by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, January 26.
- Gold price tops $5,000 an ounce for first time as investors seek safe haven from Trump turmoil (“Rising fears that another US shutdown looms pushes gold price to new height amid nearly 90% rise since Trump’s inauguration”)
- The World Economy Is Hooked on Government Debt (“Rearmament, an aging population, technological change and fear of voters are fueling a risky trend.” Seems very unwise.)
- US-Ukraine security deal waiting to be signed, says Zelenskyy
- Here in One Kyiv Apartment Building, They Are Freezing—but Not Giving Up (“Russian attacks on energy infrastructure have plunged much of the country into darkness and cold but haven’t broken its resilience.”)
- China’s top general under investigation for alleged violations amid corruption crackdown (“Zhang Youxia, long seen as Xi Jinping’s closest military ally, reportedly accused of leaking nuclear secrets to US”)
- Exclusive: India to slash tariffs on cars to 40% in trade deal with EU
- Carney says Canada not pursuing free trade deal with China as Trump threatens 100% tariffs
- ‘This is a fake election’: Polls close in Myanmar but voters have little doubt junta proxy will prevail (“After arresting political opponents, banning the most popular party and using violence to crush dissent, the military’s proxy is on course to win by a landslide”)
- Minneapolis and Gaza Now Share the Same Violent Language (“These stories have much more in common than you might think. All are driven, in my view, by terrible leaders who prefer easy, violent solutions to the hard work of negotiated problem-solving. These leaders see an iron-fisted approach as the best way to win their next elections: President Trump in the 2026 midterms; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, who is expected to call elections around the same time; and Hamas, in its desperate effort to lead the Palestinian movement in the postwar era, despite having lost the war.”)
- The regime’s mind-bending lies are a tactic (“Thinking about them in terms of truth or falsity is a category error.”)
- The corporate enablers of the ICE crackdown (“How Amazon, AT&T, and Citizens Bank are profiting from the administration’s mass deportation campaign.”)
- Donald Trump Wants This Chaos. It Means More Power in His Hands. (“To you and me, Renee Good and Alex Pretti are tragic victims of authoritarian overreach. To the Trump regime, they’re exhibits in building the case for martial law.”)
- Was This a Murder Too Far? (“The execution of Alex Pretti has made even some MAGA loyalists waver”)
- Yes, It’s Fascism (“Until recently, I thought it a term best avoided. But now, the resemblances are too many and too strong to deny.” Some of us understood this a while ago, but better late than never I guess…)
- Lies and Lawlessness (“The Camps, the Executions, and the Future”)
- The Trump Administration Is Lying to Our Faces. Congress Must Act.
- Demands for Minneapolis Shooting Investigation Grow as Trump Officials Blame Victim
- Minn. AG calls Trump administration version of shooting ‘flat-out insane’
- Time for ICE to Pause in Minneapolis (“Alex Pretti made a mistake, but he wasn’t a ‘domestic terrorist.’”; This is Rupert Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal, believe it or not.)
- A Crisis of Confidence for ICE and Border Patrol as Clashes Escalate (“Current and former officials describe growing frustration with the Trump administration’s approach, even as they support the goal of immigration enforcement.”)
- ‘We Are Creating the Conditions for a Catastrophe.’ Three Columnists on Minneapolis.
- Pro-ICE churches should be shamed (“Cities Church in St. Paul are the persecutors, not the persecuted”)
- Senate Democrats to block government funding after second fatal shooting in Minneapolis (“The move could force a partial government shutdown next weekend.”)
- For Trump, the Truth in Minneapolis Is What He Says It Is
- Trump administration goes after Second Amendment rights in justifying Minneapolis shooting
- Republican governor expresses concern over Minneapolis shooting: ‘Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now’
- Republicans Struggle to Respond to Shooting, Reflecting Political Peril
- How the Trump Administration Rushed to Judgment in Minneapolis Shooting
- Most Fox News Reporting on Minneapolis Shooting Supports Official Version (They’re not journalists, they’re right-wing propagandists/state media!)
- The Fox News response to the federal government execution of Alex Pretti sets a new level of depravity
- In Trump’s ‘Dual State,’ Dissenters Face Extrajudicial Executions, Loyalists Enjoy Protections (“America’s system of justice has fundamentally broken because the regime believes it can justify attacks on citizens via lies rather than in a court of law”)
- Believe Your Eyes (“People are risking their lives to document agents in Minneapolis.”)
- Videos Contradict U.S. Account of Minneapolis Shooting by Federal Agents (This is in Murdoch’s Wall St. Journal)
- Videos of the deadly Minneapolis shooting of Alex Pretti contradict government statements (More accurately, this headline should say that they contradict the Trump regime’s statements.)
- DHS and ICE are under siege by Congress like never before (As well they should be.)
- Democrats grow louder on calls for Kristi Noem to resign or face impeachment
- Videos and witness statements shed new light on moments leading up to Alex Pretti shooting (“Shortly before his fatal encounter with agents, Pretti was confronted by an officer who was later at shooting scene, video shows”)
- A national reckoning is building over Trump’s brazen use of federal power
- Senate Democrats plot strategy as DHS standoff deepens heading into shutdown week
- Shutdown Risk Rises as GOP Dismisses Threat to Block DHS Funds
- Four statements made by DHS about Alex Pretti’s shooting — and what these videos show that contradict them (“Kristi Noem made public statements about Alex Pretti and details surrounding his fatal shooting. But the videos tell a dramatically different — and tragic — story.”)
- What Trump officials claimed about Alex Pretti — and what the evidence actually shows
- ‘Fundamentally wrong:’ Gun groups, Republicans condemn Noem, Patel statements
- Tim Walz urges Trump to remove agents from Minnesota: ‘You can end this’ (“Minnesota governor pressures president to end surge of immigration officers in his state before it costs another life”)
- Gun rights groups and legal experts question Trump administration’s stance on the Second Amendment after shooting
- Welcome to the American Winter (“In the frozen streets of Minneapolis, something profound is happening.”)
- Clinton and Obama urge Americans to ‘speak out’ and take action after Minneapolis shootings
- Alex Pretti’s ICE murder is beyond politics. This is about good vs. evil
- The Logical End Point of Trump Saying He Could Shoot Somebody on Fifth Avenue (“His administration is trying to distort the reality of Alex Pretti’s killing.” How anyone in their right mind could have voted for Trump after he said that, or many other things, is just mind boggling.)
- GOP fractures grow as Minnesota shootings erode immigration crackdown support
- Minnesota takes rare legal steps to ensure probe of Alex Pretti shooting
- Judge blocks feds from destroying evidence in Minnesota shooting
- Border Patrol chief praises agents who killed Alex Pretti (This guy is a fascist thug.)
- ‘Alex Pretti was murdered’: NBA’s Haliburton among sports stars to condemn Minnesota killing (“Angel Reese and Ryan Clark also post about shooting; Hall of famer Alan Page reportedly at anti-ICE protests”)
- Trump’s Losing War on Minneapolis
- The killing of Alex Pretti is a grim turning point (“Trump’s authoritarianism is becoming less subtle — and more vicious.”)
- The unjust killing of Alex Pretti marks a turning point in Trump’s second term (Wow, even the Bezos Post editorial page???)
- Defensive caution can’t compete with right-wing propaganda (“Is it so hard for journalists to clearly state that the Trump administration is lying?”)
- The massive storm has passed, but deep cold remains a danger (“Cold weather alerts were in effect for about 210 million people across the United States early Monday as forecasters monitor another potential storm.”)
- Natural gas prices hit $6 for first time since 2022 as massive winter storm sweeps U.S.
- US winter storm leaves seven people dead as more than 1 million lose power
- Is Trump’s assault on climate and clean energy reversible? (“The president’s rollbacks of climate rules and renewable-energy incentives have made headlines, but executive action is much less durable than legislation.”)
- Trump says it’s ‘too late’ to stop White House ballroom construction (Again, a newspaper headline goes with “Trump says,” instead of “Trump FALSELY says” or “Trump lies” or whatever. Why? The entire political journalism is unable to cope with pathological liars and sociopaths like Trump.)
- Exclusive / Rumors of staffing cuts spook Washington Post newsroom
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Says Greg Bovino’s “a lunatic and he’s a liar, as is most of the Trump administration leadership”; Vows That “there will be accountability” (Walkinshaw: Most House Republicans are so “wedded to Trump and Trumpism and MAGA that I just don’t think they can see reality anymore.”)
- Cline, McGuire mum on shooting of Alex Pretti: Silence is complicity
- In newly Democratic Virginia, immigration enforcement becomes early test for Spanberger (“The governor moves to curb state cooperation with ICE as advocates warn existing agreements remain and Republicans argue the change risks public safety.” I mean, Republicans aren’t arguing in good faith – they are LYING, in other words – so who cares what they say, and why amplify their garbage?)
- New governor prioritizing ‘affordability’ should push reforming Va.’s regressive tax code
- ODU report: Without immigration, Virginia’s population growth would be almost flat. And much of Northern Virginia would have lost population.
- Consumer protection bills being considered by Virginia General Assembly
- Rejoining RGGI comes with a cost. Do the benefits outweigh the price tag? (There’s so much wrong in this headline and subheader by the Virginian Pilot: the whole “critics say” formulation is lame; framing this as an equal contest between “critics” and “advocates,” etc. How about, instead, just SAY WHAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS??? Like, do your reporting and let readers know what you found – in this case, almost certainly, that RGGI is a major net positive.)
- Analysis: It won’t cost nearly as much for UVA to name a new president as you thought
- From airports to water lines, here are 25 things state legislators want to see in the budget (“Among the proposals: A study of downtown Roanoke, a partnership between George Mason and Averett University and more work on the stinky Bristol landfill.”)
- Virginia to consider joining states creating volunteer cyber civilian corps
- Pending bill could clarify visitation standards for Va. correctional facilities
- What we know about Spanberger’s unprecedented appointments to UVa’s board (“Incoming Virginia governors traditionally inherit the college boards of their predecessors. Not Abigail Spanberger.”)
- Freezing temperatures extend winter storm’s impact in Roanoke, New River valleys
- Snow moves on, but ‘one of the coldest stretches’ coming for Hampton Roads
- CWG Live: A blustery start to an exceptionally cold week (“Highs most days only reach the 20s, with a possible record cold tonight.”)









