Monday (4/20) News: “Iran Wavers on Peace Talks as Tensions Rise After US Seizes Ship”; Imagine MAGA’s Reaction If Biden or Obama Had Promised Iran $20 Billion?

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, April 20. Polls for the redistricting amendment open in under 23 hours; have you voted yet or do you plan to vote (YES, of course, at your regular polling location from 6 am to 7 pm!) tomorrow?

• Escape route from Iran energy shock leads to China, U.S. allies find (“Countries are navigating between the desire to speed up the green transition and worries over Beijing’s clean-tech dominance.”)
• The Forces of Scarcity Hitting Asia May Soon Spread Across the World (“The war in Iran and its energy bottlenecks hit the Asia-Pacific hard, and scenes of crisis there indicate that problems are multiplying and spreading.”)
• The Harm from Hormuz (“Why we should still fear a global slump from Trump’s Iran debacle”)
• Oil prices jump after Strait of Hormuz setbacks
• Iran Wavers on Peace Talks as Tensions Rise After US Seizes Ship
• U.S. struck, seized Iranian-flagged ship Touska in Gulf of Oman, Trump says
• Trump says he’ll send negotiators to Pakistan, Iran suspects trap
• Hormuz Traffic at Standstill as US Vessel Seizure Widens Risk
• ‘Resumption of hostilities’: seized ship, vessel attacks push U.S.-Iran ceasefire toward brink
• Iran vows retaliation over ship seizure as doubts grow over talks (“Ship’s seizure casts a shadow on expected negotiations in Pakistan, as Iran insists there are no plans for talks.”)
• Did Donald Trump Promise Iran $20 Billion? If So—Is that Treason? (“On Earth One, no—it’s Iran’s money, after all. But on MAGA Earth, if Biden or Obama had done it …”)
• Intemperate Trump brings chaos and confusion to Iran talks (“US president’s unreliable style sows diplomatic confusion but leaves Tehran clear on strategic value of strait of Hormuz”)
• Israel entrenches hold on south Lebanon, warns residents to stay out
• Israel’s critics are winning the battle for the Democratic Party (“Democratic voters turned against Israel. Now their politicians are following.”)
• U.A.E. Asks U.S. About a Wartime Financial Lifeline (“Emirati officials speak with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about accessing dollars if Middle East conflict drags on”)
• Rumen Radev’s party wins Bulgarian election (“Radev, 62, is seen as a pragmatic, somewhat pro-Russian leader, who has criticised EU sanctions, and called for constructive dialogue with the Kremlin. He opposes Bulgarian military support for Ukraine, but is unlikely to replicate Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s role as a spoiler of EU backing for Kyiv.”)
• French prosecutors summon Elon Musk over alleged child abuse images on X (“Owner of X summoned along with former CEO Linda Yaccarino over investigation by cybercrime unit”)
• Starmer expected to lead Labour into next election, says minister, but warns there are ‘no certainties’ amid Mandelson scandal
• Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds (“Research casts doubt on plans by UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source”)
• Major 7.5-Magnitude Quake Hits Off Japan, Tsunami Warning Issued
• Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid (Seriously???)
• Carney says Canada’s economic ties with US are a weakness that must be corrected
• Trump Administration to Begin Refunding $166 Billion in Tariffs
• Businesses can claim refunds starting Monday for Trump tariffs declared unconstitutional
• Fed nominee Warsh prepares for monetary policy road test before Senate panel
• ‘Most important speech…that should never have been given’: Fmr Judge pans SCOTUS justice’s remarks
• Dems Aren’t Buying Reports of Alito Staying Put
• Senate Republicans hope Supreme Court ‘surprise’ could help save majority
• Republicans stare down a growing, neverending FISA crisis (“Continued disagreements over the extension of a key government spy authority are threatening other facets of the GOP agenda.”)
• The state of solar: Despite partisan rhetoric, the industry is still booming (“Solar power is cheap, fast, and in demand as data centers consume more and more electricity.” It’s not “partisan rhetoric,” BTW, it’s 100% attacks coming from Trump, MAGA, etc. Why can’t the media use accurate language, instead of this vague, “both-sides” bullshit? Bad job, Grist.)
• Uncertainty reigns at DOJ in the aftermath of Bondi’s departure
• Fears of looser standards as the FBI and Justice Department scramble to fill a depleted workforce
• Trump loyalist Joe diGenova now leading ‘grand conspiracy’ probe of Trump targets (Completely unhinged, dangerous, evil, etc.)
• FBI Director says arrests ‘coming soon’ on 2020 rigged election conspiracy (This is absolutely INSANE!)
• Justice Department demands Michigan county turn over 2024 ballots (“Michigan Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel dismissed the latest election inquiry from the Trump administration as ‘absurd’ and ‘baseless.'” Yet again, an example of the “mainstream media” refusing to weigh in whether something is true or false; in this case, they could say “Justice Department ILLEGALLY demands” and “Michigan Democratic Attorney General CORRECTLY dismissed…” So why doesn’t the “mainstream media” do that???)
• Poll: Trump’s approval rating hits second-term low as Americans sour on the economy and Iran war (“Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation, according to an NBC News Decision Desk Poll, with some cracks emerging in his GOP support.”)
• The media blackout of Jared Kushner’s historic, ongoing corruption scandal (“As Trump’s son-in-law returns to Pakistan for more talks with Iran, major news outlets are largely ignoring an egregious conflict of interest.”)
• Hey, Washington: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? (“President Trump, who relishes attacking the news media, is set to break his boycott of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, an event celebrating the news media.” It’s WILDLY unacceptable for ANY legitimate reporters to be there while Trump speaks. WALK THE F*** OUT!)
• Why a Democratic Senate, Once Unthinkable, Is a Real Possibility (“Helped by a favorable national environment and strong candidate recruitment, Democrats are tied or ahead in four Republican-held seats, polls show.”)
• Trump Is dooming his party to a midterm blowout (“It’s almost as though he wants Republicans to lose.”)
• Democrats Eye a Broader Battlefield to Capture Congress in November
• Trump’s $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget Could Be Political Suicide for Republicans (“In normal times, this budget would be dead on arrival.”)
• Hegseth’s Feud With Army Secretary Spills Into Public View (Calling it a “feud” and a “spat” is HORRIBLE reporting.)
• Why Yale’s term paper on what’s wrong with college gets a ‘D-’ (“An Ivy League university’s report on the loss of faith in higher ed ignores what really killed the American Dream of college.”)
• Suspect dead after 8 children killed, 2 women wounded in Louisiana shooting (Horrific.)
• Kaine: Strait of Hormuz should be ‘open to all’
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Says in Tuesday Redistricting Vote, Virginians Will Decide “whether they want to have a congressional delegation that will stand up against Donald Trump’s tyranny” (“Trump decided to use mid-decade redistricting in other states to rig election results”)
• Elaine Luria, January 6 panel member seeking political comeback, says ‘the wind is on our back’ as Democrats try to flip House
• Video: On MSNOW, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Says Anti-Corruption’s a Powerful Message for Dems, Given That Trump “IS THE SWAMP” (Rep. Walkinshaw also predicts the redistricting referendum will pass, that “Virginia voters are coming out and sending a very strong statement”)
• Redistricting referendum: Democrats have work to do to get ‘Yes’ to the finish line
• Virginia redistricting referendum could have national implications (No “could” about it!)
• 10 questions and answers about Virginia’s redistricting referendum
• What happens if ‘yes’ wins? What happens if ‘no’ wins? Here’s a look at two alternative futures.
• Spanberger gives Virginia immigration advocates a mixed bag
• Early poll is sobering for Spanberger, but it’s a wake-up call, not an epitaph (“If she is to be faulted, it should be for remaining largely invisible and ceding the spotlight to the Speaker Don Scott and Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas. Effective, successful governors can’t be wallflowers, especially in today’s fragmented media environment.”)
• Up In Smoke? On 4/20, a struggle over marijuana’s future in Virginia looms
• Amazon is behind on jobs promised for funding to build Virginia headquarters (“The company expected to be nearly halfway to its goal of 25,000 new jobs in the area by 2038. It has created a little more than 7,000.”)
• CWG Live: Brisk today with a freeze warning tonight before a midweek warmup (“Highs are back to near 80 by Thursday or Friday.”)