by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 27.
- 2023 in Climate News (“The push and pull of progress and catastrophe made 2023 one of the most discordant—and consequential—years for the world’s climate.”)
- From wind-powered islands to urban forests: Positive environmental stories from 2023
- The audacious plan to put solar farms in space and beam energy back to Earth
- Ukraine’s top general calls for more troops; Russian ship hit in Crimean port
- A Russian drone and artillery attack kills 6 in Ukraine and knocks out power in a major city
- “I’m your new Santa Claus”: Navalny makes first comments since disappearance
- Ukraine’s Stolen Children (“Thousands of Ukrainians were separated from their parents by the Russian authorities. They are among the most forlorn victims of the invasion.”)
- Russia uses POWs as political weapon against Kyiv
- Russia exports almost all its oil to China and India – Novak
- In Putin’s Russia, Snitching Is an Outlet for Revenge
- Indian Envoy Hails Relationship With Russia, Bypassing Western Pressure
- Turkish lawmakers take next step towards letting Sweden into Nato (“Foreign affairs committee gives approval but success depends on vote in parliament where Erdoğan, who has delayed the process, holds majority”)
- Israeli military says Gaza ground offensive has expanded into urban refugee camps
- Netanyahu warns Hamas: “We see you and we will get to you”
- Benjamin Netanyahu Heckled By Hostages’ Families During Speech On Israeli Offensive
- Gaza war puts US’s extensive weapons stockpile in Israel under scrutiny
- Israeli military chief says war in Gaza will go on for ‘many months,’ military chief says
- Skepticism Grows Over Israel’s Ability to Dismantle Hamas
- Israel Widens Discussions on Egyptian Peace Proposal
- New Nightmare Brews in the Traumatized Kids of Gaza and Israel
- Fears are rising of a widened Middle East war and US troops are in the firing line
- Houthi Attacks and US Strikes Heighten Risk of Wider Middle East War
- Show trials and fake elections are destroying Hong Kong
- Chinese Spy Agency Rising to Challenge the C.I.A.
- Canada grapples with the effects of deteriorating relations with India and China
- Uruguay’s green power revolution: rapid shift to wind shows the world how it’s done (“Stung by the 2008 oil price spike, Uruguay now produces up to 98% of its electricity from renewables. Can other countries follow suit?” Yes, of course they can. Just DO IT already!)
- Actor Lee Sun-kyun of Oscar-winning film ‘Parasite’ dies by apparent suicide
- GOP congressman traveled to Uganda to support anti-LGBTQ death penalty law (“Rep. Tim Walberg co-chairs the National Prayer Breakfast — and urged Uganda to ‘stand firm’ on ‘death to gays’ law”)
- Blinken Heads to Mexico as Migrant Caravan Moves Toward U.S. Border
- How Can Spending Be Up When People Feel Down? (“The Misery Index suggests Americans shouldn’t be all that miserable. But they might only recently have started to catch on.” That’s largely the media’s fault.)
- It’s okay to be optimistic about the economy next year (“A recession didn’t come in 2023 and it might not in 2024, either.”)
- ‘Broken’ US labor laws could hamper union wins for workers, experts warn (“Strikes by autoworkers, actors and writers brought wins in 2023, but analysts worry labor laws could undo progress”)
- Biden Administration Takes Historic Step to Protect Old-Growth Forest
- How Electric-Vehicle Demand Is Losing Steam in the U.S.
- Lipstadt: ‘Antisemitism is like a virus for which there is no cure’
- Speaker Johnson enters 2024 with warring GOP factions
- The urgent to-do list awaiting Congress in January
- That New Trump Phone Call Recording Sounds Pretty Bad, Huh? (“The RNC chair should probably not be saying that!”)
- Trump Is Testing Bounds of Presidential Immunity—and Losing
- Williams: There’s no reconciling Donald Trump on a presidential ballot (“Uphold our constitution”)
- Voters describe their 2024 choice between a Trump second term and a Biden second term as a choice between REVENGE or NOTHING in Daily Mail poll (Fortunate; President Biden has accomplished a TON – truly historic.)
- A Trump Conviction Could Cost Him Enough Voters to Tip the Election
- 2024 wild card: A banner year for third-party candidates (So stupid.)
- Exclusive data: Trump lowers his own social media punch (“Former President Trump has curtailed the reach of his campaign message by not returning to X, according to an Axios analysis.”)
- Americans sour on the primary election process and major political parties, an AP-NORC poll says (It makes total sense to “sour” on Republicans. But why “sour” on Democrats? Weird.)
- Vivek Ramaswamy’s campaign stops all TV ad spending less than a month before Iowa and New Hampshire
- John Fetterman isn’t the politician you thought he’d be — and he doesn’t care
- GOP Biggest Loser of 2023 Moms for Liberty has us asking: How many sex tapes are there?
- 1st Amendment claim struck down in Project Veritas case focused on diary of Biden’s daughter (“Criminal prosecutors may soon get to see over 900 documents pertaining to the alleged theft of a diary belonging to President Joe Biden’s daughter after a judge rejected the conservative group Project Veritas’ First Amendment claim.”)
- Prosecutors oppose Sen. Bob Menendez’s effort to delay May bribery trial until July
- FBI Investigating After Violent Threats To Colorado Supreme Court Justices
- An avalanche of money is coming to kick Lauren Boebert out of Congress
- Tim Kaine dunks on Coach Tommy Tuberville over failed military promotions fiasco
- Editorial: Youngkin budget opens long-overdue debate about state’s tax structure
- Virginia auto dealers are investing big money in EVs. Is it worth it?
- Virginia’s Homegrown Stars Had Big Moments in 2023
- A rare deer became legendary in Richmond. Then poachers showed up. (“A Chesterfield, Va., man is under investigation for allegedly poaching a buck well-known for its magnificent rack and for roaming a Richmond cemetery.”)
- D.C.-area forecast: Soaking rain today before a gradual cooldown
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