Wednesday News: “US-China Climate Deal Builds Momentum for Stronger COP28 Outcome”; “The Elusive Soft Landing Is Coming Into View”; “GOP Is Fighting a War on Democracy All Over America”; “Trump’s Fascistic Rhetoric Only Emphasizes the Stakes in 2024”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, November 15.

• Global heat deaths could quadruple if action is not taken on climate change, study finds
• Cop28 host UAE has world’s biggest climate-busting oil plans, data indicates (“State oil company’s huge expansion plans make its CEO’s role as president of UN climate summit ‘ridiculous’, say researchers”)
• US-China Climate Deal Builds Momentum for Stronger COP28 Outcome
• Climate-heating gases reach record highs, UN reports (“World Meteorological Organization sees ‘no end in sight to the rising trend’, largely driven by fossil fuel burning” Total lunacy.)
• Russia says ‘hell’ awaits Ukrainian forces after confirming they’ve crossed Dnipro river into occupied territory
• Ukraine Seeks to Reignite Counteroffensive With Daring River Crossings
• Israeli Shells Hit Gaza’s Al-Shifa Hospital as Battle With Hamas Intensified
• House members left in stunned disbelief, horror by video of Hamas’ attack on Israel (Hamas represents the absolute WORST in humanity. Remember, this is a group that’s virulently anti-LGBTQ, corrupt, violent, misogynistic, etc, etc.)
• Hamas Must Go — The terror group has proved again and again that it will sabotage any efforts to forge a lasting peace. (Hillary Clinton is correct.)
• Eyewitness says Israeli forces interrogating people inside Gaza’s main hospital
• Exclusive: Found document suggests Iran sought to help Hamas make its own weapons ahead of attack, sources say
• He Claimed God Sent Hitler to Create Israel. Now He’s Speaking at the Pro-Israel Rally. What? (The completely deranged John Hagee absolutely should NOT have been speaking at this rally.)
• Pastor John Hagee Says an Israel-Palestinian Peace Deal Will Be the Work of the Anti-Christ
• Tens of Thousands March in Washington to Support Israel
• IDF says it has entered Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital in ‘targeted operation’ against Hamas
• Canadian peace activist confirmed killed in Hamas attack (“Officials confirm ‘lifelong advocate for peace’ Vivian Silver, 74, killed after initial reports suggested she had been taken hostage”)
• Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ against Israel faces trial by fire
• King of Jordan: A two-state solution would be a victory for our common humanity
• Biden, Xi Eye Economic and Military Thaw in High-Stakes Meeting
• China and US pledge to fight climate crisis ahead of Xi-Biden summit
• U.S. and China agree to restart climate talks amid hopes of wider thaw
• What Joe Biden hopes to get from his high-stakes meeting with Xi Jinping
• Chinese President Xi arrives in San Francisco for APEC, meeting with Biden
• Xi Jinping arrives in US as his Chinese Dream sputters
• Thousands in Mexico demand justice for LGBTQ+ figure found dead after death threats
• Europe grapples with the ascendant far right — and its own identity
• Trudeau Faces Calls to Exit With His Party Trailing in Polls
• Corruption and Rights Abuses Are Flourishing in Lithium Mining Across Africa, a New Report Finds
• There’s a movement to ‘leave the leaves’ in gardens and lawns. Should you do it? (Yes, and while you’re at it, replace some or all of your lawn with native, pollinator-friendly, etc. plants.)
• Stocks Rally as Inflation Data Cements View the Fed Is Done Raising Rates
• S&P 500 futures extend rally amid signs of cooling inflation
• The Elusive Soft Landing Is Coming Into View
• Wind and solar energy are booming in surprising places (“Areas that used to host fossil fuel industries are getting a large share of solar, wind, and clean energy manufacturing, a new analysis finds”)
• The Supreme Court’s path to issuing an ethics code and the fine print (The fine print makes it pretty close to worthless.)
• The Supreme Court refuses to get why people hate them (“It’s not just the useless ‘code of ethics’ — the Dobbs decision revealed the real life impact of an imperious court”)
• SCOTUS Takes Too Small a Step in the Right Direction
• Everything wrong with the Supreme Court’s new code of conduct
• Republicans Are Fighting a War on Democracy All Over America (“State-level GOP legislators are actively trying to overturn the will of the people. The new Speaker is a far-right extremist. And Trump sounds more like Hitler every day.”)
• House conservatives give Speaker Johnson a ‘mulligan’ in funding fight — for now
• In His First Big Showdown, an Unyielding Conservative Yields
• The elusive ‘moderate’ Republicans would own a shutdown
• Mike Johnson Avoided a Shutdown. He Won’t Avoid GOP Wrath.
• Conservatives hold back on Johnson ouster threat — but plot other payback
• Mike Johnson’s shutdown plan gets a hall pass from furious Freedom Caucus
• US House Speaker passes bill to avert shutdown with Democratic support
• Rising tensions bring GOP to brink of fight club
• GOP Rep. Tim Burchett Claims McCarthy Sucker Punched Him
• Fani Willis predicts Georgia election case could go into early 2025
• Trump’s plan for giant detention camps points to a brutal 2024 reality
• Trump’s Fascistic Rhetoric Only Emphasizes the Stakes in 2024 (“The former President is taking the sort of hateful language that in the past he’s used about immigrants and applying it to his political enemies.”)
• Prosecutors urge appeals court to reinstate Trump gag order
• ‘Without regard to numbers, wealth or rank’: Special counsel rails against Trump ‘scattershot’ First Amendment claims as demand for ‘special exception’
• After Trump case video leak, Georgia prosecutor seeks emergency seal for evidence
• Trump allowed to stay on Michigan presidential ballot, judge rules (The 14th amendment, section 3 is VERY clear about this; not sure why judges are having so much difficulty following what the constitution explicitly says.)
• House Speaker Mike Johnson endorses Trump, defends ‘stolen election’ claims (Johnson has no business being Speaker or even holding public office.)
• Johnson Said in 2015 Trump Was Unfit and Could Be ‘Dangerous’ as President
• Univision, the Spanish language news giant, shifts its approach to Trump (“The presence of corporate executives at Mar-a-Lago raises alarm among Democrats who are used to Latino media criticism of the former president’s policies”)
• Polling expert sees a “basic flaw” in Democrats’ 2024 strategy: “An informed and engaged electorate” (“‘Democrats still don’t understand this basic flaw in their strategy,’ says Rachel Bitecofer”)
• The 2024 Republican presidential field is rapidly shrinking. But is it too late to stop Trump?
• Fox spent only 4 minutes on Trump’s “vermin” rant, repeatedly downplaying the remarks
• Senate Dems take major step towards ending Tuberville’s military holds (“It will now require at least nine Republicans to support it on the Senate floor. Those prospects are iffy.”)
• Senate Rules panel votes along party lines to break Tuberville’s military holds
• McConnell not ready to back resolution to break Tuberville military holds
• Trump’s Truth Social has lost $73 million since its launch, faces potential shutdown
• Gaetz makes ethics complaint against McCarthy over Burchett elbowing accusation
• Markwayne Mullin v. the Head of the Teamsters
• ‘Stand your butt up’: Fistfight nearly breaks out during Senate hearing until Bernie Sanders steps in
• Moskowitz, Comer get into tense exchange at hearing: ‘You look like a smurf here’ (Comer is bonkers, extreme, slimy, etc.)
• New York’s high court will hear redistricting case, as Democrats angle to retake US House
• Why a Blue-Leaning Swing State Is Getting Redder (“Joe Biden’s standing in Nevada probably isn’t as bad as polling suggests. But Democrats should still be worried.”)
• X, formerly Twitter, being ‘overrun by trolls and lunatics’ after Musk takeover, Wikipedia founder says (Musk himself is a far-right troll and lunatic…and white supremacist, etc.)
• VA Democrats’ Statements on US House Vote to Avert Disastrous Government Shutdown
• BREAKING: Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Chair Phyllis Randall Announces She Will NOT Be Running for the VA10 Democratic Nomination (Randall says that, instead, she will focus on “continuing spending 100% of my time, energy and focus on the job that I love”)
• Del. David Reid Announces His Candidacy for the VA10 Democratic Nomination
• Virginia Del. David A. Reid joins race for Rep. Wexton’s seat in Congress
• Northam endorses Spanberger in run for governor
• Virginia Politics Notebook: Spanberger, Filler-Corn land key endorsements
• Virginia: Budget reality returns, as spending demands exceed revenue
• “How We Won: The DLCC’s Path to the Majority in Virginia” (Memo outlines “how we took the steps necessary to beat Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and win both chambers of the Virginia legislature.”)
• In Virginia, local govts increasingly eye speed cameras to slow school and work zone traffic
• What happened in school board elections across the state last week?
• Report: Virginia’s indigent defense system is in trouble
• Ghazala Hashmi’s opponent, neighbors’ suit challenge whether she lives in district
• A Richmond school’s violent year shows how guns affect education
• By razor-thin margin, Bob Anderson defeats Loudoun Co. Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj
• Incumbent Loudoun County commonwealth’s attorney projected to lose close race
• Controversial progressive prosecutor loses bid for reelection in Loudoun County (Why is “controversial” in the headline? Does the media routinely do this with right-wing/out-of-the-mainstream politicians?)
• FIRST ON WTOP: City of Alexandria alleges conspiracy and collusion over insulin pricing
• D.C.-area forecast: Warming up through Friday, then a seasonably cool weekend