Tuesday News: “WHO Points To Wildlife Farms In Southern China As Likely Source Of Pandemic”; Republicans’ “absolutely disgusting and racist rumor mongering”; Virginia Republican candidates for governor show grip Trump has on party”; #UnFoxMyCableBox

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, March 16.

• WHO Points To Wildlife Farms In Southern China As Likely Source Of Pandemic (Humans’ appalling abuse of nature and animals is horrible in every way.)
• Long-lost Core Drilled to Prepare Ice Sheet to Hide Nuclear Missiles Holds Clues About a Different Threat (“Plant remnants frozen beneath 4,000 feet of ice show that most of Greenland’s ice sheet melted about 1 million years ago, in a climate like today’s.” Another massive human-caused problem that humans have to fix, ASAP)
• Climate crisis: recent European droughts ‘worst in 2,000 years’ (“Study of tree rings dating back to Roman empire concludes weather since 2014 has been extraordinary”)
• ‘Reading the writing on the wall’: why Wall Street is acting on the climate crisis (“The industry has backed polluters for decades. Now, amid growing pressure, Wall Street says it’s going green”)
• The World’s Three Biggest Coal Users Get Ready to Burn Even More (Totally unacceptable.)
• Food and fuel prices soar in Myanmar as coup exacerbates Covid-19 crisis (“World Food Programme says people already reeling from pandemic are facing double-digit price increases in staple foods”)
• First Russia poisoned him. Now this is the prison camp for Alexey Navalny
• Sister of North Korean leader responds to White House with vague warning
• Biden aides bristled when Justice official called North Korea a ‘criminal syndicate,’ say officials
• Vatican says it will not bless same-sex unions, calling them a ‘sin’
• Xi Jinping Warns Against Tech Excess in Sign Crackdown Will Widen
• News Corp and Facebook Reach News Agreement in Australia
• ‘The damage is done’: Europe’s caution over AstraZeneca vaccine could have far-reaching consequences (“Vaccine uptake is proving sluggish and the wider immunization program is already lagging in the region.” Dumb.)
• Europe’s halting of some vaccinations ‘may cause more harm than it stops,’ expert says
• Catholic Order Pledges $100 Million to Atone for Slave Labor and Sales (“The move by Jesuit priests is the largest such effort by the Roman Catholic Church and comes amid growing calls for reparations across the United States”)
• As Biden Confronts Vaccine Hesitancy, Republicans Pose a Challenge (“President Biden’s efforts to persuade conservatives to get inoculated has been complicated by perceptions of his predecessor’s stance on vaccines. Former President Trump was vaccinated, but many of his supporters appear reluctant, and he has not played a prominent role in promoting the shots.”)
• Americans have been shockingly good at getting their second Covid-19 shot (“Patients are usually terrible at getting their second shot. Not with the Covid-19 vaccine.”)
• Why the Pandemic Experts Failed (“We’re still thinking about pandemic data in the wrong ways.”)
• A concerning variant is about to become dominant in the US, experts say, and how Americans act could help fuel or curb a surge
• House Republicans say they care about Medicare — but not if they have to vote for it
• Huge fight looms over raising taxes
• How to Tame the Presidency After Trump (“Congress needs to find creative ways to engage the executive branch that favor cooperation over conflict.”)
• Senior Democrat ‘hot mic’ says GOP foot-dragging will force fast-track process for infrastructure
• Democratic-controlled U.S. House to vote on citizenship path for ‘Dreamers’
• Democrats move smaller immigration bills while eyeing broad overhaul
• US to house up to 3,000 immigrant teens at Dallas site
• Biden faces growing political threat from border upheaval
• U.S. solar industry comes ‘roaring back,’ breaks multiple records in 2020 (“Here are the brand-new stats and forecasts from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie.”)
• Deb Haaland confirmed as first Indigenous US cabinet secretary (Great news…LONG overdue!)
• The Senate Confirms Deb Haaland to Be the First Native American Cabinet Secretary in US History
• Senate Democrats say Covid relief plan makes it easier for Biden to cancel student debt
• Legendary social scientist Robert Putnam: We may be on the cusp of a new Progressive era (“Biden is consciously linking himself to FDR and LBJ — but Putnam says the real lessons are even deeper in history”)
• What Biden and F.D.R. May End Up Having in Common
• Biden’s stimulus is neither socialism nor a New Deal
• Joe Biden’s new New Deal (“Biden could launch a second progressive era.”)
• Two arrested in assault on police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who died after Jan. 6 Capitol riot
• Capitol Police officer suspended after antisemitic document found at checkpoint
• U.S. Arrests 2 Men, Saying They Sprayed Sicknick And Others With Chemical At Capitol
• Want a formal presidential news conference? Reporters need better questions. (“Reporters need to step up their game. Here are some questions to get them started.”)
• No. 2 Senate Democrat torches filibuster
• Here’s the key to overcoming resistance to reforming the filibuster (“Stop asking holdouts like Joe Manchin about the filibuster itself. Start asking them what they want to accomplish.”)
• An Old Debate Renewed: Does The U.S. Now Need A Domestic Terrorism Law?
• Republicans shamelessly take credit for Covid relief they voted against (These people are pathological.)
• Georgia must hold the line on democracy — again (“All tools must be on the table.”)
• Washington Post adds lengthy correction to report on Trump call with Georgia elections investigator
• Did the Trump White House Create a Batshit Report on Dominion Voting?
• Donald Trump is fading away. Republicans ought to celebrate. (“Until they can rid themselves of him, they can’t reassemble a national majority.”)
• Manchin signals he’ll support Gupta as No. 3 at DOJ, bolstering her chance at confirmation
• Vindman twin set for promotion after bad evaluations from Trump appointees
• Police reform is not enough. We need to rethink public safety. (“Community activists and law enforcement officers who see eye to eye on precious little agree on this: We rely too much on the police. There are better ways to keep our neighborhoods safe.”)
• Kathy Hochul, Cuomo’s Loyal Lieutenant, Is Tested as Crisis Engulfs Him
• Gov. Andrew Cuomo Should Not Resign, Say Half of New Yorkers in a Poll
• Trump’s CFO’s ex-daughter-in-law is cooperating with prosecutors and ‘refuses to be silenced,’ her lawyer says (“Jennifer Weisselberg is cooperating with an investigation into Trump’s finances, her lawyer says. — She’s the ex-daughter-in-law of Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Org CFO the DA wants to ‘flip.'”)
• Steve Bannon loses bid to start right-wing political academy in Italy
• Jared Kushner Says Farewell to U.S. Taxpayers With $24,000 Hotel Tab
• Andrew Cuomo Normalizes Donald Trump
• Gavin Newsom commits to nominating an African American woman to Senate if Dianne Feinstein retires
• The Republican Senate Primaries in Ohio and Missouri Have Attracted the Conservative Undead
• Coca-Cola, Home Depot come out in opposition to Georgia voting restrictions
• What We’re Watching In The New York City Mayoral Race
• Judge: Arizona GOP must pay $18K in groundless election suit
• Alaska Republican Party vows to recruit challenger to Sen. Lisa Murkowski in 2022
• Democrats are Fighting Back Against the Effort to Recall Gavin Newsom
• Peter Thiel’s Huge Donation Backing J.D. Vance Could Upend the Ohio Senate Race (“His $10 million super-PAC contribution is unprecedented.”)
• GOP Sen. Ron Johnson denies comments about Black Lives Matter protesters racist (They most certainly were racist – virulently so, actually.)
• Ron Johnson’s racism is breathtaking
• Conservative group rips Toomey as ‘RINO,’ underscoring GOP’s shift (Crazy.)
• John Oliver documented Tucker Carlson’s awfulness. Here’s how you can take action. (“If you really want to hold Tucker Carlson accountable, join #UnFoxMyCableBox”)
• Right-wing media recklessly scapegoat migrants at the border for COVID-19 surges
• Virginia lawmakers prepare to battle the Pentagon over a potential cut to the carrier fleet
• Checking DoD’s homework on acquisition reforms top of mind for Sen. Kaine
• Report ranks Virginia fourth among states for 2020 solar installations (“Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia topped almost other states in solar installations in 2020, ranking fourth behind only California, Texas and Florida. According to findings from the analysis released Tuesday by the Solar Energy Industries Association and energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, more than 1.4 gigawatts of solar were installed in Virginia last year.”)
• Editorial: Congress must ban drilling off Virginia coast
• Monday (3/15) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,130 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 595,865), +26 Hospitalizations (to 25,323), +41 Deaths (to 10,060) (Lowest hospitalizations since 11/1; lowest 10-day new cases since 11/4)
• Video: Watch as Gov. Ralph Northam and Virginia First Lady Pam Northam Receive Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccines
• Three months into Virginia’s vaccine rollout, many poultry plant workers have yet to be immunized
• Alleged Ethics Violations at Richmond Law Firm Cost Taxpayers Millions (“Lauren Turner, the fund’s general counsel, told NPR she was speechless. A spokesperson for McGuireWoods told VPM the firm does not discuss its representation of clients.”)
• Virginia Republican candidates for governor show grip Trump has on party (“The declared candidates have so far largely embraced Mr. Trump’s rhetoric and policies with an eye toward winning the state GOP convention in May, even if doing so makes it more difficult to appeal to moderate voters in the November general election. Republicans have not won a statewide election in Virginia in over a decade, since 2009.”)
• Virginia looks to gain ground in states’ slow race on electric vehicle policy (“Gov. Ralph Northam is expected to sign a bill this month that will make Virginia first in the South and 15th overall to adopt California’s Clean Car standards, which force automakers to expand electric vehicle inventories.”)
• How Amazon Crushes Unions (“In a secret settlement in Virginia, Amazon swore off threatening and intimidating workers. As the company confronts increased labor unrest, its tactics are under scrutiny.”)
• Gubernatorial candidate Lee Carter calls for randomization of candidate names on statewide primary ballot
• House Speaker Filler-Corn endorses Mark Herring for Attorney General
• Ranked Choice Voting Polls: Virginia Democratic Governor and Lt. Governor Nominations
• Suspended state investigator got bonus, received praise for work on Parole Board cases
• Tax dash begins as Northam signs conformity bill, but filing deadline could be delayed
• EDITORIAL: Expanding broadband in rural areas is crucial
• The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Supports Greater Equity in Education & Condemns the Racist Tropes Repeated by Senators Petersen & Saslaw to Defeat Delegate Tyler’s Governor’s Schools Legislation
• In leaked recording, Supervisor Pete Candland says approving apartments hurts Republicans politically (“Candland’s comments, published online on Sunday, March 14, by the blog ‘Blue Virginia,’ were made about Ray’s Regarde, a development of 175 townhomes and 150 condominiums or apartments, approved by the board of county supervisors in March 2019. The recording was of a private discussion that took place several months after the project was approved.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: Damp and dreary with patchy light rain, but turning warmer Wednesday