by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, July 21.
- Why the United States is playing rope-a-dope with Iran in the Persian Gulf (“The U.S. strategy of measured response makes sense, but it doesn’t answer the question of how this confrontation will end. Iran feels it’s being strangled by U.S. sanctions. When a regime feels it’s choking to death, it has two choice — capitulation or fighting back hard. The Trump administration has been betting on capitulation, but there’s no sign that bet will pay off.”)
- Iran warns UK against escalating tensions, says crew of seized ship safe
- UK defence minister rebuffs criticism over tanker seized in Gulf
- U.K. Chancellor: I’ll Resign If Boris Johnson Becomes Leader
- Boris Johnson, Britain’s likely next prime minister, is a hack — a journalist who has reached the pinnacle of power
- As Brexit looms, the U.K.’s Conservative Party fights for survival (“We have a Conservative Party that has become almost completely consumed by Brexit now, to the point that it’s almost blocking out the sun.”)
- Democrats want to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal. It’s not that simple. (“Even if Trump loses, political and logistical hurdles could make it impossible to rejoin the 2015 agreement.”)
- Pompeo to meet with Mexico’s foreign minister to discuss immigration, trade
- What Led to the Governor of Puerto Rico’s Downfall? Insights From His Former Mentor.
- Puerto Rico’s week of massive protests, explained (“Two scandals have led to more than a week of protests calling for Gov. Ricardo Rosselló’s resignation.”)
- ‘Dangerous Heat Wave’ Hits Much Of East, Central U.S.
- As temperatures rise, the poor suffer most
- Trump Employs an Old Tactic: Using Race for Gain
- ‘He always doubles down’: Inside the political crisis caused by Trump’s racist tweets
- Data shows crisis worsened in full view of officials unwilling or unable to stop it (“Newly released data from the Drug Enforcement Administration shows a trend in pill distribution that, according to plaintiffs suing the drug industry, can’t be passed off as reasonable therapeutic medical treatment.”)
- The G.O.P. Is Now a Personality Cult (“The party no longer stands for much of anything.”)
- Two senators want antifa activists to be labeled ‘domestic terrorists.’ Here’s what that means. (But not white supremacists and other far-right activists? Gotcha.)
- “The Girls Were Just So Young”: The Horrors of Jeffrey Epstein’s Private Island
- 10 questions for Robert Mueller
- Editorial: President’s bigotry reaches a fever pitch
- National Conservatives Want Cultural Dominance Not ‘Social Cohesion’ (“The right wants to impose its values on an increasingly diverse and secular country”)
- Ilhan Omar’s constituents ‘proud to stand by her’ over Trump’s racist words
- Missouri GOP Senator trots out anti-Semitic trope during speech before national conservative group (“Hawley didn’t use the term “city-dweller,” or “urban” or even “coastal elites” to describe the subject of his enmity. He used, repeatedly and often, the word ‘cosmopolitan’… the word has deeply anti-Semitic subtext.”)
- Trump Administration Revising U.S. Citizenship Test
- 2020 Democrats Are Starting to Turn Obama’s Legacy Against Biden (“The former VP has tied himself closely to the president he served. His primary opponents are trying to complicate that.”)
- Dem campaigns bulk up with hiring spree
- Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg says white supremacy could be ‘issue that ends this country’
- O’Rourke’s campaign is cratering. But he’s got a plan to bring back ‘Betomania.’ (“The Texas Democrat spoke to NBC News about why it’s too early to count him out.”)
- Harris faces pressure to define policy proposals
- Video, Photos: Sen. Tim Kaine Campaigns for SD10 Dem Nominee Ghazala Hashmi (“In 2019, Virginia is my home, and Ghazala Hashmi is an American name!”)
- Amid teacher shortages, Virginia takes steps to lure students into the profession
- Va. Democrats threaten boycott if Trump attends Jamestown ceremony, even though Northam sent the invite
- Virginia Democrats plan to boycott Trump’s attendance at Jamestown’s 400th anniversary
- Schapiro: Perhaps McAuliffe should rethink his second act
- Gordon C. Morse: Trump rhetoric puts McAuliffe insight in new light
- Mothers are dying for no good reason
- Why second phase of Metro’s Silver Line has been more problem-plagued than the first (“…construction of the final portion of the $5.8 billion rail line, which was expected to be wrapped up next month, may not be completed until next spring or summer. Trains that were originally set to begin running in January probably won’t start carrying passengers until mid-to-late 2020.”)
- Cruel and Unusual Punishment? 110+ Degree Heat Indexes and No A/C in Virginia Prisons (VA Dept. of Corrections claims “protocols in place” – what???)
- EDITORIAL: Make common-sense rule permanent (“Because of rules that went into effect July 1, about 600,000 Virginians will now be able to drive legally again. They won’t be punished for not having enough money to pay court costs related to traffic violations.”)
- Poll: Should Any Dems Attend Jamestown 400th Anniversary if Trump’s There? (VA House/Senate Ds say they’re not going. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02) says she is.)
- Mountain Valley Pipeline Flips Another Excavator, Sends Huge Tree Stump Rolling Off Right-of-Way that Almost Hits Bystander (“MVP is gonna kill someone before this is done”)
- Video: “We Hate to See People In Need,” Says Fairfax County Board, So Let’s Outlaw Them!
- Frank Kilgore column: Rural Virginia, especially the far Southwest, is being left out of the internet boom
- Virginia’s commercial hemp rush launches after changes in laws
- Gibson: The monuments Virginia doesn’t have yet
- Editorial: Study into Beach shooting must be open, thorough
- Saturday felt like the hottest day since 2012 in Richmond
- D.C.-area forecast: One more day of dangerous heat today with storms possible late; not quite as hot Monday with PM storms likely
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