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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, December 29.
- 9 stories that prove not all hope is lost for climate progress (No, all hope is NOT lost, but we’re in terrible shape.)
- Not Living Fast and Dying Young: Why Older, Bigger Animals Matter (“New research finds that protecting longer-lived species in the face of climate change is critical for animal populations. “)
- These Graphics Help Explain What Climate Change Looked Like in 2024
- Where Does the Climate Movement Go From Here? (“The world is falling behind on its climate targets—but that’s not reason to give up hope.”)
- Less ‘European family’, more howitzers: Ukraine needs hardware, not cosy words (“As Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares for possible negotiations, friends and neighbours should be gearing up for industrial warfare” Agreed – the West should use its MASSIVE industrial/economic advantage over Russia to supply Ukraine with many times the weapons that Russia has.)
- As Putin reaches 25 years in power, has he ‘taken care of Russia’?
- 2024 was a year of triumphs and setbacks for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Here’s how it unfolded
- Putin apologizes for “fact” that deadly Azerbaijan Airlines crash occurred (That’s not, of course, a real apology.)
- White House: Russia, North Korea treating troops as ‘expendable’ in conflict with Ukraine
- Azerbaijan’s president says plane that crashed was shot at from Russia
- Live updates: 177 killed in plane crash at South Korean airport
- Plane crash-lands at South Korean airport, killing nearly all 181 aboard (“The control tower at Muan International Airport warned the Jeju Air plane of a potential bird strike minutes before the crash. Two people were rescued.”)
- Georgia’s pro-west president says she remains the ‘only legitimate president’ as new leader sworn in
- Georgia’s outgoing president refuses to quit as successor sworn in
- Kavelashvili is inaugurated as Georgia’s president, complicating its path toward EU (“Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili has been inaugurated as president of Georgia in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.”)
- Musk Doubles Down on Support for German Far-Right Party
- Elon Musk pens German newspaper opinion piece supporting far-right AfD party (AfD is a bunch of neo-Nazis, pretty much…)
- Behind the Dismantling of Hezbollah: Decades of Israeli Intelligence (“A Times investigation shows how Israel penetrated the Lebanese militia, tracking the group’s commanders and culminating in the assassination of its leader.”)
- WHO ‘appalled’ by Israel attack on northern Gaza’s last functioning major hospital (“Kamal Adwan in Beit Lahia was partially destroyed and critical patients are at grave risk, the UN body says”)
- Israeli forces order new evacuation at besieged northern Gaza town, residents say
- Gaza captors tortured hostages, including minors, Israeli report says (Pure evil – Hamas is completely indefensible.)
- Giant Construction Site in the Saudi Desert Is a Hellhole for Workers (“Gang rape, suicides and highway deaths plague Neom, the futuristic vision of Crown Prince Mohammed”)
- Syria’s de facto leader says holding elections could take up to four years
- Mexico, Betting Trump Is Bluffing on Tariffs, Sees an Opportunity (“Business leaders in Mexico say the incoming U.S. administration will enhance the appeal of their factories as an alternative to plants in China.”)
- How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness (“A car is often essential in the US but while owning a vehicle is better than not for life satisfaction, a study has found, having to drive too much sends happiness plummeting” The entire culture of suburban/exurban sprawl, car dependency, etc. is bad. There’s pretty much nothing good about it from an environmental, health or social perspective.)
- Abortions are up in the US. It’s a complicated picture as women turn to pills, travel
- Democratic attorneys general are adjusting legal strategies to take on Trump 2.0 (One of many reasons why we need a Democratic Attorney General here in Virginia.)
- Does Trump Jan. 6 Pardon Plan Include the Seditionists?
- In shift, Trump downgrades soaring rhetoric on campaign promises (In other words, Trump will soon start breaking campaign promise after campaign promise. For one thing, he will NOT bring down prices nor will he boost the economy.)
- How Donald Trump Went From Backing a TikTok Ban to Backing Off (“’It is hard to believe that Trump’s TikTok flip-flop is about anything much more than the influence of a billionaire donor and Trump’s reluctance to give up his access to his followers on the platform,’ Mr. Garin said, referring to Jeff Yass, a Republican megadonor who owns a significant share of ByteDance. ‘As with nearly everything Trump does, his change of position is driven by self-interest, not principle or the national interest.’”)
- Trump appears to side with Musk, tech allies in debate over foreign workers roiling his supporters
- Trump Weighs In on Immigrant Visa Debate but Offers Little Clarity
- Elon Musk pledges “war” over H-1B visa program, calls opponents racists
- Trump sides with Musk in H-1B fight
- Biden reportedly regrets ending re-election campaign and says he’d have defeated Trump (“President also regrets picking Merrick Garland for attorney general, as he was slow to prosecute Trump for January 6” Yep, Garland was a DISASTER.)
- President Biden signs anti-hazing bill advocated by a Virginia family (“Under the ‘Stop Campus Hazing Act,’ most higher education institutions will be required to publicly report hazing incidents and begin prevention programs.”)
- Democrats have a Florida problem (“Democrats got obliterated in Florida in 2024, from the top of the ticket all the way down to the Legislature and local races.”)
- Man accused of attacking TV reporter, saying ‘This is Trump’s America now’
- Youngkin’s Victory in the 2021 Virginia Election, Which Took Place Just Months After the 1/6/21 MAGA Assault on the US Capitol, Foretold a LOT About Trump’s Election…and U.S. Politics More Broadly
- Editorial: As Virginia begins budget debate, officials must guard against uncertainty (“Uncertainty in Washington should have Virginia lawmakers proceeding cautiously on the budget when the General Assembly convenes next month.”)
- David Toscano: Trump’s plans pose dilemma for Virginia’s governor (“When the federal government sneezes, Virginia catches a cold”)
- Candidates who ran against Sen. Christie New Craig say they tried to investigate residency concerns (“Following The Virginian-Pilot’s recent reporting on questions about Sen. Christie New Craig’s residency when she filed for candidacy in 2023, reaction among the candidates who ran against her is mixed. Republican challengers say there likely isn’t much that can or will be done, but the Democrat is pressing for further investigation.”)
- Remembering notable Virginians we lost in 2024
- Mayor Sherman Lea and other Roanoke council members bid farewell
- Top stories of 2024: Tavares Floyd’s donations, family connections called into question
- Army overhauls its troubled equine unit for Arlington’s funeral caissons (“After multiple horses died, the Army paused ceremonial duties of the caisson platoon, the soldiers and horses that carry deceased troops to their graves in Arlington National Cemetery.”)
- D.C.-area forecast and updates: Warm and breezy with late-day showers and storms
