Wednesday News: “The Trump G.O.P.’s Plot Against Liz Cheney — and Our Democracy”; “For the GOP, the only acceptable truth is a lie”; “Colonial Faces Deadline to Decide on Hacked Pipeline Restart”; “In Virginia, Biden and Democrats face a major test”; Youngkin “probably has almost-unlimited funds”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 12.

• Covid pandemic was preventable, says WHO-commissioned report (“Independent high-level panel castigates global leaders and calls for major changes to ensure it cannot happen again”)
• Indian coronavirus variant has now spread to almost 50 countries, says WHO
• India’s Covid Catastrophe Shows World the Danger of Complacency
• One in four cities cannot afford climate crisis protection measures – study (“Survey of 800 cities around world finds almost 43% do not even have plan to adapt to impacts of global heating”)
• Exceptional growth is the ‘new normal’ for solar and wind energy
• NASA spacecraft detects a constant ‘hum’ deep in the cosmos
• More Than 30 Dead in Gaza and Israel as Fighting Quickly Escalates
• Death toll climbs, protests intensify as Israel and Gaza slip toward war
• Biden didn’t want to be dragged into the Israel-Palestine issue. But he doesn’t have a choice.
• Israel-Gaza violence: death toll rises as UN envoy warns over escalation (“Further airstrikes and rocket fire reported in worst violence since 2014 war between Israel and Hamas”)
• Violence in Israel Challenges Biden’s ‘Stand Back’ Approach
• Israel’s actions in East Jerusalem are a human rights test for Biden
• New Israeli-Palestinian fighting serves political agendas on both sides
• U.S. Tariffs Drive Drop in Chinese Imports
• Time is running out for Beijing to prepare its economy for a ‘great demographic unknown’
• ‘Transition Washing’ Is the Newest Sustainability Dodge
• Unaccompanied Child Migrant Arrivals Decreased in April (“As the Biden administration works to relocate kids out of CBP tents, the number of minors arriving without parents decreased by 9 percent last month.”)
• Inflation Likely Accelerated in April as Economy Strengthened
• Biden’s GOP Foes Pounce on Inflation Fear to Fight Spending Plan (Of course they do…)
• ‘Today we face a threat America has never seen before’(“In a powerful speech, Liz Cheney shamed colleagues who will vote today to strip her of her No. 3 House GOP post, showing guts to speak truth to Trump’s malevolent power”)
• Life after leadership: Liz Cheney plots her long game against Donald Trump
• The Trump G.O.P.’s Plot Against Liz Cheney — and Our Democracy
• Liz Cheney: Trump is a threat “America has never seen before”
• Over 100 Republicans, Including Former Officials, Threaten to Split from GOP
• Liz Cheney strikes defiant tone in floor speech on eve of her expected ousting from House GOP leadership
• In today’s Republican Party, there is no greater offense than honesty
• Lindsey Graham: If You Try to Drive Trump Out of the GOP, ‘Half the People Will Leave’
• Liz Cheney’s Liberal Critics Are Missing the Point
• Trump Tightens Grip on GOP With Cheney’s Ouster From Post
• Why the defeated Trump’s influence is powerful enough to oust Liz Cheney
• McCarthy Bows Before the Big Lie, Axes Cheney, and Begs Trump to Eat Him Last
• Cheney Embraces Her Downfall, Warning G.O.P. of Trump in a Fiery Speech
• ‘Let’s move on‘: Congress’ other pro-impeachment Republicans stay quiet
• For the GOP, the only acceptable truth is a lie
• I Am Asking Republicans to Stop Electing Insufferable Dickheads
• The Supreme Court is facing a showdown over abortion (“The Court has been surprisingly hesitant to weigh in on abortion. But a pending case is likely to force its hand.”)
• America is having a Black Renaissance. We should learn from it.
• Democrats, GOP agree on one thing: They’re skeptical of a deal
• Biden adds pressure to congressional talks with self-imposed deadlines
• Interior Department approves first large-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S.
• Biden is popular, but success depends on economic results (“The president is focused on jobs — and for good reason.”)
• The Memo: GOP attacks bounce off Biden
• The Mitch McConnell Guide to Voter Suppression (“The Senate minority leader doesn’t see why Democrats are so worked up about Republicans’ efforts to roll back voting rights.”)
• Will Voting Rights Die in the Senate? (“Democrats start moving For the People Act, but it’s on a collision course with a brick wall.”)
• It’s time for Democrats to force Joe Manchin to show his hand (“The West Virginia senator needs to decide whether he is pro-democracy or pro-filibuster.”)
• Ted Cruz just sent a very important message to Joe Manchin (“Even if you’re naïve enough to think Republicans are willing to cooperate, you can’t believe it will happen on election reform.”)
• Ivanka. Sean Spicer. Betsy DeVos. Stephen Miller. Where Has Trumpworld Landed?
• Trump’s Social Media Magic Appears to Be Wearing Off
• The Official and Unofficial Timeline of Defense Department Actions on January 6 (“In advance of Wednesday’s congressional hearing on ‘unexplained delays and unanswered questions’ pertaining to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, we are revisiting the day’s events, focusing closely on the Defense Department’s actions.”)
• Over half of eligible Latinos voted in 2020 — a historic first
• Timeline: The decimation of Fox’s “news side”
• Top U.S. fuel pipeline edges toward reopening as gasoline shortages worsen
• Colonial Faces Deadline to Decide on Hacked Pipeline Restart
• Colonial Pipeline hack highlights grid disruption risks even with IT-focused cyberattack, analysts say
• EPA Issues Fuel Waiver for Select Areas Impacted by Colonial Pipeline Shutdown
• Fuel shortages crop up in Southeast, gas prices climb after pipeline hack
• Idaho is going to kill 90% of the state’s wolves. That’s a tragedy – and bad policy (Absolutely insane and evil.)
• Yang reaps liberal backlash, conservative support from Israel tweet
• Arizona G.O.P. Passes Law to Limit Distribution of Mail Ballots (For what reason?!?)
• Trump family members got ‘inappropriately close’ to Secret Service agents, book claims
• Opposition to Newsom recall grows as Caitlyn Jenner, GOP generate little support, poll finds
• Scoop: Stephanie Murphy announcing challenge to Marco Rubio
• Conservancy charts a solar showcase on the coalfields of Central Appalachia (“The plan to generate up to 75 megawatts of solar power across hundreds of acres of deforested minelands in Virginia and Tennessee may be ‘a breakout moment for the region,’ the project’s developer said.”)
• Federal judge denies NRA attempt to declare bankruptcy in win for New York state attorney general
• Students for Trump founder John Lambert sentenced to 13 months for posing as lawyer
• 4 Women Say Matt Gaetz’s Wingman Pressured Them to Have Sex
• Editorial: Purposeful American Rescue Plan investments can generate long-term growth for Virginia
• Virginia medical facilities grapple with a new worry — a rise in drug-resistant fungus infections
• Tuesday (5/11) Virginia Data on COVID-19: Lowest 10-Day New COVID Cases Since 7/12/20; Lowest COVID-Related Hospitalizations Since March 2020
• Video: DPVA and DGA Hold Press Call On The Virginia GOP’s Extreme Pro-Trump Nominee For Governor Glenn Youngkin (“[Youngkin’s] loyalty to Trump not only is about style and substance, it is also infecting his policy priorities.”)
• Virginia Republicans just gave themselves a chance to win back the governorship
• In Virginia, Biden and Democrats face a major test (“This time, a key question is: How meaningful and lasting is that suburban shift to Democrats?…there may be a real battle in the Virginia suburbs, one that will test Democrats’ hold on the region, and on the suburbs more generally, at a time of ascendant progressivism.”)
• GOP nominee for Va. governor ‘probably has almost-unlimited funds’
• Virginia, meet Glenn Youngkin — the Republican nominee for governor who both parties are racing to define
• Youngkin says Democrats drove state into ditch; does not mention Trump’s endorsement (In fact, Virginia’s doing very well and making tremendous progress under Democratic leadership.)
• Glenn Youngkin’s Pitch: Tighter Voting Laws, Broader GOP Tent, and Money to Make it Happen
  
• Winsome Sears wins GOP nomination for lieutenant governor
• Winsome Sears, former state delegate, wins GOP nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor (“Last year, she was the national chair of Black Americans to Re-elect the President, a group geared toward helping President Donald Trump get reelected.”)
• Video, Results Thread: After Choosing AG, Gov Nominees, Virginia GOP Moves to LG Race at 9 am [UPDATE: Winsome Sears Wins the Nomination]
• Northam declares state of emergency as Virginia deals with gas pipeline cyberattack
• Va. motorists scramble for gas as pipeline shutdown causes spotty outages (Not smart at all.)
• Governor Northam Declares State of Emergency After Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Cyberattack
• Video: Jennifer McClellan Proposes Plan to Transform Virginia Justice System
• Video: Delegate Hala Ayala’s Campaign for Lieutenant Governor Releases Second TV Ad Featuring Governor Ralph Northam
• Why some gas stations in Hampton Roads are having a hard time getting fuel
• State begins rolling out $20 million in Volkswagen money for electric school buses
• The Future of Wildlife in Virginia
• Editorial: Proposed bike trail promises broad benefit (“A proposed trail for walking and biking that connects Virginia Beach to Richmond would have broad benefit to the region when completed.”)
• Roanoke County approves cigarette tax, despite business opposition
• Over $790M in rescue-plan funds heading to cities, counties and colleges in Hampton Roads
• A mostly worry-free stretch of weather through the weekend