Thursday News: “Speed of Taliban Advance Surprises Biden Administration, Dismays U.S. Allies”; “New U.S. Census Data to Set Off Bruising Gerrymandering Battle”; “Biden defies expectations. Again.”; “Democrats Are Running Out of Time to Protect Voting Rights”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, August 12.

• The U.N. Climate Panel Tries to Cut Through the Smog
• Where extreme weather is getting even worse, in one map
• Scientists say this invisible gas could seal our fate on climate change
• Climate change is making people think twice about having children (“Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors last month that the ‘movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the field of fertility decline.'”)
• Frackers, Shippers Eye Natural-Gas Leaks as Climate Change Concerns Mount
• The IPCC Understated the Need to Cut Emissions From Methane and Other Short-Lived Climate Pollutants, Climate Experts Say
• Italy may have hit Europe’s hottest day on record as anticyclone ‘Lucifer’ sweeps in
• UK plan to replace fossil gas with blue hydrogen ‘may backfire’ (“Academics warn ‘fugitive’ emissions from producing hydrogen could be 20% worse for climate than using gas”)
• Taliban take strategic Ghazni city as Afghan army chief is replaced (“Insurgents capture city 95 miles south of Kabul, the 10th provincial capital to fall in less than a week”)
• Speed of Taliban Advance Surprises Biden Administration, Dismays U.S. Allies
• Afghanistan: Taliban take 10th provincial capital as Ghazni falls (So, so bad.)
• Intelligence assessments warn Afghan capital could be cut off and collapse in coming months
• Afghanistan war: Taliban back brutal rule as they strike for power
• Biden forges ahead where Trump and Obama failed on infrastructure and Afghanistan (“Every president since George W. Bush has said it’s time to leave Afghanistan and turn to nation building at home, but only Joe Biden is getting it done”)
• Biden administration tries to mobilize international diplomatic effort to halt Taliban
• Japan calls on Australia to lead resistance to China’s regional sway
• Vaccine Scammers Target Authorities in Dozens of Countries
• Chaotic start to Castillo’s presidency leaves Peruvians wondering who’s in charge
• Court grants permission for judicial review into Unexplained Wealth Order against Donald Trump (“Legal efforts to force Scottish ministers to scrutinise the financing of Donald Trump’s golf and hotel resorts have overcome a significant hurdle, after the Court of Session granted permission…”)
• Herd immunity from Covid is ‘mythical’ with the delta variant, experts say
• Putin’s Qaddafi Comeback Gambit Sows New Conflict With the West (“A fragile peace in Libya is at risk as foreign powers jostle over election candidates.”)
• What if masks weren’t fated to be polarizing? New polls suggest as much.
• Biden should flex Washington’s muscle to get Americans vaccinated
• FDA set to approve vaccine booster shots for the immunocompromised
• Republicans risk becoming face of delta surge as key GOP governors oppose anti-covid measures
• FDA expected to authorize Covid-19 vaccine booster shots for immunocompromised people within the next 48 hours
• What to Know About Breakthrough Infections and the Delta Variant
• The pandemic has become more dangerous for children. Here’s how to help keep them safe.
• Why Is It Taking So Long to Get Vaccines for Kids? (“A few things still need to happen before the shots can be authorized for Americans younger than 12.”)
• Pandemic déjà vu: Limits on indoor gatherings are back. So are lines at test sites. (“‘This entire surge was completely preventable,’ one public health expert said.” Right wingers and anti-vaxxers are almost completely responsible for this.)
• U.S. employers get religion with vaccine mandates
• Bipartisanship for infrastructure is great. Don’t expect it for much else.
• Democrats’ infrastructure gamble actually seems like it could be working (“A lot could still go awry, but the Senate made some important progress this week.”)
• Here Are 5 Hurdles That Democrats Face Now For Their $3.5 Trillion Budget
• Schumer gets big victories — but headaches loom
• Joe Manchin just threatened to derail Biden’s big win. Please proceed, Senator. (“Moderates and the left should be able to unite behind the emerging Biden agenda.”)
• To get Biden’s agenda done, Democrats will need to make some sacrifices (“It’s going to get cut down from its current $3.5 trillion. But even so, it could be revolutionary.”)
• Why Did Mitch McConnell Give Joe Biden a Win? (“The Senate minority leader, who promised months ago that he was ;100 percent focused’ on obstructing Biden, supported the president’s infrastructure bill in the face of Trump’s wrath. As is usually the case with McConnell, it’s all a calculation. “)
• Roosevelt’s New Deal Failed Black Americans. Can Biden Do Better?
• At the fringe no more: Bernie Sanders muses on historic budget bill and the hurdles ahead
• Biden Economic Agenda Confronts Tripwires Everywhere in Congress
• New U.S. Census Data to Set Off Bruising Gerrymandering Battle
• How Democrats can neutralize the biggest threat to democracy (“The only way to foil Republicans’ attempted election rigging is for Democrats to update and pass their reform bill and for the Justice Department to move aggressively against those who attempt to subvert democracy… We need both the legal tools and the will to use them in defense of democratic elections. Only by prosecuting blatant attempts to overthrow our elections can we avert future coup attempts. The ball is in Attorney General Merrick Garland’s court.”)
• Democrats Are Running Out of Time to Protect Voting Rights
• As Congress Recesses, Democratic Successes Do Not Include Voting Rights (“Democratic leaders vow to make voting legislation the ‘first matter of legislative business’ in September. But their path remains cluttered with obstacles.”)
• Census Data Kicks Off Effort To Reshape U.S. House Districts (“The U.S. Census Bureau is releasing new population data that will be used to reshape U.S. House seats and state legislative districts for the next decade.”)
• Why The New Census Data Won’t Give A Full Picture Of Race And Ethnicity In The U.S.
• Former U.S. attorney in Atlanta says Trump wanted to fire him for not backing election fraud claims. (The DoJ needs to be AGGRESSIVELY and URGENTLY investigating and indicting the people behind the coup attempt.)
• Giuliani told agents it was okay to ‘throw a fake’ during political campaign (How is Giuliani not in prison yet?)
• ‘We are in harm’s way’: Election officials fear for their personal safety amid torrent of false claims about voting (Totally unacceptable.)
• America, This Is You. Grow the Hell Up. (“This video of parents acting like children outside of a Tennessee school board meeting—over masks, mind you—is the death rattle for a specific brand of American feeling” These people are disgusting.)
• This Is What a Country Going Mad Sounds Like (“These are not spontaneous outpourings of anti-mask fervor. These demonstrations are organized.”)
• How we can tell which party wants to govern (“Republicans are desperate, and for good reason.”)
• Biden defies expectations. Again. (“Incredulous reporters just don’t get it.”)
• 78th Secretary of the Navy Message to the Fleet (Very cool, congrats again to Carlos Del Toro!)
• Malignant normality: The psychological theory that explains naked emperors, narcissists and Nazis (“If one person’s crazy beliefs suddenly become mainstream, that is malignant normality”)
• The new GOP midterm election strategy is to make everyone mad (“Creating a new anti-mask backlash might not work, but they’re going to give it a go.”)
• Rand Paul discloses 16 months late that his wife bought stock in company behind covid treatment (Rand Paul is slime.)
• California Panel Backs Solar Mandate for New Buildings (Nice!)
• DeSantis confronts growing resistance over COVID-19 handling
• Texas Hospitals Are Already Overloaded. Doctors Are ‘Frightened by What Is Coming.’
• With Mississippi Hospitals Near Calamity, Gov. Reeves Left State For GOP Political Event
• Masks again mandatory in Dallas County schools, businesses but Gov. Abbott, Paxton mount legal fight (Abbott and Paxton are disgraces to humanity.)
• Texas Governor Ramps Up Fight as Resistance to Mask Ban Spreads
• ‘This Is a Mistake’: Steve Bannon Slams Mike Lindell’s Symposium for Not Proving Voter Fraud (LOL)
• Here are the places airing Mike Lindell’s elections lies at his “cyber symposium” (Why is this dangerous, unhinged crap allowed on Facebook, YouTube, etc?)
• Matthew Taylor Coleman: Man ‘Enlightened’ by QAnon to Kill His Kids, Feds Say
• Kathy Hochul vows big change from ‘toxic’ Cuomo administration, will fire ‘unethical’ staffers
• The Threat of a Cuomo Comeback (“Absent further action by the state legislature, the governor could run for his old job next year—and a recent poll suggests he would have a shot at victory.” Hell no.)
• So The ‘Jeopardy!’ Guest Host Rotation Was Apparently All For Show (“After all the hype, executive producer Mike Richards will become the show’s regular host and actor Mayim Bialik will host prime-time specials and spinoffs.” Terrible choice.)
• Senators Warner, Kaine Statement on “transformative budget blueprint to improve the lives of families in Virginia and across the nation for years to come”
• Warner, Kaine back two for WD judgeship
• $1 trillion U.S. infrastructure bill includes billions for Virginia transportation, flood protection projects
• Rep. Spanberger introduces bill to support addiction recovery services
• Virginia schools heading back with mishmash of local mask policies
• Terry McAuliffe Calls On All Virginia Health Systems to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccinations for Employees (“The Only Way We’re Going to End This Pandemic and Keep Our Economy Strong is by Getting Every Eligible Virginian Vaccinated as Quickly as Possible”)
• Virginia Democrats Slow to Act on Campaign Finance Reform
• Editorial: Green energy opportunity (“The wind energy project taking shape off Virginia’s coast could be lay the foundation for the commonwealth to be a hub for green energy development and innovation.”)
• Wednesday (8/11) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations At Highest Level Since Early May, 10-Day New Cases (+18,811) Highest Since February 26 (!)
• Schapiro: It’s not exactly the ‘People’s Court’ — yet (Better, though.)
• Virginia Employment Commission seeks dismissal of lawsuit, citing resolution of 98% of disputed unemployment claims
• ‘Forever chemicals’ found at military sites near Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and Maryland, environmental group says
• Video: By 7-2 Vote, Loudoun County School Board Passes Policy on the “Rights of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Students”*(Chair references “negative comments…heinous emails, voice mails and threats that I’ve received in order to see Policy 8040 passed and implemented to ensure a safe and affirming environment…for our transgender and expansive students.”)
• Loudoun Co. School Board votes to pass measure expanding transgender rights in schools
• Loudoun County School Board approves guidelines on transgender student rights (“The guidelines will, in part, allow transgender students access to school facilities and groups, such as sport teams, that match their gender identities.”)
• Polling by clean energy group finds support for renewables across partisan lines
• Court filing seeks to prevent blasting for pipeline on Bent Mountain (“The Terry family in Roanoke County argues that water could be contaminated.”)
• Fight brewing over alleged aquifer damage by Mountain Valley Pipeline
• Greenhouse gas pact helps fund green reinvention of Virginia public housing (“Money from the state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative provided a decisive boost allowing Charlottesville’s Friendship Court to rebuild with top-of-the-line energy efficiency measures.”)
• The retail legalization of marijuana could be significantly impacted by November’s elections in Virginia
• 55th HoD District Dem Nominee Rachel Levy “deeply disappointed and shaken up” After Hanover School Board “voted 4-3 to allow masks to be optional indoors for all K-12 students and staff” (“I thought they would do the right thing for public health and for the safety of our children, our teachers and educators”)
• After hours of vitriol and misinformation, Virginia Beach School Board votes to make masks mandatory for students, staff (“Almost 70 people spoke at a public meeting that was full of anger and stretched past 1 a.m. Wednesday before the decision came, 7-4, to require masks this fall. The decision follows the advice of public health officials and Gov. Ralph Northam.”)
• Ballad Health Officials: The Worst Is Yet To Come
• Fairfax County’s Commonwealth Attorney discusses the recall movement against him
• COVID patients are once again filling Richmond-area hospital beds; all area hospitals limiting visitors
• Every fourth-grader at Patrick Henry elementary school in South Richmond is quarantined after COVID-19 cases at school
• March and rally led to changes both subtle and deep at UVa
• Susan Bro, rally victims call for justice during anniversary event
• Statues are down, but on A12 anniversary, some say more needs to be done
• Portsmouth hires new police chief — and didn’t have to look far (“Renado Prince will lead Portsmouth’s police department. Prince is an assistant chief with 38 years of law enforcement experience.”)
• Pride flag at Virginia Tech campus ministry stolen, replaced with Confederate flags (“For the third time in two weeks, a pride flag displayed outside a campus religious center at Virginia Tech was stolen. But this time, it was replaced with Confederate flags.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: Record 100-degree heat possible today amid oppressive humidity, storm chances