by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, February 15.
- Extreme weather expected to cause food price volatility in 2025 after cost of cocoa and coffee doubles (And America actually elected a CLIMATE SCIENCER DENIER as president, as well as a Congress full of these people! So, so, so f’ed up.)
- Scientists have a new explanation for the last two years of record heat (“Rising temperatures are fueled, in part, by declining cloud cover — which could be a potential climate feedback loop.”)
- Republicans struggle with unified response to Trump’s plan for Ukraine peace talks
- Zelensky calls for creation of ‘European army’ as he warns Russia ‘is not preparing for dialogue’
- Zelensky Says Ukraine Is Unlikely to Survive Its War Without U.S. Support
- Zelensky warns that Trump meeting Putin first would be ‘dangerous’ (Ukraine needs its nuclear weapons back.)
- Russia is relishing a series of contradictory White House messages on Ukraine (No doubt, Russia is LOVING this!)
- Without Europe a Russia-Ukraine peace deal wouldn’t work, EU foreign policy chief says
- Russia detains another US citizen on drugs charges days after swap, reports say
- A New Spy Unit Is Leading Russia’s Shadow War Against the West
- Zelenskyy says time has come for the creation of ‘armed forces of Europe’ (Agreed 100%. DO IT NOW.)
- Trump asks Zelenskyy for half of Ukraine’s rare earths: NBC News
- Zelenskyy: ‘Very difficult’ for Ukraine to survive without U.S. military support (Among the many reasons that electing Trump was always going to be an unmitigated disaster, this is high on the list.)
- Vance uses half-truths to lecture a European audience well aware of the threat of authoritarian rule (And by “half-truths,” CNN means LIES but won’t just say that.)
- Vance’s blast at Europe ignores Ukraine and defence agenda (Vance is a fascist for sure.)
- JD Vance stuns Munich conference with blistering attack on Europe’s leaders (Totally f’ed up.)
- JD Vance attacks Europe over migration, free speech (Utter disgrace to our nation.)
- JD Vance breaks taboo by meeting with leader of Germany’s far-right party
- German Chancellor Rebukes Vance for Supporting Party That Downplays Nazis
- Hamas frees 3 hostages, Israel releases hundreds of prisoners as fragile ceasefire holds
- In Israel, dread and rage haunt the streets. Netanyahu is exploiting that (“When I visited Israel this week, it seemed time had stood still since 7 October. I saw pain and grief, but little sign of hope”)
- Hamas Takes a Swipe at Trump’s Gaza Plan During Hostage Release (“Three men including the last living American-Israeli civilian held in Gaza were freed in a propaganda-tinged event that was calmer than many previous releases.”)
- The Erasing of American Science (“How far can the Trump administration bend U.S. research before it breaks?” Disastrous.)
- Trump Will Withhold Money From Schools That Require Covid Vaccines (More insanity.)
- CDC cuts expected to devastate Epidemic Intelligence Service, a ‘crown jewel’ of public health (Bonkers – and extremely dangerous. People, quite possibly a LOT of people, are going to die because of insanity like this.)
- Musk’s takeover of US health agencies raises pandemic threat, experts warn
- Trump officials signal potential changes at NOAA, the weather and climate agency
- A ‘recipe for extinction’: can the US’s envied nature protections survive Trump and his ‘God squad’? (“A ‘recipe for extinction’: can the US’s envied nature protections survive Trump and his ‘God squad’?
Fears grow for endangered species as the US president sets about dismantling basic laws to protect them to make way for oil and gas drilling”) - Leaked emails show the nation’s leading wildlife agency has halted critical funding for conservation (“Exclusive: The US Fish and Wildlife Service has frozen millions of dollars, imperiling animals abroad.” UGH!)
- Judge temporarily blocks mass terminations at Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Danielle Sassoon’s American Bravery (“A conservative prosecutor in New York makes the first bold move against Donald Trump’s rampaging Presidency.”)
- A prosecutor stands to defend justice (“Danielle Sassoon and her colleagues opposed dropping corruption charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams.”)
- A dangerous, damaging civil war at the Justice Department
- The Memo: Firestorm grows over Trump DOJ’s deal to drop charges against Eric Adams
- Trump’s DOJ is at war with its own prosecutors
- Justice officials move to drop Adams case after 7 lawyers refuse, resign in protest (Wildly corrupt!)
- Federal prosecutor will sign motion to dismiss Adams charges in bid to save colleagues’ jobs, sources say
- Who is Danielle Sassoon, the US attorney who resigned rather than drop charges against Eric Adams?
- A Blatant Violation of Legal Ethics (“DOJ lawyers pride themselves on working for an organization that is unique among federal agencies in its independence from politics—for now.”)
- AP reporter and photographer barred from Air Force One over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ terminology dispute (Every other serious media outlet should walk out in solidarity with AP. If they don’t, then they’re simply not serious media outlets.)
- This is a perfectly fine hill for the AP to die on (Same with the NY Times, WaPo, CBS News, ABC News, NBC News, Reuters, CNN, PBS, NPR, etc, etc.)
- Trump, sensing a lack of solidarity, pushes the press down a slippery slope (“Donald Trump demands the Associated Press bend a knee — while the rest of the media falls back”)
- Donald Trump’s AP Ban Puts the Media in a Bind (“The president’s decision to block the outlet’s Oval Office access, which could have a chilling effect on the press corps, is actually a crucial moment for it to show solidarity and resolve.”)
- Trump’s A.G. Just Did Something So Corrupt She Should Be Fired Already (“Note to right-wing ‘media’ and all you fantasists who believe them: This is what judicial sleaze actually looks like.”)
- Trump-Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Unnerving Turn With Vile Leaked Memo (“Can Trump and his top advisers really just act with total impunity? Or is there, just maybe, a price to be paid for starving poor people and un-indicting a corrupt mayor?”)
- Trump’s federal firings imperil government services from cities to farm towns (“The removal of thousands of federal workers could have a swift and severe impact on public services, staffers warned Friday. Workers said basic functions at many agencies are slowing almost immediately and could break down as critical colleagues are shown the door.”)
- Trump’s cuts hit red states, triggering GOP pushback
- Inside The ‘Bizarre’ Meeting Where DOGE Requested ‘Extensive System Access’ At IRS
- Layoffs to hit IRS as DOGE targets tax collections (More severe damage to our country.)
- Elon Musk’s DOGE Posts Classified Data On Its New Website (That’s a major crime, right???)
- Dismissed Nuclear Bomb Specialists Recalled by Energy Department (This whole situation is completely insane – thanks to Trump and Musk!)
- Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say
- Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee the country’s weapons stockpile, sources say (The illegal, unconstitutional “DOGE” effort is most definitely harming our nation and quite possibly putting us all at serious risk of disaster.)
- The Democrats Have More Power Than They Realize. Here’s How to Use It. (“They can’t just wait for Trump’s screw-ups to bring him down.”)
- The federal tech workers facing down DOGE
- They’re not just suing to stop DOGE. They’re suing Elon Musk himself. (“A pair of lawsuits say that, with all the power he has accumulated, Musk is violating the Constitution’s rules about the appointment of federal officers.”)
- Anger, chaos and confusion take hold as federal workers face mass layoffs
- Trump and Musk’s Valentine’s Day Massacre of Military Veterans
- National Archives Head Resigns as Trump Takes Control of Records
- Seeking a Mar-a-Lago Vibe, Trump Considers Paving Over Grass in Rose Garden
- Naval Academy faculty told to avoid ‘divisive concepts’ like ‘systemic racism’ (The systemic racism itself is what’s “divisive” – and extremely damaging! – not the discussion or teaching about systemic racism!)
- Echoing right-wing media, Trump education nominee Linda McMahon casts doubt on legality of Black history courses (Truly evil.)
- Trump Admin Adds Note Rejecting ‘Gender Ideology’ on Sites Court Ordered Them to Restore
- Video: Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Says “Vice President Vance’s presentation in Munich today was one of the most embarrassing moments I’ve ever seen from an American official- equal parts ignorant and condescending”
- Democrat knocks Vance for ‘lecturing’ European allies over ‘political tolerance’
- Audio: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) Holds Telephone Town Hall with 10,000 Concerned Citizens, Says “We have seen an unprecedented attempt to really take away powers of Congress.” (One caller asks if Trump, Musk etc. could “rescind the Emancipation Proclamation and reenact slavery”)
- Virginia hospitals caught in political crossfire over transgender healthcare
- A Virginia Delegate delivered a baby girl. Political leaders gave her the option to vote remote. (“Del. Destiny LeVere Bolling became the first woman in Virginia allowed by political leaders to vote remotely after she delivered her child last week.”)
- Legislators request JLARC study last four years of Va. book removals
- Virginia Democrats pushing abortion, gay marriage, voting rights measures
- Virginia House Republican admits most Virginians support abortion rights before voting against them
- GOP think tank that tried to stop VA offshore wind now says ‘go ahead’ (“The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy said canceling America’s biggest offshore wind project under construction no longer makes economic sense.”)
- The Future of Property Values and Power in Virginia’s Loudoun County and ‘Data Center Alley’ (“Land prices and assessments continue to rise. Will consumers be interested in allowing future development as it impacts their property assessment? Meanwhile, Virginia’s largest utility provider Dominion Energy is expanding its data center capacity to 40 GW.”)
- Data Center Revenue Contributes To Tax Rate Cuts In Latest Loudoun County Budget Proposal (“A jump in data center revenue allowed for lower real estate tax and car tax rates in County Administrator Tim Hemstreet’s budget proposal.”)
- Avula backs regional water cooperation and says communications during outage not a concern
- UVa to resume transgender care; VCU waiting to respond
- CWG Live updates: Brief wintry mix to rain today through Sunday; snow likely midweek
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