Sunday News: “The falling Chinese space rocket is a policy failure”; “Dogecoin Plunges as Musk Hosts ‘SNL’ Calling It ‘a Hustle”; R.I.P. Bo Obama; “Ransomware attack leads to shutdown of major U.S. pipeline system”; Watch Live as VA GOP Counts Convention Ballots By Hand

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, May 9.

• India Sees Deadliest Day Of Pandemic With COVID-19 Deaths Topping 4,000
• In India’s pandemic surge, a religious festival attended by millions helped spread coronavirus
• Labour’s Starmer to Reshuffle His Team After U.K. Poll Drubbing
• U.K. Polls Spark Scottish Debate, Hurt Johnson’s Opposition
• UK Labour descends into civil war after dismal election results
• Chinese Rocket Debris Reportedly Crashes Into Indian Ocean
• China Says Most Rocket Debris Burned Up During Reentry
• The falling Chinese space rocket is a policy failure (“International law governing rocket reentry is too lax.”)
• Evictions in Jerusalem Become Focus of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Scores injured in fresh night of Jerusalem clashes
• Iran says onus is on US to rejoin nuclear deal on third anniversary of withdrawal
• Kabul attack: Blasts near school leave more than 50 dead
• Dogecoin Plunges as Musk Hosts ‘SNL’ Calling It ‘a Hustle
• States turning down Covid-19 vaccine doses as US demand declines
• GOP governors slash jobless aid to try to force more Americans to return to work (Disgraceful as always.)
• Vaccination rates lag in communities of color, but it’s not only due to hesitancy, experts say
• Schools Are Open, but Many Families Remain Hesitant to Return (“Even as fears of the coronavirus abate, many students are still opting out of in-person learning as school leaders try to woo — or push — them back. No matter the reason, some see the resistance to returning as a social and educational crisis for children that must be combated.”)
• As Republicans Advance Voting Laws, Democrats Scramble to Push Back
• Liz Cheney and Big Lies
• Liz Cheney a martyr to resistance as Republican party picks cult of Trump
• With Cheney’s ouster, GOP chooses Trump over principle (“The decision to swap out Cheney for Stefanik demonstrates the value Republicans now place on political expediency”)
• The ‘Handmaiden of Trump’: How Elise Stefanik Went From Moderate to MAGA
• The Supreme Court made the GOP’s new voting restrictions possible (John Roberts’ eternal disgrace.)
• McConnell safe in power, despite Trump’s wrath
• Biden wants to move energy offshore, but choppy seas are ahead (“To fight climate change, the administration supports a huge expansion in offshore wind farms by 2030”)
• Black Americans And The Racist Architecture Of Homeownership (“Generations of Black Americans have faced racist barriers to homeownership through various techniques, including ‘redlining’ and ‘blockbusting.’ Even now, lending policies that drive up borrowing costs keep many from the American dream.” Yep, check out the great book, The Color of Law, to learn how a wide variety of government policies promoted housing segregation for decades…and still does, really.)
• Democrats renew effort to get Donald Trump’s financial records (“House committee is arguing to federal judge that with Trump out of office, he no longer has a viable claim to withhold materials”)
• ‘Big bark but no bite’: Obamas mourn former first dog Bo (“Barack and Michelle Obama express sorrow at passing of ‘true friend and companion’”)
• Maryland governor grants posthumous pardons for 34 Black lynching victims
• Warren says she will run for reelection in 2024
• Elizabeth Warren’s Book Shows She Has No Idea Why Her Campaign Failed
• Ransomware attack leads to shutdown of major U.S. pipeline system
• Reps. Greene, Gaetz push Trump’s grievances, ‘America First’ message at Florida rally
• Elon Musk Does His Best Impression of a Human Man in SNL Monologue (“Unconvincing.”)
• Fox News is already distorting the American Families Plan
• Elon Musk is being brought in to save SNL’s sagging ratings. He could sink the show in other ways.
• Elon Musk says he is ‘first person with Asperger’s’ to host Saturday Night Live
• Elon Musk’s Deceptive and Deeply Awkward SNL Monologue
• Opinion: Warner, Kaine can extend Virginia’s leadership on voting rights
• Sen. Tim Kaine: “American corporations will benefit from better infrastructure.”
• Kaine, Spanberger take a walk through Culpeper
• VA GOP Unassembled Convention Day Information, Open Thread
• Video: Amanda Chase Says She Led All The Independent Polls, So If She Doesn’t Win, She’ll Demand a “Full Audit” of the VA GOP Convention
• Virginia Republicans’ messy, Trumpy race to pick a nominee for governor (“The Republicans running for governor in Virginia signal a lot about the future of the GOP.” Horrendous, in other words.)
• As convention ends, Virginia Republicans wait for governor nominee to emerge
• ‘Tired of getting whupped’: GOP convention voters offer competing visions for a red Virginia
• GOP delegates in Virginia to choose nominee for governor
• Republican Convention Day 2021 – Here We Go – Live Updates
• Terry McAuliffe’s popularity in Virginia dims some Democrats’ hopes for first Black female governor (“Jennifer Carroll Foy and Jennifer McClellan — ‘The Jennifers’ — have struggled to gain traction in a Democratic primary dominated by the former governor.”)
• In Advance of Mother’s Day, Jennifer Carroll Foy Releases Plan to Support Working Mothers and Families
• Hala Ayala Campaign Memo Argues It’s “simply no longer the case” That VA Dems’ Lt. Gov. Race Is “a crowded field and wide open” (Memo says Ayala has “Clear Path to Victory Heading into Final Month of Democratic Primary”)
• Saturday (5/8) Virginia Data on COVID-19: Lowest 10-Day New COVID Cases Since 10/8/20; Positivity Rate at 4.5%
• ‘I’m at a breaking point’: Va. working moms and parents struggle with child care and lack of paid family leave
• Editorial: Make body camera footage accessible to the public
• Washington and Lee name change decision will be made in June, rector says
• A single mom took down Virginia Beach’s discriminatory voting system — and she’s not done yet
• Restaurant incident viewed as possible hate crime, Arlington police say
• Quick shower possible early and late today; mostly dry and pleasant though midweek