| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, February 16.
- Thwaites Glacier findings reveal clues about Antarctic ice melt (“Thwaites tops the list of glaciers that keep polar scientists up at night. If it were to disintegrate into the ocean, the portions of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet it holds back could raise global sea levels by up to 10 feet.”)
- So-called Doomsday Glacier is ‘in trouble,’ scientists say after finding surprising formations under ice shelf
- World Bank President, Dogged by Climate Questions, Will Step Down Early
- Biden set to pounce on much-wanted surprise at World Bank
- World risks descending into a climate ‘doom loop’, warn thinktanks
- Why World Bank head’s resignation is good news for climate crisis fight (“David Malpass’s decision to quit has delighted frustrated developing nations, donors, experts and campaigners” Good f’ing riddance.)
- Europe Turned an Energy Crisis Into a Green Energy Sprint
- In Scramble for Clean Energy, Europe Is Turning to North Africa
- Putin is staring at defeat in his gas war with Europe
- Blinken: Crimea a ‘red line’ for Putin as Ukraine weighs plans to retake it
- UN to mark Russia invasion of Ukraine anniversary by urging ‘just peace’
- The Race Is On to Rebuild Ukraine (“Companies from around the world are jockeying for advantage in what could be a multibillion-dollar effort.”)
- The Kremlin’s Grand Delusions (“What the War in Ukraine Has Revealed About Putin’s Regime”)
- Moscow’s Military Capabilities Are in Question After Failed Battle for Ukrainian City (“A disastrous Russian assault on Vuhledar, viewed as an opening move in an expected spring offensive, has renewed doubts about Moscow’s ability to sustain a large-scale ground assault.”)
- As Russians inch forward near Bakhmut, Ukrainians dig fallback defenses (“In Donetsk, gains or losses are measured in feet, not miles. So even if Russian fighters take Bakhmut, new Ukrainian defenses mean they will not get much farther.”)
- Military History Doesn’t Say What Ukraine’s Critics Think
- Russian strikes hit critical infrastructure in western Ukraine; UN to vote on new peace resolution
- West’s hardest task in Ukraine: Convincing Putin he’s losing (“For the war to end on terms Zelensky can accept, the US and Western leaders must convince Putin he is losing”)
- Opinion: Moldova isn’t on the front page, but it could be in Putin’s crosshairs
- China solar power capacity could post record growth in 2023
- Blinken eyes balloon détente in possible China meeting
- How a Fog of Questions Over a Spy Balloon and U.F.O.s Fed a Diplomatic Crisis
- Biden plans to deliver his most extensive remarks yet about the aerial objects the military shot down
- China Warns US That Rising Tensions Could Jeopardize Talks
- China Hits Back at US with Sanctions on Lockheed, Raytheon
- Why So Many States Want to Ban China From Owning Farmland
- China says U.S. balloons flew over Xinjiang, Tibet, warns of countermeasures
- China makes unevidenced claim of Xinjiang and Tibet flights by US
- Nicola Sturgeon: Search begins to find successor
- Kim Jong Un’s Kid Threatens Death Blow to Aunt’s Succession
- Pompeo says Israel has biblical claim to Palestine and is ‘not an occupying nation’ (Pompeo is completely bonkers.)
- Scoop: U.S. weighs further steps against Israel’s settlement expansion
- Israelis Fear Their Democracy Is Crumbling — and the U.S. Isn’t Coming to Help
- Democrat seeks documents about $2 billion Saudi investment in Kushner fund
- The earthquake in Turkey and Syria offers lessons and reminders for disaster response
- U.S. on Track to Add $19 Trillion in New Debt Over 10 Years
- Two Democrats want McConnell’s 2011 debt-ceiling fix proposal to be adopted
- First Thing: US could default this summer unless $31.4tn debt ceiling raised
- American teens are unwell because American society is unwell (“A frantic hunt is on for ways to stop kids from hurting. But if we want to make any lasting difference, it is adults who need the intervention.”)
- Chuck Schumer Vows No Cuts To Medicaid Amid Debt Limit Fight (“Republicans say they won’t touch Social Security and Medicare, but they haven’t made a similar vow about Medicaid, which covers about one in four Americans.”)
- Biden’s Medicare advantage
- Let’s Stop Pretending Clarence Thomas Can Read the Framers’ Minds
- Exclusive: Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows subpoenaed by special counsel in Jan. 6 investigation
- Georgia Judge to Release Grand Jury Findings in Trump Election Inquiry (“The judge ordered the report’s introduction and conclusion to be made public today, along with a section detailing concerns about witnesses lying under oath.”)
- Trump’s Last-Ditch Gamble to Avoid Indictment
- American Views 2022: Part 2, Trust Media and Democracy
- Republicans worry as self-inflicted wounds pile up
- Mitch McConnell One Day Away From Saying He’d Back Mussolini for President If The Italian Dictator Won the GOP Nomination (It’s completely f’ed up.)
- Will a 150-year-old law put the abortion pill in peril?
- Mike Pence: We “Need to” Ban Abortions Pills Now (“Pence’s dream of further decimating reproductive rights could soon come true.”)
- Donald Trump Changes Tune on Mail-in Voting, Ballot Collection
- GOP presidential candidates avoid abortion as the 2024 campaign kicks off
- Trump parts with TV ad maker as firm’s partner goes to Haley
- D.C. police lieutenant delivered pre-Jan. 6 tips from Tarrio to Capitol Police, Proud Boy’s lawyer says
- Judge to Trump: Too late to offer DNA to rebut rape claim
- Giuliani associate regrets buying into ‘deep state’ conspiracy — and thinks Trump committed crimes bribing Ukraine
- Top Republicans plot Santos’ ouster as embattled freshman weighs reelection
- George Santos Married a Brazilian Woman. House Is Asked to Find Out Why.
- Railroad Giant To Skip Town Hall On Train Disaster, Citing ‘Physical Threats’ (“Norfolk Southern said it had become ‘increasingly concerned about the growing physical threat to our employees.'”)
- ‘32 Nasty:’ Rail Workers Say They Knew the Train That Derailed in East Palestine Was Dangerous
- Jon Stewart Shreds JD Vance And Tucker Carlson for ‘Baloney’ Reaction to Ohio Train Disaster: ‘They Play Act This Concern For Working People’
- Republicans In Ohio Sure Seem OK Using the Train Disaster to Advance Their Agendas
- DeSantis signs bill to move out-of-state migrants to blue states
- Gavin Newsom says Kimberly Guilfoyle ‘fell prey’ to the culture at Fox News and was a ‘different person’ when they were married
- Gunman sentenced to life in prison for Buffalo massacre of Black victims (It’s cases like this one where the death penalty should seriously be considered.)
- El Paso police respond to shooting inside Cielo Vista Mall; 1 killed, 3 hurt
- First on CNN: DOJ officially decides not to charge Matt Gaetz in sex-trafficking probe
- ‘New York Times’ stories on trans youth slammed by writers — including some of its own
- Video: Top Virginia Officials Make Argument for Bringing New FBI Headquarters to Springfield, VA (For his part, Youngkin has repeatedly attacked the FBI, yet now is making the case for locating their new HQ in Virginia. Fascinating…)
- Youngkin, Democrats form ‘united front’ in push for Virginia FBI headquarters
- Virginia leaders to FBI: Build your new headquarters here
- Virginia governor clears path for ‘extreme’ bill allowing police to seek menstrual histories
- VA House Democrats File Rules Change To Force A Floor Vote On Abortion Rights (“Republicans continue to hide their MAGA views from Virginians”)
- VPAP Graphics: How Many Bills Did Each Virginia Legislator Introduce in 2023? (We’ll see how many of these end up signed into law, given that House Rs are killing most good Dem bills and Senate Dems are killing most bad GOP bills.)
- How the right wing is ‘whitewashing’ public school history curricula
- Bill proposes requiring all Virginia motorists to have insurance
- Schapiro: 2023 budget fight is flashback to 2001’s
- Lawmakers unlikely to pass resolution acknowledging a dark chapter in Virginia history (Buried in the article, definitely not in the headline for whatever reason: “But a Republican-controlled House panel failed to take action on it.” That’s right, REPUBLICANS are blocking an effort “that would’ve required Virginia to acknowledge the unethical use of Black bodies by medical institutions is on hold for now.” Disgusting.)
- Senate panel votes to exclude nuclear research from new Virginia Power Innovation Fund (“A Democrat on the panel said he would rather put money towards more environmentally friendly options.” More to the point, we should be investing in more cost-effective options like energy efficiency, solar PV, etc.!)
- BigMoneyOutVA: Five Republican Members of the VA House of Delegates Shut Down Democracy…Again!
- Another Fairfax County School Board Member, Karen Corbett Sanders, Announces She Won’t Be Running for Reelection (Cites “angry and sometimes ugly rhetoric that we see in public discourse and on social media.”)
- ‘GreenCity’ could spur multimodal transportation improvements
- Richmond City Council member’s fundraising might violate state law (“Ann-Frances Lambert failed to set up a campaign committee for her current House of Delegates run.”)
- Warrenton lawmakers approve plans for controversial Amazon data center
- SD-27 may prove to be the battle of populists
- Man fatally dragged by Metro train after dog leash stuck in door
- ‘Catastrophic’ vessel strike led to endangered whale’s death in Virginia Beach, scientists say (Totally unacceptable.)
- Two dogs reported stolen from Virginia park are found dead on side of road 4 miles away (Evil.)
- D.C.-area forecast: Near 70 today before strong front ushers in colder air Friday
