Thursday News: “Biden’s $1.9tn Covid relief bill marks an end to four decades of Reaganism”; “For Democracy to Stay, the Filibuster Must Go”; “John Dean Warns Trump That Prosecutors Are Closing In: ‘Only A Matter Of Days’”; “The Virginia GOP is blowing it”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 11.

• Recognizing ‘historic tipping point’, UN begins push towards more sustainable energy future
• Impasse Over Iran Nuclear Talks Sets Off Scramble to Save Accord (“The Biden administration is caught between critics in Congress and allies in Europe over returning to an accord to limit Iran’s nuclear ambitions without bending to Tehran’s demands for financial relief.”)
• Covid-19: Brazil surge reaches new level as daily deaths pass 2,000
• UK risks echoing ‘toxic’ US media without strong regulator, says BBC anchor
• Myanmar army using battle tactics against protests: Amnesty
• Electric Cars Are Coming. How Long Until They Rule the Road? (“A new car sold today can last a decade or two before retiring. This slow “fleet turnover” poses a major challenge for climate policy.”)
• How broadcast TV networks covered climate change in 2020 (Yep, much of the media just flat-out sucks.)
• A year with the coronavirus: How we got here
• The Memo: How the COVID year upended politics
• The Economy Looks Set to Roar, and That Worries Investors
• For Democracy to Stay, the Filibuster Must Go (“What happens when the biggest election reform bill in half a century runs into one of the most formidable barriers to American governance?”
• Can we save American democracy, if it was never a democracy to begin with? (“America has taken tentative steps toward true multiracial democracy — but all that hangs in the balance now”)
• At border, record number of migrant youths wait in adult detention cells for longer than legally allowed
• President Biden’s second big bill may be China package pushed by top Senate Democrat
• Every House Republican just voted against COVID relief checks — again
• House Approves Measure With No Republican Votes, Sending Bill to Biden
• Biden Prepares Nationwide Victory Lap to Promote His Rescue Plan
• So Biden Can Pass a $1.9 Trillion Relief Bill. But Can He Nail the Messaging? (“There are hard lessons from the Obama years.”)
• Stimulus Package Includes Big Benefits for the Middle Class
• Biden is leading a quiet revolution
• Biden seeks his moment with pandemic address
• Congress sends Biden one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history
• Shift from pandemic aid to poverty relief raises GOP ire on liberal agenda
• Biden seeks to chart a path out of the pandemic in prime-time address (“The virus is far from purged, but Biden, armed with a Covid rescue package and an increased vaccine drive, can speak to the nation from a position of strength”)
• Five Things The COVID-19 Bill Revealed About How Washington Will Work In The Biden Era
• Biden’s $1.9tn Covid relief bill marks an end to four decades of Reaganism (“Analysis: Reagan’s presidency undermined faith in government. The stimulus package helps restore FDR’s legacy”)
• With Relief Plan, Biden Takes on a New Role: Crusader for the Poor (“President Biden has prioritized Americans in poverty, an evolution for a politician who has focused largely on the working class and foreign policy. His transformation has included following progressives in his party to the left and wielding power to make sweeping rather than incremental change.”)
• Biden’s plan just passed. Now Democrats must relentlessly highlight what’s in it.
• First Thing: boost for Biden as Covid aid bill passes
• Senate confirms Garland as attorney general
• Merrick Garland confirmed as attorney general, turning page on Trump era
• Senate confirms Michael Regan to lead EPA
• The Republican Party Isn’t Going Anywhere (“In the contemporary American political system, the parties are always changing—but they don’t simply disappear.”)
• Republicans’ biggest problem: Voters don’t take them seriously
• GOP Decides Equal Representation Is an ‘Assault on Democracy’
• The GOP and Conservative Media Now Resemble the Communists of My Youth
• Gen Z’s high-speed rail meme dream, explained (“Have you seen that high-speed rail map on Twitter? Gen Z is hoping President Biden has.”)
• Police groups endorse Biden’s pick for civil rights chief
• This Is What the Beginning of a Climate-Labor Alliance Looks Like
• GOP Senator Who Voted Against COVID-19 Relief Already Taking Credit For Bill’s Benefits (“Mississippi’s Sen. Roger Wicker tweeted about how the legislation would help independent restaurants — even though every Republican voted against it.”)
• Veteran charged in Capitol riot once served in Marine One squadron, officials say
• Trump’s Tax-Fraud Scheme Takes a Nosedive (“The Manhattan District Attorney’s criminal probe is closing in.”)
• John Dean Warns Trump That Prosecutors Are Closing In: ‘Only A Matter Of Days’
• Whistleblowers Allege Improper Hiring At Justice Department During Trump’s Last Days
• Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen to meet again with Manhattan DA in Trump probe
• Recording of Trump Phone Call to Georgia Lead Investigator Reveals New Details
• Wall Street Journal: Trump pressured Georgia investigator to find ‘the right answer’ in baseless fraud push
• Trump endorses widow of Rep.-elect Luke Letlow in Louisiana House race
• Jayapal asks for investigations into three GOP members for their role in instigating the Capitol Insurrection (“Jayapal asks the two groups to ‘thoroughly investigate’ the activity of the three members of Congress — Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Mo Brooks of Alabama and Paul Gosar of Arizona — in the time leading up to the insurrection and refer all potential criminal wrongdoing to the Department of Justice.”)
• Lauren Boebert under fire after releasing Pelosi attack ad with gunshot sound effect
• Rep. David Cicilline Says He’ll Propose Rule to Stop Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Delay Tactics
• Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been gunking up the works. She says she’s not backing down.
• Oath Keepers Founder Is Said to Be Investigated in Capitol Riot
• Judge tosses absurd Trump campaign lawsuit against the New York Times
• Republicans’ attacks on voting are notching up victories. It’s degrading democracy.
• Roy Blunt wanted compromise and cordiality. He couldn’t survive the Trump GOP’s descent.
• Reluctantly, a Coal State Pivots to Wind (“Wyoming shows how energy transformation in the United States is possible”)
• Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri acquitted after trial on charges from George Floyd protest in May 2020
• Iowa reporter acquitted in a trial that shocked press freedom advocates
• What to Know About Cuomo’s Potential Successor, Kathy Hochul
• Female aide said Cuomo aggressively groped her at the governor’s mansion (Cuomo needs to resign.)
• Sen. Tim Kaine approves National Guard presence at Capitol if it means removing fences, razor wire
• Sen. Tim Kaine says after $1.9T COVID relief plan, next focus is post-pandemic economy (“Kaine wants to see emphasis on infrastructure and broadband”)
• Senator Tim Kaine talks COVID-19 relief during virtual press conference
• Video – Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10): “our colleagues across the aisle want to gaslight the American people on this,” but “the American Rescue Plan meets the needs of our families and communities right now” (Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08): “today we reject the social Darwinism of our Republican friends”)
• Video: Pete Snyder Then (Trump a “racist jerk” for the things he said “as it relates to Mexicans”); Pete Snyder Now (Trump’s policies, including on immigration, were “phenomenal” and we “greatly miss” them)
• The Virginia GOP is blowing it (“Like Wile E. Coyote, the Republican Party of Virginia is heading back to the virtual drawing board on Friday to come up with an entirely new scheme for picking its nominees.”)
• Schapiro: Virginia Democrats imprisoned by parole board scandal
• Graphics: 12 House of Delegates Democrats, Only 3 House of Delegates Rs, Face Primary [UPDATED]
• Anonymous attacks in the GOP gubernatorial race continue to scare party operatives
• Virginia AG’s office reviewing request by NAACP to investigate fatal state police shooting of Xzavier Hill along I-64
• Doris Crouse-Mays and Andrea Johnson column: How a recent sexual harassment bill went off the rails and failed to pass.
• Push to end marijuana prohibition this year instead of 2024 hinges on Northam
• Wednesday (3/10) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,246 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 589,375), +84 Hospitalizations (to 24,925), +59 Deaths (to 9,849) (Lowest 10-day new COVID cases since 11/5)
• It’s been a year of coronavirus in Virginia. What we know about it has changed — a lot.
• Starting from a Clean Slate (“Compromise on expungement: automatic for some misdemeanors, petition for some felonies.”)
• Lowering the limit: How allowing 15 mph zones could save lives in Virginia
• Investigators find use of racial slurs ‘common’ at VMI, incidents of sexual assault
• Henrico School Board chair apologizes for reposting Dr. Seuss Facebook post; Board will attend sensitivity training
• Affordable housing advocates respond to Stoney’s budget proposal: ‘Not going to cut it’
• ‘We’ve really been impressed’: Virginia Gov. Northam tours Marion Elementary Wednesday
• Massive COVID-19 vaccination site coming to Portsmouth on Monday
• Fairfax County school system faces second lawsuit over changes to Thomas Jefferson admissions
• Longtime Virginia Capitol Police officer dies of covid-19
• Loudoun Co. superintendent weighs 4-day hybrid, plans in-person graduation
• ‘Continuous deaths’: Hampton Roads Regional Jail’s accreditation revoked
• Fairfax defers flag ordinance proposal to next meeting
• D.C.-area forecast: Record-challenging warmth today before a cooldown this weekend (“Well into the 70s today, but only 40s for highs on Monday.”)