by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, February 19.
- ‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
- ‘Today, 96% of the world’s nuclear weapons are held by states with authoritarian leaders’ (This is NOT going to end well.)
- US funding for global internet freedom ‘effectively gutted’ (Totally f’ed up.)
- Two months after being arrested, this Indigenous climate leader remains imprisoned in Russia (“The U.N. and dozens of Indigenous organizations are demanding Daria Egereva’s release, but a Moscow court just extended her detention until at least March.”)
- ‘Remember Putin is a KGB officer’: Ukraine’s ex-leader fears Russia is playing Zelenskyy (“Petro Poroshenko has some advice for his bitter rival, the current president of Ukraine.”)
- Surprise, surprise: Russia-Ukraine talks yield no peace breakthrough (“The negotiations have largely become political theater for an audience comprising Donald Trump.”)
- As Trump retreats from climate goals, China is becoming a green superpower (“How the world’s biggest carbon emitter is now at the helm of a renewables revolution.”)
- How China plans to dominate global trade long after Trump
- Exclusive: US plans online portal to bypass content bans in Europe and elsewhere
- Major European allies decline to join first meeting of Trump’s Board of Peace
- Oil prices jump amid signs of U.S.-Iran conflict
- U.S. Gathers the Most Air Power in the Mideast Since the 2003 Iraq Invasion
- Iran Is Getting Ready for War With the U.S.
- Trump meets with top Iran advisers as war threat grows
- US military prepared to strike Iran as early as this weekend, but Trump has yet to make a final call, sources say
- U.S. Military Moves Into Place for Possible Strikes in Iran (“President Trump has given no indication that he has made a decision about how to proceed, as diplomatic talks continue.”)
- Trump officials plan to build 5,000-person military base in Gaza, files show (“Exclusive: approximately 350-acre compound planned as base for multinational force, according to records reviewed by the Guardian”)
- In Devastated Gaza, Grandiose Peace Plans Clash With Reality (“Israeli strikes on Gaza have killed about 600 people since a cease-fire began, and there are some 60 million tons of war debris to be cleared.”)
- Gaza death toll in early part of war far higher than reported, says Lancet study (“Research suggests more than 75,000 killed in the first 16 months of conflict, 25,000 more than announced at the time” Horrible.)
- Hamas is reasserting control in Gaza despite its heavy losses fighting Israel (UGH.)
- U.S. Is Withdrawing All Forces From Syria, Officials Say (“Trump administration is looking to strengthen diplomatic relations with country’s new leaders”)
- Sudan atrocities are ‘hallmarks of genocide’, UN says
- South Korea’s ex-president jailed for life over martial law attempt (“South Korea’s ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol has been jailed for life for masterminding an insurrection by trying to impose military rule.”)
- South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol jailed for life for leading insurrection (“Ex-leader sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour over failed martial law declaration in 2024”)
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested and in custody on suspicion of misconduct in public office (We should be getting arrests – and the quick end to politicians’ careers – in the U.S. as well.)
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested in connection with Epstein files revelations
- Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office
- Trump Mulls a North American Trade Pact Without Canada (Bonkers.)
- Canadians kind of hate America now. Our new poll shows just how much. (“It’s not just about the trade war. Nearly half of America’s neighbors to the north now think the U.S. is a bigger threat to world peace than Russia.”)
- US sanctions, power cuts, climate crisis: why Cuba is betting on renewables
- Journalists Arrested in Cameroon While Reporting on Trump’s Secretive Deportation Program (“An Associated Press reporter was hit and held with three other journalists and a lawyer, two detainees said, while at a center for migrants secretively deported from the United States.”)
- US judge throws out immigration board’s ruling endorsing Trump mass detention policy
- The Trump administration is increasingly trying to criminalize observing ICE
- Inside Trump’s ICE Concentration Camps (“This system is designed to punish, not protect” Pure evil.)
- The Chaos of an ICE Detention (“When Manuela’s husband texted her that he’d been apprehended on the street, her life in New York instantly capsized.”)
- As ICE Buys Up Warehouses, Even Some Trump Voters Say No (“The agency is ramping up arrests, but local pushback is complicating efforts to expand detention capacity and prevent overcrowding.”)
- Refugees should be held indefinitely for further screening, DHS says
- Conservative Georgia town pushes back against ICE detention center: ‘We are Americans after all’
- DHS shutdown talks hit a wall as GOP fumes
- Environmental groups sue Trump’s EPA over repeal of landmark climate finding
- What’s Standing in the Way of Rooftop Solar (“State and local governments can expand access and slash electric bills by simplifying slow, expensive permitting processes.” DO IT!)
- Silicon Valley’s shadow electric grid could further derail U.S. climate progress
- Samuel Alito could give Trump another Supreme Court pick (“A strategically-timed retirement announcement means the GOP could soon have another seat to fill on the high court”)
- Hassett says Fed staff should be ‘disciplined’ for reporting the US pays tariff costs (It’s 100% accurate, of course.)
- GOP angst over voter turnout builds as losses pile up
- The Latest Ploy to Help Republicans Win Elections (“The SAVE Act, which would require that voters prove they are citizens, is a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.”)
- White House directing DHS to hunt for voter fraud by naturalized citizens: Sources (There have been numerous studies looking into voter fraud in the U.S., and they’ve found essentially zero. Republicans, of course, are falsely claiming there IS significant voter fraud as an excuse to make it harder for people to vote.)
- Theres’s Credible Evidence of Trump’s Sex Crimes (“The evidence, once brought together, tells a compelling, disturbing story.”)
- Billionaire Les Wexner tells lawmakers that he was ‘conned’ by Jeffrey Epstein and did ‘nothing wrong’ (Riiiiight.)
- Compared to other cable news channels, Fox News is hiding the latest Epstein revelations from their audience (“If you exclusively watch Fox News, you likely have no idea about the latest fallout from the Epstein files release”)
- Americans believe Epstein files show the powerful get a pass, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
- Zuckerberg grilled in landmark social media trial over teen mental health
- The political effects of X’s feed algorithm (“We found that the algorithm promotes conservative content and demotes posts by traditional media. Exposure to algorithmic content leads users to follow conservative political activist accounts, which they continue to follow even after switching off the algorithm, helping explain the asymmetry in effects. These results suggest that initial exposure to X’s algorithm has persistent effects on users’ current political attitudes and account-following behaviour, even in the absence of a detectable effect on partisanship.”)
- The right’s obsession with American ‘heritage’ is all about who gets to be seen as ‘white’ (“What Elon Musk was really getting at when he incorrectly claimed ‘American culture’ is of ‘English-Scotts-Irish origin.'”)
- Hegseth invited Christian nationalist Doug Wilson to preach at Pentagon (“The self-described “paleo-Confederate” has argued that wives should submit to their husbands, women should be denied the vote and Christian slaveowners were on ‘firm scriptural ground.'”)
- No, the Democrats’ Cash Deficit Won’t “Swamp” Them in the Midterms (“While the national party’s war chest is paltry compared to the GOP’s, individual candidates are raising eye-popping numbers from donors big and small.”)
- The West’s Winter Has Been a Slow-Moving Catastrophe (“Without snow in the mountains, the places that depend on the West’s rivers will hurt for water.”)
- Southeast utilities lag national efficiency averages despite ‘low-hanging fruit’: SACE (“In its latest regional efficiency report, the environmental group recommended targeted weatherization, stronger oversight and an end to broad industrial efficiency exemptions.”)
- Trump has prepared speech on extraterrestrial life, Lara Trump says (Can’t wait, eh?)
- John Cornyn warns of a GOP ‘massacre’ in Texas if Ken Paxton beats him in their Senate primary
- FCC Chairman Confirms “Enforcement Action” Underway Against ABC’s ‘The View’, Calls Stephen Colbert-James Talarico Incident A “Hoax”
- The FCC (probably) didn’t censor Stephen Colbert (“The Colbert censorship story is messier than it looks.”)
- Talarico gets burst of momentum from CBS controversy (“In the hours since, the clip has racked up millions of views, and Talarico’s campaign has raised millions of dollars. Observers say the surprise development has the potential to be a last-minute game changer in Talarico’s closely watched Democratic primary against Rep. Jasmine Crockett …”
- Gallup caves to prickly president, without even fighting back (“Capitulation never works, columnist Roger Chesley writes.”)
- GOP Lawmaker Reportedly Had Affair With Aide Who Died By Self-Immolation
- Pro-Israel group wades into Democratic House primaries (“And in Virginia, former Rep. Elaine Luria picked up the group’s support as she vies to take on her former opponent, Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.).”)
- Millions of gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac. Here’s what we know. (“Concerns of environmental impact and costs rise after more than 200 million gallons of raw sewage spilled into the Potomac River.”)
- Bowser declares Potomac sewage spill an emergency, seeks federal aid for cleanup (“The administration of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser hopes the move will free up federal funds to reimburse local authorities for repair and recovery costs. “)
- Maryland, Virginia Democrats press DC Water on Potomac sewage spill
- Sen. Mark Warner: ‘Not the best plan’ for the U.S. to strike Iran without support from allies
- VA Senate Dems Tweak VA02 to Make It Bluer (“Likely” or “Safe” Democratic); Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Would Almost Certainly Lose in November with This Map (Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02), here we come! 😉
- Republican congressmen sue Virginia over proposed redistricting (“Republicans claim the proposed redistricting ballot question will confuse voters, but time’s running out before early voting on the referendum begins next month.”)
- RNC sues to stop Virginia redistricting referendum
- RNC moves to block Virginia vote aimed at countering Trump gerrymanders
- House Democrats drew maps with multiple candidates in mind
- [UPDATED with Official Announcement] Audio: VA Del. Dan Helmer Says He’s Running for Congress in the Newly Drawn VA07, Has “the endorsement of 40 [House of Delegates] colleagues”
- After helping steer redistricting push, Helmer seeks seat in proposed 7th District (“Republicans call move a ‘power grab’ and question the optics; Democrats say voters will ultimately decide.”)
- 20 State and Local Leaders from Across Virginia’s New 11th District Endorse Congressman James Walkinshaw for Re-Election (“I’m particularly honored to have so many supporters from Prince William County and Manassas, the community that raised me.”)
- Video: At “Crossover” Press Conference, VA Speaker Don Scott Declares, “Unfortunately for our friends at Fox News, none of what they printed actually came true” (“We *were* elected to…deliver an affordable Virginia. And that is what we have done…And…get this – news flash, 84% of [the] bills [passing the House] were bipartisan.”)
- Virginia Democrats zero in on final affordability package (“Budget realities and a reluctance to raise taxes have narrowed the field.”)
- Where bills stand at the midpoint of the General Assembly
- We’re halfway through this year’s General Assembly session; what has happened so far?
- 10 things to know about where the General Assembly stands at crossover
- Budget amendments would direct millions to Virginia free clinics as demand for their services surges
- Virginia House Passes Data Center Tax Exemption, With Conditions (“New and existing data centers could continue receiving a break on the state’s retail sales and use tax, as long as they moved away from fossil fuels and tried to reduce energy usage.”)
- Bill would help create Virginia coastal policy amid rising sea level (“Measure would establish a Habitat Policy Oversight Committee within the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, if approved by the Senate.”)
- Legislature considers shifting power line costs from residents to data centers
- Democrats unseat 3 members of VCU’s governing board
- The invisible burdens of grief, trauma and lost time can be devastating
- Editorial: Hampton Roads Ventures continues to neglect its responsibilities (“Norfolk City Council should demand Hampton Roads Ventures invest in local projects in 2026 or sever its ties with the organization.”)
- Did grants given to Fairfax Co. businesses during COVID actually help?
- Packages sent to late Commonwealth’s Attorney recovered at FedEx driver’s home (“Marie Walls was found dead in her New Point Comfort Highway driveway on Feb. 10 with a self-inflicted gunshot, according to authorities.”)
- FedEx driver charged with stealing packages intended for Mathews prosecutor who was found shot to death (“A FedEx driver from Mathews County has been charged with stealing packaged goods that were intended to be dropped off at the home of the county’s now-deceased prosecutor.”)
- City Council candidates spar in second debate before Democratic firehouse primary
- CWG Live: Showers late today into Friday, then Sunday snow potential