by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 20.
- There was some good climate news in 2023. Really.
- Climate activism is becoming more dangerous for land defenders around the world (“In Central Mexico’s forests, armed community members defend an iconic butterfly from cartel-backed logging.”)
- At COP28, Family Farmers Who Feed the World Went Unheard
- E.U. strikes major migration deal, signaling Europe’s rightward shift
- EU Clinches Long-Sought Pact on Contentious Migration Rules
- Turkey links Sweden’s NATO bid to US approving F-16 jet sales and Canada lifting arms embargo
- Ukraine’s citizen army struggles with a hidden enemy: combat stress
- Ukraine’s Front-Line Troops Are Getting Older: ‘Physically, I Can’t Handle This’ (“A struggling draft system isn’t producing the quantity or quality of troops needed for front-line combat—or sharing the burden fairly across society.”)
- Gaza and Ukraine are very different wars, but they teach similar lessons
- Israel offers Hamas one-week pause in fighting as part of a new hostage deal
- Hamas leader visits Egypt amid intensive talks on new ceasefire
- Over 100 Container Ships Reroute as US Weighs Red Sea Response
- Netanyahu’s mission: Destroy Hamas, bring hostages home – and get reelected
- Xi warned Biden during summit that Beijing will reunify Taiwan with China (“The Chinese leader’s message in San Francisco got the attention of U.S. officials because it was delivered at a meeting that was intended to reduce tensions.”)
- Mexico to challenge Texas’ new ‘inhumane’ migration law, president says
- Scoop: Inside the White House’s border assurances to Hispanic lawmakers
- Endangered (“For 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has been one of our most valuable environmental tools. Can it survive today’s attacks?”)
- ‘A Very Large Earthquake’: How Trump Could Decimate the Civil Service (“The proposals that are on the table would create a deep state.”)
- Key takeaways from Colorado’s historic ruling against Trump (“The justices broke from the trial judge on one key issue, and the US Supreme Court will have the ultimate say”)
- Trump’s Political Fate Rests With the Supreme Court He Shaped
- Landmark Trump ruling gives Supreme Court an unexpected New Year’s agenda
- Will the U.S.Supreme Court Keep Donald Trump Off the Ballot ? Some Initial Thoughts
- Donald Trump banned from Colorado ballot in historic ruling by state’s Supreme Court
- Colorado Supreme Court Says 14th Amendment, Section 3 of U.S. Constitution Bars Trump From Ballot; Time to Apply This to Other Insurrectionists As Well
- Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off the state’s 2024 ballot for violating the U.S. Constitution
- GOP rallies around Trump after Colorado ballot ruling (Disgraceful)
- The Colorado Supreme Court Just Gave Republicans a Chance to Save Themselves (“They should take it.” But they won’t.)
- Trump’s Legal Jeopardy Hasn’t Hurt His G.O.P. Support, Times/Siena Poll Finds
- ‘Trump Knows What He’s Doing’: The Creator of Godwin’s Law Says the Hitler Comparison Is Apt
- Republicans Don’t Want to Answer for Trump’s Racist Anti-Immigrant Rant
- GOP rep: Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric wasn’t anti-immigrant (Hint: Yeah, it was VICIOUSLY anti-immigrant, saying immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country, which is both false and Nazi-like.)
- Trump Says Immigrants Are ‘Ruining the Fabric’ of US (Quite the contrary; immigrants greatly strengthen America!)
- Trump Defends Controversial Comments About Immigrants Poisoning The Nation’s Blood At Iowa Rally (“‘I never read ‘Mein Kampf,’ Trump said at a campaign rally in Waterloo, Iowa, referencing Adolf Hitler’s fascist manifesto.” So Trump just naturally uses Hitler’s language?)
- Trump doubles down on immigrant ‘blood’ remark, says he ‘never read Mein Kampf’
- Trump Has Always Wanted to Be King. The Supreme Court Should Rid Him of That Delusion.
- GOP voter-fraud crackdown overwhelmingly targets minorities, Democrats (Obviously, that’s ALWAYS been the point of Republicans’ assault on essentially non-existent voter fraud.)
- Senate confirms top military nominees, ending Tuberville’s hold over promotions (Tuberville accomplished absolutely nothing, other than harming our military.)
- Fox anchor Bret Baier compares Biden’s vaccine mandates and student loan relief to Trump’s attempted coup (Totally insane.)
- Judge again turns over Rep. Perry’s phone records to DOJ Jan. 6 probe
- Federal judge orders documents naming Jeffrey Epstein’s associates to be unsealed
- Tucker Carlson rips DeSantis’ political operation as ‘nastiest’ and ‘stupidest’ he’s seen
- How Ron DeSantis’ $100 Million ‘Death Star’ Collapsed
- DeSantis swipes at Trump over missed filing deadline in call for Chip Roy challenger
- Ex-Proud Boys leader is sentenced to over 3 years in prison for Capitol riot plot
- Turning Point USA conference-goers yell hate slurs at Black and gay GOPer: video (Of course they do…)
- Michigan GOP’s conference was a ‘disaster.’ It’s emblematic of deeper problems within the state party
- Elon Musk says letting workers unionize creates ‘lords and peasants’. What? (Musk is batshit crazy.)
- Sen. Tim Kaine talks ongoing teacher shortage – focus on training, state support
- DCCC: As Trump Plagiarizes Mein Kampf, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Stays Silent, Refuses to Condemn Wannabe Dictator
- Video: Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Says Trump “poisoning the blood of our country” Rhetoric Is “directly out of the 1930s Nazi playbook…full-bore fascist” (On House GOP’s “evidence-free” impeachment effort, Rep. Connolly says, “shame on those so-called moderate Republicans who rationalized their vote” for it)
- Williams: Youngkin’s plan to ban kids from TikTok is ill-conceived
- New census data shows Virginia’s population trends have almost made a U-turn (“Updated census data shows that death rates are dropping and the number of people moving out of Virginia is decreasing.”)
- Gov. Youngkin to introduce 2-year budget plan Wednesday, including funds for child care, mental health, conservation
- Youngkin exploring repeal of ‘hated’ car tax (That would blow a hole in the budget…)
- Republicans pick Mulchi to be 9th Senate District candidate; Democrats nominate Wyatt-Younger (“At a mass meeting that drew hundreds, Mulchi beat five other GOP candidates to be nominated to run in a Jan. 9 special election following Sen. Frank Ruff’s announcement that he will retire at the end of his current term. Democrats elected Wyatt-Younger in a district-wide firehouse primary, where she defeated three opponents.”)
- Judge says removal of Confederate statue at Arlington can proceed (“The federal judge wrote that the ‘case essentially attempts to place this Court at the center of a great debate’ between the Confederacy’s detractors and defenders.”)
- MVP gets two approvals for future rates and construction plans
- New report says Virginia could incentivize methane capture from coal mines
- Let’s pay farmers for outcomes that restore Va. rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay
- Richmond’s James River cleanup gets financial blow in budget
- Editorial: Norfolk needs public input about issues beyond one brewery permit
- D.C.-area forecast: Not as cold today with less wind; warming up toward Christmas
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