Thursday News: “Adieu EU”; “He Did It. And You All Know It”; “Alan Dershowitz for the Defense: L’Etat, C’est Trump”; “The Iowa Caucuses Are In 4 Days. Almost Anything Could Still Happen.”; “What the Hell Is Vexit?”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 30.

• Adieu, E.U.: British reps pack their bags as European Parliament approves Brexit (Crazy, self-inflicted wound by the British. So stupid.)
• Coronavirus Spreads, and the World Pays for China’s Dictatorship (“Xi used his tight rule to control information rather than to control information rather than to stop an epidemic”)
• Outbreak Spreads to India, Threatens China Economy: Virus Update
• Jared Kushner says his Middle East peace plan works if you forget all of history
• Jared Kushner: Palestinians Have Never Done Anything Right in Their Sad, Pathetic Lives (“The first son-in-law has warned Palestinians not to “screw up this opportunity” at peace that he’s so graciously given to them.”)
• Germany is tackling the green-energy transition — and the world is watching (“Germany is finding that the cost of renewables is not the problem — moving away from a fossil-fuel economy is” Exactly!)
• U.S. economy growing moderately in fourth quarter; likely missed Trump’s 3% goal in 2019
• Alan Dershowitz for the Defense: L’Etat, C’est Trump (“At the Senate impeachment trial on Wednesday, Donald Trump’s lawyer said that the President can do just about anything he wants.”)
• Trump lawyers expand defense to claim president is ‘irreplaceable,’ as GOP works to block witnesses (Demented and UnAmerican)
• GOP theory for Trump acquittal may unleash unchecked power (Republicans apparently don’t believe in “checks and balances,” as long as a Republican’s in the White House. If a Democrat’s in the White House, then they scream “DICTATOR!” and “TYRANNY!” every two seconds.)
• Lev Parnas Barred From Attending Senate Trial Due to Electronic Device: His Ankle Monitor
• Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Giuliani, tries to attend Trump impeachment trial
• Trump Impeachment Trial: Top Democrat Concedes ‘Probably No’ on Witnesses
• John Roberts blocks mentions of alleged whistleblower’s name
• Trump’s confederacy of dunces
• Democrats’ Drive for Impeachment Witnesses Faces Dwindling Odds
• Democrats Say They Are Stunned by Trump Lawyer’s Stance on Foreign Information (Every American should be horrified.)
• Senate and John Roberts face possibility of epic tie on witnesses
• GOP senators believe they have the votes to block witnesses (Disgusting, but sadly not surprising with this party.)
• BREAKING: Gardner says he doesn’t want to hear from more impeachment witnesses
• White House has issued formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing book
• Adam Schiff’s definitive answer for impeachment
• Alan Dershowitz willfully ignores the precedent of Nixon’s articles of impeachment (“As the Nixon episode proved, abuse of power is a basis for removal from office.”)
• All the president’s disloyal men: Trump demands fealty but inspires very little
• I’m Not Entirely Sure What Country I Just Landed In
• John Bolton is just the latest right-wing media darling-turned-enemy after crossing Trump
• Still silent, senators will begin submitting written questions in impeachment trial
• Portion of US border wall in California falls over in high winds and lands on Mexican side
• Ari Melber debunked a claim made by Trump’s legal team, but MSNBC spread it anyway
• Begging the Questions (“Without impeachment witnesses, the Senate majority sees no need for impeachment witnesses.”)
• Is Bernie Sanders the Next George McGovern—or the Next Donald Trump? (“While it’s a foolhardy exercise to state unequivocally you know what will play or not play with the electorate these days, their points—which might enrage Sanders supporters—are not without foundation. Sanders is pushing progressive programs that often poll well and that are mainstays of other Western democracies, but the overall price tag and the sweeping nature of his proposals could well alienate voters who aren’t in it for a revolution.”)
• The Iowa Caucuses Are In 4 Days. Almost Anything Could Still Happen.
• Elizabeth Warren proposes criminal penalties for spreading disinformation online
• Biden, rivals privately pitching caucus night deals
• Biden Plans a Counterattack at Trump as Impeachment Tensions Rise
• A boost for Biden could be the biggest unintended consequence of them all
• Pete Buttigieg Is Really Leaning Into the Obama Thing (“He’s a skinny young man with a funny name. If only that was all it took to win Iowa.”)
• The Memo: Warren faces crucial moment in Iowa
• Progressives and moderates, don’t destroy each other. The enemy is Trump, not Clinton or Obama.
• What Will You Do When the Culture War Comes for You?
• Iowa is a test of whether Sanders’s surge will endure
• You Should Be Absolutely Furious Over Donald Trump’s $1 Trillion Deficit (“Even if you don’t think the debt is a problem!”)
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine on “Deep Anxiety” of a “Different [Justice] System for Rich and Powerful Folks”
• Here’s How The D.C. Region Is Responding To Coronavirus
• Changes to Wetland Regulations Could Hurt Water Quality in the Chesapeake Bay
• BREAKING: LG Justin Fairfax Breaks 20-20 Tie, SB733 (“Reproductive Health Protection Act”) Passes Virginia State Senate
• Guns, LGBTQ Rights and the ERA: The Big Changes Already Happening in Virginia
• Virginia Poised To Pass Discrimination Protections For LGBTQ People
• Senate subcommittee rejects energy competition proposals (Pathetic.)
• Virginia attorney general pushes for hate-crime legislation in talk at synagogue (“Mark Herring warned that anti-Semitism and white supremacy are rising.”)
• Video: Dozens of VA House Republicans Vote *Against* “affirm[ing] the state’s commitment to diversity and safeguarding the civil rights and dignity of all Virginians”
• Tear down the barriers to voting in Virginia
• What the Hell Is Vexit? (The latest right-wingnut insanity)
• Va. House of Delegates approves Transgender Day of Remembrance resolution
• Tarina Keene: Pro-choice majorities are doing the voters’ will
• Lee Enterprises buys BH Media properties, including The Daily Progress
• Report finds racial disparity at almost every level of local criminal justice system
• Menhaden, the most political fish in the Chesapeake Bay, might not be regulated by Virginia legislature anymore
• Crawford: Virginia’s energy policies should reflect Dr. King’s ‘inescapable network of mutuality’ (“Being stewards of our planet’s natural resources for future generations is a moral obligation in 2020 and beyond. That’s why I was glad to see a broad coalition form around the Virginia Clean Economy Act with environmental organizations, business coalitions, advocacy groups and the faith community working together, which is exactly what we all need to do to have a chance at tackling the global climate emergency. We are living in an ‘all hands on deck’ time.”)
• Returning Seabirds Will Find Pavement Covering Nesting Site; Tell Gov. Northam to Take Emergency Action NOW!
• What Exactly is “Milk?”
• As General Assembly Considers Casino Bills, Pamunkey Tribe Jockeys for Position with Two Locations
• Richmond mayor Stoney endorses Biden in Democratic primary
• Ban on strip searches of children in Virginia prisons passes state Senate unanimously
• Appalachian Power renews search for 200 MW of solar (“Driven by Virginia Senate Bill 966 and the company’s latest integrated resource plan, Appalachian Power has issued a new request for proposals after failing to find any suitable projects during a 2018 request.”)
• Video: Senate Energy Subcommittee Meets, and the Results Are…”Meh” at Best
• Editorial: Virginia perpetuates school disparity and there are plenty of people to blame (This editorial would be a lot more serious if it looked at why “red” localities aren’t willing to spend the money needed on education to match whatever increases the state *does* provide. In many “red” areas, it’s because Republicans are more concerned with cutting taxes than about supporting their schools.)
• Bill to Grant Public Service Workers The Right to Collectively Bargain Passes Virginia House Appropriations Committee
• Statement by Del. Chris Hurst (D-HD12): “Unfortunately, this past weekend, I made a grave mistake”
• Fairfax County Dems Vote for By-Law Changes Establishing “Firehouse” Caucuses, Changing Membership Requirements; Elect Bryan Graham as New Chair
• Man displaying ‘assault-type weapon’ shot by Fairfax County officer, police say (“David Vo, 24, has been charged with felony distribution of marijuana and felony failure to appear.”)
• Chilly through Friday. A little unsettled Saturday, but no big storm.