by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, June 4.
- Top Ocean Experts Sound the Alarm Over Growing Marine Crisis Due To Climate Change (“On the opening day of a global science conference, French fishery scientist Clea Abello presented research showing that marine protected areas could protect commercially valuable fisheries.”)
- Google’s New AI Tool Generates Convincing Deepfakes of Riots, Conflict, and Election Fraud (This is going to be the downfall of humanity.)
- Inside the Ukrainian Drone Operation That Devastated Russia’s Bomber Fleet
- Ukraine’s massive drone attack came with a hidden message (“In surprise attacks deep inside Russia, Ukraine spoke eloquently about the nature of its war.”)
- Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Near 1.4 Million, Study Finds (“With high casualty figures and the slow pace of Russia’s territorial gains, President Vladimir V. Putin could face years more of a grinding war of attrition in Ukraine.”)
- Hegseth to skip Ukraine meeting at NATO headquarters (“Hegseth’s absence appears to signal further softening of the Trump administration’s relationship with Europe, and Ukraine.”)
- Ukraine’s backers meet to drum up arms and ammo. The Pentagon chief is absent for the first time
- Russian rockets kill 4 in a Ukrainian city as Kyiv claims it damaged a key bridge
- Are Lindsey Graham’s contortions about to prod Trump into Russia sanctions? (“The Republican senator known for sycophancy towards the president is pushing a bill that could reshape Ukraine policy”)
- Russia’s top security official is in North Korea for talks on Putin’s war in Ukraine
- Trump says ‘extremely hard’ to make a deal with China’s Xi as trade stalemate fuels calls for leaders to talk
- Trump Says China’s Xi Is ‘Extremely Hard to Make a Deal With’ (“Trump’s comments raises questions about whether a fragile economic truce between the world’s two largest economies will hold.”)
- South Korea’s new president has a Trump-shaped crisis to avert
- Democracy Wins a Referendum in South Korea (“The newly elected President defeated an increasingly authoritarian rival party. Can he bring the country back together?”)
- Global trade chaos threatens South Korea’s ‘survival’ says Lee Jae-myung in inauguration speech
- Iran’s supreme leader criticizes US proposal in nuclear talks but doesn’t reject the idea of a deal
- Higher Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Imports Go Into Effect
- Trump doubles tariffs on steel and aluminum, raising ire of Canada and Mexico
- Welcome to limbo, courtesy of Trump’s trade war waffling
- Is There a Tariff End Game? (“I still don’t see an off-ramp”)
- A sweeping new ICE operation shows how Trump’s focus on immigration is reshaping federal law enforcement
- Boulder suspect’s family detained by ICE, set for expedited removal, Kristi Noem says (Did the family members do anything wrong? Might be good to actually find that out first…)
- We are witnessing the suicide of a superpower (“The president’s assault on science dangerously undermines America’s superpower status.”)
- Exclusive: CDC expert resigns from COVID vaccines advisory role, sources say (Really, really bad.)
- Trump Rescinds Biden Policy Requiring Hospitals to Provide Emergency Abortions (Appalling.)
- Trump rescinds guidance protecting women in need of emergency abortions
- The White House Gutted Science Funding. Now It Wants to ‘Correct’ Research. (Insane.)
- Denouncing Antisemitism, Trump Also Fans Its Flames (“President Trump’s effort to punish Harvard over antisemitism is complicated by his extensive history of amplifying white supremacist figures and symbols.”)
- ‘All Jewish Americans are questioning their security’ after violent antisemitic attacks
- Feudalism Is Our Future (“What the next Dark Ages could look like”)
- Williams: Defund the police? America gutted the rule of law, instead (Correct.)
- You May Ask Why the President Thinks He Can Fire the Director of the National Portrait Gallery
- Some of Trump’s Biggest Inaugural Donors Benefit From Early Government Actions (Massive, blatant corruption.)
- Trump Administration Backs Off Effort to Collect Data on Food Stamp Recipients
- House SALT Deal Will Have to Change, Senate Leader Thune Says
- Man Who Tried To Lawlessly Do Congress’ Job For It Criticizes ‘Pork-Filled’ Bill (“The world’s richest man is, of course, not bothered by the ways in which Republicans plan to gut the social safety net program outlined in the bill. Rather he believes it does too much to actually fund the government and it rubs up against his Department Of Government Efficiency work. “)
- After Muscling Their Bill Through the House, Some Republicans Have Regrets (Every one of these irresponsible idiots should be ousted from office at the next election.)
- Elon Musk Calls Trump Megabill a ‘Disgusting Abomination’ (“Billionaire sides with GOP critics who say measure doesn’t cut spending enough”)
- Elon Musk Also Hates the GOP Spending Bill (Unless He Meant “Disgusting Abomination” as a Compliment)
- How Trump’s DOGE cuts package could put GOP in a bind
- Elon Musk attacks Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ tax bill as ‘outrageous’ and says it will cause deficit to grow by $2.5tn
- Elon Musk Unloads On Republicans’ ‘Disgusting Abomination’ Big Beautiful Bill
- Meet Elon Musk’s Puppet Master: Russell Vought
- Scoop: Four reasons Musk attacked Trump’s “big beautiful bill” (“The legislation cuts the electric vehicle tax credit that helps car makers like Musk’s Tesla…The final straw for Musk appeared to come Saturday night, when Trump abruptly announced he was withdrawing the nomination of Jared Isaacman, a Musk ally, to be NASA administrator.”)
- Trump Wants to Cut Tribal College Funding by Nearly 90%, Putting Them at Risk of Closing (That is INSANE!)
- Electricity Prices Are Surging. The G.O.P. Megabill Could Push Them Higher.
- Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship (DISGUSTING.)
- Navy set to rename USNS Harvey Milk, mulls new names for other ships named for civil rights leaders (Worst Defense Secretary, by far, in US history…)
- Trump asks Congress to wipe out funding for public broadcasting
- Is This the Best the Democrats Can Do? (“Recent comments from Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries suggest that the party’s leaders are ill suited for the moment.”)
- Judge tosses Democratic Party challenge to Trump order’s impact on FEC
- MTG Admits She Didn’t Read Trump Mega Bill She Voted For
- Joni Ernst’s Medicaid Quip Could Cost Iowa GOP
- Joni Ernst’s “we’re all going to die” pushes MAGA’s toxic Christian compassion on us all
- Palm Beach Police: Man who jumped wall at Mar-a-Lago wanted to marry Trump’s granddaughter
- Fetterman’s chief of staff leaves amid string of departures
- Young Dem Clinches Landslide Election Win in Lindsey Graham’s Backyard (“Keishan Scott became the youngest member of the South Carolina House on Tuesday.”)
- ‘Barbaric’: wildlife advocates criticize Florida bear hunt proposal (Hunting for “sport” is an abomination, no question about it.)
- Kennedy Center subscription sales fall 36 percent from previous year
- The Washington Post Plans an Influx of Outside Opinion Writers (“A new program, known internally as Ripple, would open The Post to journalists at other publications and influential writers on Substack.”)
- BREAKING: Gov. Glenn Youngkin Sets Date (9/9/25) for Special Election in VA11 (Now, the VA11 Democratic committee can proceed with setting the date and rules for selecting a nominee in this safe-blue district)
- Special election to fill Rep. Connolly’s seat in Congress officially set (“At least 11 candidates have already announced their bids in the Sept. 9 special election to fill the seat left vacant after Rep. Gerry Connolly died earlier this month.”)
- Video: At Townhall Meeting, Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) Says “We have the power to decide: is that man in the White House going to end our republic or not?” (“…our republic is being stress tested to the breaking point and I don’t know if we’re going to survive.”)
- Video: Elected, Reproductive Rights Leaders Call Out Winsome Earle-Sears for Unearthed Comments Attacking Reproductive Rights (Del. Candi King: “Sears would unleash extreme restrictions on reproductive care and insert politicians into conversations between women and their doctors.”)
- NEW: Earle-Sears Campaign Ejects Media from Falls Church Event (“Earle-Sears’ campaign has declined multiple interview requests on [Medicaid] from multiple news outlets”)
- Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor talk Southwest Virginia, flood recovery and economic growth (“Six candidates are seeking the party’s nomination. Here’s how the candidates answered a series of questions from Cardinal News.”)
- Dominion and Clean Virginia flood statewide races with millions (Dominion, of course, should not be allowed to give ANY money, given that they are an state-regulated monopoly. In addition, there should be limits to how much any one individual or entity can donate.)
- Youngkin: No conflict in Board of Education member’s work for Trump (Again, the media uncritically amplifies Youngkin’s BULLSH*T in their headlines. Why?)
- In Blue Virginia Interview, LG Candidate Levar Stoney Says “to get the national party out of a funk, we need to win [in Virginia]…in an impressive way and I think we will” (Stoney also talks about taxes, data centers, casinos, the GOP “extreme team,” etc.)
- Commentary: As gaming explodes, lack of oversight puts Virginia at risk (by State Sen. Adam Ebbin and Del. Paul Krizek)
- Virginia law offers “hope” for U.S. born children of parents facing deportation
- Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approves pay increases amid discussions about uncertainty for year ahead
- As Fairfax Co. considers overseeing residential trash collection, some worry their businesses could be in jeopardy
- Loudoun schools accused of misusing Title IX in transgender locker room case (Accused by…Jason Miyares. It should say that in the headline, not just “accused”…)
- An appreciation: Jerrauld C. Jones
- At Norfolk State University, Veterans Affairs workers decry effects of budget cuts
- Virginia Beach police chief wants curfew to curb Oceanfront crowds
- Editorial: Carnival’s cancelation raises questions about Beach policies
- CWG Live updates: Weather is warming up, with 90 in play tomorrow and Thursday