by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, February 2.
- Research Undermines Claims that Soil Carbon Can Offset Livestock Emissions
- From Gaza to Sudan, conflict is driving a rise in hunger worldwide
- A soft-bellied Europe, shuffling toward Russia’s rising threat
- Ukraine’s embattled army chief calls for new approach after setbacks
- Russia has refused to turn over bodies of plane crash victims, Ukraine says
- The U.S. tacks hard toward a Mideast ‘moment of truth’ (“Here’s President Biden’s game: He wants to make Netanyahu an offer his coalition can’t accept politically — but that the prime minister, whose legacy as a historic Israeli leader has been shattered, personally might not be able to resist. If Netanyahu embraces the Saudi proposal, his coalition will fracture, and he’ll need to find new partners. If he refuses, his government might be toppled by rivals who embrace the U.S. formula for ending the war.”)
- Biden Team Signals Calibrated Response to US Troop Deaths
- Plans for U.S. strikes on Iranian personnel and facilities in Iraq, Syria approved after Jordan drone attack
- US intelligence officials estimate Tehran does not have full control of its proxy groups
- A U.N. Agency Is Accused of Links to Hamas. The Clues Were There All Along. (Not acceptable.)
- Analysis shows destruction and possible buffer zone along Gaza Strip’s border with Israel
- US sanctions Israeli settlers over West Bank violence (Good.)
- Some Palestinian Americans decline invite to meet Blinken (They should definitely meet with him)
- Backs to the wall, Gazans fear Israeli assault on last refuge
- China and the U.S. Are Talking, but Their Détente Has Limits
- Schumer promises vote on the border security-Ukraine aid deal next week
- Our Economy Isn’t ‘Goldilocks.’ It’s Better.
- US Jobs Report to Show Slower Hiring Pace After Annual Revisions
- U.S. Job Growth Is Expected to Be Solid
- President Biden Takes On Big Pharma and Is Lowering Prescription Drug Prices
- 30 Things Joe Biden Did as President That You Might Have Missed (“Expanded overtime guarantees for millions…First over-the-counter birth control pill to hit U.S. stores in 2024…Gun violence prevention and gun safety get a boost…Renewable power is the No. 2 source of electricity in the U.S. — and climbing…Preventing discriminatory mortgage lending…”)
- The GOP’s blunders take their toll (“Nihilism comes with a price.”)
- Americans think democracy is in peril in the 2024 election
- Turnout Data Reveals the Core of Democrats’ Success in Special Elections (“It’s strictly about turnout among the highly engaged, not about winning over Republican-leaning voters, but still suggests an edge heading into November.”)
- A Biden-Trump rematch would be mostly about Trump
- Trump influence over congressional GOP spikes ever higher (“Republicans are increasingly sensitive to Trump’s viewpoints and conscious of his power to upend bills that Joe Biden might be able to tout on the campaign trail.”)
- What Biden *really* says about Trump behind closed doors (All 100% accurate, including “What a fucking asshole the guy is.”)
- Trump doles out millions to lawyers: Here’s who’s getting the most
- Trump’s Former Finance Chief in Negotiations to Plead Guilty to Perjury
- Trump NY fraud verdict now expected by mid-February: Court
- Behind the Curtain: Trump’s conviction scenario
- He Was Accused of Sexual Misconduct. Then Trump Hired Him.
- Republicans’ plotting to block a Democratic president goes public
- House Democrats continue to do the legislative heavy lifting
- The House passed a Child Tax Credit expansion. It faces a GOP buzzsaw in the Senate.
- Republicans smeared Ilhan Omar over a faulty translation. Here’s what she really said.
- Haley attacks Trump’s morals, age and wealth as she looks to stave off home state loss
- Nikki Haley Has Got Secession All Wrong
- Opinion: What explains Nikki Haley’s new tone
- Nikki Haley Blames Obama for Racism
- Haley seeks game-changing win in South Carolina despite uphill climb
- An Out-for-Blood Kevin McCarthy Is Plotting Revenge on the Republicans Who Ousted Him: Report (That includes the odious/extremist Rep. Bob Good in VA05.)
- Inside Kevin McCarthy’s vengeance operation against the Republicans who fired him (“Allies of the booted speaker have identified their three biggest targets: Reps. Nancy Mace, Bob Good and Eli Crane.”)
- The Stakes Were Too High for Fani Willis to Do This
- Trump risks backlash as MAGA world zeroes in on Taylor Swift
- Taylor Swift, Stanley cups and a brewing backlash to MAGA’s sexist snobbery (“Women are fed up, and it will hurt the GOP in November”)
- MAGA World Is About to Meet Taylor Swift’s Fandom. It Won’t Go Well.
- RFK Jr. blames young campaign staffer for TikTok thirst trap comment
- Some of the Most Obstructionist GOP Legislators in the Country Just Got Their Comeuppance
- Oregon high court says 10 GOP state senators who staged long walkout can’t run for reelection (“Measure 113, passed by voters in 2022, amended the state constitution to bar lawmakers from reelection if they have more than 10 unexcused absences.”)
- Iowa lawmakers decline to advance bill that would remove gender identity from the state’s civil rights law
- Fox News’ Jesse Watters cites debunked claim to argue that climate scientists fabricated US temperature data (In a sane world, Watters would be fired immediately and viewed by everyone as a total wacko.)
- Arizona education official announces partnership with right-wing propaganda machine PragerU Kids (Horrifying.)
- ‘Pineapple Express’ sweeps California as an atmospheric river fuels storms and floods the state
- How The Messenger Bled Out $50 Million (“Bonkers spending on food, travel, and salaries couldn’t save a 2013-era idea in 2024”)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says “I can’t think of a more important thing than standing by Ukraine and fixing our border – real time” (Warner says U.S. needs to “strike back forcefully” after the attack on U.S. troops in Jordan, but it’s “better to get this right than to simply do it quickly”)
- Sen. Tim Kaine For Virginia Announces Senior Staff
- Virginia’s historic markers largely ignored Black history for decades. That’s finally changing.
- Youngkin tax plan hits dead end under Senate recommendation
- Key VA Senate Money Subcommittee Defeats Governor Youngkin’s Tax Giveaways for the Wealthy (“Youngkin’s tax plan nickels-and-dimes working families to pay for a tax cut for his rich friends”)
- Attorney general files antitrust lawsuit against NCAA’s name, image and likeness rules
- Senate Democrats kill 3 Republican bills dealing with transgender students (“Two measures would have required student-athletes to participate in sports based on their birth gender. Another would have required schools to notify parents if a child identifies as a gender other than his or her biological sex.”)
- Va. House passes bill lifting prohibition on for-profit surrogacy brokers
- Va. lawmakers consider sweeping changes to special education
- New Legislation Aiming to Inject Competition Into Virginia’s Offshore Wind Market Could Spark a Reexamination of Dominion’s Monopoly Power (“As Virginia seeks to acquire at least 2.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy to fulfill legally binding decarbonization targets, the bill would require the state to consider a range of bids from offshore wind developers other than Dominion.”? GOOD – DO IT!!!)
- FOIA Friday: What government bodies can charge for records, interim appointment disclosures
- Schapiro: The Rodney Dangerfield of government (“Whether it’s sprawling suburban Fairfax County, struggling urban Petersburg or sylvan rural Nelson County, local government — when it comes to the authority to fix problems within their borders — often depends on the kindness of strangers in Richmond.”)
- Three interesting bills: English ivy sales, decriminalizing suicide and juror ages
- First look at transportation plans for Potomac Yard entertainment district
- In Lynchburg, a Republican council member wages social media war against a fellow Republican (“Marty Misjuns is trying to get fellow Republican council member Chris Faraldi ousted.”)
- Roanoke County looks to solar to cut school energy costs
- Northern Fairfax residents remain opposed to casino
- BREAKING: Fairfax County casino bill put on hold until next year
- Racial justice fund launches Black homeownership program in Richmond
- Study: Many Arlington hiking trails are unsustainable and harmful to the environment
- Virginia Beach Fishing Pier crash shocks community, mars iconic public landmark
- D.C.-area forecast: After any morning showers end, mainly fair weather ahead
