by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Sunday, July 19. BTW, I’m curious what folks think about Van Jones’ video, below. I’ve had my issues with Jones in the past, but I find it hard to disagree with most of what he has to say here (progressives should be focused on measures – on health care, education, public safety, the environment, etc. – that make our lives better, not on “defund the police” or whatever; curious what others think. As Jones says, ” I am rooted in progressive ideals and policies: criminal justice reform, Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free education, clean air and clean water. These are ideas I have fought for my entire adult life. Most good Democrats can say the same thing.”
INTERNATIONAL
- Bank of England to stop accepting bonds linked to coal for key loans (“Campaigners hope move will force commercial banks to rethink holding assets linked to the fossil fuel”)
- Marco Rubio’s quest to destroy the International Criminal Court (Some day, Rubio should be hauled before that court for, among other things, his USAID cuts which killed 100s of 1000s if not more people.)
- Russia pounds Kyiv for five hours in one of biggest ever ballistic missile attacks (Putin is pure evil. So of course Trump loves him.)
- Russia launches major ballistic missile attack on Kyiv (Terrorist nation.)
- Ukraine Escalates Air War With Deadly Strikes on Russia’s ‘Amazon’
- Russians turn to cash, putting more strain on slowing wartime economy
- Iran supreme leader accuses Trump of violating deal, vows forceful response
- US strikes Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over an attack that killed troops in Jordan
- US Strikes Iran to ‘Punish’ It for Attack That Killed 2 Troops
- 2 U.S. service members killed, 1 missing after Iran attack on Jordan, military says
- Jordan Is Becoming a New Focus in the U.S.-Iran War
- Trump Owes Americans a Better Explanation About Iran (“Two more Americans have died. Meanwhile, the president’s rationale for war keeps changing.”)
- U.S. and Iran Edge Closer to Wider War After U.S. Troops Are Killed
- Israel’s $50 Million Experiment to Change U.S. Public Opinion (“The Israeli government is trying to shore up its U.S. reputation with help from influencers, Trump insiders and millions of AI-driven texts”)
- Mamdani Says He May Still Order Netanyahu’s Arrest (“Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in an interview with The New York Times that he was in ‘an active conversation’ with New York City’s Law Department on whether he had the authority to arrest the Israeli leader.”)
- Israel threatens to seize ancient water reservoirs near Bethlehem (“Solomon’s Pools date back to the second century BCE, and have become a source of recreation for nearby Bethlehem” Hell no.)
- Vance’s Remarks on Epstein and Israel Echo Conspiracy Theories (“Vice President JD Vance’s comment that there were ties between Jeffrey Epstein and the “highest levels” of Israeli intelligence troubled some in his party.” Vance is batshit crazy.)
- Lebanon’s Aoun to meet Trump at White House, hoping to generate pressure on Israel
- Hungary’s president agrees to stand down after law change ends his term (“Tamás Sulyok signed the constitutional amendment that cited ‘serious loss of confidence’ in him as leader” Bye!)
- Burnham risks Labour backlash if he reverses ban on new oil and gas drilling (“Party manifesto pledged to honour existing North Sea exploration licences but not issue new ones”)
- Burnham to announce plans for new North Sea oil and gas drilling (“The announcement will form part of a flurry of measures from Burnham including plans to take water and energy companies under public control and a new council house-building programme. He is also expected to outline new measures that will give “people breathing space on the cost of living” and intends to make a “dynamic start… focused on delivering tangible change to people’s lives as soon as possible”.”)
- Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami on UK charges of rape and sex trafficking (Pure scum.)
- Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate arrested in Miami, US Marshals Service tells AP (Evil incarnate. And if you’re “influenced” by these psychopaths, you are probably f’ed up too.)
- Andrew & Tristan Tate Arrested in Miami
- England Beat France in Thrilling 10-Goal Match to Finish Third at World Cup
NATIONAL
- Prince William County Supervisor Kenny Boddye: “Before they became headlines, they were fathers. They were workers. They were human beings.” (“America has wrestled with nativism, racism, and white supremacist ideology since before its founding. Those forces have never disappeared…”)
- ICE officer connected to fatal Maine shooting suffered 2021 head injury, which he said had left him with ‘cognitive deficits’
- ICE officer’s troubled past renews questions about vetting
- My Son Was Killed by ICE. I Want Accountability. (100%, we need accountability for the many, many crimes committeed by ICE, CBP, etc.!)
- One week, two killings: Trump’s immigration crackdown turns deadly – again
- Shuttered ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ leaves complicated legacy in Florida (Anyone involved in that concentration camp should face charges.)
- A Statistical Revamp Is About to Lower Inflation, at a Critical Time (F’ing with the numbers won’t solve the problem.)
- Trump’s deep public health cuts hinder response to record US cyclosporiasis outbreak (“Experts say layoffs, reduced disease surveillance and Medicaid cuts have made the foodborne parasite more difficult to track and contain”)
- Taylor Farms recalls iceberg lettuce in 27 states due to cyclosporiasis outbreak
- Trump Tried to Appease MAHA’s Fury Over Weed Killer. It Backfired (“The coalition of voters who helped elect Trump are growing increasingly disenchanted with the president”)
- Trump claims voting by noncitizens is rampant in America. The numbers tell another story. (“Trump says noncitizen voting is a widespread Democratic plot to influence elections. A Reuters data analysis reveals a far different picture: a small number of often inadvertent violations. The finding comes amid an expanding federal crackdown that has ensnared hundreds of people, many of whom never cast a ballot.”)
- DOGE was supposed to be dead. Its remnants are everywhere. (Everyone involved in DOGE should be facing charges for a myriad of crimes.)
- Trump Gutted Civil Rights Agency, Stifling U.S. Scrutiny of Workplace Bias
- Low-T, High Chair (Hegseth, Cao, etc. are all cringe-inducing, pathetic, broken, sociopathic human beings.)
- Climate scientists have predicted greater flooding in Texas for decades. It’s happening now
- Assault, Misogyny, Verbal Threats: Records Detail New Allegations Against Rep. Max Miller (“Police reports and filings in a bitter custody dispute raise new questions about the conduct of an Ohio Republican as he campaigns for a third term.”)
- Sen. Ossoff fuels reelection campaign with attacks on Trump
- Kentucky governor says he received 2 calls from agencies indicating McConnell had ‘passed’
- Rep Ralph Norman enters South Carolina Senate race despite Trump’s endorsement of Darline Graham
- Zohran Mamdani Knows He Has Political Capital. And He Intends to Spend It.
- ‘It’s scary’: Scandal sends Wisconsin Dems into freakout mode over governor’s race (“The Democratic establishment is alarmed that a top candidate’s collapse and the surge from a democratic socialist could cost them the governorship.”)
- David Crowley reenters Wisconsin governor’s race with Evers endorsement (“Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley reentered the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor on Saturday and quickly nabbed an endorsement from Gov. Tony Evers — a major reversal in a fractured primary”)
- ‘White men get to fail’: Graham Platner collapse illuminates toxic double standard in US politics (“Expectations that prioritize privileged identities keep women and people of color from even running for office” It’s really insane; Platner should have been eliminated from contention at the LATEST when the Nazi tattoo story came out; the fact that a lot of people still supported him is, among other things, depressing.)
- Troy Jackson jumps out to big lead in race to replace Graham Platner in Maine (This guy strongly supported Platner…hmmm.)
- MyPillow Founder Not Registered to Vote in State He Wants to Lead (“President Trump endorsed Mike Lindell, a leader of the election denial movement, for Minnesota governor this week.”)
VIRGINIA
- Senator Mark Warner visits Greene County to address election integrity and key issues (What a weird headline; in fact, Sen. Warner addressed Trump’s ASSAULT ON OUR ELECTIONS and FALSE CLAIMS about “election integrity” etc. – why doesn’t the media just say that??? Yeah, I know, they f’ing suck, but c’mon…)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Suhas Subramanyam town hall, Saturday, July 18, 2026
- Video: Rep. Don Beyer, VA Sen. Barbara Favola, and Arlington Chair Matt de Ferranti Join Protect Our Care and SEIU to Launch “Sick of It” Campaign in Virginia As Republican Health Care Cuts Drive Up Costs and Rip Away Care
- Editorial: Virginia’s forged its reputation for business through collaboration (“CNBC ranked Virginia as the No. 3 state for business, reflecting a sustained commitment to pursue policies that emphasize economic growth.” Pretty sure this is at best only partly true, but alrighty…)
- McAuliffe: Virginia’s legislative session offers states a model on energy affordability (Behind a strict paywall, so can’t read it – or any other RTD stories – but as I’ve written previously, there were some good measures passed, just not sufficient to put a major dent in people’s bills.)
- New state law aims to crack down on liquid tobacco, vape sales in Virginia
- Williams: Cameras in RRHA communities typify Black surveillance
- JD Vance is moving to a wealthy enclave outside D.C. Cue the gossip (and complaints). (“Motorcades and helicopter noise top the list of concerns for residents of this old-money town who see it as an escape from Washington.”)
- DC-area forecast: Calmer today but with a little smoke. Rain chances return Tuesday.
