Thursday News: Parnas Calls Out House GOP for “doing the bidding” of Russia; New WaPo CEO “accused of cover-up in hacking scandal”; EVERYONE Needs to Know About “Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda for the next Republican administration”; “The part of ‘no’ Youngkin doesn’t understand”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 21.

• The next big climate deadline is for meat and dairy (We’d all be much better off by slashing or eliminating meat consumption.)
• Climate Change Made an Early Heat Wave in West Africa 10 Times as Likely
• Europe’s pro-nuclear leaders seek atomic energy revival
• There Was No Russian Election — Vladimir Putin staged an elaborate charade—so why did some western media outlets play along? (The media is just incorrigible?)
• Parnas calls out GOP rep at hearing for ‘doing the bidding’ of Russia
• 13 people are hurt after Russian missiles hit Kyiv for the first time in 44 days
• EU leaders urged to put economies ‘on war footing’ at Ukraine negotiations (“Prime ministers to examine plans to confiscate billions of euros in interest from frozen Russian assets and send the money to Kyiv” Do it!)
• Russian Threat Forces Europe to Choose: Bolster Defense or Protect Social Spending
• It could be months before the Senate takes up a TikTok bill, despite warnings about China
• Why Israel is so determined to launch an offensive in Rafah
• Blinken meets Egyptian president in Cairo ahead of Israel trip to discuss ceasefire, hostage deal
• Netanyahu addresses Senate Republicans days after Schumer calls for his ouster (Netanyahu gets mad when Americans weigh in on Israeli politics, but himself has been interfering in American politics for many years.)
• World Bank report finds imminent risk of catastrophic famine in Gaza Strip (Totally unacceptable situation.)
• GOP goes on offense against Democrats on Israel (For anyone who actually believes that *REPUBLICANS* of all people would be better for Palestinians than Democrats…uh, no.)
• Jared Kushner Says Israel Should “Finish the Job” in Gaza So It Can Focus on Building Valuable “Waterfront Property” (Yep, this is how Republicans think.)
• Israel-Hamas war live updates: U.S. submits draft U.N. resolution calling for immediate Gaza cease-fire
• The Children Who Lost Limbs in Gaza (Horrible.)
• Israelis Craft Secret Plan to Put Anti-Hamas Palestinians in Charge of Gaza Aid
• ‘We Will Shoot You.’ War in Darfur Raises New Fears of Genocide.
• Leo Varadkar steps down as Irish prime minister in shock move
• Taps have run dry across South Africa’s largest city in an unprecedented water crisis
• Australia’s leap to “instantaneous” 100 pct renewables may have to wait another decade
• Fears of hunger as Haiti turmoil spreads
• U.S. Evacuates Some Americans From Haiti As Official Describes Violence Like ‘Mad Max’
• Biden Administration Announces Rule Aimed at Expanding Electric Vehicles
• S&P 500 Hits All-Time High As Fed Grows Friendlier
• Biden administration to forgive $5.8 billion in student debt for nearly 78,000 borrowers
• Why is US energy demand soaring – putting climate goals at risk? (“New industries such as cryptocurrency and cannabis are boosting industry forecasts, straining efforts to cut emissions”)
• Biden announces new rule for gas car emissions that could boost EV sector (“Rule, hailed as historic step on climate crisis, will have slashed more than 7bn tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2055”)
• In Texas, Fossil Fuel CEOs Ridicule Nation’s Clean Energy Push (“We should abandon the fantasy of phasing out oil and gas.” What they’re worried about is that it’s FAR from a “fantasy,” given that clean energy is increasingly eating fossil fuels’ lunch. How about let’s start by eliminating ALL subsidies, direct and indirect, for fossil fuels?)
• Next-gen geothermal could provide 10% of additional clean, firm power US needs to decarbonize: DOE (“Advanced geothermal resources are on pace to meet the Department of Energy’s $45/MWh by 2035 target, according to a new ‘Pathways to Commercial Liftoff’ report”)
• Supreme Court grants Gov. Greg Abbott’s wish to turn Texas into a far-right dictatorship (“Donald Trump isn’t the only far-right character the Supreme Court could bless with dictatorial powers”)
• Republican States Model Immigration Bills on Texas Law (Very, very bad.)
• A guide to Project 2025, the extreme right-wing agenda for the next Republican administration (“Project 2025 aims to roll back civil rights and destroy the federal government, among other proposals” EVERYONE needs to be aware of this!)
• How the threat of a government shutdown became normalized (By putting Republicans in charge of the US House!)
• Trump tests waters on 15-week abortion ban
• The Mar-a-Lago judge is entertaining Trump’s most brazen defenses (“Trump and prosecutors in the classified documents case have been told to draft jury instructions that could result in ensuring acquittal” Get her off this case!)
• ‘Very, very troubling’: Judges, lawyers flummoxed by Judge Cannon (She is a nut, incompetent, far-right and has no business being a judge at all.)
• House approves pro-fracking, pro-oil bills to kick off ‘energy week’ (The Republican Party is, essentially, a bought-and-paid-for arm of the fossil fuel industry.)
• Trump Stumps With Fascist Cosplay
• What Trump Supporters Think When He Mocks People With Disabilities (“Trump fans don’t like how he demeans people. They’ll vote for him anyway.” That’s appalling.)
• The Potency of Trump’s ‘Lost Cause’ Mythmaking
• We ignore Trump’s defects at our peril
• Bankruptcy is one way out of Trump’s financial jam. He doesn’t want to take it
• Opinion: Trump’s dangerous $600 million problem (“He urgently needs cash – lest he be forced to give up some of his trophy properties to satisfy the courts. That pressing need could make him vulnerable to anyone offering to help him out of his troubles, including America’s enemies and rivals.”)
• Key questions as Trump hurtles toward deadline to pay $454 million fraud penalty
• These Under-the-Radar Rulings Are Really Bad for Trump (“The brief delay in the New York trial is just a small victory for Trump. The really consequential stuff hasn’t gone his way lately.”)
• Trump is having trouble getting cash for his bond. And he’s growing frustrated.
• New York attorney general could soon move to seize Trump’s property
• Do ‘Zombie Votes’ for Nikki Haley Expose Trump’s Weakness?
• In Latest Primaries, Two In 10 Republicans Are Still Voting Against Trump (“The former president’s ability — or inability — to win over so-called Never-Trumpers could determine whether he ultimately returns to the White House.”)
• USW Endorses Joe Biden for Reelection as President (“The United Steelworkers (USW) union today proudly endorsed Joe Biden for a second term as president of the United States.”)
• Trump Is in Line for a $3.5 Billion Windfall From Stake in Truth Social
• Trump eyes Sen. Marco Rubio as a potential VP pick (Yuuuuuuck. Also, Trump has previously TRASHED Rubio, but…sure.)
• Trump leadership PAC racks up millions in legal bills amid courtroom fights
• Trump lags behind Biden in campaign cash reserves while legal bills mount
• Biden expands his fundraising advantage over Trump
• Biden and Trump’s schedules are a study in contrasts (Vague headline; why not just state what you’re getting at exactly?)
• Democrats Prepare Aggressive Counter to Third-Party Threats
• Biden impeachment hearing descends into chaos as lawmaker caught on hot mic branding it ‘Jurassic Park’
• Impeachment inquiry appears on ice as House GOP tries to wrangle support (Another failure by the “mainstream media,” which should note in its headlines that this impeachment drive by extremist House Republicans is 100% BULLSHIT.)
• Ocasio-Cortez demands GOP specify actual crimes in Biden impeachment inquiry (There are Z-E-R-O)
• Lev Parnas, ex-Giuliani associate, testifies allegations against Bidens are false and ‘spread by the Kremlin’ (Bingo; so why doesn’t every “mainstream media” article note this?)
• Could Republicans blow it with bad candidates — again?
• Rupert Murdoch and new ‘Washington Post’ CEO accused of cover-up in hacking scandal
• Manchin won’t vote for Biden judge picks that lack GOP support (Bizarre; why on earth would you do that???)
• Freedom Caucus votes to remove Ken Buck (The media shouldn’t just use the Orwellian name “Freedom Caucus,” it should note that this caucus is actually far-right extremist and not in any way/shape/form about freedom.)
• Elon Musk’s X Is Suspending Accounts That Reveal a Neo-Nazi Cartoonist’s Alleged Identity (Musk is a white supremacist and fascist.)
• Post-UMD poll: GOP’s Hogan leads both Democrats in Maryland Senate race (The question is how concerned we should be at this point.)
• Mississippi ex-deputy gets 40-year sentence as judge decries brutal attack on 2 Black men
• A fourth former Mississippi officer is sentenced to 40 years in racially charged torture cases (What does “racially charged” mean, as opposed to, let’s say, the word “racist?” Because the media LOVES saying “racially charged” for some reason…)
• These are the GOP candidates hoping to unseat Sen. Tim Kaine (This article is really, really weak; barely mentions anything about these candidates’ far-right-extremist views. Great example of the media misinforming the public and whitewashing extremism. FAIL!)
• Schapiro: The part of ‘no’ Youngkin doesn’t understand (“The administration’s efforts were not fully recalibrated to the post-November reality: That Democrats were again fully in charge of the General Assembly — and that Louise Lucas isn’t one to suffer fools gladly.” And Youngkin most definitely is a fool.)
• Virginia House leaders dispute governor’s claim that their consultant heaped praise on arena deal (“’He’s running a campaign on divisiveness and half-truths,’ Scott said, comparing Youngkin’s ‘juvenile’ public events to a ‘spoiled brat not getting his way.’”)
• Youngkin and Lucas still at odds on arena and Virginia budget after talks (“Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) suggested Tuesday he could go around Sen. L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) to get the arena approved, but she reacted with outrage.”)
• 2024 VAPLAN Virginia Legislative Progressive Scorecard: Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy #1 in the State Senate, Del. Rae Cousins #1 in the House of Delegates
• Democratic legislator questions Youngkin’s appointments to environmental justice council
• Op-Ed: Virginia’s new Democratic majorities pass key bills to improve your lives, but will Youngkin sign them? (Nope.)
• Youngkin, in tough on crime stance, vetoes 22 more bills (Why use Youngkin’s framing? Is there any way that these vetoes will actually reduce crime???)
• Video: 2021 Youngkin Campaign “Surrogate,” Political Ally, Insurrectionist/Extremist, Trump Cultist Amanda Chase “facing an assault and battery charge after a confrontation” at Chesterfield GOP Meeting Tuesday Night (Nice scoop by Virginia Scope/Brandon Jarvis)
• The state’s first small modular nuclear reactor likely won’t be built in Southwest Virginia after all, Youngkin says
• Virginia dedicates more money to rail assistance program
• Lawsuit to stop Virginia Beach offshore wind farm claims project is a danger to whales (There is no evidence of that. In fact, the dangers to whales have to do with plastic pollution, global warming, commercial fishing and ship strikes – nothing to do with offshore wind. In short, if you see someone supposedly “concerned” about the impact of offshore wind on whales, but they don’t mention any of those other things, you know they are NOT operating in good faith and should 100% ignore them.)
• In landmark vote, Board of Supervisors rejects Belmont Innovation data center proposal
• Statewide effort to reduce violent crime shows mixed success in 5 Hampton Roads cities
• City or town? New legislation is bringing up one of Martinsville’s oldest questions
• D.C.-area forecast: Cool sunshine into Friday before a rainy Saturday (“The rainstorm Friday night into Saturday could drop at least 1 to 2 inches.”)