Thursday News: “CDC Bosses Quit With Doomsday Warning About ‘Deadly’ RFK Jr.”; Jesse Watters “Jokes” About “Blacker Barrel”; Youngkin Fails to Raise SOL Scores; Google Brings More “electricity hogs and environment killers” to VA; “Afghani teen’s detention…marks new low in Trump’s deportation debacle”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, August 28.

• Trump, With Tariffs and Threats, Tries to Strong-Arm Nations to Retreat on Climate Goals (Pure evil.)
• Why not start with the security guarantees? (“It’s strange to treat security solutions as a future issue when Ukraine and Russia urgently need them now.”)
• The ‘land swap’ that wasn’t: Inside Trump’s frantic dash for Ukraine peace
• Russia mocking peace efforts, EU says, as strikes on Kyiv kill at least 15
• Russian Missile and Drone Attack Kills at Least 14 in Kyiv (“The strikes on Ukraine’s capital, nearly two weeks after the U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska, injured at least 45 people, officials said.” Give Ukraine EVERYTHING it needs to defend itself – immediately!)
• Trump, Gabbard purged top CIA Russia expert days after Alaska summit (“The CIA officer was due to take up a prestigious assignment in Europe approved by CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Instead, her security clearance was summarily revoked.” WTF???)
• With Russia’s help, North Korea expands its nuclear weapons capability
• Xi shows Trump who holds the cards as he sets up meeting with Kim and Putin
• Navarro Calls Ukraine ‘Modi’s War’ Over Russian Oil Buying (Navarro is an imbecile; in fact, it’s PUTIN’s war, although clearly it’s not good that any countries are helping Russia evade sanctions.)
• European ministers tell U.S. they’ll trigger “snapback” sanctions against Iran
• Iran faces return of sweeping sanctions from UK, France and Germany (“Decision by European powers follows Iran’s failure to readmit UN inspectors to all of its nuclear sites”)
• The road to famine: How U.S. policy failed Palestinians in Gaza
• Trump and Advisers, Including Kushner, Meet on Gaza’s Future (“The meeting focused on the postwar future of the Gaza Strip, where Mr. Trump has mused about removing Palestinian residents and setting up a luxury resort.”)
• Scoop: Tony Blair and Jared Kushner brief Trump on Gaza post-war plans
• West Bank Palestinians Wait in Dread For Israel’s New Settlement
• Malawi set to run out of TB drugs in a month after US, UK and others cut aid
• Argentina’s president Milei pelted with rocks on campaign trail amid corruption scandal linked to sister (Milei is horrendously bad.)
• Mexico to Raise Tariffs on Imports From China After US Push
• Rwanda accepts seven people from US as part of deportation deal
• Denmark summons US envoy over report on covert American ‘influence operations’ in Greenland
• Top Florida official says ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ will likely be empty within days, email shows
• ICE asks for access to Chicago-area Navy base to assist operations (Hell no)
• The CDC Is Falling Apart
• CDC Bosses Quit With Doomsday Warning About ‘Deadly’ RFK Jr.
• With vaccine skeptics in charge, COVID-19, other routine shots may cost you more (These people aren’t just “vaccine skeptics,” of course, they’re anti-science nutjobs.)
• CDC director being ousted weeks into job
• CDC director pushed out, flood of top resignations follow (The Trump administration is destroying the crown jewels of American health, science, etc. Putin, Xi, etc. must be VERY happy!)
• CDC Director Susan Monarez is ousted as her lawyers say ‘she will not resign’
• “Unable to serve”: CDC vaccine chief slams Kennedy in resignation post
• 4 CDC leaders resign over ‘weaponizing of public health’
• FDA approves COVID-19 vaccines only for ‘high risk’ people
• RFK Jr. Shares Deeply Weird Way He Knows Kids Are Unhealthy (RFK Jr. is an insane person. Seriously, literally, ec.)
• The Markets Won’t Save the Fed From Trump (“Investors can’t do what politicians and voters won’t do.”)
• How Long Can Jerome Powell Hang On to the Worst Job in Washington?
• Trump’s War on America (“To allow Trump’s autocratic allies to prosper, our military and intelligence must take on new roles at home. We can sound the alarm with those who serve.”)
• Election 2025 | Trump demands states ‘do what the president tells them’ on mail-in voting
• US FDA narrows under-65 COVID vaccine eligibility; maintains full access for older Americans
• In Trump’s Second Term, a Bolder President Charges Ahead Unchecked (“Trump is frequently riffing on authoritarianism and is ignoring caution from his advisers.”)
• Trump’s War on Wind Power Is a War on His Working-Class Voters
• Trump admin’s new anti-renewables rule rooted in fossil-fuel misinformation (“The Interior Department’s directive casts solar and wind energy as bad for the environment, without weighing costs of oil, coal, and gas, critics say.”)
• None of it is working, chief: Trump underwater on, everything, in new national poll (“Trump has his diehards, and that’s about it.”)
• Majority Of Voters Oppose Deploying National Guard To D.C., Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Support Drops For U.S. Military Aid To Israel As 50% Think Israel Is Committing Genocide In Gaza
• John Bolton Inquiry Eyes Emails Obtained by Foreign Government (“It is not clear what country intercepted Mr. Bolton’s private emails, but the investigation into President Trump’s former national security adviser picked up momentum under the Biden administration.”)
• Donald Trump Looks Terrible. Why Won’t the Press Ask Him What’s Wrong?
• The Cabinet Is Kissing Trump’s Ass to an Insane Degree. It Signals Something Dangerous. (“Forget the Nobel Peace Prize. The president seems to want a cult.”)
• Inside Pete Hegseth’s Civilian Purge at West Point (“What do Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have against soldiers listening to civilians?”)
• Democratic Mayors Convene After Trump’s Takeover Threats, Seeking United Front
• Guard not needed in Chicago, Pritzker tells AP during tour of city to counter Trump’s crime claims
• Air Force to provide funeral honors to Ashli Babbitt (That is beyond f**ed up.)
• </Top Trump State Department official Michael Anton to depart in the fall>
• YouTube’s Deal With the Devil (“Google once declared OAN too toxic for its platform—now Sundar Pichai and Neal Mohan are breathing new life into the conspiracy network as they negotiate a high-stakes agreement with Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation”
• Unhinged tweets and absurd self-promotion? Two can play at that game (“Gavin Newsom’s counterpunching against Trump serves as a master class in flipping the script – and boosting his own profile”)
• The Origin Story of Gavin Newsom’s Salty Online Trolling (“The California governor is getting traction with his increasingly feisty tweets and maybe beating Donald Trump at his own game.”)
• Hundreds honor 2 children killed and 17 people wounded in shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school
• Minneapolis Catholic school shooter: What we know (“In the wake of the shooting, a video depicting an apparent manifesto-style document was posted on YouTube from an account believed to be associated with Westman. Lagoe said officials are actively investigating the authenticity of the video, which was posted around 9 a.m., about 30 minutes after shots were fired.”)
• </MAGA Takes Sick Victory Lap Over ‘Trans’ Minneapolis Shootera>
• Charlie Kirk tells Taylor Swift to “submit to your husband” and “have a ton of children” (Deranged.)
• Jesse Watters on Cracker Barrel rebrand: “The only thing that could’ve been worse, if they had made it Blacker Barrel”
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser Praises Donald Trump’s Police Takeover
• ‘Living in this terror’: DC mayor shares message to anxious residents during law enforcement surge
• Breaking Down the White House’s Lies and Distortions About Crime in DC
• Trump’s D.C. Law Enforcement Takeover Has Black Parents on Edge
• Even When the NY Times Tries To Write a Puff Piece About Democrats – in This Case, Spanberger and Sherrill – It’s Still Hot Garbage (As usual, the “mainstream” political media is lazy, sloppy, and just loooves to perpetuate negative stereotypes about Democrats.)
• Warner talks broadband issues in Bedford stop (“When it comes to comparing satellite to fiber-optic cable, the senator says cable is typically superior. Warner said he plans to push the commerce secretary about funding to end cellular dead spot problems.”)
• Google investing $9B in additional data center capacity in Virginia (“This is supposed to be treated as good news – that we’re going to get more of these electricity hogs and environment killers costing us more on our electric bills and competing with us for fresh water, not to mention the noise.”)
• Google Expands Data Center Investment in Virginia, Doesn’t Share Site Specifics (“Considered the data center capital of the world, Virginia will see more of big-tech’s energy, water-intensive facilities.”)
• Voting rights case to ensure rolls aren’t purged too close to Election Day to move forward
• Dispatches from the campaign trail: Spanberger loves meeting strangers, recharges with family (Two days in a row of puff pieces in the RTD, both labeled as “BREAKING NEWS.” At least this one is accurate, unlike yesterday’s sanewashing/whitewashing of far-right-extremist-nutjob Winsome Earle-Sears. Bottom line: the RTD is a joke of a newspaper and nobody should subscribe to it.)
• Chaz Nuttycombe on New Right-Wing “Poll” of 2025 Virginia Elections: “The bullshit in this poll [reeks] so damn bad, you take one whiff, and it’ll feel like your nostrils are being branded.” (“The goal of this poll isn’t accuracy, it’s to pull wool over the eyes of people gullible enough to believe it.”)
• At Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference, Spanberger Outlines Support for Law Enforcement (Spanberger: “As Governor, I Will Work with Anyone — Republican or Democrat — Who Is Serious About Supporting Virginia’s Law Enforcement Officers”)
• Republicans hammer Spanberger over vow to repeal Youngkin immigration order (“The Democrat argues the directive misuses resources and erodes community trust, but GOP leaders say it weakens law enforcement and endangers Virginians.” Typical “both-sides”/false equivalence reporting by the mainstream media. In this case, of course, Spanberger is right and Republicans are wrong, but god forbid the media just say that.)
• Virginia struggles to make up pandemic learning loss, new data shows (“Virginia students made slight gains on state tests last year, but still struggle to rebound to pre-pandemic levels”)
• Four years later, Virginia SOL scores largely unchanged as Youngkin points to new tests
• Virginia’s 3rd-8th graders make slight improvements on SOLs (So…Youngkin failed, basically.)
• Earle-Sears failed to secure police group endorsement. Here’s why (She “showed up late,” then “rather than directly address their concerns, which the VPBA had shared in advance, Earle-Sears instead told off-topic stories.” Pathetic but NOT surprising at all if you’ve followed Winsome Earle-Sears closely over the years.)
• MAGA Miyares: Jason Miyares Silent as Trump’s SNAP Cuts Threaten 447,000 Virginians
• Southwest Virginia will lose seats in the General Assembly in the next redistricting. Here’s how much the delegation will shrink over the next 25 years. (“By 2050, Southwest Virginia will have just three members in the House of Delegates.”)
• Hampton Roads students passed SOLs at slightly improved or similar rates from last year
• Stone crabs are calling Virginia waters home — for the first time ever
• Virginia Beach to explore developing below ‘Green Line’ (“Not everyone was on board with expanding the industrial park. Councilwoman Barbara Henley, who represents the district, pushed back, saying the proposal risks compromising a fragile landscape that should be reserved for environmentally-friendly projects.”)
• Details about Martinsville city manager’s firing will not be made public, council votes (“The council members who voted against releasing information about the firing of Aretha Ferrell-Benavides cited attorney-client privilege.”)
• Afghani teen’s detention in Virginia marks new low in Trump’s deportation debacle
• Fairfax Co. adds weapons detection screenings at school board meetings
• Mary Baldwin University president resigns: Jeff Stein had been on the job just two years
• CWG Live updates: Comfortably sunny skies through Labor Day (“Sunny, mild and dry weather hangs around for the next week.”)