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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, August 21.
- Rapid loss of Antarctic ice may be climate tipping point, scientists say
- Antarctic climate shifts threaten ‘catastrophic’ impacts globally
- Abrupt Antarctic climate shifts could lead to “catastrophic consequences for generations,” experts warn
- Dramatic slowdown in melting of Arctic sea ice surprises scientists (“Natural climate variation is most likely reason as global heating due to fossil fuel burning has continued”)
- Trump administration imposes fresh sanctions on ICC officials
- ICC ‘deplores’ new US sanctions on judges and prosecutors
- Russia launches biggest wave of strikes on Ukraine for weeks
- Limits of Trump’s diplomacy clear as Moscow balks at Ukraine plan
- Pentagon says US will play a minimal role in Ukraine’s security guarantee (“Meetings between NATO and U.S. defense officials left allies concerned that President Donald Trump would leave Europe to ensure a lasting peace in the war-scarred country.”)
- Witkoff delivered Russian medal from Putin to family of American who was killed fighting for Russia in 2024 (WTF???)
- Zelensky ready for ‘some compromise’ on whether a ceasefire happens before Putin talks as Russia plays down prospects
- European leaders scrambled to shield Ukraine in high-stakes Trump talks – but did they?
- North Korea Has a Secret Long-Range Missile Base Near Chinese Border, Report Says (“Previously undisclosed site could potentially store intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of striking U.S. mainland, according to CSIS”)
- Trump steps back from Russia and Ukraine peace talks for now, sources say (“US president told top advisers trilateral meeting would take place after leaders of the two countries have met first”)
- Zelenskyy says he wants to see an agreement on security guarantees before meeting Vladimir Putin
- Zelenskyy says possible Putin summit site ‘challenging’ as Russia launches massive assault
- In Eastern Ukraine, Fear and Disbelief Over Proposal to Cede Land to Russia
- North Korea’s Top Officers Sent to Russia Are Abruptly Called Home
- Israel enters first stage of planned assault on Gaza City (“Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a settlement project that would effectively split the occupied West Bank in two, possibly destroying hopes for a future Palestinian state.” If Kamala Harris were president, she’d be pushing Israel hard not to do this crap. Instead, we’ve got Trump, who clearly has given the green light for whatever Netanyahu et al want to do.)
- Palestinians flee Gaza City districts as Israel says first stages of assault have begun
- US court allows Trump officials to end protected status for 60,000 migrants (The courts are NOT going to save us.)
- Kristi Noem is pushing for ICE to buy and operate a fleet of deportation planes, sources say (“Former officials say that if ICE owned its own planes, it could double the number of people it deports each month. But it would be costly.”)
- Deportations Reach New High After Summer Surge in Immigration Arrests
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia Fights To Have DOJ’s Case Against Him Thrown Out (“The wrongfully deported Maryland man is being punished because he had ‘the audacity to fight back,’ his lawyers argued.”)
- Trump Uses Legal Threats to Push Federal Reserve Member To Resign
- Fed’s Cook Says She Won’t be Bullied Into Stepping Down
- Report: Trump tariffs killing U.S. manufacturing, with more bad news to come
- No, ‘the Economists’ Didn’t Botch Trump’s Tariffs
- Trump says U.S. will not approve solar or wind power projects (This is total insanity.)
- Google President Praised MAGA Speech Slamming ‘Climate Extremist Agenda’ (WTF???)
- Robert Kennedy Has Gutted Our Best Defense Against Future Pandemics (This is also total insanity. Sensing a pattern here? Yes, the Trump administration overall is total insanity.)
- ‘An existential threat’: US health workers call Robert F Kennedy Jr a risk to public health
- Education Department quietly removes rules for teaching English learners (“The move is an acceleration of President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring English the country’s ‘official language.'”)
- Pam Bondi tightens grip on Justice Department after Epstein files fallout
- Gabbard to slash Director of National Intelligence staff by nearly 50%
- Gabbard slashing intelligence office workforce and cutting budget by over $700 million (Total nutjob, maybe a Russian stooge.)
- Trump is wildly unpopular and losing ground fast. Why is anyone afraid of him? | Opinion
- Two Big Law Firms Said to Be Doing Free Work for Trump Administration (Nobody should do business with Paul Weiss or Kirkland & Ellis)
- Government’s demand for trans care info sought addresses, doctors’ notes, texts
- Trump Officials Demanded Confidential Data About Transgender Children Seeking Care
- A Letter to America’s Discarded Public Servants (“You all deserved better.”)
- Trump Can’t Actually Ban Mail Ballots. He Could Still Do a Ton of Damage.
- In Trump’s Ideal Picture of America, Diversity Is Taboo
- Trump’s “Smash Sparrows” Campaigns: Because Dictatorships are Really, Really Stupid (“Indeed, if Trump declared war on sparrows or robins or squirrels tomorrow, you can easily imagine Sean Hannity relating a story like this with tears in his eyes.”)
- Trump and Melania’s Scammy Meme Coins Have Lost Almost All Value (“…the Trump coin’s value has slumped again, to $9, having sunk 88 percent from its January high.”)
- Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid (“Nearly half of the arrests under the security crackdown have been of people in the country illegally”)
- Former National Guard vice chief calls deployment to D.C. an ‘intimidation’ tactic
- JD Vance and Pete Hegseth visit National Guard troops amid DC protests over Trump’s crackdown
- Vance says D.C. police takeover an example for other cities
- Stephen Miller Erupts in Manic Fascist Rant—and Reveals a Big Weakness (“As Miller unleashes a wild tirade about Trump’s D.C. takeover, a sharp observer of his military occupations explains how he’s ominously consolidating power right before our eyes—and how Dems must fight back.”)
- Fake Armies of the Night: Trump Unleashes Show and Awe on Washington (“Donald Trump set up a Potemkin police state in the nation’s capital. It’s not going well”)
- Protesters heckle Vance, Hegseth at photo op to thank National Guard troops in DC
- JD Vance Heckled With ‘Couch F*cker’ Chants During Visit to D.C.’s Union Station
- Military officers shifted to prosecute local D.C. crimes amid Trump takeover (That’s completely insane.)
- Supermajority of Washington residents oppose Trump’s police takeover, poll finds (“Just 17 percent of residents backed the effort to federalize the city‘s police department and deploy federal law enforcement officers.” Who are those 17% and how f’ing stupid are they?)
- Americans worry democracy in danger amid redistricting fights, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
- California Democrats prepare to pass their redistricting plan after Texas House approves new maps
- National poll: Majority of Democrats back California’s effort to counter Texas despite claims of hating gerrymandering
- Texas House Approves Redistricting Maps, Just as Trump Wanted (“The State Senate will vote Thursday on maps intended to help the G.O.P. win five more U.S. House seats in the midterm elections. California Democrats will counter on the same day.”)
- Texas House approves GOP congressional map after two-week delay from Democrats’ walkout (“Republican lawmakers are pursuing the unusual mid-decade redistricting plan amid pressure from President Donald Trump to protect the GOP’s slim majority in the U.S. House.”)
- A Texas County Cuts Over 100 Polling Sites as Trump Attacks Mail-In Voting Nationally (“The decision by commissioners in Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, comes amid growing concern about GOP efforts to limit voting access ahead of next year’s midterm elections.”)
- White House tours canceled indefinitely because of Trump’s ballroom
- Eric Adams Advisor Winnie Greco Handed a CITY Reporter Cash Stuffed in a Bag of Potato Chips
- Todd Gilbert resigns as U.S. Attorney for Western Virginia (“No additional details were available Wednesday night.”)
- Gilbert resigns from U.S. attorney post (“No reason was given for Gilbert’s departure from the office. Tracci deferred to McGinn for comment.”)
- Gilbert resigned from his United States attorney post
- Trump policies gutting Virginia economy: How do we dig ourselves back out? (“Spanberger’s response to the gloom and doom is her Growing Virginia Plan, which includes points of focus on helping farmers grow the state’s agricultural economy with a focus on building markets throughout the U.S. and globally, putting renewed emphasis on Virginia’s advantages in the fields of national security, defense, shipbuilding, and cybersecurity, and assisting workers through job training and retraining programs and by reducing barriers to work – including establishing a paid-leave program and increasing access to affordable childcare.”)
- Editorial: Virginia’s strong financial position will allow it to weather shocks (That’s absolutely not the case – Virginia’s strong financial position is certainly a good thing, but it can’t compensate for the massive damage Trump, DOGE and Congressional Republicans are doing to Virginia.)
- What changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act could mean for health care in Virginia
- NEW TV AD: Abigail Spanberger Takes Her Commitment to Lowering Costs for Virginians to the Airwaves (“Spanberger for Governor. Service. Country. Commonwealth.”)
- Why Yesterday’s Roanoke College “Poll” of the 2025 Virginia Statewide Races Should Be Taken with a Huge Grain…Heck, a PILLAR, of Salt (For one thing, as Chaz Nuttycombe says, “Weighting by 2021 gubernatorial vote instead of 2024 presidential, at least, is insane”)
- Earle-Sears touts her role in Youngkin policy wins — but is light on details
- What’s at stake when Spanberger, Earle-Sears debate? (Not much, unless there’s a major gaffe by either candidate.)
- State Sen. Creigh Deeds warns Earle-Sears’ health care math doesn’t add up (“Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears recently suggested Virginia could use its $4.7 billion emergency fund to make up for $29 billion in federal Medicaid cuts.”)
- Attorney General Jason Miyares cozies up to extreme anti-abortion group (“In a prerecorded statement for The Family Foundation’s webcast titled ‘How to Stop the Deadly Abortion Amendment in Virginia,’ Miyares gave the group his full-throated support.”)
- Joint commission hears roadmaps for Virginia’s retail cannabis rollout
- Virginians say housing costs are a crisis, want lawmakers to act
- Virginians want General Assembly action on housing, survey finds
- Youngkin and Trump try to stir up their base by bullying Trans students in VA
- Virginia Republicans Exploit Loudoun Children Again—This Time in Person at a Staged Press Conference Today at 1 pm (Meanwhile, “The transgender student has already been punished.”; and Rs are “Using a Story LCPS Cannot Legally Clarify”)
- Hollins University denies former VP’s claim of antisemitism on campus
- Staunton: City to evaluate response to Thursday’s water main break, notification to residents
- UVa hospital recertified, remains only Level 1 trauma center in Central Virginia
- Appeals court affirms Virginia governor’s discretion in voting rights restoration
- How Virginians can join the fight against invasive, non-native plants
- Family shares ‘a bit of hope’ on Vogler’s recovery (“Danville City Council member Lee Vogler, who sustained severe burns over much of his body in an attack last month, remains in critical condition but recently was able to stand up, and is no longer on a ventilator all the time, his wife said.”)
- Dinwiddie supervisors reject 196-acre solar farm proposal
- Loudoun Co. schools kick off a new year with focus on connection, empathy and support
- Legal action over Roanoke rezoning is dropped, but conversations about housing issues continue
- Virginia Wesleyan University changing name to Batten University
- CWG Live updates: Clouds and a gusty breeze are all Hurricane Erin brings
