Friday News: “Mentally Deranged Dotard” vs. “Little Rocket Man”; “Oh, What a Trumpy Trade War!”; Dominion “wielded its deep influence to turn scorn into a big payday”

by Lowell

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

• Trump accepts invitation to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (I like the top-rated comment on this article: “Kim Jong Un welcomes Wan Dum Faq”)
• President Trump’s North Korea Gamble (“We still don’t really know what Kim’s expectations are, and a failed summit could trigger new escalations on each side, leaving us worse off than where we started.”)
• North Korea and South Korea snooker Trump (“The president is rushing into a risky summit without having gotten anything substantial in return.”)
• “Mentally Deranged U.S. Dotard” to Meet “Little Rocket Man” by May
• Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un believe they are winning – and the risks of that are epic (“Only months ago they traded insults but now they could be about to meet. The moment is fraught with danger”)
• ‘Shocking, incredible’: what the experts say about a Trump meeting with Kim
• North Korea is the ultimate test of Trump’s dealmaking (“Trump says he’s a master dealmaker. The talks with Kim Jong Un will show if he’s telling the truth.”)
• U.S. allies see Trump’s steel tariffs as an insult
• Trump’s belittling of allies is unworthy of a U.S. president (“Trump wants Canada to bow and beg. Allies everywhere will take note.”
• Is Putin’s poison squad back in Britain?
• Trump’s Meeting With Kim Jong-un Is Another Pledge to Do What Nobody Else Can
• Trade is the Republican Party’s last stand (“If Trump wins this battle, he will have won the war with the GOP.” Why aren’t people like Grover Norquist screaming about the new taxes?)
• Stormy Daniels beat Trump at his own game (“The president can’t give his standard blanket denial, because the porn star has released the nondisclosure agreement in the case.”)
• Donald Trump’s Empty Words on Trade (“The tariffs he announced last week will not do what he says they will.”)
• Krugman: Oh, What a Trumpy Trade War!
• New federal rules on Facebook and Google ads may not be in place for 2018 midterms
• Judge schedules Manafort trial in Virginia for July
• Trump Is Already Trying to Scale Back His Trade War Into an Extortion Racket
• “Why the Hell Are We Standing Down?” (“The secret story of Obama’s response to Putin’s attack on the 2016 election.”)
• The Grim Conclusions of the Largest-Ever Study of Fake News (“Falsehoods almost always beat out the truth on Twitter, penetrating further, faster, and deeper into the social network than accurate information.”)
• Why Won’t Women’s March Leaders Denounce Louis Farrakhan’s Anti-Semitism? (This shouldn’t take more than about 0.5 seconds to do.)
• Obamas Reportedly In Talks With Netflix To Produce Programming
• These Charts Show How White, Male, and Conservative Trump’s Judicial Nominees Have Been (“The administration has installed a record-breaking number of judges, reshaping the courts for decades.”)
• The Memo: Dangers multiply for Trump in Mueller probe
• Charles Koch blasts Trump’s steel and aluminum tariff plan
• Team Biden mulls far-out options to take on Trump in 2020 (“One possibility is picking a running mate out of the gate, perhaps someone younger or from outside of politics.”)
• Local Sinclair journalists share concerns with CNN after Sinclair forces them to spread pro-Trump propaganda (Don’t watch WJLA-7 or any other Sinclair “news” programs.)
• Interior spending $139K to fix doors in Sec. Zinke’s office
• These huge new wind turbines are a marvel. They’re also the future. (“That much wind, at that capacity factor, with foreseeable advancements in wind tech, will produce power cheap enough to absolutely crush all competitors. And 2025 isn’t that far away.”)
• An Operative With Trump Ties Was Once Indicted on an Obscenity Charge (“George Nader was accused of importing photographs of nude boys ‘engaged in a variety of sexual acts.’ The 1985 charges were dismissed after key evidence was thrown out.”)
• The insane, toxic Trump adulation of Jeanine Pirro (“Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro sold out her public image and debased herself to become one of President Trump’s go-to pundits”)
• Lonely and unhappy people elected Donald Trump: That could be a sign of hope (“American misery crashed to a startling new low in 2017, despite a strong economy. It’s not a coincidence”)
• Elephant trophy decision faces pushback from some Trump allies (Trump’s hatred for the natural world is a sure sign of him being a demented sociopath.)
• Trump’s Tariff Decision May Be His Most Complicated Bungle Yet (“This week in stable geniuses.”)
• Sinclair Broadcast Group Should Be Broken Into a Thousand Pieces
• Trump lawyer Michael Cohen scores deal for tell-all book on first family, Stormy Daniels and Russia: Trump biographer
• Terry McAuliffe: Democrats Should Embrace an Open Economy (“President Trump’s decision to announce tariffs on steel and aluminum is his latest effort to close America off from the world in a counterproductive movement to turn back the global economy 40 years. The decision serves as a moment for Democrats to stand up for an open America that confidently competes globally.”)
• Virginia’s state budget talks break down, special session likely
• Governor must act on utility bill Friday; ‘Reverse Robin Hood’ roasted on House floor (Northam SHOULD massively amend this steaming pile of crap or veto it, but I bet he won’t do that.)
• Documents reveal Dominion’s immense outreach on Atlantic Coast Pipeline (Yep, Dominion has been busy buying off the opposition – and buying up our legislature.)
• Virginia lawmakers at impasse on Medicaid expansion
• At impasse over Medicaid, Virginia’s legislature to miss budget deadline (Yep, Republican “governance” at its finest. #FAIL)
• Bert Mizusawa to Challenge Tim Kaine for U.S. Senate (I tried watching his kickoff video and nearly fell asleep. Also, what on earth is he even saying? On the other hand, at least he’s not neo-Confederate Corey or Nick “Coarse Sandpaper Award” Freitas. LOL. First test – can he even get on the ballot?)
• How a powerful Va. electric utility wielded its deep influence to turn scorn into a big payday (The “Virginia Way” at its slimiest and most corrupt.)
• Crafting his own legacy: In an exclusive interview, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam talks beer, business, and the McAuliffe legacy
• Va. House speaker looks to boost school security, in a year, without wading into gun debate (“Cox will appoint a select committee on school safety, with a focus on physical improvements, to make recommendations in 2019.”)
• Speaker Cox announces Select Committee on School Safety; first select committee formed in over 150 years
• ATF investigating after congressional candidate cut apart AR-15 (“Karen Mallard of Virginia Beach posted a video on social media that shows her sawing an AR-15 rifle into pieces.”)
• “I knew exactly what I was doing.” Congressional candidate saws AR-15 apart
• Editorial: Yes, Silicon Valley could save Appalachia
• In Virginia Beach legal screw-up, don’t overlook the family of slain victim
• Chilly through the weekend, with a possible winter storm starting Sunday