Thursday News: “Coup Dunnit?”; “How the January 6 panel finally exposed Trump’s empire of lies”; “How Joe Manchin and Republicans are wrecking our most important debates”; “Kaine urges Senate to pass Build Back Better bill”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, December 16.

• Report: Climate change contributed to some of 2020’s worst weather (“New research reinforces consensus that humans have created a new climate”)
• See How the Antarctic Is Signaling Major Climate Disruption
• Antarctic ice shelf could crack, raise seas by feet within decade, scientists warn (“Thwaites is the widest glacier in the world and has doubled its rate of melt within the last 30 years, a researcher said.” Disastrous.)
• Covid-19 Surge Slows European Recovery, but Supply Problems Ease
• EU leaders weigh new sanctions on Russia amid ‘series of attacks’
• France ratchets up travel curbs with Britain over Omicron concerns
• After Taliban Return, Afghan Women Face Old Pressures From Fathers, Brothers
• The Nobel Peace Prize That Paved the Way for War (“This is the story behind how Ethiopia’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, won a Nobel Prize for making peace with his country’s longtime enemy — and then used the alliance to plan a war.”)
• Five children dead and four injured after wind lifts bouncy castle into the air
• Scoop: Biden to stop holding undocumented families in detention centers
• Citing omicron, advocates and Democrats press Biden to push faster on efforts to vaccinate the world
• Omicron Is About to Overwhelm Us
• Omicron could be milder — or a disaster. Don’t wait to find out.
• Powell Declares Inflation Big Threat as Fed Signals Rate Hikes
  
• How the January 6 panel finally exposed Trump’s empire of lies (“While there has been a steady accumulation of shocking evidence of Trump’s coup attempt on January 6, recent days put the saga into a horrifying new light”)
• The Paperwork Coup (“A much more dangerous insurrection was under way in the inboxes of Trump’s inner circle in the weeks before January 6.”)
• Meadows referral creates new legal, political challenge for Garland, DOJ
• Role as Trump’s gatekeeper puts Meadows in legal jeopardy — and at odds with Trump
• Is There a Smoking Gun in the January 6th Investigation? (“As the Democrats discover what Mark Meadows, Donald Trump, and others did, experts say they must also enact reforms to safeguard democracy—while they still control Congress.”)
• Jim Jordan sent one of the texts revealed by January 6 committee
• Jim Jordan Has Been Teed Up Properly By the January 6 Committee
• Jan. 6 investigators mull whether Trump violated obstruction law (There’s no question about it whatsoever.)
• Trump Found Crucial Support in Congress as He Fought to Stay in Power (Weird headline. In fact, “fought to stay in power” should be “fought to overturn a free-and-fair election, as well as our democracy”)
• Jan. 6 committee heats up as Liz Cheney takes center stage: Is it Watergate yet? (“Cheney bids for stardom as House Jan. 6 committee begins to show its case for conspiracy — and public hearings”)
• The bulldogs of Benghazi roll over for insurrectionists
• More US hurricane-force wind gusts reported in a single day than ever before
• Biden pledges aid on Kentucky trip: ‘I’ve not seen this much damage from a tornado’
• Democrats threaten to play hardball over Cruz’s blockade (Absolutely, do it.)
• How Joe Manchin and Republicans are wrecking our most important debates
• Manchin’s effort to kill the expanded child tax credit is getting more absurd
• A question for Pelosi: Why are members of Congress allowed to trade stocks?
• CNN Poll: Most say government is doing too little to fix inflation and the supply chain (In fact, the government is doing pretty much everything it can on these things.)
• The Year of Inflation Infamy (“Maybe the real takeaway here should be how little we know about where we are in this strange economic episode. Economists like me who didn’t expect much inflation were wrong, but economists who did predict inflation were arguably right for the wrong reasons, and nobody really knows what’s coming.”)
• Populism Has Found a Home at the Supreme Court, Too (UGH.)
• The Supreme Court, Weaponized
• Democrats need to reframe their agenda (“Many voters — especially Latinos — object to ‘social spending,’ but they like rewards for work.”)
• Democrats are unlikely to pass Biden’s social spending plan this year — here’s what it means
• President Biden, push the voting bills now
• How Black leaders might sway Biden on voting rights
• What A Flurry Of Democratic Departures Means For The 2022 House Race?
• As parents protest critical race theory, students fight racist behavior at school (“Heated local debates over critical race theory are feeding into the bullying and harassment of students of color at school, making it harder to stop, parents and experts say.”)
• The trend against religious affiliation is a grave threat to the GOP. But don’t count on it to save democracy. (“White evangelicals are seeking to maintain their grip on power through any means necessary.”)
• Ron DeSantis Claims MLK Would Love Bill Banning Schools From Teaching Kids About Racism (Completely unhinged.)
• 3rd Circuit’s Ambro to take senior status, giving Biden second vacancy
• Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to civil rights charges in killing of George Floyd
• Scoop: Perdue rejected GOP appeals to skip governor race
• Bruce Springsteen sells his entire music catalogue for $500m
• Sen. Mark Warner Applauds Senate Passage of Annual Defense Bill (Among other things, the legislation will “make historic reforms to the military’s handling of sexual assault cases”)
• Kaine urges Senate to pass Build Back Better bill
• Kaine hopes to extend expanded child tax credit
• Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07) Reportedly Calling Around, Strongly Considering Run in New, Northern VA-Based VA07
• Rep. Elaine Luria, others would be drawn out of districts under proposed electoral map. Some Virginians are voicing concern.
• Clean cars: Will the new mandate remain under Republican leadership?
• Public focuses on Richmond suburbs and Congress in SCOVA’s first public hearing on redistricting
• Video, Highlights: Public Comments to the Virginia Supreme Court on Proposed New Redistricting Maps
• Editorial: Virginia Supreme Court redistricting spreads the disruptions evenly
• In Final Budget, Governor Northam Proposes $1 Billion To Restore the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia’s Tidal Tributaries
• Northam celebrates his record on pardons amid criticism
• Virginia, Roanoke area mark grim milestones in COVID-19 pandemic
• Editorial: A push for HBCU funding (“The importance of Virginia’s HBCUs is unquestioned, and they play vital roles in their communities, in the commonwealth and in the lives of their students and loyal alumni.”)
• Speaker-designee Todd Gilbert Announces Legislative Staff Appointments
• Northam administration lays off 14 state employees who monitor drinking water because of ‘budgeting error’ (What the…?)
• Arlington, Amazon commit $310 million in loans to preserve affordable housing complex off Columbia Pike
• Richmond’s urban sprawl threatens the environment. Taxing land may rein it in (It’s not “urban sprawl,” it’s SUBURBAN sprawl.)
• Audit: Reporting errors going back several years resulted in $12 million miscalculation in Richmond’s fund balance
• D.C.-area forecast: Mild through Saturday, when showers usher in a more winterlike chill