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by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, September 12.
- Hurricane Florence slows dramatically on approach; Friday night landfall possible; 40 inches of rain possible
- FACT CHECK: Who Gets Credit For The Booming U.S. Economy? (“On a graph of any of these metrics, the period before Trump took office is virtually indistinguishable from the period since…broader measures of the overall job market and wages show the economy continues to follow the steady, upward glide path that began under Obama.” In short, thanks Obama and Democrats!)
- U.S. Businesses Ramp Up Lobbying Against Trump’s Tariffs
- Hurricane Florence charges toward Carolinas with ‘potential for unbelievable damage’
- The Recovery Threw the Middle-Class Dream Under a Benz (“Ten years after the financial crisis, the scars are still with us, just below the surface. Real wealth now comes from investment portfolios, not salaries. The people who possess tradable assets have enjoyed a recovery that Americans dependent on savings or income from their paycheck have yet to see”)
- What Is John Bolton’s Bully-Pulpit Attack on the International Criminal Court Really About?(“So the threat comes from within, after all. The problem is the existence of the prosecutor, who endangers sovereignty, which in Trump-speak means being above the law. The President and the nation cannot be held to account or supervised, so the prosecutor has to be. The President and the nation cannot be criminals, so the prosecutor must be. The prosecutor cannot be recognized. The prosecutor must be disempowered.”)
- The Threat Posed by Europe’s Far-Right Surge Is Much Bigger Than One Election
- Government borrowing soars despite robust economy (The Republicans’ tax cuts for the wealthy have, as predicted, exploded the deficit and the debt. Where’s the “Tea Party” now? Oh yeah, the black guy’s not in the White House anymore. Hmmmm…)
- ‘Shipwreck’: GOP grows fearful about losing Senate as candidates struggle, Trump support tumbles
- The U.S. won’t meet its Paris climate goal without federal leadership, report warns (“Efforts by cities, states, and business can get us close, but won’t be enough to reach 2025 target.”)
- How many Benedict Arnolds can one administration hold? (“The president isn’t shy about throwing around terms such as ‘treason.'” Trump is psychologically “projecting” again.)
- Another hurricane is about to batter our coast. Trump is complicit. (“When it comes to extreme weather, the president is complicit.”)
- The last-ditch effort to stop Kavanaugh (“Liberal groups are escalating an uphill battle to prevent Kavanaugh from being seated on the highest court in the land.”)
- Facebook’s idea of ‘fact-checking’: Censoring ThinkProgress because conservative site told them to (“A perfect example of how Facebook is catering to conservatives.” Facebook is pathetic.)
- When Fact-Checking Becomes Censorship (“Facebook has empowered a conservative magazine to suppress liberal viewpoints.” This is totally FUBAR.)
- Manafort in talks with prosecutors about possible plea, according to people familiar with the discussions
- What a baby (“Only a man who is deeply worried about his own strength would talk as much as Donald Trump does about the danger of appearing weak.”)
- Woodward’s grim portrait of Trump’s White House gets a vote of confidence — via two non-denial denials
- ‘Tremendously big’: Trump reaches for superlatives in the face of calamity (Imbecile.)
- As Florence looms, Trump says response was ‘incredibly successful’ last year in Puerto Rico (Did I mention that Trump is an imbecile? Oh yeah, I just did.)
- Activists raised $1 million to defeat Susan Collins if she votes for Kavanaugh. She says it’s bribery. (Speaking of imbeciles, how about Susan Collins???)
- America Is Living James Madison’s Nightmare (“The Founders designed a government that would resist mob rule. They didn’t anticipate how strong the mob could become.”)
- Trump’s America Is Following a Pattern Europe Knows All Too Well (“Polarization. Conspiracy theories. Attacks on the free press. An obsession with loyalty. History can tell us where this leads.”)
- The American Crisis (“Amid assaults against the press and the rise of technology, democracy is in a fragile state. Can it overcome the challenges it faces?”)
- Trump administration wants more space to detain immigrant children (This administration is just evil.)
- Still Confused About Kaepernick? Look What Just Happened in Dallas. (“A white cop invaded the home of a black man and shot him to death. She claims she thought she was in her own apartment.”)
- Ken Starr Reminded Us Brett Kavanaugh Is a Political Hack—Just Like Him (“The Clinton Penis Hunter popped up on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show.”)
- Has Anyone Told the President* How Many Americans Died in Hurricane Maria? (“Nearly 3,000—and still Donald Trump said the response ‘was an incredible unsung success.'”)
- Right mounts campaign to make Jim Jordan the GOP leader (Jordan is the perfect leader for the Orwellian-named “Freedom Caucus” – scumbag, liar, etc.)
- There’s Never Been a President This Unpopular With an Economy This Good (“‘Circus in Washington’ seen drowning out good economic news”)
- Bob Woodward’s “Fear” – some top takeaways
- Bob Woodward defends his reporting of Trump administration in ‘Fear,’ says situation inside WH ‘is clearly extreme’
- Poll: Midwest Abandons Trump, Fueling Democratic Advantage For Control Of Congress (“The gap has widened to 12 percentage points, up from 7 in July — and largely because of voters in the Midwest. They have swung 13 points in Democrats’ direction since July. “)
- McConnell screws Dems ahead of election with October session
- Hurricane Florence could be costliest storm ever to hit the U.S.
- California Gov. Jerry Brown casually unveils history’s most ambitious climate target (“Full carbon neutrality is now on the table for the world’s fifth largest economy.”)
- Americans Are Shifting The Rest Of Their Identity To Match Their Politics
- GOP uses Sanders’s Medicare plan in attacks on Democrats (Yep, by lying and exaggerating about it.)
- Virginia’s senators will vote no on Kavanaugh’s confirmation
- BREAKING: Sen. Mark Warner Will Vote NO on Kavanaugh to SCOTUS
- Video, Photos: Speakers Explain Why Dominion’s Massive Atlantic Coast Pipeline Compressor Station Should NOT Be Built in Union Hill (or at all!)
- Supporters rally with 5th District Democratic nominee
- Schapiro: An unexpected – and defining – moment for Va.’s frosh governor (I hate the word “frosh.” Also, can’t read this, as it’s behind a strict firewall. And no, I’m not going to subscribe to every newspaper in Virginia, nor should you have to do so.)
- House panel eyes increased funding for school resource officers, mental health training to boost school safety (That’s fine, but what’s really needed is gun control measures.)
- Editorial: Maybe Northam should ask Norfolk Southern for the state’s money back
- Tropical Storm Watch issued for Hampton Roads with Hurricane Florence closing in on the coast
- Editorial: Before the storm
- Saudi school dominates TV ads in race for suburban Richmond congressional seat (Let’s just hope this disgraceful crap by Dave Brat and company backfires!)
- Hurricane could devastate Virginia pipeline project that is already struggling with changing weather (What a debacle.)
- Construction halted on Mountain Valley Pipeline as storm approaches (Bad joke.)
- Hey environmentalists, maybe he’s just not that into you (Excellent article by Robert Zullo – nice job! In particular, note that the biggest donor to the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus – which has steadfastly stood by Dominion Energy – is…yep, Dominion Energy! That’s how we end up with ridiculous quotes like this one, from Del. Lamont Bagby – “I don’t at this time, I just don’t have enough information” – hahahahaha.)
- Trump declares a state of emergency for Virginia as Hurricane Florence approaches
- Metro needs political courage to avoid a disastrous fate(“The agency faces a dire long-term threat. Some politicians would rather avert their eyes.”)
- The cyclist who flipped off Trump’s motorcade is running for public office (“The 51-year-old marketing executive said this week she will file the paperwork to challenge Suzanne M. Volpe, a Republican who represents the Algonkian District on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in 2019.” Good, go get her!)
- Hurricane Florence: Forecast calls for landfall near Wilmington, N.C.; surge may affect Hampton, Poquoson
- Continued cloudy and clammy, as we keep an eye on Florence
