Saturday News: Trump Praises Saudis’ “Utter Bullsh*t” on Khashoggi; “The Most Important Election of Our Lives”; ” Virginia needs to make vision for offshore wind a reality”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, October 20.

• “Trump Never Handles Anything Right”: The President Is Acting Like Saudi Arabia’s Lawyer in the Khashoggi Affair
• ‘A great first step’: Trump praises Saudi statement on Khashoggi’s death (As usual, take the complete opposite of what Cheeto Mussolini has to say…this was definitely NOT “a great first step”)
• Saudi Arabia fires 5 top officials, arrests 18 Saudis, saying Khashoggi was killed in fight at consulate (What a joke; we know that responsibility goes right to the top, or close to the top.)
• Saudi claims that Khashoggi died in a ‘brawl’ draw immediate skepticism (Try “scorn,” “derision,” etc.)
• Uproar Over Dissident Rattles Saudi Royal Family (“Saudi Arabia is facing perhaps its greatest international crisis since the revelation that its citizens planned and carried out the attacks on September 11, 2001. Members of the ruling family are increasingly worried about the direction of the country under the leadership of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 33-year-old favorite son of King Salman and the kingdom’s day-to-day ruler.”)
• More Insulting Lies From Saudi Arabia (“What we face now is a test for President Trump and America itself.”)
• The Most Important Election of Our Lives (“The midterms will determine whether Donald Trump’s two-year assault on democratic norms will be repudiated—or validated. No pressure.”)
• ‘Utter bullsh*t’: Assassinated journalist’s editor lets loose in epic Twitter storm calling out Saudis
• Democrats Are Ending — and Maybe Reversing — the Once-Powerful Republican Midterm Turnout Advantage
• The GOP’s 2019 Agenda Is for Donors’ Eyes Only
• New Justice Department Case Shows Russia Is Now Attacking the Midterm Elections (“Putin’s assault on America didn’t stop after the 2016 election—and it still favors Trump.”)
• Justice Dept. Accuses Russians of Interfering in Midterm Elections
• U.S. to Tell Russia It Is Leaving Landmark I.N.F. Treaty
• Why the Trump White House Is Having a Meltdown Over the Migrant Caravan
• ‘This country doesn’t want them’: Trump rails against migrants trying to enter the U.S. (Xenophobic demagoguery – disgusting as always.)
• Nancy Pelosi hints at short-term lease on House speakership (“I see myself as a transitional figure…I have things to do. Books to write; places to go; grandchildren, first and foremost, to love.”)
• Hecklers curse and call Nancy Pelosi a ‘communist’ as far right disrupts a political event (Far-right “mob”)
• At Trump’s Rallies, There’s a Whole Lot of Babbling Going On
• Donald Trump Is Not the President* of the United States in Any Way That Matters (“He has transformed the office into just another adjunct of the multigenerational criminal enterprise to which he was heir.”)
• In Trump’s America, Violence Wins (“The president praised a Montana congressman who assaulted a reporter. But voters aren’t punishing the GOP for its support of brutality.”)
• How Tom Steyer Built the Biggest Political Machine You’ve Never Heard Of (“Having spent $120 million and signed up 6 million people, Tom Steyer has assembled, in a year, an organization with more reach than the NRA.”)
• Alaska Gov. Bill Walker ends campaign for re-election, endorses Mark Begich
• For U.S. Senate: Beto O’Rourke (Houston Chronicle: “For Cruz, public office is a private quest; the needs of his constituents are secondary…His repellent personality hamstrings his ability to do the job…His colleagues know that Cruz works for Cruz, first and foremost…imagine how refreshing it would be to have a U.S. senator who not only knows the issues but respects the opposition, who takes firm positions but reaches out to those who disagree, who expects to make government work for Texas and the nation. Beto O’Rourke, we believe, is that senator.”
• The Republican Party Moves Beyond Hypocrisy (“The president’s supporters live a double-folded state of being, in which the same action that’s shameful for Democrats is praiseworthy for the GOP.”)
• STUDY: Broadcast evening news shows have ignored health care in 2018 (“The nightly news shows haven’t aired a single substantive segment about health care policy this year” They also have barely covered the most important issue facing humanity – climate change. Basically, the broadcast “news” shows are a complete waste of time.)
• The Poison on Facebook and Twitter Is Still Spreading (“Social platforms have a responsibility to address misinformation as a systemic problem, instead of reacting to case after case.”)
• Sen. Warner: White House shouldn’t allow Saudi ‘whitewash’
• PHOTOS: Sen. Kaine jams with Cary Street Ramblers
• Swecker: Affordable Care Act gives cancer patients a chance
• Biden stumps for Luria, touts union ties
• Rep. Comstock’s donors: ‘A who’s who of the conservative movement in Washington’ (Charming: “David N. Bossie, a longtime friend who is president of the conservative nonprofit Citizens United and served as a senior aide to the Trump campaign, said plans are in the works for Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) to visit Virginia on Comstock’s behalf.”)
• Pence to visit Regent University for Scott Taylor event (Theocratic extremists for “liberty” guy Scott Taylor? LOL)
• GOP attack ad links Democratic candidate to terrorism for teaching English at Muslim school (“Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger is the latest victim of Republican fear-mongering.”)
• Virginia authorizes construction on Atlantic Coast Pipeline; final U.S. approval pending
• BREAKING: Virginia DEQ Approves Erosion and Sediment, Stormwater, and Karst Protection Plans for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project (This agency is completely “captured,” corrupted, etc.)
• 9th District candidates debate health care, immigration
• Schapiro: Kaine aims to capture anti-Trump vote – for down-ballot Dems
• Virginia politician’s novel approach to personal scandal: Air dirty laundry before opponents do (“Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, acknowledged that Carter’s strategy is unusual but said the approach ‘might be crazy like a fox.'”)
• A Virginia politician’s novel approach to personal scandal: Tell all before opponents do (Clickbait! Also, why report this now, weeks after Lee Carter did his “tweetstorm” and only a couple weeks before the midterm elections? Weird.)
• Virginia’s unemployment rate falls to an 11-year low of 2.9 percent
• Eileen Woll column: Virginia needs to make vision for offshore wind a reality (“If Virginia acts now to tap into this opportunity, it will pay off for all Virginians; there is urgency to move and not cede these opportunities to other states. It’s time for Virginia’s leaders to make the vision for offshore wind a reality for all Virginians.”)
• “We are at war”: Expect almost 5 feet of sea level rise when planning for the future, leaders say
• Editorial: Did the Virginia Supreme Court show school districts how to sue over disparities?
• Despite past suicide attempts, Norfolk teen was left alone with shackles he used to kill himself
• Virginia Beach City Council candidate’s crude sexual comments on Facebook shock opponents (Totally unacceptable.)
• Lawyers in Louisa capital murder case: Take down courtroom’s Lee portrait, other Confederate memorabilia
• Woman Harasses Family for Speaking Spanish in Virginia Restaurant
• Warmer temperatures of today are just a memory on a chilly and breezy Sunday