by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Monday, July 27. 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), wildfires in Europe, Trump to meet Zelensky at White House, “Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Officials Weigh Dwindling Air Defense Stocks,” ICE insanity, U.S. heatwave, primaries, Virginia study on water use by data centers, etc. Also, check out Paul Krugman’s superb video, “The Fire This Time” – “Some say the world will end in fire. Some say in ice. Robert Frost wrote that in 1920. With more than a century gone by, we have a verdict. It’s fire for the win…Anyway, that’s where we are. What can I say? I’d really like to not talk about depressing stuff, and I will now and then, but boy, we are in quite a state.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis, Zelensky visits UK, US, Iran war debacle, Netanyahu’s strongest challenger, etc.)
- Macron holds crisis meeting as monster wildfires drive 250,000 from their homes (Climate crisis.)
- Europe wildfires live: Spain faces two ‘decisive’ days to contain wildfires before next heatwave, minister says
- Ed Miliband indicates development and climate will be at heart of UK foreign policy (“Exclusive: Foreign secretary to take up World Bank seat and play active role in shaping changes to global lender”)
- Zelenskyy to visit Britain in first visit by a foreign leader since Burnham took office (“Burnham will be the fifth British prime minister to deal with the Ukrainian president since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.”)
- Trump to meet Zelensky at White House Tuesday (“Zelensky will be in Washington for Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, ABC reported, citing a Ukrainian official. Graham, one of Ukraine’s most forceful supporters in Congress, met Zelensky in Kyiv shortly before his death.”)
- Potential Presidential 2028 Democrats Split Over Russia Sanctions (“Imposing new sanctions on Russia over its war in Ukraine is broadly bipartisan, but some Democrats warn President Trump will go too far with new authority.”)
- Exclusive: In a Ukrainian bomb shelter, Laura Loomer explains shift on Russia’s war (Loomer is a loon; not sure why we should care what she thinks about anything, but if it’s a sign that the Trump administration is becoming more inclined to support Ukraine, that’s good at least.)
- Trump Pauses Iran Strikes as Officials Weigh Dwindling Air Defense Stocks (“The U.S. held off on a major military campaign that could have lasted two weeks, officials said” So basically, we can’t even fight a war with one mid-range power, even one which at this point has basically no air force or navy, for more than a few weeks? So…what the hell have we been spending 100s of billions of $$$ per year on exactly to supposedly be able to fight 2 wars or 1 1/2 wars or whatever simultaneously??? So much for being a superpower?)
- Top U.S. military commander in Middle East advised halting Hormuz bombing
- The US Pause in Iran War Escalation Probably Won’t Last (“Trump’s 13 consecutive nights of bombing in Iran destroyed utility plants, killed dozens of people, and led to deaths of four US troops.”)
- Iran war casualty count eclipses 600 as Pentagon quietly changes accounting
- Graham called yearslong push for war with Iran ‘the best thing I’ve ever done’ in new footage
- CBS News poll finds Iran conflict marked by feelings of uncertainty; most say it’s more difficult than Trump had expected
- Middle East Tensions Ease as the US and Iran Pause Hostilities (“Tensions between the warring sides remain high and Iran has said there’s no change to the status of the Strait of Hormuz.”)
- At every fork in the road on Iran, Trump’s choices get worse (“The consequences of the Iran war are tightening around Trump even as he pushes for an exit”)
- GOP senators warn confidence in Hegseth eroding as Iran war drags on (If you EVER had ANY confidence in douchebag Pete Hegseth, you should NOT be in the U.S. Senate – or hold ANY elected office.)
- Iran says it still controls strait, not seeking talks, after Trump halts bombing
- How the Houthis Cornered Saudi Arabia Into a New Battle (“The Iran-backed Houthis have seized on a vulnerable moment for Saudi Arabia to try to force political concessions in Yemen.”)
- The Saudi nuclear farce and governance by whim and meme (“Trump has made the word of the US government worthless.”)
- Netanyahu will visit a White House increasingly at odds with him (“The Israeli prime minister had been hoping for a sit-down with Trump for months — and getting one may not improve straining ties.”)
- How Netanyahu’s Top General Became His Strongest Challenger (“Gadi Eisenkot, whose view of war is shaped by the loss of his son, is, in manner and character, the anti-Bibi.”)
- In Washington, Netanyahu Faces a Delicate Balancing Act (“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel is set to meet President Trump on Tuesday, with one eye on Iran and another on the coming elections back home.” Israel DESPERATELY needs new leadership – and Netanyahu needs to be in prison for a bunch of reasons, just like Trump.)
- How House Democrats Turned Against Israel Aid
- Netanyahu says Mamdani ‘celebrated’ Oct. 7, ‘fomenting hate’ with Israel criticism
- India’s Cockroach Janta party protest victory signals trouble ahead for Modi (“Ally forced to resign, with opposition parties reinvigorated and strongman leader’s grip over media channels rocked”)
- The Real Reason Elon Musk Keeps Insisting DOGE Cuts Killed “Zero” Kids (“In his explosive interview with The Economist, the SpaceX billionaire inadvertently revealed something darker about his true vision for the future—and about his affinities with global fascism.”)
- Musk takes ‘crusade’ to Europe with Armie Hammer film (Musk is a neo-Nazi.)
- Musk’s SpaceX tumbles back to Earth, dragging Tesla stock down with it (Nobody should buy ANY product made by a Musk-owned company.)
- ‘Her screams echo in my ears’: the trauma of so-called ‘honour killings’ in Pakistan (Horrific.)
- Argentinian leader calls Brazilian president a ‘thief’ and a ‘convict’ (“Javier Milei spoke at a campaign rally for right-wing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who is running against Lula.” Scum.)
- The suspect in the deadly Berlin Pride attack is killed in a confrontation with police
- 67 boat strikes. 221 dead. The cocaine hasn’t slowed, officials report. (“The president says Operation Southern Spear has virtually ended drug trafficking by sea. Pentagon and DEA analysts have concluded otherwise.” So they committed a bunch of war crimes for no good reason.)
NATIONAL NEWS (ICE insanity, DNC troubles, definitely not time to have a Democratic civil war, etc.)
- Employers Fear Labor Shortage as Many Immigrants Lose Protected Status
- ICE plans to target Haitians as Temporary Protected Status is set to end, sources say
- Trump’s Border Czar Says ICE Vetting and Training Are ‘Under Review’ (“The ICE agent who allegedly shot and killed a man in Maine should have had ‘an almost impossible time’ passing vetting, Tom Homan said.” Is that ICE agent in prison for the rest of his life for murder? If not, why not?)
- Trump’s deportation crackdown accelerated by potent court tool (“Mass hearings, removal orders ‘in absentia’ – judges are wrapping up immigration cases in unprecedented numbers”)
- In Memphis, an ‘anti-crime’ task force quietly turned into an ICE crackdown
- ‘Extraordinarily hot’: US heatwave stretches on with millions still under warnings (“Southern and central states from California to Mississippi face heat indexes above 100F amid another heat dome”)
- Kevin Warsh is remaking the Fed by revealing far less about what comes next
- ‘Not standard’ for Taylor Farms to ask White House to delay cyclospora recall, ex-FDA head says
- How Trump could undermine the midterms (“The president really has no power over elections – but that hasn’t stopped Trump from laying the groundwork to challenge results in November”)
- Why even some Trump supporters are souring on his handling of the economy (“Americans voted President Donald Trump into office last year in part because he promised to fix an inflation-battered U.S. economy. But higher gas and energy prices caused by Trump’s war in Iran appear to be eroding their optimism.”)
- Jeffries Kicks Off Midterm Sprint With Economic Pitch (“Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the New York Democrat and minority leader, focused relentlessly on affordability in a swing district”)
- ‘Fighting for an affordable America’: Hakeem Jeffries unveils closing midterm pitch (I definitely think that the economy should be part of Democrats’ pitch, but so should saving our democracy…)
- Republicans have ‘nothing to run on’ in midterms after Trump failures, Jeffries says (“Top House Democrat says US president ‘failed to deliver’ on campaign promises to lower costs and avoid overseas wars”)
- Their Loved Ones Died to Give Us the Voting Rights Act. They Have a Message for the Supreme Court.
- Nvidia in Talks With OpenAI to Guarantee $250 Billion Financing for Data Center (“Project would be one of the largest AI computing hubs and involve power controlled by the U.S. government”)
- Blanche-led DoJ likely to derail Epstein survivors’ pursuit of justice, experts say
- Democrats Need to Postpone Their Civil War (“There will be time enough for fighting each other after the midterms.”)
- With just a few primary elections to go, the competitive Senate map keeps shifting
- The DNC Put Up Its Headquarters as Collateral to Obtain Its Massive Loan (“It’s raised concern among members that it’s further evidence of the financial strain the committee is under.” WTF?)
- Phone-Throwing, Postponed Bills: DNC Chair Reportedly Under Pressure Ahead Of Midterms (It’s astounding that given the choice between Ken Martin and the superb Ben Wikler, DNC members elected…Martin.)
- Trump Flies Waaaaay Off The Rails In Bonkers AI Slop Posting Spree (“The president posted dozens of times on Sunday, mostly bizarre images of himself.”)
- The Stillborn Post-Trump GOP (“Will Vance or Rubio come out on top in the scramble to define the Republican future? Or will neither of them?”)
- As Bombs Fall in Iran, Trump Bombs in Washington
- America’s Big Cities Are Rapidly Losing Kids (“The number of children is falling across the U.S., but the decline is especially pronounced in big metros”)
- How Republicans plan to conquer Troy Jackson (“Republicans have 100 days to sink the newly-minted Democratic Maine Senate nominee — and they’re throwing everything they have at him.” Probably won’t work with Jackson, actually.)
- Can a Progressive Win in a Purple State? Abdul El-Sayed Wants to Find Out. (“Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary is a critical front in the fight between Democrats’ progressive and moderate flanks and a preview of the 2028 presidential primary.”)
- Black voters may decide the nation’s biggest Democratic primary. Many are clearly against the more progressive option (White Michigan Dems should definitely listen to Black Michigan Dems…)
- He Tried to Overturn an Election. Now He Hopes to Run Them. (“Arizona Republican voters nominated Alexander Kolodin for their secretary of state, despite — or perhaps because of — his election denial efforts.” That should be automatically disqualifying.)
- Democratic Socialist Rises in Crowded, Chaotic Field for Wisconsin Governor (Do voters want to lose the Wisconsin governorship???)
- California Marine Sanctuaries Face Threats of New Trump-Backed Offshore Oil Leases (OUT-F’ING-RAGEOUS)
- 3 Dead, 4 Wounded In Mass Shooting Near Seattle’s Iconic Space Needle
- Source of false Buttigieg allegation appeared ‘mentally unstable,’ records show (“The Michigan attorney general is investigating how the accusation that prompted the ex-Cabinet secretary’s separation from his 4-year-old twins was handled.”)
VIRGINIA NEWS (Sen. Kaine on DSA, Study on groundwater/data centers finally released, etc)
- Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Says Just Because Someone Says They’re DSA, “I don’t think you should use that to throw them out” of the Democratic Party (“Candidates have to rise and fall on their own merits.”)
- 4 reasons Virginia should refuse to cooperate with ICE raids
- Notebook: Democrats, who are going broke, move Virginia up in primary cycle in 2028
- Virginia study on groundwater, data centers calls for tighter water regulations (“Produced by environmental scientists, the report — which the state for more than six months had refused to release — said regulators should have more authority to reject industrial water withdrawal permits, force entities to examine alternative sources of water and clamp down on users who might be using more water than they should be.”)
- That Big Beautiful Bill is sure going to do a number on our Virginia hospitals (It’s the Big UGLY Bill, but yeah…)
- Virginia’s new pay transparency law changes the rules for job postings (“Employers must disclose salary ranges and can no longer ask applicants about their pay history.”)
- If Data Centers Are So Good for Fairfax County, Why Are Residents So Opposed? (“If Fairfax County Supervisors don’t follow the plan where data centers are concerned at least, is it really a plan?”)
- 613 days in solitary confinement, a $150,000 settlement: How one case helped change Virginia prison policy
- Va. co-owner’s donation of White’s Ferry paves way for Potomac River crossing’s reopening (“Maryland officials say ferry service will significantly reduce commute times by restoring a direct crossing over the Potomac, helping drivers avoid long detours to distant bridges.”)
- Goochland residents rebuff data center developer Tract ahead of permit application (“Data center developer looks to build a 900 MW, 870 acre campus in technology overlay district” 900 MW is a ton of power – where’s it going to come from???)
- Henry County feels it’s done enough solar power. General Assembly might feel differently.
- DC-area forecast: A stormier start to the week as humidity rises
