by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, February 23.
- How Trump could be derailing a major global climate report (Trump is pure evil.)
- ‘Viciousness’ of Trump’s climate attacks stuns even his critics (“President Donald Trump has attacked nearly every aspect of the U.S. effort to confront rising temperatures.” Total insanity. Also, ANYONE who denies the climate crisis should be automatically disqualified from receiving a single person’s vote. That’s really all you need to know about the person.)
- 5 questions reveal the true status of the climate fight (“Despite big shifts toward renewable energy, the world still has far to go to give up fossil fuels.” Yep, this is waaaayyy too slow.)
- U.S.A.I.D. Appointees Fire Hundreds Working on Urgent Humanitarian Aid (“The firings added to doubts about whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the agency’s acting head, supports lifesaving humanitarian assistance, as he has said he does.” Rubio is a bad joke.)
- U.K., France Draft Peacekeeping Plan for Ukraine With U.S. Forces as ‘Backstop’
- Could Ukraine keep fighting even without U.S. support? (“Ukraine would face a grim but not impossible task if it chose to fight on without Trump’s backing.”)
- ‘Trump Recruited as Moscow Asset,’ Says Ex-KGB Spy Chief (“I have no doubt that Russia has kompromat on the US President, that over the course of many years the Kremlin has been promoting Trump to the post of President of the main world power.”)
- Editorial: Three years after Russian invasion, Trump moves to betray, plunder Ukraine (“Abandoning Ukraine would send an unmistakable message that the United States no longer defends freedom when it comes under attack.”)
- U.S. pressures Kyiv to replace U.N. resolution condemning Russia
- Trump’s bullshit blitz has Europe on its knees (“For the US president’s cheerleaders, the whitewashing of the deaths of ten of thousands of Ukrainians is a small price to pay for sticking it to the wokerati” SICK!)
- Israel delays release of Palestinian prisoners, citing ‘humiliating’ handovers of hostages
- Hamas says Israel’s claim on hostages’ handover ceremony is pretext to evade its obligations
- IDF carries out airstrikes in southern Lebanon ahead of funeral of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah
- MAGA Has Found a New Model (“The leading figures of the Trump administration have fallen for a far-right party in Germany.”)
- Anti-migrant hate is flourishing in Germany’s ‘time of the cowards’ (“This weekend’s vote will show how far xenophobia has been driving even some traditionally progressive parties”)
- Live updates: Germany votes in an election that could shape Europe’s response to Trump
- Discontented Germany votes in an election with economy, migration and far-right strength in focus
- Far-Right Pushes Germany’s Political System to the Breaking Point (Same here, really.)
- Meloni, Privately Startled by Trump, Avoids Criticism of US
- Pope Francis is in critical condition after long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow
- Pope Francis had ‘restful night’, Vatican says, morning after respiratory crisis
- Cartels Are Business as Usual Despite Trump’s Terror Designations (“Trump’s administration is building up its presence on the Mexico border, apparently prepping a ‘soft invasion’. Cartels are still fighting local battles”)
- North America’s Largest Solar Plant Is Taking Shape. Yep, in Canada. (“Built on otherwise useless land, it may eventually power a city of 65,000 residents.”)
- Alarm as bird flu now ‘endemic in cows’ while Trump cuts staff and funding
- The Roberts court’s first Trump II move: A quick sidestep (“The Supreme Court decides not to decide, for now, about Trump’s firing of a government official.”)
- Trump moves with light speed and brute force in shaking the core of what America has been (Wildly different than the first Trump presidency, just as some of us – raises hand! – warned over and over again prior to the 2024 election!)
- The Mafia State Takes Over the USA (“I mean every word of this. The USA is now run by gangsters who both want to ally with other gangsters, and are using threats of destruction and violence to get their way.”)
- The Great Resegregation (“The Trump administration’s attacks on DEI are aimed at reversing the civil-rights movement.”)
- Musk tells US federal workers to explain what they achieved last week or be fired (“‘Cruel and disrespectful’ request to employees sparks confusion across key government agencies”)
- DOGE’s Musk says federal employees must document their work or resign
- Feds must answer email on what they did last week — or lose jobs, Musk says
- Elon Musk Just Spammed the Entire Federal Workforce
- Elon Musk Threatens FBI Agents and Air Traffic Controllers With Forced Resignation If They Don’t Respond to an Email
- Elon Musk Demands All Federal Employees Say ‘What They Got Done Last Week’ Or Be Ousted
- In Trump’s Alternative Reality, Lies and Distortions Drive Change
- Federal Judge to Trump: No, You Can’t Ban DEI
- With Pentagon purge, Trump thrusts military into uncharted territory
- Trump’s Firing of Gen. Charles Q. Brown May Have Roots in George Floyd Protests
- Why Civ-Mil People Are Freaking Out?
- In Pursuit of a ‘Warrior Ethos,’ Hegseth Targets Military’s Top Lawyers (What a bizarre headline – the NY Times accepts the Trump administration’s total b.s. and just regurgitates it. The US political media is just pathetic.)
- FBI Director Kash Patel to be named ATF chief
- Kash Patel’s Enemies List (“The FBI is bracing for payback under Trump ultraloyalist Kash Patel.”)
- CDC Shutters PRAMS Program on Maternal and Infant Health
- Federal prisons prep to move trans inmates as early as next week
- The Incredible Disappearing Republican Lawmaker (“The GOP’s total withdrawal from governing is nearly complete, and they’re increasingly determined to push the entire legislative branch into functional irrelevance.”)
- Trump gets middling grades on Americans’ top issues, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds (“32% approve of Trump’s performance on prices”; “Just 25% of respondents — and only half of Republicans — said they supported Trump’s idea of having the U.S. government take over Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere”; only 30% support renaming the Gulf of Mexico; 53% oppose Musk’s DOGE…)
- CPAC 2025: Conservative Elites Celebrate Trump as America Self-Immolates
- Trump Tells CPAC His Goal Is a ‘Lasting’ Republican Majority
- Party of one: Donald Trump’s 75 minutes at CPAC talking about himself (“Contemptuous and sure of himself, the US president boasted of his victories and taunted his enemies”)
- Fact check: Trump lies at CPAC about the 2024 election he won (“Trump made various other false claims at CPAC, most of which have been debunked before.” Trump just lies and lies and lies some more.)
- Congress ignores looming shutdown to focus on tax cuts, agency layoffs
- Musk’s cost-cutting team is laying off workers at the auto safety agency overseeing his car company
- As Trump pursues his policies, Democratic states block his path (We COULD have had Mark Herring as one of the Democratic Attorneys General fighting back against Trump, but instead Virginia voters replaced arguably the best AG in Virginia history with arguably the worst – or second worst after Ken Cuccinelli. Greeeaaaat.)
- Kamala Harris Electrifies Audience at NAACP Image Awards in First TV Appearance Since Leaving Office (“Our power has never come from having an easy path”)
- Melania Trump returns to Washington after four-week absence
- As sales drop, artists weigh canceling Kennedy Center shows in protest (“Ticket sales dropped roughly 50 percent week-over-week after Trump announced his takeover, sources said. Meanwhile, performers are mulling their options. “)
- Measles Outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico Sicken Nearly 100 People (Anti-vaxxers are a menace.)
- As Eric Adams melts down, Andrew Cuomo forges ahead
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) to Acting OPM Director: “The capricious dismissal threatened in Mr. Musk’s post is illegal and cannot be tolerated.” (“This threat is illegal, reckless, and yet another example of the cruel and arbitrary chaos Mr. Musk is inflicting on the people’s government and its dedicated public servants.”)
- Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07) Sends Letter to Trump Demanding Justification for Firing Top Military Leadership, Urges Return to Prioritizing National Security (“Your actions suggest a fear of dissent, yet disagreement is not a weakness—it is essential to national security. Just ask Putin…”)
- Video: First Meeting of Virginia “Emergency Committee” on Federal Workforce/Funding Cuts Finds a “Palpable Sense of Anxiety” Among Localities; Potential for Economic Hit Even Worse than During the “Height of COVID”
- As Trump cuts federal jobs, Virginia lawmakers race to respond
- Va. lawmakers pass budget, but worry spending plan could change under Trump
- “Today, the General Assembly passed a budget that makes clear Democrats’ dedication to delivering for all Virginians.” (As for Glenn Youngkin, so far he’s doing NOTHING to protect Virginia and Virginians against Trump’s assault on our Commonwwealth…)
- As the 2025 legislative session comes to a close, questions remain regarding federal cuts (“An early analysis of spending during fiscal year 2024 showed that about one-third of state spending is supported by federal funding.”)
- General Assembly gavels out – maybe not for long
- General Assembly delivers bipartisan budget overhaul
- Virginia lawmakers wrap short session, 380 bills heading to governor’s desk
- How bills fared in the General Assembly
- General Assembly passes budget amendments on the last day of session (“The budget amendment bill will now head to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desk. The governor has line-item veto authority and 30 days to take action on the budget and the litany of bills heading to his desk.”)
- Commentary: With LGBTQ people under attack, Virginia can stand for joy, equality
- Virginia legislators pass bill to cut out health care middlemen, reduce pharmacy deserts
- Schapiro: Assembly gives in to election-year dissembling (I read the article and am not really sure what “election-year dissembling” Schapiro is talking about. Very odd.)
- Those at Roanoke rally hold onto hope for freedom, peace in Ukraine
- VMI weighs renewing superintendent’s contract — and for how long
- ‘This community is hurting’: Virginia Beach police identify 2 officers killed after traffic stop for expired plate (“Cameron Girvin, 25, and Christopher Reese, 30, were working the midnight traffic patrol late Friday night.” Ugh, horrible.)
- CWG Live updates: Sunny and seasonable today, then a taste of spring this week (“Temperatures could reach 50 today and near 60 multiple times this week.”)
