by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, April 13.
- Covid pandemic still growing exponentially, WHO says (“World Health Organization says ‘confusion and complacency’ prolonging global situation”)
- U.K. Coronavirus Strain Does Not Lead To More Severe Illness And Death, Study Finds
- Solar may cover 75% of global electricity demand by 2050
- We Are Living in a Climate Emergency, and We’re Going to Say So (“It’s time to use a term that more than 13,000 scientists agree is needed”)
- World’s wealthiest ‘at heart of climate problem’
- How Warming Oceans Are Accelerating the Climate Crisis (“Humans have locked in at least 20 feet of sea level rise—can we still fix it?”)
- Shell Energy Transition Plans Fail to Assure Climate Groups
- Facebook’s New Target in the Misinformation War: Climate Lies
- New Zealand introduces climate change law for financial firms in world first
- European Wind Powers Up To €43 Billion In 2020 On Growing Decarbonization Focus
- Beijing has a navy it doesn’t even admit exists, experts say. And it’s swarming parts of the South China Sea
- Russia Beat the World to a Vaccine, so Why Is It Falling Behind on Vaccinations? (“The problem, it seems, is both supply and demand.”)
- Israeli Defense Officials Warn Leaks on Iran Operations ‘Will Blow Up in Our Faces’
- Israel’s relentless attacks on Iran may endanger Biden’s diplomacy
- Israeli sabotage won’t stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Only the nuclear deal can do that.
- After Nuclear Site Blackout, Thunder From Iran, and Silence From U.S
- Putin is testing Biden on Ukraine. Here’s what will keep him in check.
- Secrecy and Abuse Claims Haunt China’s Solar Factories in Xinjiang
- Russia warns U.S. warships to steer clear of Crimea ‘for their own good’
- A Mystery Under Study: How, Why And When COVID Vaccines Aren’t Fully Protective
- Trump Abandoned the Climate. This Is Biden’s Moment. (“The new president has promised to take the lead on climate. His plan does not disappoint.”)
- Executives Call for Deep Emission Cuts to Combat Climate Change (“More than 300 corporate leaders will ask the Biden administration to nearly double the emission reduction targets set by the Obama administration.”)
- U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions declined by 11% in 2020 (Good, but we need to keep that going, not see it reverse as the economy recovers from COVID.)
- Banks, After Bracing for Disaster, Are Ready for a Boom
- Market braces for key inflation report that may test the Fed’s mettle
- Inflation Is About to Look Freaky
- Endangered US rivers at grave risk from dams, mining and global heating (“New report lays out dire situation facing the most imperiled rivers but environmental activists say situation is salvable”)
- U.S. hits daily vaccination record as case counts return to summer peaks
- Number of unaccompanied migrant children in Customs and Border Protection custody falls 45%
- The Biden Boom Is Already Wild (“When lots of money is sloshing around, culture changes.”)
- Why the US egg industry is still killing 300 million chicks a year (Inhumane and wrong.)
- Why it’s good that corporations are defending democracy
- Corporations can’t just bemoan voter restrictions after they become law
- It’s Not Just Georgia: More Than A Dozen Other States Are Trying To Take Power Away From Local Election Officials
- Democrats’ Next Plan to Get Biden’s Agenda Over the Finish Line: Fire the Scorekeeper
- Five hurdles Democrats face to pass an infrastructure bill
- Biden insists he’s willing to negotiate with Republicans on infrastructure (“A top GOP senator told the president in a private Oval Office meeting that it would be ‘almost impossible’ to win over Republicans if the plan envisions boosting the corporate tax rate.”)
- Scoop: Biden weighs Ken Salazar for ambassador to Mexico
- Biden’s gun actions could have a positive, if limited, impact, experts say (“Curbing the spread of ghost guns, pressing for red flag laws and boosting community intervention programs are on Biden’s to-do list.”)
- Surging Virus Has Michigan’s Democratic Governor at Loggerheads With Biden (“As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pleads for more coronavirus vaccine, the Biden administration on Monday urged her to shut Michigan down, something she wants to avoid.”)
- Dem pollsters acknowledge ‘major errors’ in 2020 polling (“According to Democrats involved with the internal review, Tuesday’s statement marks the beginning of a years-long process to examine why, since 2012, most major elections have tilted against the party, despite favorable polling data before the vote. Up and down the ballot, Democrats have been, more often than not, shell-shocked by defeats in races they thought to be competitive, or narrower-than-expected, victories in contests they thought they led comfortably”)
- Time for any sane Republicans to get off the fence (“Throw the bums out.”)
- Democrats should cut through Manchin’s gobbledygook (“His words do not amount to a coherent argument”)
- The Supreme Court Broke Its Own Rules to Radically Redefine Religious Liberty
- The Christian right is racking up huge victories in the Supreme Court, thanks to Amy Coney Barrett (“The Supreme Court is serious about exempting religious conservatives from the law — even when their rulings could kill people.”)
- NCAA Board of Governors Statement on Transgender Participation (“The NCAA Board of Governors firmly and unequivocally supports the opportunity for transgender student-athletes to compete in college sports. This commitment is grounded in our values of inclusion and fair competition.”)
- Ordinary Citizens Should Not Be Afraid of Police
- Nikki Haley says she’ll support and not challenge Trump if he runs in 2024 (Haley is a complete joke.)
- Joe Biden is clearly failing as an entertainer (“The president doesn’t have to be a captivating performer.” Good!)
- Chauvin’s defence faces uphill battle after prosecution undercuts case (“Police and medical experts have eroded key defence arguments over George Floyd’s death” More like demolished them.)
- I hope Derek Chauvin will be convicted. But hope is dangerous. (“After decades of heartbreaking trials, it feels risky to assume the outcome will be different.”)
- Chauvin Trial: Expert Says Use Of Force In George Floyd Arrest Was Not Reasonable (Ya think?)
- Doctor Says George Floyd Had ‘Exceptionally Strong Heart,’ Undercutting Defense (“Prosecution witness Dr. Jonathan Rich testified in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial that Floyd died as a result of asphyxia caused by police restraint.”)
- Officer Who Fatally Shot Daunte Wright With ‘Accidental Discharge’ Is Identified
- Minnesota killing adds to the anger, and the stakes, as Chauvin trial nears its end
- Police and demonstrators clash during protests over the shooting of a Minnesota man during a traffic stop
- What to Know About the Police Shooting of Daunte Wright
- Daunte Wright was stopped for expired plates, but driving while Black may have been his ‘crime’
- Police: Minnesota officer meant to draw Taser, not handgun
- How Could an Officer Mistake a Gun for a Taser? (“The weapons look and feel different, and most forces have standard precautions and protocols to prevent the sort of mix-up that can be deadly.”)
- John Cornyn’s ugly, transparent attempt to paint Biden as a Manchurian Candidate (Just think about the fact that Texas’ two Senators are the odious Ted Cruz and horrendous John Cornyn. How does that even happen?!?)
- Democrats dare GOP to filibuster Asian American hate crimes bill
- Sea level rise is killing trees along the Atlantic coast, creating ‘ghost forests’ that are visible from space
- Marijuana legalization has won (“Marijuana legalization is sweeping states from Virginia to New Mexico. The writing is on the wall.”)
- Trump Says New York Tax Law Doesn’t Apply Because He’s Not President (So let’s get this straight: the law couldn’t touch Trump when he WAS president *and* when is NOT president?!?)
- Trump: McConnell ‘helpless’ to stop Biden from packing court (That’s stupid on every level.)
- Republicans pray for truce after Trump attacks on McConnell
- Reuters to name Alessandra Galloni as its next editor-in-chief (“Reuters News is set to name one of its top editors, Alessandra Galloni, as its next editor-in-chief, the first woman to lead the globe-spanning news agency in its 170-year history.”)
- Fox Corp. CEO Lachlan Murdoch endorses Tucker Carlson’s white replacement theory (Fox is now officially the white supremacist network.)
- Lachlan Murdoch dismisses ADL complaint, says Fox sees no problem with Tucker Carlson’s ‘replacement theory’ remarks (No company should advertise on Fox. Period.)
- How Tucker Carlson’s racist rhetoric gives new life to Trumpism
- Donald Trump Turned the GOP Into Matt Gaetz’s Freak Flag Party
- They Had to Stroke Trump’s Ego With a Tchotchke
- Video: Sen. Warner Says There Are a “Lot of Things” He Supports in “PRO Act,” But Still Has “Concerns”; Is “Outraged” at What Happened to Lt. Nazario; Will Not Be Endorsing In Statewide Dem Primaries
- 7th District Representative Spanberger says restoring trust in Congress remains top priority
- State Sen. Kiggans announces run for Luria’s congressional seat (Her announcement video shows exactly what type of Congressperson she’d be – a really, really bad one.)
- GOP state senator seeks to challenge Luria for Virginia congressional seat
- Jen Kiggans (R) Can’t Hide Her Far-Right Record As She Launches Her Campaign For Congress
- Video: New Ad by DLCC Says “Let’s keep our kids on track. And Virginia on the road to recovery.”
- Audio: Amanda Chase Says Allowing People To Be in Legislative Black Caucus Based On Skin Color Is “government-sponsored racism”
- Terry McAuliffe Campaign Launches New Digital Ad, “Day One,” Featuring Gov. Ralph Northam
- Chase half flips on pledge not to launch independent bid for governor
- Glenn Youngkin announces that his gubernatorial campaign raised over $7.5 million
- VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Ends 1Q21 With Most Cash on Hand of Any Virginia Speaker
- Video: On MSNBC, Del. Danica Roem Responds to Republicans’ “Cruel New Culture War” Against Transgender Kids (In stark contrast, under Democratic control, “Virginia is now…one of the nationwide leaders in LGBTQ equality”)
- Despite Important Legislative Work on Policing Reform in 2020 and 2021, the Windsor Police Stop of Army Lt. Nazario Shows We Have More Work To Do
- Editorial: Ending use of facial recognition by police (“Eroding personal privacy by using facial recognition software is one problem for local law enforcement. Lying about it is another.”)
- Virginia attorney general launches civil rights probe of Black Army officer’s violent traffic stop
- NAACP calls for answers, transparency after Windsor police pepper spray Army officer during traffic stop
- Attorney General Mark Herring requests information from Windsor Police Department
- Viral police stop in small Virginia town renews focus on qualified immunity
- VA Dem Lt. Gov. Candidate Sean Perryman Highlights Agenda to End Police Brutality Following Violent Incident Involving Windsor Police
- VA Dem Lt. Gov. Candidate Sam Rasoul Announces Plan To Support Virginia Teachers And Invest In Social And Emotional Learning
- Monday (4/12) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,310 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 636,862), +28 Hospitalizations (to 27,229), +14 Deaths (to 10,486)
- Virginia says 12,068 more people died during the pandemic than would be expected in a normal year
- Editorial: Looking ahead, Virginia must ramp up its messaging with younger populations
- Virginians are buying more alcohol. A new tool aims to spot the potential for misuse
- Funds from Mountain Valley Pipeline awarded for Carvins Cove land, other projects
- University of Richmond Trustees Under Fire for Retaining Building Names
- “No Confidence” in Rector of University of Richmond Trustees
- Richmond police, firefighters displeased with mayor’s budget plan, saying the city is in a crisis
- Loudoun Opens COVID-19 Vaccine to All 16 and Older
- D.C.-area forecast: A break in the rain today, showers likely tomorrow
********************************************************
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
