by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, July 12.
- Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Has U.S. Weighing Sanctions ‘Snapback’
- Iran warns western powers to ‘leave region’ amid Gulf crisis
- Hunt exhorts UK envoys to ‘speak truth to power’ in coded rebuke to Johnson
- Turkey receives Russian air defense system, threatening rift with U.S.
- Trump gives up attempt to add citizenship question to census
- Trump Says He Will Seek Citizenship Information From Existing Federal Records, Not the Census (LOL)
- Trump Lost on the Census, but the Scandal Is Just Getting Started (“Trump officials will have to answer for hatching a secret plan to weaponize the census against immigrant communities and then lying about it over and over again.”)
- Trump slams Paul Ryan for ‘atrocious’ record: ‘Couldn’t get him out of Congress fast enough!’ (Thin-skinned Trump has zero ability to not fire back at critics.)
- The New Plot Against Obamacare (“Will specious, bad-faith legal arguments prevail?”)
- GOP balks at White House push for standalone vote on debt ceiling
- Hurricane warning in effect as Tropical Storm Barry heads for Gulf Coast
- FBI makes arrests in Puerto Rico corruption scandal, prompting calls for governor’s ouster and concerns about billions in storm aid (“The FBI on Wednesday arrested two former senior officials who served in the administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, leading the chairman of the House committee that oversees Puerto Rico to call for the governor to step down.”)
- When Does America Reckon with the Gravity of Donald Trump’s Alleged Rapes? (“In light of the new legal scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein, it’s time to re-examine all the sexual misconduct allegations against the president.”)
- Jeffrey Epstein Registered as a Sex Offender in 2 States. In New Mexico, He Didn’t Have To.
- California secretary of state: Trump not ruling out immigration arrests during Census events (Totally, wildly unacceptable.)
- Trump Says It’s Not Free Speech to ‘Write Bad’ About ‘Something Good’: That’s ‘Dangerous Speech’ (WTF?!?)
- Trump Praises Right-Wing Conspiracy Theorists at White House: ‘The Crap You Think of Is Unbelievable’ (“The social media summit at the White House featured a who’s who of the right wing fringe, but the president was the one who made it a truly bizarre affair.”)
- Sebastian Gorka at the center of Rose Garden ruckus following Trump event
- Uncle Trump Wants You! (To Join His Troll Army) (“The White House meme summit was a circus. But you shouldn’t dismiss it.”)
- Trump accuses social media companies of ‘terrible bias’ at White House summit decried by critics
- Things Donald Trump Said Today, Verbatim (“Some insights on tech from a man with a perfectly liquified brain.”)
- Donald Trump stokes fear and conspiracy on path to 2020
- President Trump Says Only Trump Supporters Deserve Free Speech (“President Trump held a confab at the White House Thursday to promote his Orwellian notion of ‘free speech’ online. It confirmed yet again the president’s implacable hostility to basic liberal freedoms.”)
- Democrats rush to support Pelosi amid fight with Ocasio-Cortez
- Democratic lawmaker unloads on Ocasio-Cortez, chief of staff for ‘using the race card’
- CBC lawmakers rip Justice Democrats for targeting black lawmakers for primaries (“It just seems strange that the social Democrats seem to be targeting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, individuals who have stood and fought to make sure that African Americans are included and part of this process”)
- Is Justin Amash Running for President?
- Joe Biden wants to restore the pre-Trump world order (“But is that enough for Democratic voters?” Also, is it possible to restore it? I’m highly dubious at this point, given how much severe damage Trump’s done to U.S. foreign policy, our standing in the world, etc.)
- NBC/WSJ poll: Biden, Warren top 2020 Democratic field (“Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders round out the top four candidates in the first NBC/WSJ post-debate poll.”)
- Second Place In The Democratic Primary Is Crowded — That’s Not Good For Sanders
- Pete Buttigieg lays out his plan to help black Americans (“The 18-page platform, which Buttigieg calls his ‘Douglass Plan for Black America’ in honor of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, aims to reduce racial inequities. To accomplish this goal, Buttigieg is proposing a variety of political reforms, as well as a series of new investments the candidate says would disproportionately help black communities.”)
- Fox News Poll: Biden holds commanding lead among South Carolina Democrats (“Biden garners 35 percent among South Carolina Democratic primary voters in the race for the party’s nomination — over twice the support of any other candidate. Bernie Sanders receives 14 percent and Kamala Harris is close behind at 12 percent.”)
- Tom Steyer, We Welcome You With Folded Arms (“You have no constituency other than yourself. There are plenty of better things for you to do with your money.”)
- Sanders and Warren voters have astonishingly little in common (“His backers are younger, make less money, have fewer degrees and are less engaged in politics.”)
- R. Kelly arrested on federal child pornography charges, US attorney says
- Sens. Warner, Kaine introduce bill to halt cruel treatment of children at the border
- Sens. Warner, Kaine Back Legislation to Protect Census
- Kaine continues to push for health care for all
- 12 years after Virginia Tech shootings, Sen. Tim Kaine criticizes Republicans for ‘absence of courage’ to deal with gun violence
- Vangie Williams: Ineffective Congressman Rob Wittman Sinks to a New Low
- Virginia Republicans’ Blaming Mental Illness for Gun Violence Is Incorrect, Stigmatizing, Discriminatory, Fear-Mongering at Its Worst
- FWIW Virginia: Breaking Down the Special Session
- The moms went to Richmond to demand action on gun violence. Instead, they were ignored. (“A mere 90 minutes into what was supposed to be a monster session on curbing gun violence, political backroom deals proved it was all theater. Now the women want revenge. And they’re going to fight like mothers to get it.”)
- Virginia elections board defers ballot certification for GOP incumbent due to multiple paperwork flubs (Nick Freitas is completely incompetent, among other things.)
- Ralph Northam: I expected better of Virginia’s legislators (It wasn’t generic “Virginia’s legislators,” it was 100% Virginia’s REPUBLICAN legislators)
- Virginia State Sen. Glen Sturtevant (R) Yet Again Shows He’s No Moderate. This November, Let’s Work to Elect Democrat Ghazala Hashmi Instead. (Meanwhile, Amanda Chase “likes” meme of “heavily armed extremist flashing ‘white power’ sign”)
- Editorial: L. Douglas Wilder should speak up or resign from VCU
- Regulators ask Mountain Valley Pipeline about the safety of pipe’s coating
- Gov. Northam Announces New Solar Facility at Virginia Department of Forestry
- To curb gang violence, Fairfax Co. police want parents to monitor kids’ social media
- Arlington Scales Up Community Energy Plan Ambitions Despite Feasibility Concerns (Good goal, but we need the tools to actually make it happen. Tools like putting a price on carbon – can be revenue neutral, by the way; a mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard; requiring buildings to meet aggressive energy efficiency goals; etc.)
- Virginia Tech report: Stay away from bad frats (“A week after Virginia Tech released a report calling eight unrecognized fraternities a ‘significant threat… to student safety, well-being, and town-gown relationships,’ one of those fraternities is slated to host a reunion that features talks with high-level administrators and tours of campus.”)
- Arlington/FCC Mental Health Docket Creation Public Meeting 7/17–Please Attend!
- A couple of storms into evening; more widespread activity and still hot this weekend
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