by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 31.
- Wind and solar reach 10 per cent of global electricity production for first time (“All clean electricity sources – including nuclear (10.1 per cent) and hydro (15.3 per cent) – generated 38 per cent of the world’s electricity in 2021, which was more than coal (36 per cent) despite that commodity’s biggest annual jump since 1985 to a new record high.”)
- Trees Are Heroes – More So Than We Ever Knew – in Climate Fight
- EU will do ‘whatever it takes’ to rebuild solar energy manufacturing in Europe
- Ivermectin Does Not Reduce Risk of Covid Hospitalization, Large Study Finds
- There Is No Liberal World Order (“Unless democracies defend themselves, the forces of autocracy will destroy them.” Absolutely.)
- Ukrainian president says defense is at a ‘turning point’
- Russia Set for Steep Slump and Long Stagnation
- Zelenskyy Calls For More U.S. Assistance, Says Defense Is At ‘Turning Point’ (“Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are set to resume Friday.”)
- Ukrainian Troops Push Forward as Russian Forces Regroup
- Koch Industries’ valentine to Vladimir Putin (Koch Industries=Evil)
- U.S. leery of Russia’s shift from Kyiv (“Moscow could be repositioning troops, Pentagon warns”)
- Why Russian troops are using tree branches for camouflage in Ukraine
- Russian troops near Kyiv, Chernobyl are repositioning, Pentagon says
- U.S. intelligence suggests that Putin’s advisers misinformed him on Ukraine.
- Russia may be regrouping in Belarus, Ukraine claims
- Ukraine expects Russian assault in east after invaders pushed back near Kyiv
- Toll on Civilians and Economy Grows as War Enters 6th Week
- Survival on Ukraine’s Front Line Is ‘Like Living in a Horror Movie’
- Russia holds onto positions near Kyiv; UK spy chief says Putin ‘massively misjudged’ war
- Ukraine Update: Zelenskiy Says Russia Is Targeting Agriculture (Under Putin, Russia is a terrorist state.)
- Turkey leads pack of countries vying to mediate between Ukraine and Russia (“Analysis: the Nato member that arms Ukraine and will not impose sanctions on Russia seems respected enough by both sides to host talks”)
- YouTube must hold the line in Russia
- Russian Troops Are Self-Sabotaging In Ukraine, Says British Intelligence Chief
- Ukraine has widened the breach between U.S. and Persian Gulf countries
- Ukraine sends buses to Mariupol for rescue effort
- Ukraine says Russia forcibly relocates thousands from Mariupol. Here’s one dramatic account.
- Why Russia’s military is bogged down by logistics in Ukraine
- ‘This war is far from over’: History says Russia isn’t really interested in peace
- EXCLUSIVE U.S. warns India, others against sharp rise in Russian oil imports -official
- Why the World’s Largest Democracy Won’t Back Ukraine
- Bolsonaro Said His ‘Specialty Is Killing.’ He’s Been True to His Word. (The fact that this guy was actually elected president tells us a great deal about humanity, none of it good.)
- U.S. sanctions target suspected suppliers to Iran ballistic missile program
- Oil prices slide as Biden considers huge reserves release
- What a 180-Million-Barrel Oil Release May Mean for the Market
- Biden Team Weighs a Massive Release of Oil to Combat Inflation
- Biden Plan Would Release a Million Barrels of Oil a Day From Reserve
- Biden receives second Covid booster as he pleads with Congress for funding (“US president says ‘Covid-19 no longer controls our lives’ and asks Congress for more money to continue effort to fight the virus”)
- Trump could end up getting away with all of it (“Trump knew he lost the 2020 election, yet tried to overturn it anyway. Will that matter?”)
- Liz Cheney says Trump knew about the risk of violence on Jan. 6. He must be held accountable.
- Trump’s plea to Russia reminds us why he’s unfit and Congress is delinquent (“Trump has not ‘learned’ his lesson, and neither has Congress.”)
- Justice Dept. expands Jan. 6 probe to look at rally prep, financing
- The January 6 committee is seemingly moving toward recommending charges for Trump (“A federal judge agreed Trump likely committed crimes. Will Merrick Garland?”)
- January 6 committee member says panel is ‘triangulating’ to get ‘fulsome picture’ of Trump’s actions
- A federal judge said Trump probably committed a crime. The DOJ can’t ignore that.
- Revealed: Trump used White House phone for call on January 6 that was not on official log
- It seems pretty unlikely Trump doesn’t know what a burner phone is (Trump’s definitely lying, which means he’s almost certainly covering up crimes.)
- Trump Is a Flat Circle (“The former president knows by now that no one can or will stop him from soliciting and receiving illicit help.” That’s a MASSIVE problem that needs to be rectified…uh, today?!?)
- Inside Pence-world’s preparation for a Jan. 6 legal showdown
- House Republicans oppose Biden efforts to expand voting rights
- Yes, Lynching Is Still a Thing
- The House Map’s Republican Bias Will Plummet In 2022 — Because Of Gerrymandering
- Is Clarence Thomas Really Untouchable?
- The Thomas scandal exemplifies the rot spoiling our democracy (“Don’t expect the Thomas duo to bear any consequences for their actions.”)
- Calls for Recusals, Resignations, and Even Impeachment: Democrats Escalate Ethics Campaign Around Clarence Thomas
- Dems Are Livid at Thomas but Have No Idea What to Do
- Good on Susan Collins for Doing the Bare Minimum (“Her announcement today likely ensures that Ketanji Brown Jackson will be confirmed with bipartisan support.”)
- Ketanji Brown Jackson may be the most popular court nominee in history (“Republicans were hoping to turn her confirmation to their political advantage. They failed spectacularly.”)
- The Intra-Republican Fights Are Over How Much to Lie to the Electorate This Fall
- The Media Is Not Ready for the Midterms
- When Will the Elite Political Media Start Treating the Republican Party Like The Threat It Is?
- Pence group launches ‘Freedom Agenda’ to promote American prosperity, stop the ‘radical left’ (First of all, there’s no “radical left” to speak of in this country. Second, who cares what Mike Pence thinks about anything?)
- The Daily Wire says it’s pouring $100 million into kids entertainment (That’s very disturbing.)
- Ted Cruz picks the wrong time to tout the virtues of democracy (Ted Cruz should be under investigation, at the minimum, for his role in the 1/6/21 violent/pro-Trump insurrection.)
- Arizona governor signs bills limiting abortion, trans rights (Republicans are completely out of control.)
- Alex Jones faces fines for skipping Sandy Hook deposition
- Turmoil at CBS News over Trump aide Mick Mulvaney’s punditry gig (CBS “News” just lowered itself to the level of Fox “News” or Sinclair “News”…)
- Conspiracy Theorist Lara Logan Thanks God She Was ‘Dumped by Fox’ (Logan is, among other things, a virulent anti-Semite.)
- On YouTube, Charlie Kirk calls for men to confront and physically prevent trans student athletes from competing (And YouTube allowed that?!?)
- ‘He’s an embarrassment’: Republicans threaten to primary Cawthorn over controversial antics (Cawthorn is only one of many Republican embarrassments in the US House. How about Marjorie Taylor Greene? Lauren Boebert? Virginia’s own Bob Good?)
- Cawthorn Draws Criticism From Republicans Over Cocaine and Orgies Comments
- Fox defends extremist Florida anti-LGBTQ law by lashing out at Disney, claims the company is sexualizing children
- Disney’s definition of ‘family friendly’ isn’t the same as Florida’s
- The Academy Begins Disciplinary Proceedings Against Will Smith, Says He Refused to Leave Ceremony (“Refused?” Why didn’t security escort him out and/or arrest him for assault and battery?)
- Chris Rock Responds to Will Smith’s Oscars Slap at Standup Show: ‘I’m Still Kind of Processing What Happened’
- Sen. Tim Kaine speaks on NATO, insulin bills
- ‘The Navy owes the American public an apology,’ Luria says during rebuke of Biden’s budget proposal
- Virginia Democrat sees ‘overtones’ of Watergate in missing Jan. 6 phone logs
- How Far Right Are the VA10 Republican Candidates? Who Might Be the Toughest/Weakest Opponent for Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) in November? (Also, who seems most likely to win the VA10 GOP nomination on 5/21?)
- DCCC: In VA02, “Jen Kiggans is sprinting further to the right every day in an effort to win her contest against America First candidate Jarome Bell” (It’s crucial that we help reelect Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02) this November!)
- Right-Wing Extremist Running for GOP Nomination in VA-02
- Trump’s influence casts shadow in Virginia’s 2nd District race (“Trump and his perpetual false claims of voter fraud have retained influence over Republican candidates even in competitive swing districts like the 2nd Congressional District, where the former president lost.”)
- Youngkin says gas tax holiday proposal won’t guarantee savings for consumers
- Editorial: Miyares’ attempt to deny innocence tests idea of justice
- House budget leader: ‘Zero’ chance of deal by Monday, still optimistic
- The Virginia Way lives on (Slimy.)
- Virginia 10-Day New COVID-19 Cases Down 96% Compared to 1/19; Hospitalizations Down to 282 From ~4,000 in January
- Rules for ‘recontextualizing’ Virginia’s Confederate statues delayed after opponents object
- MVP will not appeal latest setback (“When backers of the Mountain Valley Pipeline first began planning, they figured it would be finished by 2018 and would cost $3.5 billion. Now the 300-mile pipeline is expected to cost more than $6 billion, and it’s still missing many of the permits needed to finish work. Sandy Hausman reports on the latest sign of trouble for MVP.”)
- How a Virginia bill could upend the state’s unique citizen oversight boards (“Peter Anderson, the Virginia policy director with Appalachian Voices, explains how Senate Bill 657 threatens to take authority from two citizen boards in the wake of a controversial gas pipeline compressor station decision last year.”)
- Del. Tara Durant announces run for senator in new regional district
- Mayor’s proposal weakens Civilian Review Board powers and independence from the police (“The mayor’s plan comes months after the Richmond City Council Task Force to Establish Civilian Oversight presented their own proposal laying out their vision for the board, which would investigate police misconduct, to City Council.”)
- Richmond council reaction to possible loss of Commanders football camp this summer
- Northern Virginia Regional Commission pushes for HBCU satellite campus
- Southwest Virginia community colleges to collaborate on training for wind industry jobs
- D.C.-area forecast: Windy and warmer today with severe storms possible late (“Damaging winds could accompany late-day thunderstorms.”)
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