by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 18.
- Coal use to reach new peak – and remain at near-record levels for years (Horrendous.)
- Hyundai Is Becoming the New Tesla (“Even in a Trump presidency, America’s EV future may not run through Elon Musk.”)
- Killing of Russian General Is a Message From Ukraine: You Aren’t Safe—Even at Home (“The attack on Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov was part of an escalating campaign by Ukraine’s security and intelligence services to kill high-profile figures in Russia’s war effort.”)
- A couple hundred North Korean troops killed, wounded in battles with Ukrainian forces
- Kremlin Insiders Spill Putin’s Secret Plan to Manipulate Trump
- Trump to Russia’s Rescue (“After a year of misfortune, Putin is about to have a friend in the White House.”)
- Russia says suspect detained in the killing of a senior general in Moscow
- Russia detains Uzbek man over general’s killing in Moscow
- Moscow’s air of normality pierced by assassination far from Ukraine war
- The chemical weapon accusations against the general killed in Moscow
- The Guardian view on a Moscow assassination: Ukraine’s justified strike and Russia’s baseless outrage
- U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made Router in Millions of American Homes
- Netanyahu says Israeli troops will occupy buffer zone inside Syria for foreseeable future
- Israel’s borders have shifted throughout its history. Action in Syria may reshape them again
- Middle East crisis live: hopes for Israel-Gaza ceasefire deal rise as officials express cautious optimism
- Canada’s prime minister faces calls to resign. Here’s what could happen next
- Four paths Trudeau can take as political crisis deepens
- How a tiff over tariffs exposed the Canadian government’s fragility
- Trump stokes political mayhem in Canada (“Trump’s willingness to plunge into an ally’s domestic politics should be a warning for other world leaders”)
- South Korean president fails to appear before corruption watchdog (Arrest him.)
- ‘Everything is so bad’: Argentina’s poor hit hard by Milei’s ‘chainsaw’ measures
- Trump’s tariffs could be leading to buyer’s remorse
- Trump and Fed Headed for Potential Conflict if Rate Cuts Paused
- Policymakers are also expected to signal fewer cuts next year than previously projected. (Insanity.)
- Fed Set to Deliver Third-Straight Interest Rate Cut (“Policymakers are also expected to signal fewer cuts next year than previously projected.”)
- The Economy Is Finally Stable. Is That About to Change? (“Donald Trump’s proposals on tariffs, immigration, taxes and deregulation may have far-reaching and contradictory effects, adding uncertainty to forecasts.”)
- Fed expected to combine interest rate cut with hawkish 2025 outlook
- Make America the Great Depression Again: Trump’s plan to kill the FDIC (“The president-elect’s transition team is looking to unshackle banks from regulations.”)
- Are Abortion Bans Across America Causing Deaths? The States That Passed Them Are Doing Little to Find Out.
- Transcript: Trump’s Unhinged New Vaccine Ramblings Reveal Big Weakness
- Winners and losers from the 3-month CR (“Don’t buy a corporate box at RFK just yet. The Commanders still need to ink a stadium deal with the city, but it’s looking good for a potential RFK kickoff as early as 2030.”)
- Congress unveils funding deal with more than $100 billion in disaster aid
- Congress strikes deal to avert government shutdown
- A new Supreme Court case about religion has a hidden trap for workers (“Catholic Charities v. Wisconsin has a sympathetic plaintiff, and alarmingly high stakes for workers.”)
- Schumer’s last sprint to beat McConnell and Trump’s judges record (“Schumer plans to confirm those two lifetime appointment judges this week, surpassing McConnell’s 234 during the first Trump administration.”)
- ‘It’s Frightening’: ABC News Staffers Incensed by ‘Capitulation’ to Trump
- Trump’s Latest Vengeful Lawsuit Is Dripping with Wounded Egotism
- Trump planning to target progressive non-profits, US watchdog warns (“Congressional Integrity Project creates initiative to counter growing ‘authoritarianism’ and defend progressives”)
- Donald Trump’s disturbing war on the press has now escalated (“Trump has sued the Des Moines Register – merely for publishing a poll that wrongly predicted Harris would win Iowa”)
- A Big Pile of Money and Lawyering to Defend Trump’s Legal Targets? (“The other side isn’t even on the playing field. It’s the same mix of outrage, incomprehension, powerlessness and finally exhaustion. I fear some folks simply don’t get this dimension of what’s going on. It’s not something you learn in law school and not in conventional, old-style politics either. Defending the targets is key. But that’s not the only point or even the main one. It’s about demonstrating the limits of Trump’s power and embarrassing him, President or not.”)
- The Looming Danger of Trump’s January 6 Pardons (“His efforts to ‘erase’ the insurrection could inspire violent extremists and do other harm, national security and law enforcement sources warn.”)
- Crypto industry eyes deep list of government appointments
- What Do Democrats Need to Do? Act Like an Opposition Party.
- Possible Trump FEMA Pick Made Millions After Florida Disaster-Response Gig
- Republicans butt heads on daylight saving time after Trump directive
- Trump’s for-profit presidency (“The many ways that Donald Trump could use the presidency for personal gain — again.”)
- Judge denies Trump’s request to advance suit against Bob Woodward
- Trump lawyers allege ‘grave juror misconduct’ in their latest attack on hush money conviction
- Republican House Majority in Peril
- Going no-contact with MAGA parents: Crucial self-care or the “unraveling of America”? (“Left-leaning young adults are backing away from their Trump-loving parents — and mainstream media is sad”)
- Elon Musk Met With Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago
- Elon Musk and SpaceX Face Federal Reviews After Violations of Security Reporting Rules
- Pelosi Won. The Democratic Party Lost. (“In sabotaging Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s bid for leadership of the Oversight Committee, party elders have doubled down on a failed strategy.”)
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) on Winning Election as Ranking Member: “The Oversight Committee is one of the most powerful tools we have to hold the powerful accountable” (“Now more than ever, I’m going to need your support to stand up to Trump and MAGA.”)
- Connolly wins vote to be top Oversight Democrat
- Dems Choose 74-Year-Old Gerry Connolly Over AOC for Key Committee Role
- Archivist says Equal Rights Amendment can’t be certified as Democrats push Biden to recognize it
- Key Republican Calls For Criminal Probe Of Liz Cheney Over Jan. 6 Committee Work (That’s fascistic.)
- Nancy Mace says mysterious drones could be from ‘outer space’ (Much more likely, Nancy Mace is from outer space – Planet Crazy?)
- Suspect charged with killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO as an act of terrorism
- Shock poll: 41 percent of young voters find killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO acceptable (That is really disturbing. Hate the healthcare system – fine. Think murdering people is the answer – NOT fine!)
- Jill Biden says she has closed the book on teaching at Northern Virginia Community College (“The first lady, who has spent the past 40 years teaching in classrooms, announced Monday that she had taught her final class at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria last week.”)
- Disney Pulls Transgender Storyline from Pixar’s ‘Win or Lose’ Streaming Series (Exclusive)
- Why the LA Times’ Owner Courted CNN’s Top Trump Defender (“Patrick Soon-Shiong is upending his paper’s opinion pages and wants more voices like Scott Jennings, whose prime-time punditry has generated viral clips and controversy. Jennings, says CNN colleague David Axelrod, has “created these ‘own the libs,’ kind of freewheeling moments.””)
- Donald Trump Says Federal Employees Who Don’t Work in the Office Will Be Fired (“If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed.”)
- Last-ditch effort to block Schedule F’s return thwarted by Senate Republicans (“Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., sought unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the Saving the Civil Service Act, but his motion was opposed by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.”)
- Top 24 Virginia Political Stories of 2024
- Video: Afflicted with a Serious Illness but Not Defined by It, Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) Delivers Farewell Speech to Congress (“The most impactful legacy I can leave is in the power of perservance and persistence and in the belief that change is possible through public service”)
- Schapiro: Youngkin migrant plan relies on racial legacy
- Bipartisan rural healthcare initiatives head to Virginia’s 2025 legislative session
- In bipartisan push, Virginia lawmakers target rural healthcare crisis
- Youngkin unveils plan to improve maternal health in Virginia
- Youngkin unlikely to support racial bias training for doctors despite bipartisan interest
- DLCC Announces Six-Figure Investment into Virginia Ahead of Majority-Making Special Elections (“The DLCC is spending early to defend one-seat majorities in Virginia ahead of special elections next month and November 2025 elections”)
- Virginia’s minimum wage is set to increase in 2025 (“As the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, the minimum wage in Virginia will increase from $12 an hour to $12.41 an hour.”)
- Commonwealth Fusion Systems to Build Power Plant in Virginia
- Youngkin says nation’s first commercial fusion plant to be built in Virginia (It’s really embarrassing to see the media report this so uncritically, as if nuclear FUSION power – as opposed to FISSION power, which we’ve had for decades – isn’t still in the research stage and potentially decades away, with most experts thinking along the lines of the second half of this century.)
- ‘World’s first’: Multibillion-dollar fusion power plant planned in Chesterfield
- Editorial: New thinking needed to revitalize Newport News airport
- School Zone Speed Safety Camera Program to Expand in Arlington County
- Controversy Erupts over Fairfax City Manager’s Firing (“Deputy city manager and police chief leaving in January.”)
- Patriot Front members settle civil suit over defaced Arthur Ashe mural
- Bedford hunter whose own accident turned him into a treestand safety advocate dies at 63
- Michael Vick has been hired as Norfolk State’s coach
- D.C.-area forecast and updates: Showers make a comeback later today as a cold weekend awaits
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