Tuesday News: “The World’s Oceans Were The Hottest In Recorded History In 2019”; “Is this Iran’s ‘Chernobyl’ moment?”; “White House expects GOP defections on calling witnesses in Senate impeachment trial”; “Progressives’ dread rises as Warren and Sanders collide”; “Cory Booker Runs Out of Time”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, January 14.

• Australia Fires Imperil Populations of Green Bees, Honeyeaters and Potoroos (Ugh.)
• The World’s Oceans Were The Hottest In Recorded History In 2019 (Horrifying.)
• Australia’s ruinous fire season can be seen from space
• Oceans are warming at the same rate as if five Hiroshima bombs were dropped in every second
• BlackRock Puts Climate at Center of $7 Trillion Strategy
• Iran Protests Rage Over Downed Jet, as Lawmakers Demand Accountability
• Senate vote to limit Trump’s military actions against Iran in limbo
• France, Britain and Germany launch process to hold Iran accountable for violating nuclear deal, opening way for sanctions
• In saying Iran aimed to attack ‘four embassies,’ Trump puts U.S. in credibility crisis
• Justin Trudeau: US escalation partly to blame for Iran plane deaths (Yep.)
• You can hate Trump and still love the Iranian protesters (Agreed; I’m very much for the Iranian protesters and against Trump.)
• Is this Iran’s ‘Chernobyl’ moment? (Let’s hope so; this regime is horrendous.)
• Russians Hacked Ukrainian Gas Company at Center of Impeachment
• Xi Jinping’s approach to Taiwan and Hong Kong has backfired
• Boris Johnson calls for ‘Trump deal’ to replace Iran nuclear pact
• Esper: U.S. Could Strike Iran Or Proxies ‘Where Legally Available And Appropriate’
• Xi Strikes Optimistic Tone After Riding Out Trade War With Trump
• Top Senate Republicans reject Trump’s renewed call for immediate dismissal of impeachment charges
• White House expects GOP defections on calling witnesses in Senate impeachment trial
• GOP leadership: There aren’t 51 votes to dismiss Trump articles of impeachment
• McConnell could nix vote on a motion to dismiss to protect vulnerable GOPers
• The stage is finally set for impeachment’s dramatic, divisive endgame
• Trump’s impeachment trial: How we got there, what happens next and what to watch
• Be prepared to fight a dangerous new wave of disinformation during the Senate trial
• Stephanie Grisham’s laughable dodge
• Trump planning to divert additional $7.2 billion in Pentagon funds for border wall (Unconstitutional.)
• George Nader, key witness in Mueller probe, pleads guilty to child sex charges
• Pensacola shooting was an act of terrorism, attorney general says
• Trump retweeted Pelosi in Muslim garb. The White House made it worse. (Appalling as always from this despicable administration.)
• Trump Likes Farmers Better Than Some Other Welfare Recipients (“Now why would that be?”)
• Cory Booker was a candidate of grace in an ugly political climate
• DI Politics Chat: The Sanders/Warren He-Said-She-Said Showdown Over Sexism
• Warren says Sanders told her no woman could beat Trump in 2020 (“Sanders has called reports of his remarks ‘ludicrous’ as tensions between campaigns surge ahead of first votes”)
• Why tonight’s debate could be a doozy
• “Like, I’ll Tune In When There’s Two Weeks Left”: Why Trump Has a Huge Advantage Over Dems With Low-Information Voters (“The Democratic candidates and New York–D.C. media exist in a largely closed bubble, reflecting their own obsessions and not reaching much of the country—while Trump is seen everywhere.”)
• ‘It is stomach-churning’: Progressives’ dread rises as Warren and Sanders collide
• Sanders-Warren feud takes a turn onto the dangerous turf of gender
• Bernie Sanders told Elizabeth Warren in private 2018 meeting that a woman can’t win, sources say
• Dem 2020 Race Continues to Shift (“Four candidates are currently vying for the top spot in next month’s Iowa caucuses – Biden (24%), Sanders (18%), Buttigieg (17%), and Warren (15%). Compared with Monmouth’s November poll, Biden has gained 5 points (up from 19%) and Sanders has gained 5 points (up from 13%), while Buttigieg has lost 5 points (down from 22%) and Warren has declined by 3 points (down from 18%). Klobuchar is knocking on the door of the top tier with 8% support in the current poll (up from 5% in November).”)
• Fox News Host Melissa Francis Offers Theory for Booker’s Exit: I Heard ‘He’s Lazy’ (Racist much?)
• Cory Booker Runs Out of Time
• Elizabeth Warren fights back
• Sanders falters when asked tough questions
• Jitters at MSNBC as Brass Eyes Moving Chuck Todd and Talks to Shep Smith (“Chuck Todd’s daily show could move to mornings, causing angst among the show’s staff. Other potential changes could alter weekends and, eventually, the network’s primetime roster.”)
• Rep. Connolly: Senate impeachment trial on the ‘fast track’
• Inside Mike Bloomberg’s Plan to Drive Trump Insane
• VAPLAN Analysis: Virginia Clean Economy Act “Includes Several Much-Needed Reforms to Our Energy Policy” BUT “Needs to Be Far More Aggressive”
• Video, Photos: Sunrise Movement Virginia Campaigns at the Capitol for Urgent, Decisive Climate Action
• Student Activists Turn Out In Support Of Green New Deal
• Both this session’s big energy omnibus bills could be better (“The code defines the term to mean total electric energy minus electricity produced by nuclear power. Since nuclear provides about 30% of Virginia’s electric generation, that means the RPS percentages look 30% bigger than they really are…Thus, the nominal RPS goal of 41% by 2030 does not mean that Virginia would get 41% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. The true percentage would be 41% of 70%, or — oh Lord, now I have to do math — somewhat under 30%…Solar installers who focus on Virginia may be dismayed by the modesty of the in-state requirements… By 2030, distributed renewables would still account for less than 2.5% of total generation in Virginia, a far cry from the 25% or more that studies have shown is possible…[The GND] contains no requirement to build wind and solar in Virginia, and utilities can run their fossil fuel plants as usual. That’s not the energy transition a lot of people are looking for.”)
• AG Mark Herring: “Today we have taken the first steps to finally make our communities safer”
• Despite protests, Democratic gun-control bills pass their first hurdle on a party-line vote (“The proposals include universal background checks, limiting handgun sales to one a month and allowing temporary confiscation of guns from people deemed a danger.”)
• Democrats push first batch of gun control bills out of Senate committee
• As Virginia Democrats advance new gun restrictions, militias organize, promising to resist
• Four firearms bills advance in Virginia’s newly gun-free Capitol
• Video, Photos, Tweets: Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee Debates Gun Legislation
• ‘Raging granny’ faces music for pipeline protest: ‘Happy that I did it’
• Video: Mixed Results from the First Meeting of the Senate Commerce & Labor’s Energy Subcommittee
• Graphics: Virginia “Legislative Pecking Order” Finds Senior Members Dominating Most Powerful Committees
• Blue Ridge Caucus: Del. Sam Rasoul endorses Warren for president
• EDITORIAL: Recipe for permanent congestion (Building more roads is almost certainly NOT the answer, and often makes things worse. Focus on transit-oriented development.)
• Roanoke Times publisher Jamerson retiring
• Local leaders back proposed Richmond region transportation authority. Tax hikes would raise millions for projects.
• Council withdraws resolution declaring Waynesboro a ‘Constitutional City’
• Fairfax City Tightens Pet Shop Regulations
• Northam offers condolences after Virginia soldier killed
• Showers today, and a mild midweek before a wintry mix threatens Saturday