by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, April 8.
- Eleven killed as Myanmar protesters fight troops with handmade guns, firebombs: media
- What Went Wrong With the AstraZeneca Vaccine
- The World Can Reach Herd Immunity in 22 Months at Current Vaccination Rates
- Biden Eyes Russia Retaliation After Meddling, Hacking Review
- Brazil, India are now the worst-hit hot spots with record cases, deaths
- U.S. prepared to lift sanctions inconsistent with Iran nuclear deal
- The US and Iran breathed a little life back into the nuclear deal (“The US and Iran took a small step toward reviving the nuclear deal. But major hurdles still remain before it’s fully alive.”)
- Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law granted political asylum by Britain
- A Tiny Particle’s Wobble Could Upend the Known Laws of Physics
- Biden restores $200m in US aid to Palestinians slashed by Trump (“Former US president had gradually cut virtually all US money to Palestinian aid projects”)
- U.S. Offer on Global Tax Deal Would Tie Levies to Revenue
- Europeans Are Optimistic About Global Tax Agreement by June
- White House Considering Nearly Doubling Obama’s Climate Pledge
- Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley plotted to block Biden’s Cabinet nominees — but the scheme backfired (“Biden is first president since Reagan to get all his first choices — with more bipartisan support than Trump”)
- CDC Director Rochelle Walensky expects all schools will be fully open for in-person learning in September
- More Contagious Virus Variant Is Now Dominant in U.S., C.D.C. Chief Says
- Hospitals are seeing more young adults with severe Covid symptoms, CDC says
- Fauci: New Covid cases are at disturbing level as US is primed for surge (“America is in a race between getting people vaccinated and a possible spike in cases, much like the one Europe is experiencing, the infectious disease expert says”)
- No shot, no shoes, no service. We must try to make vaccine passports work.
- Biden open to negotiating on corporate tax hike, but says U.S. must take bold action on infrastructure
- With His Legacy In Mind, Biden Seeks U.S. Transformation With Infrastructure Plan
- Our debate over ‘real’ infrastructure is dumb. Here’s how Democrats can get around it. (“What if the argument over ‘care infrastructure’ favors Democrats, not Republicans?”)
- Biden’s new tax plan makes the dividing line clear (“Either you think corporations should pay their fair share, or you don’t.”)
- White House Sees GOP’s Corporate Tax-Cut Defense as a Big Loser
- Sen. McConnell Backs Off Warning to Corporate America on Politics
- Republicans Can Talk Tough About ‘Woke’ Corporations—and That’s About It
- McConnell in tricky spot with GOP, big biz
- One small idea in Biden’s infrastructure plan with big benefits: Electric school buses
- Biden seeks to ease housing shortage with $5 billion ‘carrot, no stick’ approach
- Another blow to the filibuster (“There are so many exceptions to the filibuster that it’s starting to look like Swiss cheese.”)
- Manchin says there is ‘no circumstance’ where he would vote to get rid of or ‘weaken’ the filibuster in blow to Biden agenda (Ugh.)
- Joe Manchin: I will not vote to eliminate or weaken the filibuster
- Why Republicans Think They Can Regain Power Without Repudiating Trumpism
- Republicans Have a Problem: The Triumph of the Craziarchy
- Someone shrunk the GOP (“As Republicans shed supporters, Democrats have an opportunity to build a broad coalition.”)
- The GOP can’t be saved. Center-right voters need to become Biden Republicans.
- Marjorie Taylor Greene’s incredible fundraising haul reveals what the GOP is really about
- January 6th Was Not a Result of Economic Anxiety
- Joe Biden Is Waging Class Warfare Without the War (“The president’s passive-aggressive leftism.”)
- The GOP’s continuing Donald Trump problem
- G.O.P. Group Warns of ‘Defector’ List If Donors Uncheck Recurring Box (Wow, total scam.)
- Republicans are trying to distract us from their goal of disenfranchisement (“Let’s not get distracted in the weeds of election policies.”)
- Trump Organization Hires Criminal Defense Lawyer
- Pence signs a seven-figure book deal, but Trump and other administration alums face a tough market in publishing (Why would anyone want to read a book by dull, bootlicking Mike Pence?)
- National Archives can’t resurrect Trump’s tweets, Twitter says
- NRA chief Wayne LaPierre acknowledges he did not disclose bankruptcy plans or luxury yacht trips to other top officials
- Georgia Lt. governor says elections law was result of Trump’s misinformation
- Exclusive: EPA reverses Trump stance in push to tackle environmental racism
- Biden turns to limited executive actions on gun control with Congress at a standstill
- Biden to announce executive action on ghost guns, red flag laws
- Biden to unveil long-awaited executive action on guns
- FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Initial Actions to Address the Gun Violence Public Health Epidemic
- Biden’s planned pick for ATF director a fierce advocate for gun control
- Homicide surge ratchets up pressure on progressive DAs (“Larry Krasner reinvented the role of big-city district attorney. Philadelphia Democratic officials aren’t sure they like it.”)
- Capitol riot defendant flips to help prosecutors against Proud Boys
- Michael Flynn ignored official warnings about receiving foreign payments (“Trump’s former national security adviser was warned about taking foreign money as far back as 2014, the Pentagon’s inspector general has found, undermining claims of political persecution”)
- How Trump’s toxicity continues to poison the Republican Party
- The Republican Party’s loathsome new war on trans kids
- Trump-era grievances could get second life at Supreme Court
- Trump Put a Right-Wing Radio Host in Charge of a National Park. Emails Show the Chaos That Ensued. (“Michael Savage used his position at San Francisco’s Presidio to stir up a controversy over Japanese American internment.”)
- Matt Gaetz trip to Bahamas is part of federal probe into sex trafficking, sources say
- How Derek Chauvin’s trial is bringing down the blue wall (“I think the officers who are testifying want to model what good cops look like, both for the jury and the public, in contrast to Chauvin”)
- The blue wall of silence has broken in the Chauvin trial, but that doesn’t absolve the police
- How right-wing media keeps smearing George Floyd with the racist ‘no angel’ narrative
- Despite cracking down on QAnon, YouTube continues to profit from content supporting the conspiracy theory
- Trump’s Former Campaign Manager Is Advising Caitlyn Jenner
- In her own words: Woman describes Cuomo’s alleged groping at mansion
- Marco Rubio, Mark Warner Call on White House to Back 5G Alternatives to Chinese-Made Equipment
- Senator Tim Kaine visits Southwest Virginia businesses impacted by COVID-19
- Senator Mark Warner visits BRHD’s mass vaccination clinic
- Spanberger spearheads legislation to create Civilian Climate Corps
- Sen. Amanda Chase Claims “Startling Evidence of Corruption” in the VA GOP (“RPV Staff are doing undisclosed paid work for Pete Snyder’s campaign in violation of RPV’s own conflict of interest provision!”)
- Virginia GOP candidate for governor: ‘I’ve never seen systemic racism’
- Audio: VA GOP Governor Candidate Amanda Chase Says “I reject the notion that there is racism…if anything, I would argue that we have reverse racism that’s going on in America right now.”
- David Toscano: Moving Past Normal Means Leaving the Business-as-Usual Approach In the Rearview Mirror
- Governor Ralph Northam Endorses Terry McAuliffe for Governor (Northam: “Virginians need and deserve Terry’s committed leadership as our next governor to continue to move us forward and build on the incredible progress Democrats have made over the past eight years.”)
- AP Exclusive: Northam endorses McAuliffe for Va. governor
- Gov. Northam endorses Terry McAuliffe for governor
- UVA Center for Politics director discusses Democratic gubernatorial candidate debate
- Governor Northam Celebrates Progress During 2021 General Assembly Session (“Consequential policy reforms will make life better for all Virginians”)
- BREAKING: Virginia General Assembly Votes to Move Up Legalization of Adult-Use Marijuana to July 1, 2021 (Among other benefits, legalization “will bring an end to the thousands of low-level marijuana infractions occurring annually in the Commonwealth — ending a discriminatory practice that far too often targets Virginians who are young, poor, and people of color”)
- Marijuana will be legal in Virginia on July 1. Here’s what is and isn’t permitted under the new law.
- Virginia lawmakers approve Northam’s push to speed up marijuana legalization
- Three Key Points on Virginia’s New Marijuana Law
- Virginia legislators approve legalizing marijuana this year
- An ounce of marijuana and limited home cultivation will be legal in Virginia starting July 1
- Virginia General Assembly votes to legalize simple possession of marijuana by this July
- Va. lawmakers approve Parole Board changes, money for investigation of Inspector General’s probe
- VA House Democrats Accept Governor’s Amendments on Crucial Legislation
- Virginia AG, NAACP to launch effort to overhaul investigations of police shootings
- AG Mark Herring, Virginia NAACP Launch Effort to Reform Handling of Officer-Involved Shootings in Virginia (“Collaborative effort will evaluate policy solutions to ensure transparency, accountability, and justice in officer-involved shooting deaths”)
- Justin Fairfax criticized for comparison to George Floyd, Emmett Till at debate
- Schapiro: In Virginia politics, life imitates… life (“McAuliffe, a former governor running for his old job, is the Biden in the Virginia Democratic primary: Leading a crowded field — there are five candidates — McAuliffe is the blustery, well-known, well-financed favorite, popular with women and Black voters.”)
- McAuliffe Campaign Launches New Digital Ad on Restoration of Voting Rights To 173,000 Virginians “who lost their right because they’ve been convicted of a felony”
- Wednesday (4/7) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,550 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 629,155), +90 Hospitalizations (to 26,815), +14 Deaths (to 10,415)
- CASEY: Virginia law to lower insulin costs doesn’t apply to most diabetics (“unfortunately, the Virginia law applies only to Virginia-regulated health plan”)
- It was past time for the Virginia Board of Elections to crack down on lax candidates
- Norfolk has been talking for years about closing or rebuilding schools. But little has been done.
- Loudoun County lowers tax rate by 5 1/2 cents in budget geared toward economic stability
- D.C.-area forecast: Pleasant but not as warm today. Showers at times Thursday night into the weekend
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