Wednesday News: Gutter Racist Trump “Calls Somalis ‘Garbage’ He Doesn’t Want in the Country”; “A sickening moral slum of an administration”; “Trump Calls Affordability a ‘Con Job’ as His Edge on the Economy Slips”; In TN07, “Republicans held a Trump +22 seat — but by only 9 points”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 3.

• ‘The dinosaurs didn’t know what was coming, but we do’: Marina Silva on what needs to follow Cop30 (“Exclusive: Brazil’s environment minister talks about climate inaction and the course we have to plot to save ourselves and the planet”)
• The AI frenzy is driving a new global supply chain crisis
• Pope Leo Confronts Trump: Don’t Invade Venezuela — and No “Solo Deal” in Ukraine
• A sickening moral slum of an administration (“Regarding Venezuela, Ukraine and much more, Trump and his acolytes are worse than simply incompetent.”)
• Ukraine Goes After Moscow’s Shadow Fleet in International Waters (“Recent strikes are hitting at the core of Russia’s economy, but they are risky, and their ultimate impact is uncertain.”)
• Kremlin denies Putin rejected all of US peace plan for Ukraine, saying parts were ‘acceptable’
• Russia ‘ready’ for war if Europe starts it, Putin says, as US peace talks end without progress (“Kremlin aide says Ukraine crisis is no closer to resolution after Witkoff talks, as Russian president accuses European powers of sabotaging peace”)
• Europe Wants to Get the Word Out: Russia Is to Blame for Sabotage
• Trump administration latest: Hopes for Russia-Ukraine peace plan dampened
• Kushner’s Moscow mission wasn’t just corrupt. It was unconstitutional.
• They Were Supposed to Save Europe. Instead, They’re Condemning It to Horrors.
• A Newly Confident China Is Jockeying for More Global Clout as Trump Pulls Back (“Feeling empowered after a clash over trade, Beijing is looking to exploit America’s inward turn.”)
• Netanyahu Just Admitted He’s Unfit to Lead Israel (“In attempting to call off his corruption trial, Netanyahu didn’t incriminate himself, but he did something just as damning.”)
• Crisis looms in Israel over ultra-Orthodox conscription bill (“A survey in July by the Israel Democracy Institute think tank found that 85% of non-Haredi Jews – including almost three-quarters in Netanyahu’s own right-wing Likud party – supported sanctions for those who refused a draft order, with a firm majority in favour of withdrawing benefits, passports, or the right to vote.”)
• Pete Hegseth’s “warrior ethos” is plain old cowardice (“He calls himself the ‘Secretary of War’ and plays a tough guy on TV, but in real life he’s a major weenie”)
• Hegseth blames second missile strike on ‘fog of war,’ digging hole deeper (“A second missile strike taking out the survivors of a dubious first missile strike against guys said to be running drugs on a boat 1,500 miles off the U.S. mainland is about as illegal as you can get.”)
• Hegseth cites ‘fog of war’ in defending follow-on strike on alleged drug boat (Nah; Carl von Clausewitz isn’t get-out-of-jail-free card for committing war crimes, Pete!)
• After Decades in Combat, a SEAL Suddenly Comes Under Scrutiny (“Adm. Frank M. Bradley will soon face questions from lawmakers, as Republicans and Democrats express concerns about a Sept. 2 attack on a boat in the Caribbean.”)
• Trump administration is ‘selling out’ admiral to shield Hegseth over boat strikes, officials say
• Family of victim in Trump drug boat killings files first formal complaint (“Exclusive: Petition says Colombia citizen Alejandro Carranza Medina was illegally killed in US airstrike on 15 September”)
• Why is Trump suddenly so obsessed with Honduras?
• Ex-Honduras president, convicted of drug trafficking, freed on Trump pardon (In any other administration, this would be a MASSIVE scandal!)
• Revealed: Mexico’s industrial boomtown is making goods for the US. Residents say they’re ‘breathing poison’
• US pauses all immigration applications from 19 non-European countries (Pure racism.)
• Trump administration pauses immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries
• U.S. Pauses Immigration Applications From Nations on Travel Ban List
• Trump calls Somali immigrants ‘garbage’ as US reportedly targets Minnesota community (“US president’s xenophobic rant comes amid reports of ramped-up deportation efforts in Ilhan Omar’s district”)
• Trump Calls Somalis ‘Garbage’ He Doesn’t Want in the Country (Trump is a gutter racist. If you support him, you either are a gutter racist as well, or you’re ok with Trump being one?)
• Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
• Minnesota officials defend Somali community against Trump’s attacks
• The Radical Honesty of Trump’s Racist New Asylum Policy (“Kristi Noem is being pretty direct in her regurgitation of white nationalist talking points.”)
• ICE Arrested and Separated Chinese Father From 6-Year-Old Son, Advocates Say (“ICE agents arrested a Chinese father and his 6-year-old son, separating the two and sending the father to Orange County Jail while the whereabouts of the son remain unknown as of Tuesday morning.” WTF???)
• Trump Calls Affordability a ‘Con Job’ as His Edge on the Economy Slips
• Search for Fed Chief Puts Pressure on Bessent to Deliver for Trump
• Republicans want the Supreme Court to save them from their own inept mistake (“Meanwhile, Texas Republicans want to immunize their gerrymander from constitutional review.”)
• Judge blocks provision of law that strips Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood affiliates
• US judge blocks Trump from cutting Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood in 22 states
• CDC advisers could reverse newborn hepatitis B vaccine recommendations (“Hepatitis B vaccines given at birth have essentially eliminated the disease in kids. A vote this week could upend that success.” Bonkers.)
• Hopes fade in Congress for a health care deal before premiums soar in January (“Billions of dollars in tax credits under the Affordable Care Act are poised to expire at the end of the year. Lawmakers in both parties say they’re nowhere close to a deal to renew them.”)
• Obamacare subsidies expire this month. Many Republicans are shrugging. (“No one wants a primary challenge where the accusation is: ‘You supported Obamacare.'”)
• Trump administration threatens to withhold SNAP management funds from states that don’t share data (Illegal/unconstitutional? Also, f’ed up.)
• Trump Appears to Fight Sleep During Cabinet Meeting (“President Trump began the meeting by criticizing media coverage about him showing signs of fatigue. Last month, he appeared to doze off during a meeting in the Oval Office.”)
• Trump: Jack Smith classified documents report should remain secret
• Elise Stefanik is Johnson’s latest challenge as he struggles to keep control of the House (“The New York Republican took remarkable public shots at the speaker Tuesday.”)
• Pentagon inspector general investigation into ‘Signalgate’ is complete (“The report was given to Defense Secretary Hegseth on Tuesday and could be released publicly later this week.”)
• Trump Claims Former President Joe Biden’s Pardons Are Invalid (Trump is f’ing nuts.)
• Elon Musk’s Foundation Grows to $14 Billion, but Gives Little to Outsiders (“The philanthropy has become one of America’s biggest, but most of its giving went to charities closely tied to the world’s richest man.”)
• ‘Evil and disgusting’: Sabrina Carpenter condemns White House’s use of her song
• Heading Toward Midterms, the G.O.P. Continues to Slip
• Republicans avoided a nightmare in Tennessee. Their electoral picture is still scary
• Republicans Suffer Humiliating Numbers in Red State Election
• Trump Is Throwing a Hissy Fit over a Close Election in Tennessee (“The president won the state’s seventh district by 22 points last year, but home-field advantage doesn’t seem to be working this time.”)
• What the special election in Tennessee’s Seventh District means for the 2026 midterms (“Republicans held a Trump +22 seat — but by only 9 points. A swing half as large would give Democrats the U.S. House in 2026, and put the Senate clearly in play”)
• Despite loss, Democrats overperformed in bright red Tennessee House race
• GOP frets ‘dangerous’ result in Tennessee (“Republicans are worried the slim margin of victory in Tuesday’s special election may spell doom in 2026.”)
• How Democrats Won Virginia and New Jersey (“We go behind the scenes with Angela Kuefler, the pollster who helped engineer the historic victories of governors-elect Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill.”)
• Progressive topples former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey in Jersey City mayoral runoff
• Olivia Nuzzi’s Much-Hyped Book Was Always Going to Be Self-Serving. It’s So Much Worse Than That
• Virginia joins Chesapeake Bay states, D.C. in new watershed agreement
• Video: Sen. Mark Warner Launches Reelection Campaign “to continue his fight to lower costs and prepare Virginia for the economy of the future” (“America has never been afraid of the future, and we don’t need to start now.”
• Mark Warner, no surprise here, announces U.S. Senate re-election bid (“If somebody was thinking of making a run at Warner from the left, you know, good luck with that.”)
• He’s running: Warner makes it official in reelection campaign announcement
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Speaks on US Senate Floor, Denounces Trump’s Bizarre Pardon of Drug Kingpin Juan Orlando Hernández and Illegal Strikes in Caribbean (“This is no way to wage war…orders of dubious legality offered by civilian leaders of questionable judgment”)
• Sen. Kaine on Hegseth: ‘Real leaders don’t push off responsibility on to their subordinates’
• Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger Endorses Prosecutor Shannon Taylor for Congress in VA-01 (“I’ve known Shannon for years, I’ve seen her work up close, and I know she will fight tirelessly for the hardworking families of Virginia’s 1st District.”)
• Beyer pushing owner of Farmville ICE center on healthcare for detainees (“Northern Virginia Democrat Don Beyer is doing with respect to the Farmville Detention Center what we can’t seem to get Fifth District MAGA Congressman John McGuire, whose congressional district represents Farmville, to do.”)
• Carroll County Democrats: Griffith broke health care, now claims it never worked
• Rep. Jennifer Kiggans said during 2022 campaign that she’d ‘like to eliminate Obamacare’
• Democrats push forward with 2026 redistricting efforts in Virginia
• Governor-Elect Spanberger Announces Her First Cabinet Secretary Appointment, Marvin Figueroa as the New VA Secretary of Health & Human Resources (“Figueroa served as Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governor Ralph Northam”)
• How Gov. Spanberger and a Democratic majority can make energy more affordable (“An aggressive legislative agenda this year will demonstrate national leadership on managing the data center buildout while delivering climate, health and economic benefits to all Virginians, writes columnist Ivy Main.”)
• Report explores the reasons and possible solutions to youth gun violence in Virginia
• Joint Commission unveils changes to cannabis bill, setting stage for 2026 retail launch (“The proposal scraps local opt-outs, adds new protections against consolidation and opens early market access for small growers.”)
• Virginia legislators preview legal weed market effort ahead of 2026
• Virginia legislature gears up for retail cannabis market, potential November 2026 start (“A cannabis retail market could be coming to Virginia as soon as next November, if the General Assembly passes the legislation and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger signs off on it.”)
• Virginia lawmakers would not let localities opt out of cannabis sales (“Democratic lawmakers are preparing to pass a framework for legally buying and selling cannabis in Virginia. Now they plan to make the bill more absolute.”)
• By this time next year, Virginia likely will have legal weed sales. Here’s how they might work. (“A state commission is putting together the proposed rules for legal retail sales of cannabis. Among the highlights: No local “opt-outs” and sales starting Nov. 1, 2026.”)
• VA Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas Calls 1/6/26 Special Election to Fill Seat of VA Sen./LG-Elect Ghazala Hashmi; Nominees to Be Chosen This Weekend (This is a deep-blue district; the two announced Democratic candidates are Delegates Debra Gardner (endorsed by Sen. Lucas) and Mike Jones (endorsed by Sen. Hashmi))
• UVa should delay naming its next president; why patience beats political urgency
• Paint it black: Martinsville’s report on former city manager almost entirely redacted (“Multiple versions of the report exist. The only one released to the public sheds no light on why the former city manager was fired.”)
• Editorial: Abrupt firing of Norfolk redevelopment head demands explanation (“Thousands of city residents depend on NRHA and have every right to expect trustworthy, competent management.”)
• Trump vows to overhaul Dulles. An early target: Its ‘people movers.’ (“The announcement comes after two crashes involving mobile lounges used to transport passengers. The airport is already undergoing a massive renovation.”)
• Here’s how much Roanoke makes from its plastic bag tax — and where the money goes
• Albemarle County: A police officer spooked students, staff, parents at two county schools
• CWG Live: Cold air locked in place, with a chance of light snow Friday