by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, December 11.
- ‘Biological Strip Malls’ Have Taken Over the Planet (“Human activity is making ecosystems around the world look the same.”)
- A trash heap 62 meters high shows the scale of India’s climate challenge
- Climate Change is Driving Millions to the Precipice of a ‘Raging Food Catastrophe’ (“In the Horn of Africa, a climate change-induced drought is exposing cracks in the global food system and pushing humanitarian aid to a breaking point.”)
- The Observer view on the indefensible decision to open a deep coalmine in a climate crisis
- Heat pumps are an energy upgrade for homeowners that’s becoming a climate and financial winne
- Saudi energy minister sees no clear results yet from Russia price cap
- Fierce claims to Crimea highlight slim chance of Russia-Ukraine peace deal
- U.S., Allies Confront Cost of Aid Assuring Ukraine Victory (“Western military officials are offering a sobering assessment of what would be needed to evict Moscow’s forces.”)
- Ukraine launches missile attack on Russian-occupied Melitopol, explosions reported in Donetsk and Crimea
- Russian Nobel Peace Prize winner calls Ukraine war “insane and criminal”
- Nobel Peace Prize: Russian laureate ‘told to turn down award’
- Ukrainian city of Bakhmut now in “ruins” after Russian attack: Zelensky (Putin is pure evil.)
- Free for a month, Kherson still toils to clear Russian traps
- Fighting rages in southern Ukraine (“Russian drone attacks leave 1.5 million Ukrainians without power and Kyiv bombards occupied Melitopol.”)
- Ukraine Latest: Germany Pledges Weapons; UK Doubtful on Talks
- Paul Whelan’s brother says Biden “made the right choice” with Griner swap
- Trump administration was ‘not prepared’ for or ‘not interested in’ wrongful detentions: Paul Whelan’s brother
- There have been 50,000 alleged war crimes in Ukraine. We worked to solve one
- Ukraine still fears another Chernobyl-size disaster at Europe’s largest nuclear plant
- War Next Door Brings Energy Crunch, and Paid Protests, to Moldova
- Iran’s months-long protest movement, explained
- China’s alliance with Saudi Arabia signals a potential shift in the global order (“The US’s decades-long relationship with Saudi Arabia continues to crumble.”)
- Jimmy Lai, pro-democracy tycoon, sentenced to 5 years in Hong Kong prison
- Beijing swings from anger over zero-COVID to coping with infections
- The Dead Sea is dying. These beautiful, ominous photos show the impact
- Morocco becomes first African nation to reach World Cup semifinals after shock win over Portugal
- Germany to tighten gun laws after suspected coup plot, interior minister says
- Masking could fight the ‘tripledemic’, experts say. Will anyone listen?
- Nasa’s Orion capsule on target for splashdown
- Here’s what NASA’s Orion spacecraft saw on its 26-day journey circling the moon.
- Investors Grow More Confident of a Soft Landing (“Mutual funds and hedge funds are putting money in stocks that would benefit from slowing inflation and falling rates”)
- Save whales or eat lobster? The battle reaches the White House (“Fishing gear used by Maine lobstermen is killing right whales. Will boosting a $1bn industry trump protecting an endangered species?”)
- Kansas residents hold their noses as crews mop up massive U.S. oil spill
- A Supreme Court Case That Threatens the Mechanisms of Democracy (“At stake in Moore v. Harper is the question of how elections should be run—and who should resolve the inevitable disputes when they arise.”)
- Concern as US media hit with wave of layoffs amid rise of disinformation (“Wider economic uncertainty is behind cuts at companies including CNN, BuzzFeed and Gannett, executives say”)
- Trump was fresh and new during his 2016 campaign. Has his fame fizzled? (“The failed ‘red wave’ during the midterm elections marked the beginning of a downward spiral of losses and lost support”)
- Republicans run from Trump’s resistance to early voting (“Conservatives at all levels realize the party’s messaging on early voting has to change — but many still hesitate to name Trump as the problem.”)
- GOP members who rebuffed Jan. 6 panel may face referral to ethics panel
- Some Hunter Biden allies making plans to go after his accusers
- ABC offers a masterclass in how not to handle workplace romance
- The ‘Twitter Files’ Is What It Claims to Expose
- We Found the Guys Behind the Hunter Biden Porn That Elon Musk Won’t Shut Up About
- Elon Musk Steps Up Attacks on Twitter’s Former Safety Head (Appalling.)
- ‘Free Speech Absolutist’ Elon Musk Reportedly Threatens To Sue Twitter Workers Who Leak To Press (“It was a dramatic turnaround from Musk’s catch phrase ‘transparency is the key to trust,’ and ‘sunlight is the best disinfectant.'”)
- Sinema’s break with the Democratic Party may not help her as much as she’d like
- Dems Scramble to Find Their Foil for GOP’s Big Biden Probes
- Is Dominion’s $1.6bn defamation lawsuit a death blow for Murdoch and Fox News?
- Editorial: Expect more attacks on public education in Virginia 2023
- Investigation clears Va. agency for contract with Youngkin’s ad-maker (“They did a great job of insulating and protecting the Governor and his political operatives”)
- Column: Industrial overfishing is hurting the Bay, and Va.’s economy
- Opinion/Editorial: Youngkin’s plan to reimburse fines rewards bad acts
- Friday Night Update from the ER in Arlington, VA: “the worst flu season in a decade”; “I traveled recently and wore a mask. It’s not hard.”
- Editorial: To address mental health, go big … on community
- Edwards: The jurisdiction of Virginia’s juvenile courts should be raised from 18 years to 21 years
- Judge says chief justice’s ‘cute phrase’ on racism not helpful in Va. case (“Loudoun County parents are suing over ‘student equity ambassadors,’ saying the initiative discriminates against White conservatives and chills free speech”)
- Amid allegations of dysfunction, Virginia Beach Mass Shooting Commission has lost half its members
- Northern Va. residents face aftermath of trash collection company’s abrupt shutdown
- D.C.-area forecast: A few Sunday showers as we look ahead to a chance of a wintry mix
