by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, October 2. Also, definitely check out this “Friday Power Lunch” (see video, below) for some excellent Democratic candidates, plus informative/inspiring comments by the superb Lynlee Thorne, Rachel Bitecofer, etc.
- Climate change is here. But so are climate solutions
- COP28 president says oil companies support 2050 net-zero goal (That’s too late; should be 2040 or 2035 or whatever.)
- Facing increasing pressure from customers, some miners are switching to renewable energy
- Nobel in medicine goes to 2 scientists whose work enabled creation of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19
- How Ukraine Tricks Russia Into Wasting Ammunition (“Technological advances have made battlefield deception harder but more important than ever.”)
- Biden vows to stand by Ukraine, despite budget fiasco
- Leaked U.S. strategy on Ukraine sees corruption as the real threat (“A report obtained by POLITICO details specific plans to reform Ukrainian institutions and warns Western support may hinge on cutting corruption.”)
- Russia May Be Planning to Test a Nuclear-Powered Missile
- Unease in the West as Slovakia Appears Set to Join the Russia Sympathizers
- EU ministers convene in Ukraine to show support after US, Slovakia wobbles
- China’s Precarious Economy Signals More Support Is Needed
- Is Xi Jinping all-powerful or weak? Depends on whom you ask.
- Can India-Europe corridor rival China’s Belt and Road?
- Kosovo’s troubles may not have come to a head, but the crisis still festers (“Swift western pressure on Serbia to step back from conflict does not resolve the chronic problems of Kosovo’s nationhood”)
- ‘We are fighting for the girls who come after us’: abortion rights at risk in Argentina election (“Argentina’s presidential frontrunner, Javier Milei, is threatening to outlaw the abortion rights only won three years ago”)
- Former Polish coal mine transforms into 200 MW solar PV plant (“It is a project that stands as an example of energy transition”)
- Shouting at children can be as damaging as physical or sexual abuse, study says (“Research finds verbal abuse leaves young people at greater risk of self-harm, drug use and going to prison”)
- Americans Still Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow
- For Supreme Court, ethics have become the elephant in the courtroom
- This Supreme Court Term’s Grimmest Cases Share One Thing in Common
- Supreme Court to consider abortion pills, guns, social media in its new term (This highlights what’s at stake in Virginia’s elections as well…)
- The Next Target for the Group That Overturned Roe (“Alliance Defending Freedom has won fifteen Supreme Court cases. Now it wants religious exemptions to anti-discrimination laws—and is targeting trans rights.”)
- Video: Must-Watch Interview with President Joe Biden About the MAGA Republican Threat to Our Democracy, Kevin McCarthy’s “Terrible Bargain,” etc. (Biden: “Where do people get their news? They go on the internet, they go online and you have no notion whether it’s true or not.”)
- Trump: It’s Like I Wake Up in the Morning Wondering, ‘Will They Arrest Me Today?’ (“The former president visited Iowa where he ranted about sharks, ‘the far left lunatics’ and saving Christmas” He’s completely insane.)
- Trump Chooses His Own Shocking Cause Of Death In Bonkers New Rant (“The former president went off on one of his strangest tangents yet during a campaign event in Iowa.”)
- Trump says he’d rather be electrocuted than eaten by a shark in bizarre rant
- As His Fraud Trial Begins, Trump Looks to Capitalize on It
- Trump’s Civil Trial Starts Monday. It Will Spotlight What He’s Really Worth.
- Trump fraud civil suit starting Monday threatens to end his business career
- Donald Trump expected to attend civil fraud trial opening
- Garland: I’d resign if Biden asked me to take action on Trump (“But there is no sense that anything like that will happen
- ‘Red Caesarism’ is rightwing code – and some Republicans are listening (“The idea that the US might be redeemed by a Caesar – an authoritarian, rightwing leader – was first broached explicitly by Michael Anton, a Claremont senior fellow and Trump presidential adviser.” Hideous.)
- “Highly connected”: How the right’s political violence relates to a rise in criminal violence (“The strongest variable predicting a rise in the murder rate is trust in fellow Americans”)
- McCarthy’s plight presents Democrats with a dilemma and an opportunity (“A vote on the speaker’s future will force GOP rebels and Democrats to make difficult decisions”)
- Why McCarthy decided to take on his right flank and prevent the shutdown
- McCarthy Shutdown Turnabout Came With Phone Flurry, Blame Gamble
- House GOP members seek to expel Gaetz amid renewed threat to vacate House Speaker McCarthy (“Gaetz says he’s moving to call for a vote of no confidence in McCarthy this week”)
- ‘Let’s have that fight’: McCarthy and Gaetz go to war over shutdown deal
- Republicans (rightly) panic. Good luck finding a viable alternative.
- Will Donald Trump Save Kevin McCarthy From a Far-Right Coup? (“Kevin McCarthy seems destined to face a vote to remove him as speaker this week. Will Trump weigh in for McCarthy? Would it matter?”)
- Rep. Matt Gaetz is threatening to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy. It won’t be easy
- Matt Gaetz says he will attempt to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership this week
- AOC Says She Would ‘Absolutely’ Vote to Oust ‘Very Weak’ Speaker McCarthy
- Newsom picks Laphonza Butler as Feinstein replacement (“California’s governor chose a labor leader turned power player to serve in the Senate, and an adviser told POLITICO there were no preconditions about whether she could run in 2024.”)
- Newsom set to name Emily’s List leader to fill Feinstein’s Senate seat (“In announcing his decision Sunday night on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Newsom noted that Butler will make history as the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Senate.”)
- Nikki Haley Says Trump’s Campaign Sent Her A Birdcage
- Trump Campaign Leaves Actual Birdcage at Nikki Haley’s Hotel Door as Part of ‘Birdbrain’ Attack
- DeSantis invokes China ‘boogeyman’ narrative amid flailing campaign (Key word: “flailing”)
- The laughable right-wing effort to compare Rep. Bowman to January 6 insurrectionists
- Scoop: Rep. Dean Phillips steps down from Dem leadership
- ‘I fear there will not be the pressure to come together’: Rep. Bob Good worries about the release of pressure from averted government shutdown
- ‘So Do You Want Him Out?’ GOP Rep. Bob Good Repeatedly Dodges Jim Acosta’s Questions On Kevin McCarthy As Speaker
- Democrats pour $2M more into Virginia, where battle for statehouse could decide abortion and more (“With a little over a month until Election Day in Virginia, the national Democratic Party is investing more than $2 million in the state to boost candidates as the party fights to keep Republicans from gaining full control of the General Assembly.”)
- Dems flood Virginia with cash ahead of off-year elections (“The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee is pumping another $1 million into Virginia’s high-stakes legislative elections this fall, doubling its commitment for the year, Axios has learned…The DLCC’s $1 million investment has been transferred to the state’s House and Senate campaign committees. Both sides are focused on 15 to 20 races likely to determine control of Virginia’s General Assembly.”)
- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Can’t Save the GOP from Trump (“A lot of Republicans still suffer from the delusion that somewhere out there is a hero who can show up late to the primary campaign and beat the ex-president.”)
- As Va. officials review SMART SCALE, some regional planners worry about shifting priorities
- Commentary: Leaky pipes, unpaid bills: Richmond really needs a public utilities commission
- Virginia: Abortion, parents’ rights top key NoVa Senate race
- The Most Important Race You Haven’t Heard Of: Antonin Scalia’s Daughter Is Running for Albemarle County School Board, and She’s as Extreme as You’d Think She’d Be (Fortunately, there is a terrific progressive candidate in the race as well: Allison Spillman.)
- Some voters don’t believe candidate Tim Griffin lives in his district. They have hired a PI to investigate.
- ‘Totally exceptional’: Longtime Virginia Beach Sheriff Ken Stolle celebrates retirement
- Hampton Roads schools grapple with state’s transgender model policies
- Fairfax Co. police seek person of interest after woman found dead in tent at Burke Lake
- D.C.-area forecast: A pleasantly warm workweek before a crisp autumn weekend
