by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, August 23. 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; Trump is incentiving countries to “go nuclear’; US-Canada trade war thanks to Trump’s idiocy/insanity; etc.)
- Donald Trump has made the world go nuclear (“The president’s behavior toward Iran and North Korea has incentivized other countries to develop nuclear weapons”)
- Russia Tests Readiness for New Round of Military Mobilization (“Recent exercises gauged the military’s ability to absorb a mass of recruits in case the Kremlin orders a fresh mobilization push for the first time since 2022.”)
- It’s ‘Black August’ in Russia, but Putin is sweeping this summer’s crisis under the rug (“Problems are mounting in a month superstitious Russians fear – yet Putin is projecting confidence”)
- Putin says Ukraine opened ‘Pandora’s box’ with strikes on economic targets (F*** Putin.)
- Russian online retailer Ozon warehouse in Orenburg region hit in drone attack, governor says
- Trump’s Economic Isolation Plan Risks Iran Strikes Across Gulf
- Iran says the world has accepted it has defeated the US, and other Middle East developments
- Iran’s president says US memorandum is best path out of stalled war
- Iran’s new security chief says neighbours who join US economic war will be considered ‘enemies’ (“Hardliner Mohsen Rezaei also threatens American economic interests in first interview since appointment to supreme national security council”)
- Trump Faces a Moment of Truth on Netanyahu (“The Israeli government’s latest move on the West Bank could have huge consequences.”)
- Syria foreign minister sees Israel security talks resuming despite no trust
- Drill, Burnham, drill? The oil basin that is a totem for Trump – and a headache for Britain’s new PM (“North Sea oil, once the driving force of the UK economy, may be dwindling but it remains a symbol of prestige and a rich resource for political debate”)
- The Ongoing Betrayal of Our Afghan Allies (“Tens of thousands of Afghans are stuck in legal limbo as the Trump administration makes it more difficult for them to arrive in the United States and resettle.” Disgraceful and appalling!)
- ‘No more!!!’: Trump lashes out after US-Canada talks devolve into trade war (“PM Mark Carney says ‘we got attacked’ as tariffs come into force on items from hockey sticks to tongue depressors”)
- U.S.-Canada breakdown shows limits of Trump’s aggressive trade strategy
- A trade war between Canada and the US further ruptures a once-close and durable alliance
- Trump’s Top Trade Representative Details Offer That Canada Rejected (“In an interview, Jamieson Greer, President’s Trump’s trade representative, laid out details of what the United States offered to Canada before talks crumbled.” Why would we believe a word any Trump regime person has to say?)
- Carney bucks Trump as trade war escalates (“Canadians rallied around the prime minister’s vow to retaliate against new tariffs.”)
- How to Lose a Trade War (“Trump’s bullying of Canada is failing.”)
- Collins asks White House to consider ‘negative impact’ of Canada trade war (Collin is very “concerned,” right? LOL)
- Trump says Canada wants ‘benefits’ of being US state after trade talks collapse (Trump is insane.)
- Carney faces crucial test after walking away from Trump’s deal
- What Canadian Goods Will Take Trump’s 50% Tariffs? Some Pretty Strange Items. (“Buoys, dog muzzles, capes, national flags and “base metal statuettes” from Canada are now more expensive for U.S. shoppers.”)
- Inside the 72 hours that cratered the US-Canada trade deal (“Trump announced a “DEAL” on Tuesday night. Then things went south. Now the $1 trillion trade relationship is unraveling.”)
- Hit by Trump tariffs, Québec loses appetite for quick separation from Canada (“Some previous economic slowdowns prompted an increase in separatist sentiment. This time, polls show support for an independent Québec is at its lowest level in decades.”)
NATIONAL NEWS (ICE’s “dark, twisted logic” on “new electric-shock gloves”; are the 2026 midterms just like the 2006 midterms?; Natalie Harp cheered on January 6 coup attempt; etc.)
- Federal judge vacates Trump policy that suspended processing of immigration visas from 75 countries
- ICE Wants a Weapon That Leaves No Mark (“The dark, twisted logic of the agency’s new electric-shock gloves.”)
- Judge to Baby: File an Asylum Application (“The 1-year-old is one of the migrant children who advocates say appeared in immigration court without legal representation.” Totally insane. WTF???)
- The DOJ Is Asking a Conservative Court to Give Trump a Terrifying New Power
- ‘Disappointed’: Ranchers and Republicans React to Trump’s Beef Import (“‘You don’t put America First by putting American ranchers second,’ says a North Dakota dairy farmer.” Most of these farmers voted for Trump, so…FAFO!)
- GOP lawmakers criticize Trump’s beef import plan amid blowback from ranchers
- DOJ maneuver on unconfirmed US attorneys inches closer to Supreme Court
- Across the country, Kennedy touts MAHA, but not vaccines (Deranged.)
- America’s murder rate hasn’t been this low in 70 years (And let me guess, nobody believes it? Because people *always* think crime is high and rising, even when it’s low and/or falling.)
- Trump laying groundwork to impose national emergency by sowing election distrust (“President’s speech, declassification of documents and heightened claims of noncitizen voting have experts concerned”)
- Trump-Aligned Mail Ballot Rules Readied for High Court Decision
- Against the wind: despite Trump’s attacks, unions are fighting for good US clean energy jobs
- How a Billionaire Shaped Trump’s Homelessness Policy (“A team from the Cicero Institute, an upstart think tank, flew to Indiana this year to help make it a crime for the homeless to sleep on the street.”)
- Trump Stock Disclosure Shows More Than 1,000 Trades in June (Totally not corrupt, right???)
- Trump reshuffled his portfolio in June, selling names like Meta and buying Berkshire Hathaway
- Jared Kushner and Hakeem Jeffries Meet Privately as Midterm Attacks Fly (“President Trump’s son-in-law and the man in line to be speaker of a Democratic-led House discussed how Democrats and the administration could work together.” Why???
- The Data Center Backlash Bursts Into the Midterms (“With opposition to the centers mounting, many Democrats and a growing number of Republicans are campaigning against them.”)
- Trump tries new midterm message to supporters: ‘Pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot’ (Doesn’t work that way.)
- The Midterms Feel Like 2006 All Over Again (“With an unpopular war and high prices agitating voters, members of both parties see parallels to an election cycle when Democrats romped. But a lot has changed.”)
- Why Democrats Still Have a Shot at Winning the Senate (“Michigan and Maine remain question marks, but the party flaunts strength in purple and red states” Why do they use the word “Flaunts?” Very strange.)
- Deleted tweets show Natalie Harp’s zealous support of Trump on January 6 (Pure evil.)
- A Natalie Harp Conspiracy Theory (Not Really) (“It starts with her work at a hard-right, pro-Russia cable network.”)
- Scoop: Mike Rogers-AIPAC rupture roils Michigan Senate race (It’s absolutely disgraceful that AIPAC backs fascist or pro-fascist candidates; that’s antithetical to Jewish values AND Jewish safety. One of many reasons why I’ve hated AIPAC for years now.)
- Democrats see political gain in Ohio’s health care pain (“Surging costs and plummeting insurance coverage could give Ohio Democrats their best chance in years to win back power.”)
- Angry Ohio Voters Could Turn Their State Purple Again (“A governor’s race, a Senate contest and enough congressional contests to swing control of the House are all in play in Ohio, where voters of all stripes express a deep sense of powerlessness.”)
- Harvard Is Selling a $699 Course Taught by A.I. Clones of Its Faculty
- IndyCar drivers prepare to zoom 185 mph through D.C.’s streets (“The Freedom 250 Grand Prix, expected to draw around 140,000 spectators, is the culmination of events the president launched to mark the country’s birthday.” Nuts.)
VIRGINIA NEWS (At the Women’s Summit, Virginia Dems rally around Beth Macy; Ben Cline “still trying to save the Daughters of the American Revolution”; Rep. Jennifer McCellan on GOP healthcare cuts; etc.)
- Virginia Democrats rally behind 6th congressional district candidate Beth Macy
- Video: “Pro-Tech” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), Whose District Has “the most data centers…in the [USA],” Warns We’ll Lose AI Race with China “if we continue to do what we’re doing on data centers” (Subramanyam adds that at this point, we can’t “airlift” data centers out of Loudoun County, but “we’re certainly standing up against more”)
- Ben Cline is still trying to save the Daughters of the American Revolution
- VIDEO: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04), VA Deputy HHS Secretary Lauryn Walker Discuss New State Data And Response to GOP Healthcare Cuts (“That presentation presents a pretty bleak picture of the healthcare safety net in Virginia once the Big Ugly Law’s Medicaid cuts take effect”)
- Good news (for some): Home sale prices in Virginia continue to trend upward
- Virginia’s child welfare system struggles to meet needs (“The children, a 5- and 7-year-old brother and sister, had been in the foster care system for two years at that point. They’d already been in seven different placements.”)
- Many voters will see a sales tax referendum on this year’s ballot. Here’s what it means.
- Williams: Virginia tribes on Tree Hill: ‘We don’t want commemoration, we want preservation.’
- DC-area forecast: Plenty of sun and comfortable humidity the next few days
