Sunday News: Greta Thunberg Endorses Biden While…Yep, the Taliban (!) Endorse Trump; “Offered a chance to pivot, Trump chooses ignorance and denial”; Trump’s Quack “Doctor” Gives Him All-Clear; Kate McKinnon Breaks Character on SNL

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, October 11.

Watching Kate McKinnon lose her mind on #SNL is cathartic, to say the least. 😂 pic.twitter.com/8D5DXJmYee

— LC (@Knope447) October 11, 2020

• Why climate change is a time bomb
• Greta Thunberg: ‘Only people like me dare ask tough questions on climate’
• The Taliban on Trump: “We hope he will win the election” and withdraw U.S. troops
• Climate Crisis Weekly: Humanity’s future rests on American voters
• Prince William urges leaders to take action against climate change in his first Ted Talk
• Covid-19 Is Big Oil’s Asteroid Strike (“The coronavirus is hastening change at the oil majors. Those that can’t transform fast enough will go the way of Tyrannosaurus Rex.” Good riddance.)
• Trump silence on Nagorno-Karabakh weighs on Armenian-American voters
• Trump’s Swamp: Taxes Trace Payments to Properties by Those Who Got Ahead (“President Trump vowed to “drain the swamp.” Instead, he built a system of direct presidential influence-peddling unrivaled in modern American politics. The Times found over 200 companies, special-interest groups and nations that patronized his properties while reaping benefits from his administration. Read the latest in our analysis of Mr. Trump’s tax records.”)
• Inhaled Vaccines Aim to Fight Coronavirus at Its Point of Attack (“Vaccines sprayed into the nose or inhaled through the mouth won’t require needles and could be easier to roll out. They may be more effective too.”)
• Donald Trump’s Consistent Unreliability on COVID, and Everything Else (“It is painful to reflect on the tens of thousands of lives that might have been saved if a less reality-challenged President had occupied the White House.”)
• Senate Republicans lambaste potential coronavirus deal
• Trump’s $1.8 trillion stimulus proposal faces opposition from Pelosi and Senate GOP
• Right-wing extremists pose an alarming threat. Trump is doing nothing to defuse it.
• Taking Page From Authoritarians, Trump Turns Power of State Against Political Rivals (For this alone, every single American needs to vote him out of office!)
• ‘A Dear Leader approach’: Trump’s critics compare his shows of strength around coronavirus to authoritarian tactics (Obnoxious headline by the WaPo. “Critics compare?” How about just stating the facts, which is that Trump’s blatantly authoritarian???)
• Offered a chance to pivot, Trump chooses ignorance and denial (“As the President spoke on a White House balcony, it was clear his illness has taught him very little”)
• White House Doctor Gives Trump The All-Clear With Few Details (“The president is no longer a transmission risk to others, Dr. Sean Conley declares. Other experts disagree.”)
• Trump No Longer Considered a Transmission Risk, Doctor Says (Sean Conley has literally ZERO credibility, isn’t even a real doctor.)
• Trump Reportedly Plotted Wacky Superman Stunt For Walter Reed Discharge (“The president ultimately opted not to go ahead with the Superman stunt. It wasn’t immediately clear why.” He’s nuts.)
• Trump Has Called His Supporters ‘Disgusting.’ Do They Care? (“’The people Trump despises most love him the most,’ Howard Stern has said. But that may be beginning to change.”)
• Teen climate change activist Greta Thunberg endorses Biden
• Our young are terrified by climate change; Trump doesn’t care
• Post-ABC poll: Biden maintains lead nationally over Trump (“Biden is favored by 54 percent of likely voters, with Trump favored by 42 percent. Libertarian Party nominee Jo Jorgensen receives 2 percent support, and Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins is at 1 percent. Biden’s lead among registered voters is also 12 points, consistent with Post-ABC polls taken in recent months.”)
• Strapped for cash, Trump yanks TV ads in key states as Biden spending surges
• Pennsylvania emerges as ‘tipping-point’ battleground for Biden and Trump — before and after Election Day(It hasn’t “emerged” as one, it’s always been one.)
• Biden hits Trump on economy in critical Pennsylvania county
• Biden targets Trump voters in Pennsylvania with message of economic recovery, unity
• GOP social-distances Trump
• Republicans express fears Donald Trump will lose presidential election (“Ted Cruz says he’s afraid of ‘bloodbath of Watergate proportions’ as John Cornyn slams Trump for ‘creating confusion’ over Covid”)
• Biden looking good – but concern over polls mean Democrats are cautious
• GOP sees falling Trump stock as growing threat to Senate majority
• It’s ‘all hands on deck’ this week in Senate on Trump court nominee
• Trump Wants a Repeat of Bush v. Gore. Amy Coney Barrett Might Make It Happen.
• Here’s How McConnell Gets Amy Coney Barrett Confirmed No Matter What (“Neither sickness nor gloom will keep the majority leader from the swift completion of her appointment.”)
• How Amy Coney Barrett played a role in Bush v. Gore — and helped the Republican Party defend mail ballots (She’s horrible.)
• Amateur hour at the Trump White House
• The Texas electorate is changing – but could Biden really flip the state? (“The 24th district is a microcosm of political shifts in the state and a test of which vision of the suburbs is more accurate”)
• With Covid back in spotlight, Iowa emerges as test for Trump. Can he keep it red? (“Coronavirus cases are rising in the White House and in the battleground state, where a couple of recent polls have shown Joe Biden leading.”)
• Once-dominant Republicans fret Arizona is slipping into blue column (“If Democrats flip both chambers of the state legislature next month, it could leave Republicans in a semi-permanent minority in fast-growing Arizona.” Bye bye!)
• All That Could Burn (“Life as a Californian during the 2020 fire season”)
• There Will Be No Trump Coup (“A final pre-election case for understanding the president as a noisy weakling, not a budding autocrat.” Somewhat interesting argument by conservative Ross Douthat, but ultimately, it’s quite possible Trump actually IS a budding autocrat – he certainly talks and acts like one – and that we should all respond accordingly.)
• ‘SNL’ Tackles Racism & Police Brutality, Kate McKinnon Breaks Character, ‘Weekend Update’ Savages “President & Active Bio Weapon” Trump
• Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris Shuts Down Mike Pence on SNL (“But things really got weird when Herman Cain showed up as a reincarnated fly to attack ‘white devil’ Trump for giving ‘the ‘rona.'”)
• Election 2020: A Q&A with Mark Warner
• Election 2020: A Q&A with Daniel Gade (Right winger Gade of course is voting for Amendment 1.)
• VIDEO: 1st DCCC TV Ad In VA-05 Slams Bob Good’s Policies To “Wrestle” Social Security From Virginians
• Small businesses show resolve and optimism while meeting with congresswoman
• Yet More Wildly Irresponsible Behavior by Republicans, This Time By Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01), State Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, etc.
• Virginia’s Utility Bill Freeze Just Ended. This Could Make The Eviction Problem Worse.
• As movement grows to reduce police involvement in mental health crisis calls, Virginia legislators try to figure out a statewide model
• Disputed redistricting reform on the ballot in Virginia
• Saturday (10/10) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,256 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 157,905), +54 Hospitalizations (to 11,501), +10 Deaths (to 3,354) From Yesterday
• Opinion: John Warner’s poise, grace should be a political model for others
• Democrat Annette Hyde Declares Run For Nick Freitas (R-HD30)’s Virginia House of Delegates Seat
• Democrat Kyle Elliott Announces Candidacy for Virginia’s 68th House of Delegates District
• Former Richmond city attorney to run for House of Delegates seat
• Edwards and Hurst: Vote no on Amendment Oneme
• “Today’s hidden dark money donor to the yes [on Amendment 1] campaign is $150k from ‘Unite and Review Fund’, which doesn’t exist online” (“But the address they gave for their report is the same address as this investment firm: https://summitpartners.com/team”)
• Opinion: Hampton Roads seeks to mine opportunity from crisis
• Defendants in rally suit seek sanctions after former Councilor Bellamy misses deposition
• Hackers post stolen information from Fairfax school district
• Pandemic-related drop in enrollment in Fredericksburg-area public schools could have financial effects
• D.C.-area forecast: A dousing from Delta later today and tonight, with a brighter midweek on the way