by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, August 31. 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)…plus lots more…see below.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis/Nepal; Russia’s barbaric assault on Ukraine; “First US military attacks on Iran in a month prompt retaliation”; “Trump Says Iran’s Kharg Is Being ‘Blown To Smithereens,’ But Gives No Details”; Trump’s Venezuela Oil Grab Reprises Industry’s Neocolonial Past; etc.)
- This El Niño Will Be Unlike Any in the Past Eight Decades (“Die-offs and floods have started already, a prelude to supercharged storms and droughts. “)
- Hundreds of workers feared stuck in hydropower tunnels as Nepal flood deaths cross 900
- China is concealing scale of flood disaster, say Tibet campaigners (“Rights group claims 300 homes were destroyed in Tibet and number of missing people is ‘far higher’ than Beijing admits”)
- Devastated by floods and overwhelmed by bodies, Nepalis weep for what remains of their homes
- The Nepal floods seem a world away – but make no mistake, climate breakdown will affect us all (“Richer countries might have more resources to deal with catastrophe, but this problem grips the entire planet, however much leaders may want to deny it”)
- ‘Breakthrough’ as Turkmenistan starts fixing ‘mindboggling’ methane mega-leaks (“Secretive state begins repairs on ageing facilities after being revealed as worst country for leaks of potent greenhouse gas”)
- The world may have less time than it thinks on climate change (“If it is affecting circulation patterns that determine how and where anticyclones form, it could accelerate alarmingly, warns Tim Palmer “)
- Bhutan hosts first ‘conscious food summit’ amid threats to global supplies (“Organisers say people must revive spiritual relationship with food amid double threat of climate crisis and conflict”)
- The Summer That Scorched French Grapes, English Gardens—and Europe’s Economy (“Record heat withered crops, strained businesses and upended everyday life. It happened faster than anyone expected.”)
- Trump’s deals in Africa could cut U.S. health aid by more than half, analysis shows
- Russia Torments Kyiv With New Tactic of Nonstop Waves of Drones (“The nearly constant air raids, a shift from years of largely overnight attacks, have left residents of the Ukrainian capital exhausted and on edge.”)
- Russia’s jet-powered drones bring empty Kyiv supermarket shelves and rattle Ukrainians
- Russia preparing ‘massive strikes’ on Ukraine’s energy sites after deadliest attack of the year
- ‘Everything’s smashed to bits’: Ukrainians turn anger on those storing weapons near their villages (“As Russia hits another ammunition warehouse, killing at least 38, locals put blame on poorly placed depots”)
- Another Ukrainian town lies in ruins as Russians creep closer (“In Druzhkivka, a handful of civilians eke out a living alongside soldiers fighting the Russians who are now just nine miles away.”)
- First US military attacks on Iran in a month prompt retaliation (“US attacks Iranian rocket launchers on island in strait of Hormuz and Tehran targets US bases in Jordan and UAE”)
- US and Iran trade attacks, marking first major military escalation in a month
- Trump Says Iran’s Kharg Is Being ‘Blown To Smithereens,’ But Gives No Details (“Iran’s energy hub of Kharg Island is being blown to smithereens, Trump said with no evidence.” And by “with no evidence,” Reuters actually means – but doesn’t say – “insanely,” “falsely,” etc.)
- Trump posts AI video of Iran’s Kharg in ‘smithereens’, no evidence of attack (Trump is completely insane.)
- UAE intercepted an Iranian drone after US and Iran exchange fire for the first time in a month
- No, Iran is not winning: In Act IV of the war, it’s losing its leverage in Hormuz
- New Report: Hegseth’s Own Military Brass Warn the Iran War Is Unsustainable
- How Much Is the Iran War Costing Americans? (“A proper calculation must take in more than just the military costs.”)
- Bessent heads to the G20 to rally allies on Iran as tariffs strain ties
- G20 Finance Officials Gather in U.S. as Iran War Grips Global Economy
- These Generals Fought for Israel. Now They See ‘Jewish Terrorism’ as the Threat. (“Former Israeli generals and intelligence officials are accusing settlers in the West Bank of committing ethnic cleansing with government support.”)
- Netanyahu son evacuated from US over threat (“Yair Netanyahu moved to Miami in 2023.” The Don Jr. of Israel.)
- Merz Says Far-Right Win in German State Would Put Off Investors
- The Guardian view on the rise of Germany’s AfD: mainstream parties must deliver a bolder response (“The far right is close to winning a state election for the first time since the second world war. A different economic approach is needed to combat it”)
- Morocco not to blame for Ceuta border breach, says Spanish PM (“Pedro Sánchez says two countries are cooperating after mass incursion by 70,000 people into north African enclave”)
- Indonesian activists hail ruling to strike down ban on insulting government, but question impact
- Niger, with Russia’s help, regains control of key airbase after soldiers mutiny
- Trump’s Venezuela Oil Grab Reprises Industry’s Neocolonial Past
- The Cleansing Can Start With Venezuela (“This Latest Deal Has No Long-Term Legal Standing And Provides An Opening To Fight Corruption”)
- Trump Says Venezuelan Oil Will Refill U.S. Stockpiles, but It’s Not So Simple (“New projects can take years to produce meaningful amounts of oil, and that’s especially true in Venezuela, where infrastructure is in disrepair.”)
- Sen. Ted Cruz calls for elections in Venezuela to proceed ‘rapidly
- Canada erects giant ‘Lake Ontario’ sign as spat with Trump over name escalates (“Meanwhile, Trump posts video of himself kicking over a Lake Ontario sign and replacing it with Lake America sign”)
- Google Maps switches to “Lake America” as Canada compares change to “SNL” skit
- House Democrat to launch challenge to Trump’s ‘Lake America’ order (“Debbie Dingell plans to introduce her ‘Hands Off Our Great Lakes Act’ today following president’s latest escalation in US-Canada trade war”)
- As Canada tariff talks collapse, who’s calling the shots in Trump’s trade team? (“US trade representative Jamieson Greer has a level-headed reputation but commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and White House adviser Peter Navarro also have key roles”)
NATIONAL NEWS (“Trump’s plan to sell off a part of Yosemite is what oligarchy looks like”; “Trump Is a Liar. That’s Bad. But He’s Delusional—and That’s Even Worse”; “Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles”; etc.)
- Trump ‘border czar’ denies Milo Yiannopoulos was deported quickly to spare him from ICE detention (“Tom Homan denies British far-right commentator, who was deported one day after arrest, got preferential treatment”)
- Trump’s plan to sell off a part of Yosemite is what oligarchy looks like (“Public lands belong to all of us. Noone should plunder those lands for profit”)
- Corporate America’s Profits Are Booming—and Signal More Good Times Ahead
- ‘The Least Transparent Midterm’: How Dark Money Is Washing Over the 2026 Election (“At least $1 billion from anonymous donors is flowing into the midterm elections. Dark money is not new, but it now permeates nearly every major contest.”)
- More Mail Ballots Are Arriving Late This Cycle, and They’re Getting Tossed (I’d definitely recommend voting early, IN-PERSON.)
- Election Officials Brace for Chaos Over Trump’s Mail-in Ballot Rule
- Trump Is a Liar. That’s Bad. But He’s Delusional—and That’s Even Worse (“This Venezuela deal is just the latest example: The president has marinated his brain in an insane fantasy that he is an effective leader. It would all be funny if we didn’t have to live through it.”)
- Democrats want the midterms to be about Trump. He does, too.
- The House is back in session. Many Republicans hope it won’t be for long. (“If lawmakers can pass a shutdown-averting stopgap, many are hoping to beat an early retreat to the campaign trail.”)
- Rep. Jim Clyburn says impeaching Trump shouldn’t be Democrats’ priority if they win back the House
- Clyburn: Let’s Add Four
- The midterms are months away. Members are already jockeying for seats on this powerful panel. (“Democrats who think they have a shot at taking back the majority are making the bulk of the moves to fill a number of open seats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.”)
- Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles (“The Pentagon has secretly installed several conservative military veterans with large online followings in government roles, declining to disclose their assignments as they amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s viewpoints” APPALLING!)
- Trump still teases a third presidential run, but he’s talking more and more about life after 2028
- GOP soul-searching for life after Trump is ramping up
- Trump calls for NBC’s Kristen Welker to face ‘rebuke or punishment’ from the FCC (Authoritarianism.)
- The datacenter backlash is bringing the entire political spectrum together – against big tech billionaires
- Texas and Georgia races show voters are finally sick of MAGA corruption (“Jon Ossoff and James Talarico are polling well with a clean government message”)
- It’s the Corruption, Stupid (“Toward a Unified Theory of Political Division and Healing in America”)
- Inside the socialists’ civil war over AOC and 2028
- Jewish Dems in Michigan question place in party (Sure, but can NOT support Mike Rogers, as he’s a vote for fascism.)
- El-Sayed courts Jewish Democrats but won’t dump Piker
- Talarico Is Out-Fundraising Paxton and Flooding the Airwaves in Texas Senate Race (“Democratic candidate is on the offensive, giving his party hope in the deep-red state”)
- Massachusetts 2026 Poll: Sen. Markey Holds Commanding Lead Over Rep. Moulton in Democratic Primary (Good!)
- Mike Lindell Vows to Appeal Minnesota Loss to the U.S. Supreme Court (“The MyPillow founder said he would appeal his primary loss after Minnesota’s top court rejected his case.”)
- Airman’s ‘contemptuous’ words for Trump lead to high-stakes military charges
VIRGINIA NEWS (“Virginia to cut rooftop solar costs with nation-first bulk-buy program”; “Public utilities shouldn’t be funding the campaigns of the people who govern them”; etc.)
- What’s at stake in Virginia elections, including a key Senate race (This is a complete misuse of the word “key”; in fact, the US Senate race in Virginia is considered NOT competitive by basically everyone. So how is it “key”?)
- Look who’s caught in Trump’s ever-widening immigration trap (“Deaths during ICE operations and arbitrary arrest totals are consequences of policy choices that disregard common sense, constitutional limits and the value of human life.” – Rep. James Walkinshaw)
- The 5th Congressional District is now Virginia’s energy capital. Will McGuire and Perriello talk about what that means? (“Energy issues are pressing the district from all sides, but the congressional candidates have been reluctant to talk about those.” Tom Perriello has talked about this stuff, not sure what Dwayne Yancey means.)
- Virginia health leaders, lawmakers share enhanced healthcare resources for rural communities
- Virginia, seize this opportunity for youth mental health
- Virginia to cut rooftop solar costs with nation-first bulk-buy program (“Teaming up to buy solar can get residents deep discounts. Virginia is the first to try a statewide campaign as utility bills rise and data centers stress the grid.” Great, although this is MINISCULE, maybe just 4 megawatts statewide…)
- Public utilities shouldn’t be funding the campaigns of the people who govern them (“If NextEra acquires Dominion Energy to become the nation’s largest utility without the General Assembly acting to limit campaign spending, nothing will stop NextEra from flooding campaigns with so much cash that all pretense of legislators’ independence will be lost, columnist Ivy Main writes.” Yep, this SHOULD BE totally unacceptable…yet of course it’s legal in Virginia.)
- Extra Credit: Students could receive automatic admission to more than a dozen Virginia colleges through this Common App program
- Virginia voters to decide on 1% sales tax for school construction, NoVa transit funding (“The option was extended to all jurisdictions after this year’s legislative session, following years of debate in the General Assembly about expanding the authority.”)
- Arlington schools’ chief looking forward to new school year amid rising costs and student needs
- Here’s why Richmond prosecutors didn’t charge the police sergeant who broke state laws on Flock (“Colette McEachin said she did not believe there was ‘criminal intent’ in the sergeant’s conduct — despite the fact that police acknowledged he illegally shared Flock data with the FBI.”)
- Waynesboro, Staunton, Augusta County considered ‘news deserts’: What that means
- Williamsburg driver got 2 red light tickets in Virginia Beach. The problem? He’s never been there.
- Virginia prepares to begin long-awaited air study near Norfolk, Newport News coal terminals
- DC-area forecast: Heat to intensify through midweek as storm chances build
