by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 16.
- Covid-19 vaccines are being hoarded by rich countries — poor ones are missing out
- Trump’s China policy was a fiasco — not a triumph
- Brazil and Mexico presidents recognize Biden’s victory after facing criticism (Biden needs to crack down big time on Bolsonaro.)
- To Cut Emissions to Zero, U.S. Needs to Make Big Changes in Next 10 Years (“New research details major infrastructure work — including immense construction projects — that would need to start right away to achieve Biden’s goal of zero emissions by 2050.”)
- Biden wants the U.S. to stop contributing to climate change by 2050. Here’s what that would actually take. (“Putting the country on a path toward ‘net zero’ emissions would mean massive and rapid changes, from your kitchen to your carport” We’d better haul ass.)
- Biden Enlists Team of Veteran Leaders to Fight Climate Change
- Biden will keep using U.S. sanctions weapon but with sharper aim – sources
- Poll: Americans Are Growing Less Reluctant To Take COVID-19 Vaccine
- The U.S. government spent billions on a system for detecting hacks. The Russians outsmarted it.
- Fauci: 85 percent of the US needs to get the Covid-19 vaccine for “true herd immunity”
- Congressional leaders to meet for second session amid rush to strike Covid relief, funding deal
- Congressional Leaders Cite Progress in Talks, but No Deal Yet on Relief
- Congress’s pandemic bill is late, imperfect — and needed. Pass it now.
- Prospect of two vaccines spurs hope that pandemic’s end is in sight (And hopefully soon the Astra Zeneca vaccine.)
- MAGA-world may resist the vaccine, but it still wants Trump to get credit (If that’s not a cult, what is?)
- FDA authorizes first over-the-counter, rapid home virus test
- Six Weeks of Republican Shamelessness Have Done Real Damage (“With its surreal defiance, the G.O.P. established a new normal for anti-democratic behavior.”)
- From Voter Fraud to Vaccine Lies: Misinformation Peddlers Shift Gears (“Election-related falsehoods have subsided, but misleading claims about the coronavirus vaccines are surging — often spread by the same people.” The same people who spread climate denial as well?)
- Anti-Trumpers Are Doing Nothing Right Now to Stop Him in ’24
- America Is Attempting to Exit an Abusive Relationship (“And it’s when the woman finally leaves that things tend to get violent.”)
- Facebook Is a Doomsday Machine (“The architecture of the modern web poses grave threats to humanity. It’s not too late to save ourselves.”)
- Congress needs to curb presidential power. Here’s how it can start to.
- McConnell says what Trump doesn’t want to hear (“The GOP Senate majority leader congratulated Biden and asked his colleagues not to stage any stunts when Congress meets for a joint session to ratify the election”)
- MAGA turns on Mitch: Trump says ‘people are angry’ after allies including Michael Flynn slammed the GOP Senate majority leader for ‘caving to the mob and China’ by recognizing Biden as president-elect
- McConnell warns Senate Republicans against challenging election results
- Mitch McConnell finally acknowledges reality. But the damage is done.
- How McConnell and the GOP let Trump down gently
- Mitch McConnell begs Republicans to stop feeding the Trump beast
- Kevin McCarthy refuses to congratulate Biden on election victory (Great “leadership” there, huh?)
- Why Biden thinks the GOP fever could break (really)
- Scoop: McConnell alerted White House before congratulating Biden
- Defying Trump, McConnell Seeks to Squelch Bid to Overturn the Election
- Progressives have a bold agenda. Biden should act on their priorities in his first 100 days.
- Three-quarters of states will elect governors in the next 2 years. Here’s a field guide. (“Virginia is likely to be more competitive. The state’s one-consecutive-term limit means embattled Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam isn’t running again — but his predecessor, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, wants a second term. First, McAuliffe must navigate a tricky and crowded Democratic primary against three Black candidates, including two Black women: state Sen. Jennifer McClellan and former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy.”)
- Trump Organization must turn over documents to NY attorney general, judge rules
- Donald Trump has executed more Americans than all states combined, report finds (Trump is good at killing people, that’s for sure.)
- White House counsel’s office warned Trump not to fire Chris Wray
- Prosecuting Donald Trump: the question that will roil Biden’s first year
- Trump’s Staff Secretary Lyons to Leave White House This Month
- Democrats can win over the sane Republicans — and there are some! (Too few.)
- ‘There’s now one pro-democracy political party’: Steve Schmidt announces he’s a Democrat
- A Record-Breaking Number Of Women Could Be In Biden’s Cabinet
- Trump asking about special prosecutor for Hunter Biden
- Barr’s escape hatch isn’t enough to shake Trump’s stigma
- Bill Barr’s Resignation Letter Perfectly Reflects His Entire Career (Barr is a disgrace and always will be.)
- The extraordinary rise of Pete Buttigieg
- 17 theses on Pete Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation
- Exclusive: Biden taps former rival Buttigieg for U.S. Transportation secretary -sources
- Deb Haaland Is Joe Biden’s ‘Leading Candidate’ For Interior Secretary (“Nothing is final yet, but the Native American congresswoman ‘has strong support’ for the job, said a source familiar with the selection process.”)
- Biden to tap former Michigan Gov. Granholm to lead Energy Department
- Biden considering Republicans for Commerce secretary
- Biden picks former EPA chief Gina McCarthy as White House climate czar
- DeVos urges career staff to ‘be the resistance’ as Biden takes over (What the everlasting f***?)
- Mar-a-Lago neighbors to Trump: Spend your post-presidency elsewhere
- There Are Several Things Wrong With Malcolm Gladwell’s Defense of Masturbating in Front of Co-Workers
- MacKenzie Scott Gives Away $4.2 Billion in Four Months (That’s the way to do it. There’s absolutely no reason to hold on to billions of dollars; nobody can possibly need anywhere near that much to live on.)
- Never let Trump’s accomplices live down their attacks on democracy (“Defending democracy is part of a journalist’s job” Yep, and most fail miserably at that job.)
- ‘I do not feel safe’: Kansas GOP mayor resigns after threats over backing mask mandate (If you make threats, you should be arrested.)
- How Sinclair national news reports are covering up threats to election officials and lawmakers (Reminder: never watch any Sinclair “news” product, such as WJLA-7 in the DC area.)
- Hundreds of invitees skip Mike Pompeo’s indoor holiday party at State Department
- Georgia official rages at GOP senators: ‘Stop focusing on me’ and try ‘winning’ instead
- Jon Ossoff and the ‘movement energy’ he’s tapping in Georgia
- Biden campaigns for Georgia Senate Democrats following electoral college victory
- Georgia Republicans Are Eating Their Own Entrails
- Former Houston police captain accused of violent attempt to prove election conspiracy was hired by GOP activist’s group
- Ron Johnson gambles his political future on Trump (Ron Johnson is horrendous.)
- Louie Gohmert Has Challengers for His Crown as Emperor of the Crazy People (“Take, for example, Madison Cawthorn, the young congressman-elect who’ll be representing the Mark Meadows Memorial Gerrymander down in North Carolina.”)
- Video: Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Says Trump Sharing Unhinged Conspiracy Theories Is “Very Dangerous,” “Ludicrous” (Riggleman also says “it’s nonsense” that Putin congratulated Biden before McConnell did, and that “just saying the ‘kraken’ isn’t real, you know, gets me censured” by the VA GOP)
- ‘Devastating’ new report finds major problems with special education in Virginia
- Leading 2021 VA GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Amanda Chase: “President Trump should declare martial law as recommended by General Flynn”
- Siding With Trump, Kirk Cox Breaks His Promise To Recognize Biden’s Win After The Electoral College Vote (“This isn’t the first time Cox took the side of election conspiracy theorists”)
- Only one GOP candidate for governor acknowledges reality of Biden’s win
- Lieutenant Governor’s staffer appears to be behind anonymous anti-McAuliffe Twitter account
- Despite setbacks for new natural gas projects, companies push forward with plans (We’re in a climate emergency, which means it’s 100% unacceptable to build any more fossil fuel projects.)
- Griffith: One-term limit is a crucial check on executive power (This is the same imbecile and seditionist vwho wanted to overturn the presidential election.)
- Tuesday (12/15) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +3,160 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 288,309), +114 Hospitalizations (to 16,187), +56 Deaths (to 4,470)
- COVID-19 vaccinations in Virginia have begun: Sentara Norfolk gives first doses, other health systems get first batches
- Governor Northam Ceremonially Signs Legislation Creating Statewide ‘Marcus Alert’
- Blanding on Marcus Alert Bill Signing “Fix It”
- Peters’ sister blasts legislators and Gov. Northam as he ceremonially signs ‘Marcus Alert’ bill
- EDITORIAL :Leaving Stafford voters in the lurch
- Who Made The Rules? Capitol Police Won’t Say Where New Orders Came From
- Video: Two Republican Prince William County Board Members Freak Out, Walk Out When Joint Meeting with School Board Turns to Subject of “Implicit Bias”
- Editorial: Hampton shows the way forward to fight flooding (The only real solution here is to combat the climate crisis.)
- Roanoke School Board scales back third nine weeks reopening plan
- Winter storm update: A messy mix of ice and snow will hit much of Va., but Richmond can still expect rain on Wednesday
- D.C.-area forecast: Snow and sleet arriving late morning, changing to heavy rain this afternoon (then back to snow tonight?)
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