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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 15.
- Ancient trees reveal last summer hottest in 2,000 years
- Heat exposure of older people across world to double by 2050, finds study (“Extra 270 million adults aged 69 or over will suffer dangerous heat levels of 37.5C amid global heating and ageing populations”)
- ‘Impossible’ heatwave struck Philippines in April, scientists find (“Human-caused climate crisis brought soaring temperatures across Asia, from Gaza to Delhi to Manila”)
- White House Worries Russia’s Momentum Is Changing Trajectory of Ukraine War (“Multiple factors are helping Russia’s military advance, including a delay in American weaponry and Moscow’s technological innovations on the battlefield.”)
- Ukraine presses Biden to lift ban on using US weapons to strike Russia
- Ukraine troops pull back in Kharkiv after Russia offensive
- Zelensky postpones all international trips, as Russian forces advance through Kharkiv region
- Ukraine withdraws troops around Kharkiv as Russian offensive gathers pace (Time to massively increase aid to Ukraine.)
- Putin’s Defense Shake-Up Is a Danger for Ukraine
- Biden Moves Forward on $1 Billion in New Arms for Israel
- Bibi’s rant: Israel isn’t a “vassal state” of the U.S.
- Democrats rage at GOP over “tough vote” on Israel arms sales
- Palestinians across the Middle East mark their original ‘catastrophe’ with eyes on the war in Gaza (That “catastrophe,” of course, was caused largely by the Arab states which rejected the UN partition plan and invaded the new state of Israel in 1948, attempting to destroy it. They lost – badly.)
- Is Netanyahu Choosing a War of Attrition Over Biden’s Wider Plan? (“As Israelis mark their independence, the Biden Administration pushes for a regional alliance.”)
- Hamas Shift to Guerrilla Tactics Raises Specter of Forever War for Israel
- Jordan foils arms plot as kingdom caught in Iran-Israel shadow war
- German Far-Right Leader Fined Over Nazi Stormtrooper Slogan
- Thousands flee Canada fires as smoke hits U.S. air quality
- Mexico is stopping nearly three times as many migrants now, helping keep U.S. border crossings down
- Here’s everything to expect from Wednesday’s key report on inflation (“Prices for all items in April are projected to show a 0.4% gain on the month, the same as in March, though the annual rate is expected to edge lower to 3.4%. On the important core measure that excludes food and energy, the respective projections are 0.3%, lower than March’s 0.4% reading, and 3.6%, down from 3.8%.”)
- Inflation Data Could Show Signs of Progress After Disappointing Run
- Trump said men would see his mistreatment of Stormy Daniels as “cool.” His trial suggests otherwise (“Stormy Daniels is just the latest woman to note Trump uses coercion because he’s incapable of persuasion”)
- Appeals Court Upholds Gag Order on Trump in Manhattan Trial
- Trump blasts his trial judges. Then his fans call for violence
- Devout Christian Mike Johnson Shows Up to Hush Money Trial to Defend a Guy Accused of Cheating on His Wife With a Porn Star (“Yes, the same Mike Johnson who says he and his son use special software to ensure neither is looking at porn.”)
- Speaker Mike Johnson’s appearance at Trump’s felony trial marks a remarkable moment in US politics (Johnson becomes “the highest-ranking Republican to show up at court, embrace the former president’s claims of political persecution and attack the U.S. system of justice…amplifying Trump’s defense and turning the Republican Party against the federal and state legal systems that are foundational to the U.S. government and a cornerstone of democracy.” Beyond appalling – should be wildly unacceptable to EVERY AMERICAN!)
- Time Was When the Speaker of the House Would Never Show Up for a Former President’s Hush-Money Trial
- Why Johnson’s appearance at Manhattan courthouse stands out among Republicans backing up Trump (“Johnson’s embrace of Trump is a sign that the presumptive GOP nominee’s transgressions – including his two impeachments, his attempt to destroy democracy to stay in office, his three other indictments, his vows to use a second term to weaponize presidential power against political enemies and to start mass deportations of undocumented migrants, as well as his embrace of rhetoric that echoes 1930s dictators – are no impediment to a party that craves a return to full power.”)
- “You Called Me a Crying Little Shit, Didn’t You?”: Michael Cohen and the Combative Climax of the Trump Trial
- Mike Johnson acts as proxy for ‘friend’ Trump as he bashes judge’s daughter and ‘sham trial’ outside court
- Mike Johnson skips vital US House session to support Trump in New York
- Trump’s lawyer attacks Michael Cohen in hush-money trial
- Opinion: Did Trump’s defense think this strategy would work on Cohen? (“It seemed to me that he had established a genuine human bond with the jury over the course of his lengthy direct examination.”)
- Defense tactics raise eyebrows in Cohen cross-examination (“In a key moment, Michael Cohen described breaking from his former boss”)
- The Truth About Donald Trump That Only the Courts See (“He may never face justice for his most serious offenses. But the everyday prosecutors who’ve won clear verdicts against him have exposed Trump as the unfit citizen he truly is.”)
- How in the world is Trump’s trial not hurting him?
- Fox attacks Michael Cohen as a “convicted liar,” leaves out that his lies were to protect Trump
- Journalist Says He Saw Trump Editing Speeches For His Stooges To Give Outside Court (“MSNBC’s Alex Wagner questioned the legality of the move, given the gag order the former president is currently under.” LOCK HIM UP!)
- National TV news, with the exception of MSNBC, failed to cover Trump’s scandalous Big Oil proposition (The media is MASSIVELY failing us.)
- Top House Democrat demands answers on Trump dinner with oil executives
- Top US ethics watchdog investigating Trump over dinner with oil bosses (“Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ‘taking very serious look’ at whether Mar-a-Lago meeting justifies legal action” It’s blatant corruption, so…yeah.)
- Fox News and the MAGA media are lining up their shot at American democracy (“The bullet is in the chamber”)
- Warning signs for Trump: 5 takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries (“Nikki Haley’s zombie presidential candidacy is still drawing a sizable slice of the Republican vote in the suburbs.”)
- Do Americans Remember the Actual Trump Presidency?
- Biden Promised Normal. Do Voters Want His Version of It?
- New Ad Slams Trump’s Health Care Failures for Black Americans (Under Trump: “Hundreds of thousands of Black Americans lost health care.”)
- NEW AD: Biden-Harris 2024 Launches “Dime Con Quién” Underscoring Health Care Stakes of the 2024 Election for Latinos (“4.3 million Latinos would lose coverage if Trump successfully repeals the ACA”)
- Between Trump and Biden, what should real Republicans do?
- Michael Paul Williams: The backlash to anti-racism is nothing new
- Mike Pence Sought Public Funds as 2024 Presidential Bid Collapsed
- The Ivy League Hypocrites Who Want to Be Trump’s MAGA VP
- Ben Carson calls for making divorce harder (Hell no.)
- Trump’s Boeing 757 clipped parked plane after landing at Florida airport Sunday, FAA says
- Alsobrooks pulls off stunning win in Maryland Democratic Senate primary
- After primary wins, Alsobrooks, Hogan will go head-to-head for Maryland U.S. Senate seat
- Maryland Senate primary: Alsobrooks defeats Trone in race for Democratic nomination; Hogan wins GOP nod (The polling was BADLY off on the Maryland Democratic primary for US Senate.)
- AIPAC-backed Sarah Elfreth wins primary for open Maryland congressional seat (“The pro-Israel group boosted a state senator against a nationally known Jan. 6 Capitol Police officer — and won.”)
- Jan. 6 felony rioter Derrick Evans loses Republican House primary in West Virginia
- Patrick Morrisey Wins GOP Primary In Race For West Virginia Governor (“The crowded contest for the state’s highest office was full of Republicans pushing anti-trans rhetoric and denialism about Biden’s win in the 2020 election.”)
- Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Ends Harvard Yard Encampment
- VIDEO: Sen. Tim Kaine holds USPS accountable for delayed mail delivery services in Virginia
- 5 questions about the 5th District (“More than $3.3 million has already been spent in the Republican primary that pits U.S. Rep. Bob Good against state Sen. John McGuire.”)
- Will Youngkin appoint a DEI director, as the state budget directs?
- State lawmakers agree to raise teacher pay, but localities will have to pitch in
- One-on-one with Gov. Glenn Youngkin: Discussing budget, education funding
- Fewer Virginia kids are overdosing on cannabis products following new law
- Virginia House and Senate launch inquiries into colleges’ responses to student protests
- Former Sen. Amanda Chase went to court for assault charge
- More political giveaways to chain retailers will hurt Virginians
- Petersburg won’t release $1.4B casino proposal from company that won project
- Shenandoah National Park launches aerial attack on damaging moth
- Brown v. Board promised better schools for all, but Richmond falls short
- Loudoun Co. proposes 16 delayed-start days next year to allow teachers to meet training requirements
- Virginia Beach adopts $2.6 billion budget, cutting taxes and increasing city worker pay
- Norfolk passes $1.9 billion budget with city worker raises, real estate tax cut
- VCU suspends fraternity for hazing, sorority for selling pills
- D.C.-area forecast: Today’s cloudy and damp weather will continue at times into the weekend (“Tomorrow and Friday offer a small break with warmer temperatures and lower rain chances.”)
