by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, April 9. Also, check out the back-to-back interviews with VA Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell and Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn on the proposed Tysons casino. To put it mildly, these two guys have different positions on the issue; more strikingly is that they dispute the economics, rationale, logic – pretty much EVERYTHING about this entire issue.
- Mass drowning of chicks puts emperor penguins at risk of extinction (“Record low levels of Antarctic sea ice is having grim consequences for penguins yet to grow waterproof feathers” UGH – this is the result of humanity burning fossil fuels.)
- ‘Non-survivable’: heatwaves are already breaching human limits, with worse to come, study finds
- The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV’s Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy
- Russia’s internet crackdown leads to a spring of growing discontent
- Hungary must urgently explain itself over leaked call with Russian foreign minister, says EU (“European Commission says call in which Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó appears to offer to share documents about Ukrainian accession is ‘alarming’” So what are they going to do about it?)
- Hungary’s election could end Orban era and reshape its place in Europe
- Trump criticises Nato as alliance chief describes meeting as ‘very frank’
- Trump Team Explores Punishment for NATO Countries That Didn’t Support Iran War (“U.S. troops could be shifted toward alliance members in president’s good graces”)
- ‘Poorly run, piece of ice’: Trump targets Greenland again as Iran war deepens NATO rift (Trump is a Putin puppet, also insane.)
- Iran is holding the world economy hostage. Trump’s truce proves its leverage
- Oil industry pleads its Hormuz case with White House (“Oil executives are citing international treaties, sanction laws and high payments in opposing Iran’s plan to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.”)
- Iran Tightens Its Grip on Hormuz Despite Cease-Fire
- Is Strait of Hormuz Open Again? Maybe, but Few Ships Are Using It.
- Shipping stalls as Tehran dictates terms in Strait of Hormuz (“Despite US-Iran ceasefire deal fewer tankers passed the crucial waterway than during fiercest days of fighting”)
- It’s Not a TACO. It’s a Surrender. (“Iran 1, Trump 0”)
- ‘Seems like losing’: What the US hasn’t won in Iran (“As negotiations begin this weekend in Pakistan, the war has reaffirmed Iran’s regional significance.”)
- MAGA Dolt Hegseth Accidentally Reveals Big Hole in Trump Victory Claim
- What Is In Iran’s 10-Point Proposal, and How Does It Compare to U.S. Demands?
- A Closer Look at Iran’s 10 Demands—and Which the U.S. Might Accept (“President Trump said the Iranian plan is a starting point, but there is a lot of ground to cover before a deal can be reached”)
- Middle East ceasefire in serious doubt as Israel assaults Lebanon and Iran blocks oil tankers
- Once ‘Ultra MAGA’, Trump Supporters Fume About Iran on Truth Social (“A growing chorus of disaffected Trump supporters is sounding off in the replies to his posts on the social media platform he founded. “)
- Trump Allies, U.S. Officials Fear Iran Victory Lap Is Premature (“Among the top concerns is Iran’s refusal to fully open the Strait of Hormuz”)
- Who can claim victory if Iran ceasefire holds? An early winner is China
- Trump Just Fed America a Sh*t Sandwich (“Understanding Trump’s ceasefire/surrender—and what comes next.”)
- Only Losers Play the Madman (“Does Trump seem crazy? Sure. Credible, not so much.”)
- A teetering ceasefire bodes ill for treacherous US-Iran talks ahead
- Trump Made a Deal That Gives Him Nothing He Wanted (“U.S. declarations of victory ring hollow.”)
- Contrary to What Pete Hegseth Says, This Two-Week Ceasefire with Iran Isn’t a “Historic and Overwhelming Victory”
- Why Iran Thinks It Won the War Despite Huge Military Losses (“The Islamic regime survived and appears to possess a new strategic prize in the Strait of Hormuz”)
- Trump says US military to stay around Iran; threatens action if Tehran fails to comply with deal
- How fractured right-wing media are spinning Trump’s Iran capitulation (“As a ceasefire is agreed to, some figures claim Trump “negotiated the deal of his life,” others argue he “chickened out again” and warn the deal “could be an amazing victory for Iran.””)
- Trump says Lebanon is not part of ceasefire deal with Iran, PBS reports
- The Iran war’s exit ramp has become a diplomatic maze
- Trump Has a War Crimes Problem. It’s His Mouth. (“He can’t stop freestyling about plunder and atrocities.”)
- Trump Makes Unhinged War Threat in Wild Midnight Meltdown (“The president warned of “bigger, and better, and stronger” attacks.”)
- A U.S.-Iran Ceasefire Is Here, but Trump’s Stone Age Mentality Endures (“A temporary truce can’t erase the chaos of a war that the White House started and never fully understood.”)
- Israel’s massive strikes on Lebanon strain US and Iran’s uneasy ceasefire (“Both sides are preparing for peace talks in Pakistan this weekend as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains stalled.”)
- After pager attack on Hezbollah, Hungary offered help to Iran
- A Cease-Fire for Now in Iran, but a Blow to American Credibility
- At least 182 killed as Israel strikes central Beirut after saying Iran truce doesn’t apply there
- Vance: Israel offered to restrain strikes in Lebanon during U.S.-Iran talks (This headline should note that Vance is a pathological liar.)
- Iran Exposes How Trump and Hegseth Have Debased Our Military Standards (“Pardons, promotions, and dismissals under Trump and Hegseth all say one thing: They don’t want to be bound by any rules of engagement of any kind.”)
- Kristi Noem’s luxury DHS jet to be used by other administration officials
- Trump’s EPA chief Zeldin gives keynote speech at climate-denying group’s event (“Lee Zeldin opens conference for Heartland Institute, which once compared climate advocates to the Unabomber” Pure evil.)
- Climate Change Denial Sees a Resurgence in Trump’s Washington (Climate change denial should be an AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFER for ANYONE to hold public office of ANY KIND in America. Period. The fact that this isn’t the case is pathetic.)
- Supreme Court remade by Trump ushers in historic defeats for civil rights
- ‘We lose the midterms’: Republicans worry Iran might have already cost them Congress
- Trump and former loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene trade jabs as Maga split over Iran widens
- Bondi won’t appear for House deposition next week in the Epstein investigation (Arrest her for contempt of Congress.)
- White House Secures Foreign Steel for Ballroom Project (“ArcelorMittal, a European steel maker, is donating tens of millions of dollars of foreign steel for President Trump’s new ballroom.” Not corrupt at all, I’m sure! LOL)
- Insiders Sound Alarm on MAGA-Curious CBS Boss’ Dinner Invitation (“The report about Pete Hegseth has not gone down well with people working at the struggling network.”)
- Janet Mills drops attack ads, but is still ‘full steam ahead’ in US Senate primary (“The governor has no ads booked beyond Wednesday and trails in the polls.”)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Asks, “Who is making millions insider trading on the war in Iran?” (“Only 16 minutes before Trump announced a pause on striking Iranian power plants, somebody put a $580 million bet on the futures market and managed to collect a big payout before the war started.”)
- As Virginia Works to Rebuild Trust in Policing, Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA06) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Push to Hand Authority to ICE (“Cline and Kiggans appear more interested in manifesting their fealty to Donald Trump than protecting Virginians from fear-based federal policing.”)
- “Lost In The Chaos And Damage:” Former Federal Workers Meet With Their Virginia Legislators (“…if federal workers don’t get help soon, it is likely to become a ‘federal worker suicide crisis.'”)
- Ben Cline likes the deal allowing Iran to charge tolls on the Strait of Hormuz (“Retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, a Fox News contributor, understands – that Iran got everything it wanted.”)
- “They don’t want her to answer questions”: Rep. Walkinshaw reacts to DOJ saying Bondi won’t testify in House Epstein probe
- VA Dem rejects ‘power grab’ claims on Spanberger redistricting as GOP warns 10–1 map would split rural vote (“Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., a first-term Loudoun County congressman, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the goal of the redistricting remains as stated in its referendum text: to “restore fairness” in congressional apportionment. “)
- GOP ads using Klan imagery target Black voters in crucial redistricting contest (“Civil rights rhetoric and images of Barack Obama are also being employed to persuade Virginians during the nationwide battle for U.S. House control.”)
- Williams: ‘What the heck?’ A new low for the ‘vote no’ campaign. (Spot-on by Michael Paul Williams – nice job!)
- Pro- and anti-redistricting camps wield ‘fairness’ in voter appeals (Classic false-equivalence, “both sides” framing; in fact, the NO side is being wildly dishonest.)
- Redistricting opponents falsely claim the Virginia measure is not temporary (Virginia Independent has a good headline, unlike VPM’s, in part because it says the key word FALSELY right in the headline.)
- Spanberger talks approval rating, bumpy road on budget impasse (“With just over two weeks until the state legislature meets for a special session to vote on the budget, it’s not clear how much progress has been made.”)
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger: “Today, I am excited to announce that many of our proposals to make housing, healthcare, and energy more affordable are now law.” (“I look forward to continuing our efforts to make Virginia a more affordable place to live”)
- Spanberger hits back at DHS, WaPo polling, calls budget negotiations a ‘bumpy road’
- Spanberger talks budget negotiations (“At this moment, I am endeavoring to be very engaged, but I still need them to come to a conclusion on the bill that they want to send to my desk.” Louise Lucas: “The data center people have not come back to me with a serious proposal”)
- Spanberger signs into law slate of education bills, including prohibition of cellphone use in school
- As redistricting referendum nears, Spanberger balances governing and campaigning (“There’s over a million dollars worth of TV ads with my face on it…And at the same time, my priority is doing the job that I told Virginians I want to do, which is governing.”)
- Higher education professionals are begging the governor to grant them collective bargaining rights (“If the governor adds professors, graduate students and librarians to the collective bargaining legislation, members of the General Assembly would then consider that amendment when they reconvene on April 22nd. The governor’s deadline to take action is Monday night.”)
- Virginia AG joins fight against president’s hypocrisy on mail-in voting
- Fairfax school board wrestles with possible calendar changes after disruptive year
- Harbor seals are flocking to Hampton Roads — and scientists don’t know why.
- Legislative effort to buy Monroe’s Loudoun estate on pause, budget effort underway (“House Bill 500, sponsored by Del. John McAuliff, D-Fauquier, would enable the Department of Conservation and Recreation to receive a 1,240 acre parcel of land known as Oak Hill Farm from The Conservation Fund and establish it as an official state park.”)
- CWG Live: Warmer through the weekend, then hot to start next week (“Climbing closer to average today, and 70s return tomorrow with 90s possible early next week.”)
