by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, February 8.
- Growing Body of Research Suggests Offshore Oil’s Methane Pollution Is Underestimated
- Big Oil walks back climate pledges as earnings show 2022 was their most profitable year ever
- Heavy Electric Vehicles Jeopardize Climate Action and Public Safety, Experts Warn
- Antarctic Ice Hits Record Low For January: Climate Monitor
- Fewer than one in 200 companies have credible climate plans, says CDP
- Zelenskyy visits UK for first time since Russia’s invasion
- Zelenskiy Visits London Ahead of Expected Russian Offensive
- Chinese balloon part of vast aerial surveillance program, U.S. says
- China Refused U.S. Call After Downing of Balloon
- New images of the Chinese balloon recovery show the closest glimpse yet (“U.S. service members have recovered substantial remnants of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic on Saturday, according to newly released photos that provided the closest glimpse yet of the craft.”)
- China Says US Should Return Debris From Balloon It Shot Down (Uh, no.)
- Spy balloon offers worrying trial run for a bigger US-China crisis
- Biden’s dramatic warning to China (“President Joe Biden starkly warned he will protect America against Chinese threats to its sovereignty and singled out President Xi Jinping – a striking escalation of a suspected spy balloon showdown during his State of the Union address.”)
- Rescuers comb rubble in Turkey and Syria as quake death toll passes 11,000
- Hope fading as deaths in Turkey, Syria quake pass 11,000
- Turkey’s Erdogan visits quake region as anger grows over rescue speed (“Families in some badly-hit areas have complained about a slow response and say they have had no help to dig through ruins to find their relatives.”)
- Kim Jong Un puts daughter front and center at lavish military banquet
- Bolsonaro is Living the American Dream: Retired in Florida and Posting on TikTok
- The World’s Biggest Democracy Is Jettisoning Freedom and Tolerance
- Germany Has a Problem
- Fed’s Powell: Slowing inflation will “probably be bumpy”
- Wholesale egg prices have ‘collapsed.’ Why consumers may soon see relief
- Big Oil rakes in record profit haul of nearly $200 billion, fueling calls for higher taxes
- The state of the union could be a lot worse
- Biden’s response to GOP heckling? Vigor, humor and command.
- Joe Biden’s State of the Union Speech Backed Republicans Into a Corner (“The president put GOP threats to cut Social Security and Medicare on public display, prompting a wave of jeers from House Republicans, with one outright accusing Biden of being a ‘liar.'”)
- Biden touts economic recovery and admonishes GOP in State of the Union
- Video, Transcript of State of the Union Address As Prepared for Delivery (“The people sent us a clear message. Fighting for the sake of fighting, power for the sake of power, conflict for the sake of conflict, gets us nowhere.”)
- Biden, in State of the Union, mixes bipartisanship with defiance
- Biden’s State Of The Union Speech Shows This Isn’t Your Father’s Democratic Party (“On trade and corporate power, unions and the safety net, Biden signaled a shift in the party’s center of gravity.”)
- Biden’s Populist Barn Burner
- ‘Pride is coming back’: Biden touts victories on jobs and climate in State of the Union address (“President hopes to combat widespread sense of pessimism and to tout his accomplishments from first two years in office”)
- Feisty Biden offers bipartisan vision while still triggering Republicans
- Biden’s State of the Union unofficially kicked off his re-election campaign
- Biden Lays Down Economic Challenge to House Republicans in State of the Union Address
- 5 winners and 2 losers from Biden’s 2023 State of the Union (“Winner: The ad-libbing old-school Joe Biden”)
- Biden speech takeaways: More conciliation than conflict (Overwhelmingly.)
- Takeaways from Biden’s State of the Union address
- How Biden Successfully Baited Congressional Republicans (“The old man has learned some new tricks.”)
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders attacks ‘left-wing culture war’ in SOTU response (Sanders is completely dishonest, and extremist, a total slimeball, etc.)
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Queen of Having It Both Ways (Odious)
- Sarah Huckabee Sanders Goes Heavy On Far-Right Grievances In State Of The Union Response
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Shouts ‘Liar’ At Joe Biden During State Of The Union (She’s an insurrectionist who has no business, per the 14th amendment, being in Congress.)
- Joe Biden Reveals His Superpower: Acting Like a Pretty Normal Person
- Kevin McCarthy Repeatedly Shushes Marjorie Taylor Greene During State Of The Union Speech
- Kevin McCarthy Didn’t Stand When Biden Referred To Jan. 6 In State Of The Union Speech
- Republicans Turn Themselves into Props for Biden
- Biden ribs GOP lawmakers during SOTU: “I’ll see you at the groundbreaking”
- Biden in State of Union exhorts Congress: ‘Finish the job’
- Analysis: Biden confronts doubters with State of the Union
- Dark Brandon shows up at State of the Union, mops the floor with lost Republicans
- Five key economic points in Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address (“President Biden appeals to Republicans to work together on debt ceiling”)
- Opinion: Biden plays ‘truth or dare’ with GOP
- How the House GOP blew up at Biden’s State of the Union
- George Santos “Shouldn’t Be There”: Republican Infighting Spills Over at Joe Biden’s State of the Union
- After shouts of “liar” and worse, President Biden took on his detractors in real time.
- Republicans (and Manchin), Aghast that ESG Puts Anything Over Profits, Move to Block Retirement Rule
- Something even the GOP might support: Expanding mental health services
- Americans Usually Blame Republicans After Showdowns Over Government Spending
- Teach US students about Holocaust, experts say, amid rise in antisemitism
- Trump Is Too Tough on Balloons to Be Antiwar (“The ex-president is casting himself as a peace candidate, but the label doesn’t fit.”)
- GOP’s Probe Into Hunter Biden Risks Political Blowback
- Trumpism Without Trump (“The 2024 race is showing that the -ism will outlast the man.”)
- Trump rips Club for Growth after he wasn’t invited to donor retreat
- The Wheels Haven’t Come Off, but George Santos’ “Check Engine” Light Is Flashing
- ‘A Sick Puppy’: Mitt Romney And George Santos Get Into Tense Exchange At State Of The Union
- Romney goes after Santos in tense exchange
- Romney told Santos ‘You don’t belong here’ in tense exchange in House chamber before SOTU
- Santos expected to face House ethics committee probe
- Matt Gaetz lands a spot on Judiciary’s new ‘weaponization’ subcommittee after curious swap by GOP leaders (Gaetz has no business being in Congress.)
- DeSantis continues broadsides against the media ahead of likely 2024 run
- The New York Times frames anti-LGBTQ and anti-Black educational policies as a question of electability (That paper is seriously messed up.)
- Stop giving one senator a veto over federal judges
- How Dobbs made the Wisconsin Supreme Court race one of the biggest elections of 2023
- Memphis Officer Texted Photo of Tyre Nichols After Beating, New Documents Show (Disgusting, callous…)
- Video: Sen. Warner on What He’s Hoping to Hear in President Biden’s State of the Union Address (Sen. Warner also comments on Chinese spy balloon, TikTok, the ERA and other topics…)
- Video/Audio: Jennifer McClellan Launches New TV, Radio, Digital Ads in Campaign for Congress (New ad, ‘I Won’t Back Down,’ on Broadcast TV in 4th District)
- Rep. Jennifer Wexton says the parties can come together over cancer research and veterans
- Editorial: History for all Virginia (“Ignoring dozens of objections and substantive criticism, Virginia education officials push ahead with flawed history education revision.”)
- Education savings account bills fail in both House and Senate
- House and Senate to discuss divergent budget amendments
- Va. Senate Democrats spurn Youngkin picks, including health commissioner
- Ginni Thomas urges Virginia senators to confirm Youngkin appointee to State Board of Education (That tells you all you need to know, given that Ginni Thomas is a completely unhinged extremist nutjob.)
- VA Senate Democrats Pass Constitutional Amendment to Enshrine Reproductive Freedoms in Virginia’s Constitution (“SJ255 would enshrine protections for reproductive health care, including abortion, in the Virginia Constitution”)
- Va. General Assembly faces stalemate on guns, abortion at ‘crossover’ (“Virginia’s GOP-controlled House wants to loosen up on guns and tighten restrictions on transgender children. The Democratic-controlled Senate favors the opposite.”)
- Senate Democrats boot Youngkin health commissioner, two other appointees (“Gubernatorial picks for Parole Board, Board of Education also blocked”)
- VA House Democratic Caucus Calls Out MAGA Republican Legislation for What It Is: A Transphobic, Divisive Attack On Our Kids (“Democratic Delegates Give Powerful Floor Speeches and Remind Republicans of What’s At Stake”)
- Video: Del. Danica Roem Powerfully Demolishes Far-Right-Extremist Del. Dave LaRock’s Bill For “forcibly outing kids regardless of the safety of their home” (“You have no idea what you’re doing. You have no idea the harm you’re causing.”)
- A bill related to transgender students cleared the House, faces certain death in the Senate
- Why healthcare costs are rising in Virginia
- State lawmakers can’t agree on which city should get a casino referendum next
- Virginia schools struggle to keep up with growing ESOL numbers
- Former Charlottesville Mayor David Brown announces bid for state House
- Virginia Tech marks milestone, raises final beam on Innovation Campus building
- Fairfax Co. to end COVID emergency declaration on March 1
- Henrico County awarded $320K to plan safer streets
- D.C.-area forecast: Warmer through Friday, then a cooler and more complicated weekend
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