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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Tuesday, July 12. Also, check out the spot-on video by Jamelle Bouie, who argues that you don’t need “blackmail” or whatever to explain Lindsey Graham’s descent into corruption, darkness, evil, etc. – but instead that “sometimes people just make bad choices, sometimes people just lack integrity” – and sometimes people are just tempted by the promise that they can do whatever the f*** they want with impunity. The worst of humanity, in other words, is what Trump is and what he promises to his loyal followers that they can be too – and many leap at the chance to be their worst selves. Depressing, I know…but also true.
INTERNATIONAL
- Why climate scientists need to talk more about the very worst‑case scenarios
- Most UK media reports on June heatwave failed to mention climate crisis (“Exclusive: Analysis of nearly 2,500 articles finds almost three-quarters made no reference to global heating” The “mainstream” media is overwhelmingly a disgrace.)
- Rubio vows to ‘dismantle’ International Criminal Court (Rubio himself richly deserves to be charged by the ICC.)
- How best to honor Lindsey Graham’s legacy? Republicans are divided. (“Most senators want to see their chamber unite behind Russia sanctions. The president has other ideas.”)
- Senate looks to honor Graham with Russia sanctions
- Putin Was Xi’s Role Model. Now He’s the Junior Partner. (“Four years of war and economic isolation have reduced the Russian president to a supplicant in a relationship growing more imbalanced” China is waaaayyy more powerful than Russia at this point.)
- Polish-Ukrainian solidarity over Russian threat undermined by bitter historical dispute (“Kyiv’s decision to honour second world war fighters who killed about 100,000 Poles has revived simmering tensions”)
- Global shipping industry sounds the alarm over Trump’s Hormuz toll plan
- Oil Surges Most Since 2020, Reflecting Bet That Strait Won’t Go Back to Normal (“International crude price climbed more than 10% after President Trump said he would reimpose U.S. blockade”)
- Oil Rises Above $85 a Barrel as Gulf Clash Escalates
- Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Fee Could Double the Cost of Shipping (“The potential expense of a 20 percent charge to move oil and other goods through the strait has stirred concern among shippers.”)
- I Don’t Think Trump Can Declare the Hormuz Strait “Open” After Imposing a New Blockade (“Oh, and he’s taxing all shipped cargo too? Open indeed.”)
- Iran Live Updates: U.S. and Iran Reignite War Over Strait of Hormuz (“The two countries slid back to open war over the waterway, as the U.S. planned to reinstate a blockade on Iranian ports on Tuesday. Iran said it had attacked two tankers and fired at U.S. military sites.”)
- Trump Says Fighting With Iran Has Resumed as He Orders Blockade and Tolls (“After several days of strikes, the president notified Congress that fighting had begun again and announced shipping fees that his administration previously deemed illegal.”)
- Trump notifies Congress of new war against Iran (“President Donald Trump’s notification that the U.S. is again at war with Iran gives the administration another 60-day clock for military action.” This is a complete travesty.)
- How Lindsey Graham Miscalculated on Iran (“How Lindsey Graham Miscalculated on Iran”)
- Iran plays by Trump’s rules to deepen his war dilemma
- US-Iran Truce Collapses as Attacks Worsen and Blockade Returns
- Scoop: Trump gave Saudi crown prince his backing for risky strikes on Houthis
- He’s Pete Hegseth’s Wealth Manager. He Also Pushes “Pro-Israel Policies” Like War With Iran. (“How the man working to make the defense secretary richer helped lay the groundwork for Trump’s disastrous attack.” All of these people should be in prison.)
- Japan admits growing need to counter espionage after Russian ‘den of spies’ report (“Issue must be addressed with ‘even greater rigour’, says government spokesman, after New York Times report on how it has become a spy hub for Vladimir Putin”)
- ‘This process has turned into a form of torture’: inside the trial of Erdoğan’s challenger (“He was elected mayor of Istanbul in 2019, and had announced his candidacy for the 2028 presidential elections. But Ekrem İmamoğlu is now behind bars, and his trial, on charges including fraud and organised crime, could take 12 years” Insanity.)
- Bangkok fire investigation finds locked doors and flammable decor as deaths climb to 30
NATIONAL
- US refunds $81bn in Trump tariffs after supreme court ruled them illegal
- ICE agents kill man in Maine as senator says victim not target of arrest (“Killing of man – identified by rights groups as 26-year-old Colombian – comes days after man killed by ICE in Texas” Arrest the murderers IMMEDIATELY!)
- ICE Continues to Make Our Sick Country Even Sicker (“In the wake of two recent shootings, I’m worried that we’ll never rid ourselves of these murderous goons.”)
- ICE officer who fatally shot driver in Maine was ‘fearing for public safety,’ agency says
- Biddeford witness saw gunshot victim bleeding from head (“One resident who saw the shooting said he heard the man who died say ‘I tried to stop.’”)
- Protesters storm Susan Collins’ Biddeford office after federal agent shot man (“The protest was part of a larger demonstration in response to a deadly shooting involving federal immigration agents Monday.”)
- Democratic Senate Candidates in Maine Denounce Deadly ICE Shooting
- ICE goons brutally beat immigrant in Suffolk: Effort ongoing to fight back
- Even if inflation cooled in June, experts say price pressure isn’t over
- Appeals Court Revives Lawsuits Alleging Tylenol Causes Autism and ADHD (“Decision puts mass litigation against drugmaker back on course by overturning ruling that the science was unreliable”)
- Inside RFK Jr.’s push to dismantle decades of U.S. vaccine policy (“Insider accounts reveal the scale of the health secretary’s ambitions to curb childhood immunizations and unearth a link between vaccines and autism.” RFK Jr. is completely insane -and very very dangerous.)
- Senate Judiciary Dems call Epstein victim to testify against Todd Blanche for attorney general
- The Todd Blanche hearings will test senators’ commitment to the rule of law (It will test REPUBLICAN Senators’ commitment to the rule of the law, and the vast majority will fail.)
- Judge says Trump IRS lawsuit was filed for ‘improper purpose,’ refers lawyer for possible discipline
- Judge accuses Trump of manipulating courts to justify ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ (“She sanctioned two of his lawyers.”)
- US judge voids Donald Trump’s $1.8bn settlement with IRS that gave him immunity from tax audits
- A Federal Judge Just Squashed Trump’s Last Delirious Hope for the January 6 Slush Fund
- When fascists come for the news outlets that enabled them (“The NY Times and ABC News find that appeasement doesn’t work”)
- With New York Times subpoenas, Trump is brazenly escalating his attacks on the press
- The Republicans’ Congressional Mess Just Got Even Worse
- Ron Johnson is full speed ahead on Reconciliation 3.0
- Luna signals she will end revolt, vote to allow the House to debate legislation (“Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is signaling she will vote to reopen the House floor Tuesday after a weekslong power struggle with Speaker Mike Johnson over a partisan election security bill known as the SAVE America Act.”)
- Johnson gambles on ambitious summer agenda as GOP anxiety rises ahead of midterms
- Graham’s death, McConnell’s absence wreak havoc on GOP agenda
- The Pipeline from Fringe Conspiracy to Trump Policy (“Official Trump policy is increasingly driven by once fringe right-wing conspiracy theories. How can we fight back?”)
- Trump’s slow-motion dismantling of elections (“The administration has shifted from a shock-and-awe strategy to a patient, grinding war on American democracy”)
- Trump plans “potpourri” prime-time speech Thursday (This will be a nightmare, bunch of wild lies, etc. – obviously. But will the media cover it accordingly? Do NOT hold your breath!)
- Trump to claim declassified intel reveals 2020 election interference: MS NOW (There actually WAS interference in our elections – by Russia for Trump in 2016!)
- Why the Trump administration loves the stupidest renewable energy (“America’s biofuels policy is helping destroy the world’s rainforests”)
- The western US is running out of water. What happens next?
- Kentucky’s Dem Governor Threatens Nuclear Option on Mitch Crisis
- Gary Peters endorses Haley Stevens for his seat (No brainer; Abdul El-Sayed has all kinds of stuff, including “defund the police,” that would make him highly problematic in a general election in a swing state like Michigan – and Democrats absolutely need to hold this US Senate seat!)
- Trump again shrinks two national monuments in Utah (Illegal and unconstitutional, right?)
- The Lindsey Graham Conspiracy Theories Are Already Running Wild
- Lindsey Graham Embodied the Republican Party’s Authoritarian Drift (“Over more than 30 years in Congress, the South Carolina senator reflected the GOP’s cynicism, warmongering, and abandonment of democratic principles.”)
- MAGA Senator Reveals Identity Behind Graham’s 911 Caller (“Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville told reporters on Monday evening that one of his former staffers made the 911 call on Saturday night when South Carolina Senator Graham suffered an aortic dissection at his Washington, D.C.,”)
- Darline Graham Nordone has little political history beyond praising her brother (“Darline Graham Nordone, the late senator Lindsey Graham’s younger sister, has the backing of President Donald Trump and Sen. Tim Scott to serve out the remainder of her brother’s term.”)
- South Carolina governor appoints Lindsey Graham’s sister to finish his Senate term (Utterly ridiculous.)
- In a viral post, transgender author alleges anti-LGBTQ+ senator Lindsey Graham hired her for sex work (“Jesse James Rose alleged, with a hand-raising emoji, that Graham paid a “twinky pre-transition college student a fat stack of cash” for a meetup.”)
- Russell Fry moves toward South Carolina Senate run (“The two-term Republican has been in touch with the White House about running for the seat held by the late Lindsey Graham.”)
- FBI visits Graham’s DC home
- Hunter Biden And Nick Fuentes Sit Down For Explosive Political Discussion (WTF is Hunter Biden doing???)
- Trump Accidentally Busts Own Wild Claims About Reflecting Pool (“The president now says the ‘damage’ is three times as large as first thought.”)
VIRGINIA
- Republicans’ Corruption. Virginia’s Cost. (“How Trump’s (and his cronies’) self-dealing, political favoritism and misplaced priorities are hurting the Commonwealth.”)
- Democrats challenge Beyer in Va.’s 8th Congressional District, marred by federal layoffs (“The mixed bag of former and current government employees have voiced similar ethics concerns, while Beyer intends to serve a seventh term.”)
- Loudoun’s data centers could be a target. This Virginia congressman has a plan (“Rep. Suhas Subramanyam says Loudoun’s data centers could raise your bills, strain water, and pose security risks—and he has a plan to fix it.”)
- Take it from a Floridian: You don’t want NextEra in Virginia
- Don’t Believe the Fossil Fuel Industry Hype: Return to RGGI Is Good for Virginians (“Is RGGI a ‘Tax on Homeowners’? The Data Says No”)
- Virginia’s Governor Weighs in on Pivotal Case About Data Center Transmission Costs (“Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger wants data centers to pay for the essential cables that carry electricity.”)
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger Announces First-in-the-Nation Energy Affordability Initiative (“Program Ensures Virginians Receive Lower Prices on Solar Installations, Average Household Could Save $2,200 Yearly on Electricity Costs, Protect Against Future Rate Hikes”)
- Virginia sets group-buying program to save on solar installations
- Cash App parent company to pay $45 million in multistate fraud settlement, Va. AG says (“Virginia will receive about $845,500 as Block agrees to strengthen customer support, fraud protections and consumer education after investigation by 46 states.” $845,000 is miniscule for all of Virginia.)
- State AGs win settlement with Block Inc. over its skeezy Cash App
- Editorial: Local-option sales tax will help address aging school buildings
- Va. education department says failed proposal to delay cut scores stemmed from legislative mandates (“Commonwealth to raise cut scores beginning in the fall and over next four years”)
- Louise Lucas’ phone was wiretapped by FBI, journalist’s records intercepted, court records show (“A U.S. District Court judge authorized the FBI to monitor state Sen. Louise Lucas’ phone communications between March 6 and April 6 of this year, according to sealed federal court records. “)
- Full Video of the July 6 Loudoun County Data Center Town Hall (“Loudoun “has the highest concentration of data centers in the world with approximately 250 data centers built and more than 100 in the development pipeline””)
- Loudoun school board votes against Dominion transmission line project (“Dominion might still get its way. The school board’s action is a formal request for state regulators to reconsider its already approved plan, a plan that Dominion Energy’s managing counsel believes is still very much in play.”)
- Fairfax Co. schools are renovated once every 4 decades. Could a sales tax hike change that?
- Virginia Railway Express awarded $25M federal grant for L’Enfant Station project
- Chesapeake School Board narrowly hires an outsider as superintendent
- DC-area forecast: Heat ratchets up, with a shot at 100 degrees tomorrow
