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by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, October 27. Just six days until the election…make sure you vote, and tell everyone you know how important it is to keep Virginia moving forward, not lurching backwards under Trumpist Republican misrule.
- World faces disastrous 2.7C temperature rise on current climate plans, UN warns (“Report says countries must strengthen climate ambitions after wasting chance to build back better after Covid”)
- U.N. Finds Nations’ Climate Plans Fall Short of Paris Accord
- Report Examines ‘Net Zero’ Climate Strategies, Finds Corporate Plans Lacking in Lead up to COP26
- Mighty river to muddy trickle: South America’s Parana rings climate alarm
- Harvard’s modern-day Darwin warns against humanity’s downward slope (“The Harvard University scientist who has called for setting aside half the planet as a nature preserve says the slope of human history will always be downward unless there is global cooperation to save existing species.” We should all listen to EO Wilson and act accordingly.)
- Poorer countries spend five times more on debt than climate crisis – report
- Brazil senators back criminal charges against Bolsonaro over Covid handling
- How the Netherlands is turning its back on natural gas (“As the country’s largest gas field slowly closes down, a wealth of clean alternatives are opening up to keep homes warm.”)
- At McKinsey, Widespread Furor Over Work With Planet’s Biggest Polluters (“A letter signed by more than 1,100 employees has called for change at the consulting firm, which has advised at least 43 of the 100 most environmentally damaging companies.” Evil company.)
- Gazprom offered Moldova new gas deal in exchange for weaker EU ties
- Moldova: Russia threatens gas supply in Europe’s poorest state
- German Chancellor-in-Waiting Vows Energy Renewal in ‘First Year’
- Top U.S. General Likens China’s Hypersonic Weapon Test to ‘Sputnik Moment’
- Iran’s president says cyberattack was meant to create ‘disorder’ at gas pumps
- Islamic State in Afghanistan could have capacity to strike US next year
- Covid vaccines: FDA panel approves Pfizer jabs for children 5 and up
- Birx: 130000 Americans Would Be Alive Today If Trump Hadn’t Been “Distracted” By the Election (Birx is ridiculous.)
- New cases down nearly 60 percent since delta variant surge
- Democrats race to reach deal on spending ahead of Biden’s trip
- Scoop: Biden plan expected to include at least $500B for climate
- Corporate Minimum Tax Resurfaces as Democrats Hunt for Money
- Democrats’ billionaire tax would heavily target 10 wealthiest Americans, but alternative plan is emerging
- Democrats Hammer Out Novel Plan to Tax Billionaires and Corporate Giants (“Proposals would fund social and climate programs by taxing billionaires in a creative way and ensuring that top companies couldn’t avoid income taxes.”)
- Top Democrats aim to strike a deal on Biden’s social spending plan within hours
- Manchin speaks out about his tough bargaining with Biden, fellow Democrats
- Scoop: Manchin waffles on billionaire tax
- Billionaires tax faces constitutional, political hurdles (“The question for tax writers and party leaders is whether they can thread those needles in drafting the details.”)
- Manchin: ‘I think we’ll get a framework’ deal
- Sinema backs corporate minimum tax proposal
- Progressives scramble to save top priorities from chopping block
- As clock ticks down, Manchin is the vote to get on spending plan
- Watching Democrats Negotiate This Bill Has Become a Soul-Crushing Experience
- Romney says billionaires will have to buy ‘paintings’ to avoid tax hikes (Romney has always been a buffoon.)
- Pity the billionaire, so sensitive and oppressed (“To hear Republicans tell it, even the tiniest increase in their taxes will cause these tender souls to shut their businesses and flee the country.”)
- Investors on board as U.S. oil majors dismiss wind and solar projects (“Top U.S. oil firms are doubling down on drilling, deepening a divide with European rivals on the outlook for renewables, and winning support from big investors who do not expect the stateside companies to invest in wind and solar.” F’ed up.)
- The greatest peacetime surge in household wealth (“Household net worth in the United States has increased USD25 trillion since end-2019, or nearly 115% of GDP”)
- Jan. 6 committee expected to subpoena lawyer who advised Trump, Pence on how to overturn election
- Donald Trump’s “slow-motion coup” is becoming a runaway train (“Trump and his sycophants are working on many fronts to subvert democracy — America’s turning point is here and now”)
- Democrats Worry A Lot About Policies That Win Elections. That’s Short-Sighted.
- Garland vs. Bannon Is Bidenism vs. Trumpism (“Polls suggest that provocation is proving more politically effective than probity.”)
- Democrats fight back as Republicans target education in push for suburbs (It’s about f’ing time!)
- ‘It’s absolutely getting worse’: Secretaries of state targeted by Trump election lies live in fear for their safety and are desperate for protection
- This is how the anti-democratic right wins (“CNN has an appalling new report documenting the threats that elections officials around the country are receiving, in part because Donald Trump and his movement continue feeding his lies about the 2020 election. To take one vile example, Arizona secretary of state Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, got a voicemail saying: ‘I am a hunter — and I think you should be hunted.'”)
- Marjorie Taylor Greene and the Right’s Creeping Embrace of Revolution (“It’s easy to dismiss her as making yet another extremist statement likening January 6 to 1776. She is far from alone, though.”)
- Why Zuckerberg’s Days As CEO May Be Numbered
- New data shows Facebook’s groups problem goes way beyond “Stop the Steal” (“Media Matters found over 1,000 active groups dedicated to COVID-19 or election misinformation, even though Facebook acknowledges the dangers such groups pose”)
- ‘Definitely not the results we want’: Facebook staff lamented ‘perverse incentives’ for media (“In documents, employees fretted about ‘darker, more divisive content’ and boosting far-right sites”)
- As the anti-Facebook frenzy accelerates, remember: The problem isn’t just a single platform (No, but Facebook is the biggest.)
- Federal Trade Commission Scrutinizing Facebook Disclosures
- Five points for anger, one for a ‘like’: How Facebook’s formula fostered rage and misinformation (Facebook is a disgrace and a menace to humanity.)
- Jen Senko on how Fox News brainwashed her dad — and is now prepping its audience for fascism
- Men shot by Rittenhouse can be described as ‘rioters’ and ‘looters’ but not ‘victims,’ judge rules ahead of trial (Automatic mistrial? This judge sounds completely incompetent.)
- The Early Signs From the Kyle Rittenhouse Trial Are Not Promising
- Youngkin Chooses Book Banning “Activist” As Final Surrogate to Pander to Far-Right, Anti-Science Crowd
- Virginia on the Brink (“Glenn’s mask is already slipping. Throughout 2021, numerous Republican candidates have employed anti-Semitism in their political communications. Some of it was paid for by the Virginia Republican Party, to whom Youngkin is a major donor. The Washington Post has called them out for it. Time and again, though, the Republican nominee has stayed silent on the issue. Why?”)
- Video, Updates From the VA Dems’ Rally in Arlington with President Biden; Less Than One Week Until Election Day
- DNC Chair: Trump Acolyte Glenn Youngkin Opposes Marriage Equality, Wants to Ban Books
- Biden makes a final push for McAuliffe, urging Virginia voters to show up against Youngkin — and Trump
- Biden Leans On Specter Of Trump, Jan. 6 In Stump Speech For Virginia Gov. Race
- With One Week to Go, Virginia Saw 44k Vote Early/In-Person Monday, a New Daily High This Election; TargetSmart Estimates 54.9% Dem, 30.3% GOP So Far…
- Biden Headlines Rally For McAuliffe
- Biden returns to Arlington for McAuliffe, blasts Youngkin for touting effort to ban Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’
- Outside money floods race for Virginia’s governor
- Virginia’s Youngkin spotlights woman who tried to ban Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ (“The Virginia gubernatorial candidate’s recent ad reveals some significant cracks in Republicans’ usual criticism of cancel culture.”)
- Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ becomes latest flashpoint in Virginia gubernatorial race
- Why the Virginia Election Is Freaking Democrats Out (“Outrage and fear are powerful motivators — ones at which Mr. Trump and his breed of Republicans excel. So while the non-MAGA electorate may be rightly exhausted, Democrats should beware of letting their voters get comfy or complacent just because Mr. Trump is currently cooling his heels in Florida. That is exactly what his Republican Party is counting on in Virginia — and everywhere else.”)
- McAuliffe and Youngkin continue heavy fundraising into final weeks of Virginia governor’s race (“The two major-party candidates in Virginia’s governor’s race have raised a record amount as they battle for the Executive Mansion, reaching a combined total of more than $115 million in contributions.”)
- Virginia AG Herring cites ‘progress’ in bid for 3rd term
- Is Virginia’s Habit Of Ticket Splitting A Thing Of The Past?
- Northam Pardoned 604 Prisoners But Critics Say the System Is Broken
- Schapiro: Va. high court will do what panel wouldn’t, lawmakers couldn’t (And, as usual, the headline doesn’t call out what really happened. #FAIL)
- College enrollment is flat in Virginia, but low-income students are less likely to choose college now
- Editorial: Promoting the “Big Lie”
- Biden makes his closing pitch in Virginia by unloading on Youngkin and comparing him to Trump
- Va. health secretary stepping down as Northam term soon ends (“Northam’s office says Dan Carey’s last day as secretary of health and human resources will be Friday. He will become chief medical officer for a collective of affiliated physicians and medical groups based in Washington, D.C.”)
- A shortage of workers is hindering efforts to improve mental health care in Virginia
- Kastelberg decries campaign ads as false; Willett ‘very comfortable’ with claims
- Preview: School policy at center of Simonds v. Harper race in 94th House District
- Preview: In 91st House District, incumbent faces two challengers
- Tuesday (10/26) Virginia Data on COVID-19: 1-Day New Cases +1,299; 10-Day New Cases +16,061; Hospitalizations at 1,230 (Lowest Since Late August)
- Fairfax County to Change Vote Reporting Order on Election Night (“The county registrar says early votes will be reported early on instead of after election day in-person voting.”)
- Stafford County NAACP Rips Republican School Board Candidate For Sharing “hateful bigoted memes” That Are “homophobic, transphobic, and Islamophobic in nature” (“We need school board members and leaders who stand for equality”)
- Regulators give ‘governmental activity’ exemption to marina and hotel project at Fort Monroe(“Project won’t require premits for impacts to wetlands, beaches and dunes” Seriously?!?)
- Some Loudoun County parents, residents call for school board, superintendent to resign
- Virginia Beach police recall gun holsters tied to body-cam tech after review showed “possible defect”
- D.C.-area forecast: Breezy, brighter and milder today before next storm Thursday night and Friday
