by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, August 30.
- Despite Lack of Federal Support, US Scientists Continue Work on Key Global Climate Reports (“Amid rising repression of climate science domestically, researchers from universities around the country are lending their expertise to an international effort.”)
- Exclusive: Meta created flirty chatbots of Taylor Swift, other celebrities without permission (Meta is a really bad company.)
- Collapse of critical Atlantic current is no longer low-likelihood, study finds (“Scientists say ‘shocking’ discovery shows rapid cuts in carbon emissions are needed to avoid catastrophic fallout”)
- Ukrainian lawmaker shot dead in Lviv as Zelenskyy says hunt for killer is under way
- While Trump Rattles the World, China Basks in the Limelight
- Trump’s rebuke, Xi’s handshake, Putin’s oil: India’s foreign policy test
- The Nobel Prize and a Testy Phone Call: How the Trump-Modi Relationship Unraveled (“President Trump’s repeated claims about having “solved” the India-Pakistan war infuriated Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. And that was only the beginning.”)
- U.S. revokes visas of Palestinian president, other officials ahead of UN General Assembly (Guaranteed that Kamala Harris wouldn’t have done this. She also wouldn’t have supported the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and turning it into a seaside luxury resort.)
- ‘Far more dangerous than war’: Iranians brace for prospect of UN sanctions
- Targeting Iran’s Leaders, Israel Found a Weak Link: Their Bodyguards (“Israel was able to track the movements of key Iranian figures and assassinate them this spring by following the cellphones carried by their security forces.”)
- Defying Congress, Trump Moves to Cut $4.9 Billion in Foreign Aid
- Democrats Predict Shutdown After Trump Tries to Snatch Congress’ Most Important Power
- Federal Circuit Rules Against Trump’s Massive IEEPA Tariffs in Our Case Challenging Them
- Most Trump tariffs are not legal, US appeals court rules
- Trump Throws Tantrum as ‘Beautiful’ Tariffs Ruled Not Legal
- Bessent Warns of US ‘Embarrassment’ If Tariffs Ruled Illegal
- Federal appeals court has knocked down Trump’s tariffs. Here’s what happens now
- Judge blocks Trump’s broad expansion of expedited removal of migrants
- Trump’s Decapitation of CDC Takes Darker Turn—and Hands Dems a Weapon
- RFK Jr.’s damage to the CDC is ‘past the point of no return,’ Dr. Demetre Daskalakis warns
- RFK Jr. targets CDC with a ridiculous complaint as chaos grips the agency
- Will the C.D.C. Survive? (“Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s assault may have dealt lasting damage to the agency, experts fear, with harsh consequences for public health.”)
- Camelot for Crazies (“RFK Jr. f*cked around. Now we get to find out.”)
- On vaccine policy, the worst is yet to come (“Limiting covid shots is just the beginning. Childhood vaccines may be next.”)
- Fate of Fed Gov. Lisa Cook still up in the air after court hearing on Trump firing bid
- Chairman Trump: has the US turned its back on free-market capitalism?
- Democracy, Simple-Complex Systems, and ‘The Cascade’ (“Things fall apart.”)
- Fact check: 10 debunked lies Donald Trump has repeated in the last week alone
- Trump Is Starting to Turn on the People He Handpicked (“Multiple Senate-confirmed Trump officials face ouster while longtime aides come under scrutiny”)
- Social Security whistleblower submits ‘involuntary resignation,’ citing ‘intolerable’ work conditions
- Emil Bove Continued to Work at Justice Dept. After Judicial Confirmation
- ‘Racist as hell’: Trump’s cabinet is almost all white, and he keeps firing Black officials
- What Ghislaine Maxwell Told the Justice Department (“Listening to the convicted sex offender’s lengthy interview reveals that she and her interviewer had one goal—to satisfy Donald Trump.”)
- ‘It’s madness’: Trump-voting fishermen oppose Revolution Wind halt (“The Rhode Island offshore wind project, now nearly finished, employed 80 fishermen to help with construction. With Trump’s pause, they are losing vital income.”)
- Trump administration cancels $679 million in funding for offshore wind projects (Seems illegal and unconstitutional, but Congresional Republicans will do nothing of course.)
- Chart: The retiring coal power plants Trump could revive (“The Energy Department keeps ordering expensive, polluting plants to keep running at the eleventh hour. Here’s what’s on the line through the end of Trump’s term.” Corrupt f’ing morons.)
- Why is Trump so much more powerful this time? (Because Republicans control Congress but are doing NOTHING to assert their own powers, prerogatives, etc. Also, the Supreme Court is f’ed.)
- Trump’s military occupation of American cities is unpopular. The media is trying to manufacture consent for it. (The media is sooooo bad, and most people still don’t get how bad it is?)
- Bondi fires justice department employee for making vulgar gesture at National Guard
- Conservative Strategist: ‘MAGA Hunger Games’ Taking Place as Trump Health Slips (“Vice President JD Vance is allegedly ‘moving fast’ behind the scenes to seize power”)
- Triggered JD Vance Melts Down Over Politico Article: ‘It’s Disgraceful’ (Vance is bonkers.)
- Donald Trump is conservatism’s realization — not its betrayal (“He gave the GOP permission to be themselves, says historian Allan Lichtman” There’s some truth to that.)
- CHP to protect ex-VP Kamala Harris after Trump pulls Secret Service detail, sources say (“Former Vice President Kamala Harris will receive protection from the California Highway Patrol after President Trump revoked her Secret Service protection”)
- House Republicans Want To Doxx Wikipedia Editors Over Bogus ‘Bias’ Complaints (“Congress has absolutely zero constitutional authority to investigate a private website for its editorial decisions. Zero. None. This is First Amendment 101.”)
- Senior Pentagon official had affair with ‘notorious’ astrologer who stalked him, lawsuit says
- Texas GOPer Who Blocked Filibuster Shared Approach to Immigrants: ‘Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up’ (So…psychopath.)
- With newly approved maps in Texas, GOP puts its gains with Latinos to the test
- Missouri’s Republican governor orders redraw of US House districts as redistricting fight expands
- Joni Ernst won’t seek reelection to Senate in 2026, sources say (It’s astounding that anyone ever voted for this loon and imbecile.)
- Ernst Is Part of a Bigger Problem for Republicans in Iowa (“The senator reportedly won’t run again as voters in the Hawkeye State start to show their dissatisfaction with the GOP.”)
- Democrats pounce in reliably red Iowa, fueled by special election hopium
- Grand Juries in D.C. Reject Prosecutors’ Efforts to Level Harsh Charges Against Residents
- Why Is the National Guard in D.C.? Even They Don’t Know. (“Their presence has terrified some, relieved others, and left even the troops themselves confused.” They seem to be doing nothing.)
- Warner visits political prisoner in Farmville | ‘America is a better country than this’
- Superb Thread Explains How “We are less safe in every way because of [Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01)” – Guns, FEMA, Health, Economic/Financial Harm, etc, etc. (Next year, Wittman BADLY needs to be – and CAN be – replaced by a Democrat!)
- Trump, Youngkin and Bernie agree: US should acquire stake in defense companies (So, as Bill Bolling all but said, Trump and Youngkin are socialists.)
- Past elections echo in governor’s race as Labor Day push begins (The RTD has apparently decided to use “BREAKING NEWS” for everything, even when it’s most definitely not “BREAKING NEWS” – in all caps or not.)
- WINSOME, LOSE SOME: As Labor Day Weekend Approaches, Sears’ Opposition to Legal Protections for Gay Virginians Resurfaces (Earle-Sears “indicated that she believed homosexuality is an ‘immoral lifestyle choice.’””)
- Virginia House Democrats Break Record with $11.5 Million in TV Reservations (“This record-breaking investment shows the strength and determination of our candidates” — Speaker Don Scott.)
- Flip and Defend-a-District 2025 (Vol. 13): Sarah Ratcliffe (HD62), Gary Miller (HD49), Cheryl Smith (HD98), Del. Debra Gardner (HD76)
- Arlington, Fairfax Public Schools File Lawsuits Against Trump Dept. of Education For Acting “Contrary to Congress’s Constitutional Power” and the Law (“Our transgender student policy is consistent with both state and federal law”)
- Two Va. school districts sue U.S. Education Dept. in fight over gender policies (“Two Virginia school districts sued the U.S. Department of Education to stop it from freezing funds due to their gender-identity policies.”)
- Trump admin cancels $679M for offshore wind projects, including 2 in Hampton Roads
- Former US attorney for Eastern Virginia suffered ‘sudden unexpected death in epilepsy,’ ME says
- UVA president search update | Faculty group wants a search committee do-over
- Getting to know: Makayla Venable | Democrat working to shock the world in the 36th (“The 36th went 58.6 percent for Donald Trump in 2024, so, it’s on the outer edge of being nominally competitive.”)
- Loudoun residents rally against sheriff’s cooperation with ICE
- Virginia Wesleyan University alumni, students push back against name change (“As a petition to prevent the renaming to Batten University surpasses 5,000 signatures, many VWU alumni are expressing disapproval in the new branding.”)
- Nice days on repeat into next week (“Nice” but we’re in a drought.)