by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, May 1.
- Global Virus Cases Reach New Peak, Driven by India and South America
- India’s covid-19 crisis is a dire warning for all countries
- White House is split over how to vaccinate the world
- Biden administration sets new North Korea policy of ‘practical’ diplomacy
- Biden’s new North Korea policy is an extended hand to Kim Jong Un
- Russia Doesn’t Have a Navalny 2.0
- Fierce Foes, Iran and Saudi Arabia Secretly Explore Defusing Tensions (“Talks between the two regional powers, if successful, could start to lower the temperature on several conflicts across the Middle East.”)
- From Iran to North Korea, Biden has a world of challenges to confront after first 100 days (“‘Never underestimate the value of language and behavior in diplomacy and foreign policy,’ former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb said.”)
- Former NATO commander worries U.S. troop pullout from Afghanistan ‘will cause a collapse’
- Kabul on high alert amid ‘deadline’ for U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
- Mexico Seeks 5 Million Vaccines from U.S. After Deal with Russia
- Biden Bans Travel From India as Coronavirus Cases Surge
- India’s daily Covid-19 cases pass 400,000 for first time as second wave worsens
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi could have prevented India’s devastating Covid-19 crisis, critics say. He didn’t
- EXCLUSIVE Scientists say India government ignored warnings amid coronavirus surge
- How Biden could actually deliver on his climate goals (“The road to the 2030 goal is clear. The road to 2050 is a little murkier.”)
- ‘It’s unfathomable’: Israel mourns after deadly crush at religious festival
- Biden Should Not Ignore Mexico’s Turn to Authoritarianism
- Deforestation in Brazil is out of control, and Bolsonaro is asking for billions to stop it (“A new analysis of satellite imagery shows some 430,000 acres of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest have been wiped out so far in 2021.” Horrendous.)
- Climate crisis: our children face wars over food and water, EU deputy warns (“Exclusive: Frans Timmermans says older people need to make sacrifices to protect the future”)
- U.S. Vaccinations May Be Reaching A Tipping Point In Fight Against Virus, Experts Say (“More than 43% of the population has now gotten at least one shot, and a third are fully vaccinated. That’s getting very close to where other countries, such as Israel, started to turn the corner and experience a precipitous drop in infections.”)
- 100 million fully vaccinated people are helping the US reopen. But many millions more are needed
- Many Americans are facing Covid-19 confusion (“A return to normalcy seems tantalizingly close, but many in the US are living in a frustrating gray area when only about 30% of the population is fully vaccinated”)
- Mask Requirement Extended for Planes, Other Transit in U.S.
- How the US won the economic recovery
- How the Biden administration plans to debunk scare tactics about corporate tax increases
- Faith, Freedom, Fear: Rural America’s Covid Vaccine Skeptics (Astounding and appalling ignorance, idiocy, etc.)
- Don’t let the GOP’s buffoonery distract you from its sinister intentions (“Whether it’s voter suppression or rogue foreign policy, the comical and the alarming go hand in hand.”)
- How Biden’s firm line with Republicans draws on lesson of Obama’s mistakes
- Biden has more respect for Liz Cheney than Republicans do (“She and her fellow anti-Trump Republicans are adrift in a sea of insanity.”)
- It’s Been 10 Years Since Barack Obama And Seth Meyers Roasted Donald Trump (“The zings at the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner have been credited with angering Trump into running for office, a claim Trump refutes.”)
- Why Doesn’t Cutting Taxes on the Wealthy Work?
- Court watchers buzz about Breyer’s possible retirement (“The possibility of Justice Stephen Breyer’s imminent retirement is hanging over the Supreme Court as the current term enters its final weeks and Democrats cling to the slimmest of Senate majorities.”)
- We still blow up mountains to mine coal: Time to end the war on Appalachia (“The dying coal industry’s last gasp is ‘mountaintop removal’ mining — and it’s even worse than it sounds”)
- Biden administration to return billions in border wall funding Trump diverted from Pentagon
- Biden cancels border wall projects Trump paid for with diverted military funds
- McConnell wants ‘1619 Project’ removed from federal grant programs (Of course…)
- Democrats accuse GOP of new lows in culture wars
- Chuck Schumer on the ‘Huge Dichotomy’ in the Republican Party
- Chuck Schumer is sounding a “last call” for bipartisanship and then is ready to go for broke
- The Mike Pence-Donald Trump Breakup Is Happening In Real Time (“The former V.P. reentered the political melee Thursday night with a speech in a key primary state. But Trump insiders describe their relationship as lukewarm—and the president may be eyeing Ron DeSantis as a Pence replacement in a potential 2024 bid.”)
- As he reemerges onto the public stage, Pence sticks to the same strategy he used by Trump’s side: Total fealty (Pathetic Pence.)
- Why the Filibuster Suits the GOP Just Fine
- Manchin says he doesn’t support D.C. statehood bill, dealing advocates a major blow (Grrrrr…)
- Antifa fears, UV lights: What the group running Arizona GOP’s election audit tried to keep secret (“Months after Trump’s loss, a review of Maricopa County ballots, instigated by Republicans and paid for by taxpayers and undisclosed donors, fans fraud conspiracies.” Totally nuts.)
- Trump allies worry Giuliani raid sent ‘strong message’ to ex-President’s inner circle
- Rudy Giuliani’s Contacts With Former Ukrainian Officials Sought
- Giuliani’s claims about Hunter Biden and the FBI get more confusing
- The Giulianis’ Two-Man Clown Car Is Crashing and Burning
- Michael Cohen: Rudy Giuliani Will “Absolutely” Rat Out Ivanka, Don Jr., and Trump to Save Himself (“According to his ex-lawyer, Donald Trump should be very, very afraid.”)
- Caitlyn Jenner’s recall campaign goes silent in first week (LOL)
- Conor Lamb moves toward Pennsylvania Senate run
- Newsmax Posts Retraction, Apologizes to Dominion Employee for False Election Claims
- After passing anti-trans sports ban, West Virginia governor can’t cite any examples of trans athletes (Of course not.)
- ‘SNL’ cast won’t be forced to appear with controversial host Elon Musk
- Stringer, Facing Sexual Harassment Accusation, Loses Key Endorsement
- ACRONYM’s Next Chapter (“Now, 100 days into this new administration and filled with hope, I am announcing that I will be moving on from ACRONYM to work on challenges that require a focus outside of electoral politics.”)
- In Virginia battleground district, Biden spending plan targets need for broadband access
- Pay raise: Virginia’s minimum wage goes to $9.50 per hour on Saturday, with more increases in the next two years
- Schapiro: The Macker’s goal for ’21 is ’25 (“…an unstated objective of a second McAuliffe administration, assuming there is one: delivering the 2025 nomination for governor for his protégé, Mayor Levar Stoney of Richmond.”)
- At Virginia’s GOP convention, being second choice in governor’s race is a good Plan B
- In Closing Stretch of VA GOP Governor’s Race, the Candidates Turn to…Yep, Race Baiting (The latest, burning issue for Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidates is…yep, “critical race theory,” a “common epithet” on Fox News)
- As the VA GOP Nominating Convention Approaches, “No More Woke Garbage” Email By Pete Snyder Adopts Inflammatory, Outrageous, Trump-Style Language (Just reading this email, Snyder sounds indistinguishable from Amanda Chase and Donald Trump.)
- Virginia’s GOP gubernatorial candidates just can’t quit Trump
- Virginia GOP’s Gubernatorial Contest Is a Trumpian Mess
- Audio: In the Middle of Virginia Citizens Defense League Forum, Amanda Chase Has Alleged Road Rage Incident in Which Aide Brandishes Gun (Chase aide: “That’ll get your bitch ass in the car, won’t it?”)
- Cox looks to win Republican nomination, executive mansion
- Video: “Tri-Caucus” Forum For the Democratic Lt. Governor Candidates
- Friday (4/30) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,249 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 659,590), +92 Hospitalizations (to 28,443), +19 Deaths (to 10,770)
- ‘That’s a Big Shift’ : Virginia Reaches a Turning Point in COVID-19 Fight
- Falwell invites students to ‘real Liberty graduation’ at his home
- Virginia allies with, then backs away from, controversial math anti-tracking movement (“Parents decry the idea of putting all students in the same level math classes.”)
- In the Shenandoah Valley, sheriff’s deputies and nurses team up to vaccinate the hard-to-reach
- D.C.-area forecast: Much nicer if still breezy today, with summerlike temperatures Sunday
