by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, January 9.
- Trump calls wall the only solution to ‘crisis of the heart’ at the border (Two huge lies there: 1) that there is a “crisis” at the border, which there is NOT, other than the humanitarian crisis Trump himself created; 2) that a “wall” is the “solution,” let alone the “only solution.” The question is why the networks allowed Trump to spew these lies?)
- Trump paints a misleading, bleak picture of the border situation (“The first misleading statement in came in the first sentence. Another came moments later. The president pumped up numbers, exaggerated the public safety risks of immigration and repeated false claims regarding how to fund a border wall.”)
- President tries one more gambit in a battle he seems to be losing
- As Trump appeals to nation for wall, cracks show in his GOP support
- Trump Gets Instant Fact-Check From Fox News’ Shepard Smith After Oval Office Speech (“The Fox News anchor did not let the president get away with his lies to the American people Tuesday night.”)
- “There Is No Endgame”: White House Aides Fear Trump Has Turned the Border Wall into His Alamo
- Donald Trump outdoes himself: Even more racist lies than critics feared (“It was a given Trump would spin racist lies during his prime-time speech. But it was even worse than that”)
- The U.S. Doesn’t Have a Border Crisis. Trump’s Campaign Does. (Bingo!)
- Pelosi, Schumer present united front in challenging Trump on border wall
- On the Border, Little Enthusiasm for a Wall: ‘We Have Other Problems That Need Fixing’
- Trump Channels Hannity and Lou Dobbs, Fearmongers for the Wall (“Much of the Oval Office address echoed usual Trump rhetoric: hyperpartisan at points, and dripping with nativism. But in a notable way, Trump blinked.”)
- A growing number of Americans blame Trump for shutdown: Reuters-Ipsos poll (51% blame Trump, 32% bizarrely blame Congressional Democrats – haha – and 7% blame Congressional Republicans, who of course deserve a huge amount of blame.)
- Poll: Voters blame Trump, GOP for shutdown
- The Crisis Is in the Oval Office (“The president has exaggerated threats but ignored the hazards his border policies created.”)
- Trump Wastes an Oval Office Address on the Same Old Border Crisis Rap (More like “Same Old Border Crisis CRAP”)
- Trump’s prime-time address on the border wall shutdown, annotated (Basically lie, lie, lie, big lie, bigger lie, biggest lie, etc.)
- There Was Only One New Lie in Trump’s First Big Boy Speech (“The rest were old ones.”)
- Trump’s Prime-Time Bid to End Border Wall Impasse Falls Flat
- What Was the Point of Trump’s Oval Office Address? (“In his highly anticipated remarks on Tuesday night, the president didn’t offer any new arguments about the border or declare a national emergency.”)
- Trump Has Defeated Himself (“The president, trapped without a decent exit in a predicament of his own making, will yield everything and get nothing.”)
- Trump’s Presidential Address Was a Big Non-Event (“He didn’t unveil any new proposals to end the government shutdown. He didn’t offer up any meaningful new arguments for his border wall. And he didn’t declare a national emergency in an effort to circumvent opposition from congressional Democrats, which he’d been openly talking about in the previous few days.”)
- “Immigrants are coming over the border to kill you” is the only speech Trump knows how to give (“Most politicians know how to strike more than one note. Trump does not.” And it’s a huge, destructive LIE.)
- An underwhelming speech by a president without a plan
- Manafort Accused of Sharing Trump Campaign Data With Russian Associate
- Paul Manafort shared 2016 polling data with Russian employee, according to court filing
- Supreme Court turns down mysterious Mueller subpoena fight (“Last month, the unknown firm asked the high court to block a federal judge’s contempt order and $50,000-a-day penalty for refusing to comply with the subpoena, arguing that the company is immune from U.S. grand jury subpoenas.”)
- U.S. Carbon Pollution Surged in 2018, After Years of Stasis (“It’s an ominous sign for America’s ability to meet its goals under the Paris Agreement on climate change.”)
- ‘Not a whole lot of red lights’: Beto O’Rourke leaning toward 2020 run
- Americans Increasingly See The Government Shutdown As Serious
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and our warped discourse on taxation (“Media coverage of tax policy privileges GOP extremism while marginalizing progressives” It’s disgraceful.)
- U.S.-China trade talks conclude as hopes of a deal build
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is Making All the Right People Crazy (“That includes Iraq War cheerleaders-turned-Never Trumpers with columns in the ‘Washington Post’.”)
- What’s The Holdup In That Unresolved North Carolina House Race?
- How Conservatism Became Trumpism—and We All Got Into This Mess (“Amid the shutdown, Florida correctional officers are making their 400-mile commute without pay.”)
- Democrats Start Investigative Gears, but Slowly (“After two years of pining, Democrats finally have the gavels and subpoenas they need to investigate President Trump and his administration. Blockbuster findings? Don’t expect them anytime soon.”)
- Sen. Mark Warner says problems piling up from ongoing government shutdown
- Congresswoman Spanberger: Legislation To Pay Laid Off Federal Workers and Cut off Congressional Salaries During the Shutdown
- General Assembly must stay on task in short session
- Taxes, gambling among top issues as Va. General Assembly convenes
- Reps. McEachin, Luria, and Jones Introduced Bipartisan Offshore Drilling Bill (“The Defend our Coast Act would protect Virginia’s coastal communities by prohibiting offshore drilling along the Mid-Atlantic Coastline”)
- McEachin, Luria renew push to ban drilling off Virginia
- As We Bid a NOT-At-All-Fond Adieu to Neo-Confederate Corey, a Trip Back to the Early Days of His Disgraceful Career
- BREAKING: SCOTUS Denies Virginia House Republicans’ Stay Request on New, Non-Racially-“Packed” Districts (“Kirk Cox’s days as Speaker are likely numbered now…”)
- U.S. Supreme Court rejects Republican bid to delay redistricting in Virginia
- Supreme Court denies Virginia Republicans’ request to hit pause on drawing new delegate district map (“The ruling on Tuesday comes two days before a specially appointed professional map drawer is set to present several options for what Virginia’s new district lines could look like to a federal court.”)
- The story behind the certificate of need: What it is, why it exists, and why it has been a thorn in Virginia’s side for decades
- SD33 Special Election Results: Congratulations to State Senator-Elect Jennifer Boysko (D)!
- Democrat wins Northern Va. state Senate seat vacated by Jennifer Wexton
- Virginia regulators approve permit for pipeline compressor station in historic black community
- Air board unanimously approves Buckingham compressor permit
- Video, Photos: Virginia Air Pollution Control Board Meets to Decide on Permit for Union Hill Fracked-Gas Compressor Station [Update: Approved 4-0]
- State air board backs Buckingham compressor station for Atlantic Coast Pipeline (“Environmental groups condemned the board’s decision, which is likely to be challenged in state court. Construction of the pipeline already is stalled in Virginia after a series of federal court decisions that have overturned permits issued by federal agencies, most notably the U.S. Forest Service.”)
- Governor Northam and Legislators Announce Bipartisan Proposal for Dedicated Funding to Improve Interstate 81
- Northam, GOP lawmakers unveil bipartisan plan to use tolls on I-81 to fund $2B in highway upgrades
- Schapiro: Democrats should be careful what they wish for (Oh god, I’m REALLY nervous about reading this one.)
- Editorial: Six issues with a unique impact on western Virginia
- Woodbridge resident D.J. Jordan announces bid for House of Delegates (Go Elizabeth Guzman!)
- Wagner: Hampton Roads urgently needs the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (The bought-and-paid-for Senator from Dominion weighs in. LOL)
- Van Valkenburg: no to non-competes for lower-income workers
- State officials probe two inmate deaths at Riverside Regional, cite falsification of records among concerns
- Cold winds dominate today through tomorrow, and some snow is likely this weekend
********************************************************