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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, June 21.
INTERNATIONAL
- The AI Ghost in the Nuclear War Machine (“The injection of this new technology into the military seems like a fever dream. But it’s a reality we’re hurtling toward, ready or not.” HUGE mistake.)
- The Myth of SpaceX (“The company has mutated into something that defies both comparison and logic…$28.5 trillion, to be precise. $26.5 trillion of that, according to the filing, would come from AI infrastructure and applications, meaning not from SpaceX’s core business of aerospace engineering and satellites.”)
- Ukrainian attacks prompt Russian-held Crimea to halt civilian gasoline sales
- US treasury chief urged Trump not to host ‘Mr Bean on crack’ Zelenskyy, book says (“Suggestion that Scott Bessent so described a world leader included in Regime Change, by New York Times reporters” Bessent is pure scum. Zelenskyy is a hero.)
- US and Iran Poised to Begin Swiss Talks on Lasting Ceasefire
- Trump’s Second Gamble on Iran (“If the regime can’t be dislodged by force, maybe it can be bribed.”)
- Vance Heads to Talks as Strait of Hormuz Re-emerges as Point of Tension (“Vice President JD Vance said he would prioritize nuclear issues and renewed fighting in Lebanon in talks with an Iranian delegation in Switzerland. Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz faced new disruption after Iran’s military said it was closing the waterway.”)
- What Changed After Almost 4 Months of War? Analysts Say Not Much.
- Vance arrives in Switzerland as fighting in Lebanon threatens to derail talks
- Trump Takes Two Steps Back in Ending His Iran War (“The Strait of Hormuz was closed again, as Iran blamed the US for continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon.”)
- Vance travels to Switzerland for nuclear talks with Iran
- Trump wanted out of the Iran war. The aftermath is pulling him back in.
- US and Iran to talk Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran says it closed Strait of Hormuz again
- Israel and Hezbollah Are Still Fighting, Several Cease-Fires Later (“For the second time in two days, Lebanon was again at the center of whether the fragile U.S.-Iran deal would hold.”)
- Trump may survive the humiliation of the Iran deal. Netanyahu will not (“What has the Israeli PM’s whirlwind of violence achieved? His closest ally now turning against him – and an emboldened Iran”)
- Israeli strikes kill six people in Gaza including Al Jazeera cameraman, officials say
- Italy’s Meloni unloads on Trump as fracture grows over G7 incident
- Italy’s Meloni says Trump ‘totally invented’ story that she begged him for photo
- Keir Starmer expected to announce departure as prime minister on Monday (“Business secretary says Starmer is reflecting on ‘political realities’ amid overwhelming pressure from MPs”)
- Report says UK PM Starmer ready to quit, but source says he is still focused on the job
- Colombia’s escalating, brutal internal conflict is defining its presidential election
- Bolivian president declares state of emergency and deploys military to quell anti-government protests
- No End in Sight for U.S. Military Mission Along Border With Mexico (“The patrols have helped push cartels and smugglers into more remote areas. But analysts have voiced concerns that the border missions will distract from training, drain resources and undermine readiness.”)
- Caught in Cambodia’s Scam Machine: Part 1 (“In Cambodia, more than 200,000 scam workers have been released from fortified compounds, where many of them had been trafficked, held against their will, and forced to work for little pay. The Cambodian government’s recent crackdown has enabled reporters to get a closer look at an industry responsible for defrauding Americans of at least 20 billion dollars in 2025.”)
NATIONAL
- Trump loyalist Jim Jordan linked to group that received ‘dark money’ from ICE detention contractor (Wait, you mean “Gym” Jordan is corrupt? Shocked!)
- ‘It’s not science, it’s coercion’: health experts decry RFK Jr order on hantavirus quarantine (“Kennedy overrides CDC order saying an American who came into contact with hantavirus can self-quarantine”)
- How Trump’s Fragile Agreement With Iran Is Shaping the Midterms (“Democrats have said President Trump started an economically painful war that resulted in nothing positive. Republican reaction has been more divided.”)
- With Roku, Fox just won the streaming wars for the right (“From the Murdochs to the Ellisons, conservative billionaires continue to monopolize media services” Absolute disaster.)
- Today in Trump’s America: Putting the ‘b’ in dumb, getting grabbed by the p—y
- The Reflecting Pool Mess Is Right Out of Trump’s Destructive Playbook (“Like other failed beautification projects, the president’s ego trip will cost taxpayers millions.” Trump f’s up EVERYTHING he touches.)
- Creature From the Green Lagoon (“… as usual with Trump, you eventually have to accept that he’s incompetent and corrupt and tacky, and just an all-around mess.”)
- Trump tries to blame Reflecting Pool woes on vandalism, without offering substantiation (This headline is ok, at least, by the AP – note that Trump’s claims are without “substantiation,” although AP could just say Trump’s LYING, but…nope, of course not.)
- Trump, Claiming Vandalism, Says Reflecting Pool Will Likely Need to Be Drained (The media failing yet AGAIN! In this case, Turmp’s insanely lying, but does the NY Times mention that in its headline? Nope, of course not.)
- Cyclist arrested at Reflecting Pool is former Olympian who denies vandalism claims (“David Hearn said he touched the pool’s detached liner but ‘didn’t destroy or break or peel anything.'”)
- Trump likely to drain Reflecting Pool again, following peeling paint and algae
- Man Who Wrecked Reflecting Pool Asks: ‘Who Would Do Such A Thing?’ (“President Donald Trump is pointing fingers at random passersby for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. We know who the real vandal is.”)
- Tulsi Gabbard, her guru and the mysterious messages that helped shape her political career (“I obtained hundreds of confidential memos detailing politics and policy guidance for Gabbard from her years in Congress, then embarked on a quest to identify who was behind them.”)
- A small conservative group rises in influence under Trump 2.0 (“Some of CRC’s critics say its work is biased and superficial, and many of its targets, like the Southern Poverty Law Center, are well-worn bogeymen for the right.” Politico hiding behind the “critics say” formulation.)
- Key Trump allies and Musk on leaked list for secretive Peter Thiel retreat (“Figures including Jared Kushner and Scott Bessent named in directory of Dialog participants that was exposed online” Disgusting.)
- Black Democrats push back on Wasserman Schultz’s bid in Florida’s 20th District
- Zohran Mamdani Burns Allies in Making a Big Bet for Congress and the Left
- A big new test of Zohran Mamdani’s influence (“Three reasons to care about the New York congressional primaries on Tuesday.”)
- Jimmy Kimmel taps longtime Trump nemesis Rosie O’Donnell to replace him as he steps back from late-night show
- LAPD releases footage of moment officers shot and killed woman’s dog (At the bare minimum, this officer needs to be fired immediately. WTF???)
VIRGINIA
- Ivy Main Is Right – It’s Not Acceptable (or Sustainable) for Virginia Legislators to “Pass the Buck on Concrete Data Center Reforms” (Yesterday’s budget, with a proposed data center electricity consumption tax, is a good step, but much more is needed.)
- Column: Gun bills show Spanberger rejects principle to appease her party (I’m including this just to note that the author works for the NRA – ’nuff said, other than nice job by Gov. Spanberger on this.)
- Do the math: Data center tax revenue promises don’t deliver in Stafford County
- Interim sheriff Page wins Republican nomination in Montgomery County (“He will face the winner of a Democratic primary on Aug. 4 to fill the remainder of former Sheriff Hank Partin’s term.”)
- DC-area forecast: A fine Father’s Day as we watch Monday storm chances
