Saturday News: “Failure to agree fossil fuel phase-out at Cop28 ‘will push world into climate breakdown’”; “Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ without aid – Olena Zelenska”; “How good is the U.S. economy? It’s beating pre-pandemic predictions.”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, December 9.

• Failure to agree fossil fuel phase-out at Cop28 ‘will push world into climate breakdown’
• Carbon Capture Won’t Save Us From Climate Change
• Future of Fossil Fuels at Stake in Homestretch of Climate Talks
• Big meat and dairy lobbyists turn out in record numbers at Cop28 (How do these people live with themselves?)
• “Work really begins” as COP28 hits crunch time
• Observers see OPEC ‘panicking’ as COP28 climate talks focus on possible fossil fuel phase-out
• Dubai dispatch: Smog blankets COP28 climate summit (Well isn’t THAT appropriate?)
• With Putin’s reelection all but assured, Russia’s opposition still vows to undermine his image (Any media outlet which reports this as a real election, as opposed to a fait accompli and a farce, is not a serious media outlet.)
• EU reaches landmark deal on world’s first comprehensive AI regulation
• Troubled by a Resurgent Russia and Bickering Allies, Ukraine Hunkers Down
• Saudi foreign minister discusses Israel-Hamas war and wider challenges in Middle East
• Ukraine in ‘mortal danger’ without aid – Olena Zelenska (“Ukraine’s first lady tells Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that continued Western support is life or death.”)
• The Fight to Protect an Ecosystem in War-Torn Ukraine (“How can nature be de-mined? For the moment, we don’t know.”)
• US vetoes UN resolution backed by many nations demanding immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza
• Americans’ Views of the Israel-Hamas War (“As the war between Hamas and Israel continues with no end in sight, far more Americans (65%) say Hamas bears a lot of responsibility for the current conflict than say that about the Israeli government (35%).”)
• Israel’s operation in Gaza’s Khan Younis expected to last 3 to 4 weeks more
• Robbed, Silenced, and Betrayed: Gaza Turns Away From Hamas (Hamas brought ruin upon Gaza’s Palestinian civilians.)
• UN says Gaza near ‘full-blown collapse’ as US vetoes ceasefire call
• Solutions discussed for Gaza’s future range from workarounds to the catastrophic
• Antony Blinken Meets With Arab Nations as U.S. Faces Anger Over U.N. Veto
• Americans Rush to Portugal Ahead of Changes to Expat Tax Breaks (“A program that can save foreigners hundreds of thousands of euros is being phased out and people are scrambling to make sure they qualify.”)
• Federal judge bars separating migrant families for 8 years
• November Jobs Report U.S. Job Growth Continues to Be Robust (“Hiring grew at a healthy pace in November, a sign that the labor market remains solid. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent.” Amazing.)
• How good is the U.S. economy? It’s beating pre-pandemic predictions.
• November jobs report shows labor market is flourishing
• The Amazing Biden Economy: “4.7 million more jobs than pre-pandemic, Below 4% unemployment for two years, Wages growing faster than inflation” (“Another jobs report that has soft landing written all over it.”)
• Fox Anchor, Through Gritted Teeth, Admits Biden’s Economy “Is a Lot Stronger Than Anybody Understands”
• FDA approves 2 new gene therapies for sickle cell disease, a ‘functional cure’ for many patients
• Why automakers are turning to hybrids in the middle of the industry’s EV transition (“Hybrids accounted for 8.3% of U.S. car sales, about 1.2 million vehicles sold, through November of this year. That share is up 2.8 percentage points compared with total sales last year.”)
• With a New Speaker of the House, Billions in Climate and Energy Funding—Mostly to Red States—Hang in the Balance
• Dems want to focus on abortion rights. A Trump ally may have just helped.
• Inside Trump’s Plot To Corrupt the 2024 Election With ‘Garbage’ Data
• Why are the 14th Amendment lawsuits seeking to bar Trump failing? (It’s almost like the judges are looking for any excuse to avoid the clear language of the 14th amendment and to keep Trump on the ballot.)
• The Colorado Supreme Court Is Being Awfully Casual About the Section 3 of the 14th Question
• The insurrection clause has waited 150 years for the Trump test
• Appeals court largely upholds Trump gag order in federal election interference case
• Liz Cheney says Donald Trump’s ‘dictator’ remark should be taken ‘literally and seriously’ (100%, absolutely; anyone who laughs it off is an IDIOT.)
• Republican Adam Kinzinger says he’s politically “homeless,” and if Trump is the nominee, he’ll vote for Biden — The Takeout
• Opinion: Seven reasons a second Trump term would be dangerous
• Trump camp escalates attempt to limit second-term talk from outside allies (“Top officials in Donald Trump’s campaign sought Friday to quell discussions about his possible second term in the White House, amid alarms about authoritarianism and reports about personnel.”)
• Trump PAC paid for expert witness testimony in N.Y. civil fraud trial
• Billionaire GOP donor endorses Haley, says Trump’s time has ‘come and gone’ (“Home Depot co-founder and billionaire Ken Langone put his support behind GOP hopeful Nikki Haley on Friday, calling her approach to the 2024 election ‘smart.'”)
• As More ‘Fake Electors’ Face Charges, a Key Witness Emerges (“Kenneth Chesebro, an architect of the plan to deploy people claiming to be Trump electors in states won by President Biden, is cooperating with inquiries in Michigan, Arizona and Nevada.”)
• Kevin McCarthy endorses Trump for president in 2024 (McCarthy is scum.)
• There’s No Stopping the Newspaper Death Spiral (“A successful walkout at the Washington Post can’t mask the industry’s dark future.”)
• 1 in 5 young Americans think Holocaust was a myth (This is really, really f’ed up and disturbing.)
• Williams: On menthol, civil rights leaders sell out Black lives on behalf of Big Tobacco
• Vivek Ramaswamy, Libertarian candidate? In Iowa, his campaign flirts with a third-party run (So, being a 100% anti-liberty fascist now makes you a “Libertarian?”)
• Casey DeSantis Backpedals After Urging Out-of-State ‘Mamas for DeSantis’ to ‘Participate’ in Iowa Caucus (That would, of course, be VOTER FRAUD!)
• RNC officially bows out of hosting primary debates
• Hunter Biden says Republicans ‘trying to kill me’
• What to know about Trump-appointed judge in Hunter Biden tax case
• Scoop: Democrats press Harvard, MIT and Penn on antisemitism
• UPenn President Liz Magill under fire over her testimony on antisemitism: ‘An utter disgrace’ (At the absolute best, she’s not politically astute. Also, who prepared her for what was obviously going to be VERY hostile Republican questioning?)
• ‘I Am Sorry’: Harvard President Gay Addresses Backlash Over Congressional Testimony on Antisemitism
• Dominion wins access to Newsmax journalists’ texts in its defamation case
• Texas Supreme Court temporarily blocks pregnant woman from emergency abortion
• Opinion: This Texas woman is exposing a chilling truth about abortion law
• In Texas, Ken Paxton takes abortion law into his own hands
• Texas attorney general says he will sue doctor who gives abortion to Kate Cox (Disgusting.)
• Video: Far-Right Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05), Secretly Recorded, Rips Donald Trump on Abortion, Guns, “Baggage” and as Likely Loser to Joe Biden (Back in May, Good endorsed Ron DeSantis, who he views as more of a true conservative than Trump.)
• Major passenger rail improvements are on their way to Virginia
• Recount of Election Results in Virginia’s HD82 to Proceed on 12/19; Margin Stands at Just 78 Votes Out of >28,000 Cast (If Kimberly Pope Adams were to win this, the Dems’ House of Delegates majority would increase from 51-49 to 52-48)
• Appeals court appears unlikely to side with Virginia mobile home park in immigration liability dispute
• Virginia Beach City Council member joins field of mayoral candidates for 2024
• Petersburg mayor quits Democratic committee after endorsement backlash (“A mailer sent to voters last month showed Parham standing next to Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, and a quote endorsing Taylor’s campaign against Democrat Kimberly Pope Adams.” Yep, that’s automatic; you can’t do that!)
• Loudoun Co. updates absence policy over post-pandemic attendance
• Times-Dispatch sues Richmond School Board over Huguenot shooting report
• The final countdown: Charlottesville’s controversial zoning revision nears vote
• Sunday weather system will fling rain, wind, storms and snow across Southwest and Southside Virginia
• D.C.-area forecast: Today’s the calm before Sunday’s big rainstorm