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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, December 12.
- Economic growth no longer linked to carbon emissions in most of the world, study finds (“Analysis marking 10 years since Paris climate agreement underscores effectiveness of strong government policies”)
- 2025: The year the US gave up on climate, and the world gave up on us (“While the U.S. sits in self-imposed isolation, the rest of the world, led by China, raced ahead to invest in renewables and commit to climate action.”)
- Sharks and Rays Gain Landmark Protections as Nations Move to Curb International Trade
- Big Oil’s Climate Ads Have Propped Up Fake Promises and False Solutions for Past 25 Years, Report Finds (“First-of-its-kind analysis of hundreds of climate-related advertisements from BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell suggests that oil companies are continuing to mislead the public on climate.”)
- Bill Gates Won’t Sugarcoat It: Slashing Global Aid Fueled a Surge of Death (The Trump administration is responsible for this.)
- How to Know a Ukraine Peace Deal Is Real (“In a new interview, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discusses Russia’s war on Ukraine and Trump’s challenge to Europe.”)
- US wants Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas and create ‘free economic zone’, says Zelenskyy (“Ukrainian president says plan would not be fair without guarantees that Russia would not simply take over zone” Bingo.)
- Kremlin suggests it may not like new Ukraine peace proposals after recent US-Ukraine talks
- EU set to indefinitely freeze Russian assets, removing obstacle to Ukraine loan
- Trump Says Ukraine Is Losing the War. Officers on the Front Line Disagree. (“Kyiv’s military faces major challenges against Moscow’s massive army, but analysts say a Russian breakthrough is highly unlikely.”)
- Has Ukraine Lost the War? Its Top General Is Pushing Back
- Trump embraces great power cooperation with China and Russia (Trump is an authoritarian, antithetical to America’s professed values.)
- Trump Says US Would Help With Ukraine’s Security in Peace Deal
- Russian ambassador summoned to Berlin over claims Kremlin is seeking to destabilise Germany (“Foreign ministry says there has been ‘significant increase in Russian hybrid activities’ and government will decide on further diplomatic measures later”)
- China’s Last ‘Too-Big-to-Fail’ Housing Giant Loses State Support
- Historic Shift Is Underway in China’s Economy as Investment Slump Deepens
- From Chips to Security, China Is Getting Much of What It Wants From the U.S.
- Trump’s Gaza peace plan struggles to progress as Israel and Hamas face tough choices (“Getting both sides to move onto the second stage is a huge challenge for Washington, as Gazans continue to suffer the longer it takes.”)
- Gaza Faces Another Catastrophic Winter as Environmental and Humanitarian Devastation Mount (Horrible.)
- The Hunt for Assad’s Brutal Enforcer (“Jamil Hassan left behind a legacy of deaths and torture when he escaped the Syrian revolution last year. Now his former victims are trying to bring him to justice.”)
- Rescued at Sea: How Venezuela’s Machado Survived the Riskiest Leg of Her Escape (“The Nobel Peace Prize winner was lost in the Caribbean with no communication for hours before an extraction team found her”)
- Exclusive: US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela’s coast after first ship taken, sources say
- Trump expands Venezuela sanctions as Maduro decries new ‘era of piracy’
- Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Strikes at the Heart of Maduro’s Grip on Power
- Surprise defection leaves Carney’s Liberals just one seat short of majority (“The Toronto lawmaker is the second MP in two months to bolt for the Liberals.”)
- So This Is What ‘America First’ Looks Like (“The practical application of Trump’s isolationism is hardly the big break he promised.”)
- We’re the baddies now. Our new Security Strategy shows it. (“It’s a gift to the Kremlin and a middle finger to our erstwhile allies.”)
- Trump officials ‘conspiring to illegally intimidate’ non-citizens via new VA report, lawmakers say (“Exclusive: Congress members seek answers after Guardian revealed data to be shared for immigration enforcement”)
- ICE Tackled a US Citizen in the Snow. He Says He Was Targeted For Being Somali.
- ‘Somalis are the scapegoat’: fear rises as Trump targets Minneapolis community
- Abrego Garcia won release from detention. He must check in with immigration officials 14 hours later
- Judge Orders Abrego Garcia’s Immediate Release from Immigration Custody
- ‘Unjust, Uncalled For’: U.S. Citizen Sounds The Alarm About Being Arrested By ICE In Minneapolis (It’s time for these thugs to be arrested.)
- The Trump administration’s authoritarian house of cards is starting to fall down (“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is ‘[o]n his way home.’ Another grand jury rejected DOJ’s effort to indict Letitia James. And, Indiana Republicans said no to Trump’s redistricting pressure.”)
- Blame Republicans for our health insurance mess (“Conservatives haven’t taken health policy seriously for decades.” Correct – they are a massive joke on this, and on many other things.)
- John Roberts and the Cynical Cult of Federalist No. 70 (“Alexander Hamilton’s treatise on executive power is one of the conservative legal movement’s favorite texts to quote—and misquote.”)
- Liam Neeson denies anti-vax views after narrating Covid documentary (F*** this guy.)
- FDA intends to put its most serious warning on Covid vaccines, sources say (WILDLY irresponsible.)
- RFK Jr.’s Health Department Is Pondering a National Men’s Health Initiative (What a joke.)
- The EPA website got the basics of climate science right. Until last week. (“The Trump administration purged 80 pages of facts about climate change — including that it’s caused by humans.” Deranged.
- Senate blocks Democrats’ bill to extend expiring Obamacare subsidies
- Breaking: Thing everyone expected to happen, happens. Now what? (“With just 4 more days before the initial December 15th deadline to enroll for coverage starting in January, only a weeks’ worth of legislative session days before the holiday break, and just 20 days before the enhanced subsidies actually expire on New Year’s Eve, it’s looking grim…DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE PASSIVELY AUTO-RENEWED INTO YOUR 2026 PLAN.”)
- The Curse of Trump 2.0 (“What does it say that the President doesn’t even feel he needs to hide his most profane and radical views anymore?”)
- Donald Trump, Security Threat (“The call is coming from inside the White House”)
- Marjorie Taylor Greene’s farewell gift to Mike Johnson: a longshot plot to oust him (“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has been gauging whether there’s enough support among her GOP colleagues to remove Rep. Mike Johnson from the speakership.”)
- Federal judge orders FEMA to restore billions in canceled disaster mitigation funding
- Highly anticipated meeting on the future of FEMA abruptly canceled
- US’s polarization affecting military ability to remain apolitical, says former joint chiefs chair (“Retired Adm Mike Mullen said political environment facing officers is difficult as ‘we have gotten so much more divided’”)
- Navy delivers report to Hegseth on potential of punishment for Sen. Mark Kelly over ‘illegal orders’ video (This is insane; in fact, many Republiacns have said the EXACT SAME THING over the years. That includes Pete Hegseth, by the way – see here, for instance.)
- I Asked the Pentagon About Pete Hegseth’s Mentor. Then the Threats Started. (“Journalism in the second Trump administration gets personal.”)
- Trump Moves to Stop States From Regulating AI With a New Executive Order (States should absolutely move ahead on this, ignoring Trump’s unconstitutional b.s.)
- Republicans spooked by string of disappointing elections
- Trump seeks to cut restrictions on marijuana through planned order (I thought Republicans were strong against this?)
- US national park gift shops ordered to purge merchandise promoting DEI (“Conservation groups say the gift shop initiative amounts to censorship and undermines the National Park Service’s educational mission”)
- Infuriated Dems help GOP quash another Trump impeachment vote (“This is not a team effort…It puts us in a difficult position.”)
- Indiana Republicans Just Defied Trump’s Pressure Campaign to Rig Their Congressional Maps (“A 9-0 GOP gerrymander goes down in flames.”)
- The State That Handed Trump His Biggest Defeat Yet (“Indiana Republicans overwhelmingly rejected a redistricting plan backed by the president.”)
- Indiana Senate Republicans Reject Trump’s Redistricting Effort
- Indiana GOP rejects Trump’s map in major blow to his gerrymandering push
- Trump’s redistricting effort fails in Indiana as GOP lawmakers deliver rare rebuke
- Trump takes steps toward demolishing four federal buildings, preservationist alleges
- America’s Betting Craze Has Spread to Its News Networks (“CNN and CNBC have partnered with Kalshi, a prediction market, encouraging their viewers to wager on current events in real time.” Bonkers.)
- A Grand Jury Again Declines to Reindict Letitia James (“A grand jury in Alexandria, Va., on Thursday rejected the Trump administration’s effort to bring new charges against Letitia James, the New York attorney general”)
- Justice Department fails in its 3rd attempt to indict New York Attorney General Letitia James
- Trump asserts he has pardoned county clerk convicted in Colorado case (“Impact of Trump’s claim is unclear since Tina Peters was convicted in state, not federal, court.”)
- Mainstream news coverage almost totally ignored Bannon’s extensive ties to Epstein (“Bannon and Epstein exchanged hundreds of emails and texts. Most leading newspaper articles didn’t mention their history, and broadcast news ignored it entirely.”)
- Who’s afraid of Candace Owens? (“A movement built to support Donald Trump can’t cordon off conspiracy theories”)
- Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Nick Fuentes: What Could Go Wrong? (“The unfolding MAGA battle over Turning Point USA is chilling, disgusting—and a lot of fun to watch.”)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says “I hope [Trump] goes to every contested district in America & makes that same claim” That the Economy is “A+++++” and That the Affordability Crisis Is a “Hoax” (“[The seizure of an oil tanker] is an escalation”; “I do not support war against Venezuela based upon the lack of facts the president has has [presented]”)
- Video: After Noting That “Secretary Noem tapped out after two hours,” Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Rips Her for Corruption, Incompetence, Extremism (Rep. Walkinshaw also tries to get answers on whether the Proud Boys are “no longer designated as an extremist organization” by the Trump administration)
- Sen. Tim Kaine endorses Beth Macy in 6th District Democratic primary
- Mike Pruitt will take Tom Perriello’s call Friday, but won’t drop out (“In an exclusive interview, Albemarle County Board of Supervisors member and 5th District candidate Mike Pruitt said, ‘I’m in this fight and I’m going to stay in this fight.'”)
- Adele Stichel drops out of race for 5th District seat, endorses Tom Perriello
- At Va. journalists’ forum, Spanberger talks energy policy, combating health care concerns ( “There’s benefit to renewable energy in that it can be realized much and certainly as someone working to lower costs – meet the moment and ensure that we’re generating enough energy. We will continue to need a mix of energy generation into the future.”)
- Pope & Schapiro: Governor-elect Spanberger continues to shape her Cabinet
- Gov.-Elect Abigail Spanberger Announces Del. David Bulova to Be Next VA Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources (This means *another* special election in a solid-blue district is coming, with at least two rumored Democratic candidates so far)
- Lieutenant Governor-Elect Ghazala Hashmi Emphasizes Solutions, Not Distractions, in Response to VDOE Release of Performance Metrics (“As it exits the stage, this administration leaves behind a legacy of division, distraction, and decline.”)
- Most Va. schools meeting new state expectations, Va. education department reports (“Nearly all of Virginia schools fully accredited this year, an increase from last year”)
- New report: Virginia’s history of racial disparity still has impacts today
- VanValkenburg looks to return Virginia to multistate voter data partnership (Absolutely; do so ASAP!)
- Lawmakers consider changes at Virginia’s juvenile justice department
- Ten years on, the promise of GO Virginia is delivering for the commonwealth | Guest column
- Editorial: Region’s faith communities deserve tolerance, peace and safety (“So the community’s heart should break to see vandalism deface the Masjid Ash-Shura mosque in Norfolk on Sunday, a crime now under investigation. Such actions have no place in Hampton Roads and do not reflect our values.”)
- Va. Jewish groups slam Sam Rasoul, anti-Israel state lawmaker exploring congressional bid (“Without mentioning his potential congressional run, the organizations called for Rasoul to resign from his position as Education Committee chair”)
- Jewish advocacy groups take aim at Roanoke Del. Sam Rasoul over Gaza comments (“I’d prefer that Rasoul would have focused his criticism on the far-right Netanyahu government, so as not to confuse the issue; the traditional sense of the word “Zionist” refers to the right of Jews to self-determination in a homeland in the Middle East, which we should all be in favor of – just as we should also all be in favor of the right of Palestinians to self-determination in a homeland in the Middle East.”)
- Lynchburg finance committee hears budget report in wake of leadership change and conflicting messaging about surplus
- Lynchburg metro is gaining jobs, but wages are falling, federal stats show
- For the first time in more than a decade, all Danville public schools are fully accredited
- CWG Live: Chilly again Friday. Light accumulating snow chance Sunday.
