Friday News Roundup: Climate Crisis “supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather”; More Stenographic “Trump Says” Headlines…

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Friday, July 31. Today’s biggest developments and headlines include the climate crisis (always at the top of these news highlights because it’s existential and should be a massive story every single day)…also the Iran War, possible Hamas disarmament – will believe it if/when we ever see it, definitely do NOT take Trump’s word for ANYTHING; ICE, Pulte, Blanche, Fauci “show trial,” Obama’s accurate assessment of “idiot”/”liar” Trump, primaries; Virginia primaries coming up on Tuesday, Spanberger needs to be more visible this fall?, data centers, Lucas’ use of campaign funds, etc.)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis, Ukraine/Russia, Iran war, Hamas disarmament?, etc.)

• ‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather (“Latest study says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likely”)
• As Europe Burns, a Climate Cover-Up Continues (“The U.K.’s Labour government seems afraid to talk about the climate emergency.”)
• The Age of Unstoppable Wildfires Has Reached Europe
• Anthropic says its Claude models ‘gained unauthorized access’ to other organizations’ systems (What could go wrong?)
• Now Russia and Ukraine are fighting it out on the gas station forecourt
• Zelensky Asked Trump for a Favor From Elon Musk (“Ukraine wants to start using Musk’s Starlink to target ballistic-missile launchers inside Russia.”)
• U.S. turns to war-weary Ukraine for help with drone technology (“Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. told NBC News the two countries signed an agreement last week so Ukrainian combat drones can be sent to the U.S. for military testing and evaluation.”)
• Russian missile destroys US firm’s Kyiv drone factory (“Strike on Terminal Autonomy plant appears to be first time in the war that Moscow has targeted a US company”)
• Tesla Weighs Sale of China Business to Pave Way for Potential SpaceX Merger
• Iran targets strategic U.S. assets in Kuwait, Bahrain after Egypt drone attack
• Top Democrats accuse Republicans of becoming ‘gelatinous blobs’ on Iran war (Why insult perfectly nice gelatnious blogs by comparing them to Republicans? LOL)
• Illicit Iranian gambling network helped pull off a $4 billion sanctions dodge
• U.S. strikes on Iran’s infrastructure leave economy battered
• Tankers Are Being Blown Out of the Water. See How Mideast Strikes Are Piling Up. (“At least 67 ships have been attacked or boarded—and 17 seafarers killed—since the start of the Iran war”)
• Saudi Arabia prepares sea and possible land offensive against Houthis
• Trump says ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas agreed in Gaza but Israel yet to accept (“US president hails breakthrough, but Israeli far-right minister says ‘only solution’ is ‘encouraging emigration and destroying Hamas’”)
• Trump announces a deal for Hamas to disarm in Gaza, but many hurdles and uncertainty remain (Riiiight.)
• Trump Says Peace Board Has Plan for Gaza Disarmament (Yet again, the media fails by writing “Trump Says” without pointing out, CLEARLY and IN THE HEADLINE, that Trump is a pathological liar and we shouldn’t believe *anything* he says – ever. But I guess that wouldn’t be “objective” journalism, lol!)
• Trump touts “historic” agreement to disarm Hamas, rebuild Gaza (This headline is stenography-masquerading-as-“journalism” at its worst. Of course, it’s Axios – no surprise there – but still…)
• Trump announces a deal for Hamas to disarm in Gaza, but many hurdles and uncertainty remain
• If Hamas disarmament plan holds, it could mark first credible step to ending Gaza war
• New solar panels in Great Britain at 15-year high as fossil fuel costs soar (“Boom in solar farms and home installations in first half of 2026 began shortly after start of US-Israel war against Iran”)
• At least 18 migrants die trying to reach Spanish territory of Ceuta, after thousands breached the border
• US government map of Africa mislabels every country at global conference (“State department ‘takes full responsibility’ for erroneous, widely shared chart displayed at Aids conference in Brazil” WTF???)
• State Department Map Mislabels African Countries at AIDS Conference
• FIFA adviser on White House’s World Cup panel resigns to protest Infantino private equity plan
• Senior Infantino adviser quits as AFC opposes plans

NATIONAL NEWS (ICE, Pulte, Blanche, Fauci “show trial,” Obama’s accurate assessment of “idiot”/”liar” Trump, primaries, etc.)

• Two more federal appeals courts reject ICE mass detention policy (“The 9th and 7th circuits ruled on the same day that the Trump administration misconstrued immigration law.”)
• At least 11 Bay Area residents have been detained in ICE airport crackdown
• Despite What the Administration Says, ICE Agents Aren’t—and Never Will Be—American Heroes (“These masked psychos aren’t “removing criminal aliens from our communities,” as the DHS claims. They’re destroying families and hurting innocent people.” These ICE agents are the absolute worst of America…)
• New survey reveals fears of US farm workers amid Trump’s immigration raids (“Vast majority of farm workers say raids and deportations have affected their jobs and 61% report shopping less”)
• Airports, nursing homes and schools brace for disruption without Haitian workers
• How Anti-ICE Protesters Became Prisoners in Trump’s War on Antifa (“We are not terrorists.”)
• Pulte lingers as intel chief while senators say it’s time for ‘the temp’ to move on (“The move has incensed Democrats and confused Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee who say it’s simply time for Pulte to go and return to his existing role as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency…”)
• The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here’s how it could affect costs
• Here Are the Republicans’ Biggest Lies From Their Fauci Show Trial (“In their retelling of the COVID story, the doctor was the bad guy, the vaccines were deadly, and Trump did everything right.”)
• McCarthyism has returned to the United States – and this time it’s even more dangerous
• GOP Fiscal Responsibility Is Always a Bill Away (“Republicans keep passing budget-busting bills—and promising spending cuts will come out tomorrow.” Yep, exactly, which is why Republicans explode the deficit and debt!)
• Trump’s noncitizen voter data remains a mystery. But the claims raise midterm fears
• Republicans Don’t Think Steep Food Stamp Cuts Will Hurt Them In The Midterms (“Enrollment in SNAP has plummeted since last year, with 1.5 million fewer children receiving aid.”)
• Top senators consider blocking Trump’s grant shakeup in spending stopgap (“Senate leaders are deciding whether to block President Donald Trump from finalizing a plan to put political appointees in charge of approving grants, Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins said Thursday.”)
• The real reason Todd Blanche won’t drop Trump’s slush fund (“The acting attorney general made $10 million as the president’s defense attorney”)
• Faced with Blanche dilemma, Trump chooses revenge (“The president’s willingness to sacrifice his attorney general’s confirmation shows how deep his contempt for his enemies goes.”)
• Defying Trump, Cornyn Uses His Lame-Duck Power (“In standing in the way of Todd Blanche, President Trump’s choice for attorney general, a liberated Senator John Cornyn is wielding his leverage”)
• Wiles tries to break the logjam (“The White House chief of staff made a rare appearance on the Hill this week as the president’s agenda has stalled.”)
• Trump Puts Immunity From Probes Over His Fight for Blanche
• Finance Republicans kill bid to stop Trump IRS audit-immunity deal
• As Blanche struggles, Trump opens the door to ‘temporarily withdrawing’ his nomination (“The GOP plan was to advance the attorney general nominee ahead of the Senate’s upcoming recess. That plan, at least for now, lies in tatters.”)
• White House eyes reopening oil refineries amid high gasoline prices
• Commerce Department quietly announces 7 new equity stakes in private companies (SOCIALISM!)
• Senate education committee blocks parts of Trump’s Education Department breakup
• Pentagon weighs eliminating civilian tenure at military academies and reviewing all curriculum, draft memo says
• Tina Peters and other election deniers claim they’ve pitched the Trump administration on a midterm “election-security plan” (“Multiple figures behind the proposal have also urged Trump to declare a ‘national emergency’ over the midterm elections”)
• ‘The Boss Wants This Money’: Inside Trump’s Unprecedented Fundraising Operation (“Meredith O’Rourke, nicknamed ‘princess of darkness,’ carries out president’s desire to wring hundreds of millions from companies for his projects”)
• The Outlandish Case Against James Comey (“The prosecution’s central claim “would be laughable,” one former federal judge noted, if it weren’t intended “to deprive a man of his liberty.””)
• The MAGA Media Machine Is Fracturing (“Once united around President Trump, right-wing influencers are feuding and losing viewers, creating a problem for Republicans in the midterm elections.”)
• No TV experience? At CBS News, that’s no problem (“The conservative columnist Ross Douthat is the network’s latest perplexing hire – but the move is in line with the new leadership” Douthat is a total f’ing joke.)
• Donald Trump v. Hillary Clinton is coming to the Supreme Court (“The president said he wants to petition the justices in the 2016 election-related case.” WTF?)
• A Shocking New Book Reveals Why JD Vance Might Be Even More Dangerous for America Than We Thought (“Let’s hope the vice president’s is so unlikeable that it keeps him from climbing the ranks any higher.”)
• Obama’s Refreshingly Frank Verdict on Trump Revealed (“Former President Barack Obama tore into his successor Donald Trump in private as an “idiot” and a “liar,” a secret diary has revealed. And he privately used the f-word in a way which would inevitably trigger a wave of right-wing criticism for the first Black president…”)
• Democratic Senate candidates pursue a new strategy in rural states: Dropping out (“Democrats have withdrawn in Nebraska and Idaho to boost independents against GOP incumbents. Democrats in Montana and South Dakota face pressure to follow suit.”)
• Democrats’ novel red-state strategy: From the Politics Desk (“Plus, another shake-up in the Wisconsin governor’s race.”)
• Mandela Barnes ends Democratic campaign for Wisconsin governor
• Fox News Poll: GOP divisions shape Texas Senate race (“Talarico’s advantage in the race grows to 6 points among both extremely motivated and extremely interested voters (53% vs. 47% in each group).”)
• CNN Poll: A third of Democrats now identify as democratic socialists
• Troy Jackson ran anonymous account to troll Republicans online
• How Haley Stevens’s Accent Became a Flashpoint in Michigan’s Senate Race
• Divided Democrats face a moment of truth in Michigan
• Democrats Call for Ethics Investigation Into Congressman Max Miller (“The request comes after Mother Jones reported on allegations that Miller was violent toward multiple women and was investigated for possible child abuse.”)
• Kennedy Center Halts Free Public Tours After Five Decades of Service (“The decision to suspend tours indefinitely came after a volunteer tour guide was featured in a Times article detailing President Trump’s dramatic revamp of the Kennedy Center.”)
• The Chesapeake Bay blue crab population is disappearing. Researchers still aren’t clear why.

VIRGINIA NEWS (Virginia primaries coming up on Tuesday, Spanberger needs to be more visible this fall?, data centers, Lucas’ use of campaign funds, etc.)

• Warner says Iran war has cost Virginia households $605 at the pump, with grocery and farm costs climbing
• Northern Virginia Republicans vie to take on US Sen. Mark Warner (I’m including this only to point out that the “mainstream” political media – in this case, WTOP, whose political coverage is abysmally lame – keeps relentlessly whitewashing far-right Republican candidates, like this lunatic.)
• Virginia’s primary: What Dems could win and why Spanberger ‘needs to be more visible’
• Socialists surprise Perriello campaign at postal service rally in Charlottesville (Wuuuuut?)
• Pope & Schapiro: A preview of next week’s primary contests
• Trump/MAGA healthcare cuts threaten coverage for 300K Virginians
• VA Gov. Abigail Spanberger: “The Trump Administration and Republicans in Washington have made the largest cuts to Medicaid in the program’s history, threatening the health and well-being of 300,000 Virginians.”
• Virginia AG Jay Jones Announces Creation of Regulated Products Enforcement Unit (“…retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers who violate the law and put unregulated and dangerous products on the shelves will be held accountable.”)
• Attorney general’s office sets up unit to enforce new state laws regulating vapes
• Spanberger administration seeks public input on new energy plan (If you have comments, maybe just send them directly to the Spanberger folks, because this survey is FUBAR – the choices mostly include things that you’ll agree with AND disagree with, but then ask if those things are more or less important to you…except that in each choice, you probably want more of some things and less of others. I tried filling it out and was like, f*** this! BTW, this article references an online survey, but bizarrely doesn’t link to it. WTF?)
• Spanberger has restored voting rights to more than 66,000 Virginians
• There’s growing support on both sides of the aisle for a special session for Dominion merger (That’s not really true, based on the article…which lists only two Republican elected officials and one Democratic elected official, plus one loooong former Republican elected official.)
• A report warned of health risks from a Loudoun County data center. Regulators moved fast to push back
• Virginia legislator was allowed to use campaign funds for her defense. So she did. (“The feds haven’t charged Lucas with any crime, though she remains under a cloud. The senator must pay to defend herself during the ongoing probe. She didn’t respond to my email and voicemail questions.”)
• Appalachian Power sees ‘explosive’ growth from data centers, other big customers
• Virginia groundwater report highlights areas of concern for Hampton Roads
• Virginia Tech’s football team is worth more than some major league sports franchises, report says
• Southwest Virginia Field Notes: You have 1 week left to fill out a survey on the possibility of bringing nuclear to Wise County (New nuclear power is EXTREMELY expensive, not competitive with energy efficiency, solar, wind, etc.)
• 2026 Voter Guide: Roanoke City Council Democratic primary
• Waynesboro: The vehicle break-ins case involving cop cars has been ‘solved’ (“Due to the age of the suspects in this case, no further information will be released.”)
• DC-area forecast: Slowly turning hotter. Rain chances rise Sunday into Monday.