Wednesday News: “This is how much meat and dairy hurt the climate”; “The Ukraine Crisis Is Not Going Well for Putin”; “Trump’s Words, and Deeds, Reveal Depths of His Drive to Retain Power”; “Youngkin’s No-Guilt History of Virginia for Fragile White People”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, February 2.

• Extreme heat in oceans ‘passed point of no return’ in 2014 (“Formerly rare high temperatures now covering half of seas and devastating wildlife, study shows” Stop. Emitting. Greenhouse. Gases. ASAP!)
• Countries Back Away from Pledge to Update Climate Goals This Year (“Ratcheting up national commitments to lower greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to limiting global warming”)
• Warming Ocean Leaves No Safe Havens for Coral Reefs (“New research finds coral refugia, where reefs are protected from global warming by cool local currents, are disappearing faster than expected.” Disastrous.)
• This is how much meat and dairy hurt the climate (“Ending meat and dairy production would ‘pause’ the growth of greenhouse gas emissions for 30 years.” Yet another great reason for mostly plant-based diets.)
• Protests Erupt in Argentina Over Plan for Offshore Oil Drilling
• Scotland cements position as Europe’s floating offshore wind leader
• Euro-Zone Inflation Unexpectedly Hits Record, Pressuring ECB
• How big is Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine?
• Ukraine tensions: US trying to draw Russia into war, Putin says
• Putin Signals Openness to Diplomacy While Blaming U.S. for Crisis (“The Russian president seemed to be trying to ratchet down tensions in the standoff over Ukraine, while claiming the United States was seeking to goad Moscow into an invasion.”)
• NATO forces unite, grow as Putin tries to push them away
• Putin is trying to wipe out the work of his strongest opponent. He won’t succeed.
• In Clash With U.S. Over Ukraine, Putin Has a Lifeline From China (“President Biden could find his plans to punish Russia undermined by Xi Jinping, a longtime ally of Mr. Putin. But China moves cautiously during crises.”)
• Biden’s resolute campaign of deterrence against Russia in Ukraine
• From eastern Europe we watch Ukraine in fear. Its fate could decide the continent’s future
• The Ukraine Crisis Is Not Going Well for Putin (“The Russian president wanted to drive a wedge between NATO’s allies. His plan is backfiring spectacularly.”)
• Russia Confronts Ukraine With Upgraded Military Rebuilt After Soviet Collapse
• Ukraine warns of ‘full-scale war’ and tragedy in Europe if Russia attacks
• FBI Director Wray says scale of Chinese spying in the U.S. ‘blew me away’
• Islamic State hits back, aided by power vacuum in Iraq and Syria
• Why Canada’s trucker protest is inflaming its national anxieties (“The truckers have reminded everyone that Canada is far less temperamentally homogenous than is often taken for granted.”)
• U.S. State Department Rejects Amnesty’s Apartheid Claim Against Israel
• Trump Likes Viktor Orban Almost as Much as He Likes Himself. Why Is That? (Orban’s “soft fascism” is a role model for Trump and the Trump Republican Party.)
• U.S. Has Far Higher Covid Death Rate Than Other Wealthy Countries (That’s almost 100% thanks to Trump cultists not getting vaccinated.)
• When can babies and kids under age 5 get their shots? Here’s the timeline
• Biden Aims To Reduce Cancer Deaths By 50% Over Next 25 Years
• Overwhelmed by Solar Projects, the Nation’s Largest Grid Operator Seeks a Two-Year Pause on Approvals (“It’s a kink in the system,” says one developer trying to bring solar jobs to coal country. “The planet does not have time for a delay.”)
• A Year After the Insurrection, Trump and Cronies Rake It In (“Democrats and Republicans have posted record fundraising totals this cycle, but Republicans have out-raised their counterparts by a significant amount—as if these were normal times.”)
• We Thought We Were Lucky the American Fascists Were Incompetent. But Even They Came Close.
• Trump: ‘RINO’ Graham ‘wrong’ on pardoning Jan. 6 rioters
• The revealing Trump White House debate over whether to seize voting machines (“The major question — use the military or ask DHS? — shows how perilous things were for democracy.”)
• Conspiracy charges possible for filing bogus election slates, legal experts say
• Trump Officially Loses It, Demands Mike Pence Be Investigated for Not Overturning the Election (“This is the first time the ex-president has seemingly suggested his V.P. was somehow in cahoots to deprive him of a second term.”)
• Donald Trump Throws Mike Pence Under The Bus With U.S. Capitol Riot Investigation Demand (“The former president raged that Pence should be investigated for refusing to help him overturn the 2020 election result.” Trump is an all-out fascist, also completely batshit.)
• Trump just can’t stop inciting the mob (“Unless Trump faces consequences for his actions, he will not stop.”)
• What’s the matter with swing states? (“Republican extremists can be found in places such as Michigan, while Democrats in the same states tread carefully.”)
• Trump attacks spur Congress to bolster electoral count law
• Jan. 6 Panel Examining Trump’s Role in Proposals to Seize Voting Machines
• Trump’s Words, and Deeds, Reveal Depths of His Drive to Retain Power
• Kinzinger pushes ‘uneasy alliance’ to thwart Trump’s allies
• The Memo: Trump’s money haul underscores his dominance of GOP (That says it all.)
• Biden launches effort to woo GOP senators on Supreme Court pick
• McConnell looks to turn down the temperature on Supreme Court fight
• Democrats Warn GOP To Steer Clear Of Race During Supreme Court Fight (“‘Trying to minimize a person because she happens to be a woman of color ― I don’t see that as much of a strategy,’ Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said.”)
• White ‘discomfort’ is the tool politicians are using to erase Black History
• Fear, anxiety follow third wave of bomb threats targeting HBCUs
• Williams: The war on Black history is proof of systemic racism. It needs to stop.
• Go ahead, RNC. Make my day. Launch a new party. (“This is how a third party can be born in America.”)
• Republicans to field more than 100 far-right candidates this year (“Anti-Defamation League list includes at least a dozen with links to white supremacists, anti-government extremists and Proud Boys”)
• Neil Young and Liz Cheney, Thanks for Sticking Your Necks Out
• Luján stroke jolts 50-50 Senate (“News of Sen. Ben Ray Luján’s (D-N.M.) stroke sent shockwaves through the Senate on Tuesday, underscoring the fragility of Democrats’ 50-50 majority.”)
• Sen. Ben Ray Luján expected to make full recovery after suffering stroke
• Fox News could be in big trouble: Dominion’s huge defamation lawsuit makes a strong case
• Taylor Lorenz Hopes The New York Times Will “Evolve in Their Ways” as She Leaves for The Washington Post
• Ron DeSantis is following Trump’s white supremacy playbook (“The Florida governor knows the MAGA base.”)
• Tucker Carlson donates to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s campaign
• Former Dolphins coach Flores sues NFL saying league is run ‘like a plantation’ (“Brian Flores says league does not give Black coaches a chance; Only one of NFL’s 32 teams has a Black head coach; Flores also alleges he was offered $100,000 bonus to lose”)
• “Spotify Needs Him Way More Than He Needs Spotify”: Joe Rogan Drama Exposes the Drift of Audio Giant’s Other Mega Deals
• Whoopi Goldberg suspended from ‘The View’ for comments on Holocaust (Her comments were completely ignorant and obnoxious, but she apologized, unlike many at Fox “News,” who have made comments that are as bad or worse and have not been suspended.)
• ‘The View’ Co-Hosts ‘Furious’ at ABC for Suspending Whoopi
• Glenn Youngkin’s No-Guilt History of Virginia for Fragile White People
• Editorial: The battle over books (“But that does not mean allowing a few loud voices to determine for all what should and should not be taught. That’s a treacherous path and it leads to antiseptic classrooms that do not challenge students — and to students who seek out this material on their own, without the benefit of a teacher to provide guidance.”)
• Opinion: Including private schools means Youngkin’s order limits freedom
• BREAKING: Parents of Students with Disabilities File Federal Lawsuit to Stop Youngkin’s No-Mask Mandate
• Video: Virginia Senate Privileges & Elections Committee Votes to Kill Andrew Wheeler Nomination (There’s still a small chance, however, that it could be resurrected on the Senate floor. Stay tuned…)
• Senate Democrats could block Wheeler nomination later this week
• Virginia Democrats vote to block controversial Youngkin cabinet pick (“Controversial,” as opposed to “pro-fossil-fuel”)
• Sen. Louise Lucas to Gov. Glenn Youngkin: “You want to do Black History Month after you set up a hotline to report any teachers who taught Black History? Hell no.” (Also, comments by former Delegates Jay Jones and Lashrecse Aird)
• Slowest 1-Day Increase in Virginia COVID-19 Cases Since 12/22/21; Omicron Wave Appears to Be Receding
• Virginia Republicans want to roll back the state’s 45-day early voting period (For absolutely no good reason, and for one really bad reason – they want to suppress the vote of heavily Democratic voters.)
• 33 Virginians Have Been Charged for Their Role in the Insurrection. Trump Wants to Pardon Them and Others.
• A Landmark Environmental Precedent Was Just Set in Virginia (“Thanks to frontline activists and a new law promoting environmental justice, Virginia became one of the first states to recognize the disproportionate impact of pollution on Black, Indigenous, and low-income communities.”)
• Virginia Republicans advance bill to freeze minimum-wage increases
• Suetterlein bill to prevent ‘election mirages’ passes committee (“Senate Bill 3 proposes to change how absentee ballots are tallied in Virginia, reporting them by the precinct from which they are cast. Currently, all absentee votes are lumped into their own centralized precinct, which is often counted last. The bill received a 15-0 vote from the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee, allowing it to advance to another Senate panel for financial considerations.”)
• 2 campus officers shot and killed at Bridgewater College; suspect in custody
• Two officers killed in Bridgewater College shooting, and a suspect has been arrested (Horrible. Condolences to the families of these officers.)
• Press groups concerned after Va. senator publicly attacks reporter who asked her questions
• Sen. Joe Morrisey tells local NAACP president ‘I’ll rip your heart out’ (“In an interview Tuesday, Morrissey said he made the comment after he brought out a printout of a 2019 Facebook post in which Jefferson compared Morrissey’s relationship with his much younger, Black wife – which began when she was 17 years old – to former President Thomas Jefferson’s sexual encounters with Sally Hemmings, an enslaved worker at his home of Monticello who birthed six children believed to be fathered by Jefferson.”)
• Family says a prisoner’s pardon has been rolled back by Youngkin administration
• The last stands: Richmond starts taking down Confederate statues’ pedestals, too
• Families Sue Loudoun School Board Over Mask Mandate
• Exclusive: Former CFPB Lawyer Seeks Virginia Senate Seat
• D.C.-area forecast: Considerable clouds but not too cold today, showers tonight into Thursday