Tuesday News: “Israeli military begins ground invasion of Gaza City”; “Trump Bid to Fire Cook Before Fed Rates Meeting Blocked by Court”; “Trump administration joins Republicans’ campaign to police speech in reaction to Kirk’s killing”; JD Vance “Teeing Up Tyranny?”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, September 16.

• How to close the $223 billion climate protection gap (“Innovative financial tools like parametric insurance, catastrophe bonds and public-private partnerships are critical to building resilience and closing the gap.”)
• Cheap Chinese Coal is Making it Difficult to Reduce Consumption
• Quit Russian oil? For the EU, Trump’s other demands are even harder.
• Frustrated GOP senators blow steam on Russia: ‘Sick of’ Trump, Vance ‘love affair’ with Putin (DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT THEN!)
• Russia has network of 200 camps for ‘brainwashing’ Ukrainian children – report (“Investigation uncovers documents and satellite imagery that confirm children being taken to sites for patriotic indoctrination, weapons training and combat drills” Evil incarnate.)
• 3,500 drones launched at Ukraine this month, Zelenskyy says, as he calls for Trump to take ‘clear position’ on Russia (“Sanctions and security guarantees for Ukraine are among the ‘missing pieces’ Ukrainian president says are necessary for peace ahead of Trump’s state visit to UK”)
• Channel 4 to Mark Trump’s U.K. Visit With “Longest Uninterrupted Reel of Untruths Ever Broadcast on Television”
• Trump’s state visit is mired with potential pitfalls despite careful planning
• Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, UN commission of inquiry says
• Israeli military begins ground invasion of Gaza City (Ugh.)
• Israel begins ground offensive in Gaza City, as UN commission says Israel is committing genocide
• Israel says ‘Gaza is burning’ as it launches huge ground assault (“An Israel Defence Forces official said ground troops were moving deeper into the city, towards its centre, and that the number of soldiers would rise in coming days to confront up to 3,000 Hamas combatants the IDF believes are still in the city.”)
• More than 10% of Gaza’s population has been killed or injured, former Israeli military chief says (Actually, a LOT more than that have been harmed in various ways…)
• U.S. Strikes a 2nd Venezuela Boat, Killing 3, Trump Says (Again, is there any evidence this boat was actually smuggling drugs?)
• Trump brings the war on terror to the Caribbean (“The military blows up another Venezuelan boat without congressional authorization.”)
• Top AfD politician makes surprise visit to White House (Yikes, why???)
• The US and China have a new TikTok “deal” (“Remember the TikTok ban? There’s a new deadline coming up.”)
• Judge says she can’t help deportees Trump admin sent to Ghana, despite torture fears (“District Judge Tanya Chutkan said she was ‘alarmed and dismayed’ over the administration’s move, but was powerless to intervene.”)
• Rubio says U.S. is deporting visa holders who celebrated Kirk’s killing (Celebrating someone’s death is disgusting, but is that legal grounds for deportation?)
• Trump Bid to Fire Cook Before Fed Rates Meeting Blocked by Court
• Exclusive: No evidence of primary residence violation by Fed Gov Lisa Cook, says Michigan official
• Appeals court rejects Trump’s bid to unseat Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook ahead of rate vote (“An appeals court ruled Monday that Lisa Cook can remain a Federal Reserve governor, rebuffing President Donald Trump’s efforts to remove her just ahead of a key vote on interest rates.”)
• Senate confirms Trump adviser to top Fed role (“Stephen Miran will become the first White House official to simultaneously serve on the board of central bank in 90 years.” VERY bad.)
• Fed Meeting Is Set to Bring Together Targets of President’s Ire With Trump Ally
• The Supreme Court is about to decide one of the biggest economic policy cases ever
• Trump tells GOP to cut out Democrats on funding bill as Schumer warns of shutdown
• Republicans dare Democrats on avoiding government shutdown
• Scoop: House Dem group unveils steep demand list to stop shutdown
• Senate Republicans ready Obamacare rescue
• Kennedy Said He Wouldn’t Take Away Vaccines. This Week Will Be the Test.
• GOP lawmakers don’t sound enthused about RFK Jr. (Again, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!)
• Scoop: Republicans plan bill to consolidate government-funded broadcasters
• How Donald Trump Made Himself Investigation-Proof (“He has systematically undermined our best institution for keeping presidents accountable.”)
• Jeffrey Epstein estate turns over more documents to House committee
• “Conservatism” Is Now Just a Domination Fetish (“From states rights, a rules-based system, and limited government to a boot stamping on a human face—forever.”)
• Trump administration joins Republicans’ campaign to police speech in reaction to Kirk’s killing (The government policing speech, even if it’s distasteful or offensive speech, is about as clear a violation of the First Amendment as you’re ever going to see.)
• How the Right Turned Charlie Kirk’s Murder Into a Propaganda Masterclass (“Moments like this one are what their political/media machine was built for, and they are ready to go berserk.” Yep, and Democrats completely failed to build a comparable political/media machine – massive political malpractice)
• Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times (Also an assault on free speech/the First Amendment.)
• JD Vance Hints At Crackdown On Mainstream Liberals While Hosting Charlie Kirk’s Podcast
• Election deniers now hold posts on local US election boards, raising concerns for midterms (“‘Election integrity’ activists have found way to positions of power, raising red flags about potential partisan meddling”)
• ‘We will do it in Charlie’s name’: Stephen Miller vows vengeance for Kirk’s murder (In fact, ONE GUY – a white male from a pro-Trump family – murdered Charlie Kirk.)
• On Charlie Kirk Show, JD Vance Talks of Crackdown on Liberal Groups (“Some of the highest-ranking officials in the federal government used Charlie Kirk’s podcast, guest-hosted by Vice President JD Vance, to lay out their plans.” Very disturbing.)
• Trump Advisers Prepare to Target Left-Leaning Groups After Kirk Shooting (“GOP looks to harness outrage, draw younger voters ahead of midterm elections”)
• Trump’s cherry-picked claims on political violence ignore his own rhetoric (“In June, two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers were shot, one of whom died. In April, there was an arson attempt at the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another Democrat. And in December 2022 and January 2023, a former Republican candidate paid people to shoot up the homes of Democratic officials in New Mexico. Also in 2022, Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, was the victim of a brutal hammer attack by a man who said he’d been looking for the then-speaker. There was also the plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.”)
• Pam Bondi Threatens Charges Over Office Depot Employee Who Refused To Print Charlie Kirk Flyers: ‘We Can Prosecute You’ (No, that’s exactly what the First Amendment is for.)
• GOP’s idea of free speech is you must praise Charlie Kirk or they will destroy you (“We need to stand up for free speech!”)
• How Charlie Kirk’s killing sparked unfounded theories about Groypers
• Top FEMA official resigns after staffers ousted for negative Charlie Kirk comments (“Employees have been warned their social media posts could impact employment.”)
• Firings over callous remarks on Kirk’s killing spark debate on limits of free speech (Excellent segment – check it out!)
• House Republicans honor Charlie Kirk with Capitol vigil
• Charlie Kirk fan, angry at me over article | ‘I dare you to come and kill me’
• ‘It was me’: Suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting appeared to confess in Discord chat
• Trump backs Patel amid MAGA divide over FBI director
• Desperate Kash Patel Asks Shooter’s Family If They Can Solve Any Other Cases (This one’s by The Onion, by the way, but you never know these days…)
• National park to remove photo of enslaved man’s scars (“The Trump administration is ordering the removal of information on slavery at multiple national parks in an effort to scrub them of ‘corrosive ideology.'” THey’re whitewashing the horrors of slavery!
• Banning mRNA COVID vaccine is ‘the goal,’ Florida surgeon general says (This guy is completely deranged.)
• The Democratic Party is in fits over Mamdani’s bid for NYC mayor. Republicans are loving it
• Why have top Democratic leaders failed to endorse rising star Zohran Mamdani? (“I do think some of the hesitation is because on some of the national Democrat level and some of the donor level, there is some type of fear that an association with a socialist mayor will hurt Democrats nationally”)
• Why critics are alarmed about the influence of PragerU’s educational videos (Good report, although “critics are alarmed” is bad framing.)
• US judge rejects lawsuit challenge to SpaceX launch site over risks to wildlife (“FAA ruled to have satisfied obligations in granting approval for expanded SpaceX operations next to wildlife refuge” WTF???)
• How Luigi Mangione Is Fighting the Trump Justice Department’s “Unprecedented” Rush to Execute Him
• Mass federal job cuts bring economic uncertainty to the D.C. region
• Washington Post columnist says she was fired over Charlie Kirk posts
• With costs rising, Kaine tries again to undo Trump tariff, energy orders
• Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Demand US Dept. of Education Release Federal Funding for Northern VA Schools (“These successful schools are being penalized for complying with the binding rules set forth by federal courts through Grimm v. Gloucester County School Board”)
• Kaine, Warner challenge former WWE CEO Linda McMahon on Northern Virginia school funding
• THE KIGGANS TWO-STEP: Jen Kiggans Promises Virginians One Thing, Only to Fold and Vote Against Them (“Kiggans’ public comments don’t match her voting record”)
• Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) Says He “received a threat to his office in recent weeks in which a constituent threatened to bring a firearm to his district office” (“I would like to especially thank the U.S. Capitol Police and local law enforcement for all their help in this matter.”)
• Virginia’s US Rep. Subramanyam boosts security after August threat to Leesburg office
• Amanda Pohl announces end of campaign for Congress in Virginia’s First District
• ‘Big, beautiful bill’ fallout: At forum, Spanberger and Earle-Sears clash over Medicaid (“At the only event of the campaign season featuring all six candidates for statewide office, contenders laid out their policies for supporting Virginians with disabilities”)
• Commentary: Jason Miyares refuses to fight for reproductive freedom (Even worse, Miyares fights AGAINST reproductive freedom!)
• Virginia July-August 2025 Campaign Finance Reports Coming In
• Democratic Virginia AG nominee Jay Jones releases plan to combat fentanyl issues
• Swing Left Mobilizes National Grassroots Power in Virginia to Counter Trump’s Authoritarianism and Build 2026 Momentum (“National organization’s network of 1 million grassroots members helping Democrats flip three statewide offices—including its first-ever AG and LG races—expand their legislative majority, and lay the groundwork to win back the House in 2026”)
• Ghazala Hashmi: Virginia’s No. 2 has ‘critical role to play’ (“After spending six years in the Virginia Senate, I’m ready.”)
• UVa declines to answer lawmaker’s questions regarding Ryan departure
• How Virginia cut time to get a birth certificate from a month to two days
• CASEY: Upcoming pro-democracy events in Roanoke and New River Valleys
• Newly formed coalition aims to promote natural gas industry’s interests in Virginia (Hard pass.)
• Candidates for 41st House District discuss political violence, the Clean Economy Act and data centers at candidate forum
• Study calculates value of Virginia coastal wetlands at $90 million (That seems low, actually.)
• Chesterfield school board plans for successor following Heffron’s resignation
• Youngkin and GOP push Dot Heffron to resign now, not December
• Wolf-dog hybrids prohibited from Roanoke after city council vote
• E-bike and scooter crashes, injuries are way up in one area of Northern Virginia (“Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office Master Deputy Terry Rudolph said that in the first five months of 2025, compared to 2024, there’s been a big spike in accidents.”)
• Coastal flood warning issued as storm system approaches Hampton Roads
• Unsettled today and Wednesday with showers, clouds and wind