Monday News: “US warns China against helping Russia in Ukraine”; “Is It Time to Call Putin’s War in Ukraine Genocide?”; “Seven Steps to Destroy a Democracy”; “TV coverage amplifies the GOP’s false claims about gas prices”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, March 14.

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Ukrainian soldiers wounded in battle as they are getting treatment at the military hospital in Kyiv. pic.twitter.com/sEqfvNn8XA

— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) March 13, 2022

• The Amazon Rainforest May Be Reaching a Point of No Return (“It just is really a nightmare time in Brazil.”)
• ECB Says Banks Still Need to Make Progress on Climate Disclosure
• Climate Change Is Killing Her Country. Who Will Decide if It Lives?
• Australian billionaires put more money into $15 bln solar power export project (“Sun Cable’s vision will transform Australia’s capability to become a world-leading generator and exporter of renewable electricity and enable decarbonisation”)
• The Plastics Industry Says It Has a Clever Solution to the Plastics Crisis (“Critics call it just some more greenwashing.”)
• Investors Dash to Haven Assets During Market Turmoil
• With cases still rising in Hong Kong, 300,000 people are isolating at home, officials say.
• China Locks Down Shenzhen, Entire Jilin Province as Covid Swells
• Germany Raises Alarm as Covid Infections Surge to Record Levels (So much for COVID being done with us.)
• Is It Time to Call Putin’s War in Ukraine Genocide?
• Russian attacks move west as talks with Ukraine set to resume
• Sixteen Days in Ukraine (“The first generation born after Ukraine won independence documents the Russian invasion”)
• Only Putin can end the war — but he’s escalating its brutal toll and spillover potential
• US will try to convince China not to supply arms to Russia at key Rome meeting
• US warns China against helping Russia in Ukraine
• Russia Strikes Ukrainian Military Base Near Polish Border (“At least 35 die in attack; U.S. warns of full NATO response if Poland is hit”)
• China Sees at Least One Winner Emerging From Ukraine’s War: China (“The country has laid the foundation of a strategy to shield itself from economic and diplomatic consequences, and to benefit from geopolitical shifts.”)
• Talks resume as crisis, fighting escalate
• US view of Putin: Angry, frustrated, likely to escalate war
• Ukraine and Russia Set to Meet for Peace Talks
• Tentative hopes for Ukraine peace talks after fierce Russian attacks
• Finding a Way Out of the War in Ukraine Proves Elusive
• Russia Asked China for Military and Economic Aid for Ukraine War, U.S. Officials Say
• US and China to meet in Rome for high-level talks focusing on Ukraine
• Russian Prosecutors Warn Western Companies of Arrests, Asset Seizures
• Could Putin actually fall? (“Putin built his legitimacy around the idea of restoring Russia’s stability, prosperity, and global standing. By threatening all three, the war in Ukraine is shaping up to be the greatest test of his regime to date.”)
• ‘Things Will Only Get Worse.’ Putin’s War Sends Russians Into Exile.
• Russia threatens to make external debt payments in roubles
• American journalist Brent Renaud shot and killed by Russian forces in Ukraine, police say
• Tanks, bombs, shootings: Ukrainians describe Russian takeover of villages
• Pregnant woman, baby die after Russia bombed maternity ward
• Why Putin Is Hell-Bent on Capturing Ukraine’s Nuclear Reactors
• Roman Abramovich among Russian oligarchs targeted by new Morrison government sanctions
• Leaked Kremlin Memo to Russian Media: It Is “Essential” to Feature Tucker Carlson
• As Ukraine war rages, Israel grapples with fate of oligarchs
• U.S. Growing Alarmed Over Israel’s Safe Harbor for Russian Oligarchs
• Russia faces brain drain as thousands flee abroad
• China Pursues Afghanistan’s Mineral Wealth After U.S. Exit
• Tehran Insists Atomic Talks Address Russia Demand: Iran Snapshot
• Panic Selling Grips Chinese Stocks in Biggest Plunge Since 2008
• With Putin’s war in Europe, Angela Merkel’s legacy is now being seen in a different light (“The former German leader was known for speaking Russian and keeping diplomatic ties with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. It was also during her term that Germany stepped up its energy links to Moscow and kept its national defense spending to a minimum.”)
• Japan’s tough talk on Russia is really about China
• 
  Ukraine mourns its fallen as Zelenskiy says 1,300 soldiers killed
• Australia, Netherlands start legal action against Russia for downing of MH17
• The case for hopeful realism
• TV coverage amplifies the GOP’s false claims about gas prices (“The media double standard in full view”)
• Seven Steps to Destroy a Democracy (“First, undercount the number of Black and brown people who are in the country, in order to skew congressional districts and the Electoral College…erect barriers to when, how and if people can cast a ballot… allow big money to operate virtually unchecked to influence the electorate…Change “the referees” of elections… have a Supreme Court stacked in such a way that it is hesitant to step in and beat back these restrictions.”)
• Juan Williams: Biden must rebut GOP attacks on war
• GOP’s new plan: Raise taxes on working people, end Social Security and Medicare
• Barack Obama announces positive test for Covid-19 (“Former president ‘had a scratchy throat but fine otherwise’; Michelle Obama negative and both are boosted, tweet says”)
• GOP Senate candidates thrash each other ahead of fight for majority
• First Amendment Scholars Want to See the Media Lose These Cases (“Some legal experts say it is time to draw a sharp line between protected speech and harmful disinformation.”)
• Liz Cheney turns to Democrats to save her hide
• Ukraine dents ‘America First’ thinking deep in the heart of Trump country
• Andrew Garfield on Mark Zuckerberg: ‘His Dysfunction Has Become All of Our Dysfunction’
• Mark Levin Slams ‘Putin Wing of the Media’ For Pushing Ukraine Bioweapons Theory Days After Tucker Carlson Promotes It
• Oscar-winning actor William Hurt dies (R.I.P.)
• Tom Brady Announces He’s Not Retiring After All: ‘My Place Is Still On The Field’
• Va. Republican congressional hopefuls pull from Youngkin playbook on education (“Republicans are betting that issues of critical race theory and other hot topics that vaulted Youngkin to victory last year will remain salient with voters by November.” Seriously, WaPo, you think they are “hot topics” and not “racist dog whistles” or whatever? It’s all a big game, apparently. Pathetic.)
• Youngkin’s divisive pick for a key Cabinet post has inspired a partisan duel (Ditch the “partisan duel” framing, but other than that, a good editorial.)
• Virginia House and Senate “Party Unity in Floor Votes” Scores Show Parties Stayed Mostly Unified in 2022 Session, with a Few Surprises
• Legislators left Richmond without a budget. What happens next?
• As Virginia nets another $74 million, RGGI uncertainty lingers
• Stand and Deliver Rally: When Did Teachers Become the Threat?
• [UPDATED – Bell apologizes to Roem afterwards] Video: Republican Del. Rob Bell Misgenders (as “the gentleman”) Del. Danica Roem, Who Corrects Him (“Excuse me? It’s *delegate*”)
• Editorial: A few good bills make the cut amid partisan fingerpointing (The media LOOOVES headlines like that – “both sides”/false equivalence “partisan” “fingerpointing” blah blah blah.)
• Southwest ‘really flexed its muscle this year’ (“Kilgore looks back on his first session as the GOP’s House Majority Leader.”)
• USA TODAY’s Women of the Year: Meet the woman who helped Virginia ban no-knock warrants (“Lashrecse Aird is one of USA TODAY’s Women of the Year, a recognition of women across the country who have made a significant impact. The annual program is a continuation of Women of the Century, a 2020 project that commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote.”)
• Jennifer McClellan column: Richmond city workers are the lifeblood of our community. They deserve a voice on the job.
• Pain in the pocketbook: Hampton Roads drivers cut time on the road as gas prices surge (In other words, higher prices are causing demand to fall, as Econ 101 would predict; the question is what the short-term demand “elasticity” is.)
• D.C.-area forecast: Spring awakens this week