Tuesday News: “Zelenskyy says Putin has ‘not broken’ Ukrainians as country marks 4 years of Russia’s all-out war”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 24.

• One in Five Fish Products Tied to Fraud (“From substitutions to forgery, the $195 billion seafood industry is awash with deception. Nuclear forensics might offer a lifeline.”)
• GOP set for internal battle over Supreme Court tariff ruling
• The hard road back from overshoot (“As global temperatures move beyond 1.5 °C, overshoot now defines the landscape ahead, sharpening legal claims, exposing economic risks and revealing how far politics still trail the pace of change.”)
• How Russia Put Its Future at Risk by Remaking Its Economy for War
• Zelenskyy’s public frustration grows as Putin’s war enters a 5th year (“While sharp statements have always been part of the Ukrainian leader’s political brand, his frustration with the peace process is palpable — increasingly so.”)
• Four years into Ukraine invasion, Russia’s gains are small, while Kyiv remains resilient (“With the Russian military performing poorly, Ukraine is clarifying strategy and pushing back with modest success”)
• Zelenskyy urges Trump to visit Ukraine in speech marking invasion anniversary (“Leader says Vladimir Putin has not achieved his goals and visit by Trump might make clear ‘who the aggressor is’”)
• Zelenskyy says Putin has ‘not broken’ Ukrainians as country marks 4 years of Russia’s all-out war
• As War Enters Fifth Year, Ukraine Shows Russian Victory Is Anything but Inevitable (“Small Ukrainian counterattacks are demonstrating that Kyiv’s forces have got plenty of fight left.”)
• Zelenskyy Says Putin Has ‘Not Broken’ Ukrainians As Country Marks 4 Years Of Russia’s All-Out War (“More than a dozen senior European officials are visiting Kyiv in a show of support. But only one American is listed among the official guests.”)
• Bowen: Why Ukraine remains defiant and does not feel close to defeat
• The Looming Taiwan Chip Disaster That Silicon Valley Has Long Ignored (“If China invades Taiwan and cuts off its chip exports to American companies, the tech industry and the U.S. economy would be crippled.”)
• Russian soldiers tell BBC they saw fellow troops executed on commanders’ orders
• Oil prices hit seven-month highs as tensions rise before US-Iran talks (“Traders appear to be hedging against worst-case scenario of a conflict between the two nations, analyst says”)
• A new U.S. attack on Iran could risk large-scale retaliation (“If Iran’s leaders believe U.S. strikes threaten their hold on power, they may opt to launch large-scale retaliation aimed at causing American casualties or disrupting the oil industry in the Persian Gulf, former U.S. officials, foreign diplomats and experts say.”)
• Trump’s top general foresees acute risks in an attack on Iran (“Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, has cautioned that a lack of munitions and support from allies could mean greater danger for U.S. troops, people familiar with the discussions say.”)
• Exclusive: Iran nears deal to buy supersonic anti-ship missiles from China
• Satellite imagery shows rapid increase of U.S. military planes near Iran
• Trump Iran airstrikes decision to be guided by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s advice (“Exclusive: Trump’s decision will be driven by envoys’ judgment on whether Iran is stalling on a nuclear deal”)
• US evacuates staff from Lebanon embassy amid tensions with Iran
• ‘Death to the dictator’: Iranian students hold protests for third day (Courageous!)
• Trump team on damage control after Huckabee comments on Israel (“Senior administration officials have called Arab officials to explain that a Huckabee comment that Israel can control much of the Middle East did not signal a policy shift.” Huckabee is a far-right extremist, religious fundamentalist and fanatic. He has ZERO business being an ambassador to any country…)
• U.S. strike on alleged drug boat in Caribbean kills 3 (“The attack by the military comes less than a week after the head of U.S. Southern Command visited Caracas, Venezuela.”)
• No U.S. Hospital Ship Has Been Ordered to Greenland, Despite Trump’s Post (“Pentagon has received no instructions to send a Navy vessel to the Danish territory, officials say”)
• A day after the Mexican military killed a drug lord, security forces keep up fight with cartel
• Former UK ambassador Mandelson released on bail after arrest in Epstein probe
• France curtails US Ambassador Kushner’s government access after he fails to obey summons (That family is a piece of work…)
• France ups the ante in the spat with US ambassador, says ministers will no longer meet him
• Supreme Court ruling throws Trump administration’s tariff strategy into flux. What it means for global trade, U.S. economy
• EU Warns That Trump’s New Tariff Policy Breaks Trade Deal
• Trump’s plan B for tariffs is this legally questionable emergency tool
• Trump’s 10% Levy Takes Effect as US Rebuilds Tariff Wall
• You paid for tariffs — but you won’t get a slice of tariff refunds
• Mike Johnson: Congress unlikely to find ‘consensus’ to codify Trump’s tariffs
• Dems refuse to make 2024 mistakes in the wake of tariff ruling (“The party is betting that a strong economic message will resonate better than emphasizing that the president is violating the law with his trade agenda.”)
• The odds of Trump’s $2,000 tariff dividend checks are ‘now effectively zero,’ expert says
• Jamie Dimon says ‘watch out’ as lofty asset prices add to economic risks: ‘My anxiety is high’
• US supreme court takes up fossil fuel firms’ climate accountability case (“Judgment in city of Boulder’s lawsuit against Suncor Energy USA and ExxonMobil could affect wave of climate litigation”)
• RFK Jr. fought pesticides for years. Now he’s backing their production (RFK Jr. has sold whatever soul he had to the devil.)
• RFK Jr. says we need more herbicide production, stunning his followers (“Supporters of the health secretary’s Make America Healthy Again movement are worried Kennedy is selling out.”)
• Ex-ICE instructor testifies that agency slashed officer training, lied to Congress
• ICE whistleblower accuses agency of ‘deficient, defective and broken’ training amid hiring surge
• Trump Supporter Learns Hard Way ICE Doesn’t Just Target ‘Worst of the Worst’ (The dumbest of dumbasses.)
• Trump’s Suddenly High-Stakes State of the Union (“The president is visiting Congress in a dramatically different place from where he was a year ago.”)
• ‘It’s Going to Be a Long Speech’: Trump Prepares for State of the Union (“President Trump does not like to practice reading the speech out loud, but he spent time mimicking the setup of the House chamber, officials familiar with his plans said.”)
• Most Americans say Trump is growing erratic with age, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
• Trump faces midterms reality check
• ‘A defensive posture’: Trump speaks to Congress on shakier ground than last year (“The president’s State of the Union, unlike his defiant celebratory address a year ago, comes after a string of major setbacks.”)
• Why I’m not watching the State of the Union – and you shouldn’t either (“Trump doesn’t deserve our attention. And we already know the state of the union – it sucks”)
• ‘An extension of his administration’: how Trump’s resorts became a proxy for access and power (“Elected officials visited Trump properties 145 times since his inauguration, records show”)
• Musk’s xAI and Pentagon reach deal to use Grok in classified systems
• Justice Department withheld and removed some Epstein files related to Trump
• Jeanine Pirro’s office shelves pursuit of Democrats over social video, sources say (“A federal grand jury in D.C. unanimously rejected the attempt to indict six lawmakers who told military and intelligence community members on social media not to obey unlawful orders.”)
• The Republican Party Has a Nazi Problem (“How did the GOP become a haven for slogans and ideas straight out of the Third Reich?”)
• FBI Director Kash Patel defends partying with U.S. Olympic ice hockey team
• We’re Never Going to See That Jack Smith Report (“U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon made the decision. You have to go back to the Gilded Age, when the railroads and corporations ran the federal judiciary, to find someone as round and complete a hack.”)
• The redistricting fight shifts to the courtroom (“Waiting for the court process to play out means organizations dedicated to redistricting are navigating both political and legal challenges simultaneously — and that voters and election officials have no real idea what district lines they may be asked to use, in some cases, in a manner of weeks.”)
• The Democratic Party’s Breakup With AIPAC Is Almost Complete (“AIPAC’s failed intervention is another blow to a relationship that soured after October 7”)
• Susan Rice is right. Now Netflix must choose.
• Why Won’t the White House Cut Tucker Loose? (“He makes life miserable for Trump officials and the drama is endless. But he’s still scoring presidential invites.” And he’s an evil lunatic.)
• U.S. women’s hockey team declines Trump’s invitation to the State of the Union (Good. The men’s team should decline as well, but they probably won’t.)
• Peter Attia Out at CBS News After Epstein Files Correspondence Disclosures (Exclusive) (CBS “News” remains a disgrace.)
• Texts show Rep. Tony Gonzales sent sexually explicit messages to staffer (“Ahead of his March 3 primary, the Texas Republican faced an Office of Congressional Conduct investigation into an alleged affair with a staff member, who died by suicide in September.”)
• Potomac River cleanup to start once Potomac Interceptor pipeline is repaired (“Repairs to the broken Potomac Interceptor pipeline are expected to wrap up by mid-March, D.C. Water said, clearing the way for cleanup of the Potomac River and C&O Canal. Officials said the long-term restoration will address every area touched by the wastewater.”)
• Kaine and Warner co-sponsor bill to refund $135 billion in illegal tariffs within 180 days
• Your Vote Is at Risk: “SAVE Act” Targets Women, Seniors, and Veterans – And Virginia Republicans All Voted for It! (“The problem the SAVE America Act claims to solve is not a real problem. But the harm it will cause is very real.”)
• Elaine Luria, Shannon Taylor Added to DCCC’s Coveted ‘Red to Blue’ Program (in VA02 and VA01, Respectively) (“Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue to develop strong campaigns.”)
• Former redistricting commission member explains why he’s backing this year’s amendment (“James Abrenio says a temporary change in how Virginia draws its congressional map is needed to ensure the House of Representatives reflects the will of the people.”)
• MAGAs trying to get Virginia localities to block early voting in April 21 referendum (“It’s clear that the Supreme Court is going to rule in favor of Democrats; it’s just as clear that the Republican entities behind the suits are aware of this, and only filed the suits to sow confusion with voters.”)
• Why Virginia’s lobster is blue: A closer look at the political dynamics in the proposed congressional districts (“Five of the 11 districts would be dominated by Northern Virginia voters. The Richmond area would dominate two more.”)
• WATCH LIVE: Gov. Spanberger delivers Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union
• What to expect from Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s State of the Union response (“Abigail Spanberger is less known for her oratory than for drilling down into the work of government.”)
• Virginians support tougher gun laws but doubt the impact (I’m linking to this poll simply for completeness, but in general, Roanoke College polling is really bad, and specifically with regard to this poll, the question about the redistricting amendment was asked in a very strange way, with the results differing significantly from the Wason Center poll a few weeks ago. So…whatever, pretty much ignore this polling outfit, and definitely do not report it without a lot of caveats.)
• Editorial: Spanberger should focus on future solutions in SOTU response (“Americans would be served by hearing the opposition’s plans for the nation should voters return them to legislative power in November.”)
• Virginia health department defies Trump vaccine changes (Weird, sanitized, anodyne headline; what’s actually happening is that the Trump regime has been assaulting science, vaccines, etc., and blue states are attempting to remain science-and-evidence-based.)
• Virginia legislature balances budget on new data center tax, new gambling revenue
• Senators propose phasing out data center tax credit, House budget keeps it
• What do the Va. Senate, House proposed spending plans mean for higher education? (“House Appropriations Committee recommends a $211.3 million investment plan for higher education, which is slightly less than the Senate’s plan”)
• Most artificial intelligence legislation in Virginia was tabled until 2027
• State lawmakers considering bill that would allow victims to sue gun dealers and manufacturers
• Transit funding in limbo between House and Senate budgets
• Bill that would make it harder to sue against developments tabled for further workshopping (“Hanover County NAACP said measure would have undermined their push back against a Wegman’s distribution center in the historic Brown Grove neighborhood; bill sponsor Del. Simon open to tweaks.”)
• Virginia students may soon have Black history courses as an option for credit under proposed bill
• Dominion Virginia earnings, data center connections rise
• After beating Trump, offshore wind project aims to produce power next month
• Environmental, Community Groups to Challenge Regulators’ Approval of Dominion’s Gas Plant (“An appeal to be filed on their behalf by the Southern Environmental Law Center will argue that the new plant in Chesterfield County would not comply with either the state’s environmental justice or clean economy acts.” GOOD!)
• Special election for Del. Barry Knight’s seat draws 6 GOP candidates (“Six Republicans filed to run, according to Dennis Free, the GOP’s 2nd District chair. They include former state Del. Tim Anderson; real estate agent Pieri Burton; Ben Loyola, a previous political candidate; Michael Mauch, a member of the Virginia Beach Planning Commission; Virginia Beach assistant commonwealth’s attorney Andrew Rice; and Zachery Taylor, nephew of former U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor.”)
• CWG Live: Sunny and cold today, much milder tomorrow (“Another colder-than-normal day is moderated by sunnier skies and calmer winds than yesterday. Spotty showers tonight could be mixed with snowflakes.”)