Friday News: “Nation Watches with Glee” as “the two worst people you know [Trump and Musk] are fighting”; “Medicare is a target as Senate GOP faces megabill math issues”; Earle-Sears “staking out positions to Youngkin’s right in a blue-leaning state”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, June 6.

• Lifeblood for Pacific Islands Threatened as Warming Ocean Drives Tuna East (“Residents of small Pacific island nations rely on tuna for local jobs and foreign fishing fees, which fund education, healthcare, roads and more. Amid climate change, fishermen have been working harder to catch fewer fish and it’s getting worse.”)
• Dehorning rhinos reduces poaching by 80%, study finds (“Cutting off the animals’ horns more effective than traditional protection methods such as rangers and costs less, say experts”)
• Ukraine’s dirty war is just getting started (“Covert strikes across Russia and beyond are reshaping a conflict that shows no signs of letting up.”)
• Exclusive: Ukraine hits out at Europe’s payout from frozen Russian cash
• Russia Launches Broad Assault on Kyiv and Other Cities in Ukraine
• Trump Compares Russia and Ukraine to Children Fighting (This is a really, REALLY f’ed up analogy; in fact, in this case, ONE very large “child” viciously attacked a smaller child in a completely unprovoked assault…and the smaller child valiently defended himself/herself. We, of course, should be helping the smaller “child” who’s the victim of the unprovoked/vicious assault by the very large “child!” But Trump can’t comprehend that, apparently…)
• Ukraine Got a Major Battle Victory. Trump Is Not Happy. (“The president has fumed that Kyiv’s drone strike could prolong a war that he’s desperate to end.”)
• ‘Gee, I Don’t Know How We Can Stop This’: Republicans Prepare to Push Trump on Putin
• Xi Bets Trump Detente Will Lead to Future Wins on Chips, Tariffs
• Rubio imposes sanctions on four ICC judges for ‘targeting’ US and Israel
• Netanyahu defends arming Palestinian clans accused of ties with jihadist groups (“PM says it ‘saves lives of Israeli soldiers’, after accusations government is giving weapons to ‘criminals and felons’”)
• Iran Orders Material From China for Hundreds of Ballistic Missiles
• ICE officers stuck in Djibouti shipping container with deported migrants (WTF?)
• Trump’ immigration crackdown is leaving children terrified and ‘truly alone’ (Just appalling.)
• New U.S. Travel Ban Expected to Better Withstand Legal Challenges
• Judge blocks Trump’s ban on Harvard’s foreign students from entering the US
• Harvard Sues Over Trump Barring Foreign Students’ US Entry
• Trump Hastens ‘Drumbeat’ of Deferred Coal Plant Retirements (“The administration is leaning into fossil fuel solutions for growing power demand, with support from grid operators.” F’ing stupid.)
• America’s Gas Pipeline Buildout Is Mainly for Exports—Not Energy Independence (Insanity.)
• US Energy Department takes axe to wind and solar technology funding (Heinous.)
• Supreme Court sides with straight woman in decision that makes it easier to win ‘reverse discrimination’ suits
• Friday’s jobs report likely will show hiring cooled in May. Here’s what to expect
• More Federal Workers Are Flooding the Job Market, With Worsening Prospects
• This could be RFK Jr.’s most costly mistake (“What sense does it make to take away a potent tool against future pandemics?”)
• Here are the people Trump is trying to delete (“Women, people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community are main targets”)
• NASA scientists describe ‘absolute sh*tshow’ at agency as Trump budget seeks to dismantle top US climate lab
• In their budget bill, Republicans show their contempt for courts (“Hidden deep in the boilerplate? A get-out-of-jail-free card for the Trump White House.”)
• Senate Republicans open the door to cutting Medicare ‘waste’ in Trump agenda bill (When Republicans talk about cutting “waste” in these programs, they really just mean cutting the programs.)
• Medicare is a target as Senate GOP faces megabill math issues
• Republicans worry Medicaid cuts would hurt their communities, poll finds
• Tax Credit Increase Would Exclude Millions of Low-Income Children, Study Finds (“The domestic policy bill passed by the House raises the maximum child tax credit to $2,500. But about a third of children would not receive the full credit because their parents have low wages or lack jobs.”)
• The real reasons Musk is feuding with Trump (“DOGE disappointment? Policies that hurt Tesla? A pulled NASA nominee? How about all of the above?”)
• The White House adviser who helped fuel Trump-Musk feud
• Fmr. VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) on the Trump-Musk “Bromance” Ending: “Musk should know that Trump does not accept criticism well, and he will take the knees out from under anyone who publicly questions him.”
• Trump v Musk: world’s two worst people are finally having a big, beautiful breakup
• Trump threatens Musk the same way he did Harvard
• Musk boosted Trump on X. Now we’re seeing what happens when he uses it against him.
• Nation Watches With Glee as Musk and Trump Turn on Each Other (“Oh no, the two worst people you know are fighting.”)
• Trump’s fight with Musk reveals MAGA’s biggest delusion
• Kara Swisher: Trump used Musk ‘magnificently’
• The MAGA faithful celebrate the end of the Trump-Musk bromance
• Trump and His Team Tease Vengeance Against Elon as Feud Goes Nuclear (“The president is threatening to “terminate” Musk’s federal contracts, while a senior appointee warns the administration could investigate his companies”)
• The Musk-Trump Divorce Is as Messy as You Thought It Would Be
• Nervous Republicans flee Trump-Elon Musk blast radius
• Musk Signals He’s Open to Cooling Off Period in Trump Feud
• MAGA’s mutually assured destruction
• 8 Ways Musk and Trump Could Inflict Pain on Each Other
• This Clash With Trump Is Going to End Poorly for Elon Musk
• Trump and Musk’s relationship flames out just as intensely and publicly as it started
• Steve Bannon Calls to Deport Musk Amid Messy Trump Breakup
• Musk Says SpaceX to Decommission Dragon Spacecraft Immediately
• Tesla loses $152 billion in market cap after Musk-Trump spat, biggest hit ever
• GOP Lawmakers Ditch Elon Musk and Embrace President Trump
• Musk says Trump would have lost the 2024 election without his help
• Musk calls for Trump’s impeachment
• Trump and Musk’s Relationship Melts Down in Spectacular Fashion
• Elon Musk’s stock plummets among Republicans
• Taking the Trump-Musk War Seriously
• Mike Johnson scrambles to stop Elon Musk from torching the megabill
• Scoop: Democrats probe whether Trump is in the Epstein files
• Republicans Want to Ban Pets From Domestic Violence Shelters (Pure evil.)
• Warner, Kaine condemn GOP tax bill over gun silencer rollback
• Blue Virginia Interview: VA11 Dem Candidate Amy Roma Says She’s Running Because “Our country is absolutely being torn apart,” She “knows how to get things done,” and “career politicians are struggling to figure out how to compete against something like Trump”
• FOIA Friday: Connolly questioned public health agency FOIA accessibility before his death
• Chesterfield Clerk Amanda Pohl launches bid for Virginia’s 1st Congressional District
• New Report by The Commonwealth Institute Summarizes the Severe Harm of the House Reconciliation Bill for Virginia (Glenn Youngkin 100% supports this, while Winsome Earle-Sears has mostly been trying to avoid the topic…)
• Abigail Spanberger: “Congressional Republicans Are Working to Undo the Progress We’ve Made and Take Away Healthcare From Virginia Families” (For his part, Youngkin signed a letter SUPPORTING these disastrous cuts, while Earle-Sears appears to be on board as well…)
• Earle-Sears’ record on social issues complicates bid to follow Youngkin’s path in Virginia governor’s race (“The de facto GOP nominee has sought to run as an extension of the current administration while staking out positions to Youngkin’s right in a blue-leaning state.”)
• Virginia Head Start programs say budget proposal will cause funding crunch
• Shannon Taylor touts her experience in run for Virginia attorney general
• Earle-Sears says she wants to get rid of Virginia’s car tax (Unless she explained how she’d make localities whole, she’s completely full of crap.)
• Pope & Schapiro: New Republican leadership, a special election date, and Earle-Sears’ stance on some key issues
• Third measles case confirmed in Virginia
• Spike in rabies cases prompts public health push in Southwest Virginia
• Martinsville City Council member sues city manager and sheriff’s deputy
• Immigration enforcement at heart of divisive Chesapeake sheriff’s race
• CWG Live updates: Some clouds today, with increased rain chances tonight and this weekend (“Warmth may ease back into the 70s this weekend as rain chances rise.”)