Thursday News: “Biden border restrictions bring sharp drop in illegal crossings”; SCOTUS Right Wingers “just basically legalized bribery”; “How the Hell Is CNN Going to Keep This Debate on the Rails?”; Hung Cao’s “record doesn’t back up claims on combat wounds”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, June 27.

• Antarctica’s melting ice is reaching a “tipping point” due to climate change, study finds (“New research indicates we’ve been underestimating how damaging climate change is in the South Pole” UGH.)
• Air freight greenhouse gas emissions up 25% since 2019, analysis finds (“Boom in air cargo due to shoppers’ expectations of speedy delivery and shift in post-pandemic economy, researchers say”)
• Gassy cows and pigs will face a carbon tax in Denmark, a world first
• Falsely Accused Wall Street Journal Reporter Evan Gershkovich in Court for Start of Secret Russian Trial (Appalling.)
• Pyongyang Says It Will Send Troops to Ukraine Within a Month
• What Moscow, Beijing and Delhi think of Biden v Trump rematch (Putin is salivating over Trump back in the White House.)
• In the searing heat of the Gaza summer, Palestinians are surrounded by sewage and garbage
• ‘A disastrous event’: All-out war between Israel and Hezbollah could devastate both sides
• Hassan Nasrallah: the man who has led Hezbollah to the brink of war with Israel
• Israel warns it could take Lebanon ‘back to the Stone Age’ as defence minister wraps up Washington trip (Maybe so, but it would be REALLY bad for Israel as well.)
• U.S. Scrambles to Head Off Wider War Between Israel and Hezbollah
• Why an Israel-Hezbollah war would be far more dangerous today than the last time around
• Canada’s LNG Pipe Dream Is an Unsustainable, Bad Investment: Report (“Natural gas industry faces price glut and falling demand triggered by global transition to renewables.”)
• Bolivia coup attempt fails after military assault on presidential palace
• Crushing a Coup Gives Bolivian President a Much-Needed Win
• A coup attempt is feared in Bolivia as troops pour into the streets
• What triggered the coup attempt in Bolivia?
• Bolivian police arrest leader of apparent coup attempt
• Prospect of low-priced Chinese EVs reaching US from Mexico poses threat to automakers
• Plastics companies blocked mitigation efforts and may have broken US laws – study
• FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris Announces First-of-Its-Kind Funding to Lower Housing Costs by Reducing Barriers to Building More Homes
• Biden border restrictions bring sharp drop in illegal crossings
• Ketanji Brown Jackson Blasts “Absurd” Supreme Court Bribery Ruling
• The Supreme Court rules that state officials can engage in a little corruption, as a treat
• The Supreme Court Blesses a Form of Bribery
• Supreme Court Poised to Allow Emergency Abortions in Idaho
• Errant SCOTUS abortion case document posting sparks confusion
• 7 in 10 think Supreme Court justices prioritize ideology: AP poll
• The Supreme Court Majority Has Legalized Bribery So Long As You Do It Right
• The US supreme court just basically legalized bribery
• John Roberts Stood Up the Senate. Why Is He Getting Away With It?
• The Supreme Court’s newly leaked abortion decision, explained (“The leaked decision is not a victory for abortion rights.”)
• The Supreme Court is off the rails
• New, Ominous Signs for Gay Rights Keep Emerging (“A growing faction supports rolling back the gains of the past quarter century.”)
• The First National Data on Birth Control Post-Dobbs Is Here, and the News Is Not Good (“In states banning abortion, birth control and Plan B prescriptions also declined.”)
• Cannon comes under scrutiny for plodding pace of Trump documents case
• Trump allies test a new strategy for blocking election results
• Biden Cabinet officials roll out new plans to cut costs of living ahead of Trump debate
• An unprecedented debate could shake up a White House race like no other
• ‘It may be one of the more consequential in American history’: Why tonight’s debate could upend the 2024 campaign. (“More than 70 percent of American voters plan to tune in.”)
• A Mind-Boggling Number of Voters Who Could Decide the Election Think Donald Trump—Yes, That Donald Trump—is Better for Democracy Than Biden (“As in, the Donald Trump who incited an insurrection because he couldn’t admit he lost the last election.” How can you even have a democracy when so many voters have no clue whatsoever?)
• Smearing, Flexing, and Playing the Victim: Inside Trumpworld’s Pre-debate Messaging Blitz (“The ex-president’s brain trust is flooding the zone with shit.”)
• Big stakes and high tension as Biden-Trump debate looms
• Trump Allies Urge Him Not To Be a ‘Raging Asshole’ at Debate
• Trump keeps baselessly claiming that Biden will be on drugs at debate (Why use the word “baselessly” and not just say FALSELY, or even better, “Trump keeps LYING?”)
• Trump Eyes Bigger Trade War if Elected to Second Term (That would be a DISASTER.)
• Scoop: Biden seizes debate limelight for “Project 2025” push
• The Biden-Trump debate could change the trajectory of the 2024 campaign
• Trump’s Shameless, Corrupt Wooing of Plutocrats Is Suddenly Backfiring
• Biden and Trump look to debate to open up race currently in a dead heat
• How the Hell Is CNN Going to Keep This Debate on the Rails?
• Why Republicans Are Far Too Confident About November (“There are many major warning signs about Donald Trump’s chances.”)
• Trump Is Inciting Violence as the Election Approaches (“How his latest migrant bashing, lies about the FBI, and other verbal attacks could lead to bloodshed.”)
• A Hitler-promoting antisemite spoke twice at Trump’s Miami resort alongside Eric and Lara Trump (“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign also featured extremist commentator Christiane Northrup in a video”)
• The Secret History of the Cataclysm at The Washington Post (“How the world’s greatest businessman drove his newspaper into a ditch”)
• Virginia and Maryland in spat over Chesapeake Bay crabbing plans (“The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted to repeal the prohibition on winter crab dredging in Virginia waters, allowing it to explore establishing a year-round crab fishery.” Maryland is right, Virginia is totally wrong about this.)
• Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine says holding Biden-Trump debate this early is ‘smart’
• EXCLUSIVE: VA Senate candidate says he was ‘blown up’ in combat. His record doesn’t show that. (“Cao, in a Facebook post, criticized USA TODAY for asking about his service record and listed questions posed to him by reporters. USA TODAY reporters called, texted and emailed his campaign manager Tuesday and Wednesday seeking comment on Cao’s military record. The campaign has not addressed the questions directly…”)
• Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao boasted about being ‘blown up’ and ‘shot at’ while in the navy – but his service record doesn’t include a Purple Heart
• Schapiro: Departing chief was loyal Youngkin warrior (No mention of the fact that Youngkin’s new Chief of Staff is strongly anti-reproductive-freedom, used to work at the far-right Heritage Foundation, etc. The media really loves whitewashing these people.)
• Last week’s primary results could pave the way for more zoning changes across Virginia
• Editorial: As Biden and Trump take the stage, Hampton Roads should tune in (Or not.)
• Fairfax Co. casino back on table, group of neighbors want to pass
• Henry County supervisors reject tax increase
• Giving birth in Page County, a maternity care desert
• D.C.-area forecast: Less hot and humid today into Friday