by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, August 26.
- Counting down to zero: the final warning from a climate diplomat (BTW, just a reminder that The Guardian has excellent coverage of the climate crisis, as well as of US politics and many other things. Definitely subscribe if you haven’t already – and ditch the WaPo, also if you haven’t already!)
- Ukrainian Attacks Are Forcing Russia to Ration Its Fuel (“The late Sen. John McCain once called Russia ‘a gas station with nukes.’ Now it must ration fuel.”)
- ‘Maybe they will, maybe they won’t’: Trump voices doubt over Zelenskyy-Putin talks (Remember, Trump promised to end the war on day 1, said it would be super easy, that everyone else besides him is an idiot, etc.)
- Finnish president says he hopes Trump’s patience with Putin will run out soon
- ‘They have to give us magnets’: Trump warns of 200% tariff on China if exports are curbed
- South Korea’s charm offensive and other takeaways from Trump meeting
- Trump Says He Wants to Meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un This Year (Ugh, WHY???)
- French Market Stress Enters Second Day as Political Fears Mount
- French Premier Risks Government Collapse as Opposition Grows (“The turmoil leaves French President Emmanuel Macron in a difficult position with few viable options.”)
- Rabbis Emerge as Growing Voice of Criticism of Israel’s Tactics in Gaza
- Israel’s Gaza Campaign Is Making It a Pariah State
- Families demand hostage deal as double Israeli strike on Gaza hospital draws wide condemnation
- Israel hits Gaza hospital, killing at least 20 people, including five journalists
- Australia accuses Iran of organizing antisemitic attacks and expels ambassador
- Trump threatens ‘substantial’ new tariffs against countries with ‘discriminatory’ digital rules
- Trump Threatens New Tariffs on Countries That Tax Tech Companies
- Trump admin ‘absolutely forbidden’ from removing Abrego Garcia, judge says
- The Trump administration won’t leave Kilmar Abrego Garcia alone
- As mass deportation intensifies, right-wing media expand their aim to include American citizens )(“MAGA volk: Right-wing media personalities are expanding their hostility toward undocumented immigrants and now are targeting naturalized and native-born citizens in an assault on American identity”)
Trump moves to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook in escalating attack on bank’s independence (Good headline by The Guardian.)- Trump Says He’s Firing First-Ever Black Woman on Federal Reserve. She Tells Him to Shove It (Super headline by the Daily Beast)
- Trump tells Fed’s Lisa Cook she’s fired; she says ‘he has no authority to do so’
- Trump Fires Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook in Unprecedented Attack on Agency Independence
- Trump moves to fire Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook (“President Donald Trump moved to oust Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook over unproven allegations of mortgage fraud, ratcheting up efforts to push the central bank to do his will.” HUGE mistake – also illegal.)
- Trump Moves to Fire Fed’s Cook, Setting Up Historic Legal Fight
- Trump’s Problematic Pick to Lead BLS Expected to Face Senate Hearing After All
- Green Eggs and Sun (“How the Trump Administration’s irrational dislike of solar and wind energy imperils both the environment and the economy.”)
- Renewables investors are pulling back from the U.S. (Why would anyone in their right mind invest in the US at this point?)
- With Little Explanation, Trump Throws Wind Industry Into Chaos (“The Trump administration is halting wind projects that had been approved, financed and underway while providing little to no justification.” ILLEGAL – goodbye rule of law in America.)
- Tim Walz Doesn’t Mince Words on Trump: ‘These Are Fascist Policies’
- America Tips Into Fascism
- We have become an authoritarian state, and our top newsrooms are in denial (The political media is doing, and HAS been doing, a HORRENDOUSLY bad job. In the end, they played – and continue to play – a HUGE role in bringing us to where we’re at right now. Seriously, screw them.)
- Trump, chairman of corporate America (So…the government in charge of private enterprise? Most would call that socialism. And conservatives are cool with it, apparently.)
- Trump: ‘A Lot of People Are Saying Maybe We’d Like a Dictator’ (“The president claims he doesn’t actually want to be a dictator, but the past seven months tell a different story”)
- Trump’s Right-Wing Socialism (“The president is embodying the type of big government that right-wing politicians and thinkers have been warning about for a century.”)
- After U.S. Takes Stake in Intel, Trump Pledges ‘Many More’ Deals (Definitely socialism.)
- At Gateway Pundit conference, former Trump attorney Peter Ticktin says that he “wouldn’t be very surprised” if there’s “an emergency called” before the next election (“I don’t have it on good authority that this is going to be done, but a number of people are urging it because it’s necessary. And with that emergency, we’re going to be able to turn the tide.”)
- Republicans are trying to ensure we’ll never have another fair election
- Trump Is Sending a Terrifyingly Clear Message (“The president is going after his enemies and undermining the American system.”)
- Fema staff warn Trump’s cuts risk exposing US to another Hurricane Katrina
- The Costly Ingredient That Big Food Companies Are Processing: MAHA (“Kellogg’s buyer weighs RFK Jr.’s attack on processed food; ‘Food Babe’ targets CEO”)
- Trump’s assault on the Smithsonian is intellectual violence (“He’s not just “whitewashing” museums. It’s a full-on project of white racial erasure”)
- House Oversight subpoenas Epstein estate, including for any ‘client list’
- Donald Trump vs. Antonin Scalia (“The president targets flag burning for the same reason the justice upheld its constitutionality.”)
- Now Donald Trump wants to put people in jail for burning the American flag
- Trump’s Own Order on Flag Burning Concedes First Amendment Protections
- Trump signs orders aimed at ending cashless bail, flag burning
- Trump hints he will change Pentagon’s name to Department of War (a) stupid; b) can’t do that.)
- DNC chair: Democrats can’t be ‘the only party that plays by the rules anymore’
- Chicago Vows to Challenge Trump’s National Guard Plans
- ‘We are watching and taking names’: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker responds to Trump’s threats to Chicago
- Judge rules Utah’s congressional map must be redrawn for the 2026 elections
- Utah Strikes Down Gerrymandered Map, Reinstates Voter-Approved Redistricting Reforms
- Gov. Moore eyes Maryland map redraw; Spanberger says no changes planned in Virginia
- Fact check: Behind-the-scenes video disproves Trump’s claim that Gov. Moore called him ‘greatest president of my lifetime’
- Kennedy Center’s New Dance Director Criticized ‘Woke’ Ballet Culture (“Stephen Nakagawa, a former dancer with the Washington Ballet, wrote a letter to the leader of the arts center complaining about ‘radical leftist ideologies in ballet.'” )WTF?)
- Exclusive: The University of Michigan Will End Gender-Affirming Care for Minors Amid Trump Admin Legal Onslaught
- As Measles Exploded, Officials in Texas Looked to CDC Scientists. Under Trump, No One Answered.
- Virginia Congresswoman warns of upcoming SNAP benefit cuts
- Under Trump’s/Youngkin’s Leadership, “Moody’s Chief Economist assesses that Virginia’s economy is either currently in recession or at high risk of recession” (Want this to continue into the future? If not, then you need to vote Democratic up and down the ballot)
- Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s Deputy Chief of Staff (and Campaign Veteran) Aaron Fritschner Deconstructs “The Hill” Article, “Virginia Republicans are growing cautiously optimistic in governor’s race” (Fritschner asks, rhetorically – will “a rando with a sign and messaging about high school locker rooms…matter more to swing voters in Chesterfield than sharply rising prices and unemployment?”)
- ‘Trying to do the best we can’: Va. lawmakers, beneficiaries brace for SNAP changes
- Questions that MAGA Miyares Needs to Answer As Jay Jones Stands Up For Reproductive Rights (“Why did you recently serve as an “expert presenter” at an event hosted by one of the most extreme anti-abortion institutions in the nation…?”)
- Races that could determine the fate of same-sex Virginia marriages are on this year’s ballot (“The House of Delegates elections, where all 100 seats are on the ballot, could portend heartbreaking consequences, including the potential forced dissolution of many thousands of same-sex marriages, writes columnist Bob Lewis.”)
- Virginia reported 194 deaths in custody last year. An advisory panel says there’s not enough data to make recommendations.
- Commentary: Federal spending, job cuts are already hurting Fairfax. Virginia is next
- Getting to know: Andrew Payton, Democratic candidate in the 34th House District (“I like this Andrew Payton guy running for the 34th District House seat, which encompasses the City of Harrisonburg and the western half of Rockingham County.”)
- Virginia AG: Roanoke College allowing trans swimmer discriminated against female athletes
- Va. AG says Roanoke College discriminated against female athletes by allowing trans swimmer on team (“School previously pledged to maintain fairness in sports, support LGBTQ+ community and student athletes”)
- Miyares uses office to bludgeon Roanoke College over trans swimmer (By far the best headline on this story is in the superb Augusta Free Press, by Chris Graham. Good work!)
- Miyares says Roanoke College discriminated, retaliated against students in case of transgender swimmer (“The private college in Salem denied the claims made by the attorney general, who did not announce any possible sanctions.”)
- Northern Virginia schools fight the Trump administration over transgender issues. They can afford to.
- Editorial: State, federal officials must work to halt planned cuts to Wallops Island (“NASA’s visitor center at the Wallops Flight Facility is a popular destination on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, contributing to the local economy and fostering public interest in space travel and the quest for a greater understanding of our universe. The Hampton Roads delegation to Congress and the General Assembly should continue lobbying the Trump administration and Republican leaders to abandon a…”)
- 213 birds recovered in cockfighting investigation in Virginia Beach (Evil.)
- Virginia Beach Fishing Pier damaged by Hurricane Erin
- CWG Live updates: Brilliantly beautiful weather continues (Great, but we actually need rain.)