Saturday News: “Goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C ‘more fragile’ than ever”; “Biden Rips Attack On Paul Pelosi, Right-Wing Hate That Fueled It”; ” Musk’s Twitter Roils With Hate Speech as Trolls Test New Limits”; Youngkin “just showed how not to respond to Paul Pelosi’s assault”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, October 29.

• Goal of limiting global heating to 1.5C ‘more fragile’ than ever, says Cop27 chair
• Biden to travel to Egypt for COP27 climate conference (“On November 11th, President Biden will attend the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt”)
• The world is behind on climate change. But do not lose hope.
• Oil Giants Face Backlash for Handing Record Profits to Investors
• Scientists Fear New COVID Strains Are Deadly—Just Like 2020 Wave (“The most recent COVID variants have been more contagious but less deadly. Early evidence suggests the new mutations could be much more dangerous and drive hospitalizations back up.”)
• This Amazon road led to vast deforestation. Brazil’s president wants it paved (If Lula loses tomorrow, we all lose – badly.)
• Bolsonaro, Lula trade blows in bruising final Brazil election debate
• Russia declares end of Ukraine mobilisation campaign, U.S. sending more arms
• Putin Is Inventing a New Kind of Nuclear Blackmail (“The prospect of Armageddon today is even scarier than during the Cuban missile crisis.”)
• Republicans oppose Democrats’ plan to fund Ukraine with seized Russian assets (“It is unconscionable Senate Republicans are obstructing an important provision that would allow DOJ to transfer forfeited Russian assets to assist Ukraine and its effort against Russia’s brutal war”)
• Ukraine Latest: Kyiv’s Klitschko Makes Urgent Plea for Support
• As temperatures begin to fall, Russia steps up attacks on Ukraine’s vulnerable power grid
• Iranian Drones in Ukraine Project Tehran’s Power Beyond Mideast, Testing U.S., Europe
• UN report details horrifying Ukrainian accounts of rape, torture and executions by Russian troops
• In the battle for Kherson, Ukrainian infantry officers say don’t underestimate Russia (“Ukrainian forces have made significant gains in recent weeks, recapturing wide swaths of territory in the east and northeast. Now they’re bracing for what may be one of their toughest battles yet.”)
• Ignore Putin’s words. His crimes in Ukraine speak louder.
• Exclusive: United States to put United Nations focus on Iran protests
• Musk’s Free Speech Plans For Twitter Clash With EU Content Rules
• ‘Scrabble variants’ now cause the majority of new Covid-19 infections in the US
• Dow closes 800 points higher on Friday, registers fourth straight week of gains
• Big Tech falters on dreary earnings and forecasts — Meta has worst week ever, Amazon tumbles 13%
• Why does the US allow a controversial weedkiller banned across the world? (“Paraquat is outlawed in the EU, UK, Switzerland and China as a growing chorus of US advocacy groups demand the EPA change its position”)
• Americans believe crime is way, way up. The stats don’t match that. (Thanks to a wildly irresponsible media, Americans ALWAYS think crime is way up, both when it actually IS way up, such as in the 1980s, and when it’s way down compared to historical levels, such as in the 2010s and 2020s.)
• We’ve been told a lie about rural America (“Which party tries everything it can think of to help rural Americans? The Democrats.” Another massive failure by the media.)
• American Jews start to think the unthinkable (“If it isn’t safe here, it won’t be safe anywhere.”)
• America is now a tyranny of the minority
• A Political Party Unhinged From Truth (“What I learned while I worked on a book about the state of the GOP.”)
• It’s 2024. Trump Backers Won’t Certify the Election. What Next, Legally?
• Government warns of “heightened threat” to 2022 elections, fueled by rise in domestic violent extremism (DoJ and the FBI need to get a LOT more aggressive. NOW.)
• Top national security prosecutor joins Trump Mar-a-Lago investigation
• Donald Trump’s Tax Returns, the Ones He Really Doesn’t Want Anyone to See, Are Headed to Congress
• Federal Employee Advocates and Scholars All Are Urging Congress to Enact Anti-Schedule F Legislation (“With the window to pass a bill preventing presidents from unilaterally creating new job classifications closing at the end of the year, good government and federal employee advocates warn of potential grave consequences for inaction.”)
• Man Accused of Attacking Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Left Trail of Far-Right Hate
• ‘Enough Is Enough’: Biden Rips Attack On Paul Pelosi, Right-Wing Hate That Fueled It (“‘Every person of good conscience needs to unambiguously stand up against the violence in our politics,’ Biden urged after House speaker’s husband is assaulted.”)
• Attack on Pelosi’s husband heightens fears of increasing US political violence
• Biden connects ‘despicable’ Paul Pelosi attack to Republican talk of stolen elections (And Republican radicalization in general.)
• Exclusive: Suspect in Paul Pelosi attack identified; reportedly asked ‘Where is Nancy?’
• Paul Pelosi told attacker he needed to use the bathroom, called 911 from there
• Paul Pelosi’s Alleged Attacker Raged About ‘Pedos,’ Shared QAnon Beliefs
• Paul Pelosi secretly called 911 while in front of the intruder and spoke in ‘code’ to dispatcher to convey what was happening: ‘Why are you here? What are you going to do to me?’
• The attack on Paul Pelosi was shocking — and yet also predictable
• Officers responded so rapidly to Paul Pelosi’s 911 call that they witnessed the attack, officials say.
• Alleged Paul Pelosi attacker posted multiple conspiracy theories
• Accused Pelosi attacker David DePape spread QAnon, other far-right, bigoted conspiracies
• What we know about David DePape, man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi with a hammer
• Pelosi attack suspect David DePape embraced hate speech, multiple conspiracy theories
• January 6 Never Ended (“An assault on Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband offers a ghastly echo of the attack on the Capitol.”)
• Paul Pelosi had surgery for skull fracture after home attack
• Fox News Personalities Blame Democrats, Joe Biden for Violent Attack on Nancy Pelosi’s Husband (And, of course, we as a society can’t seem to do anything to rein in dangerous rhetoric that incites to violence, etc. Pathetic.)
• The Fox News response to the Pelosi attack, in 40 short seconds
• GOP Secretary of State Candidates Scheduled to Appear with a White Nationalist and Conspiracy Theorists
• ‘I think it’s an earthquake’: The political world reckons with a Musk-owned Twitter
• The hidden danger lurking behind Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover (“Tech giants like Musk wield outsize influence over the course of global events.”)
• Elon Musk Is Not the Self-Made Genius He Plays in the Media
• Quitting Elon (“Elon Musk’s former fans have lost faith in the idea of the billionaire genius.” Musk is bonkers.)
• Elon Musk manages free speech versus ‘hellscape’ at Twitter
• Previously banned Twitter users celebrate Elon Musk’s completed Twitter acquisition
• Twitter is now on a glide path to becoming a supercharged engine of radicalization
• These top advertisers can stop Musk’s Twitter from supercharging online radicalization
• GM temporarily suspends advertising on Twitter following Elon Musk takeover
• Elon Musk’s First Move Is To Fire The Person Most Responsible For Twitter’s Strong Free Speech Stance
• Elon Musk will have to pay three fired Twitter executives nearly $200 million
• Welcome to hell, Elon
• Racist tweets quickly surfaced after Musk closed Twitter deal
• Welp, Elon Musk Actually Bought Twitter (“He alienated users and employees, damaged the company, tried to exit the deal, messed around in the Russia-Ukraine mess, then finally bought the company at a hugely inflated price.”)
• Musk’s Twitter Roils With Hate Speech as Trolls Test New Limits
• Twitter’s first full day under Elon Musk is here, and the mood has already shifted
• Musk: Twitter to create new council before “major content decisions” (Musk wants to hide behind that.)
• Biden appeals for 2022 support in Pennsylvania: ‘Everything’s at stake’
• Key Proud Boys Jan. 6 co-conspirator pleads guilty, Tarrio lawyer says
• Penguin Random House Staffers, Others Call for Canceling of Amy Coney Barrett Memoir
• Federal Judge Refuses To Block Armed Right-Wing Stakeouts At Arizona Ballot Boxes (Absolutely insane ruling by a Trump-appointed judge. And yes, these Trump judges are playing a huge role in the death of democracy and the demise of our country…)
• Conservative conspiracy theory about ‘ballot mules’ inspires Truth Social users to take action
• Obama Mercilessly Mocks Herschel Walker With A ‘Thought Experiment’
• Warnock, Obama attack Walker’s fitness for office at rally: ‘You actually have to know stuff to do this job’ (Why can’t newspapers write coherent English? This headline should be “At rally, Warnock, Obama attack Walker’s fitness for office.”)
• Man pleads guilty to threatening to kill Rep. Eric Swalwell and staffers
• Nonpartisan Virginia Latino Leaders Council Endorses Reps. Elaine Luria (D-VA02), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07), Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) for Reelection (“The VLLC 2022 Congressional Endorsement Survey of hundreds of Latino leaders and activists yielded overwhelming support for all three Democratic Congressional candidates”)
• Video: Rep. Elaine Luria Holds Press Conference on Jen Kiggans Voting Against Service Members and Military Families (VA House Dems Leader Don Scott: When Kiggans was asked about her vote against a bill to crack down on predatory lending, “she took off running, and that’s not what veterans do.”)
• Yesli Vega appears to distance herself from Trump endorsement
• Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07): “Tonight, my opponent was endorsed by former President Trump” (Spanberger: “Virginians are exhausted by [Trump’s] division, lies and hyper-partisanship.”)
• Stakes high, contrasts sharp in 7th District showdown (One candidate – Abigail Spanberger – is a normal centrist; the other – Yesli Vega – is a fascist. The choice couldn’t be clearer.)
• Yesli Vega Runs from Trump’s Endorsement in VA-07(DCCC – “Vega sees the writing on the wall: Her MAGA politics and association with Trump will be toxic for her at the ballot box”)
• Video: Rep. Elaine Luria Releases 16th TV Ad, Highlights Jen Kiggans’ Pivot to the Extreme Right
• [UPDATED] VA Sen. Scott Surovell: “What kind of governor makes fun of an attempted assassination attempt against the spouse of the third in line for the Presidency?” (Youngkin: “There’s no room for violence anywhere, but we’re gonna send her (Nancy Pelosi) back to be with him in California.”)
• Youngkin draws ire with Pelosi comment that Democrats call insensitive (Why say “Democrats call insensitive” instead of stating, point blank, that Youngkin’s remarks WERE insensitive? This is “objective” “journalism” by the Bezos Post? Why does Bezos feel so strongly about constantly protecting, whitewashing, etc. Glenn Youngkin?)
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin under fire for ‘vile’ quip following Paul Pelosi attack (This headline is fine, as it notes that Youngkin’s comments were “vile.”)
• Dems rebuke Youngkin for Pelosi comment after her husband was attacked
• This Republican governor just showed how not to respond to Paul Pelosi’s assault (Now THIS is a good headline – by CNN of all media outlets!)
• Youngkin on attack of Pelosi’s husband: ‘We’re going to send her back to be with him’ (This headline, by NBC12, is fine as well.)
• Youngkin’s top elections official accepts responsibility for errors
• Gov. Youngkin doubles downs on transgender student policies in Virginia despite additional 30-day delay
• Schapiro: The Great Commonwealth Crack-up (“Because he’s in a 2024 state of mind, Youngkin sticks with what sells with primary voters: the divisive. Ergo, he announced a snitch line to report allegedly woke teachers; stigmatizes trans school kids with a policy that makes it tougher for them to fit it, and lectures college presidents, who work for their boards, not for him, that they should embrace conservatives. All the while, he purges liberals. Just doesn’t seem Youngkin’s vested in Virginia.”)
• Column: Youngkin’s first draft energy plan needs serious revisions
• Dominion, Virginia A.G. agree to cap ratepayer hit on offshore wind
• Lab school focusing on health care planned for Southwest Virginia
• Prince William residents deserve transparency on data centers
• Doreen Gentzler is retiring after more than three decades on NBC4
• Fairfax Co. chief: ‘No way on God’s green earth’ school bus driver in crash should have been behind wheel
• D.C.-area forecast: Classic fall today, with more clouds tomorrow