by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Wednesday, July 15. Also, check out Paul Krugman’s new video, “The Forever War Gets Scary.”
INTERNATIONAL
- Governments Knew the Risks of Global Warming as They Chose Fossil-Fueled Growth in the 1950s and ’60s (“A new report suggests that some governments have ignored legal obligations to prevent climate harm for decades.”)
- ‘Unprecedented’ changes in UK climate are normalising extremes, report says
- Ukraine Pounds Russian Ships in Its Campaign to Cut Off Crimea
- Lithuania warns Russia could be planning ‘targeted’ attacks on critical infrastructure – Europe live (“Kremlin dismisses Lithuania’s warnings of potential strikes on critical infrastructure as ‘horror stories’” Putin’s Russia is a horror story.)
- China economic growth falls sharply, missing target
- Can We Lose the Same War Twice? With Trump, Anything’s Possible (“Phase One of the Iran war ended in defeat and humiliation. Phase Two could be just as bad—or worse.”)
- Trump threatens to bomb bridges and power plants unless Iran resumes talks (War crimes.)
- Trump held Situation Room meeting on massive new Iran strikes (“Trump appears willing to escalate the war to cause enough damage that the Iranian regime will open the Strait of Hormuz and accept Trump’s nuclear demands…The sources said the meeting focused on new plans for devastating strikes on strategic targets in Iran, in addition to the strikes against Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz.”)
- The Battle for Hormuz: Trump Shifts Into Dangerous New Phase in Iran War (“A stable peace appears elusive, some former officials say”)
- Trump’s Iran Bluster This Week Revealed the Only Thing That Really Matters to Him
- Tehran threatens to halt all Middle East energy exports after US reimposes its blockade on Iran
- In Iran, Trump Has Found an Opponent He Cannot Easily Dominate (“The president is accustomed to forcing other countries to bend to his will. But he is struggling to come up with a strategy to extract Iranian concessions as the cease-fire he brokered collapses.”)
- No end in sight for new Iran war (“Efforts by Arab, Pakistani and other mediators to revive negotiations or restore a ceasefire have shown no public signs of progress…”)
- U.S. launches fresh wave of strikes on Iran, as analysts warn conflict risks becoming ‘forever war’
- The Iran War Is Almost Over. The Iran War Will Never End (“Donald Trump has plunged the United States into exactly the kind of “forever war” he campaigned against — and you’re paying for it”)
- Inside the 24-hour sprint to convince Trump to drop his plans to toll Strait of Hormuz
- Tehran vows ‘decisive response’ to US attacks after Trump tells Iran that power plants, bridges will be targeted if no deal is made – Middle East crisis live
- For Israel, the U.S.-Iran Hostilities Have Created an Uneasy Limbo
- Top House Democrats vow to oppose bid to cut US military aid to Israel
- Pressure Builds Over Israel’s Treatment of Palestinian Prisoners (“Reports from Israeli groups and interviews with former detainees detail alleged violence, medical neglect and starvation” WILDLY unacceptable behavior, totally inconsistent with Jewish values.)
- U.A.E. Rewarded With Coveted AI Chips for Supporting U.S. War in Iran (“Gulf state’s main AI firm can freely buy the chips and has a plan to become a U.S. company” Corrupt.)
- Trump Paid $2 Million by South Korean Company Facing Trade Investigation (Sure sounds corrupt!)
- The Bizarre Partnership Between the U.S. and Venezuela (“Responding to the recent earthquakes pushed the two countries’ new relationship out into the open.”)
- ‘When she turns eight they will take her’: rising number of Afghan girls being sold into child marriage (We probably should have left enough troops in Afghanistan to prevent the Taliban from overthrowing the pro-U.S. government.)
- Little Gitmos everywhere (“The White House explores entrenching U.S. concentration camps worldwide.”)
NATIONAL
- ‘Fear, intimidation, violence’: calls mount to remove ICE from US streets after agents killed two men (“Agents killed Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas, even though both were not targets of enforcement action”)
- ICE Shootings Put Spotlight on Lack of Body Cameras (“Kristi Noem, the former homeland security secretary, said five months ago that the Trump administration would “rapidly” deploy body cameras to immigration agents across the country. About half still don’t have them.”)
- The Stench of ICE’s Latest Atrocity Continues to Rise (“This administration’s obsession with violence has gone too far—and I’m afraid we’ll never see the end of it.”)
- House Democrat shouts at Mullin over shootings: ‘You’re back on the godd— front page now’
- Trump administration scales back immigration crackdown after ICE shootings (Really? Hard to believe.)
- ICE Ordered to Cease Most Vehicle Stops After 2 Killings in a Week (“Agents fatally shot a man in Houston and another in coastal Maine, both in their vehicles. The killings were the latest in a string of ICE shootings during President Trump’s second term”)
- The Shooter in Maine Was a New ICE Recruit (“The agency’s second killing in as many weeks prompted an abrupt policy change on vehicle stops.”)
- Person fleeing ICE agents in Florida fatally struck by vehicle, highway patrol says (ICE is a menace!)
- Mexican man is killed by truck as he flees immigration agents in St. Augustine
- Stop ICE Violence and Hold Virginia Republicans Accountable (“The Death Toll Mounts as Republicans Vote to Fund ICE without Any Accountability or Guardrails”)
- Stubborn Inflation, Better Growth: Economists Weigh In
- Inflation cools to 3.5% in June in relief brought by brief US-Iran peace deal (“Recent strikes have sent oil prices climbing again, with average gas price per gallon up by $0.70 compared with 2025”)
- Authorities investigate Taco Bell and lettuce as cyclosporiasis outbreak surges
- Over 1,600 energy department webpages on utility bill savings removed as US temperatures soar (Utter insanity.)
- Supreme court justices request $14.6m increase in security amid rise in threats
- Senate Democrats block $1.15 trillion defense authorization bill
- Senate Dems block defense bill in protest of Iran war (“A $1.15 trillion Pentagon policy bill was handily rejected, a blow to Republicans who had sought to deliver on President Donald Trump’s record-shattering defense budget ambitions.”)
- Opportunities Narrow for Women as Hegseth Blocks More Promotions (APPALLING – why do any women support Trump???)
- Nominee for top intel post faces lawmakers eager to see him replace the current leader (“Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing comes amid growing concern among Democrats that the Trump administration will try to use the intelligence agencies to interfere with the midterm elections.”)
- As Confirmation Hearing Nears, Blanche’s Role in Epstein Case Draws Scrutiny (“Todd Blanche’s role in interviewing Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, will be front and center as he seeks to become attorney general.”)
- Todd Blanche faces high-stakes confirmation hearing for attorney general
- Key GOP senator concerned over Blanche involvement in Trump IRS deal (That alone should be automnatically disqualifying.)
- Todd Blanche has to win over skeptical Republicans. Democrats are laying lots of traps
- House Republicans home in on $80B reconciliation package (“House Republican leaders and White House officials are coalescing around a roughly $80 billion policy package as they prepare for a final summer push to enact party-line budget reconciliation legislation.”)
- Johnson races to make progress on Reconciliation 3.0 as Republicans balk
- McConnell’s absence creates new farm bill roadblock
- Shutdown fears rise as Trump, Democrats gird for September showdown
- Trump Administration Subpoenas Law Firms, Escalating Pressure Campaign (“The uneasy truce between the administration and the law firms it cut deals with last year has erupted into a pitched legal battle behind closed doors.”)
- Trump plans primetime speech on voting machines and foreign influence in elections (Trump should talk about Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, ON HIS BEHALF!)
- Judges grow skeptical about DOJ’s use of grand juries (“A growing number of judges are taking the unusual step of second-guessing prosecutors in grand jury proceedings.”)
- House passes bill to make daylight saving time permanent (So stupid.)
- Lindsey Graham Knew Better
- Jack Smith obtained text messages from 44 members of Congress (“Former special counsel Jack Smith obtained text messages that 44 members of Congress sent to senior White House officials during the final weeks of President Donald Trump’s first term, Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley revealed Tuesday.”)
- Flood of comments on White House grantmaking overhaul is largely negative, analysis shows (“About 60% of opponents cite concerns about political control of grants”)
- ICE shooting in Maine sparks uproar and puts a spotlight on GOP Sen. Susan Collins
- The frenzied sprint among Maine Democrats hoping to replace Graham Platner
- MAGA influencers exploit Graham Platner scandal to win back men
- ‘I’m staying out of Maine’: Chuck Schumer sidelines himself with the Senate majority on the line
- Maine Democrats will square off in first Senate debate since Platner’s withdrawal
- New York Becomes First State in the Nation to Pause New Hyperscale Data Centers (“Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday implementing a one-year moratorium on data center permits while the state develops regulatory protections for communities and the environment.” We should do the same in Virginia)
- Elon Musk likely broke the law by giving voters $1 million, Wisconsin board says
- Mahmoud Khalil sues Trump officials and pro-Israel groups over ‘conspiracy’ to target him (“Lawsuit alleges administration coordinated with online surveillance groups to ‘criminalize solidarity with Palestine’”)
VIRGINIA
- Audio: Favorite for the VA GOP’s 2026 U.S. Senate Nomination, Bert Mizusawa, Pushes Unconstitutional Third Trump Term and Wants Taxpayers to Fund Trump’s Corrupt Ballroom (BTW, the “mainstream” media’s been busy whitewashing this extremist, because…of course they have.)
- GOP Senate hopefuls face long odds in race to challenge Mark Warner (Again, the “mainstream” media refuses to inform its readers about the extremism of Mizusawa and the others. It’s almost like they DO report “with fear or favor.”)
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Says “If there was body cam footage of these incidents, the level of outrage across the country would be exponentially higher than it is today” (“They should have got the training right the first time. They didn’t. As a result, two individuals are dead.”)
- VA06 Democratic Nominee Beth Macy’s Outreach to Rural Voters Featured in the NY Times (“Macy has had a long career of fighting for underdogs in nearly 40 years as a reporter and author”)
- John McGuire takes lead on birthright citizenship with new legislation
- VA01 Dem Candidate Shannon Taylor Raises Nearly $750k in 2Q26, Holds Nearly $1M COH (Taylor and several other Democrats are vying to take on the odious-but-well-funded Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA01))
- New Data: Virginians Have Had To Spend $1.8 Billion More For Gas Since Start Of The Iran War
- Will a new Virginia law boost energy storage?
- Over the past year, Virginia has lost more jobs than any other state (Thanks heavily to Trump, Musk, DOGE.)
- Spanberger as Editor-in-Chief (“The governor and her chief of staff played an unprecedented hands-on role in marking up legislation this spring, riling fellow Democrats with a record number of rewrites and vetoes.”)
- In November, Virginians may vote to protect same-sex divorce, along with same-sex marriage
- Judge dismisses challenge to reproductive rights amendment (“An attorney with the Liberty Counsel said he will appeal the Campbell County judge’s ruling.”)
- SCC considers making data centers shoulder more of the cost of transmission lines
- How Va. leaders are working to strengthen and depoliticize public college governing boards (“Former VMI superintendent joins efforts to examine governing boards at Virginia’s universities.”)
- Virginia’s Data Center Alley Is a Cautionary Tale for Equity and Climate
- Spanberger: $7.3 million to be disbursed to rebuild housing damaged by Helene
- Distinguished ODU marine biologist shot dead by masked men in the Philippines (“Kent Carpenter, 73, had been a biological sciences professor at Old Dominion University since 1996. He planned to retire in September.”)
- The new UVA president is getting things moving toward MAGA-fication (“The goal is to have a final plan for review by the UVA Board of Visitors in April. That’s the same group of feckless simps that rubberstamped the appointment of Beardsley earlier this year.”)
- DC-area forecast: Sizzling heat today and tomorrow, with a smoky haze at times
