Thursday News: “Trump’s America: Reckless, Alone and Ridiculed”; Trump’s Unhinged, “Off-the-Rails” Press Conference; “Trump’s Raw Misogyny Lit the Brett Kavanaugh Fire”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, September 27.

• Trump Charges China—Not Russia—with Meddling in U.S. Elections (Yep, anything but name the country that he and his campaign colluded with.)
• Trump’s America: Reckless, Alone and Ridiculed (“The president’s speeches before the United Nations foreshadowed his intention to ignore our greatest threats and to stoke fresh conflict needlessly.”)
• Trump’s anti-Iran gambit at the U.N. Security Council backfires big time (“Hoping to build consensus against the nuclear deal he violated, Trump instead faced a united front against him.”)
• Trump Berates Canada and Threatens Car Tariffs as Nafta Talks Falter (Trump=Moron.)
• Trump laments #MeToo as ‘very dangerous’ for powerful men (Trump=Scum. Bottom line: every woman in America – and every man who cares about the safety and dignity of women – needs to vote up and down the ballot DEMOCRATIC on November 6.)
• Trump Says Kavanaugh Accusers Are Like His Own Accusers: Fraudulent (Don the Con is talking about “con jobs?” Riiiiight.)
• The Senate can’t handle this. The FBI can. (“The mounting accusations against Kavanaugh demand an FBI probe.”)
• ‘Give it to me’: Trump lets loose with 81 minutes of bluster, falsehoods and insults (Remember: vote DEMOCRATIC on November 6!)
• Who is Julie Swetnick, the third woman to accuse Kavanaugh? (“The 55-year-old is an experienced web developer in the Washington area who has held multiple security clearances for her work on government-related networks” Highly credible, in other words, unlike Trump and Kavanaugh.)
• The Kavanaugh vote is bigger than politics
• Ahead of what is to be fateful meeting, Trump says he would prefer to keep Rosenstein
• How the Kavanaugh Nomination Has Intensified the Feminist Protest Movement
• New sworn affidavits blow a hole in Kavanaugh’s claim he’s a victim of a Dem conspiracy (“Dr. Ford has been naming him for years.”)
• Trump’s message to young men: Evil people will make false statements about you (“‘Don’t assault women’ was too much to ask for.”)
• Before Kavanaugh Hearing, New Accusations and Doubts Emerge
• A Hearing’s Test: Blasey Must Seem Credible. Kavanaugh Must Defend but Not Attack.
• We’re in Virgin Territory (“Approaching the Kavanaugh collision.”)
• Julie Swetnick’s Allegations Likely to Finish Off Brett Kavanaugh
• Senate probed new allegation of misconduct against Kavanaugh (“Supreme Court Nominee was asked about an anonymous accusation of physical assault.”)
• Kavanaugh And Ford Will Testify Today. Here’s What You Need To Know (“Get caught up on all that has led to the 10 a.m. ET hearing.”)
• Donald Trump Gave a Rambling, Marathon Press Conference. It Was Not Good. (“This is Alex Jones level stuff from the President right now.”) Same with Corey Stewart at last night’s debate, by the way – Alex Jones-level crazy.)
• Saying Economy Is Strong, Fed Raises Key Interest Rate and Hints at Another Increase
• Trump Appointee Charged With Stopping Racist Lenders Wrote Racist Blog Posts (Remember, vote DEMOCRATIC up and down the ballot on November 6!)
• Collins privately raises concerns about new allegations, lack of subpoena for Kavanaugh friend
• Kavanaugh’s GOP defenders on the hot seat at hearing (“Three Republican senators have been Kavanaugh’s most aggressive enforcers — and appear most at risk of looking dismissive of Christine Blasey Ford.” Lindsey Graham is particularly odious. It boggles my mind that there are actually Dems who I’ve heard say they kinda like that guy.)
• Full transcript: Christine Blasey Ford’s opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee (” I believed he was going to rape me. I tried to yell for help. When I did, Brett put his hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming. This was what terrified me the most, and has had the most lasting impact on my life. It was hard for me to breathe, and I thought that Brett was accidentally going to kill me. Both Brett and Mark were drunkenly laughing during the attack. They both seemed to be having a good time. Mark was urging Brett on, although at times he told Brett to stop. A couple of times I made eye contact with Mark and thought he might try to help me, but he did not.”)
• Full transcript: Brett Kavanaugh’s opening statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee (” I never had any sexual or physical encounter of any kind with Dr. Ford. I am not questioning that Dr. Ford may have been sexually assaulted by some person in some place at some time. But I have never done that to her or to anyone. I am innocent of this charge.”)
• Kavanaugh, Ford testify: What to watch for
• Scorecard: Debate moderators should be asking climate change questions. Are they? (Not at last night’s Kaine-Stewart debate. Chuck Todd has been and continues to be a disgrace.)
• The Memo: Kavanaugh drama reaches fever pitch
• Trump’s Raw Misogyny Lit the Brett Kavanaugh Fire (“The #WhyIDidntReport campaign builds on the president’s record of misconduct toward women.”)
• Voter Enthusiasm at Record High in Nationalized Midterm Environment (“Top voting issues: Supreme Court, health care, economy”)
• Here are 7 of the wildest and most unhinged moments from Trump’s off-the-rails press conference
• Powell Sees Bright Moment for Economy With More Hikes Ahead
• Kavanaugh Nomination Is Exploding in Trump’s Face (“The president is doubling down on an increasingly risky candidate.”)
• At the End of Wednesday, I Don’t Think They Have the Votes to Confirm Kavanaugh (“Republican senators are responding to the allegations against the Supreme Court nominee with empty ridicule and clumsy innuendo.”)
• Kavanaugh’s Increasingly Dubious Denials (“The weight of testimony against the Supreme Court nominee is becoming heavier and heavier.”)
• You Can Expect to Hear the Phrase ‘There’s No Definitive Proof’ a Lot Over the Next Few Days (“Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination is taking on water fast, but Republicans won’t easily abandon ship.”)
• Toxic Bro Culture Finally Found a News Peg (“It never should have needed one.”)
• The two Brett Kavanaughs (“Brett Kavanaugh tells one story about himself. New allegations — and his high school yearbook — tell another.”)
• The 7 Senators Who Will Decide Kavanaugh’s Fate (“Three Senate Democrats, Indiana’s Joe Donnelly, North Dakota’s Heidi Heitkamp and West Virginia’s Joe Manchin…Two Republicans, Tennessee’s Bob Corker and Arizona’s Jeff Flake…Two other Senate Republicans, Maine’s Susan Collins and Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski”)
• Climate change is a global injustice. A new study shows why. (“The US is second only to India when it comes to the economic cost of global warming.”)
• There Were 1 Billion Monarch Butterflies. Now There Are 93 Million. (“Without pollinators, there is no agriculture—and without that, there is no food.”)
• Mark Warner scoffs at President Trump’s stance on tariffs
• Debate in Virginia Senate race turns ugly fast, with Corey Stewart making unfounded claims against Sen. Tim Kaine (“Unfounded?” Try “wild lies!” As the top-rated comment on this WaPo article says, “Before seeing this, I didn’t think it was possible for Corey Steward to be so vulgarly, colossally stupid. Were there simply no other qualified, available Republicans in Virginia available over the age of 6 to run for the Senate?”)
• Video, Live Blog: Sen. Tim Kaine vs. Neo-Confederate Corey NBC-4 Debate
• Sen. John Warner (R) Endorses Sen. Tim Kaine for Reelection, Says His “unquestioned integrity and moral character are sorely needed in the Senate at this most unusual time in our nation’s history”
• Former senator John Warner crosses party lines to endorse Democrat Tim Kaine
• 10 Lies You Will Hear Corey Stewart Say at Tonight’s Senate Debate
• Barbara Comstock Fails to Stand with Assaulted Women; Stands By Her Man, Brett Kavanaugh
• Rep. Comstock declines to say whether she believes her friend Kavanaugh’s accusers
• New VA-07 Poll: Abigail Spanberger Leads Far-Right Extremist Dave Brat 50%-45% Among Those Who DEFINITELY Plan to Vote on Nov. 6 (Note for idiots who can’t read the English language – the poll clearly says, “Among those voters who say they definitely plan to vote in November, Spanberger leads 50%-45%.”)
• Blue Ridge Caucus: Leslie Cockburn rolls out first TV ad as Denver Riggleman airs second
• Analysis: Stewart seeks to overtake Kaine by tearing him down (Yes, but Corey’s attacks are so crazy, so false, so over-the-top absurd, that I think they will backfire if anything.)
• Music copyright bill Rep. Bob Goodlatte championed heads to president’s desk
• Va. House GOP introduces new redistricting plan with some Democratic support (Dems need to stick together on this.)
• 28 Members of Va. House Dem. Caucus Send Letter to Va. Dept. of Corrections n Proposed Tampon Ban
• Facebook To Spend Another 750 Million In Addition to One Billion Already Committed, To Henrico Data Center Under Construction
• Virginia is creating strict new CBD oil regulations. Why are health food stores and gas stations already selling it?
• Woman Sets Off on Horseback Trek to Protest Atlantic Coast Pipeline
• Dominion Does Not Expect Court Order To Hold Up Atlantic Coast Pipe (“Dominion said the Forest Service permit affects only 20 miles of the 600-mile pipeline”)
• Virginia Poor People’s Campaign welcomes anti-pipeline activists
• Dockless scooters, bikes to get trial run in Arlington for nine months
• Norfolk mayor doesn’t plan to let Norfolk Southern go without putting up a fight
• Permit process streamlined for residents affected by bay act
• Mark Whitaker fined for 3 felonies – but says he’ll stay on Portsmouth council until paperwork is in
• Hampton receives unsolicited proposal to build aquatics center
• Much cooler today and rainy. The weekend looks sunny and dry, believe it or not!