by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, May 21.
- China Warns About ‘Unwavering Resolve’ to Fight U.S. ‘Bullying’
- Trump’s China trade war risks damaging US economy, says OECD (“Intensification of tariff dispute also likely to knock almost $600bn off world economy”)
- 9 questions about the scary US-Iran standoff you were too embarrassed to ask (“Here’s one: Will the US and Iran go to war?”)
- Nadler prepares to punish Don McGahn after White House directs former counsel not to testify
- Judge upholds House subpoena demanding years of Trump’s financial records (“The federal ruling handed an initial defeat to President Trump’s vow to defy subpoenas by House Democrats and came in one of the first courtroom challenges to lawmakers’ investigative demands.”)
- Trump’s Secrecy Fight Escalates as Judge Rules for Congress in Early Test
- Trump responds to reports of suspicious transactions by rewriting his financial history (“If Trump doesn’t need banks, why does he keep asking them for loans?”)
- Cohen told lawmakers Trump attorney Jay Sekulow encouraged him to falsely claim Moscow project ended in January 2016
- Trump’s war-crime pardons would insult millions of service members (“Trump would undermine the military by pardoning those who violated laws of war.”)
- Huawei Gets 90-Day Reprieve as U.S. Restrictions Begin to Hurt (“During that period, the Commerce Department said it would allow transactions necessary to maintain existing cellular networks and handsets.”)
- Either the Trump Camp’s Claims About Executive Power Stand, or the Constitution Does (“You can’t have both.”)
- Pelosi clashes with fellow Dems in closed-door debate on impeachment
- Trump Directs White House Counsel Don McGahn to Skip Congressional Testimony (Nope, nothing at all to hide…)
- Don McGahn’s Testimony Would Be the Main Event (“Forget Barr and Mueller. The former White House counsel would be a more interesting witness—and create something more closely resembling an impeachment hearing.”)
- We don’t know what Trump’s tax returns are hiding. But the hints are troubling. (“Why do so many GOP national security hawks seem so unconcerned?”)
- GOP presses Trump to make a deal on spending
- 6 Themes To Pay Attention To In Upcoming Supreme Court Decisions (“Census citizenship question…Political and racial gerrymandering…Separation of church and state…Race, murder and jury selection…Native American rights…When is a word too dirty to be patented?”)
- Buzz grows Rep. Amash will challenge Trump as a Libertarian
- A Would-Be Trump Aide’s Demands: A Jet on Call, a Future Cabinet Post and More (“Those were among a list of 10 conditions that Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state, has given to the White House if he is to become the administration’s ‘immigration czar,’ a job President Trump has been looking to create to coordinate immigration policy across government agencies. The list was described by three people familiar with it.”)
- “Don’t Look for a Happy Ending”: Hollywood Donors Love Buttigieg but Will Settle for Biden (“With Joe Biden dominating the polls, the L.A. creative class is struggling to determine who has a better story. “We tend to green-light the stuff that’s a guarantee—the stuff that’s been a box-office success,” says one writer-director. Is Mayor Pete an art project or a potential blockbuster?”)
- Pete Buttigieg Reveals the Trouble with Going on Fox News (“Mayor Pete received a standing ovation from the audience—then got trashed by the network’s hosts.”)
- After his Fox News town hall, Fox & Friends launches a propaganda onslaught against Pete Buttigieg (“Fox hosts called Buttigieg a ‘clown,’ said his town hall was stacked with friends and relatives, and mischaracterized his positions” This network is an absolute disgrace and should be utterly rejected by all Americans.)
- Fox News Host Pete Hegseth Lobbied Trump in Private to Pardon Alleged War Criminals: Report (Yep, Fox again.)
- Right-wing media defends Navy SEAL accused of killing Iraqi civilians, posing with corpses (The worst of humanity right here.)
- E.P.A. Plans to Get Deaths Off the Books by Changing Its Math (“The new model to calculate the health risks of air pollution would sharply lower estimated deaths from new, looser rules for coal plants. Many experts said the approach was not scientifically sound.”)
- The New Republican Environmental Standard: Don’t Make Anything Better Than It Is Now! (“Trump’s EPA embarks on a conspicuously bad-faith argument on air pollution.”)
- Trump rallies in Pennsylvania ‘deep state’ territory (“A town’s brush with 1990s internet conspiracies traces roots of mogul’s political rise.”)
- Poll: Many Rural Americans Struggle With Financial Insecurity, Access To Health Care (Which is why they should *never* vote Republican, *always* vote Democratic.)
- McConnell and Kaine want to raise the federal smoking age to 21 (“Fourteen states, including Virginia and Maryland, have already increased the smoking age.”)
- Court case seeking to overturn abortion restrictions opens in Virginia
- First day of abortion trial delves into safety of procedures
- Still No Word From Supreme Court as Virginia Primary Nears
- Wyatt claims victory in 97th as GOP panel backs appeal; Peace calls vote improper
- Jacob Asch column: The recent tuition freeze for Virginia’s public colleges isn’t even close to enough
- Del. Danica Roem’s GOP Challenger Compares Same-Sex Marriage and Abortion to Slavery, Opposes LGBTQ+ Child Adoption
- Senator Amy Klobuchar confirmed as speaker at DPVA Blue Commonwealth Gala
- Editorial: Lawmakers must halt predatory lending
- Editorial: Progress curbing evictions in Virginia
- Hard-Right, Smash-Mouth Former VA GOP Chair Dishonestly, Cynically Reinvents Himself for 2019 Loudoun County Board Chair Race
- Audio: Epic Exchange – VERY Entertaining! – as Barbara Comstock and Trumpster Radio Host Fight About Sexual “Predator” Joe Morrissey (Comstock: ” we had to warn the girls to stay away from him…preying upon your staff or young interns is not something that should go on in the Virginia General Assembly”)
- Analysis: Virginia HD85 (Virginia Beach) Could Be “Toughest Seat for Democrats to Hold This Year”…So Let’s Focus on Holding It!
- ‘The memo came from us’: Mystery in Fairfax Co. Board of Supervisors chairman race revealed (“‘The memo came from us,’ developer Tim Chapman told WTOP Monday…’It’s false. It’s sad that the campaign would stoop to that level,’ McKay said.”)
- Cannabis group seeks to influence Virginia hemp, marijuana regulations
- Richmond man charged with animal cruelty in case of Tommie, the pit bull set on fire in February (“A 20-year-old Richmond man has been charged with animal cruelty in the death of a pit bull, named Tommie by rescuers, after the dog was tied to a fence and set on fire.” This guy should be in jail for a loooong time.)
- Ex-director of Newport News airport arrested on federal charges in airline scandal
- Roanoke NAACP leader calls out police chief for ‘rap video’ comment
- Lawmakers get first look at what joint VCU-Richmond Squirrels ballpark complex might look like
- Terrific Tuesday with a drop in temperatures and humidity but heat returns later in the week
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