Saturday News: “What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the Pandemic”; “With Trump, the Pathology Is the Point”; “Chris Wallace Demolishes Trump’s Mail-In Voting Lies: ‘No History of Fraud’”; “Bye, Don!”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, May 23.

• Ranking the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic, country by country (The U.S. is firmly in the “Worse Public Health Outcome” AND “Worse Economic Outcome” quadrant. Heckuva job, Trump, eh?)
• Coronavirus live news: Covid-19 ‘taking different path in Africa’, says WHO (“China reports no cases on mainland for 22 May as US president says worship ‘essential’ and Muslims worldwide prepare for Eid”)
• The pandemic could reshape the world order. Trump’s chaotic strategy is accelerating US losses
• How China Pounced on Hong Kong While Covid Overwhelmed the World
• China’s full-scale assault on democracy in Hong Kong demands a U.S. response — but a careful one
• What a Week’s Disasters Tell Us About Climate and the Pandemic (“Extreme weather presents an even bigger threat when economies are crashing and ordinary people are stretched to their limits.”)
• Who’s Succeeding Against the Coronavirus and Why (“Geography Counts…Preparedness Helps…Strong-Arm Tactics Work…A Softer Touch Can Work, Too…Trust in Government Helps”)
• Brazil’s Supreme Court releases video of Bolsonaro discussing replacing security officials
• South America a new COVID epicenter, Africa reaches 100,000 cases
• Trump’s inspector general purge is egregiously harmful — and he’s not even hiding it
• See where your state stands on flattening the curve
• Trump does not wear well (“Do we really want four more years of this?”)
• Trump administration discussed conducting first U.S. nuclear test in decades (F’ing crazy.)
• McConnell falsely claims new bills passed by the House are ‘unconstitutional’ (How about not considering Merrick Garland, douchebag?)
• FBI director Wray orders internal review of Flynn case (“The bureau announced in a statement that the after-action review will have two objectives: Evaluate whether there was any misconduct or errors made by bureau officials during the course of their investigation, and to determine whether there are ways to improve FBI policies and procedures.”)
• The Job Market’s Long Road Back (“Job losses were sudden and swift. At first, workers and employers thought they would be temporary. For many, that is starting to look like wishful thinking.”)
• Donald Trump Is Leading the GOP—to the Political Graveyard (“Yeah, it’s early. But a blue wave is certainly building. If it’s a wipeout, will the Republican Party ditch Trumpism? It should be clear, but it’s not at all.”)
• America’s Unemployment Numbers Are Stabilizing. That’s Not A Good Thing.
• Behind Trump’s demand to reopen churches: Slipping poll numbers and alarm inside his campaign
• Trump’s urging stokes furor in debate over in-person worship
• Trump claims he will “override the governors” who closed churches in the pandemic (“That’s not legal.”)
• America begins to unlock for summer – but is it inviting a disastrous second wave? (Probably.)
• Trump’s Press Secretary Displays One of His Checks in a Little Too Much Detail
• The rules for VP vetting
• Is America too libertarian to deal with the coronavirus?
• Trust Donald Trump to make Henry Ford’s virulent anti-Semitism relevant again
• Jane Roe’s Pro-Life Conversion Was a Con (“Norma McCorvey makes a shocking deathbed confession.”)
• Trump derides masks, Americans wear them (“Even if Trump sets a bad example, Americans know what’s right.”)
• 6 months on, Trump hasn’t completed his physical. The White House won’t say why.
• After Months of Steep Declines, Air Traffic Is Picking Up
• With Trump, the Pathology Is the Point
• Opening up doesn’t mean recovery. Georgia proves it. (“People are cautious about their own well-being even if Trump isn’t.”)
• With Unemployment Expected to Reach 20%, Senators Take a Vacation (Again, why not state right in the headline that it’s *Republicans* doing that?)
• Chris Wallace Demolishes Trump’s Mail-In Voting Lies: ‘No History of Fraud’ (Yep, there is ZERO evidence.)
• The Hill interview: Fauci on why a vaccine by end of year is ‘aspirational’
• Study says 24 states may still have uncontrolled spread
• In Michigan, Dams Plus Climate Change Equals a Disastrous Mix
• What happened in Michigan this week was no mistake: Infrastructure was privatized for profit — and it’s crumbling
• Republicans wrestle with conspiracy-theory advocate winning Senate primary
• Dr. Anthony Fauci says staying closed for too long could cause ‘irreparable damage’
• The three reasons conspiracy theories are more dangerous than ever
• Jeff Sessions stands up to former boss Trump on Twitter
• Donald Trump Flips Out At Fox News Again: Hope Roger Ailes ‘Is Looking Down’ (“The president has lashed out at the conservative network at least three times this week alone”)
• McEnany Scorched After Demeaning Journalists For ‘Desperately’ Opposing Church Openings (“‘I go to church. I’m dying to get back to church,’ snapped a Reuters reporter.”)
• Barack Obama poised to add his star appeal to Joe Biden’s campaign
• Come on. Biden’s ‘you ain’t black’ comment was clearly a joke.
• ‘I should not have been so cavalier’: Joe Biden apologizes for suggesting black Trump voters ‘ain’t black’
• Where Biden, Trump stand in key swing states
• How to think about Joe Biden’s gaffes (“His mouth gets him into trouble once again.”)
• Hertz Files for Bankruptcy After Rental-Car Demand Vanishes
• Right-wing media are trying to scare you into voting in person during a pandemic (“State and Democratic efforts to expand mail-in ballots have been met with misinformation and fearmongering”)
• Rachel Maddow Wins Dismissal of OAN Defamation Lawsuit
• White House Worries About Kelly Loeffler’s Senate Prospects in Georgia
• Plagued by stock trades, Loeffler vows she won’t drop out
• Rep. Jennifer Wexton hosts health experts to answer questions concerning COVID-19 (“Wexton said she will continue to work to prevent the current economic recession from falling into a depression due to COVID-19”)
• Can’t-Win-an-Election VA GOP Takes a Typically Brain-Dead Swipe at Tim Kaine, Gets Duly “Ratioed” on Twitter
• White House says D.C. region among worst in country, as summer closures continue
• Businesses Frustrated By Upcoming Silver Line Shutdown And Orange Line Closures
• Live Video, Highlights: Gov. Ralph Northam’s Friday (5/22) Virginia COVID-19 Briefing
• Friday (5/22) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +813 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 34,950), +52 Hospitalizations (to 4,145), +37 Deaths (to 1,136) From Yesterday
• Virginia Deploys Artificial Intelligence-Powered Online Tool to Help Virginians Self-Screen for COVID-19
• Sentara cuts doctor pay, blames pandemic for at least $778 million loss
• Sen. Tim Kaine: Gov. Northam is not ‘ignoring’ Southwest Virginia (“I actually expect you will see the governor make decisions about reopening where in the Southwest and South side, it will be a little more accelerated than other parts of the state”)
• Pandemic pushes Virginia’s jobless rate to 10.6% in April – highest level in at least four decades
• Audio: Sen. Chap Petersen Says “People need to work in order to eat”; Rips Chamber of Commerce, “Backlash” to Reopening by People “Prevalent on Social Media” (Petersen: “There’s never been a risk-free moment in American history.”; “I’m proud to be a Democrat; I see myself as more on the freedom, libertarian side”)
• Virginians could be required to wear masks in public soon, Northam hints
• Va. Parole Board grants release to another convicted killer in decision assailed by authorities, victim’s family
• Northam signals coming order on wearing masks
• Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney Urges Gov. Ralph Northam to “mandate face coverings in public in our Commonwealth” [UPDATED with Poll]
• Thousands of jobs in the Roanoke and New River valleys have dried up in pandemic, economists say
• Watch Now: Roanoke emerges into sunlight Friday after soaking 3-day stretch
• BREAKING: Arlington Parks to Partially Reopen Saturday
• ‘Safety at all costs’: Richmond pastor to keep 10% capacity limit despite president’s call to reopen churches
• A wider W&OD trail is up for funding, but again faces opposition
• Today’s warmth is a hint of things to come next week