by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 20.
You wonder what does Putin have on Trump that the disgraced defeated former president always has to be beholden to him, his buddy in vileness.
And the statement that Trump made after Putin assassinated Navalny — it’s beneath the dignity of a human being. -NP pic.twitter.com/xsIewlxAH7
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) February 20, 2024
- BloombergNEF says global solar installations could hit 574 GW this year (“BloombergNEF says in a new report that developers deployed 444 GW of new PV capacity throughout the world in 2023. It says new installations could reach 574 GW this year, 627 GW in 2025, and 880 GW in 2030.” Good, because we need something close to 1,000 GW per year of global clean power capacity additions.)
- Two years after the Russian invasion, land mines plague one-third of Ukraine
- Alexei Navalny’s body to be held for two weeks for ‘chemical analysis’, family told (Coverup.)
- As the Ukraine war enters a third year, Putin waits for Western support for Kyiv to wither
- Biden: House Republicans ‘walking away from the threat of Russia’ (“It’s just shocking. I’ve never seen anything like it”)
- Bolton: ‘If Trump is elected, there’ll be celebrations in the Kremlin’
- Stalled US aid for Ukraine underscores GOP’s shift away from confronting Russia
- As Russia pushes forward, Ukrainian soldiers say U.S. aid delays have left them exposed (Republicans have blood on their hands.)
- Trump: I’m Basically Like Alexey Navalny
- Pelosi: Trump comments on Navalny’s death ‘beneath the dignity of a human being’ (“The former president finally broke his silence on the death of Putin’s fiercest critic—by comparing his own legal predicament to the persecution of the late Russian opposition leader. ” Trump is, in fact, the polar opposite of Navalny.)
- Wife, Protector and Now Political Heir: Yulia Navalnaya Rallies Russians (“The partner of Aleksei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader, long shunned the spotlight, but his death in prison may make that impossible.”)
- Trump compares Russian opposition leader Navalny’s death to his own legal woes (Deranged.)
- Donald Trump broke his silence on Aleksei Navalny’s death, but he didn’t condemn Vladimir Putin.
- Trump didn’t quit NATO, but a potential second term alarms allies (“Ambassadors and diplomats, closely monitoring U.S. public opinion with unease and bracing for Donald Trump’s possible return, are trying to divine how Trump could reshape the alliance if reelected.” It would be an unmitigated disaster.)
- Russian pilot Maxim Kuzminov who defected to Ukraine ‘shot dead’ in Spain
- Ukraine war: Russia detains US-Russian woman on treason charge
- ‘What a Coward’: Fox Contributor Blasts J.D. Vance For Refusing to ‘Look Zelensky in the Eye’ While Opposing Aid (Vance is one of the most horrible members of Congress. He’s also a traitor.)
- Ukraine’s defeat at Avdiivka darkens the mood in the West
- Trump’s bizarre deference to Putin is not new (“The failure by pro-Trump Republicans to extend aid to Ukraine has consequences beyond possibly condemning it to defeat”)
- Kim Jong-un receives luxury car as gift from Vladimir Putin
- Megaprojects in the Desert Sap Saudi Arabia’s Cash
- Top Biden adviser to visit Egypt, Israel as fears over Bibi’s Rafah threats grow
- US proposes a ‘temporary ceasefire’ in Gaza in draft UN resolution
- Middle East crisis live: Unicef warns of soaring levels of child deaths in Gaza due to malnutrition
- Bipartisan House members unveil new border, foreign aid proposal
- The widow and aides of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse are indicted in his killing
- Heat pumps outsold gas furnaces again last year — and the gap is growing
- White House is distributing $5.8B from the infrastructure law for water projects
- Voters may at last be coming round to Biden’s sunny view of the economy (“America’s robust economic indicators under the president have not been reflected in opinion polls – but that could be changing”)
- The Supreme Court will decide whether to let civilians own automatic weapons (“Garland v. Cargill asks whether gun makers can evade the ban on machine guns with a device called a bump stock.”)
- “Joe Biden is the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in just 9 months. Even if he wasn’t, there is no time left and there are no alternatives.” – Kaivan Shroff (“…focusing on the president’s age, which cannot be changed, only serves to weaken our best and only chance at defeating Trump — who is also old”)
- Team Biden-Harris Raises More Than $42M in January 2024, Historic $130M War Chest (Highest Total of Any Democratic Candidate in History)
- Biden Campaign Raises $42 Million In January
- Trump’s trial calendar becomes clearer – as do his delay tactics (“Hush-money trial will begin on 25 March, with federal case on allegations over 2020 election hinging on supreme court action”)
- There Is Much More at Stake in Trump’s Manhattan Case Than Just Hush Money
- Hitting Trump’s pockets is only the first step (“Booting Donald Trump off the ballot and fining the Trump Organization into oblivion won’t make MAGA disappear”)
- GOP recess becomes sharp weapon for White House (Absolutely disgraceful by Mike Johnson and his extremist, pro-Putin Republican colleagues.)
- House Republicans’ majority is falling apart
- NYT publisher: White House ‘extremely upset’ on Biden age coverage (As well they should be; the media’s been a f’ing disgrace on this…)
- How Merrick Garland Mistook a Trump Hitman for a Career Prosecutor (Garland appears to be terminally naive.)
- How Elite Cowardice Threatens America’s Future (“A large portion of the strategy of Trump and the MAGA movement is actually focused on stoking and leveraging elite cowardice to its own political and economic benefit.”)
- Trump allies prepare to infuse ‘Christian nationalism’ in second administration
- Trump’s RNC Takeover Is on the Brink of Becoming a ‘Purge’ (“From top to bottom, the national GOP organization could soon be rid of anyone seen as insufficiently MAGA.”)
- Judge Engoron’s Ruling Is a Detailed Road Map to Trump’s Thievery
- Documents reveal Abraham Lincoln pardoned Biden’s great-great-grandfather
- John Oliver Offers Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas $1 Million a Year to Resign
- No Labels faces dwindling options (“No Labels”=”No Brains”)
- Schiff leads in California Senate primary: Poll (“A new Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics/The Hill survey puts Schiff at the top of the pack with 28 percent, beating out Porter’s 16 percent and Lee’s nine percent.”)
- Measles erupts in Florida school where 11% of kids are unvaccinated (Totally unacceptable.)
- Wisconsin governor signs new state legislative maps into law, ending a GOP gerrymander (It’s actually one of the most extreme GOP gerrymanders in the country.)
- Gov. Tony Evers signs new election maps, ending Wisconsin Republicans’ grip on legislative power
- Greg Abbott Thinks Texas Should Have Its Own Foreign Policy (And Youngkin thinks that’s a great idea!)
- How Did Texas Slip Into the MAGA Abyss? (“A longtime resident—and former adviser to George W. Bush—offers a woeful ode to the Lone Star State.”)
- Virginia Democrats released their budget plans. What’s in and what’s out?
- Assembly budgets challenge governor on more than tax cuts
- Bills clarify that parental notice not meant to censor books
- Which Virginia Legislators Introduced the Most, Fewest Bills in 2024? (In general, Democrats introduced the most bills, Republicans the fewest)
- VEA calls legislature’s boosts for K-12 funding step in right direction
- Lawmakers push for more transparency with university animal testing facilities
- Virginia legislature could inch towards a regulated crypto market with potential new commission
- Lawmakers punt deepfake bills to next session, amid growing concern
- Virginia House punts on proposal to prohibit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for minors (“Bill that passed Senate unanimously delayed for a year to give policymakers time to study it”)
- State lawmakers are targeting “junk fees,” but disagree on which ones should be cut
- The General Assembly wants to eliminate predatory probate loans
- House committee looks beyond data centers to Virginia’s high-tech future
- UVa settles lawsuit with White alumna expelled after run-in with Black protesters
- Samantha Willis to become next editor of Virginia Mercury (“She will succeed Sarah Vogelsong, who after almost five years has decided to leave the Mercury to explore other reporting opportunities, beginning March 18.”)
- ‘A great guy’: Volunteer firefighter mourned after Sterling house explosion tragedy
- UVA offers an alternative to the ER for people in need of ongoing support and reassurance
- D.C.-area forecast: Bright but cool through tomorrow; light rain Thursday into Friday
