Friday News: “Biden spells out U.S. climate goal, urges other world leaders to go big”; Michael Mann Weighs In; “Biden Aims at Top 0.3% With Bid to Tax Capital Gains Like Wages”; “Here is how the filibuster dies”; “Don’t give Republicans another inch on the Jan. 6 commission, Democrats”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, April 23. Early voting in the Democratic primaries begins today, so if you know who you’re supporting, feel free to cast your ballot!

• Biden spells out U.S. climate goal, urges other world leaders to go big
• U.K. Says Benefit of Climate Targets Outweigh $904 Billion Cost
• Climate crisis has shifted the Earth’s axis, study shows (“Massive melting of glaciers has tilted the planet’s rotation, showing the impact of human activities”)
• Biden vows to slash US emissions by half to meet ‘existential crisis of our time’ (“US president tells virtual climate summit that ‘time is short’ to address dangerous global heating in a break from Trump era”)
• Intelligence Director Says Climate Change Will Be ‘Center’ Of U.S. Foreign Policy (“Avril Haines said the U.S. would address the phenomenon ‘not just to protect national security for America, but to protect human security around the world.'”)
• Why Bitcoin Is Bad for the Environment (“Cryptocurrency mining uses huge amounts of power – and can be as destructive as the real thing”)
• Biden Enlists Business World in Effort Against Climate Change
• For Biden’s Pledge to Succeed, America Would Need Big Changes (Good, it’s about friggin’ time!)
• The U.S. Has a New Climate Goal. How Does It Stack Up Globally? (“President Biden’s vow to cut emissions at least 50 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 is one of the more aggressive targets among advanced economies.”)
• Getting Real About Coal and Climate (“A document from the United Mine Workers offers reason to hope”)
• Climate Summit’s Final Day to Focus on Technology, Innovation
• Biden ushers in a new era of climate geopolitics
• 5 things to know about the brand new US climate commitment (“It’s the most ambitious target to date, but it still may not be big enough to atone for our outsize emissions.”)
• How climate became the centerpiece of Biden’s economic agenda
• As head of the UN’s climate change agency, I know this year is crucial for the future of humanity (“Fighting climate change may be the most important task we face today – and the US’s renewed commitment to it is welcome”)
• Which country has made the biggest climate commitment? (“The US, EU and UK are leading the race to cut emissions targets among the world’s biggest economies”)
• Even Record Death Toll May Hide Extent of India’s Covid Crisis
• Desperation as Indian hospitals buckle under Covid
• How India Went From A Ray Of Hope To A World Record For Most COVID Cases In A Day
• Navalny Has a Lesson for the World
• Russia Is Murdering the Kremlin’s Biggest Critic in Plain Sight. Who Will Save Alexei Navalny?
• Russia announces end to massive troop buildup near Ukraine
• It’s time to cut off the gas for Myanmar’s military coup leaders
• East Jerusalem clashes leave over 100 injured
• Worries Grow About Indonesian Sub’s Crew as Oxygen Dwindles
• J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Pause Over Blood-Clot Fear Heads to Review
• Biden Administration Looks For Help With Next Phase Of Pitching COVID Vaccines
• US prepares for vaccine tipping point
• The Vaccination Gender Gap: Women Are Getting Shots at a Higher Rate Than Men
• With Few New Clotting Cases, Johnson & Johnson Pause Could Be Lifted Soon
• We should soon stop catering to the vaccine holdouts (“Secure vaccine passports are warranted.”)
• COVID-19 hospitalizations tumble among US senior citizens
• SpaceX Rocket Launches With Astronauts Aboard
• Tensions rise as Democrats face Senate bottleneck on agenda (The Senate is broken.)
• Here is how the filibuster dies (“Give Republicans multiple chances — and then take away the filibuster.”)
• How is Marjorie Taylor Greene’s failed “America First” caucus any different from the GOP? (“MTG and Paul Gosar spoke too boldly — but their blatant white supremacy is just standard Republican politics”)
• Five big players to watch in Big Tech’s antitrust fight
• Biden wasn’t even sworn in when Republicans began plotting ways to use the border as a political attack
• Biden Bid to Raise Economic Speed Limit Gets Boost From Business
• Biden Aims at Top 0.3% With Bid to Tax Capital Gains Like Wages
• Biden Will Seek Tax Increase on Rich to Fund Child Care and Education (The rich absolutely should pay more. Wealthy corporations too.)
• Biden Eyeing Tax Rate as High as 43.4% in Next Economic Package
• Republicans Aren’t Done Messing With Elections (“Not content with limiting voting rights, they are threatening the integrity of vote counting itself.”)
• Republicans melt down after Democratic congressman calls out racist lies about DC
• A Trump-McConnell power struggle creates landmines in GOP quest to retake Congress (“It’s forcing congressional leadership to tread lightly and avoid setting off an explosion that does real damage to the party.”)
• The Trump Administration Is Over, but the Trump Crisis Is Not (“Many Republicans are acting like the Capitol insurrection never happened.”)
• It’s Been Exactly 1 Year Since The Most Insane Moment Of The Trump Presidency (“One year later, many people still can’t believe this actually happened.”)
• GOP attorneys general group in turmoil after Jan. 6 Trump rally
• Republicans are plotting to use economic blackmail. Here’s how Democrats can stop them. (“Get rid of the debt ceiling, so America can’t be subject to this ever again.”)
• Deb Haaland Is Plowing Ahead With Tackling Violence Against Native Women
• As economy spikes, Republicans are still waiting for the ‘Biden depression’ that Trump predicted
• What Substack Is Really Doing to the Media (“The company is targeting one of news organizations’ weak points.”)
• Don’t give Republicans another inch on the Jan. 6 commission, Democrats (“Democrats can’t allow Republicans to bury the truth about that horrible day.”)
• Forget the ‘Bipartisan Commission’ on January 6. Leave It to the Department of Justice.
• Right-wing media use guilty verdict in George Floyd’s murder by police to deny that systemic racism exists: “The system worked”
• Fox rehashes old bad-faith arguments and misinformation in covering Green New Deal reintroduction
• Marijuana Legalization Is Super Popular. Why Hasn’t It Happened Nationally?
• Tucker Carlson’s latest endorsement of “replacement theory” proves that Lachlan Murdoch is complicit
• Behind the ‘Thin Blue Line’ flag: America’s history of police violence
• Sotomayor blasts Kavanaugh’s decision on juvenile life sentences
• Brett Kavanaugh’s Opinion Restoring Juvenile Life Without Parole Is Dishonest and Barbaric
• Democrats Ask Justice Barrett To Recuse In Case Involving Nonprofit Donor Privacy
• Outcry over US Postal Service reportedly tracking social media posts (“Report obtained by Yahoo says USPS surveilling via covert program social media activity it describes as ‘inflammatory’”)
• Stacey Abrams just taught Senator John Kennedy a lesson on being prepared (Abrams kicked Kennedy’s pathetic ass.)
• Hawley votes against anti-Asian hate crime bill (Hawley is the worst of the worst.)
• George W. Bush Says He Wrote-In Condoleezza Rice in 2020 Election and Clarifies ‘Nativist’ Comment
• Foxconn’s giant factory in Wisconsin sounded too good to be true. Turns out it was
• As bat disease continues its deadly march, study finds it’s killed more than 90 percent of three species (Horrible.)
• Andrew Yang, Looking for Endorsement, Offends Gay Democratic Club
• Lone Arizona Republican votes ‘no,’ blocking passage of bill targeting mail voting (“A bill that would stop some voters from getting a ballot automatically mailed to them each election failed in Arizona’s state Senate Thursday after a single Republican joined Democrats in voting against the legislation.”)
• Demonstrations continue as community awaits bodycam footage from Andrew Brown Jr. shooting
• A political group’s hiring of Mark Halperin draws protests from staffers (“No Labels” apparently has “no judgement”)
• Oklahoma passes a law that can protect drivers who run over protesters (Evil.)
• Idaho Senate Approves Bill to Kill 90 Percent of State’s Wolves (Also evil.)
• With Trump’s backing, Walker freezes Senate GOP field in Georgia
• Video: Reps. Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer Speak In Support of DC Statehood Legislation, Which Passes the U.S. House [UPDATED: Tim Kaine Speaks in Support]
• Rep. Luria wants to see Tricare expanded for young adults
• New Wason Center Virginia Poll: McAuliffe “running away with Democrats’ governor bid; Herring has big lead on Jones for attorney general nod; Rasoul leads crowded Lt. Gov. field, but most undecided”
• Gubernatorial Candidate Amanda Chase (R) Says “The Fix Is In”; Calls Out “Jaw-Dropping Corruption” in VA GOP (“The Establishment and the Chairman want Trump-hater Pete Snyder as their nominee!”)
• University poll shows McAuliffe with significant lead in race for Democratic nomination for governor (“None of the other four contenders registers double-digit support; more than a quarter of likely primary voters are undecided.”)
• Terry McAuliffe Calls Out Virginia Republicans for Years of Dangerously Denying Climate Change on Earth Day (“Republican Refusal to Recognize Climate Science Has Left Virginia Behind in the Fight Against Critical Threat, Time for Action is Now”)
• Thursday (4/22) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,373 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 650,981), +65 Hospitalizations (to 27,917), +13 Deaths (to 10,653)
• As Vaccinations Rise, Governor Northam Announces Expanded Capacity, Social Gathering Limits to Begin May 15 (“More than half of all adults in Virginia have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine”)
• Northam: State to loosen more restrictions May 15 (“Gatherings, events, entertainment venues to have larger attendance limits”)
• Virginia will relax some COVID-19 restrictions on May 15; masks and social distancing will continue
• COVID-19 Restrictions Eased on Social Gatherings
• U.S. Dept. of Education Awards Prince William County Schools a “Green Ribbon School” Designation (School Board Chair Babur Lateef vows, “We will continue our push to full carbon neutrality and comprehensive sustainability practices.”)
• After two sessions and with elections looming, Filler-Corn says Democrats have delivered while GOP is ‘stuck’ (Exactly!)
• Green New Deal Virginia Coalition Applauds Virginia Council on Environmental Justice Call for a Fossil Fuel Moratorium, Urges Governor to Declare a Climate Emergency
• Virginia legalized it, but people in prison on marijuana charges will stay there under new law
• Early voting begins Friday in Virginia Democratic primary
• 70 years ago, the Farmville student walkout helped bring an end to school segregation. This week, we remember.
• Commonwealth’s Attorney Candidates Clash over Incarceration, Protests (“Tom Barbour and Collette McEachin have completely different visions of what Richmond’s Commonwealth’s Attorney should do.”)
• Solar Panel Study Raises Rural Concerns in Loudoun
• Black Soldiers Harassed By White Woman at IHOP Near Fort Belvoir
• CNU is one of the worst public universities in America for low-income student enrollment, report says (“It’s also one of the most expensive public universities in the state for low- and middle-income families after financial aid is factored in.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: More springlike in the days ahead. Rain chances arrive late Saturday. (“Temperatures are mostly warming this weekend and into next week. Rain mainly targets Saturday night, leaving much of the weekend dry.”)