Friday News: “Supreme Court’s new ruling confirms it’s the enemy of democracy”; “Democrats Have 1 Option Left”; “Trump Was Not Indicted. But the Charges Still Threaten Him.”; “How Pro-Trump Local News Sites Keep Pushing 2020 Election Misinformation”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, July 2.

• Delta variant sweeps Asia, prompting curbs as vaccination remains tepid
• ‘Lytton is gone’: wildfire tears through village after record-breaking heat (This the climate emergency.)
• U.S. military vacates main air base in Afghanistan, underscoring withdrawal expected within days
• Bagram: Last US and Nato forces leave key Afghanistan base
• Setting his eyes on the next 100 years, Xi seizes the chance to lead China to greater power
• A Hundred Years of the C.C.P. (“Beijing reverts to a belief that paranoia and suspicion are the best policies.”)
• The Chinese Communist Party’s anniversary is Hong Kong’s funeral
• How to Live in a Climate ‘Permanent Emergency’
• The building collapse felt throughout Latin America
• Tropical Storm Elsa is the latest evidence climate change is happening now
• Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Protects Against Delta Variant, Company Reports
• J&J Covid-19 vaccine lasts at least 8 months, protects against Delta variant, studies find
  
• Labour Holds Off Johnson’s U.K. Tories in Key Election Win
• It’s Time for the F.D.A. to Fully Approve the mRNA Vaccines
• CDC: Covid cases up 10 percent as ‘hypertransmissible’ delta variant spreads (“Lagging vaccination rates coupled with the rise of the delta variant could account for the uptick.” Plus, more people aren’t wearing masks indoors.)
• Media Coverage Of Climate Change Is Improving. But That Alone Won’t Stamp Out Disinformation
• Conservatives’ sensitivity to pandemic threat suppressed by distrust of science, media
• Local officials sound the alarm over another possible wave of Covid-19 infections
• Drier Springs Bring Hotter Summers in the Withering Southwest (“New research reveals a positive feedback loop with negative consequences linked to lower springtime humidity across an already parched landscape.” Disastrous.)
• U.S. must speed up offshore wind permits to hit Biden target, Orsted says
• Biden talks of his own anguish as he meets family members in Florida
• Biden bringing message of comfort, unity to Surfside
• Supreme Court deals blow to Black Caucus voting rights efforts
• The Supreme Court’s new ruling confirms it’s the enemy of democracy (“The conservative supermajority gives another thumbs-up to GOP voter suppression. And they’re not done yet.”)
• The Supreme Court leaves the Voting Rights Act alive — but only barely (“Brnovich v. DNC is a bad opinion for voting rights. It’s also much better than could have been expected from a 6-3 conservative SCOTUS”)
• Don’t be fooled: This is not a moderate Supreme Court (“The Roberts court is marching steadily to the right, some seemingly restrained decisions notwithstanding.”)
• The Roberts court systematically dismantles the Voting Rights Act
• SCOTUS Leaves the Voting Rights Act on Life Support (“The conservative majority upheld two Arizona election laws—and bolstered the GOP’s assault on voting rights.”)
• Democrats will have to find new ways to defend voting rights. Here’s one. (“One key place where this must happen is in oft-neglected down-ballot races. In particular, races for secretary of state — the position of chief election officer in many states — will suddenly become a lot more important.”)
• Supreme Court Gives Green Light to GOP Voter Suppression Laws (“The ruling in favor of Arizona voting restrictions has national reverberations.”)
• Supreme Court Allows Arizona To Keep Voting Restrictions (“The ruling in Brnovich v. DNC could have implications for voting measures nationwide.”)
• The Supreme Court showcased its ‘textualist’ double standard on voting rights (They are completely full of shit.)
• The Supreme Court Abandons Voting Rights
• “That Law, of All Laws, Should Not Be Diminished”: In Devastating Ruling, the Supreme Court Leaves the Voting Rights Act on Life Support
• Oligarchy Day at the Supreme Court
• The Supreme Court Is Putting Democracy at Risk
• Democrats Have 1 Option Left (“Today’s Supreme Court decision further weakening the Voting Rights Act affirmed that the only way Democrats can reverse the wave of restrictive voting laws in GOP-controlled states is to pass new federal voting rights by curtailing the Senate filibuster.”)
• Voting Rights Battles Move to States After Supreme Court Ruling
• Supreme Court strikes down California’s donor disclosure requirement for charities (The Supreme Court is a complete joke, with at least two stolen seats, and basically is illegitimate at this point.)
• Supreme Court Allows Fracked Gas Pipeline’s Use of Eminent Domain. But the Pipeline’s Victory Comes with Some Big Caveats. (“The decision could give private companies more power to take state land, but experts point to a thicket of legal obstacles that remain in the pipeline’s way.”)
• House Democrats to skip budget markup, wait for Senate
• Kevin McCarthy Wouldn’t Even Show Up
• Trump Was Not Indicted. But the Charges Still Threaten Him.
• Why the Law Is Strong Enough to Take On Donald Trump
• Trump exposed as prosecutors make first move in high-stakes chess game
• As prosecutors indict the Trump Organization, Trump indicts himself
• A measure of accountability for Trump is something to celebrate (“His company and one of his closest advisers are charged with a series of crimes. It’s a good start.”)
• The Fantasy of a Trump K.O. (“Will the New York case against the Trump Organization—finally—be his accountability moment?”)
• ‘There’s just no legal defense’: Trump Organization in jeopardy, experts say (“Attorneys for the company downplayed the criminal charges, but analysts warned that the firm and a top aide face serious allegations.”)
• Attorney General Merrick Garland orders pause of federal executions
• Trump’s Former Execs Wonder If It’s ‘the Beginning of the End’
• The Memo: Dangers intensify for Trump as Vance brings charges
• Trump Organization tax-crime charges: what it all means (“The charges against the company and Allen Weisselberg seem small in scope – but experts say this could be just the beginning”)
• Mary Trump Reveals The Family Members Most Likely To Turn Against Donald Trump
• Trump Is Preparing for the Worst (“Watch for early indications that the legal process may end badly for the former president.”)
• Trump seeks to use indictments as a political rallying cry as he tries to survive latest legal threat
• Trump is here to stay, and Republicans should be worried
• Will Trump Be Indicted?
• Trump rolls out his defense for all seasons: It’s all politics
• The newest MAGA app is tied to a Bannon-allied Chinese billionaire
• Trumpworld App Is Bankrolled by Fugitive Chinese Billionaire
• Congratulations, America. You Elected a Crook.
• The Most Complete Picture Yet of America’s Changing Electorate (“Republicans and Democrats have amassed divergent coalitions that will make coming elections especially competitive—and bitter.”)
• The right’s attack on “critical race theory”: Another battle in the Orwellian war against democracy (“For the right, ‘critical race theory’ is all-embracing but meaningless. Its sole purpose is to scare white people”)
• Extremist rhetoric from rightwing media and officials is ‘intensifying’, experts say (“Comparisons of Democrats to Nazis and suggestions thousands should be executed spark fears of violence”)
• Tucker Carlson’s history of fearmongering about white replacement, genocide, and race war
• How Pro-Trump Local News Sites Keep Pushing 2020 Election Misinformation (This is really, really bad for our country, our democracy, etc.)
• Stop Blaming Crime Rates on Defunding the Police (“There is no national evidence of that. What we have is anecdotes.”)
• Boy Scouts reach $850 million settlement with tens of thousands of sexual abuse victims (“The settlement is the largest in a child sexual abuse case in United States history.”)
• Elise Stefanik says she supports police. Her votes suggest otherwise.
• Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis Declares Special Election (“Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis issued a proclamation today declaring a special gubernatorial recall election on September 14, 2021 to determine whether Gavin Newsom, Governor of the State of California, shall be recalled, and if the majority vote on the question is to recall, to elect a successor.”)
• J.D. Vance, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Author, Is Running for Senate in Ohio (He’s godawful.)
• Cosby release shows how prosecutors hinder sexual assault victims, advocates say (“Bruce Castor’s disputed deal offering Bill Cosby immunity is under scrutiny, and indicative of hurdles facing women who seek justice”)
• Cosby no longer lives in prison, but he will always live in shame
• Damages reported throughout DC area after tornado warnings
• Reps. Raskin, Luria to serve on committee probing Jan. 6 riot at U.S. Capitol
• BREAKING: Speaker Pelosi Names Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02), Others to Serve on Select Committee to Investigate 1/6 Assault on Our Democracy
• Sen. Tim Kaine holds roundtable discussion with Norfolk leaders to address gun violence prevention (“We can’t just address symptoms, we’ve gotta address causes”)
• Sen. Mark Warner visits the Diamond, discusses newly proposed funding for Flying Squirrels
• Religious freedom advocate seeks Republican nod to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (She’s a total right wingnut.)
• Tina Ramirez is again seeking the Republican nomination to face Spanberger
• Warner and Kaine Go to Bat for Squirrels
• U.S. Interior Secretary Joins Governor Northam, Senator Kaine to Announce New Actions to Advance Offshore Wind in Virginia
• Sec. of the Interior Haaland visits Hampton Roads, announces next phase of offshore wind project
• As Virginia’s Economy Rebounds From the Pandemic, Glenn Youngkin’s Far-Right Agenda Would Threaten the Commonwealth’s Recovery
• Democrats criticize Glenn Youngkin over use of ‘yellow Virginians’ in interview about unity
• Financial disclosures in Va. governor’s race detail wealth of Youngkin, McAuliffe (“Vague state requirements make exact wealth hard to judge, but the GOP hopeful’s resources are vast.”)
• NEW AP REPORT: Glenn Youngkin’s Track Record of Offshoring American Jobs, Screwing Mobile Home Owners (“‘They don’t realize that these are peoples’ homes. We’re not just numbers on a spreadsheet,’ said Pavlick, now 74 years old. ‘They have no conscience.'”)
• AG Mark Herring Marks Marijuana Legalization Going Into Effect Today in Virginia (“For too long, Virginia’s marijuana policies were not working, and they were disproportionately affecting Black and brown Virginians”)
• Governor Northam Celebrates Sweeping Change to Move Virginia Forward as New Laws Take Effect (“Historic measures include marijuana legalization, tuition-free community college, increased access to voting, and expansion of passenger rail”)
• AG Mark Herring Condemns Supreme Court Decision on Voting Rights
• Stop Trying to Make CRT Happen – A Look at How the VA GOP Is Manufacturing Controversy To Fire Up the Base (“At least six HoD Republican candidates advertising on CRT”)
• Interest Groups Have Many Ideas About How Virginia Should Spend Pandemic Aid
• VEC has made significant progress in dealing with backlog of claims, but legal aid groups say more work still needs to be done
• Virginia will expand mental health coverage under Medicaid
• Thursday (7/1) Virginia Data on COVID-19: Hospitalizations, New COVID Cases At Lowest Points Since March 2020
• VCU poll: Unvaccinated white Virginians, Republicans are the least likely to want a COVID shot
• Masks are staying on in Virginia schools — for now (“Anyone five years and older will need to continue to wear masks in Virginia schools for at least several more weeks.”)
• Attorneys for state Sen. Louise Lucas are asking a judge to dismiss a recall petition against her (“Lucas’ lawyers say Virginia’s recall law doesn’t apply to state legislators because the state constitution has a procedure for removing them. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday morning in Chesapeake Circuit Court.”)
• Editorial: Act regionally to fight violent crime (“A second mayors’ forum to forge regional solutions for violent crime shows promise, but still must deliver.”)
• Water Crossings Next Hurdle for MVP Approval
• Opinion: Efficiency will help Dominion reduce costs and meet clean energy goals
• Mountain Valley Pipeline follows familiar playbook: Push pollution into poor and minority communities
• NFL fines Washington $10M after misconduct investigation (Super-slimy organization.)
• D.C.-area forecast: Turning very comfortable for July. Rain chances diminish through the weekend.