by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 29.
- Climate change worsened rains and floods which killed dozens in southern Africa, study shows
- US leads record global surge in gas-fired power driven by AI demands, with big costs for the climate (“Projects this year expected to triple global gas capacity, forecast finds, as concerns grow over impacts on planet”)
- The accidental climate scientist who uncovered an unexpected force of global warming
- Dutch government discriminated against Bonaire islanders over climate adaptation, court rules (“Judgment in The Hague orders Netherlands to do more to protect Caribbean people in its territory from impacts of climate crisis”)
- Overshoot: The World Is Hitting Point of No Return on Climate (“With warming set to pass the critical 1.5-degree limit, scientists are warning that the world is on course to trigger tipping points that would lead to cascading consequences — from the melting of ice sheets to the death of the Amazon rainforest — that could not be reversed.”)
- The Perils of a Falling Trump Dollar (“He says he’s OK with a weaker currency. Voters may feel differently.”)
- Russia ‘trying to bomb and freeze’ Ukrainians to submission, EU’s foreign policy chief warns
- Brent Crude Hits $70 a Barrel as Trump Ramps Up Iran Threats
- A Battered Iran Is Still Able to Mount a Deadly Response to U.S. Strikes (“Tehran has an arsenal of thousands of missiles, and it refined its tactics for using them during the June war with Israel”)
- What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios
- Trump weighs major new strike on Iran as nuclear discussions show no progress
- Trump warns Iran ‘time is running out’ for nuclear deal as US military builds up in Gulf
- Exclusive: US handing over seized tanker to Venezuela, officials say
- Rubio declines to rule out further US military action in Venezuela at Senate hearing
- Germany’s Merz: Europe found ‘joy of self-respect’ to defend rules-based world
- Europe Detests Donald Trump. But Can It Hurt Him? Yes—and Here’s How.
- Near 100 pct renewable electricity for Australia’s main grid is achievable and affordable: Year 4 update
- ‘Nothing has changed’: Minneapolis on edge despite Trump’s de-escalation vow (“The departure of Greg Bovino has not quelled ICE’s raids – and hope that tensions are easing feels distant”)
- Catholic Church emerges as a bulwark of resistance
- Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-VA07), Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA03), Other Democratic Veterans in Congress Demand that ICE & CBP Stand Down and that Kristi Noem Resign
- Exclusive: ICE officers in Minnesota directed not to interact with ‘agitators’ in new orders
- ICE’s No. 1 Ally (“The Department of Justice has rushed to shield federal agents from accountability and launched needless criminal investigations into Minnesota officials and residents”)
- Five Constitutional Amendments Trump Is Ignoring in Minnesota (“Let us count the ways your rights have been violated.”)
- US congressman meets five-year-old Liam Ramos and his father at ICE detention center
- Liam Conejo Ramos Is Sick In ICE Detention, Says Top School Official (“The 5-year-old who was taken by federal agents in Minneapolis is being held behind bars with his father in Texas” Trump’s entire regime is evil incarnate.)
- America at a Boiling Point: Deaths, Threats, Protests and a Town Hall Attack
- White House banks on Homan to help avert shutdown
- Judge in Minnesota Says ICE Has Violated Nearly 100 Court Orders
- Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyers who helped prosecute the George Floyd case
- Body cameras, warrants top list of Democrats’ ICE demands
- Republicans Gave ICE a Slush Fund. Democrats Want to Limit It.
- Videos show altercation between Alex Pretti and federal officers 11 days before he was killed (“Three newly discovered videos show the Minneapolis ICU nurse being tackled by federal agents in a prior confrontation”)
- Talks intensify to avert shutdown as White House and Senate leaders eye last-ditch deal
- DHS raids are the stuff of Rand Paul’s nightmares. What will he do about it?
- ICE Prepares to Descend on Ohio Haitian Community After TPS Expires (Every single ICE agent should resign – today!)
- U.S. cardinal urges defunding of ICE: ‘We need to see what’s happening in front of us’
- Judge Scolds Bondi for Publishing Photos of Protesters on Social Media (Bondi is heinous.)
- Shooting Aftermath Leaves Homeland Security Department in Turmoil (It was a mistake to ever have created that department. And why is the word “homeland” in there?)
- The right-wing media figures who have justified Alex Pretti’s killing by Trump’s DHS (Evil.)
- ICE Violence Is Fueled by Misogyny and White Nationalism (“How the Trump administration has mobilized state-sponsored terror in Minneapolis and beyond.”)
- Bruce Springsteen Responds to Minneapolis Killings With Fiery New Protest Song (“‘I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,’ Springsteen writes to fans, responding to the ICE protests”)
- Scoop: House Democrats told by leadership not to go to Minnesota
- Democrats poised to trigger government shutdown if White House won’t meet demands for ICE reform
- Tim Walz Fears a Fort Sumter Moment in Minneapolis (“The Minnesota governor warns of a national unraveling.”)
- A Breakdown of the American Idea (“The country’s founding principles will survive only if the public remains willing to fight for them.”)
- Is This a Police State? (“We’re close.”)
- Here are the five key takeaways from Wednesday’s Fed rate decision
- The Supreme Court will soon decide if only Republicans are allowed to gerrymander
- F.B.I. Agents Search Election Center in Fulton County Over 2020 Election
- FBI executing search warrant at Georgia election office related to 2020 vote, law enforcement official says
- Some things you should know about Fulton County, Georgia
- Josh Shapiro accuses JD Vance of giving ‘comfort’ to right-wing antisemitism (Very much so!)
- Tesla bet big on Elon Musk. His politics continue to haunt it.
- Inside the Washington Post’s existential meltdown.
- Omar criticizes Trump’s ‘hateful rhetoric’ after attack; suspect had made pro-Trump posts online
- Brother labels suspect who attacked Ilhan Omar a ‘right-wing extremist’ who has hated Somalis for decades
- Trump administration finds California’s ban on ‘forced outing’ of students violates federal law
- Alex Vindman pulls in $1.7M in first 24 hours of Senate campaign
- Kennedy Center’s new programming head resigns days after hire was announced
- Kaine erupts at Rubio over secrecy around Venezuela operations
- Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Presses Secretary Marco Rubio on Venezuela, Trump Mixing up Greenland and Iceland (Rubio: “Yeah, he meant to say Greenland.”)
- Abigail Spanberger, no surprise at all, endorses Beth Macy for Congress
- Analysis by Three Lawyers (Two From Virginia) of Tazewell County Judge’s Redistricting Ruling: “a significant departure from established practice”; “outlier”; “probably gets reversed” (“…the court advances three separate arguments to strike down this amendment in 6 pages with 0 case citations. It’s weak.”)
- Rep. Beyer has ‘mixed feelings’ on redistricting during his reelection bid (“If the Republican states are all gerrymandered and the Democratic ones aren’t, then we can’t win. We’ll leave it up to the Virginia voters. We have to win the fairness argument with the Virginia voters.”)
- CNU Wason Center Poll of Virginia: Trump Approval at Just 34%; “narrow majority support a constitutional [redistricting] amendment” (“Virginians Show High Levels of Support for: Amendments to State Constitution on Reproductive Rights, and Felon Re-enfranchisement; Retail Marijuana Sale; Limits on Data Centers; $15 per hour Minimum Wage; Paid Sick Leave; Paid Family and Medical Leave”)
- Poll: Majority backs Virginia Democrats on congressional redistricting
- CNU poll: Virginians would approve redistricting amendment, 51% to 43%
- Poll: Virginians slightly favor redistricting, strongly dislike Trump
- Tazewell County judge sped up redistricting ruling to beat General Assembly vote to move the case (“The judge had given both sides until next week to provide written arguments but acted before then to head off a Democratic attempt to relocate the case to Richmond.”)
- Virginia lawmakers move to restrict ICE in response to heavy-handed immigration enforcement
- CASA: Lawmakers Advance Bills Limiting ICE’s Power in Virginia (Bills would require law enforcement to identify themselves, reform courthouse arrests, end 287(g) agreements)
- Enforcement questions loom on Virginia Dems’ proposed ICE measures
- Va. lawmakers try again on paid sick leave and family medical leave bills
- Editorial: Expanding child care options earns necessary attention from lawmakers
- Republicans say Democrats want to raise taxes. Here’s a look at some of the key tax bills that have been introduced in Richmond. (“Overall, the theme seems to be taxing upper-income earners more and then using that money either for programs that benefit lower-income earners or for tax breaks aimed at specific groups.” Exactly – it’s called progressive taxation, very standard in America…so of course right wingers are freaking out, screaming COMMUNISM etc. It’s 100% predictable and 100% pathetic.)
- Lawmakers, Va. Native tribes pitch education, sovereignty reforms to address historic injustices
- Hanover County Board of Supervisors says it’s opposed to ICE warehouse proposal
- ‘Not the right location:’ Hanover supervisors, residents oppose DHS ICE facility
- Hanover County supervisors oppose proposed ICE facility in Ashland (“The locality’s ability to deter the purchase is extremely limited, though.”)
- Hanover County officials push back on proposed ICE facility
- Hanover wants the Department of Homeland Security to choose a different location for processing facility
- 2 Hampton Roads prosecutors join 9 nationwide, promise to prosecute unlawful acts by federal agents
- Snow returns Friday, blizzard conditions possible in some parts of Virginia
- ‘Blizzard’ conditions possible this weekend; confidence in significant snowfall increasing (That’s in the Hampton Roads area.)
- CWG Live: Frigid through the weekend as we watch coastal storm (“Colder today than yesterday, then colder yet tomorrow and Saturday. Big weekend storm looks to keep most of the snow to our southeast.”)
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