by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, September 29.
- How McKinsey and Climate Change Wrecked Insurance (“A secret report shows that Florida underwriters were banking massive profits while stiffing customers. Welcome to insurance in the era of climate collapse.”)
- Environmental damage is putting European way of life at risk, says report
- Russia’s provocations are menacing Nato. The cold war shows how it needs to respond
- Britain may already be at war with Russia, former head of MI5 says (“Eliza Manningham-Buller points to extent of cyber-attacks and other hostile activity orchestrated by Moscow”)
- Moldova’s pro-EU party wins clear parliamentary majority, defeating pro-Russian groups
- In pivotal vote, Moldova shifts towards Europe (“The surprisingly strong performance by President Maia Sandu’s Party of Action and Solidarity against the Patriotic Bloc was a relief for the government and its European partners, who accused Moscow of seeking to influence the vote.”)
- China weaponizes ag imports to target Trump and US farmers (“China’s freeze on U.S. soybean purchases hits a key GOP constituency in the run-up to 2026 midterm elections”)
- Trump holds the levers to move Gaza toward peace (“Administration’s 21-point plan aims to create the alternative to Hamas that’s been absent.”)
- Netanyahu to Meet Trump as US Intensifies Gaza Truce Push (“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a crucial White House meeting with US President Donald Trump on Monday amid assertions from Washington that an ambitious plan to end the war in Gaza is nearly complete.”)
- Exclusive: Trump says Gaza peace deal in “final stages” (Maybe, maybe not, but the words “Trump says” should never be greated with anything other than derision, scorn, laughter, skepticism, etc.)
- Trump’s Gaza plan gives Netanyahu a tough choice. Here’s why it’s difficult to predict what happens next
- The week in Trump absurdities: from Turkey’s ‘rigged elections’ to ‘your countries are going to hell’ (Trump has utterly disgraced our country, tarnished our reputation probably forever, etc.)
- Stephen Miller takes leading role in strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats (“Exclusive: Miller’s homeland security council has played a key part in coordinating operations, sources say” This guy is a stone-cold fascist.)
- Have Cubans Fled One Authoritarian State for Another? (“In the past few years, as many as two million people have escaped the island’s repressive regime and collapsing economy. Those who’ve made it to the U.S. face a new reckoning.”)
- Children left short of clean water and sleep amid ‘prolonged’ detention by Ice, watchdog groups allege (“Legal experts speak of ‘cruel’ and harmful deprivations for families held in Texas immigration facility” WILDLY unacceptable!)
- Feds march into downtown Chicago; top border agent says people are arrested based on ‘how they look’ (This is absolute HORSE SHIT)
- Trump’s Plan to Send Troops to Portland, Oregon, Prompts Frustration (“President Trump has made Oregon’s largest city a frequent target of both his rhetoric and his policies. Many residents are rolling their eyes”)
- Oregon sues to block Trump from deploying troops to Portland
- Oregon Officials Tell Trump to ‘Stay the Hell Out’ of Portland
- Trump Is Waging a Catastrophic War on Data (“A president steeped in lies seeks to cut of the flow of accurate information at its source.”)
- What Is the ‘Med Bed’ Conspiracy Theory Trump Promoted?
- Trump, 79, Shares Weird AI Video Shilling Magic Beds (Trump is: a) an imbecile; b) insane. And if you support him, that’s what you’re supporting.)
- The Man Behind the All-Powerful Presidency (Russell Vought is completely f’ed up.)
- With Federal Support for Wind and Solar Waning, States Are Trying to Push Policy Through on Their Own
- Why Is Your Flight Always Delayed? Blame Government Shutdowns
- Trump news at a glance: more than 100,000 federal workers to quit on Tuesday in largest ever mass resignation (“Latest departures in Trump administration’s deferred resignation program come as Congress faces government shutdown deadline – key US politics stories from Sunday 28 September”)
- Trump threatens mass firings of federal workers if government shutdown isn’t averted, NBC News reports
- With Scant Information, Federal Workers Brace for Possible Shutdown (“After a tumultuous year of staffing cuts, government employees now face the prospect of going without pay — or facing even more layoffs.”)
- Trump confident ahead of Monday showdown, says Democrats’ position makes shutdown likely: “I just don’t know how we’re going to solve this issue”
- Lawmakers dig in heels as shutdown deadline looms (The “mainstream media”‘s coverage of this is relentlessly “both sides”/false equivalence, even though it’s like 99% the Republicans’ responsibility and fault. So, yes, if you get your news from the “mainstream media,” you get a highly distorted, erroneous view of reality.)
- Van Hollen says Democrats ‘not going to write a blank check’ to avert shutdown
- Government shutdown draws closer as congressional leaders head to the White House
- What’s Really Behind the Shutdown: the GOP’s Immoral Priorities (“The tired punditry of shutdown politics isn’t adequate to the task of illustrating Republican villainy. Democrats will have to shout about it.”)
- FEMA Is Paralyzed. Disaster-Torn Communities Are Paying the Price.
- The Race to Save America’s Democracy (“Trump’s administration may seem chaotic, but Americans should not take the integrity of next year’s elections for granted.”)
- JD Vance Says ‘More Indictments’ Coming After Comey (JD Vance is seriously f’ed up.)
- Ex-Trump lawyer says president using Comey indictment to conceal being ‘criminal’
- Trump’s Politicized Prosecutions May Hit a Roadblock (“When the president puts his political enemies on trial on pretextual grounds, jurors have the option of refusing to convict.”)
- In Going After His Foes, Trump Sets a Precedent That Could Haunt His Allies
- Trump says he “would think” the DOJ is investigating ex-FBI chief Wray (DoJ should now be called “Department of Injustice”?)
- Trump says he’ll attend Pete Hegseth’s gathering of generals to tell them ‘how well we’re doing militarily’
- Donald Trump Pushes Racist Conspiracy Theory in String of Late-Night Reposts (Trump is literally insane.)
- Harris calls Trump ‘incompetent and unhinged’ and makes call to ‘fight fire with fire’
- Mormon Church Shooter Had a Trump Flag Outside His House (“Authorities stressed that they have yet to identify a motive for the attack on the Mormon church amid social media speculation.”)
- Death toll rises to four after Michigan church shooting and arson attack
- Marine veteran in custody after 3 killed, at least 8 injured in shooting at a waterfront bar in North Carolina, officials say
- Police: Deadly shooting in North Carolina was ‘highly premeditated’ and location was ‘targeted’
- In Coal-Powered West Virginia, Sky-High Energy Costs Strain Residents
- Should Zohran Be Worried? (“How Eric Adams dropping out will change the final weeks of the race”)
- Eric Adams Slips Out the Side Door (“The Mayor makes official what has been obvious for some time, and ends his reëlection campaign.”)
- Swaggering, Scandalous, Strange: There Will Never Be Another Eric Adams (Eric Adams never should have been nominated. I mean, I did like 30 minutes of Googling about this guy during that primary, and I was like…hell no, this guy’s a total weirdo, slimeball, etc. But apparently many Democratic primary voters didn’t look into Adams at all. Pathetic, really.)
- Eric Adams Abandons Re-election Bid for Mayor of New York City
- Fragile N.C. Residents Lose Medicaid Support for Food and Housing
- Bad Bunny to Headline 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show (“The Puerto Rican superstar is enjoying a massive year with the release of his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, and a historic residency in Puerto Rico”)
- Video: On Face the Nation, Sen. Tim Kaine Says “Trump seems to be focused on a retribution campaign,” Adds, “You gotta focus, man! This is an important job, it’s time to focus!” (“Trump spending time going after enemies and trying to figure out a way to give $20 billion to a friend, the Argentine government, instead of dealing with the challenges we elected him to confront.”)
- Earle-Sears skips many of the things candidates for governor normally do (“She hasn’t met with key business groups. She’s avoided most media interviews. And some days her social media account documents no events. What’s she doing?” “Earle-Sears’ campaign has yet to respond — or even acknowledge receipt. Seven inquiries have gone unanswered.”)
- Earle-Sears’s focus on culture issues in Virginia risks backfiring (“One of the common complaints or observations as to why she hasn’t been catching fire is because there’s really been no overarching message or theme or even positive vision for the future”)
- Federal funding for research to prevent maternal deaths in Va., nationwide set to expire Sept. 30
- Watershed mapping project shows rapid loss of forests, offers new view of Va.’s changing landscapes
- Central Virginia free clinics fear Medicaid cuts mean they’ll be ‘overrun with new patients’
- Big money, tight margins define Obenshain–Franklin rematch in House District 41
- Shenandoah National Park | Report finds increase in visitors, significant economic impact
- Montgomery County supervisors, school board begin process to find new superintendent
- CWG Live updates: A nice autumn week ahead as humidity eases, temperatures cool
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