Monday News: “Historic. Timely. Brave. I welcomed @POTUS in Kyiv”; “US-China Meeting Only Worsens Tensions Over Balloon, Russia”; “Nearly 30 percent of work remains remote as workers dig in”; “U.S. probe into racial bias in Henrico Schools prompts overhaul of gifted program”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, February 20.

Historic. Timely. Brave. I welcomed @POTUS in Kyiv as Russian full-scale aggression approaches its one-year mark. I am thankful to the U.S. for standing with Ukraine and for our strong partnership. We are determined to work together to ensure Ukraine’s victory. pic.twitter.com/EPtH3fLWWD

— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 20, 2023

• Is Artificial Light Poisoning the Planet? (“A Swedish ecologist argues that its ubiquity is wrecking our habitats—and our health.”)
• Russia and China Have a Stranglehold on the World’s Food Security
• Biden on surprise visit to Ukraine: “One year later, Kyiv stands”
• Biden in Ukraine ahead of war anniversary: ‘Kyiv stands’
• Biden makes a surprise visit to Ukraine (“The high-risk visit to Kyiv signaled continued commitment from the United States, the largest financial and military backer of Ukraine’s effort to repel Russian invaders from its territory.”)
• Statement from President Joe Biden on Travel to Kyiv, Ukraine (“As the world prepares to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, I am in Kyiv today to meet with President Zelenskyy and reaffirm our unwavering and unflagging commitment to Ukraine’s democracy, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.”)
• Poland calls for Nato security guarantees to postwar Ukraine
• Putin, czar with no empire, needs military victory for his own survival
• The Ukraine war is a slugfest that Ukrainians will win
• The Impact of Russian Missile Strikes on Ukraine’s Power Grid (“The Kremlin wagered that by depriving Ukrainians of electricity—and heat and water—during wintertime, they would sap the country’s resolve.”)
• One Year Into War, Putin Is Crafting the Russia He Craves
• Sen. Graham pushes for F-16s to Ukraine as US declares Russian actions ‘crimes against humanity’
• Putin’s Ukraine gamble seen as biggest threat to his rule
• As Biden visits Ukraine, China’s top diplomat goes to Russia
• Sen. Lindsey Graham Likens China Supporting Russia to “Buying a Ticket on the Titanic”
• After Munich meeting, the US-China relationship is still a mess (“Antony Blinken and Wang Yi’s conversation didn’t cool friction over Taiwan and Russia.”)
• In Munich, China slapped away America’s outstretched hand
• Analysis: China’s Potential Support for Russia Could Lead to Global Rift (“Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. has indications that Beijing is strongly considering supplying weapons to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.”)
• US-China Meeting Only Worsens Tensions Over Balloon, Russia
• China provinces top list of world’s most climate-vulnerable regions – data
• Iran’s Uranium Enrichment Hits a New High, Testing Diplomacy
• Near Weapons-Grade Enriched Uranium Detected in Iran
• Pay attention to Indonesia. It will help determine the future of Asia.
• Australian states among world’s most at risk from climate change, extreme weather
• Israel’s Netanyahu advances judicial changes despite uproar (This will destroy Israeli democracy.)
• Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of Chaos (“As unrest roils the country, a controversial figure from the far right helps Benjamin Netanyahu hold on to power.”)
• Blinken, in Turkey, urges speedy Nordics accession to NATO
• São Paulo: Dozens killed as deadly storms hit Brazilian coast
• As the Pandemic Swept America, Deaths in Prisons Rose Nearly 50 Percent
• Nearly 30 percent of work remains remote as workers dig in
• Biden Drawing Up a 2024 Playbook That Looks a Lot Like 2020’s
• Big Tech’s future is up to a Supreme Court that doesn’t understand it
• A top Senate Democrat has an extraordinarily radical plan to deal with Trump’s worst judge (“What if the Biden administration simply ignored court orders from the most partisan Republican judges?”)
• Charges Against Trump Lawyer ‘Very Likely,’ Colleagues Warn Donald
• Trump will return to the scene of his crime when he visits Ohio toxic train wreck
• Jimmy Carter: An Epic American Life
• Jimmy Carter gets a rare chance to be memorialized before his death
• GOP impatience grows for DeSantis to make move on Trump
• 4 things to know about Ron DeSantis’ idea to slash AP courses in Florida
• Sanders Blasts Nikki Haley’s ‘Absurd’ Proposal for Age-Based Competency Test for Politicians
• Don Lemon Benched on Monday Over Sexist Remark Scandal, Insiders Say
• Why Fox News Lied to Its Viewers (“The network’s hosts and leaders knew that Trump had lost the election, but feared the consequences of telling their audience the truth.”)
• How Dominion Voting Systems filing proves Fox News was ‘deliberately lying’
• Meta To Roll Out Paid Verification Service For Instagram, Facebook (“The blue verification badge will cost $11.99 or $14.99 monthly, the company said. It follows Twitter offering a similar Twitter Blue service last year.”)
• Twitter’s Bizarre New Two-Factor Authentication Policy Puts Users at Risk
• The New York Times can’t stop doubling down on its dangerous obsession with trans people
• The political world focuses on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race
• Don’t ignore the Wisconsin Supreme Court race — it could be crucial for democracy (“In April, Wisconsin voters will go to the polls to elect just one justice on just one court — and this race has rightfully been deemed one of the most consequential elections of the year. That’s because the person elected to the Wisconsin Supreme Court this year could well prove to be the deciding vote on whether Wisconsin protects abortion rights, on cases over election laws heading into the 2024 election cycle, and on whether the will of Wisconsin voters is upheld after the 2024 presidential election. Regardless of what state you live in, it’s worth paying attention to this race, which could impact the fate of our democracy.”)
• ‘Not much time left’: Salt Lake City’s mayor on the Great Lake drying up
• Virginia senators announce funding for public housing statewide
• Virginians set to elect new member of Congress to succeed McEachin
• Adele McClure: Gov. Youngkin “knows EXACTLY what he’s doing during #BlackHistory Month…Whitewashing & revising history is a deliberate tactic” (Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney: “Black History Month isn’t even over and @GlennYoungkin is following in the footsteps of DeSantis with his ‘Don’t Say Black Law”)
• Sen. Barbara Favola on “Fighting to Keep Your Menstrual Health Data Private” (“[T]hank goodness for our talented entertainers on late night T.V. and Samantha Bee”)
• China fuels debate in Richmond after Youngkin slams door on battery plant
• Housing legislation in Virginia would require landlords give more notice for large-scale evictions
• Virginians feeling the heat of high utility bills this winter
• Virginia designation of state pony long overdue, says Chincoteague mayor
• This Tuesday’s Special Election for Prince William County Supervisor Offers a Stark Choice Between an Excellent Democrat and a Far-Right Republican Who Is “Unfit to Represent Us”
• After reinstatement by Va. high court, Loudoun Co. prosecutors to move forward with plea deal
• Interview with Andres Jimenez, A New Voice for Fairfax County
• U.S. probe into racial bias in Henrico Schools prompts overhaul of gifted program
• COMMENTARY: Remote work and the future of Fredericksburg
• Opinion: Data centers key to Henrico’s global connection
• D.C.-area forecast: Temperatures jump all around this week, but it’s mostly warm