Wednesday (5/20) News: Solar, Battery Storage Booming Worldwide; “Putin Seeks a Boost From Xi in Beijing as War Effort Falters”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 20.

• Solar will be largest power generator in “much changed” world by 2032, but battery storage is the big mover
• The worst climate future is less likely, but the best one is slipping away, scientists say
• Factcheck: Trump’s false claims about the IPCC and ‘RCP8.5’ climate scenario
• Why health officials are worried about containing the Ebola outbreak
• Russia is losing in Ukraine. Xi has noticed — Trump should too
• Putin and Xi hail their high-level ties and growing energy trade as they meet in Beijing (Appalling.)
• Putin Seeks a Boost From Xi in Beijing as War Effort Falters
• Russia and China warn of ‘law of the jungle’ in world affairs (“Xi and Putin jointly condemn Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence shield plans, a week after Xi hosted Trump in Beijing.”)
• Xi and Putin wrap up talks in Beijing with no final details on gas pipeline
• Exclusive: US plans to shrink forces available to NATO during crises, sources say (That’s completely f’ed up; Trump doing Putin’s bidding yet AGAIN!)
• Why Does Donald Trump Refuse to Defend America? (“The president has long articulated a moral equivalence between the country’s interests and those of dictatorships.”)
• Senate advances bill aimed at ending Iran war as Cassidy, after primary loss, flips to support
• Early War Goal Was to Install Hard Line Former President as Iran’s Leader (“An Israeli strike designed to free Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from house arrest in Tehran, U.S. officials said, was part of an effort to bring about regime change and put him in power. ” Seriously? WTF?)
• Iran threatens to extend conflict ‘beyond the region’ if U.S. and Israel resume attacks
• Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Big Hit’ If There’s No Deal Soon
• The Gaza Peace Plan Has Gone Nowhere (“More than six months after the U.S.-negotiated ceasefire, Israel still controls more than half the territory in Gaza, and Hamas refuses to disarm.”)
• ‘The door to the future of Gaza is still closed’: Trump’s reconstruction promises stall (This is a seemningly never-ending nightmare.)
• Death in Darfur: 3 days of horror caught on camera (“Sudanese paramilitary forces recorded themselves killing civilians while conquering the city of al-Fashir – as their commanders stood by. Using fighters’ videos and survivor accounts, this Reuters documentary reconstructs the violence.”)
• UK ‘built for climate that no longer exists’ and needs urgent changes to survive global heating, report warns (“Landmark report calls for widespread air conditioning and says UK temperatures forecast to exceed 40C by 2050”)
• Britain’s second most senior diplomat in Washington abruptly leaves post (“James Roscoe had served as deputy ambassador to US since 2022 and stood in after Peter Mandelson’s departure”)
• US expected to unveil criminal charges against Cuba’s Raul Castro (The guy’s 94 years old and not president anymore, but we’re going to send the military in there to capture him like Maduro???)
• Trump’s Special Envoy to Greenland Receives a Cold Welcome From Locals (“After President Trump’s threats to seize the island, Gov. Jeff Landry’s offers of MAGA hats and chocolate chip cookies fall flat.” What a douchebag.)
• We Sent This Idiot to Greenland and Expected a Warm Welcome? (“Louisiana governor Jeff Landry—whose constituents want him recalled—is not even close to the right person to smooth things over.”)
• The Supreme Court just handed down two surprisingly timid Voting Rights Act decisions (“Why did a Court that hates the Voting Rights Act with the intensity of a thousand suns decide to stay its hand?”)
• Ketanji Brown Jackson warns US supreme court it risks losing public trust
• 5M people may drop coverage from ACA marketplaces: Analysis
• Vance defends stock-trading spree in Trump financial filings: ‘Come on, man’ (Vance is scum.)
• Trump’s $1.8 Billion Slush Fund Is Worse Than Stealing (“Recasting the January 6 insurrection as the work of heroic patriots remains the president’s highest priority.”)
• Donald Trump May Have Found A Way For There To Be No ‘Limits’ On His Agenda (“Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization Fund” isn’t just a payout to his supporters — it’s a loophole that could lead to a complete subversion of the Constitution.”)
• New ‘Weaponization’ Settlement Terms Free Trump From IRS Audits
• US justice department ‘forever’ bars IRS from auditing Trump’s past tax returns (“Addendum quietly slipped into widely criticized agreement creating a $1.7bn fund to compensate president’s allies”)
• IRS ‘Forever Barred’ From Investigating Trump After DOJ Expands Settlement (“The one-page document, which appeared on the DOJ website Tuesday, was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.” Blanche is evil incarnate.)
• With Trump’s Settlement, a Possible $100 Million I.R.S. Penalty Melts Away (“The tax service argued that the Trump Organization tried to claim the same losses twice. The president said the audit was a “disgrace.””)
• Trump’s $1.8 billion ‘lawfare’ fund is making Republicans nervous (“Even Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he was ‘not a big fan’ of the new ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund.'”)
• I.R.S. to Drop Audits of Trump and Family (“As part of the Justice Department’s compensation fund deal, officials vowed not to pursue any matters, including those involving President Trump’s tax returns, that are pending.”)
• Trump’s Angry Jan. 6 Tirade Accidentally Hands Dems Midterm Weapon (“Democrats will seek to force Republicans to vote on Trump’s toxic new slush fund for January 6 rioters, Representative Jamie Raskin tells TNR in an interview. Democrats shouldn’t let up.”)
• Trump’s $1.776 Billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ (Ruper Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal says “He was wronged by the IRS leak of his tax return, but this payment deal is rotten.”)
• White House ballroom is turning into a symbol of Trump’s failures (“The president’s only legacy will be greed and corruption”)
• DOJ official told GOP ally that big payouts were coming for Jan. 6 defendants (Massively corrupt, inexcusable, illegal, unconstitutional dangerous, etc.)
• Longtime Trump ally Michael Caputo files first known claim for ‘anti-weaponization’ fund
• Trump called a sudden, urgent press conference. What followed was a fever dream (“With big Florida retiree energy, Trump shouted over the sound of drills and power saws about the construction of his new ballroom for over an hour as the Middle East crisis deepened and his approval hit rock bottom, writes Holly Baxter”)
• Google Search as you know it is over (“Instead of returning a simple list of links, Google Search will drop users into AI-powered interactive experiences at times. Google is also introducing tools that can dispatch “information agents” to gather information on a user’s behalf, along with tools that let users build personalized mini apps tailored to their needs.”)
• Bari My Heart at 57th Street (“As it closes in on its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount leadership has had informal discussions about changing Bari Weiss’s mandate at CBS News (and, eventually, CNN) in ways that would give her less control over TV.” She’s an unmitigated disaster.)
• Senate GOP could ditch Secret Service funding tied to White House ballroom (“Senate GOP could ditch Secret Service funding tied to White House ballroom”)
• ‘It would be 100 percent illegal’: Top Democrats blast Duffy over road trip (“Lawmakers tangled with the Transportation secretary on ethical questions regarding the reality-show-style trip.”)
• Trump’s grip is slipping on Latino voters
• Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump’s Endorsement of Paxton (“News that President Trump had snubbed Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the four-term incumbent, was met with shock, anger and fear that the G.O.P. could lose his seat.”)
• Trump’s revenge spree stuns Senate Republicans
• Why Trump Bucked His Party and Made a Risky Bet on Ken Paxton (“President emboldened by recent electoral victories and frustrated with congressional Republicans who backed Paxton’s GOP opponent”)
• Trump Screws Himself So Badly on Tex. Race that GOPers Visibly Stunned (“As Republicans seethe over Trump’s decision to elevate the weaker, more extreme Senate candidate in Texas, a Democratic operative who knows the state explains what the path to victory now looks like.”)
• Eight Democrats vote to confirm a lifetime judge who wouldn’t say Biden won in 2020 (“During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Clarke would not say who won the 2020 election — leading Senator Richard Blumenthal to call the nominees’ responses that day ‘Orwellian in their denial of reality.'”)
• What We Know About the Motives of the San Diego Mosque Shooters
• What Leads a Teen Boy to Commit Mass Violence? (“Officials say the two teens behind the San Diego mosque shooting were radicalized online” Of COURSE they were!)
• Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Democratic nomination for governor in Georgia (“She won the nomination outright despite some Democrats’ concerns over her record as Atlanta mayor.”)
• Georgia Supreme Court justices fend off Democratic-backed challengers
• Republicans Burt Jones and Rick Jackson advance to a runoff in the Georgia governor primary, setting up a MAGA clash (“Jones, the lieutenant governor, has Trump’s endorsement, but Jackson has shaken up the race by pouring tens of millions of dollars into ads.”)
• Trump scores major victory with Massie’s primary defeat in Kentucky (Massie is a right wingnut and an overall wacko; his Republican opponent also sucks badly.)
• Massie’s Defeat in Kentucky Highlights Trump’s Grip on GOP
• Trump news at a glance: president forces out another Republican who crossed him (“Trump news at a glance: president forces out another Republican who crossed him
  Thomas Massie, who repeatedly broke with Trump, lost to retired Navy Seal Ed Gallrein who was recruited into the race by the president. “)
• Trump topples Massie and other takeaways from Tuesday’s primaries
• Trump-backed Andy Barr wins GOP nomination for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat in Kentucky
• Democrats pick candidates for key districts in the battle for the House (“Four districts in Pennsylvania will play an outsized role in deciding the majority next year as Democrats seek a net gain of three seats needed to flip the chamber.”)
• Jared Polis says his Tina Peters decision “will be remembered fondly,” despite growing outrage (Polis is, at best, delusional.
• Former ‘gay cure’ ministry leader Alan Chambers charged in underage sex sting (“Deputies say Alan Chambers communicated for months with someone he believed was a 14-year-old boy” Of course he did…)
• Democrats vow scrutiny of NextEra-Dominion megamerger
• Sen. Tim Kaine on US Senate Advancing War Powers Resolution on Iran: “I’m grateful that today, enough of my colleagues stood up for the Constitution”
• Report: Inflation and Grocery Prices Spike Due to Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02)’s and Donald Trump’s Iran War (“Kiggans voted to give…Trump a blank check for his war in Iran…while also voting to keep his cost-spiking tariffs in place”)
• Video: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Vows, After “egregious decision by [SCOVA]”, to Restore 10D-1R Map in Virginia “in advance of 2028” (“And I can tell you right now, as a guarantee, we are taking back control of the…House of Representatives in November.”)
• AUDIO: Virginia congressman defends 2024 child marriage vote (“Dogwood has obtained audio of Republican Virginia Congressman John McGuire from earlier this year in which he explains his 2024 vote against raising the marriage age to 18. “)
• Gov. Spanberger Issues Vetoes: Class Action Lawsuits, Retail Marketplace for Cannabis Products, Prescription Drug Affordability, etc. (And yes, it’s VERY unusual to see so many vetoes by a governor of legislation passed overwhelmingly by their own party)
• 6 things to know about Spanberger’s ‘Tuesday Afternoon Massacre’ of bills
• Update: Spanberger vetoes prescription drug bill, several others
• Now we have Spanberger vetoing the Affordable Medicine Act: Make it make sense!
• Spanberger tries, and fails, to explain Affordable Medicine Act veto (“Big Pharma isn’t opposed to PDABs because they’re bad for consumers; PDABs are bad for their bottom line, is why they oppose them.”)
• Video: Gov. Abigail Spanberger Says “the number of pro-labor, pro-worker, pro-Virginia bills that I have signed into law is substantial, consequential and I am deeply proud of my record” (“I sent back valuable amendments…towards [collective bargaining] legislation; they were summarily rejected”)
• Spanberger issues more vetoes for bills introduced in 2026 General Assembly session
• Despite holding a trifecta, Virginia Dems split on key legislative issues (This headline is very misleading; in fact, Dems are pretty much 100% unified on all these key legislative issues. Except for ONE Democrats, Abigail Spanberger – that’s about it.)
• Virginia Gov. Spanberger vetoes bill to build legal marijuana market (“Recreational marijuana is legal in Virginia, but the governor suggested the proposed regulations for retail sales weren’t strong enough. Her veto angered fellow Democrats.”)
• Senator labels Spanberger a ‘false hope’ after legal marijuana retail market veto
• Spanberger vetoes prescription drug affordability board legislation
• Union members confront Virginia senators as budget hangs on data center tax breaks
• Spanberger vetoes bill that would have blocked transfers to Red Onion state prison
• Virginia revenues surge despite job losses amid budget standoff
• Dominion just can’t kick its fossil fuel addiction (“The General Assembly meant for the Virginia Clean Economy Act and our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to future-proof our power supply and deter Dominion from sinking its customers’ money into ill-conceived fossil fuel plants. “)
• Preservation, environmental groups say Valley Link transmission line risks Va.’s natural resources
• Buchanan County has a rare opportunity. Will supervisors seize the moment? (“The Kentucky-based University of Pikeville is interested in taking over the struggling Appalachian School of Law and potentially starting other programs in the the county. This is a generational opportunity for the county to secure an affiliation with a four-year university.”)
• Editorial: Despite trade turmoil, Port of Virginia continues to drive commerce
• Common Use (“Senator Stanley: the law you are suing to halt exists because of murders like the one that happened in your district. Alison Bailey Parker was twenty-four. The rifle you are defending in court is the rifle that has murdered more American children than I have the strength to name in a single essay. You have spent twelve years choosing the gun lobby over your constituents, the AR-15 over Alison, your own reputation over a phone call you could not bring yourself to make. You would never be cruel to a dog. But you damn sure will to me and Barbara.”)
• Richmond outlines 4 steps to build trust amid ongoing immigration fears
• Richmond-area leaders to seek bids to tear down Coliseum
• ‘I need you to go hide’: Jurors in Richneck trial hear about the day of the shooting
• Norfolk police vow to find those behind Sunday’s street takeover in Ghent (“Fire Marshal said he’s never encountered a person with a flamethrower in his career.”)
• CWG Live updates: Scorching today with storms likely. Much cooler and damp tomorrow into weekend.