Friday News: “Talks at Cop28 set to intensify in bid to break impasse over fossil fuels”; GOP “holding America’s national security priorities and global reputation hostage”; “Where Are All the Anti-Trump Republicans?”; “Why Washington Post Staff Walked Out”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, December 8.

• Talks at Cop28 set to intensify in bid to break impasse over fossil fuels (“UN climate chief calls for ‘highest ambition’ as nations wrangle over draft agreement”)
• What happens if the 1.5C target for global heating is missed?
• The Race Is On to Make Low-Emissions Steel. Meet One of the Companies Vying for the Lead.
• Can humanity count on OPEC to phase out fossil fuels? (Obviously not.)
• ‘Unprecedented mass coral bleaching’ expected in 2024, says expert (“2023 is first year of potential pair of El Niño years and since 1997, every instance of these pairs has led to mass coral mortality”)
• Mass deaths of elephant seals recorded as bird flu sweeps across the Antarctic (“Researchers warn of one of ‘largest ecological disasters of modern times’ if the highly contagious disease reaches penguin colonies”)
• How the impasse over Ukraine aid could have critical global ramifications (“This is the latest occasion when conservative lawmakers, who lack mandates to enact their goals, are holding America’s national security priorities and global reputation hostage to their domestic political aims.”)
• The Sanctions Against Russia Are Starting to Work (“Economic penalties gain force over time, and for average Russians, the pain is finally setting in.”)
• Russian President Vladimir Putin will seek another term in office (Total farce.)
• Ukraine’s counteroffensive ran into a new reality of war
• Ukraine cracks down on draft-dodging as it struggles to find troops
• The GOP’s abandonment of Ukraine makes me ashamed to be an American
• Putin’s economic challenges are many but surmountable as election looms
• Biden the closer? Senate GOP urges president to clinch Ukraine-border deal
• Scoop: Egypt warned Israel of “a rupture” in relations if Palestinians flee to Sinai
• The UN secretary-general invoked ‘Article 99′ to push for a Gaza cease-fire. What exactly is it?
• Palestinian Authority Working With US on Postwar Gaza Plan
• Inside Rafah border town desperate Palestinians have nowhere left to turn
• Freed Hamas hostages return to destroyed homes and a community in pain
• 
  Every Palestinian prisoner for every Israeli hostage: that should be Netanyahu’s next move
• Israel sharply ramps up Gaza strikes, U.S. alarmed
• Israel says Reuters journalist Abdallah was in a combat zone when he was killed
• U.N. warns humanitarian efforts in ‘tatters’; Blinken criticizes civilian toll
• Iran Looks to Houthi Proxies to Escalate Fight With Israel
• China to Step Up Fiscal Support to Strengthen Economic Recovery
• Viktor Orbán has undermined Europe for long enough. It’s time to call his bluff
• Argentina’s New Libertarian Leader Softens His Economic Radicalism
• The far right keeps rising. We should no longer be shocked. (As usual with these editorials, who is the “we” the WaPo is talking about? Do they mean THEM? Because some of us were NOT shocked…)
• Labor market hiring is slower but healthy with strength in a few key sectors
• U.S. Job Growth Is Expected to Slow (“Forecasters expect the economy continued to cool last month, adding 189,000 jobs. The numbers will be released at 8:30 a.m. Eastern today.”)
• Hiring Is Cooling. What to Watch in Friday’s Jobs Report. (“Economists expect to see solid job gains and a steady unemployment rate for November.”)
• US solar industry back on roller coaster through 2026
• FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Lower Health Care and Prescription Drug Costs by Promoting Competition (The Biden administration keeps working hard – and effectively – for the American people. Thank you!)
• The Progressive Case for Bidenomics
• The Capital Has a Bad Case of Year-End Panic (“Worries about a second Trump term and the end of aid to Ukraine are entirely justified.”)
• Mike Johnson Claims God Told Him to Be Moses
• Mentors, Senate rebels and Trump officials: Meet Speaker Mike Johnson’s inner circle
• Trump’s vow to only be a dictator on ‘day one’ follows growing worry over his authoritarian rhetoric
• Where Are All the Anti-Trump Republicans? (“A vast array of GOP power brokers detest and disdain the former president. So why are they keeping so quiet?”)
• Most aspiring dictators try to hide their intentions. Trump doesn’t. And that’s his secret sauce.
• Jared Kushner Could Be Made Secretary of State in Second Trump Term, and No, That’s Not a Joke
• Liz Cheney reminds us of the stakes
• Trump appeals Jan. 6 immunity ruling, launching process that may delay trial
• N.Y. appeals court upholds Judge Engoron’s ruling that Trump committed ‘widespread fraud’ (“Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major blow by the New York Court of Appeals on Thursday in the midst of his ongoing civil fraud trial in the Empire State.”)
• Marking start of Hanukkah, Emhoff condemns antisemitism, says Biden and Harris ‘have your back’
• White Supremacists Are Celebrating Vivek Ramaswamy’s ‘Great Replacement’ Rant
• DeSantis Super PAC Cancels Donor Event Citing Waning Interest
• Super PAC backing Ron DeSantis picks up disillusioned Koch network staffers
• Hunter Biden Says Republicans Are Trying To ‘Kill’ Him To Destroy His Father’s Presidency
• Hunter Biden charged with nine criminal counts for allegedly failing to pay taxes
• Democrats eye Montana abortion ballot measure to boost Tester
• Penn loses $100 million donation over antisemitism hearing
• At a Hearing on Israel, University Presidents Walked Into a Trap (That was glaringly obvious in the moment, yet somehow these supposedly brilliant presidents didn’t see it or react in real time.)
• Harvard, Penn Heads Walk Back Genocide Answers After Backlash
• UPenn board chair expected to speak with president Liz Magill about stepping down
• Wharton board calls on Penn president Liz Magill to resign
• Advertiser backlash may pose mortal threat to Elon Musk’s X
• House votes to censure Rep. Jamaal Bowman for pulling fire alarm
• Alan Hostetter, ex-police chief who brought hatchet to Capitol on Jan. 6, sentenced to 11 years in prison
• UNLV Gunman Had List Of Targets At The University And 150 Rounds Of Ammunition, Police Say
• Historic Ruling: A Texas Judge Just Granted a Woman’s Petition to Abort for Medical Reasons
• Police have recovered video of Florida GOP chair and alleged victim in rape investigation
• Why Washington Post Staff Walked Out (“With contract negotiations stalled and layoffs looming, employees took to the streets Thursday to voice their grievances and urge management back to the bargaining table.”)
• Video: Sen. Mark Warner Calls on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to Keep Senate in Session Until There’s an Agreement on Funding for Ukraine (“I can’t think of a more historic mistake than for America to desert Ukraine at this moment of need.”)
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Says It’s “Disturbing” To See GOP “throw aside all of their values and principles and just bow in allegiance to this narcissistic bigoted bully” (“What Joe Biden wants to do, what I want to do is turn a corner and make sure that small-d democrats beat autocrats.”)
• Thanks to the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress for “$729,000,000 in federal funding they secured for the Transforming Rail in Virginia Phase 2 projects” (Note that every single Republican member of the VA Congressional delegation voted *against* this funding, yet Youngkin had the gall to show his face this morning…)
• Virginia gets $729 million federal boost for Potomac bridge, other rail projects
• Virginia abortion rights amendment can’t hit ballots until 2026 — at the earliest
• Pope & Schapiro: Newer, younger, more diverse legislators in next General Assembly (More diverse ONLY on the Democratic side, while the Republican side is overwhelmingly white and male.)
• Schapiro: Is the governor’s factory courtship a shadow political campaign?
• Youngkin proposes child care, early education funding as pandemic money ends (In fact, the bullet points in Youngkin’s press release mostly describe programs put in place by Gov. Northam. Youngkin’s mostly just using state funds to keep it all going once federal Covid funds run out next year. Also, lots about “parents’ choice”…)
• Youngkin proposes nearly half a billion dollars to fund Virginia childcare programs
• Youngkin proposes increased state support for child care initiatives
• New study: Virginia has a growing number of news deserts
• FOIA Friday: 753 messages related to ‘financial irregularities’
• Most coal fired power plants in Virginia have closed. What happens to the buildings after they shut down?
• Free menstrual supplies at school are required by Virginia law. Compliance can be a challenge.
• Virginia legislative commission backs proposals to improve unemployment claims process
• New “higher speed” rail project to link Richmond & Raleigh (“Biden administration officials say the 162-mile long project will shorten the trip by about 90 minutes. Amtrak’s website says the current trip takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes.”)
• Something in the Water will not be held in April; new festival is being planned to take its place
• Editorial: Controversy over menorah lighting exacerbates pain, division (“A controversy in Williamsburg over a menorah lighting exacerbates division at a time when unity — and Hanukkah’s message of hope — is needed.”)
• Police say Charlottesville City Schools never reported alleged sexual assault, broke Virginia law
• Jury acquits Portsmouth officer who shot fleeing burglary suspect in 2017
• D.C.-area forecast: Mainly pleasant ahead of Sunday’s gusty rainstorm