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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Sunday, July 12. UPDATE – Also, check out Jamelle Bouie’s take on the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, namely that Graham was a “warmonger and a sycophant” who “spent the last ten years of his life helping Donald Trump in his quest to destroy American democracy.” Bingo!
INTERNATIONAL
- ‘Super’ El Niño could cause global food price shock lasting into 2028, analysts say (“Weather cycle threatens harvests worldwide, adding to inflation already fuelled by the Iran war”)
- Contrasts in War: Trump Sought an Exit. Putin Pushed On. Now Both Are Stuck. (“The Iran and Ukraine wars underline the common limits of military force in achieving political ends, but also the differences between a dug-in Russian president and a vacillating American one.”)
- Elon Musk’s family foundation took Tommy Robinson to Russia, says Musk’s father (“Errol Musk says far-right activist is ‘a fine young man’ and held meetings with Russian business figures” And by “fine young man” they mean “fascist, middle-aged man”)
- Tommy Robinson’s Musk-funded Russia trip spurs call to defend UK democracy
- Ukrainian attacks on Russia kill 1 as Kyiv continues to target oil tankers and refineries
- Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy decries housing of weapons in civilian area after Russian strike kills 10 (“President says tragedy must never be repeated after secondary explosions from strike devastate residential area on Kyiv outskirts. What we know on day 1,600”)
- US allies apprehensive after capricious Trump changes tune at Nato summit (“Sudden shift may be linked to affinity for Erdoğan but what might be consequences of erratic behavior towards alliance?”)
- China evacuates nearly two million people as powerful typhoon makes landfall
- Hard-Liners in Iran Want to Keep Fighting America
- Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, US launches fresh strikes
- US Launches Fresh Iran Strikes as Tehran Declares Hormuz Closed
- Trump and Iranian leader trade threats as mediators try to save crumbling deal
- Aspiring to Regional Domination, Iran Is Ready to Escalate Over Hormuz (“New outbreak of fighting over the strait comes as Tehran sees itself as a winner in the war that would establish a new Pax Iranica in the Middle East”)
- The US was overconfident before the war. Iran may be overconfident now. (“Iran may have bitten off more than it can chew in the Strait of Hormuz.”)
- Survivors of Iranian attack that killed 6 U.S. troops say generals ignored warnings
- Iran’s supreme leader pledges revenge for his father’s assassination amid Trump death threats
- US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states
- Rep. Ro Khanna says he was detained by Israeli settlers during West Bank visit (Ro Khanna is not my cup of tea in many ways, but the Israel settlers are heinous, out of control, a disgrace, etc.)
- Former Qatar ruler Sheikh Hamad, a moderniser who seized power, has died
- Businessman who sold land for Kushner resort in Albania suspected of faking the deeds (Kushner is SLIME.)
- Trump Confirms: Accepting a Flying Bribery Palace Made Him Less Safe
- How Peter Thiel’s Secret Society Got Booted From an Irish Estate (“A week of backlash from Irish politicians following Dialog’s data leak culminated in a five-star estate canceling the conference.”)
- Two killed in mass shooting at Canada’s largest Latin street festival in Toronto, police say
NATIONAL
- Trump’s Posts on Singing Somali Schoolchildren Stir Anger in Minnesota (“The state’s large Muslim and Somali communities expressed indignation after the president reposted a video of a kindergarten promotion ceremony, including comments noting the girls were in hijabs.”)
- Videos Shed Light on Pursuit Before ICE Killing in Houston (Arrest everyone involved in this brutal murder!)
- ICE Brutality Clearly Has Not Stopped — Here’s Video of It Happening on 7/6 in Virginia (“Four Agents, Believed to be ICE, Repeatedly Punched and Kneed Victor Perez Martin in Suffolk”)
- Editorial: Another death in ICE detention demands explanation, justice (“Dozens of deaths in ICE custody and after release cry out for investigation, explanation and accountability.”)
- Six-hour polygraphs, forced reassignments: inside homeland security’s campaign of fear (“The ruthless gutting and reforming of the Department of Homeland Security has traumatized both workers and the most vulnerable immigrants”)
- Stephen Miller is outraged over birthright citizenship. His arguments are nonsense (“Trump’s immigration architect calls the supreme court’s decision ‘outrageous’ as he pushes for policy rooted in genetics, not law”)
- War Leaves Economy With More Stubborn Inflation, Economists Project (“In latest Journal survey, economists have lowered the probability of recession but see inflation staying higher longer”)
- AI in an Age of Oligarchy (“Why extreme inequality will magnify the social, political and economic downside of technology”)
- The Trump Administration’s Existential Threat to Scientific Research
- RFK Jr.’s focus on preventive health panel provokes new fears
- Senators celebrate bipartisan housing bill becoming law despite Trump’s refusal to sign
- Trump attacks ‘communists.’ Both want a bigger government role in the economy.
- The Jan. 6 Insurrection Succeeded (“In 2024, Donald Trump vowed to be America’s “retribution.” He didn’t hide what he planned to do. He bragged about it. And voters elected him anyway.”)
- FBI analysts fired after refusing to join Georgia 2020 election probe (“The analysts, a husband and wife, told colleagues they did not believe the Trump administration’s investigation was justified, sources told MS NOW.” Every other FBI analyst should refuse as well!)
- White House Directed Patel to Oversee Investigation Involving Times Reporting
- In the South, Black Democrats Fight for Political Survival (“Supreme Court ruling pushes many Alabama voters into Republican-leaning districts”)
- No Iran deal, no problem for Vance, allies say (Imagine how horrible someone has to be to “ally” with someone was heinous as JD Vance.)
- Trump’s Corruption Stains, From Texas to Maine
- Democrats apply 2024 lessons in Maine with Platner replacement process
- Maine Democrats seek a Platner-like change agent — ‘without the baggage’
- Israel’s war in Gaza dominates US midterm races as Democrats split (Definitely not here in Virginia…most candidates in VA01, VA02, VA05, VA06, VA08, etc. don’t talk about it at all – or barely at all.)
- Progressives think they’ve found a way around their old social media posts (If you’ve got a bunch of posts arguing to “defund the police” and other politically toxic crap, you should NOT be the Democratic nominee, for the #1 reason that Republicans will use that material to demolish you.)
- Sen. Lindsey Graham dies at 71 after ‘brief and sudden illness’ (We’ll stick to the policy of not saying bad things about the recently deceased; also, I’ve made my extremely negative views about Lindsey Graham known many times over the years. The one good thing I’ll say about Graham is that he was strongly pro-Ukraine and anti-Putin, unlike his enemy-turned-buddy Donald Trump.)
- MAGA Stunned by Sudden Death of Trump Ally Lindsey Graham (“First came the tributes. Then the inevitable conspiracy theories.”)
- US Sen. Lindsey Graham has died after a brief and unexpected illness, his office says
- Does Kamala Harris really have a shot in 2028? (“The case for — and against — another Harris presidential campaign.”)
- A chill at the Smithsonian after White House alleges ‘political activism’
- Before Reflecting Pool, algae contractor had troubled project on a trash-infested river
- Whistle-Blowers Accuse Kennedy Center of Contracting Flaws Under Trump (SHOCKED! SHOCKED! I say)
- Hunter Biden wins $1.7m in suit over Iran bribery claim by ex-CEO of Overstock.com (“Biden sued Patrick Byrne for defamation over claim that he sought bribe to lobby his father to free $8bn in Iran assets” Too bad it’s only $1.7M, but good for Hunter Biden.)
- Pentagon to keep National Guard activated in D.C. through Inauguration Day 2029
- Family pleads for answers in death of young Black man in Mississippi
(“Body of Nolan Wells, 18, found after he traveled to Horn Island over Fourth of July weekend with three white friends” Very strange and disturbing.)
VIRGINIA
- Spanberger gains 5-4 majority on Virginia Board of Education (“Gov. Abigail Spanberger has appointed her fifth member to the Virginia Board of Education, giving her a majority over the four remaining appointees of [Glenn Youngkin]”
- FedEx flags major pot shipment linked to Virginia smoke shop
- Rare 30-foot whale shark spotted just 18 miles off Virginia Beach coast
- DC-area forecast: Some clouds and a shower chance today. High heat returns midweek.
