by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Tuesday, July 21. Today’s biggest developments 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), Trump’s escalating U.S.-Iran quagmire, Trump’s threats to impose (illegal and unconstitutional?) tariffs against Canada, national news (ICE, Trump corruption, Reflecting Pool case falling apart, primaries), and major Virginia political developments plus other news/weather.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate, Russia/Ukraine, Iran, UK, tariffs, etc.)
- As climate change threatens their lands, Indigenous nations demand more power at the UN (“From the Arctic to the Pacific, Indigenous advocates say their voices are too often ignored.”)
- Slowdown in Arctic ice melt ends after largest winter decline on record (“Scientists recorded slower reduction over past 20 years, but study finds this was ‘temporary rather than sustained’”)
- Healthy diet too expensive for one in three people globally, UN report finds (“Global hunger declined for the third year in a row in 2025 but experts call for action to bring down costs of fruit, vegetables and dairy as report shows 2.69bn people can’t afford to eat well”)
- Why oil prices haven’t gone crazy (“As the US and Israel went to war with Iran at the end of February, analysts predicted the price of crude oil could hit $200 a barrel.”)
- If Ukraine Can Make This Big Gun, Patriot Missiles May Be Next (“Kyiv has signed a deal to make BAE Systems-designed howitzers, a potential test of the country’s ability to make other sophisticated foreign weapons.”)
- Russia attacks Ukraine’s gas facilities as Zelenskyy faces further protests
- When Protesters Speak, Zelensky Listens, in the Ukrainian Tradition (“With anger high over the firing of the defense minister, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office is signaling an openness to compromise.”)
- FBI Director Kash Patel plans Russia trip (WTF? What possible non-malignant, non-malevolent explanation can there possibly be frr this???)
- Trump enters an uncertain moment in Iran war that threatens to become a quagmire
- Almost 100 troops injured in recent weeks, Pentagon admits, as Iran launches reprisals on US allies
- U.S. strikes Iran and Houthis threaten Saudi Arabia shipping as mediators push 10-day ceasefire
- US-Iran Strikes Extend to 10th Day as Houthis Threaten New Front
- Nearly 100 U.S. troops injured in last two weeks of Iran war, Pentagon says
- Tankers on fire in Strait of Hormuz, Houthis announce Saudi naval blockade
- Iran mediators push new ceasefire as Trump eyes all-out war
- U.S. strikes unlikely to move Iran, intelligence reports say
- Iran’s Houthi allies declare maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, escalating threat to oil market
- Iran Missile Struck Housing Units for U.S. Troops at Jordan Base (“Deadly attack was one of three missiles that hit the base, showing difficulties in protecting against Iranian missile and drone attacks”)
- US and Iran dig in over the Strait of Hormuz, showing the limits of intensifying airstrikes
- Trump Is Caught in the Trap He Set (“The war in Iran has dealt a serious blow to the idea that the president can slip out of any bind easily.”)
- Israel Believes Iran Moved Nuclear Centrifuges Into Pickaxe Mountain (“The U.S. has reviewed the assessment, and President Trump has threatened to attack the site.”)
- Lebanon’s president will meet with Trump in Washington to push for Israeli troop withdrawal
- Israel is building a miles-long earthen barrier inside Gaza, entrenching its division (“When presented with the satellite images, Israel’s military confirmed to The Associated Press it has built a physical barrier in the area of the so-called yellow line, the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire deal with Hamas. The line was envisioned in the U.S.-backed agreement as a temporary division of the territory pending a fuller Israeli withdrawal.”)
- Trump says Benjamin Netanyahu ‘will not be arrested’ if he visits the US (“Israeli prime minister is subject of an arrest warrant issued by international criminal court over alleged war crimes in Gaza”)
- French lawmakers back farm bill despite pesticide outcry
- India’s ‘cockroach’ protest continues a day after police crackdown
- UK leader Burnham gathers his Cabinet after sweeping away Starmer supporters
- Burnham targets lower energy bills in first move as UK prime minister (“British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would cut taxes on electricity bills, the first of several early moves to signal his intent to ease a cost-of-living crisis and quell anger over successive governments’ failure to bring change.”)
- Burnham Promises Hope and Change. The Hurdles Remain High. (“Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham, promised policies that would give people financial “breathing space.” His opponents are already doling out criticism.”)
- World leaders congratulate Andy Burnham as he becomes Britain’s PM (“Beyond the diplomatic platitudes global media focuses on the ‘immense’ scale of the challenge he faces in the job”)
- Nicaragua’s president says country will not hold any more elections (“Daniel Ortega, the 80-year-old authoritarian leader, says move will ‘build a wall’ against the opposition” What a disaster.)
- State Dept. again deems Cuba a threat amid talk of U.S. push for regime change (How the hell is tiny, super-weak Cuba a threat to the U.S.???)
- Trump to Impose 50% Tariff on Many Canadian Goods (Absolutely bonkers; also, presumably, illegal and unconstitutional.)
- Trump imposes 50% tariffs on Canadian goods, citing disputes over autos, alcohol and cheese (“The official insisted on anonymity on a call with reporters to preview the president’s actions and said that Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.”)
- Canada ready to ‘intensify’ trade talks as Trump orders new tariffs (“PM Mark Carney says Canada has made proposals to resolve dispute as tariffs are due to be imposed on wide range of goods”)
- Trump Vows 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods Using Depression-Era Law (“The new tariffs will take effect in 30 days, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters Monday on the decision.”)
- Trump looks past Canada and Mexico for Gianni Infantino (“The U.S. president shared the World Cup final stage with Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Claudia Sheinbaum but spent most of the day talking to the man he calls ‘the king of soccer.'”)
- Tate Brothers to Stay in Jail as New Details About Charges Emerge (“In court documents unsealed on Monday, British prosecutors accused the “manosphere” influencers of choking women, sometimes until they passed out, and then raping them.” Pure evil.)
- New documents detail rape charges against the Tate brothers in the UK. Here’s what we know
NATIONAL NEWS (ICE, Cyclosporiasis, energy efficiency, Maine, primaries, etc.)
- Man Who Died Running From ICE Was Tourist With a Ticket Home (“The man has been identified as Juan Jairo Coronilla Duran, who was in the U.S. on a tourist visa and already had a plane ticket to go back to Mexico.”)
- Judge Tosses Justice Department Challenge to Minnesota Immigration Laws (“The Trump administration, which flooded Minnesota with immigration agents this year, argued that policies limiting cooperation with ICE were unconstitutional.”)
- My Brother Was Sentenced to 30 Years for Moving a Box of Zines (“The sister of a defendant in the Prairieland case, which targeted Texas ICE protesters, speaks out.”)
- Trump Attacks Nation’s Top Scientific Body Over Climate Chapter in Manual (Bonkers)
- The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency Just as Prices Are Rising (That’s completely backwards, given that energy efficiency offers by FAR the biggest “bang for the buck”/is the lowest of the “low-hanging fruit” in the energy world.)
- The Cyclosporiasis Outbreak Is a Master Class in Miscommunication
- Trump’s latest public health initiative: explosive diarrhea (“This administration is the best thing that ever happened to cyclosporiasis.”)
- Cornyn and Tillis in discussions with White House to get Blanche across the finish line (JUST SAY NO!)
- Senate watches the House on reconciliation 3.0
- Trump’s foreign revenue exploded during his first year back in office
- OPM shrinks its workforce by a third, seeks further staffing cuts (“The agency is giving employees in its healthcare and insurance division another shot at opting into the deferred resignation program.” UGH!)
- Faced With Piles of New Paperwork, People Are Losing Food Stamps (That’s f’ed up.)
- DOJ’s Reflecting Pool “Vandalism” Case Falls Apart With Pool Draining (“The Justice Department’s entire case against U.S. Olympian David Hearn is on the brink of collapse.”)
- Trump Rejected Nearly 6,000 Clemency Applications Amid Hope of Pardon Wave (“Expectations were raised for a raft of pardons in connection with the country’s 250th birthday but the president granted fewer than 20 on July 3.”)
- Judge Temporarily Pauses Paramount-Warner Bros. Deal (“The delay is intended to give the court time to consider a lawsuit that argues the $111 billion merger violates antitrust laws.”)
- U.S. Sought Phone Records of Times Journalists and Their Relatives (“The government is aggressively seeking the confidential sources of Times reporters who wrote about the president’s new Air Force One. The Times has asked a judge to quash the subpoenas.”)
- The Prosecution of Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Killer Is Underway. It’s a Big MAGA Mess. (“Conservatives hoped the activist’s death would unite the movement—and the country. But the well of conspiracy theories has no bottom.”)
- GOP senator recites Declaration of Independence — next to a Confederate flag (“As he stood a few feet from a Confederate flag, Sen. Dan Sullivan noted that everyone is guaranteed the right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'”)
- Maine Democratic Senate frontrunner faces scrutiny over alleged anger outbursts (This guy sounds like a somewhat less-toxic version of Graham Platner, but still…not good.)
- Democrat set to replace Platner in Maine led state Senate with a temper (“Troy Jackson, the presumptive Democratic nominee to challenge Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), yelled and cursed at fellow state lawmakers, interviews reveal.” Not good.)
- Scoop: Chuck Edwards gifted pink and blue handguns to young female staffers
- Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, to run for full Senate term (What a joke.)
- South Carolina Republicans test Trump’s clout in race for Graham’s seat (“There’s a power struggle brewing in South Carolina, and Trump might not win.”)
- Battleground Arizona gets ready for another round of hotly contested elections (“Tuesday’s primaries will finalize matchups in Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs’ race for a second term and two closely divided House districts, as well as the secretary of state race.”)
- Democrats bank on Republicans nominating far-right primary candidates in Arizona
- How the Michigan Senate primary activated every bitter Democratic grudge (“The ghosts of 2016, 2020, and 2024 have all come to Michigan.”)
VIRGINIA NEWS (Sen. Warner’s AI plan, Rep. Wittman’s stock trades, weather, etc.)
- Exclusive: Inside Sen. Mark Warner’s AI plan (Sen. Warner “on Tuesday will introduce a comprehensive AI legislative framework, seen first by Axios, as the technology takes center stage in his reelection campaign.”)
- VA-01 Democrats escalate dispute with state party over primary neutrality (“Candidates cite newly disclosed campaign finance records and raise conflict-of-interest questions; DPVA chair says party remains neutral and coordinated fundraising is available to all candidates.”)
- Wittman reports first stock sale since 2023 (“The Republican US representative from Virginia reported making between $1,001 to $15,000 off a stock sale in June.”)
- Virginia tree canopy virtually unchanged between 2018 and 2023 (Not that most people care, apparently, but it would be MUCH better environmentally to prioritize high-density, transit-oriented development than sprawl development.)
- ER visits by uninsured patients in Virginia hospitals spiked by 8% last year (“That number is expected to grow as current and looming federal healthcare changes lead Virginians to drop or lose their insurance.”)
- Lawmakers, activists gather at Capitol to protest Dominion merger
- Voters in some Virginia localities will decide whether a school construction tax should go forward (“… voters will be considering a one-percent local sales tax in a handful of jurisdictions, including Richmond, Martinsville, York County and Fairfax City.”)
- Virginia SCC and DEQ Adopt MOA on Interconnection Facilities for Small Renewable Energy Projects
- Clean Virginia Says NextEra-Dominion Merger Filing Is Incomplete, Urges SCC to Delay Review (Regulatory Filing Identifies Nine Major Gaps in $67 Billion Utility Merger Application)
- State commission meets as boys, men fall behind in Virginia
- Roanoke College official: Virginia’s private colleges are built for the speed this moment demands
- Virginia regulators move ahead with controversial Loudoun power line project
- Trump gutted civil rights agency, stifling investigation into Norfolk’s BAE Systems (“Federal investigators were working in early 2025 to wrap up a two-year inquiry into claims of pervasive sexual harassment and discrimination at a company that makes weapons, vehicles and cybersecurity tools for the Pentagon.”)
- Chesapeake City Council to consider major battery energy storage facility
- Richmond’s grocery wars have changed. Walmart is winning the next phase. (“Richmond’s grocery boom has slowed, but the competition hasn’t. Walmart widened its lead as shoppers spread purchases across more stores and redefined what “value” means.”)
- The BOV might want to pay for a review of UVA Athletics, to make sure all is on the up and up
- Man faces nearly 200 charges in thefts near Northern Virginia fitness centers
- DC-area forecast: Heat and humidity fuel the threat of severe storms
