by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 4.
- Big oil ‘fully owned the villain role’ in 2023, the hottest year ever recorded (“Fossil fuel firms ‘took the mask off’ as they reneged on climate pledges and doubled down on expansion of planet-heating energy”)
- Siberia’s ice is melting, revealing its past and endangering its future
- Climate change has forced millions to flee their homes — and Asia is ‘not prepared’
- Birds of prey in Africa experiencing population collapse, study finds (“Several species have vanished across swathes of the continent – and scientists say their disappearance holds unknown risks for humans” HORRIBLE.)
- Revealed: Three-quarters of Prestigious Green Advertising Awards Go To Agencies Working for Fossil Fuel Industry
- Long Covid causes changes in body that make exercise debilitating – study (“Experts say severe muscle damage, mitochondrial problems and microclots may explain prolonged impact of working out”)
- Russia’s winter onslaught tests Ukraine’s firepower
- Ukraine and Russia Turn To Sabotage As The War Drags On
- Russia Moves Forward With Plans to Buy Iranian Ballistic Missiles (“The step would enhance Moscow’s ability to target Ukraine’s infrastructure at a critical moment in the conflict.”)
- Russia and Ukraine exchange hundreds of prisoners of war in biggest release so far
- Killing of Hamas leader in Lebanon appears to signal shift in Israel’s war effort
- Deadly Iran Blasts and US Warnings Escalate Mideast Tensions
- Who Was Qassem Soleimani, the General Whose Grave Was the Site of Iran Blasts?
- US, Other Countries Warn Houthis Against Further Attacks in Red Sea
- Israeli Officials’ Calls For ‘Voluntary’ Migration Of Palestinians Alarm Human Rights Experts
- Hezbollah chief warns of ‘limitless’ response if war erupts between Israel and Lebanon
- Israelis Question Army’s Rules of Engagement After Hostages Slain
- The ‘CEO’ of Hamas Who Found the Money to Attack Israel
- Germany’s coal power production drops to lowest level in 60 years in 2023 after nuclear exit
- Another covid wave hits U.S. as JN.1 becomes dominant variant
- Biden-era boom in factory spending (“The Biden administration’s signature legislation — particularly the CHIPs Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has spurred a surge in construction spending that’s buoyed the economy”)
- Electric Vehicles Just Became More Affordable (“Upfront federal rebates should put a dent in the EV-equity issue.”)
- How to get a more eco-friendly yard, one season at a time (“Spring: Skip the spraying, lose the lawn and go native”)
- The Polls Prove It: Many Republicans Love Fascism
- A Skeptic of the G.O.P.’s Hard Immigration Line Becomes Its Champion
- Shutdown risk grows with GOP’s border fury (They should be furious at themselves, since House Republicans are the ones who have consistently blocked important immigration reform legislation. In short, the problem Republicans are in “fury” over is largely THEIR FAULT.)
- Black Americans would feel the sting of Republican budget cut proposals
- Prof. Michael Mann: “Progressives continue to let themselves get played…the media is no friend of democracy, objective truth, or just plain decency” (“Please read this ENTIRE thread by David Roberts.”)
- Biden focuses on Jan. 6 to cast Trump as a threat to U.S. (See how the media reports this, as not a blatantly obvious fact, but as Biden “cast[ing]” it that way? This is just one example of how the political media fails us – badly.)
- Biden’s January 6 speech is bigger than the ‘horserace’. Can the media say that?
- Donald Trump’s Tirades Barely Make a Blip (“The ex-president is ranting and raving on social media, making wild claims and vowing revenge—and yet, too often, he’s treated as a conventional candidate.”)
- The Trump campaign embraces Jan. 6 rioters with money and pardon promises
- The Memo: Biden sharpens attack on Trump as danger to democracy
- The Case for Disqualifying Trump Is Strong (It SHOULD be a no-brainer, slam-dunk, etc.)
- Fear of MAGA “backlash” is no reason to let Donald Trump make an illegal run for president (“Giving into MAGA threats by keeping Trump on the ballot just emboldens fascists to get even more violent” Agreed, it’s completely absurd.)
- A New Survey Shows the GOP Presidential Race Shifting Ahead of the Iowa Caucuses (“Trump is still on top, but Haley has pulled ahead of DeSantis in a poll of GOP county chairs.”)
- How Fox News and the right-wing media made Jan. 6 revisionism great again
- A quarter of Americans believe FBI instigated Jan. 6, Post-UMD poll finds (So, one quarter of Americans are batshit crazy?)
- Trump asks Supreme Court to keep his name on Colorado ballot
- Trump lawyers’ doozy of a filing on voter fraud
- The Year Is Off to a Banner Start With Fake Bomb Threat Emailed to Various State Capitols
- FBI calls bomb threats that led to brief lockdowns and evacuations of some state capitols a hoax
- Justice Department sues Texas over state’s new border security law
- A right-wing tale of Michigan election fraud had it all – except proof
- Michigan GOP committee plans meeting to remove Kristina Karamo. She says it’s illegal.
- Florida surgeon general calls for halt on mRNA covid vaccines, citing debunked claim (WILDLY irresponsible.)
- The True Danger of Florida Surgeon General’s Bogus mRNA Claims
- A Far-Right Court Just Admitted a Truth That Abortion Foes Want to Hide
- Texas, where women are less important than a fetus
- The Fifth Circuit just made it even more dangerous to be pregnant in a red state (“The Trumpiest court in America just tried to neutralize a federal law requiring most hospitals to provide medically necessary abortions.”)
- Charlie Kirk: “Why are whites taking this? Why are we just sitting idly by and allowing corporate America to give all the jobs to nonwhite people” (Deranged, white supremacist extremism.)
- Trump Supporters Are Very Worked Up About the Jeffrey Epstein “List”
- Jeffrey Epstein’s elite circle was huge. What was the source of his $580m fortune?
- Unsealed Jeffrey Epstein court papers – read document in full
- Epstein court documents unsealed (“The documents feature roughly 150 people mentioned in previously redacted parts of the suit against Ghislaine Maxwell, who was sentenced last year to 20 years in prison on sex trafficking and other charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls.”)
- Jeffrey Epstein documents: Here’s what we know so far (“The first 40 documents, of around 250 expected to eventually be unsealed, largely mention figures whose names were already known, including high-profile friends of Epstein’s and victims who have spoken publicly.”)
- Resignation at Harvard latest but not last salvo in GOP war on colleges
- The Persecution of President Gay
- Scoop: Christie ad says he made a “mistake” endorsing Trump in 2016
- Claudine Gay warns of ‘a broader war’ in op-ed after being ousted from Harvard (“A day after resigning, university’s first Black president says the call to testify on antisemitism at elite colleges was ‘a well-laid trap’”)
- Former Harvard President Claudine Gay: This Is About More Than My Mistakes
- Harvard agitators turn their ire toward Penny Pritzker
- Harvard president’s resignation highlights new conservative weapon against colleges: plagiarism
- We Sat Down With the Conservative Mastermind Behind Claudine Gay’s Ouster
- Florida man arrested and accused of threatening to kill Rep. Eric Swalwell and his kids
- GOP Rep Calls Jesse Watters a ‘Fucking Hack,’ Claims Fox News Canceled Interview in Retaliation
- Sen. Mark Warner Urges Supreme Court to REVERSE Dangerous Ruling Re: Government’s Ability to Combat Malign Foreign Influence on Social Media Platforms
- State group says Virginia should budget more for invasive species management
- Budget orgs say Youngkin’s plan hurts low-income earners
- General Assembly leaders tout collaboration, compromise in Roanoke forum
- Virginia activists try again to bar Trump from state’s primary ballot
- Editorial: Accountability needed for Regent dean who called for an “end” to Gaza
- Why are cities in Virginia independent from counties?
- Virginia cake pop maker battles state regulators for right to post pics on Instagram
- Virginia Beach Trail project gets green light with nearly $15 million in federal funds
- Subsidies For Billionaire’s Sports Complex Concern Arlington Official (“Sen. Barbara Favola is wary of providing state support for a Capitals and Wizards arena when education and other services are underfunded.”)
- Fired Norfolk employee sues city over COVID-19 vaccine policy, claiming religious discrimination (Nothing in religion says not to get a COVID vaccine.)
- Richmond restaurants dispute thousands in meals tax penalties
- Their son died from a fentanyl overdose. Now, a Fairfax Co. family has a warning for other parents
- Stafford officials approve data center agreement with Amazo
- Hampton Roads will see rain, not snow forecast in winter storm this weekend
- D.C.-area forecast: Blustery and cold today before snow and rain on Saturday
********************************************************
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
