Wednesday News: “Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It.”; “The Corrupt High Court”; “Tucker Carlson’s creepy behind-the-scenes comments”; “Some Virginia newspapers powered political disenfranchisement, brutalization of Black people”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 3.

• Inside big beef’s climate messaging machine: confuse, defend and downplay (Just like the tobacco and fossil fuel industries. Evil, really.)
• Google still profits from climate lies on YouTube
• The ‘Peace Dividend’ Is Over in Europe. Now Come the Hard Tradeoffs. (“Defending against an unpredictable Russia in years to come will mean bumping up against a strained social safety net and ambitious climate transition plans.”)
• Media freedom in dire state in record number of countries, report finds (“World Press Freedom Index report warns disinformation and AI pose mounting threats to journalism”)
• EU Pledges €500 Million to Boost Ammunition Output in Europe
• Spike in Russian combat deaths fuels fears of worse carnage to come
• Zelensky says White House told him nothing about Discord intelligence leaks
• Huge fires at oil depots in Russia and Ukraine as sides press drone war
• More than 100 arrested across Europe in raids on notorious mafia group (“Authorities have been waging an intense campaign against the ’ndrangheta, arguably the world’s richest organized crime group, in recent years.”)
• Teenage Boy Kills Eight Children, Guard at School in Belgrade
• Amid Conflict, Warner, Kaine Call for New TPS Designation for Sudan
• Drugs, guns and crypto seized, 288 arrested, in ‘unprecedented’ dark web crackdown
• Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Deliver Remarks Announcing Results of the Largest International Operation Against Darknet Trafficking of Fentanyl and Opioids
• What to Watch as Fed Readies to Pause With One Last Hike
• US Regional Banks Slump as Rout Deepens on First Republic Flop
• Bank Pain Is Just Getting Started, Ex-Fed President Kaplan Says
• House Democrats Move to Force a Debt-Limit Increase as Default Date Looms (Another headline using the passive voice – “Default Date Looms” – instead of making clear to readers that this is a crisis inflicted 100% by extremist House Republicans. Media FAIL.)
• Is the Debt Limit Constitutional? Biden Aides Are Debating It.
• Why Joe Biden won’t negotiate on the debt ceiling (“The budget and debt ceiling are separate issues. Biden will budge on one of them.”)
• Roberts struggles to keep Supreme Court out of ethics fight
• It’s Long Past Time to Institute an Ethics Code for the Supreme Court
• John Roberts Does Understand How Checks and Balances Work (“He was behind them for Trump; he just thinks his own court should always be exempt.”)
• The Corrupt High Court
• GOP senators call on Supreme Court to ‘update’ ethics oversight
• Clarence Thomas’s ethics are not the Supreme Court’s only problem
• Senate GOP Says Congress Can’t Do Anything About Clarence Thomas’ Ethics Mess (They’re lying and covering for Clarence Thomas.)
• The aggrieved Justice Alito points fingers but offers no proof
• What the Supreme Court Does in the Shadows (“Unsigned, unexplained orders have reshaped American law.”)
• An Anti-Trans Doctor Group Leaked 10,000 Confidential Files (“A Google Drive left public on the American College of Pediatricians’ website exposed detailed financial records, sensitive member details, and more”)
• Exclusive: Nine Senate Democrats say solar-tariff resolution would be ‘devastating blow’ to solar industry
• How 18 Republicans Just Made Democratic Recapture of the House More Likely
• Trump Likely to Sit Out One or Both of First Two G.O.P. Debates
• Donald Trump Reportedly Got Mad At A Journalist And ‘Tossed’ His Phones
• Jessica Leeds Testifies About Alleged Trump Assault on Plane (“It’s like he had 40 zillion hands.” Yuuuuuck.)
• Trump won’t take the stand in lawsuit accusing him of rape
• Why CNN Gave Trump a Prime-Time Town Hall—And Why Trump Accepted (“The network says it’s treating Trump like any other presidential candidate—but what does that look like for an indicted election truther?”)
• The Memo: CNN’s Trump town hall reignites debate over media coverage
• Republicans aim to disrupt general election debates amid Trump complaints
• Feinstein ‘hopeful’ she can return to Senate next week, Schumer notes say
• New documents show how Sandra Day O’Connor helped George W. Bush win the 2000 election (One of the worst rulings in Supreme Court history, and that’s saying something, as the Supreme Court has issued so many bad/horrible rulings in its history.)
• Elon Musk threatens to re-assign @NPR on Twitter to ‘another company’
• Twitter’s Unpaid Bills Threaten to Be an Even Bigger Problem for Elon Musk
• Late-Night Shows To Shut Down Immediately After Writers Guild Strike Called – Update
• Fox host Sean Hannity praises Vivek Ramaswamy for infiltrating “enemy territory” via mainstream interviews
• Of course Steve Bannon and Alex Jones love RFK Jr. — he’s a great weapon for their war on reality (“Fascists know their path to victory goes through turning more Americans into QAnon-style conspiracy nuts”)
• FOXLEAKS: Tucker Carlson’s creepy behind-the-scenes comments
• Tucker Carlson Once Again Forces People to Contemplate Him Having Sex (“Newly leaked footage shows the fired Fox News host saying he’d like to get into the finer details of copulating during an interview.”)
• Carlson’s Text That Alarmed Fox Leaders: ‘It’s Not How White Men Fight’
• FBI says former agent arrested over Jan. 6 called officers Nazis and encouraged mob to ‘kill ‘em’
• Person believed to be the man accused of killing 5 neighbors in Texas is apprehended after manhunt
• Trans Montana Lawmaker’s Girlfriend Narrowly Avoids ‘Swatting’ Incident
• State asks Montana judge to reject Zooey Zephyr lawsuit
• Florida GOP lawmakers approve shielding DeSantis travel records
• ‘The DeSantis people are rookies’: Even Trump critics say he’s running circles around DeSantis
• DeSantis signs bill targeting ‘discriminatory ESG’ in Florida (Florida under DeSantis and Republicans is f’ed.)
• GOP Lawmaker’s Wild Claim About Those Who ‘Hate Homosexuals’ Causes Literal Jaw-Drop (“Gasps could be heard after Florida state Rep. Jeff Holcomb’s statement.”)
• New York takes big step toward renewable energy in ‘historic’ climate win
• Sen. Kaine introduces legislation to outlaw gun silencers in the U.S.
• Statement from DPVA Veterans’ Caucus Chairman Charley Conrad On GOP Cuts to Veterans’ Healthcare (“As MAGA Republicans attempt to hold the country hostage with the looming specter of default, they have chosen to ransom Veterans and their Military Families.”)
• Political analyst: Gov. Youngkin leaving door open for possible 2024 presidential run, despite campaign comments this year
• Top Republican, controversial donors help fund Youngkin’s war chest
• Wilder: Youngkin should fire DEI chief, misreads ‘equity’ (Maybe Wilder should have backed the Democratic nominee instead of bashing him and saying nice things about Youngkin in 2021?)
• Several challengers are outraising incumbents in General Assembly races
• Virginia prison chaplain pens powerful accounts of his time on death row
• Dominion projects new gas plants, advanced nuclear will be needed to meet soaring demand (Stupid.)
• CCAN Rips “unholy union between billionaire Governor Youngkin and Dominion”; “corporate profit grab that would bankrupt Virginians and exacerbate climate change” (“The changes outlined in Dominion’s IRP would contribute directly to global warming”)
• Some Virginia newspapers powered political disenfranchisement, brutalization of Black people (“Historically, Southern newspapers often stoked racial and political divides that sometimes preceded violence”)
• Virginia budget negotiators agree to wait until June
• In most legislative districts, the key decisions will be made in May and June, not November (“Out of 100 House districts, only 17 are likely to be competitive. Out of 40 Senate districts, only eight are. In all the others, the most important votes will be in party nominating events that start Thursday or primaries on June 20.”)
• Lashrecse Aird Today Launches “Roe Not Joe Tour” in What “The Nation” Says “Could Be the Most Important Democratic Primary of 2023” (“It’s time for a change—and to bring an end to Joe Morrissey’s deceitful legacy in our community.”)
• Saddam Salim for VA Senate Campaign Releases Video, Website on Sen. Chap Petersen’s Full Voting Record (Salim asks, “how is it common sense to ask for the Democratic nomination when you vote against workers’ rights? When you won’t pass an assault weapons ban?”)
• BREAKING: Arlington County Board Member Katie Cristol Resigning On July 4 to Become CEO of New Tysons Community Alliance (Cristol – along with fellow Board member Christian Dorsey – had already announced she wasn’t running for reelection this November)
• Arlington board member Katie Cristol will resign to lead Tysons group
• Endorsement: Rae Cousins for VA House of Delegates in HD79 (Richmond) (Cousins is extremely impressive, running for all the right reasons, and could be a major leader in years to come.)
• House speaker endorses Williams in highly contested nomination battle for the 47th House District (Wren Williams is an extremist; Marie March is even worse if that’s possible.)
• Richmond missing out in millions from meals tax revenue, audit reports
• Richmond teacher on leave after allegedly telling Latino student to speak only in English
• Williams: On Richmond’s gun violence, the protesters are not the problem
• Planning Commission signs off on Diamond District land transfer
• Video shows car careening into Fairfax officer during traffic stop
• A tornado ravaged this Virginia Beach couple’s home. Miraculously, their 2 dogs survived.
• Attorney for victims’ families slams Virginia Beach mass shooting commission over canceled meeting
• Editorial: Storm recovery begins (“Destructive Sunday tornado in Virginia Beach was uncommon for our area and the community will together to help storm victims.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: Cloudy chill today, but sunnier spring warmth on the way (“After a few more light showers today, we’re somewhat brighter and warmer Thursday, before a sunnier and more spring-like Friday through Sunday.”)