by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, October 25.
- AI models may be developing their own ‘survival drive’, researchers say (“Like 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000, some AIs seem to resist being turned off and will even sabotage shutdown” Yikes!)
- Russia faces a shrinking and aging population and tries restrictive laws to combat it
- Witkoff to meet Putin’s envoy amid new U.S. sanctions on Russia
- </At least three killed in Russian strikes overnight on Ukrainea> (“Attacks come after Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeals to US for long-range missiles and urges allies to expand sanctions on Russian oil”)
- Asia, Caught in the Middle, Faces Trump and Xi’s Tug of War
- Trump Leaves Behind a Reeling Washington to Chase a Deal With China
- US and China Begin Trade Talks in Malaysia to Ease Tensions
- Trump hunts for money and ‘peace’ in Asia
- Trump says he wants to meet Kim Jong Un on Asia trip (WHY???)
- Why is Trump, the self-proclaimed ‘president of peace’, aiming to topple the Venezuelan regime? (“Marco Rubio has pushed for a tough approach to Venezuela, while the president reportedly only cares about the oil”)
- Venezuela’s Maduro says US ‘fabricating war’ as it deploys world’s largest warship
- The U.S. Is Preparing for War in Venezuela
- U.S. Deploys Aircraft Carrier to Latin America as Drug Operation Expands
- Trump considering plans to target cocaine facilities inside Venezuela, officials say
- Trump Wants an Easy Win in Venezuela. He Won’t Get One.
- Top Democrats demand details of spy agencies’ role in boat strikes
- Intel Democrats press Gabbard on Trump administration boat strikes
- The pettiest reason to derail talks with Canada
- Trump says a Canadian ad misstated Ronald Reagan’s views on tariffs. Here are the facts and context
- How One Ad Sent U.S.-Canada Trade Talks Into a Tailspin
- Trump blasts ‘dirty play’ by Ontario in waiting to pause Reagan trade ad after World Series
- Trump Not Planning to Meet Carney as Spat Over Trade Ad Drags On (Bloomberg “both sidesing” this as a “spat” is BULLSHIT – this is 100% on Trump!)
- Tropical Storm Melissa expected to explode into a Category 4 hurricane and could bring catastrophic impact to Jamaica
- Portland judge rejects Trump request to allow national guard deployment (“Karin Immergut to decide by Monday whether to lift her order blocking federalized troops from patrolling city”)
- Trump Administration Plans a Shake-Up at ICE to Speed Deportations (“The preliminary plan stems from frustration over the pace of the deportations, which are lagging behind President Trump’s demands.”)
- Federal judge orders Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino into her courtroom
- US says it now plans to deport Abrego Garcia to Liberia as soon as Oct. 31
- Inflation climbs to highest level since January, beef prices soar (“A recent uptick in prices has coincided with a sharp slowdown of hiring.”)
- An E.P.A. Plan to Kill a Major Climate Rule Is Worrying Business Leaders (“Some carmakers and energy executives say the plan would trigger costly litigation and spur individual states to create a patchwork of tighter rules.”)
- Trump Claimed Wind Farms Kill Whales—and Then Quietly Axed Research Into the Issue
- These Judges Are Warning Us We’re on the Fast Track to Martial Law
- What if the Big Law Firms Hadn’t Caved to Trump? (“It’s not inconceivable that, had the firms resisted the President’s executive orders, his momentum for lawlessness might have been curbed.”)
- Americans brace for food stamps to run out: ‘The greatest hunger catastrophe since the Great Depression’ (“Nearly 42 million people in danger as federal government shutdown continues and Snap funding to end 1 November”)
- Exclusive: USDA says it won’t use emergency funds for food stamps
- Civilian employees at several federal agencies miss their first full paycheck
- It’s supposed to be payday for many federal workers. Instead, they’re getting nothing
- Keeping the House Absent, Johnson Marginalizes Congress and Himself
- Can DoD use private funds to pay troops during shutdown? (“The notion that people whose identity we don’t know are paying for our troops is humiliating for the country and is potentially dangerous”)
- Pentagon to use $130 million donation from anonymous Trump ‘friend’ to pay military members (That raises MASSIVE ethical/legal red flags! Plus, it’s like $100 per servicemember – not even CLOSE to sufficient.)
- Trump’s Son Is Poised to Profit From Pentagon Drone Proposal (Just IMAGINE the reaction if this were Hunter Biden???)
- Donald Trump has built a regime of retribution and reward (“The president’s purges and attacks on his enemies have developed into a system in which injustice is made routine”)
- Trump Wrecks America. His “Patriotic” Fans Cheer. Is There Any Bottom?
- White House will allow anonymous donors to contribute to Trump’s ballroom project (MASSIVE ethical red flags!)
- Trump demolishes the East Wing — and White House norms (“The East Wing’s rapid razing bypassed a detailed process for major federal renovation projects in Washington. Now, Senate Democrats are demanding answers.”)
- How Trump’s ballroom will dwarf the White House
- Big Tech Helped Bankroll the East Wing Destruction (“Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, and Google have a lot riding on their relationships with the Trump administration. They all cut checks for the ballroom.”)
- Trump likely to name White House ballroom after himself, officials say (This monstrosity will need to be torn down or completely reimagined by a future president.)
- At least 2 historic magnolia trees, Kennedy Garden appear to have been removed to make way for Trump’s White House ballroom
- How the scope of Trump’s White House ballroom plans has expanded: From the Politics Desk
- As Trump wields his power, Jack Smith and his top deputies step back into the spotlight (“The man who brought two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump wants to testify publicly, as two of his top deputies set up a law firm to take on public corruption issues.”)
- Letitia James pleads not guilty to fraud charges in first appearance at Norfolk federal court
- Justice Department Will Monitor Elections in California and New Jersey (Total crap.)
- Hakeem Jeffries Gives Mamdani Last-Minute Endorsement for N.Y.C. Mayor
- Ex-60 Minutes producer Bill Owens says bosses discouraged him from covering Gaza and Trump (“Show’s leader, who resigned in April, says he was also pressured to apologize for edit of Kamala Harris interview”)
- Bret Baier touts CBS News’ move toward “more balance” and “coverage that’s fair” (“In an interview with Sean Hannity, Baier denounced the ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ of mainstream reporters” Yeah, Baier sucks.)
- Trump’s White House Trolls Democrats With Some Choice Website Updates (Deranged.)
- Tortured to Death in Alabama (“The state killed Anthony Boyd last night, and the process was anything but humane.”)
- Trump rips New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill as ‘fake and corrupt’ with ‘unusual name’ (WTF???)
- The NBA Made a Big Bet on Sports Gambling—and It Just Blew Up (“Commissioner Adam Silver had been one of the earliest proponents of legalized betting. Following this week’s arrests, it has led to an existential crisis for his league.”)
- The NBA jumped into bed with gambling. Now the league is getting its due
- Virginia Democrats move to join redistricting push (Horrendously bad headline, but…ok. The fact is, it’s not a “push,” it’s: a) Republicans waging war on democracy; b) Democrats fighting back. WAMU summarizes all that with the anodyne, worthless word “push.” Pathetic…and shows that public media can be just as bad as corporate media.)
- Virginia Gov. Youngkin calls potential redistricting from House Dems ‘a desperate grab’ (The media needs to point out, IN ITS HEADLINES, that Youngkin is a pathological liar and completely full of crap about EVERYTHING. Don’t just be stenographers amplifying his b.s., in other words!
- Here are 6 challenges Virginia Democrats face as they try to redraw congressional lines before the 2026 midterms
- Spanberger Statement on Inflation Rising to Highest Level This Year, Energy Prices Climbing (“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Electricity Prices Rose More Than 5 Percent & Piped Gas Rose Nearly 12 Percent Compared to Last Year”)
- As Winsome Earle-Sears Touts Work as Lt. Gov., She Has “Empty” Schedule And “Spends Long Periods Not Actively Working” (“As Virginians call for transparency about what she’s done in office, Sears refuses to respond”)
- Can Jay Jones Still Win? (“A strong performance by Abigail Spanberger could rescue the embattled Democratic candidate. But a split result is a strong possibility.”)
- James River gets B grade on report card tracking health, restoration efforts
- Obenshain, Franklin among Virginia’s highest campaign ad spenders
- UVA secures more favorable terms in deal with Trump compared to private school counterparts
- MVP asks federal government for permission to build a new gas compressor station in Montgomery County
- Litter on Virginia roads cost taxpayers $10 million, eyesore for all
- Staunton winds down visioning process for 20-year comprehensive plan
- New bridge slated to open at HRBT this weekend
- Richmond plans to convert Shockoe lot into affordable housing
- CWG Live updates: Seasonably cool this weekend and into early week
