by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 20. Definitely check out James Fallows’ superb piece, Where Do We Stand: A ‘Correlation of Forces’ Assessment, asking the question: “What could stop Trump, if he decided to keep on going? My first pass is to think of these in six categories” (e.g., there are no internal or external “brakes” with Trump or the Executive Branch…)
- A U.S. Retreat in the War of Ideas (“Trump shuts down networks that help evade dictatorship firewalls.”)
- Trump Officials Circulate Plan That Would Overhaul USAID
- A Ceasefire Wont End The War, Only Change It (“The Goal For Russia Would Remain The Same”)
- Trump-Musk Scandal on Ukrainian Kids Stolen by Russia Just Got Darker (“CNN reports that the State Department is now confirming cancellation of the contract tracking abducted Ukrainian kids, claiming it’s not in U.S. interests. “)
- Exclusive: US suspends some efforts to counter Russian sabotage as Trump moves closer to Putin
- Trump proposes US ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear plants
- Military leaders to discuss peacekeeping force for Ukraine as partial ceasefire plans are worked out
- Zelenskiy Backs Ceasefire on Energy in Friendly Trump Call (Faux-“friendly” at best.)
- After Trump calls with Putin and Zelensky fall short of full ceasefire, White House looks ahead to next meetings in Saudi Arabia
- Trump ignores Putin’s intransigence and plows ahead with Ukraine war diplomacy
- Exclusive: Intelligence shared with White House shows Ukrainians not ‘encircled’ in Kursk
- If Trump wants to end the wars, he must pressure Putin and Netanyahu (No chance of that happening.)
- Europe Hatches Plans for Ukraine Peacekeepers Without U.S. Involvement
- Europe doesn’t need Trump to form a western alliance – and one is already taking shape
- EU slams the door on US in colossal defense plan
- Europe looks to poach US researchers as Trump cuts funding
- Hold the Obituary: Europe Comes to Life as U.S. Stumbles
- Germany warns its travelers of tougher U.S. immigration enforcement
- Menaced by Trump, Canada Prepares to Join E.U. Military Industry Buildup
- Carney Set to Call Canada Snap Election for April 28, Globe Says
- War-Torn Congo Has a Deal for Trump: Kick Out Rebels, Get Minerals
- Trump Says Houthis in Yemen Will Be ‘Annihilated,’ as U.S. Keeps Up Strikes
- Israeli strikes across Gaza hit multiple homes, killing at least 58 Palestinians, medics say
- French scientist denied US entry after phone messages critical of Trump found
- Trump is seeking to deport another academic who is legally in the country, lawsuit says (“Badar Khan Suri, a fellow at Georgetown, says he is being punished because of the suspected views of his wife, a U.S. citizen with Palestinian heritage.” Again, whether or not you agree with someone’s views, loathe them or whatever, they have a right to express them under the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution. Period.)
- Georgetown University researcher detained by immigration authorities, lawyer says (“Indian national Badar Khan Suri was detained outside his Virginia home for spreading ‘Hamas propaganda,’ DHS said. His lawyer said he was innocent.”)
- Immigrant rights activist’s arrest marks big shift in enforcement
- Trump team makes plans for military to hold migrants at border
- Stephen Miller Has a Plan (“The White House point person on immigration is pursuing a strategy that is bedeviling his opponents and could provoke a constitutional crisis.”)
- ‘He is innocent’: family of deported Venezuelan rebukes Trump claims (“Brother of Francisco Javier García Casique spotted him in a video showing scores of Venezuelan prisoners being taken to notorious El Salvador prison”)
- Trump’s Latest Tariff Stunt May Be His Most Deranged Yet (“The president’s trade war frenzy continues, now framed as liberation—only without the nylons and cigarettes.”)
- Powell Downplays Growing Risks, Sees Tariff Impact as Transitory (That’s stupid.)
- Key takeaways from the Fed’s decision to hold interest rates steady amid Trump’s tariff chaos
- Stagflation? Fed sees higher inflation and an economy growing by less than 2% this year
- Fed Projections See an Economy Dramatically Reset by Trump’s Election (“The latest forecasts point to the prospect that Trump’s tariffs will send up prices while sapping investment, sentiment and growth, at least in the short run.”)
- In Other Kennedy News, RFK Jr. Wants to Let Bird Flu … Spread?!
- Jury Orders Greenpeace to Pay Pipeline Company More Than $660 Million (That’s absurd.)
- Trump Administration Now Attacking Judge’s Wife (Evil.)
- BREAKING: DOGE Strong-Armed USIP Security Contractors to Switch Sides (“Each time we hear more about the unfolding situation with the takeover of the U.S. Institute of Peace, the story gets darker and involves greater abuses of power.”)
- A new Supreme Court case seeks to revive one of the most dangerous ideas from the Great Depression (“FCC v. Consumers’ Research could turn SCOTUS into DOGE on steroids.”)
- Can the Supreme Court defuse Trump’s judicial brawl?
- How Trump Is Trying to Consolidate Power Over Courts, Congress and More
- Tom Friedman: Trump Is a ‘Small Man in a Big Time’
- Exclusive: Trump to sign order Thursday aimed at eliminating Education Department (That’s completely illegal and unconstitutional.)
- US universities face choice to surrender or fight back against Trump’s takeover (“‘Extraordinary fear’ takes hold at universities as Trump campaign threatens investigations or loss of federal funds”)
- Massive purge of Pentagon websites includes content on Holocaust remembrance, sexual assault and suicide prevention (This is just vandalism.)
- Justice department removes disability guidelines for US businesses
- Trump-appointed prosecutor’s office drops assault case against Enrique Tarrio
- USDA halts millions of dollars worth of deliveries to food banks
- Scoop: Schumer faces growing House Dem calls to step down (The problem is that Schumer simply doesn’t comprehend the situation we’re in, how it can be dealt with, etc.)
- 4 more progressive groups pressure Schumer to ‘stand up’ or resign as leader
- Murkowski says her colleagues are ‘afraid’ of Trump and Musk: ‘I’m not going to compromise my own integrity’ (If they aren’t willing to do their jobs, for whatever reasons, maybe these Republican Senators should resign? switch parties?)
- Trump is trying to crush the arts – and he’s starting with the Kennedy Center
- Musk Donates to G.O.P. Members of Congress Who Support Impeaching Judges
- “They basically want to kill me”: GOP efforts to turn Musk into a MAGA martyr are backfiring (“Even conservatives can’t muster pity for a whining billionaire coming for Granny’s Social Security”)
- Elon Musk says he’s shocked at the level of Tesla hate and vandalism happening: ‘I’ve never done anything harmful’ (In fact, Musk has done a HUGE amount of damage, TONS of extremely harmful things, including “DOGE” obviously, which has been an unmitigated DISASTER to America.)
- Tesla’s challenges run deeper than ‘toxic’ controversy around Elon Musk
- Tim Walz Attacks Musk With Language From the Trump Playbook (According to the NY Times, when a Democrat says actual facts about a right winger, it’s “attacking” them with “language from the Trump playbook.” Badly broken newspaper and news media model.)
- Tesla (TSLA) accounting raises red flags as report shows $1.4 billion missing
- Social Security numbers and other private information unmasked in JFK files (WILDLY irresponsible!)
- JFK’s Grandson Jack Slams Assassination Document Drop, Says Trump Only Cares About JFK “Carcass”
- Columbia Is Nearing Agreement to Give Trump What He Wants (UGH.)
- Gavin Newsom’s podcast has featured Steve Bannon and Charlie Kirk. Is this the way to the White House? (NO – absolutely no Democrat should ever support Newsom again!)
- Kaine: Trump, Musk waging ‘war on veterans’ with hiring freeze and planned layoffs
- Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) to Acting Administrator of “DOGE” Amy Gleason: “The first step to ending this ethics crisis is for DOGE to step out of the shadows and reveal its operations to the American people.” (“The culture of corruption at DOGE starts at the top. “)
- 2025 VA GOP Governor Candidate Dave LaRock Rants That “CRT/DEI/SEI Are Still Thriving in Virginia,” Despite Glenn Youngkin Claiming to Have Ended Those on Day #1 of His Administration in January 2022 (“CRT,” of course, was never taught in Virginia’s K-12 public schools)
- Video: 2025 VA GOP Gubernatorial Candidate, Former Del. Dave LaRock Calls Winsome Earle-Sears “Unelectable”
- Winsome Earle-Sears claps back after challenger claims she’s ‘rendered herself unelectable’ (She didn’t really “clap back,” she just lied about Abigail Spanberger supposedly supporting “radical, leftist policies.” A real newspaper, unlike the “Washington Examiner,” would point out that Earle-Sears’ campaign is wildly LYING.)
- Video: In Charlottesville, Senator Hashmi and Local Leaders Urge Governor Youngkin to Sign the Virginia Right to Contraception Act (“We are here because there is no right that is safe in this second Trump term, including the right to contraception”)
- Do unemployment numbers point to trouble for Virginia’s economy?
- Youngkin kicks off his action on 2025 session bills with an emphasis on Virginia’s economy (This headline is stenography, as is the framing.)
- Youngkin signs slate of 180 bills, including pro-business legislation, meant to help Virginia ‘compete to win’ (These are overwhelmingly noncontroversial bills that mostly passed unanimously. Why frame it as some sort of pro-business victory for Youngkin? Because that’s our media!)
- In the face of federal cuts, Youngkin highlights strong state economy while starting action on bills (The economy is strong thanks to the national economic recovery under President Biden – it has NOTHING to do with Youngkin. And now, the national economy is at serious risk thanks to Trump’s insanity.)
- To see a recent win for democracy, look no further than Virginia. But the work must continue. (These bills are fine, but they barely scratch the surface…)
- Federal judge orders reinstatement of funding for VCU teacher program
- Editorial: Short-term, long-term solutions help Virginians reduce their power bills
- After forced pause, Va. schools resume Armed Services assessment testing
- Commentary: Gutting the Department of Education will devastate Henrico families
- Henrico School Board backtracks on high school boundary changes
- Mayor calls casino groundbreaking the first step to ‘stronger, brighter Petersburg’ (That’s very questionable.)
- Williams: Dr. William Ferguson Reid, at 100, is a hero for our times (Happy 100th to a man who made history!)
- CWG Live updates: Mild with afternoon showers on spring’s opening day (“It turns blustery and cooler tomorrow.”)
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