by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, August 18.
- No End in Sight to Plastic Pollution Crisis as Treaty Negotiations in Geneva Fail
- Trump team readies more attacks on mainstream climate science (“The plans include a public debate on global warming. Scientists say that falsely implies the major tenets of climate research are unsettled.” Totally f’ed up.)
- Zelensky Brings Backup to the White House as Trump Aligns More Closely With Putin (“European leaders are joining a trip to Washington to make sure the trans-Atlantic alliance remains intact.”)
- Trump piles pressure on Zelenskyy before European leaders arrive in Washington (Trump is a f’ing disgrace, one that America will never live down.)
- Trump rules out Ukraine reclaiming Crimea or joining Nato ahead of Zelensky White House talks (That’s f’ed up.)
- Zelensky responds to Trump comments: “Russia must end” war it started
- These European leaders will accompany Zelensky to meet with Trump
- ‘Our position is clear:’ Zelenskyy and EU dismiss ceding Ukrainian land to Russia (“Zelenskyy says Russia has repeatedly tried to seize the entire Donbas region in eastern Ukraine for over a decade”)
- Zelenskyy faces daunting trip to the White House – but this time he won’t be alone
- What Kind of Peace in Ukraine? (“A good or bad agreement may depend on the quality of Western security guarantees.”)
- A Bad Summit’s Silver Lining (“Trump’s announcement that a cease-fire won’t precede peace talks is good news for Ukraine.”)
- Whirlwind day of White House talks could reshape Ukraine’s future
- Common Sense about Negotiations (“This war can be brought to an end. The United States has the power to help, but that power must be consciously directed to the benefit of the side that is defending itself, and in accordance with what we know about successful negotiations. Just talking, especially repeating the propaganda of the aggressor, will not bring peace.”)
- All Russia Needs to Do Is Go Home
- Trump’s former NATO ambassador warns ‘Xi is watching’ Trump’s approach to Russia
- Rubio says a Ukraine-Russia ceasefire deal is ‘not off the table’
- Trump criticizes ‘fake news,’ Democrat, Zelensky in series of posts (Trump is completely insane.)
- Putin’s Proposal for Land Deal, Made to Trump, Shifts Pressure to Zelensky
- Russian Attacks Kill 10 in Ukraine, Hours Before Zelensky Visits White House
- Mass protests erupt in Israel as IDF readies plans to occupy Gaza City
- Huge crowds gather in Israel calling for hostage deal and end to Gaza war
- Protesters in Israel demand hostage deal in one of the largest demonstrations since Gaza conflict began
- Bolivia’s left in historic defeat as presidential vote set for October runoff
- ‘The cemetery of living men’ (“Trump deportees tell of abuse in secretive mega-jail”)
- $50,000 Signing Bonus, No Age Caps: The Blitz to Hire ICE Officers (“Uncle Sam is using social media, financial incentives to entice new recruits”)
- Rising Food Prices Are Likely to Continue, Thanks to Trump’s Trade Wars (“Wholesale prices on fresh and dry vegetables rose nearly 40 percent, and soon consumers will feel the pinch”)
- Trump’s promise of a US manufacturing renaissance leaves experts scratching their heads (Trump, as usual, is FULL OF SHIT.)
- RFK Jr. Is Sabotaging President Trump’s Health Legacy (“MRNA technology changed the course of the pandemic, and it could do so much more.”)
- Pam Bondi’s Power Play (“Donald Trump now has the Attorney General he always wanted—an ally willing to harness the law to enable his agenda.”)
- The Men Working to Transform the United States into Gilead (“Their latest trial balloon from Christian nationalists? Taking away women’s right to vote.”)
- “Blizzard of illegality” hits America (“Why ‘accountability’ is at risk of getting lost in the storm.”)
- The Insidious Creep of Trump’s Speaking Style (“Many such cases.” “Many people are saying this.”)
- How Red-State Republicans Thwart the Left-Wing Desires of Their Voters (“Voters in GOP-controlled states are passing progressive policies at the ballot—only to watch Republican legislators repeal them. Will it change how voters choose candidates?”)
- Trump’s D.C. ‘crisis’ enters 2nd week with more soldiers — and no exit strategy (This is a trial run for full-on dictatorship.)
- What to know as GOP governors plan to send National Guard units to D.C.
- ICE boasts about ripping Mount Pleasant sign with anti-border patrol message (Disgusting.)
- Reservations plunge across DC restaurants after Trump’s police takeover
- Federal officers detain, tackle moped driver amid Trump D.C. police crackdown (“Six agents wearing police vests without clear identification of their agencies detained a man they later identified as a Venezuelan national in Northwest Washington.” Insanity.)
- The left gets a new publication (“Jerusalem Demsas left The Atlantic in recent weeks to launch The Argument, a new publication that aims to push back against the populist right by strengthening the ideas and arguments of modern liberalism and convincing readers of their legitimacy…The organization hired Kelsey Piper, a former contributing editor for Vox’s Future Perfect, and Jordan Weissmann, a former political editor at Semafor, as staff writers. It has also brought on Lakshya Jain as director of political data and Kate Crawford as chief of staff.”)
- Gavin Newsom’s moment (“Democrats have found their fight. Newsom is leading the charge.”)
- Heartbreak (but also hope) at the still-essential Washington Post (This is far too optimistic, IMHO.)
- Why is Winsome Earle-Sears so intent on doing a CNN debate? (“CNN, the cable-news giant of the 1980s and early 1990s, has been forever trying to play catchup to Fox since the Murdoch folks launched FNC in 1996, and in recent years, a succession of failed execs have efforted to pivot the network to the right, with predictable results. It’s for that reason that they have Scott Jennings, a former vocal Trump critic who has recast himself as a throaty water-carrying MAGA, all over their prime time, which is why the center and left have stopped tuning in, because nobody outside of MAGA wants to hear the guy.”)
- Virginia Democrats hone in on cost of expected Medicaid cuts (“Virginia Democrats are releasing a new ad Monday attacking Winsome Earl-Sears support of the Trump budget cuts to Medicaid.”)
- Uncertainty remains in Virginia’s spending priorities
- Virginia abortion funds see sharp uptick in patients both in and out of state
- Virginia loses $156 million in Solar for All funding clawback
- Obenshain, Franklin take the hot 41st District race to the airwaves (Obenshain is full of crap about being “bipartisan”; the guy’s a right winger all the way.)
- Southwest Virginia coal company plans layoffs (“Wellmore, a Grundy-based producer of metallurgical coal, will cut 72 jobs in Buchanan County by mid-October, according to letters it sent to state officials.”)
- Fairfax will hire security for its superintendent. Could Va. see this elsewhere?
- Sunday was D.C.’s hottest day in weeks despite an early sunset
