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by Lowell
Here are a few internatioal, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, July 11.
- Trump officials axed an online portal for its key climate report. Read it in full here (“Guardian makes legally mandated gold standard report widely available after administration deleted website”)
- Texas flood disaster reveals rising human cost of climate-fueled extreme weather
- Did Trump Really Just Break Up with Putin? (“It’s never easy to tell which flip or flop the flip-flopper in the White House means.”)
- Trump Plans ‘Major’ Russia Statement Monday, Mulls Sanctions
- Trump to use presidential authority to send weapons to Ukraine, sources say
- Rosenberg: Putin determined to press on despite threat of tougher sanctions
- Ukraine war briefing: Trump poised to send weapons under Biden-style drawdown, say sources (“President can urgently transfer arms from US reserve stocks; Ukraine again turns Moscow into no-fly zone with drone raids. What we know on day 1,234”)
- Some of Iran’s Enriched Uranium Survived Attacks, Israeli Official Says
- Satellite photos suggest Iran attack on Qatar air base hit geodesic dome used for US communications
- How Netanyahu Prolonged the War in Gaza to Stay in Power (Disgusting.)
- Almost 800 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food aid since end of May, says UN
- Saudis Lift Oil Output Above Quota in Rare OPEC+ Breach (“The flood of extra crude comes as global oil markets head for a substantial surplus.”)
- North Korean defector sues Kim Jong-un alleging torture and sexual violence in regime’s detention facilities
- Threats, delays and confusion: 10 key points to understand another week of Trump tariff turmoil
- Trump readies blanket tariffs as he brushes off inflation worries
- Trump’s Tariffs Blow Up the Copper Market
- Vietnam Surprised by Trump Tariff Announcement, Seeks Lower Rate
- Trump says he will hit Canadian imports with a 35% tariff in major escalation of trade war
- Trump’s 35% Tariff Bulldozer Tests Carney’s Strategy of Avoiding Conflict
- Trump Takes a Blowtorch to Canada in Deranged Threat Letter
- Behind Trump’s Decision to Tax Brazil to Save Bolsonaro
- State Department to Soon Begin Mass Layoffs (That’s f’ing nuts.)
- ICE handcuffs 71-year-old grandmother, a U.S. citizen, at San Diego immigration court (ICE has major systemic problems, to put it mildly…)
- Federal immigration agents blockade Camarillo farm, clash with demonstrators
- Whistleblower Emails Expose Fresh Trump Abuses in Abrego Garcia Case
- New Whistleblower Docs Bolster Claim Emil Bove Spoke Openly of Defying Courts
- ICE official says no plan yet on Abrego Garcia deportation
- California surgical center staff demand to see warrant as ICE agents detain landscaper
- Freed from ICE detention, Mahmoud Khalil files $20 million claim against Trump administration
- Trump Loves ICE. Its Workforce Has Never Been So Miserable. (“A ‘mission impossible’ deportation campaign has left many employees burned out and morally conflicted.”)
- The White House aide driving Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda
- Trump continues to tighten his authoritarian vise grip (“With his use of the military and threats against blue cities, “we’re seeing something new,” expert says”)
- Trump quietly claimed a power even King George wasn’t allowed to have (“A truly scary new revelation about Trump’s effort to circumvent the TikTok ban.”)
- America Has Never Seen Corruption Like This (“Trump’s Qatari jet was just the beginning.”)
- The New Gold Rush for MAGA Lobbyists
- Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ is the ultimate betrayal of his base
- Trump’s EPA Chief Tried to Debunk Chemtrails, but Nobody Actually Read the Report (“Lee Zeldin’s social media posts about weather phenomena confused many into thinking he had endorsed conspiracy theories … Unfortunately, he seems to have left many people confused as to the agency’s actual policies and actions.”)
- DHS Tells Police That Common Protest Activities Are ‘Violent Tactics’ (“DHS is urging law enforcement to treat even skateboarding and livestreaming as signs of violent intent during a protest, turning everyday behavior into a pretext for police action.”)
- States, enviro groups fight Trump plan to keep dirty power plants going
- The rise of the prison state: Trump’s push for megaprisons could lock us all up
- The F.B.I. Is Using Polygraphs to Test Officials’ Loyalty
- Fired Justice Department official warns we are “driving straight into an abyss”
- Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI
- Justice Dept. Demands Patient Details From Trans Medicine Providers
- Trump’s New Go-To Response: ‘I Don’t Know’
- Trump warns Republicans against rejecting cuts to PBS and NPR
- Trump administration backs away from abolishing FEMA
- Got a Spare Billion? (“Democrats need more than protests to match the MAGA media machine”)
- Cops Probed Trump Terror Chief, 22, Over Teen Love Triangle (“Police were called in after a threatening message was sent to a child by the ex-gardener chosen by the president to lead a key homeland security post, The Daily Beast has learned.”)
- DHS Cancels Extreme Weather Comms Grant While Bodies Still Being Recovered in Texas
- Joni Ernst is the next GOP senator on retirement watch
- Sen. Angela Paxton files for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Thom Tillis: Pete Hegseth Has No Idea What He’s Doing. Also Thom Tillis: No I Don’t Regret Confirming Him (Imbecile.)
- Grok 4 seems to consult Elon Musk to answer controversial questions (So Musk is turning it into an AI that’s basically his opinions? Worse than worthless if he does that.)
- Musk’s Chatbot Started Spouting Nazi Propaganda. That’s Not the Scariest Part.
- X advertisers remain silent after Grok goes off the rails and CEO resigns (Beyond pathetic.)
- Trump Held Talks on Pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell: Biographer (“The president agonized over what Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice would reveal upon her arrest, author Michael Wolff said.”)
- Conspiracy Theorists Are Turning on the President (“MAGA influencers are furious that Trump’s FBI says no more Jeffrey Epstein secrets are forthcoming.”)
- The president’s daughter-in-law hosts a weekly show on Fox News. To call it “propaganda” is too kind. (“Lara Trump’s show is a corrupt showcase for the administration, crypto, and her potential Senate campaign. This is what it’s like.”)
- Florida lawmakers who were denied access to ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ sue Gov. DeSantis
- Virginia lawmakers to learn of strides, challenges in Chesapeake Bay clean up
- What massive cuts in the federal spending plan mean for D.C., Maryland, and Virginia
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says If You Like GOP Budget Cuts That Slash Health Care, Shut Down Hospitals, Send Kids to School Hungry, Explode the Debt, etc., Then Vote Republican; If You Don’t Like Those Things, Then Vote Democratic in Virginia This November
- Senator Warner slams ‘worst legislation’ of career, says GOP bill will strip healthcare coverage from 300k Virginians
- Democrat Melvin Tull Launches Campaign for Congress in Virginia’s 1st District ; Argues, Correctly, That Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01) “has failed the families that depend on him.”
- A fourth Democrat, lawyer Melvin Tull, seeks to challenge Wittman
- Town hall draws hundreds over concerns about Trump-backed ‘big’ bill (“There’s a lot of bad things in this bill and it’s ugly for all Americans” – Rep. Suhas Subramanyam)
- “Glenn Youngkin and Winsome Earle-Sears stood by cheering” as Trump “ravaged Virginia’s economy”; Now, Virginia “slips this year to its lowest position among states since 2018” (In 2018, of course, Democrat Ralph Northam was governor, following Democrat Terry McAuliffe…)
- Virginia ain’t the Best State for Business anymore: Thanks, MAGA
- Trump job cuts drive down Virginia’s ranking from ‘Top State for Business’ to 4th-best (“Virginia ranked lower than it had since 2018 in CNBC’s annual study, which cited federal workforce cuts.”)
- Virginia loses its CNBC ranking as the No. 1 state for business. Here’s why. (“CNBC blames President Trump’s tariffs and federal government cutbacks. CNBC also changes its ranking criteria every year and this year added measures that work to Virginia’s disadvantage.”)
- Video, Highlights From DLCC Virtual Press Conference; DLCC Looking at Kaine Winning 62 House of Delegates Districts Last November, Says “we must absolutely work towards expanding the map” (Ghazala Hashmi: “In Virginia, we can’t risk the possibility of electing John Reid.”)
- Virginia lands $16.4M from new opioid settlement with drugmakers
- Pope & Schapiro: Trump administration policies playing out across Virginia
- Virginia prisoners report extreme heat as air conditioning fails (That’s completely unacceptable.)
- Senate Democrats consider blocking more Youngkin university board appointments as he exerts influence
- Trump administration investigates George Mason University over complaints about hiring practices
- Editorial: As expansion proceeds, a light at the end of the (bridge-)tunnel
- Judge slams Virginia Beach election referendum as ‘intentional effort’ to sidestep federal law
- Commentary: UVa’s board of visitors must be held to account
- Preliminary injunction hearing likely July 25 to keep Ken Cuccinelli from UVA BOV seating (“A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge will likely hear a preliminary injunction motion July 25 by Virginia Senate Democratic leaders to keep Ken Cuccinelli from sitting on the next UVA Board of Visitors meeting. That word from the counsel representing the plaintiffs”)
- Richmond grapples with legacy of Confederate statues amid Trump DEI orders
- Richmond finance department Director Sheila White resigns
- Norfolk wants protection from future flooding. Agreeing on how isn’t easy.
- Meet the candidate: Dr. Mark Downey (“Democratic House of Delegates candidate Mark Downey is challenging Republican incumbent Del. Chad Green in the 69th District.”)
- Norfolk School Board mulls demolishing Ghent School to build $11 million Maury football field
- Fairfax County sees growing challenges for lower-income seniors seeking housing options
- Lawyer: Fairfax commanders silenced detectives in au pair murder case
- Virginia court reverses decision on Arlington’s EHO zoning, declaring it invalid again (WTF???)
- CWG Live updates: Humidity and storm chances Friday, but tamer than earlier in week
