by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, May 16.
- Fifteen Years After Largest U.S. Offshore Oil Spill, Researchers Reveal Most-Polluting Rigs (“Satellite imagery shows the worst sites worldwide for oil slicks and methane emissions. Report authors expect pollution will only increase as the Trump administration opens more waters to drilling.”)
- Exclusive: US aid cuts leave food for millions mouldering in storage (“These food rations could feed over a million people for three months, or the entire population of Gaza for a month and a half, according to a Reuters analysis.”)
- Russia and Ukraine to hold their first direct peace talks in 3 years amid low expectations
- Trump wants to meet Putin ‘as soon as we can’, as Ukraine-Russia talks to take place (This will be a DISASTER.)
- Ukraine accuses Russia of undermining peace talks with new demands
- Trump Says US Will Set Tariff Rates for Other Nations in Weeks
- Why Did Grok Start Talking About ‘White Genocide’? (“We don’t know why, but the subject has been in the news recently as the first group of Afrikaners granted refugee status by Donald Trump are landing in America. Musk is from South Africa and has accused a ‘major political party’ in the country of ‘actively promoting white genocide.'” That is, of course, a WILD lie.)
- The Day Grok Told Everyone about ‘White Genocide’
- Musk’s xAI says Grok’s ‘white genocide’ posts resulted from change that violated ‘core values’
- How false “white genocide” claims became central to Trump’s view of South Africa
- White Afrikaner brought to US by Trump administration has history of antisemitic posts (“Charl Kleinhaus confirms he owns account that contained posts, as White House uses antisemitism as rationale for deportations” So are they going to deport this asshole?)
- Is Britain really inching back towards the EU? (Let’s hope.)
- Exclusive: India weighs plan to slash Pakistan water supply with new Indus river project
- Trump Is Doing a Good Job of Making Biden Look Bad (“The president’s Middle East romp is defying the rules at every turn. If only his predecessor had shown the same courage.” Biden was cautious to a fault, no doubt. For instance, on Ukraine, the US should have been a LOT more aggressive in giving Ukraine the weapons it needs to WIN.)
- Trump administration live updates: President Trump signs huge AI deal before heading home
- Live updates: Trump wraps Mideast tour as Gaza is hit with more strikes
- Opulence, business deals and a $400M plane from Qatar: Takeaways from Trump’s Mideast tour
- The Mideast Is Donald Trump’s Safe Place (“On the “free” airplane from Qatar, and an American President with a self-interested foreign policy a sheikh could admire.”)
- He Calls Them Handsome, Attractive, Tough: Trump’s Bromance With Arab Leaders (“The president has used a trip to the Middle East to strengthen ties with the Arab world”)
- At least 50 people reported killed as Palestinians say Israel launches attacks in north Gaza
- ‘Now my kids have a future’: Syrians dare to dream again after years as a pariah state
- Trump’s reversal on Iran may be his most consequential
- Terrorists Continue to Pay for Check Marks on X, Report Says
- Senate Rejects Democrats’ Bid to Force State Dept. to Report on Rights in El Salvador (“The measure failed on a party-line vote of 45-50. Republicans were unanimously opposed.” Right, so why say “Senate Rejects” when it’s 100% Senate *Republicans* doing the rejecting?)
- Hundreds of VOA employees set to be axed amid legal fight with Trump
- EXCLUSIVE: ICE Barbie Kristi Noem is backing insane reality TV show where immigrants compete for fast-tracked citizenship (Noem is completely unhinged, sadistic, f’ed up, etc.)
- Kid Rock’s Restaurant Closes to Avoid Trump’s ICE Raids
- U.S. Moves Russian Scientist’s Case to Criminal Court in Boston
- The Supreme Court May Pick the Worst Possible Case to Cede More Power to Trump
- Trump’s birthright order gets frosty reception, but justices appear ready to limit nationwide blocks
- Conservative justices object to how lower courts are blocking Trump, but birthright citizenship case presents deeper issues
- Trump Sends Thinly Veiled Warning to Supreme Court Justices
- Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Case Has the Supreme Court Baffled
- Is birthright citizenship safe from Trump? (“It’s more complicated than it should be.”)
- A rare warning from Walmart during a US trade war: Higher prices are inevitable
- Walmart warns it will raise prices because of tariffs
- FEMA Head Admits in Internal Meetings He Doesn’t Yet Have a Plan for Hurricane Season (What could possibly go wrong?)
- Exclusive: Trump administration cut autism-related research by 26% so far in 2025
- RFK Jr. Insists He Hasn’t Fired ‘Any Working Scientists’ ― After Firing Hundreds Of Them (Does RFK Jr. ever tell the truth about ANYTHING???)
- RFK Jr. Is Coming for Abortion Pills (“And he’s relying on bogus science to make his case.”)
- ‘Most Transparent’ White House In History Keeps Majority Of Trump’s Remarks Secret
- The FBI is disbanding one of its public corruption squads in its Washington office, AP sources say (I’m going to be using the word “insane” a lot today – and most days while Trump is president. Also “corrupt”…)
- DOGE went looking for phone fraud at SSA — and found almost none (Of course they didn’t, because the idea that senior citizens are calling Social Security en masse to commit fraud, and even if they were that there are no systems in place to catch that, is completely INSANE!!!)
- House’s Latest Budget Is a Fiscal Time Bomb
- ‘No Way to Run a Two-Car Parade Let Alone the House’ (“Coastal Republicans express anger at red-state leaders who won’t help them with SALT deductions.”)
- Senate Republicans put House on notice: We won’t accept your Trump agenda bill without changes
- Republicans Outdo Themselves in Food Stamp Cuts
- House Republicans float compromise to placate warring factions: Faster Medicaid cuts and a larger SALT deduction
- Price tag for Trump’s military parade could reach $45 million (WILD waste of money.)
- Meta Battles an ‘Epidemic of Scams’ as Criminals Flood Instagram, Facebook
- Former FBI Director James Comey under investigation for post seen as a potential threat to Trump’s life (Bizarre.)
- This Air-Traffic Controller Just Averted a Midair Collision. Now He’s Speaking Out.
- Florida becomes second state to ban fluoride in public water (Bonkers.)
- Hospital tells family brain-dead Georgia woman must carry fetus to birth because of abortion ban — (Speaking of bonkers…more Republican misrule.)
- Trump Helped Ease Marjorie Taylor Greene Out of Possible Senate Run
- Some Republicans Push to Put School Desegregation Officially in the Past (“Louisiana officials want to overturn the remaining federal desegregation orders in their state. They may find allies in the Trump administration.”)
- (Sen. Warner says House funding bill, including cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, etc,, would be “devastating in Virginia”)
- Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Says “The Trump Administration is disappearing people to megaprisons in El Salvador. I’m forcing a vote to demand answers.” (“Do you believe in the constitution or not? Do you believe in the rule of law – or not? Do you believe in due process – or not?”)
- America is Not for Sale: Ranking Member Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Urges White House to Immediately Decline a $400 Million Plane, an Illegal “Gift” from Qatar (This is “the Qatari government’s clear attempt for the luxury plane to exclusively benefit and curry the favor of Donald Trump”)
- [GOP-Controlled] U.S. House Committees Pass Bills That Would Threaten Health Care and Food Access for Virginians (“As the bill moves toward a full House vote, we call on all Virginia members of Congress to oppose this deeply damaging bill.”)
- Va. GOP congressman’s scrutiny on federal cuts, job losses needs company from other Republicans
- Commentary: Spanberger displays a rare trait in politics – intellectual honesty
- Youngkin vetoes aren’t valid, Va. clerk says. A defiant governor digs in. (“In a rare move, the clerk of the House of Delegates said the vetoes cannot take effect because they violate provisions of the Virginia Constitution”)
- Youngkin signs bipartisan child welfare reforms and sets new goals for foster care
- Virginia education department violated procurement rules in extending $83M contract
- Editorial: Virginia’s retention of recent college graduates needs improvement
- GOP Medicaid cuts will hurt veterans, people with disabilities, local health care access (“Congressional Republicans’ plan would take away health insurance coverage from millions of Americans.”)
- Charlottesville teachers demand UVa turn down Federal Executive Institute
- Trump administration’s cancellation of internet access grants will cost Southwest and Southside Virginia, officials say
- Richmond’s Avula has ‘no appetite’ to pursue $56M from failed VCU Health deal
- Norfolk attorneys in turf war over authority to prosecute shoplifting cases
- CWG Live updates: Very warm with potential for strong storms today and tomorrow (“Humid heat may help spawn intense storms into Saturday.”)
