by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 7.
- Climate campaigners attack Shell over ‘windfall’ profits from Iran war (“Firm benefits from conflict to rake in $6.9bn as higher energy prices turbocharge profits”)
- A deep rift with Pope Leo prompts high-level White House repair effort
- Rubio visits Rome aiming to repair White House ties with Pope Leo
- Putin’s Strongman Image Is Fading as Ukraine Brings War Home to Russia (“Russian president’s ‘Victory Day’ cult backfires as conflict drags on longer than Soviet battle against Nazis”)
- Russia is ramping up its attempts to kill opponents in Europe, intelligence officials say
- War and Energy Shortages Boost China’s Influence
- US says migration has made Europe an ‘incubator’ for terrorism in new counter-terrorism strategy (“The 16-page report was led by Trump-ally Sebastian Gorka, and places drug cartels in the Americas at the centre of counter-terrorism efforts” If it’s by Gorka, you know it’s complete crap.)
- EU weighs restricting use of U.S. cloud platforms to process sensitive government data, sources tell CNBC
- The biggest obstacle to an Iran deal may be Trump’s ego
- Trump news at a glance: US fires on Iranian-flagged tanker as president fires off post threatening more bombing
- Trump is trapped by his own strategy as he grapples for an exit in Iran (“The president is stuck in two binds he created — one geopolitical and the other domestic”)
- Trump’s abrupt U-turn on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz came after backlash from allies
- Trump’s Team Wants Him to Accept an Iran Deal He’s Already Rejected (“As chaotic negotiations over the end of the Iran war continue, US negotiators think they have the framework for a deal in place. Now they just have to sell the president on it.”)
- Trump Says Iran Has Agreed to Not Have Nuclear Weapons (Again, the media goes with “Trump says,” without immediately noting that pretty much everything Trump says is a lie, bullshit, etc.)
- US Waits for Iran’s Peace Deal Response as Israel Hits Lebanon
- “Blows your mind:” Regulator says boom in home batteries and PV puts 82 pct renewables within reach
- The U.K.’s Antisemitism Problem (“The British government has declared antisemitism a ‘crisis’ after a recent spate of violent attacks. But will their solutions protect Jews, or make the situation worse?”)
- ‘A Total Collapse’: Elections May Expose Britain’s Fraying Political System (“Polls predict historic losses for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party as an anti-immigrant party makes gains, and a new era of politics takes shape.”)
- What to Know as Starmer Faces a Major Test in a Set of U.K. Elections
- Israel Kills Hezbollah Elite Unit Head in Strike on Beirut
- Belgian PM slaps down Trump’s ambassador over ‘nonsense’ antisemitism jab
- US and Russia fuelling separatist debate in Canada, new report says
- Hantavirus-hit cruise ship on way to Canary Islands after three evacuated
- Trump’s Mass Deportation Machine Isn’t Helping Native-Born Workers (“The first major study of Trump’s crackdown’s effect on labor markets shows it’s only making things worse for the U.S.-born workers it’s supposed to help.”)
- How Trump’s Minneapolis immigration blitz hobbled federal crime fighting
- Chief Justice John Roberts says American public wrongly views the justices as ‘political actors’ (WILD levels of gaslighting fromt his asshole.)
- The Supreme Court broke democracy by saying the quiet part out loud (“SCOTUS has lost its sense of when to shut up.”)
- Williams: In gutting the Voting Rights Act, America courts white supremacy
- The Confederacy rises again (“Undoing the 1960s isn’t enough. They’re even taking aim at the 1860s”)
- Jack Smith Calls the Justice Dept. ‘Corrupted’ by Trump and His Allies (“At a private event in Washington last month, Mr. Smith, the former special counsel, accused Justice Department leaders of targeting people for prosecution to please and impress the president.” 100% accurate.)
- Trump’s “affordability hoax” may doom him
- Powerful US utilities secretly fund ‘grassroots’ groups to sway cities away from switch to public power
- Democrats see Senate control within reach — but some big hurdles remain
- Kamala Harris wants the DNC to release its autopsy report of the 2024 campaign
- Trump counterterrorism strategy targets ‘violent left-wing extremists’ with ‘transgender ideology’ (Insanity.)
- Trump’s Indiana Victory Shows His Enduring Grip on Core Republican Supporters
- Wait. What? A *$1 Billion* Ballroom?
- Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash (“The FBI director has been leaving an unusual calling card.”)
- The FBI Is Reportedly Investigating a Leak to an Atlantic Writer (“Sarah Fitzpatrick reported on concerns about Kash Patel’s drinking and behavior.”)
- Lutnick admits to having prolonged ties to Epstein in closed-door interview (“The Commerce Secretary sat for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation.”)
- Purported Epstein Suicide Note Is Released
- The GOP Defeats Itself in Indiana (“The entire effort cost $13.5 million, which could have gone to beating Democrats.”)
- Justice Department can keep 2020 election ballots seized from Georgia’s Fulton County, judge rules (Trump-appointed judge.)
- Republicans Unveil Map Carving Up Tennessee’s Majority-Black House District
- A Black Man Won an Election In New Orleans. Republicans Are Trying to Abolish His Position Altogether (“The legislative response to Calvin Duncan’s landslide victory has a long, shameful history in Louisiana.”)
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Says Howard Lutnick’s “flat-out lying to the American people” About His Epstein Ties (Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) says “Now I see why Republicans didn’t want this videotaped; Lutnick needs to resign.”)
- Rep. Subramanyam Says It’s “Outrageous” Secy. Lutnick’s Epstein Testimony Isn’t On Camera (“This oversight committee does not seem to be completely interested In doing oversight over this administration”)
- Oversight Democrat: ‘Kash Patel is a clown’ (“Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick sat for an interview before the House Oversight committee behind closed doors today. It seems lawmakers were left with more questions than answers about his ties to Epstein. Rep. James Walkinshaw, D-Va., was in the room and joins The Weeknight. He also responds to the latest controversies surrounding FBI Director Kash Patel.”)
- Video: At Arlington Dems Meeting, Three Candidates Announce for the New* VA07 (Joe Schiarizzi, Dorothy McAuliffe, Elizabeth Guzman), One for VA08 (Jason Knapp) (*Assuming the new districts take effect)
- After 10D-1R Map Is Passed by Voters, Trump/Patel FBI Raids the Portsmouth Office of VA Sen. Louise Lucas (“How did Fox News get someone live on the scene of a raid in Portsmouth? Do you all have an office in Portsmouth?” – Tim Miller)
- FBI raids office of Dem state lawmaker in Virginia who led redistricting efforts (“The maps championed by state Sen. L. Louise Lucas gives Democrats the advantage in four congressional seats.”)
- Sen. Louise Lucas responds after FBI searches her office, business: ‘I am not backing down’
- Who Tipped Off Fox News to FBI Raid of Democratic Leader’s Office? (“Fox News got suspiciously lucky being there right when the FBI raided the office of Virginia Senate Leader L. Louise Lucas.”)
- 6 things to know about the FBI raid on Louise Lucas’s office (“Lucas isn’t just any politician. She’s our most powerful state legislator and was the driving force behind redistricting, which gave her a national profile.”)
- Trump DOJ raids office State Sen. Louise Lucas: Made-for-TV political intimidation
- FBI searches Virginia Senate leader’s office as part of corruption probe, AP sources say (“One of the people said the investigation into Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas was opened during Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation.”)
- F.B.I. Raid of Democrat’s Office Jolts Virginia Politics (“Two people familiar with the case said the search of a lawmaker’s business office was related to a Biden-era investigation of possible corruption and bribery related to marijuana dispensaries.”)
- FBI raids state Sen. Louise Lucas’ office and The Cannabis Outlet in Portsmouth
- FBI searches Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas’ office, businesses in Portsmouth
- FBI raids Sen. Louise Lucas’ Portsmouth office, cannabis business
- State leaders react to FBI’s criminal search warrant tied to Va. Sen. Louise Lucas
- Trump’s FBI raids office of Virginia redistricting champion Louise Lucas
- Gov. Spanberger signs wetlands, PFAS and flooding bills
- Virginia expands open carry ban, bill patron says it address years of racial injustice
- Va. hemp growers worry about the future of their industry amid state and federal shifts
- Dept. of Justice investigating Fairfax County’s top attorney over handling of cases involving immigrants
- State lawmakers hope to address the growing amount of problem gambling in Virginia
- What we’ve learned in Bristol about reproductive freedom (“Abortion bans not only create barriers to health care, like we saw with the closure of the Bristol health clinic, but they also change how doctors and nurses approach treatment, guest columnist Cheryl Hanzik writes.”)
- Soaring costs of fuel, imported power to hit Dominion customers
- Blacksburg research office among dozens the U. S. Forest Service may close as part of restructuring plan
- Waynesboro: MAGA pastor trying to whip up anti-trans frenzy in school system (“A local Black MAGA pastor is trying to whip up his cult into barraging the Waynesboro School Board next week over trans kids, because, I guess, maybe he’s not been getting enough in the collection plate on Sundays?”)
- Herndon leaders plan to withdraw casino zoning proposal
- CWG Live: Cooler today before temperatures rise again into the weekend (“Occasional raindrops visit, but it’s drier than not in days ahead.”)
