Wednesday News: “With Afghan pullout, Biden aims to reset America’s global agenda”; “Why Pause The J&J Vaccine? An Expert Explains The Decision”; “Daunte Wright’s Shooting and the Meaning of George Floyd’s Death”; “After consequential session, Speaker Filler-Corn turns to defending House majority this fall”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, April 14.

• Natanz attack hit 50 meters underground, destroyed most of the facility
• It’s not just Big Oil. Big Meat also spends millions to crush good climate policy. (The “meat” industry is nasty in just about every way.)
• Biden will withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, 2021
• Afghans face pivotal moment as US prepares to ‘close the book’
• Will Afghanistan Become a Terrorism Safe Haven Once Again? (“Intelligence officials say a terrorist threat to the U.S. is unlikely to return after President Biden’s decision to withdraw troops — in the short term. Long term, the question is harder. The U.S. could find itself pulled back into Afghanistan as it was in Iraq, some current and former officials warned.”)
• With Afghan pullout, Biden aims to reset America’s global agenda
• Following withdrawal announcement, battle to determine Afghanistan war’s legacy begins
• Biden Has a Bibi Problem (“The president needs to stop the Israeli prime minister from sabotaging talks to resume the Iran nuclear deal.”)
• Following withdrawal announcement, battle to determine Afghanistan war’s legacy begins
• In Afghanistan, We’ve Ended Up Where the Russians, the British, and Plenty of Others Did
• History will cast a shadow over Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan
• Biden is admitting America’s defeat in Afghanistan. It’s about time.
• Climate Change Threatens Russia With Billions in Annual Costs (“From Siberian wildfires to flooding in the Far East, the full economic damage caused by more frequent natural disasters is yet unknown”)
• US envoy John Kerry woos China over climate
• Biden Wants Leaders to Make Climate Commitments for Earth Day (“The administration is closing in on deals with some close allies, but agreements with powers like China, Brazil and India are proving difficult.”)
• Chevron Invests in Offshore Wind Energy for First Time
• As Biden’s emissaries go to Taiwan, China terms exercises ‘combat drills’
• Biden dispatches unofficial delegation to Taiwan
• America’s enemies line up to put Biden to the test
• “Dearest Beyonce”: Myanmar Activists Beg American Brands to Help Them End the Military Coup
• Big Companies Line Up to Crush Green Transparency Resolutions (That tells you what you need to know about these big companies.)
• Ever Given impounded as Suez Canal Authority pursues salvage costs (“Megaship that ran aground now caught in legal row between owners and Egyptian authorities reportedly seeking $900m”)
• Why Navalny Returned to Russia (“The opposition politician differs from the Soviet-era dissidents.”)
• Moderna says new data shows its Covid vaccine is more than 90% effective against virus six months after second shot (Nice.)
• Three Different Futures for the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine (“A pause is just that—a pause—in which health officials can reevaluate the data at hand.”)
• Pfizer CEO says company can deliver 10% more doses to the U.S. by the end of May than previously agreed
• Pause in Vaccinations Leads to Canceled Appointments Across States
• The Fallout of the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Pause
• The Memo: Specter of vaccine hesitancy rises after J&J blow
• Why the Johnson & Johnson pause should bolster confidence in vaccines (“The news may be disappointing, but it shows our health agencies are taking safety issues seriously.”)
• The Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause is Biden’s first test in covid-19 truth-telling
• Why Pause The J&J Vaccine? An Expert Explains The Decision
• Pausing the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Makes Sense (“There might have been better ways to handle the situation, but officials did what they had to do.”)
• This ‘Abundance of Caution’ Could Prove Dangerous
• The logic behind the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause (“The FDA and CDC’s decision is routine. But it didn’t have to be so confusing.”)
• Federal Panel to Debate J&J Shot’s Link to Blood Clots
• Pause in J&J rollout threatens to worsen anxiety some have about vaccines
• The Johnson & Johnson Pause Shows The System Is Working
• Fed Is More Worried by Inflation Running Too Cold Than Too Hot
• Biden’s massive infrastructure bill: The biggest public investment most of us will ever see (“Biden’s Build Back Better Bill can’t be measured just in dollars and jobs: It’s a strategy for the entire century”)
• Businesses push Biden to set an even more ambitious climate goal
• Democrats signal limited patience for GOP opposition to Biden infrastructure package (“At a weekly party meeting, Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer left open the possibility of using the budget process known as reconciliation to approve the roughly $2 trillion package with only 51 votes.”)
• Biden Rushes to Protect the Power Grid as Hacking Threats Grow
• Biden’s Paris Goal: Pressure Builds for a 50 Percent Greenhouse Gas Cut by 2030 (“The target could be reached by a number of paths, experts say, but it would require a dramatic transformation in society’s energy usage and would most likely encounter political pushback.”)
• Pelosi Invites President Biden to Address Joint Session of Congress on April 28
• Republicans are in a messy divorce with big business. Democrats could benefit (“As corporations flee the Republican Party, liberals should welcome them into the Democratic coalition – with conditions”)
• Biden moves to leverage corporate America’s falling out with GOP
• ‘Breyer Retire’ campaign looms over Dems’ tenuous majority (“Neither Democratic lawmakers nor President Joe Biden are putting overt retirement pressure on the Supreme Court justice — but his future is on everyone’s minds.”)
• Senate poised to advance rare bipartisan measure aimed at hate crimes against Asian Americans
• How Views On Black Lives Matter Have Changed — And Why That Makes Police Reform So Hard (“Eleven months after Floyd’s death, support for the Black Lives Matter movement has fallen, while America’s trust in law enforcement has risen. Sixty-nine percent of Americans, according to a USA Today/Ipsos survey from March, now trust local police and law enforcement to promote justice and equal treatment of all races versus 56 percent who felt the same way last June. “)
• Inside the surprisingly close Biden-Manchin relationship
• Biden To Make Historic Census Director Pick With Latinx Statistician Rob Santos
• Will the media ever hold the Trump enablers responsible? (“Don’t hold your breath.”)
• Republicans bear some responsibility for right-wing terrorism (“They’ve coddled white supremacists for far too long.”)
• The Republican Party Finds a New Group to Demonize
• Top Bidder for Tribune Newspapers Is an Influential Liberal Donor
• Explainer – More guns than people: Why tighter U.S. firearms laws are unlikely
• Key Findings of the Inspector General’s Report on the Capitol Riot
• Capitol Police Told to Hold Back on Riot Response on Jan. 6, Report Finds (WHY???)
• Pelosi on Jan. 6: ‘They would have had a battle on their hands’ if the mob had caught her
• “I Felt Hate More Than Anything”: How an Active Duty Airman Tried to Start a Civil War
• Kristen Clarke’s Civil Rights Record Led Her To Barrier-Breaking DOJ Nomination
• Defense Witness Says Derek Chauvin’s Force Was ‘Justified’ (Nope, absolutely NOT!)
• This Will Keep Happening (“Daunte Wright’s death and the Chauvin trial highlight an intractable problem”)
• Daunte Wright’s killing is a reminder of how quickly traffic stops can become deadly
• Daunte Wright’s Shooting and the Meaning of George Floyd’s Death (“How much has changed since the events of last spring?”)
• Kenosha officer who shot Jacob Blake won’t face discipline, police chief says
• Minnesota officer who killed Daunte Wright resigns along with police chief
• Protesters and police clash for a third night in a Minneapolis suburb as prosecutors weigh charges against officer
• ‘I Never Imagined This’: Daunte Wright’s Family Calls For Accountability
• How a veteran officer could have mistaken a Glock for a Taser in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright (“They feel differently in your hands”)
• Frequent Fox guest Charlie Kirk praises and endorses Tucker Carlson’s “replacement” theory
• Tucker Carlson’s defense of his ‘replacement’ rant gives away the game
• ‘Unnecessary opportunities for strife and use of force’: It’s time to re-evaluate police traffic stops (Agreed.)
• All US states ranked from best to worst, according to Americans (Virginia’s #3!)
• Lara Trump leads GOP field in North Carolina Senate race, poll shows
• Women detail drug use, sex and payments after late-night parties with Gaetz and others
• New details shed light on Gaetz’s Bahamas trip
• Indicted Gaetz Associate Is Said to Be Cooperating With Justice Dept.
• Records: Joel Greenberg doled out contracts to politicians, strategists tied to figures in Florida’s political scandals
• Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine distances himself from Rashida Tlaib ‘No more policing’ tweet (“‘I am not in the camp that says … we should disrespect police,’ the Virginia senator said” I hate linking to Fox, but that’s where this article about Tim Kaine is, unfortunately)
• FINALLY…A New Virginia Democratic Gubernatorial Primary Poll: McAuliffe 42%-McClellan 8%-Carroll Foy 8%-Fairfax 7%-Carter 4%
• Audio: VA GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Glenn Youngkin Comes Out Against Infrastructure Investments (“At every turn…Youngkin has made clear that he will always put himself, his Republican allies, and his wealthy donors ahead of Virginia”)
• Open Letter From a Number of Virginia Black Leaders Explains Their Support for Jennifer Carroll Foy for Governor
• David Jonas: My Endorsement For Virginia Lieutenant Governor In 2021
• AG Mark Herring Hires Conviction Integrity Unit Team – “Three former capital/public defenders (two attorneys and one investigator)”
• After consequential session, Speaker Filler-Corn turns to defending House majority this fall (“Filler-Corn said the influence of Trump, though no longer in the White House, will weigh heavily on the November election as an energizer for Democrats. Anti-Trump fervor was broadly credited with Virginia’s “blue waves” in 2017, when Democrats gained 15 House seats and, in 2019, when they gained control of the House and the state Senate.”)
• Virginia LEARNS Workgroup Releases Guidance on School Reopening and Recovery (“We must remember that our students are humans first and should address those needs before tackling learning loss.”)
• Virginia halts use of Johnson & Johnson vaccine as federal government investigates ‘extremely rare’ reactions; Va. woman in her 40s died after receiving vaccine
• Tuesday (4/13) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +2,048 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 638,910), +87 Hospitalizations (to 27,316), +20 Deaths (to 10,506)
• Despite Johnson & Johnson Pause, Virginia Vaccine Timeline Still on Track
• CDC investigating Virginia woman’s death in connection to possible side-effects from Johnson & Johnson vaccine
• Editorial: He was right to fear for his safety (“Nothing could guarantee a peaceful outcome during a traffic stop in Windsor, which is why the bonds of trust between law enforcement and the public are broken.”)
• Windsor police officer was fired Sunday, four months after Army lieutenant’s traffic stop (After the story went “viral”)
• Police videos like the Windsor one that went viral usually stay secret in Virginia (“State law gives police wide latitude to keep such footage from the public, and it’s not clear that will change even with recent legislation passed by Democrats.” That needs to change.)
• 16 Years After Virginia Tech Shooting, Gun Control Laws Changing
• As Kirk Cox does not seek reelection to his House seat, there is a race to replace him (“With endorsements from right-wing radicals like Bob Good and E.W. Jackson, Mike Cherry is another sign of how out of touch the Virginia GOP has become”)
• Auto dealer sees Clean Cars as great first step for electric vehicles in Virginia (“In an interview, the president and CEO of Carter Myers Automotive in Charlottesville, Virginia, talks about the opportunities and challenges for auto dealers as the state looks to speed its transition to electric vehicles.”)
• Chesapeake council votes against moving elections to odd-numbered years (“The NAACP and others call the move a form of voter suppression, since odd-year elections have lower turnout. Mayor Rick West said it’s about getting more attention for local races.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: Rain chances rise again today, before a few mostly dry days