by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, April 1. THe best/most-creative headline of the day goes to David Rothkopf’s “Putting Descartes Before the Whores,” in which he argues, “Autocrats seek homogeneity…and regularly, as we have seen in our country recently, they do so under the guise of doing just the opposite…From Hitler to Stalin to Mao, from Putin to Orban to Erdogan to Modi to Netanyahu to Millei to Trump, that is why despots and dictators have conducted massive wars on knowledge and truth. To create the only environment in which their lies and twisted truths could be embraced, they have attacked the very well-springs of knowledge and independent thinking in their societies—the press, schools and universities, scientific innovators, artists, independent jurists, dissenting domestic political and philosophical voices.”
- Big Banks Quietly Prepare for Catastrophic Warming
- ‘The ice is not freezing as it should’: supply roads to Canada’s Indigenous communities under threat from climate crisis
- Weather tracker: Arctic winter sea ice at record low in 2025, scientists say (“Annual peak is lowest on record, covering 5.53m sq miles – about 30,000 sq miles below the previous low in 2017”)
- Trump Wants to Convince the World That Climate Change Is a Good Thing (Americans narrowly elected a completely ignorant sociopath.)
- Open Source Genetic Database Shuts Down to Protect Users From ‘Authoritarian Governments’
- A Kremlin official says Russia sees efforts to end Ukraine war as a drawn-out process
- In Lithuania, 3 US soldiers found dead in an armored vehicle. 1 is still missing.
- A Trump-Putin alliance, for all to see (“This is the first U.S. administration in modern times to openly side with dictatorship over democracy.”)
- ‘Friends forever, never enemies’, Chinese foreign minister tells Russia (Charming.)
- China launches surprise military drills around Taiwan
- China launches military drills around Taiwan, calls its president a ‘parasite’
- After devastating earthquake in Myanmar, China filling vacuum left by USAID’s absence (Trashing USAID has had disastrous consequences, both humanitarian and also for U.S. influence around the world. Just an unmitigated DISASTER.)
- Survivors still being found from Myanmar earthquake, but hopes begin to fade as deaths exceed 2,700
- China, Japan, South Korea will jointly respond to US tariffs, Chinese state media says
- Israel killed 15 Palestinian paramedics and rescue workers one by one, says UN (If so, that’s a horrific war crime.)
- Europe Turns a Blind Eye to Erdogan’s Crackdown Because It Needs Turkey
- Le Pen’s right-wing European allies condemn court verdict as threat to democracy (The far right really hates the rule of law.)
- The standard-bearer of France’s far right, disgraced but dangerous
- Tesla Extends European Slump With 37% Sales Drop in France
- Zuckerberg Tries to Enlist Trump in Fight Against Meta EU Ruling
- Trump is plotting the biggest tax rise in global history
- Large majority of Europeans support retaliatory tariffs against US, poll finds
- European Union Issues Blunt Warning On Eve Of Trump’s Tariff ‘Liberation Day’
- Trump Says He Settled on ‘Liberation Day’ Tariff Plan, but Doesn’t Reveal It
- The world and Wall Street wait on edge for Trump’s big show on tariffs
- Trump’s Tariffs Set to Make History and Break a System MAGA Loathes (“His plans have sparked fears of a US recession and a global slowdown, as well as the end of a post-war order.”)
- Lord, liberate us from Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’
- Something worse could be coming for the economy than a recession
- U.S. Has Spent $40 Million to Jail About 400 Migrants at Guantánamo
- Trump administration concedes Maryland father from El Salvador was mistakenly deported and sent to mega prison (WELL THEN GET HIM BACK NOW!)
- An ‘Administrative Error’ Sends a Maryland Father to a Salvadoran Prison (“The Trump administration says it mistakenly deported an immigrant with protected status but that courts are powerless to order his return.” Of COURSE they’re not powerless – just tell Bukele to send him back!)
- Trump administration deports more alleged gang members to El Salvador (Key word: ALLEGED. They’ve already made multiple mistakes, this is exactly why we must have due process!)
- Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Bid to End Deportation Protections for Venezuelans
- Immigrant removals continue slide under Trump, new data show
- The Makeup Artist Donald Trump Deported Under the Alien Enemies Act (“The President has invoked the law to send Venezuelans to prison in El Salvador without due process—and, in many cases, under false pretenses.”)
- Green card holders and travelers are caught in Trump’s immigration crackdown (“A lawful permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. for 50 years was detained because of a decades-old conviction amid tougher immigration enforcement at airports and border crossings.” That’s INSANE!)
- Stocks Mark Worst Month in Years as Trump’s Tariffs Loom
- The American consumer is on the ropes. Tariffs — and anxiety — could deliver the knockout blow
- Author of an Atlantic Coast Pipeline history warns the nation will see another gold rush for gas
- Musk’s Doge gains access to federal payroll system despite staff warnings (“Officials said accessing system that processes 276,000 employees’ salaries could put unit at risk of cyber-attacks”)
- RFK Jr.’s layoffs expected to gut worker safety agency NIOSH, officials say
- Internal fallout at HHS delays 10,000 firings
- No Toilet Paper, No Privacy: Returning to Offices, Federal Workers Find Chaos
- Taking Aim at Smithsonian, Trump Wades Into Race and Biology (Weak, sanitized headline as the NY Times, as usual. Such cowards.)
- The White House says it’s ‘case closed’ on the Signal group chat review (The media simply can’t maintain its focus on a major scandal – if it’s in a *Republican* administration. If it were Kamala Harris or Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden or Barack Obama, they’d NEVER stop talking about it.)
- Why Major Law Firms Surrendered to Trump so Quickly
- Nonprofit groups and Democrats sue Trump administration over election executive order
- Democrats Sue to Block Trump Bid to Control Elections
- How to Save a Democracy (“Americans Can Learn From Opponents of Authoritarianism Elsewhere”)
- Video: UVA Prof. Larry Sabato Says We “Need to Take [Trump] Seriously” Regarding His Threat to Seek a Third Term (On Trump’s tariffs, Sabato argues that “the payoff may be for Democrats” politically. On the WI Supreme Court election, Sabato says “WI is “the fulcrum state. It’s the key swing state”)
- Don’t Laugh Off Trump’s Talk About a Third Term
- Republican leaders in Congress downplay Trump’s talk of a third term as president
- The Fascism Expert at Yale Who’s Fleeing America (“Philosophy professor Jason Stanley is leaving the US for Canada, “the Ukraine of North America,” because he believes Trump’s America is “pretty far along” in the grips of fascism.”)
- The Right Wing’s New Plot to Force the Ten Commandments on Schoolkids
- Top Officials Placed on Leave After Denying DOGE Access to Federal Payroll Systems
- DOGE Is Trying to Gift Itself a $500 Million Building, Court Filings Show
- Trump task force to review Harvard’s funding after Columbia bows to federal demands
- Trump Administration Will Review Billions in Funding for Harvard
- What Democrats Can Learn From Bernie’s Cathartic Rallies (“He may not be the future of the party, but his lucid messaging style should be.”)
- Inside Cory Booker’s Plan To Disrupt ‘Business As Usual’ On The Senate Floor
- Live: Speaking on Trump, Musk, and America’s Moral Moment on the Senate Floor | Senator Cory Booker
- Tight Florida congressional contest enters final days, race draws national attention
- Republicans fear Florida election upset could threaten Trump’s agenda
- Democrats’ Message in Wisconsin Supreme Court Race: Reject Elon Musk (“‘If Musk succeeds in buying the Wisconsin Supreme Court,’ Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler tells Vanity Fair, ‘then he’s going to bring exactly these same obscene tactics and ludicrous quantities of money to every future race.'”)
- Elon Musk Pays Voters, Pours Cash Into $82 Million Wisconsin Race
- Musk Is Still Paying for Political Influence (“Wisconsin’s contentious state-supreme-court election will put his theory of power to the test.”)
- Wisconsin court election poses key test for Musk as kingmaker
- Wisconsin and Florida voters head to polls in test of Trump’s popularity
- The Pragmatic And Moral Case To Sell Your Tesla
- Kid Rock Demeans the Oval Office With Bizarre Outfit
- The Proud Boys and Militias Come to Tesla’s Defense
- Louisiana voters reject constitutional amendments championed by Republican governor
- The Louisiana Governor Fought for New MAGA-Friendly Amendments—and All Four Lost
- Republican Operative Nicholas Jacobs Locks Twitter After Elon Musk Check Controversy
- Trump’s Pick for Top D.C. Prosecutor Faces Calls for Confirmation Hearing
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says He Was Talking Saturday in Norfolk/VA Beach Area with Friends/Family of Aircraft Carrier Truman Members, “their anger level was so high” Over Signal Leak; “This is a crazy foreign policy”
- Video: Abigail Spanberger Says Winsome Earle-Sears “thinks thousands of Virginians being fired from their jobs isn’t a big deal. That’s not leadership.” (A governor’s “first responsibility is to stand up for Virginians,” but Earle-Sears is more concerned with not “offend[ing] President Trump”)
- With vetoes and destructive amendments, Youngkin acts to deepen Virginia’s energy woes
- Virginia schools face federal scrutiny over parental rights laws
- The governor’s amendments will likely take center stage for this week’s reconvene session
- Youngkin data center amendment likely pushes issue into 2025 election
- Ghazala Hashmi Campaign “Internal” Poll of the 2025 VA Democratic Lt. Governor Primary Has 46% Undecided; Prior to Bios, It’s Aaron Rouse (15%)-Levar Stoney (15%)-Ghazala Hashmi (13%) (After bios are read, Hashmi jumps to a 28%-22%-19% lead over Stoney and Rouse, respectively)
- Dozens of community projects halted after federal funding was omitted from Congressional stop-gap spending bill (“Congress passed a continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown in mid-March, amid a partisan fight over federal spending. That continuing resolution left out tens of millions of dollars in funding for Southwest and Southside community projects.”)
- State declined to take over troubled Richmond elections office, official says (“Local officials asked the state’s elections department to assume control of Richmond’s elections office after former Registrar Keith Balmer’s resignation, according to Starlet Stevens, who chairs the city’s electoral board.”)
- Jeff’s Notes April 1, 2025: Youngkin’s latest appointment to the UVa board is certain to promote at the university climate change – the right-wing political variety”)
- Voting begins on Richmond’s $3 million People’s Budget
- Editorial: Boosting Wallops Island will pay dividends for coastal Virginia
- CWG Live updates: Considerably cooler through tomorrow, then rebounding warmth
********************************************************
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
