by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, January 5.
- Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy reports ‘significant’ Russian, North Korean troop losses in Kursk
- Ukraine launches major new offensive in Russia’s Kursk region
- A Weakened Iran Prepares to Face Trump 2.0
- Cocksure Kim Jong-un is raising the nuclear stakes. Is it time for South Korea to follow suit? (“Under Donald Trump, the US may become an unreliable ally. The case is getting stronger for Seoul to build its own deterrent”)
- ‘The tyrant is gone and the nightmare is done’: Syrian exiles hope for a brighter future (“Syrians who fled Bashar al-Assad’s reign of terror now consider moving home as the country starts a new chapter”)
- US plans $8 billion arms sale to Israel, US official says
- Hamas releases video of Israeli hostage Liri Albag as ceasefire talks resume (“It comes as Israel intensified strikes on Gaza, killing 88 people over the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run health ministry says.”)
- Italy’s Prime Minister Visits Trump in Mar-a-Lago
- Farage refuses to condemn free speech ‘hero’ Musk’s remarks on Jess Phillips (“Reform leader praises billionaire after what health secretary calls ‘a disgraceful smear of a great woman’”)
- South Korea’s presidential security chief defies Yoon arrest bid as deadline looms (“Park Chong-jun cited the legal debate surrounding the arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol as the reason for the lack of cooperation.”)
- Covid and flu rates rise across the US, according to the CDC (“Less than half of Americans planned to get Covid vaccine in 2024, and slightly more than half planned to get flu shot”)
- Severe winter storm puts much of US on high alert
- Trump Sees the U.S. as a ‘Disaster.’ The Numbers Tell a Different Story. (“President Biden is bequeathing his successor a nation that by many measures is in good shape, even if voters remain unconvinced.”)
- Trump’s tax cuts are about to unleash chaos on the Hill. Here’s how. (“Republicans are likely to face deep divisions in assembling a plan before — and after — it hits the floor.”)
- Johnson tells House Republicans that Trump wants one ‘big beautiful’ reconciliation package
- Trump hasn’t taken office yet, but he’s already upended DOJ’s efforts to arrest and prosecute Jan. 6 rioters
- ‘A Day of Love’: How Trump Inverted the Violent History of Jan. 6
- Trump 2.0 Is About Punishing the Vulnerable and Enriching the Mega Wealthy (“Here’s what to take away from Trump’s reversal on H-1B visas — and what his policy approach means for the poor and the uber-wealthy like Elon Musk”)
- Trump is days away from having to confront the kinds of crises he’s long been railing against
- Biden to deliver two major speeches in his final days in office (“The remarks include a foreign policy speech followed by a farewell address, people familiar with the plans told NBC News.”)
- How Trump “Won” (“The Anesthetized Anti-MAGA Majority”)
- 5 races to keep on your radar in early 2025 (“3 special elections kick off in Virginia legislature”)
- President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
- Biden Awards 18 Medals of Freedom, and Delivers One Unmistakable Message (“With a recipient list stocked with old-guard icons and political backers, the president signaled support for the establishment his successor wants to tear down.”)
- Jimmy Carter’s funeral begins by tracing 100 years from rural Georgia to the world stage
- Cartoon of Jeff Bezos That His Paper Axed Goes Viral
- The Militia and the Mole (“He penetrated a new generation of militia leaders, which included doctors and government attorneys. Experts say that militias could have a renaissance under Donald Trump.”)
- After bruising election loss, what next for Kamala Harris?
- New York becomes first US city with congestion charge
- Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) Sworn In on Bhagavad Gita as First Indian-American and First South Asian Congressman From Virginia
- Editorial: Data centers benefit Virginia, but supporting them requires better planning (“The General Assembly can act to preserve the benefits of data center growth in Virginia while minimizing some of the negative effects.”)
- Affordable housing top of mind for Katrina Callsen as she runs for reelection
- Roanoke fatal shootings back to pre-pandemic levels as prevention efforts continue
- Winter storm expected to deliver messy mix Sunday and Monday (“Freezing rain, sleet and snow are expected over most of Virginia, with generally more snow to the north and more ice to the south.”)
- CWG Live: Winter storm warning tonight and tomorrow, then a frigid week ahead
********************************************************