by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, January 17.
- ‘It’s going to be rough’: what Trump’s response to LA fires portends for future climate disasters
- Wildfires drive record leap in global level of climate-heating CO2 (We are truly screwed.)
- A Court Says Coastal Marine Ecosystems Have Intrinsic Value—and Legal Rights (“In a landmark ruling, Ecuador’s Constitutional Court concluded that the government must set limits on human activity, like industrial fishing, to protect marine ecosystems’ natural cycles.”)
- I knew one day I’d have to watch powerful men burn the world down – I just didn’t expect them to be such losers
- Trump the saviour? Anxious Ukrainians question president’s power to end war (“Many Ukrainians have scant faith in Donald Trump’s promises to swiftly strike a peace deal after he enters the White House on Monday.”)
- Iran’s Leader in Moscow to Sign Cooperation Treaty With Russia (“The agreement will stop short of a military alliance, but it is expected to formalize an increasingly close relationship between Moscow and Tehran.”)
- China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than ‘all the oil on Earth’
- Mike Pence to Trump: cutting Taiwan support would ‘likely spark a new nuclear arms race’ (“Former vice-president makes surprise visit to Taipei and predicts that if China annexes its neighbour other Asia-Pacific countries will build nuclear arsenals” Agreed 100% with Pence.)
- China’s Population Fell Again Despite a Surprise Rise in Births
- China’s economy hits 5% growth target but rate among slowest in decades
- Netanyahu says deal to release hostages held in Gaza has been reached after last minute snags
- Gaza is in ruins, but it’s unclear how it will be rebuilt
- Bowen: Israel has changed since Donald Trump’s last term – has he?
- Israel’s security cabinet meets to vote on Gaza deal
- Israel-Gaza ceasefire live: Netanyahu says hostage release to begin on Sunday if security cabinet approves deal
- Islamist groups in Middle East will emerge from Gaza war weakened (“Hamas, Hezbollah and other militia are enfeebled – but Palestine is likely to stay at forefront of global politics”)
- Greenland’s PM stands firm on independence: ‘We want to be Greenlanders’
- Trump Picks a Jet-Setting Pal of Elon Musk to Go Get Greenland
- Trump tried to do business in Panama. That may explain his threats about the canal
- Will Trump plan to label Mexican cartels as terrorists bring US military strikes? (“President-elect wants to ‘wage war’ on drug cartels; critics say he should stop US arms used in the drug war”)
- Trump Team Rebuffs Talks on Mass Deportations, Latin American Countries Say
- Immigrant US farmworkers prepare for Trump mass deportation plan
- ‘We Still Have an Inflation Problem.’ A Fed Newcomer Wants to Go Slow on Rate Cuts.
- Trump’s Tariff Threat Is Already Panicking the Junk Debt Market
- Trump Ready to Bypass Congress on Border and Tariffs
- Trump’s Next Attacks on Abortion Rights Will Be More Insidious Than a Ban
- Trump’s corrupt TikTok flip-flop exposes his craven national security cabinet
- How Trump’s political and business interests will intersect in the White House
- Judgment in Trump’s New York fraud case stands at $502 million ahead of inauguration
- Trump Treasury secretary nominee won’t support raising minimum wage
- Trump’s pick for EPA administrator is Lee Zeldin. Here’s what to know.
- Kristi Noem to Face Questions as Trump’s Homeland Security Pick
- Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi: Qualified but questionable (“Better than Matt Gaetz is not saying much.” Nope, Bondi is horrible.)
- Trump’s attorney general pick owned at least $3.9 million in Truth Social stock and made $1 million as a lobbyist last year
- Trump Humiliates Nikki Haley in Epic New Rant—but Also Sends a Warning (“As Trump puts Republicans on notice against daring to criticize him, a reporter who covers D.C. influence peddling explains how he is already building a new Trump kleptocracy right before our eyes.”)
- Mike Johnson faces bipartisan shock, fury for ousting Intel chair
- The GOP Rivalry That Could Spell Big Trouble for Trump (Mike Johnson vs. John Thune)
- Biden says he spent too much time on policy, not enough on politics
- The Guardian view on Biden’s warning of oligarchy: Trump and the malefactors of wealth (“The outgoing president was right, in his farewell address, to warn of the dangers posed by the billionaires around the table”)
- Biden Reiterates He’s Worried ‘How Fragile Democracy Is’ In Final Interview
- Biden Issues Flurry of Executive Orders in Final Days. Trump Might Roll Them Back.
- 11 Historians Predict How Joe Biden Will Be Remembered (“From the Role of Dragon Slayer to the Person Who Had Enabled the Dragon to Return”)
- Biden calls on troops to ‘remember your oath’ in final remarks to military
- ‘One of the great tragedies of American politics’: Biden ends 5 decades in public life
- Biden Will Commute Another 2,500 Sentences, White House Says
- Joe Biden’s Farewell Address Felt Like an Elegy for Democracy As We Know It
- Democrats’ defeat leads to “demobilization and surrender” ahead of Trump’s inauguration (“Immediate action will be required to slow down Trump’s ‘shock and awe’ campaign”)
- Scoop: Trump team sweats McConnell’s vote on Tulsi Gabbard
- Stephen Miller, Channeling Trump, Has Built More Power Than Ever
Democrats push for release of second part of Jack Smith’s Trump report- Two Watchdogs Were Rebuffed From Joining Trump’s Cost-Cutting Effort (“We have no room in our administration for Democrats”)
- Meeting the Moment in Trump’s America
- Trump’s official portrait released – and it looks like his mugshot
- TikTok to sponsor Trump inauguration party
- Biden administration will leave it to Trump to implement TikTok ban
- Biden administration has no plans to fine companies if TikTok ban goes into effect
- Elon Musk to speak at Trump’s inauguration weekend rally
- SpaceX’s Starship rocket breaks up after launch, flights divert after FAA debris warning
- Passenger Jets Forced to Dodge Musk’s Fiery Exploding Rocket
- Tech CEOs flock to Trump’s inauguration (So much for the tech industry being the “good guys” in any way…)
- Fetterman was elected to challenge convention. Now, he’s challenging his fellow Democrats (Unfortunately, Fetterman is challening them in really destructive, stupid ways.)
- Giuliani Keeps His Home in Settlement of Defamation Case
- Rudy Giuliani avoids trial by settling with Georgia election workers he defamed
- Martin tears into Wikler as DNC chair’s race heats up (“Wikler largely ignored Martin’s jabs. But their relationship appears to have soured considerably from the time when Wikler visited Martin for something of a tutorial when he first began as Wisconsin party chair.”)
- Indicted Democrat Eric Adams to meet Trump — who could pardon him — in Mar-a-Lago (Two slimeballs.)
- Eric Adams Heads to Mar-a-Lago to Meet With Trump
- David Lynch Saw the Nightmare Beneath the American Dream (“His work could be weird, disturbing, nonlinear, even perverse. In life, he was almost comically old-fashioned. But there’s a method to the madness, and deep meaning to be discovered in the confusion he so expertly sowed.”)
- Donald Trump vows to help ‘troubled’ Hollywood with Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone
- She helped launch the Women’s March. This year she’s sitting out the fight.
- Far-right state senator arrested for trying to enter the Georgia House
- The Washington Post’s New Mission: Reach ‘All of America’ (“This week, The Post began trying out a new mission statement: ‘Riveting Storytelling for All of America.'” Embarrassing/cringe-inducing.)
- How Jeff Bezos can stop the bleeding at the Washington Post (What Bezos should do is sell the paper. But he won’t, apparently.)
- Neil Gaiman and the problem of faux feminists (So, so, so disappointing and disgusting.)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says He’ll Go to Trump’s Inauguration, Wants Him to Succeed, Hopes He Ditches “American Carnage” for Optimistic/Unifying View of America (Warner also says he will support John Ratcliffe for CIA Director, says Israel and Hamas need to get the ceasefire deal done, etc.)
- Kaine, Connolly, and Colleagues Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect the Civil Service from Politicization (Excellent legislation, but ZERO chance it will pass the Mike Johnson-led House or be signed into law by Trump.)
- Commentary: Virginia must stand up to Trump on trade
- Parental rights at center of reproductive health debate (“Democrats push constitutional amendment and contraception protections; GOP raises oversight concerns.”)
- Bipartisan group of lawmakers seeks stricter regulation of data centers
- CNU poll: Spanberger up, data centers down (except maybe in Southwest Virginia)
- New Wason Center Virginia Poll: Spanberger Leads Sears by 5 Points (44%-39%); Voters Support Reproductive Freedom Constitutional Amendment by Wide Margin (61%-32%)
- 2H24 Fundraising Totals for Virginia Statewide, Other Offices
- Spanberger and Earle-Sears neck-and-neck in fundraising battle
- Virginia’s emergency response has been hampered by a lack of resources for years. Advocates and lawmakers hope 2025 is the year that will change.
- Youngkin, Democrats clash over scholarships for private schools (“Governor touts $50 million proposal as complement to public education, but Democrats vow to block it.”)
- Republicans are pushing for opportunity scholarships to be used at private schools – Democrats say it would be unconstitutional
- Editorial: Proposed measures give lawmakers a chance to improve public access
- Court: Virginia’s made progress but needs to do more for people with disabilities
- Judge ends 12-year intensive monitoring of Virginia’s intellectual disability programs
- Advocates ask for more help addressing youth mental health
- Pope & Schapiro: Campaigns for governor and for constitutional amendments
- Minimum wage hike clears hurdle in House committee (“Democrats push for $15 hourly rate by 2027 as Republicans and business groups voice strong opposition.”)
- Final charge dropped against fired LCPS superintendent; says Va. AG probe was ‘politically motivated’
- Bird flu identified on Virginia’s Eastern Shore; quarantine in place
- Tom Barbour announces bid to be city’s top prosecutor, promises probes of Balmer, Floyd (“Neither Balmer nor Floyd, to this point, has been charged by Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin. Asked for comment, McEachin said she could not confirm the existence of probes into either.”)
- It’s freezing outside. And many of Richmond’s homeless don’t have a place to go.
- Virginia Beach’s extra Town Center tax is no longer enough to cover spending. What now?
- Person in critical condition after car plunges into Potomac River after crash at Arlington Memorial Bridge
- CWG Live updates: Milder through Saturday before snow on Sunday and an Arctic blast (“Snow is in the forecast Sunday. Monday’s looking brutal for cold and wind.”)
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