by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, April 5. Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all who celebrate. Also, check out last night’s SNL “Cold Open,” featuring “Pam Bondi.” LOL
And on a much more serious note, here’s what Paul Krugman has to say this morning:
“America as we knew it may end Tuesday…Yesterday, I talked about how awful Trump’s message about ‘glory to God’ and all of that was, but it’s looking much much worse today. I’ll quote Trump in a second…let me do a Heather Cox Richardson here and talk about history for a second. Think about what Abraham Lincoln, a president who was actually winning his war said in his second inaugural, and probably all heard the the magnificent conclusion, which begins ‘with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in.’ Determination, humility, decency. Now, let me read you Donald Trump’s Truth Social post from this morning. ‘Tuesday will be power plant day and bridge day all wrapped up in one in Iran. There will be nothing like it. Open the fuckin’ straight, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in hell. Just watch. Praise be to Allah.’
Uh, I don’t…what happened to us. This is not the country we were supposed to be. If Trump is actually going to give it the order for massive war crimes, for destruction of civilian infrastructure…which will among other things lead to a lot of deaths in Iran, will the military obey it? A year ago I would have said no. But what we do know now is that, first of all there turns out to be at least a significant MAGA component inside the officer corps. And we know that Pete Hegseth has been systematically corrupting, dismantling the military over the past 14 months, that generals who raise ethical concerns have been fired, officers who even just want to be intelligent about warfare and not believe that it’s all about warrior ethos and and ‘lethality’ have been fired, that it’s quite possible that there’s a quorum of officers who will follow instructions to commit war crimes.
You can get even more pessimistic. Tim Snyder has been arguing that that we’re basically in preparation for a coup, that somehow or other the war be a pretense, and arguing that this insane expansion of military spending in the latest Trump budget is a bribe to to the military. I hope he’s wrong. But in any case, my god: the United States is about, at least if Trump gets his way, and if he doesn’t chicken out, and I think TACO is greatly overrated…all too often Trump actually does follow through on his insane stuff, that it’s entirely possible that by basically by this time Tuesday, America will have established itself as one of the world’s great villains. I don’t want to be here. But you know, be warned. This is this is happening. This is real. It’s the most astonishing, awful thing that I’ve ever seen. And we’ve all seen a lot of awful things. Take care, I guess.”
- Record high ocean temperatures off southern California raise fears of prolonged marine heatwave
- Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Easter vigil, calls for harmony and peace in a world torn by war
- Pope Leo marks first Easter as pontiff with call for hope amid global conflicts
- Pope Leo urges those who ‘unleash wars’ to choose peace in his first Easter message
- ‘Absolutely spectacular’: Artemis II crew see first glimpse of far side of Moon
- ‘Not the moon that I’m used to seeing’: Artemis II astronauts describe seeing the far side (“In an interview with NBC News from the Orion capsule, the crew described seeing the moon from a new angle, feelings of awe and humility, and their very human concerns in space.”)
- ‘It’s all fear and headlines’: energy traders race to keep pace with volatile oil markets (“Market volatility caused by Middle East conflict exposes energy traders to heavy losses and rumours of insider trading at the highest level”)
- ‘The frontline is like Terminator’: fighting robots give Ukraine hope in war with Russia
- Trump’s Claims of Victory Clash With Iran War’s Gritty Reality (“Pentagon says the U.S. is achieving its goals, but Iran is fighting on”)
- Iran War Live Updates: U.S. Rescues Officer From Downed Fighter Jet in Iran, Trump Says (“Risky Night Mission Took Commandos Deep Into Hostile Territory”)
- U.S. rescues missing crew member in Iran after fighter jet shot down (“The successful return of the missing airman came after an intense search-and-rescue mission, and all personnel involved in the rescue have returned safely, according to a U.S. official.”)
- U.S. Forces Rescue Second American Airman in Iran (“The remaining F-15E crew member had been stuck in enemy territory for more than 36 hours”)
- Top Aides Advise Trump Blasting Iran’s Infrastructure Is Fair Game (“Officials say hitting power plants and roadways is necessary to cripple Iran’s weapons programs”)
- Trump threatens Iran with “hell” if Hormuz strait isn’t open in 48 hours
- Israel preparing for attacks on Iranian energy sites, awaits US green light, official says
- Polymarket apologizes for allowing wagers on fate of U.S. pilots downed in Iran
- Trump’s Go-It-Alone Certainty Confronts The Uncertainties Of War
- AI videos fuel rhetoric as Orbán bids for four more years in Hungary
- ‘Feels like history is being made’: will young Hungarian voters oust Orbán? (“The rightwing populist has been in power for 16 years but a new generation of voters are preparing to vote for his opponent, polls suggest”)
- Kanye West headlining Wireless festival is ‘deeply concerning’, says Keir Starmer (“PM says antisemitism is ‘abhorrent’ after booking of West, who has song called Heil Hitler and last year advertised swastika T-shirt”)
- How Paris swapped cars for bikes – and transformed its streets (“Under outgoing mayor Anne Hidalgo, the French capital added bike lanes, cut traffic and reclaimed public space, but not without resistance”)
- Trump administration detains relatives of killed Iranian general Soleimani
- US revokes green cards and visas of several Iranian nationals connected to Tehran government
- 3-year-old immigrant suffered alleged sexual abuse during months in federal custody, family says (My god…)
- Welcome to Miami: America’s Most ICE-Besieged City
- Stephen Miller Is Still Pursuing His Immigration Agenda, but More Quietly
- Their Parents Were Taken by ICE. The Children Had to Raise Each Other.
- Warsh nomination moves ahead, putting Trump’s competing Fed plans on a collision course (“President Donald Trump’s two goals are now in conflict: he can’t both confirm Warsh and allow the Fed probe to move ahead.”)
- How to Poison an Ocean (“Trump envisions a new era of offshore oil drilling. Scientists know all too well how that story ends.”)
- The Next Coup Attempt (“And How to Stop It”)
- ‘Twelve Dollars for Two Gallons’: E.V.s Lure Drivers as Gas Prices Rise
- Trump Administration Targets Bison on Federal Grazing Lands (“An Interior Department proposal would cancel BLM grazing leases for American Prairie’s buffalo in Montana, but it could affect tribal and private herds across the West.”)
- Judge Pauses Trump Demand for Student Race Data in 17 States
- Judge halts Trump effort requiring colleges to show they aren’t considering race in admissions
- Gen. George says Army deserves ‘leaders of character’ in farewell letter (They mean, “In farewell letter, Gen. George says Army…”)
- Republicans are losing clout in statehouses in another possible sign of midterm trouble (“More than a dozen legislative leaders have headed for the exits over the past 14 months.”)
- Trump administration asks appeals court to pause order halting White House ballroom construction
- Trump’s attacks on CNN collide with uncertainty over its future (“Animosity from the White House has taken on new significance amid an imminent sale to David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance, fueling anxiety among journalists.”)
- A subdued Wisconsin Supreme Court race tilts Democrats’ way (“Both parties are spending a fraction of the total that broke records for a spring election last year. But Democrats are in the driver’s seat in Madison.”)
- Wisconsin judicial race spotlights state GOP’s struggles
- SNL’s Pam Bondi Spirals Over Brutal Trump Firing
- ICE made nearly 9,000 arrests in Virginia in 2025. They’re on pace to beat that this year.
- ICYMI: Students Across Commonwealth Voting YES (“Trump attacked our universities and we are fighting back — stopping his power grab by voting yes.”)
- In rural Virginia, excitement and dread grows over Democrats’ redistricting referendum
- WaPo referendum poll has ‘Yes’ at +9: ‘Mixed signs,’ ‘alarm bells’ for Ds? (“The mainstream media, bending the knee, as usual, in Trump 2.0, is all too willing to be compliant there – as was the case last year, when you’d see headlines about the Spanberger/Earle-Sears race being within a couple of points in the spring and summer, just because.”)
- Bills target partisan politics within higher education governance of Virginia colleges
- Virginians are paying too much for Dominion’s profits
- Editorial: As Hampton Roads cities discuss the future, residents should speak up (“Residents shouldn’t miss their chance to make their voices heard at budget hearings in Hampton Roads cities this month.”)
- Williams: With ‘Expanding Freedom,’ Richmond finally confronts its enslaving past
- Charlottesville zoning code under fire after developers push student housing in Black neighborhoods
- UVA fires women’s basketball coach despite Sweet 16 run
- CWG Live: An unsettled Easter brings showers and falling temperatures (“A passing cold front brings showers, some heavy.”)
