by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, March 11.
- IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves (“IEA Proposes Largest Ever Oil Release From Strategic Reserves”)
- The global oil crisis is even worse than it looks (“Even if the Iran war ends tomorrow, high energy prices will persist.”)
- US Navy tells shipping industry Hormuz escorts not possible for now
- Cargo ship on fire in Strait of Hormuz after three vessels hit by ‘unknown projectiles’
- Attacks on ships in Strait of Hormuz escalate, as Iran launches ‘intense’ strikes
- Russia Has Started Giving Iran Weapons, Zelensky Warns (“In a post on X, following an interview with Irish journalist Caolan Robertson, Zelensky wrote Moscow is supporting Tehran with air defense and would also send missiles in the future.”)
- Russians say Iran attack shows U.S. can’t be trusted in Ukraine talks
- Putin’s actions in Iran demand a U.S. response (Yes, but we have a president and others like Steve Witkoff who are Putin puppets, lackeys, etc.)
- Exclusive: As many as 150 US troops wounded so far in Iran war, sources say
- Trump Can’t Decide Whether the Iran War Is Still Going On (“The president seems to be at odds with both himself and his secretary of defense about the status of the conflict.”)
- The U.S. Built a Blueprint to Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It. (War criminals.)
- Hegseth gutted offices that would have probed Iran school strike
- Senate Democrats ramp up pressure campaign for public hearings on war with Iran
- Senate Democrats threaten to ‘seize the floor’ until White House agrees to public Iran hearings
- How Trump and His Advisers Miscalculated Iran’s Response to War (“In the lead-up to the U.S.-Israeli attack, President Trump downplayed the risks to the energy markets as a short-term concern that should not overshadow the mission to decapitate the Iranian regime.”)
- Iran begins laying mines in Strait of Hormuz, sources say
- Scoop: U.S. asks Israel to halt strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure
- Trump doesn’t control the oil price shock. Declaring the war over won’t be enough
- Israel Plans New Foothold on the Red Sea to Fight the Houthis
- Trump Says the Iran War Is Nearly Won but Israel Has Other Ideas (“Israel is sticking with its overarching goal of creating the conditions for regime change in Tehran”)
- U.S. destroys 16 Iranian vessels amid worries of mines in Strait of Hormuz
- Iran’s Cheap, Plentiful Weaponry Puts US Military Under Unprecedented Strain
- U.S. Showers Iran With Bombs in Most Intense Strikes of the War, Pentagon Says (Seriously, NY Times? “Showers?”)
- Does Trump even know what’s happening in Iran?
- 5 scenarios for how the Iran war could end
- ‘Nothing Will Remain of Tehran,’ Iranians Say Amid Heavy Bombing (“Some residents described the strikes overnight Monday into Tuesday as among the worst they had experienced since the war started.”)
- Trump’s media allies embrace oil wars (“Amid encouragement from right-wing media, Trump is reportedly considering seizing Iran’s oil”)
- The war makes it more urgent for journalists to call out Trump’s derangement (Agreed, but they won’t.)
- Iranian president’s son says new supreme leader ‘is safe’ as injury rumors swirl
- In Gaza, hints of recovery dissipate as U.S. and Israel strike Iran
- Hasty redeployment of US missiles from South Korea to Middle East leaves Seoul rattled (“South Korea’s president has sought to reassure the public that the country is able to deter threats from the North”)
- Scoop: White House tells House Republicans to stop talking about mass deportations
- Judges say ICE, DOJ leaders are putting rank-and-file lawyers in ‘an impossible position’
- The Horrors Committed at ICE Facilities Are Worse Than You Can Imagine (“One day, with any luck, there are not going to be enough cells for these people at the Hague.”)
- Democrats Need a Post-Trump Plan. Here’s One That Works. (“Holding the powerful accountable for their crimes is the only way out of this mess.”)
- The White House isn’t panicking about oil prices. That may change in a few weeks. (“The administration believes it has three to four weeks “where they can ride out what they need to” before oil prices become a more durable political problem, according to one person close to the White House.”)
- Why Voters Might Finally Blame Trump for Rising Costs
- Republicans Grow Nervous Over Iran War, Gas Prices (“Some GOP lawmakers raise concerns about possible ground troops”)
- US weighs sending forces into Iran to secure nuclear stockpile, reports say (“Tehran has enough material to make at least 10 nuclear warheads but extracting it would be very risky, say experts”)
- RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers drop proposal to revisit covid-19 shot (“Some members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel have publicly questioned the safety and manufacturing of the shots, including raising a debunked theory that DNA contaminants in the vaccines are harmful.”)
- ‘You just roll with it’: Filibuster fight puts a MAGA target on Thune (“The battle over the SAVE America Act is pitting Republicans against each other. The majority leader is determined to bring it to an end.”)
- Thune eyes action on SAVE America Act next week — without a ‘talking filibuster’ (“But the four people said it will come up under the usual 60-vote threshold, meaning it will fail given the united Democratic opposition to the bill. Thune, they said, is expected to set up some amendment votes and a prolonged debate to allow senators to speak at length on the bill.”)
- Democrats Sue to Find Out if Trump Will Send Armed Officers to Election Sites
- Deleted Tweet From Energy Secretary Sends Oil Markets on Another Wild Ride (This guy’s a lunatic.)
- Trump’s Assault on Higher Education Has Hit a Snag (“Universities and their allies have been able to block many, if not most, of the White House’s moves in court.”)
- DOGE Goon Took Social Security Data With Him, Whistleblower Says (“The Social Security data of millions of Americans could be at risk.”)
- Whistleblower claims ex-DOGE member says he took Social Security data to new job
- Don’t Hold Your Breath for More Epstein Prosecutions (“The release of the Epstein Files upended American politics — but it doesn’t mean people are going to jail.” They really did NOT “upsend American politics,” as far as I can tell.)
- Justice Department leans on prosecutors in Brennan probe as other Trump-foe investigations fizzle
- Trump pick for State Department drops out after drawing heat for comments about ‘white culture’
- Mike Johnson refuses to condemn anti-Muslim comments by Republican lawmakers (“Andy Ogles said Muslims do not belong in the US and Randy Fine made a comparison of Muslims to dogs”)
- Arizona Is Now at the Center of Election Investigations (“Both the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are probing the results of the 2020 election in Arizona.” Insane.)
- Democrat Shawn Harris to face Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller in runoff to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene, CNN projects (“Fuller, who resigned his role as a district attorney to run in the special, surged to the front of a crowded Republican field after snagging an endorsement from Trump in February. But the president’s support failed to narrow the field of a dozen GOP hopefuls enough to allow his chosen candidate to win the seat outright.”)
- How the special election to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene is testing the power of Trump’s endorsement
- Georgia Democrat Leads Vote in Marjorie Taylor Greene’s District (“In one of the most conservative congressional districts in the US, a special election to replace former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has produced an unusual runoff.”)
- Democrats win GOP seat in New Hampshire, notching 10th straight special election flip (“Since the start of Trump’s second term, Republicans have flipped zero Democratic seats”)
- Another Statue Of Trump And Epstein Appears On National Mall — This Time Inspired By ‘Titanic’
- The Price of Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02)’s Loyalty to Donald Trump: Your Health Care (“The pattern is unmistakable. Whether it’s ACA subsidies, Medicaid funding, or veterans’ health care…Kiggans consistently votes against the interests of the people she represents.”)
- Ben Cline to appear at ‘Citizen’s Rally’ to rally opposition to redistricting (Cline’s trying desperately to save his own sorry ass.)
- Democratic Members of Virginia’s U.S. House Delegation “strongly condemn the deceptive and offensive mailers being sent to Black voters across Virginia by a MAGA-aligned group” (“Across the country, Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans are pushing a national power grab”)
- Why Voting YES on Virginia’s Redistricting Amendment Matters (“The Trump White House’s and national Republicans’ attempts to rig the midterms have forced us to take a stand “)
- Virginia campaign reporting database corrected, still no answer to who bankrolled ‘Jim Crow’ mailer (“The cost to print and mail campaign flyers statewide could cost tens of thousands of dollars, but the campaign finance report for the PAC responsible for the flyer is missing from the state database.” Which is…illegal?)
- Mailed flyers and texts use Jim Crow-era imagery in anti-redistricting campaign (“NAACP Virginia State Conference said this messaging was ‘aimed at deterring Black voters.’” The quote in this article by AC Cordoza, is completely absurd.)
- Democrats zero in on Virginia redistricting as early voting begins
- ‘Grow up’: Former Republican delegate defends civil-rights-themed mailers in redistricting fight (This guy’s completely unhinged. As for the article’s headline, it’s pure clickbait.)
- As General Assembly prepares to gavel out, no budget agreement in sight
- Lucas calls out Spanberger and House on data center tax breaks
- New Report: “Virginia is the nation’s 9th largest solar market and one of the fastest-growing markets in the country with 7.5 GW of capacity” (Despite Trump’s irrational, unhinged hostility, “solar and energy storage represent 79% of new capacity installed” in 2025)
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Calls on Legislators to Prioritize Reproductive Health Care Access in State Budget Negotiations
- Federal judge upholds ruling that certain ex-felons should not automatically lose voting rights (“Virginia had been in violation of a Reconstruction-era law barring states from constitutionally disenfranchising people.”)
- Spanberger appoints new parole board members ahead of larger changes
- Virginia one step closer to probation reform with bills headed for Spanberger’s desk
- In Assembly’s sprint to finish, bills on PFAS, insurer denial pass final hurdle
- Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads have lost more jobs than any other metro area with more than 1 million people (“Two new economic reports paint a pessimistic picture for the Virginia economy, particularly its two biggest regional economies. They matter to rural Virginia because that’s where much of our school funding comes from.” Probably should say “STOP ELECTING REPUBLICANS” right in the headline or subheader.)
- Editorial: As the water rises, Hampton Roads waits for resilience action (“As the water creeps steadily higher with each passing year, there is simply no excuse to not urgently do what’s necessary.”)
- Two candidates run in Virginia Beach special election to fill Barry Knight’s seat
- ODU’s Faculty Senate pass vote of no confidence against university president, provost and VP
- Republican Jeannie LaCroix Wins Woodbridge District Supervisor Special Election in Upset Victory (“LaCroix will fill the remainder of former Supervisor Margaret Franklin’s term, which ends in December 2027. If she wishes to retain the seat beyond that date, LaCroix must run for re-election in the November 2027 general election.” She’ll lose then, but still…really bad for PW Dems.)
- Loudoun Co. sheriff says despite vote against it, push for SROs in elementary schools will continue
- CWG Live: Super warm again today with a few storms possible; much cooler tomorrow (“Tonight’s cold front tumbles Thursday temperatures into the 40s with gusty winds.”)
