Thursday (4/23) News: “US and Iran in blockade stalemate”; “How the Tech World Turned Evil”; “Why are White House journalists partying with Trump?”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, April 23. Also, check out the brilliant Jamelle Bouie (a Virginian, by the way), who absolutely demolishes the “brain-dead” notion that the two parties are in any way the same, that there’s any sort of “both sides”/”pox on both houses” false equivalence, and that it’s “completely brain dead” if you don’t understand that there is only ONE PARTY (the Democratic Party) still committed to American democracy, and that the Republican Party has completely/wildly “gone far off the rails.” Also, great to hear Jamelle Bouie’s shoutout to the prescient 2012 book by Norm Ormstein and Thomas Mann, “It’s Even Worse Than It Looks” (about how the Republican Party had gone completely off the far-right rails).

• A catastrophic climate event is upon us. Here is why you’ve heard so little about it (“Scientists say a crucial Atlantic system is more likely to collapse than previously thought. But the billionaire death cult that steers humanity’s destiny doesn’t do existential crises”)
• World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns (“Severe heatwaves in commonly hot regions could leave farmers unable to work outside, with livestock mortality rates expected to rise”)
• Major Livestock and Animal Agriculture Companies Are Making Climate Promises They Aren’t Keeping (Horrible industry in every way.)
• Number of billionaires globally could reach 4,000 in next five years (“There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around world” Insane.)
• How the Tech World Turned Evil (“Once upon a time, they were counterculture idealists bringing power to the people. Today they’re greedy monopolists who’d sooner destroy our democracy than be reined in by government in any way—and they have to be stopped.”)
• After U.S. Aid to Ukraine Fell by 99%, E.U. Pledges $106 Billion Loan
• Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv hails frontline position as ‘strongest in a year’ (“Drones minimise Russian manpower advantage on battlefield, says foreign minister; Moscow shies from Turkey push for Zelenskyy-Putin talks. What we know on day 1,520”)
• What would a permanent ‘Tehran’s tollbooth’ on oil mean for the world? (“Iran’s plan to extract a $2m payment from tankers using the strait of Hormuz could raise costs for years to come”)
• Oil exporters scramble for routes beyond Hormuz — but options are constrained
• ‘Impossible’ to reopen strait of Hormuz amid ‘flagrant’ ceasefire breaches, Iran says (“Iranian forces seize two ships in critical waterway as Washington and Tehran maintain separate blockades”)
• Middle East crisis live: US and Iran in blockade stalemate as Pentagon reportedly says clearing strait of Hormuz could take six months
• Iran shows off its control over strait after collapse of peace talks
• Iran’s military more capable than Trump administration is publicly acknowledging, sources say
• Iran Again Tightens Its Grip on Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz (“Traffic in the strait has all but halted as Iran renews its attacks, striking two vessels on Wednesday. More than 300 ships linked to Iran have passed through the strait since the war began.”)
• Air War in Iran Gives Way to Crippling Stalemate in Hormuz (“The economic toll and escalation risks in the strait persist amid a prolonged test of wills”)
• Exclusive: US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters, sources say
• China weathered Trump’s tariffs – but the Iran war is taking a toll
• Will Bulgaria’s New Leader Cast His Lot With Europe or Russia? (Huge mistake if he goes with Russia.)
• The international right has CPAC. Has the left finally found its answer? (“Spain’s PM, Pedro Sánchez, hosted the inaugural meeting of the Global Progressive Mobilisation. Keir Starmer and other social democrats were notable by their absence”)
• ICE tells officers to curtail court arrests, stop entering homes without warrants
• Florida’s Notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” Can Remain Open, Court Rules (One of the first things a new Democratic Congress needs to do is refuse to fund any of this shit. Then, if we elect a new Democratic president in 2028, we need to shut all this shit down ASAP!)
• Senate passes budget plan for ICE and Border Patrol in bid to reopen Homeland Security Department
• Senate Republicans clear go-it-alone path for ICE funding
• With Midterms Coming Up, G.O.P. Is Bogged Down in Congress (“Republican majorities are at odds on big issues as the Senate resorts to extraordinary measures to pass homeland security funding over a Democratic blockade.”)
• RFK Jr. Defends Trump’s Mathematically Impossible Drug Discount Claims (For the record, the most a price can do down is 100%, which would take it to zero. It is mathematically impossible for a price to go down 200%, 300%, 400%, whatever the hell the addled, demented imbecile in the White House spews out.)
• The MAHA Moms Are Falling in Line (“Politicians who think health-conscious women could swing the midterms are fooling themselves.” Pathetic all around.)
• Democrats say cuts to social security have caused ‘customer service chaos’ for American seniors (“Report from Elizabeth Warren calls Trump administration cuts to Social Security Administration ‘catastrophic’”)
• The wide-ranging fallout from the Supreme Court’s new terrorism decision, explained (“The Court’s Republican majority fractured in a case that could impact everyone from immigrants to consumers.”)
• Why the Trump team’s arcane economic theory won’t play at the gas pumps
• Trump’s approval rating on economy and overall falls to lowest of his two terms, CNBC survey shows
• This New DOJ Indictment Is the Most Ludicrous Attack on a Civil Rights Group in a Long Time (“No, the Southern Poverty Law Center did not pay informants to instigate racial violence. But Todd Blanche and Kash Patel are sure going to make it seem that way.”)
• Pete Hegseth Fires Navy Secretary John Phelan (“The shake-up comes as the U.S. military is enforcing a massive naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Middle East”)
• Navy Secretary John Phelan Is Leaving the Pentagon and the Trump Administration
• GOP senators hope for a quick Cabinet shakeup
• As Democrats Outraise Republican Candidates, the G.O.P. Has This $600 Million Edge
• Why are White House journalists partying with Trump? (“The White House correspondents’ dinner has always been a questionable affair. It’s even more worrying under an anti-press administration”)
• How Trump has “celebrate[d] the First Amendment” leading up to the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner
• Trump team defends redistricting push as GOP faces limited gains
• Trump’s Enormous Gerrymandering Blunder (“The Republican redistricting effort backfires.”)
• Republicans Are Worried the Redistricting Fight Is Backfiring (“After a victory in Virginia, some analysts say Democrats may pick up more seats in Congress following the nationwide redistricting battle”)
• “I wish none of this had happened”: GOP’s buyer’s remorse on redistricting
• Hakeem Jeffries finally gets a signature win (“Allies say the House Democratic leader’s redistricting counteroffensive showed he’s worthy of stepping into Nancy Pelosi’s shoes.”)
• Republicans air misgivings about redistricting push after Virginia vote (“The Democratic triumph Tuesday has GOP lawmakers openly questioning the mid-decade redraws pushed by President Donald Trump.”)
• Oversight members split over whether to pardon Ghislaine Maxwell, committee chair says (“The only convicted associate of Jeffrey Epstein has said she would testify to Congress if granted clemency — a power held solely by the president.”)
• Top Trump Terror Official Exposed on ‘Sugar Daddy’ Site
• Gallego Partied Until the Early Morning on Colombia Trip Despite Security Warnings (“Sources told NOTUS embassy staff warned the Arizona Democrat about a credible threat to his life, but he stayed at a Bogotá club until 3 a.m., concerning U.S. officials.”)
• Kalshi suspends, fines 3 congressional candidates in ‘insider trading’ enforcement actions (“The candidates are Mark Moran, a former Virginia Democratic primary candidate for Senate who is now running as an independent; Minnesota Democrat Matt Klein, who is running in the primary for that state’s 2nd Congressional District; and Ezekiel Enriquez of Texas, who is running in the Republican primary for the state’s 21st Congressional District.”)
• F.B.I. Said to Have Investigated Times Reporter After Article on Patel’s Girlfriend (That’s tinpot-dictator shit.)
• Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat seeking his 13th term in Congress, dies at age 80
• Ron DeSantis signs law blocking local Florida governments from funding DEI (“Florida governor says white men have been discriminated against in new effort to challenge inclusion programs” Glenn Youngkin’s role-model governor strikes again!)
• Republicans pressure Ron DeSantis to redistrict in Florida after Virginia Democrats’ win
• Takeaways from the first California governor’s debate since Eric Swalwell’s exit
• The Ethics Committee Investigated Rep. Alma Adams for Alleged ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ With a Staffer
• Virginia Rep. James Walkinshaw calls out Trump on delayed release of Epstein files
• Helping Ben Cline find a new job: Soft landing spots for our MAGA congressman (LOL, good one!)
• Political Winners and Losers: Virginia Redistricting Referendum April 2026
• After Losing at Ballot Box, Trump Rants (Falsely) About a Supposedly “Rigged” Election; MAGA Republicans Attempt to Get Right-Wing-Activist Courts to Overturn the Will of VA Voters
• Trump on Virginia ‘yes’ vote: It was ‘rigged,’ and he didn’t understand any of it
• Williams: Tuesday’s vote was about much more than gerrymandering
• Judge blocks certification of Virginia redistricting referendum, Democrats plan appeal
• How Trump Accidentally Handed Dems Their Big Win in Virginia
• Bumfart MAGA judge issues another injunction trying to block referendum
• Grassroots Collaboration Pivotal in Virginia Redistricting Victory (“Coalition of Volunteer Activists, Not Political Consultants, Delivered the Win”)
• Trump blasts Virginia vote as ‘rigged’ because of mail voting. He’s wrong. Here are the facts (Much better article by Dwayne Yancey today than yesterday.)
• GOP’s hope to undo Virginia’s new redistricting power grows after judge halts maps
• Virginia voters approve redistricting referendum (“Voters agreed to temporarily change the redistricting process until the 2030 census is complete.”)
• Virginia’s Democratic leadership takes a victory lap after redistricting referendum win
• Editorial: Redistricting referendum passes, but effects will echo for years (“The narrow margin of approval reflects a divided electorate angry at President Donald Trump but wary of Virginia Democrats going overboard in attempts to neutralize him” This is a weird headline and bizarre subheader by the Virginian Pilot, which is trying DESPERATELY not to anger the right wing, or to offend anyone really…so they end up with this “both sides” pablum.)
• General Assembly declines Spanberger amendments to major legislation (“They rejected changes to bills on guns, marijuana, unions and more.; Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger now faces a tough choice: whether or not to veto marquee Democratic legislation after the General Assembly did not accept her changes.”)
• Va. lawmakers OK governor’s tweaks to major energy bills, reject health and labor bill amendments (“Paid Family and Medical Leave is a step closer to becoming law, while rejected amendments on other bills mean Spanberger must now choose to sign or veto.”)
• General Assembly rejects more than a dozen of Spanberger’s amendments (“Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger amended 180 of the bills passed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature. She vetoed eight bills.”)
• Spanberger signs ‘Momnibus’ bills as abortion opponents hit the streets in Virginia March for Life (“The new laws aim to boost maternal health in the state, as a political battle brews over a reproductive rights constitutional amendment voters must decide on later this year”)
• Paid Family and Medical Leave Signed into Law, Enabling Virginians to Care for Themselves and Loved Ones (Also: Virginia Democrats Pass Law Requiring Coverage for Contraceptive Healthcare)
• Dominion Energy CEO makes Top 10 list of most overpaid power utility guys
• Dairy farmers in Southwest Virginia say they remain hopeful, despite challenges
• Charlottesville School Board splits on ending agreement with CPD
• Virginia man to get $1.3 million for wrongful conviction
• CWG Live: Temperatures rise near 80 today and Friday, with occasional rain chances