Saturday News: “Biden insists stalled $1tn infrastructure bill will get done”; “The Supreme Court’s crisis of legitimacy”; With “Political poseur” Glenn Youngkin, “Appearances are intentionally deceiving”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, October 2.

• Brazil: A drought with roots in the Amazon jungle (“Large parts of South America are facing the most severe drought in nearly a century. At threat is one of the largest waterways in the region, the Paraná water system that millions of people in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina rely on for water and energy. The reason, say climatologists, is La Niña, a natural phenomenon that disrupts weather patterns. But there are also other factors at play – like deforestation further north in the Amazon jungle.” In short, humans are completely f’ing up the environment.)
• Surprised if any significant coal industry existed after 2040, EU’s Timmermans says
• Experts warn antiviral pill is no substitute for vaccines
• Taiwan says record 38 Chinese planes entered defence zone
• Taiwan angered after largest ever incursion by Chinese air force (“Taiwan sharply criticised China on Saturday after Beijing marked the founding of the People’s Republic of China with the largest ever incursion by the Chinese air force into the island’s air defence zone.”)
• Biden’s top trade advisor will say China isn’t complying with phase 1 deal reached under Trump, according to sources
• China’s Power Shortfalls Begin to Ripple Around the World
• Rodrigo Duterte: Philippine president announces retirement from politics (“According to Amnesty International, more than 7,000 people were killed by police or unknown armed attackers in the first six months of Mr Duterte’s presidency.”)
• In Desperation, Thousands Take a Perilous Route North Every Day
• Global COVID-19 deaths hit 5 million as Delta variant sweeps the world
• Saudis Triumph in Oil Market With Comeback From Covid Crisis
• Brexit didn’t create the UK’s fuel crisis. But it did make it worse. (Brexit was a massive, self-inflicted wound for absolutely no good reason.)
• Jamal Khashoggi was murdered three years ago. These Saudis are still being silenced.
• The South’s Resistance to Vaccination Is Not As Incomprehensible As It Seems (“The psychological forces driving ‘red COVID’ have deep historical roots.”)
• Headlines prioritize fear over hope in stories about vaccine mandates (“Multiple mainstream outlets highlighted the small number of firings rather than the massive rates of compliance” Disgraceful “journalism”)
• U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Surpasses 700,000 Despite Wide Availability of Vaccines (“An overwhelming majority of Americans who have died in recent months were unvaccinated, with the latest Covid-19 deaths concentrated in the South. The new and alarming surge of deaths this summer means that the coronavirus pandemic has become the deadliest in American history.”)
• Biden insists stalled $1tn infrastructure bill will get done
• Biden urges patience as he seeks to unite Democrats on infrastructure
• ‘We’re going to get it done’: Biden vows to break impasse after Capitol Hill talks
• ‘It doesn’t matter when’: How Biden gave feuding House Democrats an off-ramp
• The Biden agenda is in peril. Here’s the hidden reason it might survive.
• In Capitol visit, Biden tries to make peace with feuding Democrats
• Biden Says Infrastructure Can Wait, Spending Plan May Shrink
• Dear Colleague Following President Biden’s Visit with Our Democratic Caucus
• House Democrat calls colleague who leaked details from caucus meeting a ‘schmuck’ and ‘coward’ ahead of Biden meeting where phones are banned (“As the hours-long meeting went on, Democrats grew increasingly frustrated about the leaks. Rep. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia reportedly suggested that they hold their meeting in a room usually intended for reviewing classified information.”)
• Biden floats roughly $2 trillion price tag for reconciliation
• Arizona Senator Returns Home as Spending Deal Remains Elusive
• Wonking Out: Biden Should Ignore the Debt Limit and Mint a $1 Trillion Coin
• The Disturbing Precedent for McConnell’s Debt-Ceiling Brinksmanship
• “‘Big Setback for the Biden Agenda?’ Really? Really? A day? A couple of days? The media is getting this story 100% wrong.”
• Progressives play hardball — with Biden’s support — and confuse the media
• The state of infrastructure talks in Congress, explained (“Democrats dealt with the infighting. Now, they actually have to negotiate.”)
• Transforming America With a One-Vote Majority (“Joe Biden’s economic plan is stalled in Congress because the warring wings of his party aren’t yet desperate enough to compromise. They could be soon.”)
• Senate Democrats dial down the Manchin tension
• Wait, Why Did Anyone Ever Think Manchin Would Be OK With a Giant Progressive Bill? (Good question; I never understood how this was going to happen.)
• What if the Progressive Revolt…Isn’t a Revolt at All? (“They are no longer their party’s chief antagonists, but Biden’s key defenders.”)
• With The Biden Agenda Imperiled, It’s Time For Democrats To Break With Foolish Traditions (“The dysfunction created by the filibuster, the debt ceiling, parliamentary opinions and deficit fear-mongering can end.”)
• These Corporate Giants Claim They Support Climate Action. Their Behavior Suggests Otherwise. (“Amazon, Apple, Disney, Microsoft et al, are part of groups aiming to neuter the reconciliation bill.”)
• What if everything we think about centrists and ideologues is wrong? (“The centrists are the ones who cave to special interests and stand in the way of getting things done.”)
• Koch-backed group fuels opposition to school mask mandates, leaked letter shows (Of course.)
• Biden administration urges judge to block Texas abortion law
• Women’s March protesters to rally across U.S. to protect Roe v. Wade
• Is the Texas Abortion Law Backfiring on the People Who Pushed It Through? (“As women rally for abortion rights this weekend, the law faces mounting challenges in the courts.”)
• Justice Brett Kavanaugh Tests Positive For COVID-19 (“Kavanaugh has been fully vaccinated since January, according to the court. His positive test comes just days before the start of the Supreme Court’s new session.”)
• Rudy Giuliani Is (Probably) Screwed
• The Supreme Court’s crisis of legitimacy
• Hacked Oath Keepers Records Show Active Members Of Law Enforcement And The Military Tried To Join The Group After Jan. 6
• Murkowski bemoans surge of covid cases in Alaska, decries Nazi references about mask mandate
• S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem posts video defending meeting that drew calls of nepotism, review by attorney general (Horrendously bad governor.)
• Pat Robertson steps down as host of ‘The 700 Club’ (“Robertson, 91, plans to turn his attention to teaching at Regent University, where he is the school’s chancellor.” Bye bye!)
• TikTok Hero and Chevron Foe Donziger Gets Six Months in Jail
• Facebook Struggles to Quell Uproar Over Instagram’s Effect on Teens
• Newsom orders COVID vaccines for eligible students, the first state mandate for K-12 schools
• Ozy Media Says It Is Shutting Down
• ‘It Was Weird and Culty’: Carlos Watson’s Mismanagement of Ozy (Total scam)
• Alex Jones must pay damages to Sandy Hook families after calling shooting a ‘giant hoax,’ judge rules (Bankrupt this evil motherf@##@!)
• ‘Kraken Queen’ Sidney Powell Is Now on Trump’s ‘No-Go List’
• Glenn Youngkin’s Week in Review: Election Conspiracies, Anti-Vaccine Activities, and More Support for Anti-Semitic Attacks
• In tight governor’s race, Virginia GOP targeting critical race theory to draw votes (“Youngkin pledges CRT classroom ‘ban’ despite the fact it’s not taught in schools.” Republicans stoking racist fears to try to win elections is one of the oldest games in the book, going back to Lee Atwater and earlier…)
• Schapiro: Political poseur or playing the role of a lifetime (“With Glenn Youngkin, what you see may not be what you get…Appearances are intentionally deceiving.”)
• Governor’s race in Va. has Republicans dreaming of a post-Trump future (“Terry McAuliffe has branded Glenn Youngkin as a mini-Trump, but with the election weeks away, the attacks haven’t dampened GOP enthusiasm, according to polls.” They’re not intended to “dampen GOP enthusiasm,” of course, they’re designed to get Dems out to vote.)
• VA House Democratic Caucus Stands Behind Virginia Speaker Amid Report of Potential Violence by Neo-Nazis (“The House Democratic Caucus stands behind her and will not be intimidated.”)
• Speaker Filler-Corn was informed Thursday that she was a potential target prior to the 2020 gun rally
• Prosecutors: Neo-Nazis planned attack on Va. Capitol gun rally in 2020 and discussed assassination of Filler-Corn
• Chesapeake Bay Program vows to fight climate change more aggressively
• Governor Northam Leads Chesapeake Executive Council in Signing Climate Directive (“Efforts to meet 2025 Chesapeake Bay restoration goals enhanced, prioritizing health of the Bay and energizing economic activity”)
• Flip-[And-Hold]-A-District Friday: Volume XII (Del. Martha Mugler, Del. Karrie Delaney, Emily Scott, Deetzie Bayliss)
• Del. Dan Helmer Raises $100,000 in 24 Hours After WaPo Releases Op-Ed Denouncing “Blatant” Anti-Semitic Flyer By Helmer’s GOP Opponent
• Splits Over How to Distribute Minority Voters Keeps Producing Deadlock on the Redistricting Commission
• Pressed for time, redistricting commission will likely present unfinished product to the public next week (“Virginia’s redistricting commission might not arrive at finalized district lines for the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate before next week, when the commission will present the maps to the public for input.”)
• The VA Redistricting Commission “is getting nowhere at a really fast rate…This was a 100% inevitable outcome the minute a partisan commission was created”
• Friday (10/1) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations (1,898) Near Highest Level Since Mid February, 10-Day New Cases (+29,853) Near Highest Since Mid February
• Fairfax Schools Warn Parents About ‘Escalating’ TikTok Challenges (“The superintendent is reminding the school community that these actions are not harmless pranks but crimes that will lead to disciplinary measures and charges.”)
• Peace at last for Virginia Beach family tired of ‘racist stuff’ blaring next door (“Jannique Martinez noticed the animal sounds and banjo music playing next door were unusually soft when she walked her kids to their school bus stop Sept. 24. Although the sounds are still playing, for Martinez and her family it’s enough to get some peace.”)
• Most Richmond Public Schools staff and city workers are vaccinated, but terminations loom for those out of compliance
• Residents of Richmond’s Northside are upset over removal of traffic calming “bump-outs” without public input (“Richmond residents are upset about the surprise removal of traffic calming measures that helped pedestrians cross the street safely. The curb extensions were also used to add plants and trees to beautify the business district.” WTF?)
• D.C.-area forecast: Feeling more like September than October this weekend (“Temperatures are near 80 today and perhaps in the mid-80s tomorrow. It’ll stay warm, with increased rain chances, into the work week.”)