by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, January 2.
- Germany is closing its last nuclear plants. What a mistake. (Yep, huge mistake.)
- Omicron is a super-fast spreader. Scientists are trying to figure out why
- Myanmar military reverts to strategy of massacres, burnings, AP investigation finds (Evil.)
- The New Political Cry in South Korea: ‘Out With Man Haters’ (“After slow gains in women’s rights, the country is facing a type of political correctness enforced by young men angry at feminists.” Pathetic.)
- Cape Town: Major blaze rips through South Africa parliament building
- Putin’s Ukrainian War Is About Making Vladimir Great Again
- While Americans Went on Holiday Break, the Virus Kept Spreading
- Wastewater samples reveal record levels of Covid-19 across U.S.
- Another 2,600 U.S. Flights Canceled Amid Virus, Bad Weather
- One important and dangerous way the Omicron surge is different (“As the virus spreads like wildfire across American communities, the consequences are already altering parts of daily life”)
- Every Day Is Jan. 6 Now (“Above all, we should stop underestimating the threat facing the country. Countless times over the past six years, up to and including the events of Jan. 6, Mr. Trump and his allies openly projected their intent to do something outrageous or illegal or destructive. Every time, the common response was that they weren’t serious or that they would never succeed. How many times will we have to be proved wrong before we take it seriously? The sooner we do, the sooner we might hope to salvage a democracy that is in grave danger.”)
- Republicans and Democrats divided over Jan. 6 insurrection and Trump’s culpability, Post-UMD poll finds (Disturbing and ominous.)
- 1 in 3 Americans say violence against government can be justified, citing fears of political schism, pandemic (Also disturbing and ominous.)
- Mussolini seized full power 97 years ago: Does Donald Trump long to follow suit? (“Il Duce undermined democracy for years before appointing himself dictator; the parallels are … uncomfortable”)
- Chilling Trump Letter Calling For ‘Seizure’ Of Election Material Revealed In Log To Jan. 6 Probers
- Some Of The Biggest Lies Being Spread About The Jan. 6 Insurrection
- Shaken by the Jan. 6 attack, Capitol workers quit jobs that once made them proud
- Trump endorses Rep. Mary Miller against Rep. Rodney Davis despite pleas from leadership not to get involved in primary
- Climate change, new construction mean more ruinous fires
- The Return of the Urban Firestorm
- Colorado wildfire: three feared dead and hundreds of homes destroyed as Biden declares disaster
- Congress’ 2022 to-do list: Revived social spending bill, voting rights, Capitol riot probe (It wasn’t a “riot,” it was an insurrection.
- The Rights Blue States May Lose If the GOP Returns to Power (“Today Republicans are all about states’ rights. If they win in 2024, they’ll likely embrace federal activism on everything from abortion to voting.”)
- Biden’s to-do list for 2022 looks a lot like 2021’s
- Coming Soon to This Coal County: Solar, in a Big Way (“In Martin County, Ky., where coal production has flatlined, entrepreneurs are promising that a new solar farm atop a shuttered mine will bring green energy jobs.”)
- Eric Adams sworn in as mayor of New York City (“The Democrat, a former police officer, has promised to welcome business and to focus on rising crime”)
- Friday Night Update from the ER in Arlington, VA: “ER’s are swamped” with COVID Cases; “This is an extraordinary time for healthcare”
- 2021 in review: Millions get shots but COVID persists; cannabis is legal and Youngkin leads GOP sweep (And the most important thing that happened in 2021 in the United States – the insurrection/attempted coup – is…left out of the headline. Why?)
- Gibson: Political party parity at work in Virginia’s proposed congressional redistricting maps
- Lessons learned, lingering questions in Virginia’s redistricting process
- David J. Toscano column: Virginia tax cuts: bumper sticker proposals or sound public policy? (“Continuing relief should be predicated on the notion that it can be paid for — that we can count on the economy to continue its present positive course so the revenues are available to provide the relief without cutting into key programs.”)
- Opinion: Without an alternative plan, leaving RGGI would do lasting harm
- 30% of children in foster care identify as LGBTQ. Here’s one transgender teen’s story in Virginia.
- George Mason U. updates COVID-19 rules for vaccines, testing, quarantine and masks
- D.C.-area forecast: From highs in the 60s today, to a winter storm watch tonight with accumulating snow likely
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