter Response
- Trump tells a lot of little lies. This is the big one. (“His budget and infrastructure plans reveal the truth.”)
- This is the opposite of responsible government (“Trump’s budget is a big-spending populist plan that will make it harder for the nation to dig out when a real crisis hits.”)
- Republicans Look for Somebody to Blame for Their Deficit Mess. Guess Who They Found. (“Trump has not abandoned Republican economic policy. He has carried it out faithfully. The party’s attempts to pin its collapse on his personal shortcomings of willpower are a completely predictable part of how that policy takes shape.”)
- Kelly increasingly isolated as Porter scandal rages on (“The chief of staff has been left to shoulder the blame over the failure to remove the former staff secretary, who held only an interim security clearance.”)
- Burned by the budget, right warns Ryan on immigration
- Five takeaways from Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget proposal
- It’s not just Kirsten Gillibrand: Voters want Trump investigated for sexual misdeeds
- Corker weighs his options as GOP frets about losing Tennessee (“The two-term senator is being urged to reconsider his retirement amid concerns Republicans could lose his seat in November.”)
- The Path To A Bipartisan Immigration Bill
- Kaine slams Trump attempts to make it easier to fire federal employees
- Rob Porter is my ex-husband. Here’s what you should know about abuse.
- Exxon Sues Its Antagonists in a Fierce Climate-Change Lawsuit (Is this a joke???)
- A Whirlwind Envelops the White House, and the Revolving Door Spins
- Trump Budget Ignores Deficit With Increases for Military (My god, how much friggin’ money does the military need???)
- Inside the Two Years That Shook Facebook – and the World (“How a confused, defensive social media giant steered itself into a disaster, and how Mark Zuckerberg is trying to fix it all.”)
- Trump’s Nasty Budget (“What happened to all that talk about sticking up for working people?”)
- Trump Doesn’t Give a Dam (“Donald Trump doesn’t give a dam. Or a bridge. Or a road. Or a sewer system. Or any of the other things we talk about when we talk about infrastructure…And even the $200 billion is essentially fraudulent: The budget proposal announced the same day doesn’t just impose savage cuts on the poor, it includes sharp cuts for the Department of Transportation, the Department of Energy and other agencies that would be crucially involved in any real infrastructure plan. Realistically, Trump’s offer on infrastructure is this: nothing.”)
- Trump’s 2019 budget: what he cuts, how much he cuts, and why it matters
- Trump’s Controversial Pick to Run the 2020 Census Withdraws (“Thomas Brunell was criticized for lacking government experience and defending gerrymanders.”)
- The Republican Immigration Bill Has Virtually No Chance of Passing. Here’s Why. (“A rundown of the politically toxic measures in the bill backed by Mitch McConnell.”)
- The Obama portraits are direct, vital, and above all, cool (“How the new Obama paintings from Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald revitalize the stale power of the portrait.”)
- Candidate Ejected From West Virginia House Floor for Listing Lawmakers’ Oil and Gas Donors
- The Fight Against a Pipeline Along the Appalachian Trail (“Opponents of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, which would run near the AT for almost 100 miles and be visible from its most famed lookouts, are headed to court to attempt to stop it. But with construction slated to begin soon, that may not be enough.”)
- Trump cites potential value of selling DC-area airports
- Dominion Cronyism: An Attack on Virginia Families (I’m happy to finally see somebody from the Teapublican side blast the Dominion bill. Too little, too late though.)
- Virginia Democrats Score A Surprising Win Against Powerful Utility Monopoly
- State senator sought to weaken an already deficient public records law (“Richard Stuart’s actions make you wonder why he so vigorously opposes transparency.”)
- Editorial: A budget that’s good for Virginia, not so good for the country
- Utility overhaul passes House, but with a big amendment
- Editorial: The Virginia GOP needs to clean up its act (“How do you know when you’ve gone too far? Here’s one clue: You get called out for bad behavior by Corey Stewart.” This editorial is by the Republican Times-Disgrace, no less. LOL)
- Va. Republicans move to dump controversial leader over anti-Semitic online post (Keep in mind that Virginia Republicans have NOT moved to dumb this guy for years, as he has spewed out all kinds of bigotry and vitriol. Better late than never, I guess, but why now? Also, when are they going to also dump support for their racist “president?”)
- Trump administration budget trims Metro subsidy instead of killing it, as feared (We need to be going in the opposite direction.)
- Virginia governor meets Trump at White House (“Trump called on Northam during the gathering in the State Dining Room, addressing him by first name and congratulating him on his victory over Republican Ed Gillespie. Trump also took a swipe at Gillespie, suggesting he would have fared better on Election Day if he’d more fully embraced the president’s politics — a sentiment Trump has previously expressed on Twitter.” Barf.)
- CASEY: Some readers didn’t like the last Goodlatte column
- Attorney General’s Office clears itself in complaint about lawsuit involving drowning at Dominion-owned lake
- Judge denies The Pilot’s request to open records in case against Portsmouth councilman
- Editorial: Questions about Roanoke’s city council election
- Virginia Senate unanimously approves Richmond school facilities bill
- Hannigan’s Failed Response to Burgos’ Bigotry Disqualifies Him from Fairfax Chairmanship (Yep.)
- Shawn Hunter announces campaign for Roanoke City Council seat
- UPDATED: Richmond City Council approves Stoney’s meals tax increase for city schools (“Richmond’s City Council on Monday backed Mayor Levar Stoney’s plan to finance, by way of a meals tax increase, $150 million for school construction and improvements.”)
- Clouds increase later today, rain again by tomorrow night
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