by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, October 17.
- Brazil to ask countries at Cop30 to vastly increase biofuel use, leak suggests (HORRIBLE idea!)
- Will Putin’s call lure Trump closer to the Kremlin?
- Putin-Trump call a curveball for Zelensky ahead of White House meeting
- How the Trump-Zelensky relationship evolved after explosive Oval Office meet
- Ahead of Zelenskyy meeting, Trump shows signs he might not be ready to send Kyiv Tomahawk missiles (Huge mistake – just send them now!)
‘The key to success is in the sky’: the Ukrainian defenders struggling to stem Russia’s air assault- Russia Won’t Stop Until NATO Acts
- Zelensky to make case for missiles at White House, after Trump and Putin agree meeting
- Violence between Hamas and gangs flares in Gaza, calling disarmament into question (“The current truce has been marked by flashes of violence in Gaza, including a public killing, as Hamas seeks to regain control over the enclave.”)
- Trump warns Hamas ‘we will have no choice but to go in and kill them’ if bloodshed persists in Gaza
- Infectious diseases in Gaza ‘spiralling out of control’, says WHO
- What Palestinians and Israelis Have Learned Since October 7th (“Despite the ceasefire in Gaza, prospects for long-term peace seem worse than ever.”)
- After ‘Horrors,’ Israeli Hostages Taste Freedom and Savor Family Reunions
- Assad-era conspiracy to hide thousands of dead turned Syria’s remote desert into a mass grave
- Trinidadian Family Says U.S. Military Killed Relative in Boat Attack
- Venezuela Mobilizes Troops and Militias as U.S. Military Looms Offshore
- Exclusive: In a first, US strike in Caribbean leaves survivors, US official says
- Senators will force a vote to prevent war on Venezuela without approval from Congress
- Head of the U.S. Military’s Southern Command Is Stepping Down, Officials Say (“Adm. Alvin Holsey is leaving less than a year into his tenure, and as the Pentagon escalates attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea.”)
- Trump’s Military Payroll Gambit Is a Baldly Illegal Seizure of Power (“The president’s latest bit of chicanery may seem relatively muted, but it is perhaps the most anti-constitutional thing he’s done.”)
- We Found That More Than 170 U.S. Citizens Have Been Held by Immigration Agents. They’ve Been Kicked, Dragged and Detained for Days.
- ICE amps up its surveillance powers, targeting immigrants and antifa (HORRIBLE headline by the Bezos Post; in fact, there’s really no organization called “antifa” – mostly it’s just a figment of right wingers’ fevered imaginations.)
- Who are the rightwing influencers filling Trump’s head with visions of antifa?
- DC Woman Accused Of Assaulting Agent During ICE Encounter Found Not Guilty
- Hackers Dox Hundreds of DHS, ICE, FBI, and DOJ Officials
- Salesforce Offers Its Services to Boost Trump’s Immigration Force
- ICE arrests police officer in Chicago suburb and accuses him of being in US illegally
- Democrats Lay Out ‘Damning’ Examples of ICE’s Tactics in Chicago
- Swalwell: When we’re in majority, ICE masks coming off
- The Conflict on the Streets of Chicago (“Federal agents have violently arrested hundreds of undocumented immigrants in the city. Pastors, activists, and lawyers are considering how aggressive the response should be.”)
- Turns Out the President Is Okay with Immigrants—as Long as They’re White Right-Wing Extremists
- Another ‘she-cession’ is rearing its head: Women are leaving the workforce at alarming rates
- US non-profits ‘lock arms’ amid Trump’s menacing of George Soros: ‘We will not be intimidated’
- US ‘on a trajectory’ toward authoritarian rule, ex-officials warn (“A network of former intelligence and security officers says democratic decline is accelerating under Trump’s rule”)
- It Sure Looks Like Trump Is About to Weaponize the IRS (“That is very, very bad—and also illegal.”)
- John Bolton says he hopes to expose Trump’s ‘abuse of power’ after being indicted
- Inside Trump’s DOJ: Punitive firings, public scoldings and pressure to prosecute foes
- John Bolton is indicted for allegedly keeping and sharing classified information
- Ex-Trump national security adviser Bolton charged with storing and sharing classified information
- Why the Bolton indictment is different from the Comey and James cases
- The John Bolton indictment (“Each case will be judged on its own merits, but this is part of a pattern of selective prosecution.”)
- Unions sue Trump over surveillance and allege First Amendment breach
- Donald Trump’s Dream Palace of Puffery (“The Pentagon’s ban on real journalism looks to be a preview of where the White House is headed.”)
- More than 100 people cover the Pentagon. These are the 15 who signed its new press policy.
- Chamber of Commerce Sues Over Trump’s New $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
- Most see the federal shutdown as a problem and think there is plenty of blame to go around
- Senate Democrats blast Trump’s lack of urgency on a shutdown deal
- The Trump Family’s Ever-Expanding Portfolio of Corruption (“Presented for your approval: a tour d’horizon of the First Family’s misdeeds. Even Barron’s getting into the act!”)
- Editorial: In paying service members, White House invites a legal challenge (“Congress cannot continue to cede authority to the executive, and the courts must hold this administration to account. “)
- Johnson tries to tamp down House GOP shutdown anxiety
- Trump unveils IVF policies, but no new funding or coverage requirements
- So Much for Trump’s Promise of Free IVF
- Adelita Grijalva can force a vote on the Epstein files, but she’s still not sworn in
- Joe Rogan is unpleasantly surprised by Trump’s actions. He’s hardly alone
- One Republican Now Controls a Huge Chunk of US Election Infrastructure (“Former GOP operative Scott Leiendecker just bought Dominion Voting Systems, giving him ownership of voting systems used in 27 states. Election experts don’t know what to think.”)
- Exclusive: MTG goes after Johnson again — this time over Cory Mills comments
- Vance’s Telling Defense of a Racist Group Chat (“How a trove of bigoted and violent texts among young Republicans indicates the future of the party.”)
- Penn rejects White House proposal for special funding treatment (Good job by my alma mater!)
- ‘No Kings’ Rally Organizer: ‘Quite Clear’ Why Mike Johnson Is Attacking Our Protests
- ‘No Kings’ Protest Organizers Aren’t Afraid of Trump’s Court Jesters (“Republicans are attempting to brand the peaceful, anti-authoritarian movement as a swarm of terroristic America haters”)
- No Kings: what to know about the anti-Trump protests attracting millions (“More than 2,500 US rallies are planned in all 50 states as protesters call for limits on presidential power”)
- GOP tries to brand anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protests as ‘hate America’ rallies (“Democrats and organizers of the more than 2,600 events scheduled for Saturday have strongly rebuffed this characterization.”)
- Are the Trumpers setting a trap ahead of Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ rallies?
- Trump plans to leave his mark on Washington by building a Paris-like arch near the Lincoln Memorial
- North Carolina Elections Chief Demands Voters’ Full Social Security Numbers From DMV
- Fox News Poll: Mamdani maintains significant lead in NYC mayoral race (52%-28% over Andrew Cuomo among likely voters.)
- Many swings, few knockout hits as Cuomo and Mamdani trade jabs in heated first NYC mayoral debate
- Maine Senate candidate promoted violent political action in since-deleted online posts (“Graham Platner did not dispute his authorship of the posts but disavowed their violent rhetoric.”)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Wonders, “if [Trump] starts ignoring court orders, the question is, do we have a constitutional democracy anymore?” (Warner: “…there’s public pushback. The Democrats push back. But unfortunately, there has been virtual complete silence from my Republican colleagues.”)
- Video: President Barack Obama Endorses Abigail Spanberger for Governor in New Ads (Obama: “Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women.”)
- Spanberger campaign using Obama to get Trump into the Virginia governor race
- Winsome Earle-Sears Misrepresents Student Learning for Political Advantage (“In fact, the majority of Virginia students are learning appropriately and students in Virginia continue to do better than students in most other states.”)
- Advocates condemn graphic anti-trans ad targeting leading Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger (“The ad contains no factual basis. There is no evidence that Spanberger has ever supported legislation allowing minors to undergo surgery without parental consent, nor any measure permitting students to ‘shower naked’ across genders. Additionally, every major medical association endorses gender-affirming care, including for minors, for transgender patients.”)
- Spanberger enters final stretch with more than triple the amount of money Earle-Sears has (“The new campaign finance reports show Democrats dominate financially, except in the attorney general’s race, where the money is roughly tied.”)
- At debate, Miyares focuses on text scandal; Jones says he would counter Trump (Yep, that’s a good summary of what happened.)
- At debate, attorney general candidates Jones and Miyares trade barbs over violent texts, Trump (The media LOOOOVES using words like “spar,” “trade barbs,” etc. so that their headlines can be “neutral”)
- The campaign for attorney general comes down to texts vs. Trump (“Did this debate save Jay Jones’ candidacy or seal his doom? We’ll find out on election night.”)
- Miyares and Jones spar on the debate stage, as text message scandal looms large (“The two candidates for attorney general also answered questions on crime, civil rights, utility rates and higher education. But nearly every response came with an attack on the other candidate.”)
- Video, Live Blog: Jay Jones and Jason Miyares Face Off at 6 pm in the Sole 2025 VA Attorney General Debate, with Just 19 Days Until the Election
- Video: Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC, Vote Pro-Choice, and Reproductive Freedom for All Launch Six-Figure Digital Ad Campaign Exposing Jason Miyares’ Dangerous Anti-Abortion Record
- Jones and Miyares debate Virginia AG’s role in civil rights, justice reform
- OPINION: Virginia can’t afford to elect Miyares as Attorney General again
- Jones texts addressed in Virginia attorney general’s debate, but don’t dominate discussion
- 6 takeaways from the debate in Virginia AG race rocked by a texting scandal (“Democrat Jay Jones opened with contrition, then pivoted to prosecuting Trump”)
- Pope & Schapiro: Jones and Miyares spar in likely only debate of the AG campaign (Yep, another headline with “spar” in it, lol)
- ‘I’m ashamed’: In debate, Virginia’s Jones apologizes for violence-themed texts (“The state’s GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is running for reelection, called Jones ‘a criminal.'”)
- Youngkin mobilizes Virginia National Guard for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protests (“The Virginia National Guard has not received any formal requests for assistance, but VNG personnel will be on state active duty conducting training.”)
- Local airports not showing partisan TSA video amid government shutdown (“Shenandoah Valley Airport and Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport cited similar reasons to other airports across the country for not playing the video at security checkpoints.”)
- The real reason Todd Gilbert was forced out: Turns out, he’s a stand-up dude?
- Trash bins made from trash: Central Virginia municipalities invest in new recycling venture
- First-of-its-kind offshore wind turbine vessel arrives in Hampton Roads
- In election fraud case, Roanoke County official gets community service
- Longtime Chesterfield Supervisor Jim Holland dies at 73
- CWG Live updates: Beautiful with cloudless skies today. Some warming this weekend. (“Welcome rain may arrive Sunday night.”)
