by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, December 23.
- Three concerning trends that shaped right-wing media climate change narratives in 2023 (“Right-wing media facilitated comebacks for long-discredited climate deniers…Right-wing media attempted to justify violence against climate activists engaging in non-violent direct action…Conspiracy theorists and right-wing Christian media figures spread misinformation about extreme weather events, often suggesting they were planned or indicative of a religious event.”)
- After a terrible year of climate news, here are 5 reasons to feel positive (“A surge in renewable energy…A climate deal that targets fossil fuels…Plummeting deforestation in Brazil…The ozone layer is healing well…Electric vehicle sales surge”)
- The link between climate change and a spate of rare disease outbreaks in 2023
- A naturalist finds hope despite climate change in an era he calls ‘The End of Eden’
- OPEC Nations Affirm Commitment to Group After Angola’s Exit
- How the battle for democracy will be fought — and won (How about the WaPo focus its attention on protecting OUR democracy first and foremost?!?)
- How Putin’s Right-Hand Man Took Out Prigozhin
- Putin’s Private Army Accused of Sickening New Massacre (“Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin may be dead, but witnesses say Russian paramilitaries in the Central African Republic slaughtered dozens of people to secure access to a gold mine.”)
- Russia warns US and Europe over reports Ukraine may get its seized assets (“Kremlin threatens ‘serious consequences’ if there is an unprecedented seizure of Russian assets held abroad” Do it!)
- Ukraine claims to down three Russian fighter-bomber jets (“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and military officials said the country’s forces shot down three Russian Su-34 fighter-bomber aircraft on Friday on the southern front, hailing it as a success in the 22-month-old war.”)
- Vladimir Putin Quietly Signals He Is Open to a Cease-Fire in Ukraine (“Despite its bravado in public, Russia has indicated its interest in striking a deal to halt the war — so long as it could still declare victory.” Better idea: give Ukraine everything it needs to win this war!)
- The Right-Wing Israeli Campaign to Resettle Gaza (As soon as you see something is “right-wing,” you know it’s going to be bad.)
- Stakes are immense as Biden presses Israel to change course
- What Happened in the Hamas Attack on Be’eri, Israel
- Israeli campaign to kill Hamas leaders likely to backfire, say earlier assassination targets (“‘It made us fight more,’ says one former Fatah intelligence chief, among those warning strategy could prove counterproductive”)
- U.N. Security Council Passes Resolution On Aid For Gaza After U.S. Resistance (“Wielding the threat of a veto, American officials weakened proposals to limit fighting and reduce Israel’s control of aid. Most Gazans now face high levels of acute food insecurity.”)
- It’s Time for the U.S. to Give Some Tough Love to Israel
- Fighting rages in northern Gaza after U.N. stops short of ceasefire call
- Israeli Economy Reels From Gaza Conflict as Labor Pool Shrinks (“The outlook is dim as Palestinian workers are barred from entering Israel and Israelis are called for military duty.”)
- U.S.-Mexico border closures could cost billions
- Nobel Laureate Economist Paul Krugman: “It’s V-I (victory over inflation) day. Core PCE up 1.9% annual rate over past 6 months.” (White House: “Today marks a significant milestone with inflation over the last six months at the pre-pandemic level of 2 percent.”)
- S&P 500 closes higher Friday, registers longest weekly win streak since 2017
- Fed’s favorite inflation gauge shows prices rose at 3.2% annual rate in November, less than expected (Even loser over the past 6 months.)
- Biden’s economy vs. Trump’s in 12 charts (This WaPo article tries – but mostly fails – to turn the superb Biden economy into a “yes, that’s good, BUT…” story. Because that’s how the “mainstream” media rolls.)
- US inflation decelerating in boost to economy
- Inflation Falls for the First Time Since 2020, Fed’s Preferred Gauge Shows (They mean PRICES fall and/or inflation was negative.)
- Prices fell last month for the first time since April 2020
- The Slow Rollout of a National Charging System Could Hinder E.V. Adoption (“Lawmakers approved $5 billion to build fast chargers for electric vehicles. Two years in, some states have made progress but most have not started construction.”)
- How Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric is taking over the Republican party (“Rhetoric that was widely seen as echoing Hitler was not enough for some senior Republicans to break ranks with the former president”)
- Supreme Court sidesteps decision on Trump presidential immunity claim in federal election interference case
- In a big victory for Trump, the Supreme Court tells Jack Smith to go away (“Trump wants to run out the clock on his criminal trials. The Supreme Court just gave him a significant assist.”)
- Trump’s 2020 Bullying of Michigan Election Officials Is Blatant Authoritarianism
- I’m Michigan’s Chief Election Official. Trump’s Still a Threat to Democracy, So Let’s Be Prepared.
- Any Other Politician Would Have Bowed Out. Donald Trump? Not a Chance.
- ‘He’s the only one that’s speaking the truth’: Trump’s fans trust nothing — except him (It’s a deranged cult. In fact, Trump lies CONSTANTLY.)
- Former Trump DOJ Official Jeff Clark Loses Fight to Halt His Georgia RICO Case Pending Appeal
- GOP points fingers after disappointing year
- To beat Trump, Nikki Haley tries to expand coalition, and fast
- Trump allies and MAGA luminaries move to kill off the Haley-for-VP buzz
- Ron DeSantis’ super PAC cancels remaining ad reservations as another group aims to fills the void
- Inside Biden’s plan to shore up Black and Hispanic support in 2024
- Wisconsin Supreme Court rules legislative maps unconstitutional, orders new boundaries for 2024 vote
- Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns GOP-favored legislative maps (Anodyne/nondescriptive headline, the reality being that the current Wisconsin legislative maps are WILD Republican gerrymanders…totally undemocratic)
- Joe Rogan Corrected On-Air for Blaming Trump Gaffe on Biden (Zero integrity or honesty by Rogan. Disgusting.)
- “The stock price is down”: The biggest Fox News fails of 2023 (“The right-wing network ends a tough year on a low note — with more trouble ahead in 2024”)
- Elon Musk Won’t Stop Talking About a ‘Woke Mind Virus’ (Musk is completely unhinged.)
- Virginia could lose 50% of its community health workers by July 1
- Reactions are mixed to the removal of a Confederate monument from Arlington cemetery (Classic NPR framing.)
- Ukrainian families displaced by war find support in Norfolk as they chase American dreams
- D.C.-area forecast: Christmas holiday weekend mainly weather worry-free (“Other than a chance of a passing shower, mainly tonight, it’s smooth sailing ahead.”)
