by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 18.
- A critical climate goal may be ‘deader than a doornail,’ and scientists are bitterly divided over it
- Carbon released by bottom trawling ‘too big to ignore’, says study (“Fishing nets churn up carbon from the sea floor, more than half of which will eventually be released into the atmosphere” Ban it.)
- Greenland losing 30m tonnes of ice an hour, study reveals (“Total is 20% higher than thought and may have implications for collapse of globally important north Atlantic ocean currents”)
- Ultraviolet light can kill almost all the viruses in a room. Why isn’t it everywhere? (“Can special lightbulbs end the next pandemic before it starts?”)
- Putin’s Warped Wartime Economy, as Seen Through a Carton of Eggs (“President Vladimir Putin publicly apologized for the high prices, which have risen around 60% in a year, as Western sanctions, a weak ruble and a labor crunch hit the industry.”)
- China snubs Zelenskyy in Switzerland
- U.S. Plan for a Postwar Middle East Isn’t Gaining Much Traction
- Medicine for Israeli hostages and Palestinians arrives in Gaza under deal struck by Qatar
- Blinken’s Search for Humanity in the Gaza War
- U.S. fires fresh round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen
- U.S. puts Yemen’s Houthi rebels back on global terrorist list
- Germany, Once a Powerhouse, Is at an Economic ‘Standstill’
- China’s muted reaction to Taiwan’s election result may signal a waiting game (“Taiwan says China has launched significant joint air and sea patrols, but analysts say Beijing’s reaction to the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s election win has so far been relatively quiet”)
- Did China’s Economy Really Grow 5.2% in 2023? Not All Agree
- Pakistan’s Army Strikes Back at Iran as Both Sides Urge Calm
- Pakistan’s retaliatory airstrikes in Iran kill 9 and raise tensions between the neighbors (“The tit-for-tat attacks Tuesday and Thursday appeared to target two Baluch militant groups with similar separatist goals on both sides of the Iran-Pakistan border.”)
- North Korea: Rare footage shows teens sentenced to hard labour over K-drama (This country’s regime is absolute evil.)
- Ecuador prosecutor probing TV studio attack killed
- The Biden administration’s plan to slash bank overdraft fees, explained
- John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett are unsure if they should be in charge of everything (“Inside the Supreme Court argument asking if the justices should crown themselves kings and queens.”)
- Supreme Court Weighs Overturning a Pillar of Federal Regulatory Law (“While federal agencies are promulgating a slew of climate regulations, the high court heard arguments for limiting regulators’ power.”)
- Supreme Court’s Conservatives Poised To Take Down Decades-Old Precedent (“A pair of cases now before the court could hobble the ability of federal agencies to set regulations.”)
- The Supreme Court Could Use a Fish to Pound the Executive Branch (“In a case about herring, the Court could decide that any interpretation of a congressionally mandated regulation must be settled by Congress itself. And what fun that would be.”)
- Supreme Court Hears Case That Could Overturn Key Chevron Precedent
- The Supreme Court Is About to Seize Way More Power From Democratic Presidents
- Supreme Court divided over whether to curb the power of federal agencies
- Trump’s appointees are poised to give conservatives another long-sought reversal
- Do House Republicans Want a Border Deal or a Campaign Issue?
- McConnell expects Senate to take up Ukraine-border security package next week
- Johnson gets squeezed by Biden, Senate GOP on Ukraine, border
- Senate Republicans warn House they won’t get a better immigration deal under Trump
- Speaker Johnson Can ‘Absolutely’ Expect to Be Toppled if He Keeps Caving, GOP Lawmaker Warns
- Johnson Casts Doubt on Border Deal to Unlock Ukraine Aid, Defying Biden (Weird framing as usual from the NY Times.)
- ‘We have some consensus’: Speaker Johnson, Schumer exit Biden meeting optimistic on Ukraine, border
- ‘Not Worried’: Mike Johnson Brushes Off Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Ouster Threat
- ‘Disappointed and upset’: Conservatives bemoan lack of anti-abortion wins in funding fight
- The suppressed history of the civil rights movement that could help defeat Donald Trump
- Biden may get some help from Republicans against Trump (“A slow drip of Republicans and former Trump administration officials are outright saying they would vote for Biden over former President Trump in a general election rematch, citing their belief that Trump poses a risk to U.S. democracy.” If you’re a patriotic American, the only option is a vote for Joe Biden over Donald Trump, who would destroy our democracy, rule of law, etc.)
- Biden allies plot to thwart third party bids that threaten his reelection
- It isn’t ‘anti-democratic’ to bar Trump from office. It’s needed to protect democracy
- Video: On “The View,” Vice President Kamala Harris Talks Threat to Democracy, Fundamental Freedoms (“We’ve got a guy right now – the former president – running for office openly saying that he promises to essentially be a dictator.”)
- Harris says ‘no denying’ America’s history of racism
- E. Jean Carroll and the Trump Doom Loop (“Sitting in a courtroom, feet away from the woman he sexually assaulted, the ex-President keeps trying to outrun the consequences of his own bad acts.”)
- Trump’s obsession with E. Jean Carroll helps prove her case against him
- Trump rages in court as E Jean Carroll testifies during defamation trial (“Former Elle columnist says ‘I’m here to get my reputation back’ as judge warns ex-president he could be kicked out of court”)
- Trump lashes out at judge after he threatens to boot Trump from courtroom
- Judge threatens to throw Trump out of E. Jean Carroll defamation trial
- Trump Recycles Tired 2020 Election Allegations
- Trump solidifies lead in NH, Haley firmly in second, new poll shows
- Trump keeps returning to his birther playbook
- Trump deploys racist dog whistles as he ups the attacks on Haley
- Trump’s New Hampshire strategy – insults and court histrionics
- New Hampshire Republicans ‘disappointed’ Nikki Haley isn’t fighting harder in the state
- Haley moves to preempt Trump’s attacks on her
- White House Phoned Asa Hutchinson to Apologize for DNC Slight (Good; that DNC statement was really not cool.)
- Texas defies federal threat to abandon border area, setting up legal showdown
- Texas refuses to comply with Biden administration’s cease-and-desist letter on border access
- Texas’ floating barrier between US and Mexico can stay for now, court rules in reversal
- Florida’s State Board of Education passes rule to ‘permanently prohibit’ DEI at public colleges (Crazy.)
- Florida Republicans Are Going After Flags Now (How about the *Confederate* flag while they’re at it?!?)
- Trump warns campaigns: Do not hire ex-DeSantis operative Jeff Roe (That’s Youngkin’s guy! LOL)
- Congressman Dan Goldman to Introduce Resolution to Censure Congresswoman Elise Stefanik for Her Support of January 6th Insurrectionists (She should be expelled.)
- Elise Stefanik Targeted for Censure for Jan. 6 ‘Hostages’ Comment
- ‘She’s a killer’: Trump eyes Rep. Elise Stefanik as a potential VP pick (She’s evil.)
- The GOP Is Already Clashing Over Trump’s VP Pick
- House GOP hit with another retirement announcement
- Fox’s 2024 election denial push is already underway (Disgusting as always by Glenn Youngkin’s go-to network.)
- Dean Phillips drops DEI from campaign website (Dean Phillips is a putz.)
- New Baltimore Sun owner insults staff in meeting, says paper should mimic Fox45 (No serious journalist should work for this right-wing nutjob, or for his company, Sinclair.)
- The Left Is Pissed at John Fetterman. That Doesn’t Mean He’s Gone “Full Sinema.”
- US climate scientist’s defamation case over online attacks finally comes to trial (“Michael Mann alleges, in lawsuit first brought in 2012, that attacks on his work by climate denialists amount to defamation”)
- Ted Cruz “Enthusiastically” Endorses Trump, the Guy Who Called His Wife Ugly and Suggested His Father Was in Cahoots With JFK’s Assassin (“Meanwhile, Cruz previously said Trump was a ‘bully’ and a ‘pathological liar.'”)
- Sen. Kaine outlines short-term funding extension for U.S. to avoid shutdown
- UVA Prof. Larry Sabato on Trump Campaign Manager’s Vow to Oust Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05): “I’ve never known Chris LaCivita to make an empty threat. Sounds like all-out GOP war.” (The Trump campaign is backing someone who was literally part of the pro-Trump mob on 1/6/21)
- Trump’s campaign manager targets Rep. Good for disloyalty. How will that play out?
- Republican primary battle between McGuire and Good heats up
- Legislation to bring Va. teacher pay to national average gets bipartisan support
- Schapiro: Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol is a ‘sausage factory’ with columns (Silly headline, but a few interesting tidbits in the article.)
- Virginia bill to ban politicians from using campaign funds for personal use progresses
- Senate Democrats postpone work on constitutional amendments
- Virginia Democrats delay proposals to amend state’s constitution to 2025
- Bill to make fentanyl dealers liable for homicide charge dies in Senate committee
- One Virginia lawmaker is hoping to strike a deal on FOIA fees
- House Democrats cast doubt on funding for Youngkin’s STEM lab schools
- GOP attempts to dislodge clean car standards defeated
- Electric co-ops push back on broadband bill
- House panel kills Griffin proposal to bring back the death penalty
- In Norfolk, an environmental headquarters plans to live with the water, then surrender to reality
- A casino in Fairfax County? Virginia state senator files bill to take next steps (“Virginia State Sen. Dave Marsden has introduced a bill that — if approved and signed by the governor — would allow Fairfax County to take the next steps in building a casino there”)
- Thousands welcome Ford sailors home to Norfolk following extended maiden deployment
- Freshman state senator says he ‘wants to be part of the solution’ (“Growing up, Suhas Subramanyam never imagined a life in politics.”)
- Nuisance snow Friday, then the coldest weekend of the season
- D.C.-area forecast: Clouds today before light snow Friday
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