| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 23.
- Global water crisis could ‘spiral out of control’ due to overconsumption and climate change, UN report warns
- Climate change: 5 charts from the IPCC report that show why every increment of warming matters
- The Climate Crisis Is Coming for Your Children
- U.N. Climate Change Report Calls for Urgent Action (“Countries must strive for more ambitious emissions goals over the next decade, scientists say”)
- Pesticide Giant Criticised for ‘Greenwashing’ Partnership with French Influencer (“Bayer’s efforts to sway public opinion are part of a strategy to ‘fight any sustainable transition which would harm its business’, say campaigners.”)
- Ukraine, pumped up by Western weapons, is held back by slow deliveries
- Ukraine says Russia’s Bakhmut assault loses steam, counterstrike coming soon
- Zelensky makes unannounced visit to Ukrainian troops on the front lines in Donbas region
- Russia unleashes deadly strikes across Ukraine (“As Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Moscow, the Russian military launched attacks on Ukrainian towns and cities, hitting multiple residential buildings”)
- Russian offensive in Bakhmut could be stalling; Moscow official says West wants to tear Russia apart (If anything tears Russia apart, it will be Putin’s regime.)
- The Big Takeaway From Xi’s Summit With Putin (“China is ensuring the war in Ukraine will continue—but not by supplying military aid.”)
- US Fears a War-Weary World May Embrace China’s Ukraine Peace Bid
- DeSantis Calls Putin a ‘War Criminal,’ Clarifying Earlier Comment on Ukraine
- Armed Russian jets have flown over a U.S. base in Syria nearly every day in March, U.S. commander says
- How Xi and Putin’s new friendship could test the US (“…while there is reason for the US to be concerned about how Russia-China cooperation might expand following the summit, it seems unlikely to be the game changer that Putin – who in body language and rhetoric came across as much the junior partner – might like it to be.”)
- U.S. rejects Chinese claim that warship illegally entered waters in the South China Sea
- The despots of Russia and Belarus cannot jail freedom
- British MPs call for ‘as much help as possible’ for Taiwan to defend against China
- Rahul Gandhi: India’s Congress leader sentenced to jail for Modi ‘thieves’ remark (Democracy and rule of law? Not so much.)
- Nationwide protests in France after Macron doubles down on pension bill
- Macron has put French democracy on the line, more than pension plans
- Israel’s president proposes a dangerous compromise to end a crisis (“Herzog should acknowledge that his effort has failed. He and opposition politicians should join the protest leaders in clear demands: The government must drop its legislation. Any effort to produce a constitution must take place openly, with time to consider consequences and with the goal of a stronger democracy.”)
- Immigration fuels Canada’s largest population growth of over 1 million
- Biden and Trudeau to mix thorny issues with niceties
- TikTok defenders emerge in Congress
- TikTok’s US future at stake as boss faces Congress showdown
- TikTok Chief to Testify in Congress as U.S. and China Duel Over Tech
- Powell’s Own Guide to Recessions Shows Rate Cuts Are Coming
- Fed Walks Tightrope Between Inflation, Financial Stability
- The Fed prioritizes inflation over bank turmoil with its latest rate hike
- White House disbanding its covid-19 team in May
- Why Chickens Aren’t Getting Their Flu Shots (“With nearly 60 million US deaths this season, protecting flocks seems like a no-brainer.”)
- Climate Change Enables the Spread of a Dangerous Flesh-Eating Bacteria in US Coastal Waters, Study Says
- SEC sues celebrities including Lindsay Lohan for endorsing cryptocurrencies
- Democrats dial up pressure on GOP over proposed spending cuts
- Trump appointees interfered to weaken EPA assessment of toxic chemical (“Watchdog finds PFBS toxicity value was altered in 2021 report, as scientists say episode part of ‘larger rot at the agency’”)
- Senate Democrats should be holding oversight hearings of their own (“Police misconduct, abortion and corruption all require oversight.” Agreed, why aren’t they?!?)
- Jim Jordan’s sordid attack on possible Trump charges demands an answer (“GOP abuses of power in Trump’s defense could backfire — if Democrats exploit them.”)
- Drag storytellers grapple with growing threats by Republicans and far right
- Most trans adults say transitioning made them more satisfied (“The Post-KFF survey is the largest, non-governmental survey of transgender Americans using randomized sampling methods.”)
- Why Biden’s not talking about Trump’s potential indictment
- If They Can Come for Trump, They Can Come for Everyone (“Which is good.”)
- Appeals Court Orders Trump Lawyer to Hand Over Records in Documents Inquiry
- Court rejects Trump’s urgent bid to keep lawyer’s records from special counsel
- Donald Trump knows a perp walk is good TV (“Of course Trump is stoked about his perp walk — he knows MAGA loves his villainy”)
- Trump Faces Prosecution. America Faces a Test.
- Trump Grand Jury Set to Return (“The Manhattan grand jury considering Donald Trump’s role in paying hush money to a porn star is scheduled to meet Thursday, in what will likely be the panel’s last day of deliberations this week.”)
- Trump attorney to testify Friday in Mar-a-Lago classified documents investigation after losing appeal
- It’s not just Stormy Daniels. Here are ongoing criminal investigations Trump faces
- Mike Pence’s aides recognize he may have to testify before grand jury
- Trump’s Legal Peril Kicks the Can Another Day Down the Road
- Conservatives Aim to Build a Chatbot of Their Own
- Expanding child labor is exactly what America’s kids don’t need
- Trump lashes out at DeSantis over Piers Morgan interview
- Ron DeSantis Has Stopped Giving Trump the Silent Treatment
- DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to high schools
- Disney Defies DeSantis by Hosting Major LGBTQ+ Conference
- Twitter Isn’t Making Money. Here’s Why Musk Thinks It Could Soon. (“Twitter is over $13 billion in debt but CEO Elon Musk said the company has a shot at becoming cash-flow positive within a few months.”)
- Matt Taibbi Can’t Comprehend That There Are Reasons To Study Propaganda Information Flows, So He Insists It Must Be Nefarious (This guy’s so, so bad.)
- Fox News’ Shaky Dominion Arguments (“Judge Eric Davis appeared skeptical of Fox’s claim that it was only neutrally reporting Trump’s election lies, but stressed that he is undecided on the case.”)
- Arizona Supreme Court rejects most of Kari Lake’s election challenge
- Michigan GOP faces bipartisan backlash after comparing gun bills to the Holocaust (The party of Tudor Dixon, who Youngkin campaigned for last year.)
- Michigan GOP Refuses To Back Down After Comparing Gun Reform To The Holocaust (Utterly deranged.)
- GOP lawmakers aim to reshape education with Texas Parental Bill of Rights
- Abortion legal again in Wyoming after judge blocks ban
- Sen. Mark Warner Sponsors Legislation to Recoup Bank Executive Bonuses and Stock Sales in the Case of Bank Failure (“Bill follows collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, second-largest bank failure in American history”)
- Kaine tours Academies of Loudoun, touts federal student aid for job training
- Rep. Jennifer McClellan Helps Lead Introduction of Landmark Environmental Justice Legislation, the A. Donald McEachin Environmental Justice for All Act (“Donald was a tireless advocate for marginalized and underrepresented communities”)
- GOP operative who advised Youngkin moves to pro-DeSantis PAC
- Top adviser to Youngkin moves to pro-DeSantis group (“The move by Jeff Roe raises further doubts about Glenn Youngkin’s interest in a 2024 presidential campaign.”)
- Pro-Ron DeSantis super PAC makes a big hire with top GOP strategist (“Jeff Roe has been a top adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Sen. Ted Cruz, giving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a powerful ally if he decides to run.”)
- Youngkin Awards $266,000 to *TOTALLY NOT FIRED* Superintendent (“The Youngkin administration is the only place on earth where you can lose $201 million for K-12 schools and walk away with a quarter of a million bucks in taxpayer dollars”)
- Tennessee official Lisa Coons appointed Virginia’s superintendent of public instruction (“Sturdifen appointed to Board of Education; Goochland superintendent named chief of staff”)
- Youngkin’s War Against Public Education Gets New General (Youngkin’s “selection of Coons as the next superintendent will undoubtedly continue the legacy of failed policies that Balow leaves behind.”)
- Glenn Youngkin Names Former Aide to Far-Right-Extremist Bob Good to VA Board of Education; Appointee “has denied the separation of church and state,” “spoken out against Gavin Grimm” etc. (Youngkin also names a replacement for ousted Secretary of Public Instruction Jillian Balow, who “will receive $266,213 in 24 semi-monthly settlement payments over the next year”)
- Virginia to conduct in-depth review of SMART SCALE process
- Virginia policymakers consider changing hemp bill to reduce impact on CBD products
- Iraq war leaves legacy of loss in Virginia
- Time to Take the Only “Vacation” I’ll Get This Year (“I am blessed to have a job where I am able to accrue vacation time, something one in four Virginians don’t have.”)
- Arlington County Board Adopts Expanded Housing Options (“By allowing natural increases in the housing supply, we will lower the barriers of entry into all neighborhoods and, in doing so, address the housing crisis and our history of exclusionary zoning head-on.”)
- Arlington Co.’s board green lights plan to bring more townhomes, multifamily homes to the county
- Arlington ends single-family-only zoning with missing middle
- “Extensive damage” discovered in pipe that released 2.5 million gallons of wastewater into branch of Elizabeth River
- Attorneys for Irvo Otieno’s family push back against officers’ defense
- CASEY: Controversy erupts over transgender student’s use of girls’ bathroom at Glenvar High
- Franklin County solar farm decision postponed again; county fair in doubt
- Charlottesville SPCA volunteers resign over leadership crisis
- 30% Pay Raise For Fairfax County Board Of Supervisors Approved, 8-2 (In general, we should pay our elected officials commensurately with their duties. In this case, Fairfax County is enormous, larger than several states, with a massive economy. It’s also very wealthy. And these are basically full-time jobs.)
- D.C.-area forecast: Showers this morning but warm 70s this afternoon
