Sunday News: A “cautious case for climate optimism”; “SpaceX Makes First Nighttime Splash Down With Astronauts Since 1968”; Romney Booed at Utah GOP Convention; “McAuliffe opponents struggle to break through in Virginia”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, May 2.

• Dare we hope? Here’s my cautious case for climate optimism (“The Green New Deal, formerly seen as radical, is now in mainstream debate. And renewable energy becomes more efficient every day”)
• Glacial lakes threaten millions with flooding as planet heats up
• Blinken’s European Trip Aims to Bolster Ukraine, Pressure China
• North Korea Says Biden Speech ‘Intolerable,’ Threatens South
• India’s Covid-19 Crisis Shakes Modi’s Image of Strength
• Indian scientists’ warnings about coronavirus went ignored amid surge: report
• India Again Breaks World Record With Over 400,000 Cases
• Saudi Crown Prince’s Vision for Neom, a Desert City-State, Tests His Builders (“A project intended to help diversify the nation’s economy is mired in delays and dealing with an employee exodus”)
• NASA Makes New Plans For Ingenuity Helicopter On Mars
• The world is in the midst of its worst Covid crisis so far. It didn’t have to be this way
• U.S. forces begin withdrawing from Afghanistan, a nation torn by war, poverty and angst (“In a country where transitions of power have often been violent, there is little to reassure Afghans that a peaceful settlement is on the horizon.”)
• As U.S. departs Afghanistan, will the old Taliban reemerge?
• The four astronauts of the SpaceX Crew Dragon splash down to earth after record mission
• SpaceX Makes First Nighttime Splash Down With Astronauts Since 1968
• COVID ‘Doesn’t Discriminate By Age’: Serious Cases On The Rise In Younger Adults
• U.S. Shows Progress in Moving Migrant Children From Border Jails
• Charlie Munger calls bitcoin ‘disgusting and contrary to the interests of civilization’
• Jobs Are Coming Back, But It’s Still a Long Road for Some
• The J&J vaccine isn’t causing nausea and fainting, anxiety is
• Warren Buffett touts U.S. economy’s unexpected strength as Berkshire rebounds
• Joe Biden, the Republicans, and Kids’ Stuff (“In the new Administration’s next hundred days, the child wars are likely to grow more intense and more detached from reality.”)
• George Floyd’s killer has been convicted, but police brutality goes on
• Joe Biden Is Electrifying America Like F.D.R.
• Republicans still try to claim Abe Lincoln’s heritage — that’s offensive and absurd (“Rhetorically, Republicans still try to identify with Lincoln — but in reality, they’ve abandoned him entirely”)
• Deval Patrick: Voter Suppression: Bad for Democracy, Bad for Business, Bad for America
• G.O.P. Seeks to Empower Poll Watchers, Raising Intimidation Worries
• GOP frustration with Liz Cheney ‘at a boiling point’
• New York Times, WaPo, NBC retract reports about Giuliani’s contact with FBI
• Newsmax Issues Retraction and Apology for 2020 Election Coverage (“‘No evidence’ a Dominion Voting employee tampered with results, far-right network admits.”)
• Mitt Romney booed at raucous Utah GOP convention as speakers attack the Biden agenda (The Republican Party is complete off its rocker.)
• Utah GOP state convention delegates defeat move to censure Sen. Mitt Romney (“Convention attendees split 798-711 after a spirited debate, with some accusing Romney of betraying party values in twice supporting President Trump’s impeachment” Barely.)
• Bush: ‘Anglo-Saxon’ ideals show pro-Trump Republicans ‘want to be extinct’
• The politicians who tried to overturn an election — and the local news team that won’t let anyone forget it (Every news organization should be doing this. If they’re not, it tells you what you need to know about the news organizations…nothing good.)
• Andrew Yang Promised to Create 100,000 Jobs. He Ended Up With 150.
• Susan Wright advances to runoff in Texas’ 6th District special election with tight race for second spot
• Oregon Lawmaker Who Opened State Capitol To Far-Right Protesters Faces Charges
• Caitlyn Jenner Says Biological Boys Shouldn’t Compete in Girls’ Sports
• Kansas Rep. Mark Samsel arrested for battery after physical altercation with student (“In another video, Samsel is recorded telling students, ‘make babies. Who likes making babies? That feels good, doesn’t it? Procreate … You haven’t masturbated? Don’t answer that question….God already knows.'”)
• What Does It Take to Get a White Man Fired From CNN?
• McAuliffe opponents struggle to break through in Virginia (“Former state Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy’s supporters say she is best-positioned to challenge the former governor, but she has yet to gain broad name recognition.” Larry Sabato: “They’re splitting up the minority vote and the more liberal leftist vote, and it’s just making it almost impossible to beat McAuliffe. They’ve pretty much condemned themselves to death.”)
• With One Week Until VA GOP Convention, Political Analysts Are Thinking It’s Probably Pete Snyder’s to Lose, But… (…there’s a lot of uncertainty given the complicated, somewhat opaque way the Republicans are choosing their nominees)
• Opinion: Primary elections take shape, with McAuliffe at the fore (“Set aside your feelings toward McAuliffe, plus or minus, and just recognize that when it comes the art and science of politicking, the man is putting on a master class. McAuliffe faces three Black opponents for the Democratic nomination and all indicators say he’s running away with it.”)
• Cox: Civility in campaign’s final days
• Virginia’s next governor must commit to early-childhood education and health
• Roanoke’s Del. Sam Rasoul, a lifelong problem solver, focuses on Democrats’ rural woes (“Sam Rasoul, running for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, hasn’t forgotten about the parts of rural Virginia largely ceded by his party to Republicans.”)
• Four Republicans vying for Va. attorney general say their experience sets them apart
• Virginia AFL-CIO Celebrates Labor Law Enactment in Virginia On May Day
• Sean Perryman Campaign Releases May Day Platform to Empower Virginia’s Working Class
• Video: Prince William County Dems’ House of Delegates Forums (HD2, HD31, HD50) (Candidates: HD2 (Del. Candi King vs. Pamela Montgomery), HD31 (Del. Elizabeth Guzman vs. Rod Hall, Idris O’Connor and Kara Pitek); HD50 (Del. Lee Carter vs. Michelle Maldonado and Helen Zurita))
• Saturday (5/1) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds Lowest 10-day New COVID Cases Since 10/28/20; Lowest Hospitalizations Since 10/4/20
• Northam restored their rights in March. Now, former prisoners are getting ready to vote in their first elections.
• Appalachian Power customers could see their monthly bills rise by $22. Here’s how
• Editorial: SCC should require renewable energy investments in coal country
• Editorial: State should shutter regional jail
• Opinion: Tourism, central to Norfolk’s economy, is poised for recovery
• Watts: Expanding Access to Higher Education for Virginia’s Economic Recovery
• ‘Things will not change until people see we care’: Local leaders, activists march to end gun violence
• As vaccine supply increases, demand in Fredericksburg area falls
• Williams: April was a bad month for Black lives in Richmond. We must turn rage and grief into action.
• D.C.-area forecast: Much warmer and dry today; occasional shower and storm possible tomorrow into midweek