Friday (9/11) News Roundup: 25 Years After 9/11/01 – “The Unravelling Of The American Age Is Accelerating”; “The U.S. Was Never Going to Win the ‘War on Terror'”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, September 11 (hard to believe that it’s been 25 years since Setpember 11, 2001 – a horrible day that none of us who lived through will ever forget!).  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. Also, check out Jamelle Bouie on why Trump’s midterm “convention” “was always going to be a failure.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis continues to be existential, yet people aren’t reacting accordingly; “Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Efforts to Build Biological Weapons” – speaking of existential!; “The Unravelling Of The American Age Is Accelerating“; etc.)

• One in nine migratory birds threatened with extinction, global report says (“Findings on decline of species such as Arctic tern and turtle dove published alongside flyways pledge at Kenya summit” HORRIFYING!)
• Iceland to submit bill that could ban whaling in its waters (It’s heinous to hunt whales.)
• Coral Reefs Can Recover But Relentless Marine Heat Waves Won’t Let Them (“As more frequent bouts of severe heat stress plague the world’s oceans, coral reefs don’t have enough time to recuperate, a new report shows.”)
• Global heat is stuck on high. Scientists say August was Earth’s hottest month they’ve measured
• OpenAI Is Open to Slowing Cutting-Edge AI, CEO Sam Altman Tells Staff
• Anthropic Says It Blocked Possible Efforts to Build Biological Weapons
• A.I. Could Possibly End Humanity. How Are Humans Supposed to Process That? (“The technology is far from the only existential risk our species faces. But weighing such cosmic fears can become a mind-bending exercise.”)
• When the rogue agents become superintelligent
• Oil Prices Surge as Stocks and Bonds Wobble
• Global oil hits $108 per barrel while bond yields surge
• As Russia Again Draws Near, a Frontline City Fears Total Destruction This Time (“The Ukrainian city of Izium still bears the scars of Russian occupation from four years ago. As Moscow’s forces approach, residents are bracing for the worst.”)
• Russia accused of ‘rapidly growing’ attacks on civilian infrastructure after five killed in Ukraine
• Trump Goon Reveals Scale of Humiliation With Stunning Admission (“The president’s pick for Navy secretary [Hung Cao] has spoken about the impact of Iranian attacks.”)
• Trump on Iran war regrets: “You can always question yourself a little bit”
• Behind the Scenes, Vance Gathered Unvarnished Views of the Iran War (“Vice President JD Vance received sobering assessments about the war that did not line up with what he, President Trump and other top administration officials were saying publicly.”)
• Iran Is Producing Ballistic Missiles Again (“Intelligence findings say Tehran is assembling stockpiled components into weapons in underground facilities”)
• Houthi Attacks: How They Threaten Red Sea Shipping and Saudi Oil
• Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island at mouth of vital shipping lane
• EXCLUSIVE: US expands intel, targeting support for Saudi campaign against Iranian ally
• The Unravelling Of The American Age Is Accelerating (“What Has Happened In The Last Days Is Ominous”)
• Gulf States Weigh Rare Meeting With Iran Next Week on Hormuz
• Secret systems used by Israel in mass killings of Gaza civilians revealed in new film
• Trump’s clash with Canada is his latest imperialistic embarrassment

NATIONAL NEWS (The legacy – mostly a very bad one – of 9/11; Almost nobody likes Trump’s $5,000 bribery idea; Supreme Court actually does something right for a change???; JD Vance and Ted Cruz are both disgraces; “Desperate Trump Makes Supporters Vow to ‘Cheat Like Hell’ to Save Him”; etc.)

• The U.S. Was Never Going to Win the “War on Terror” (“In the twenty-five years since 9/11, the U.S. has waged several military campaigns against extremism around the world, resulting in the deaths of almost a million people. What has it accomplished?”)
• The America That 9/11 Made (“A quarter century after the attacks, the grief, wars, and political furies of their aftermath still shape American life.”)
• Mistakes, mistrust and misdirection: 25 years after 9/11, its dark legacy continues to unfold
• Sept. 11 Changed the World Order. But Not for the Reason We May Think. (“The terrorist attacks consumed U.S. resources and attention, and left the country unable to address the bigger threats to its economy and global leadership”)
• What Bush Understood That Trump Doesn’t (“The leaders of the American right have embraced the false idea that the United States is at war with Islam.”)
• The Long Decline of America (“It began decades before Trump”)
• The muted response to Trump 9/11 fantasy is a media failure (“It’s not ‘disputed.’ He’s delusional.” I really can’t overstate how bad the “mainstream” media is when it comes to its coverage of Trump, and US politics more broadly. And yes, that includes the self-proclaimed “paper of record,” the NY Times, and also PBS and NPR, not just right-wing media…)
• What the Aftermath of 9/11 Taught Me (by Hillary Clinton)
• How the Right Came to Embrace Anti-Muslim Bigotry (“After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, Republican leaders opposed anti-Muslim sentiment. But the right’s worst instincts won.” As they always do!)
• Wait, Did the Supreme Court Actually Make a Sane Decision About Outrageous Republican Redistricting Maps? (“Fingers crossed this sets a precedent.”)
• Supreme Court Grants Stay in Missouri Redistricting Dispute, Meaning the 2022 Map Will Be Used for the 2026 Midterms (Astounding – this horrible, heinous Supreme Court did the right thing for once!)
• U.S. Supreme Court effectively blocks Trump-backed Missouri congressional map
• The Supreme Court just handed Republicans a surprisingly decisive midterm loss
• US Diesel Prices Rise Past $6 a Gallon for First Time Ever
• Inflation report lands in a time of spiking oil prices, rising interest rates and Fed on fence (“Friday’s inflation report is shaping up to be among the most consequential in years.”)
• Unhinged Trump Lunges at Female Reporter Over Embarrassing Question
• Key Republicans Were Blindsided by Trump’s Call for $5,000 Checks (“One senior Senate Republican aide said “it’s not going to happen,” pointing to inflation.”)
• No one is falling for Trump’s budget-busting ‘dividend’ check gimmick (Really? “No one?” They cheered this crap at the Republican “convention”!)
• DeSantis rebukes Trump’s $5K checks: ‘More debt and more inflation’
• Some in G.O.P. Balk at Trump’s $5,000 Offer: ‘We’re $40 Trillion in Debt’ (“The president’s call to send a $5,000 “dividend” to every American adult if Republicans win the midterms disturbed some members of his party.”)
• Trump promise of $5,000 for US citizens after midterms decried as ‘bribery’ (“Critics react to bid for Republican votes with incredulity and point to potential $1.2tn cost atop existing national debt”)f
• Trump leads convention in pledge: ‘You go to h—’ if you don’t vote
• Analysis: Trump’s solution to Republicans’ midterm troubles is more Trump
• Capitol agenda: Trump tells Republicans to vote or ‘go to hell’
• Trump team expands midterms spending to $57 million so far
• Voters Favor Dems Over GOP By 11 Points For Control Of U.S. House, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Trump’s Handling Of Canada Trade, Iran & Russia – Ukraine War All Below 30%
• How Republicans are privately talking about their Senate map at the convention (“Republicans gathering in Dallas are worried about Georgia and North Carolina. They are bullish on Michigan.” Dems could have had an almost-certain win if they’d nominated Haley Stevens, but nooooo…)
• Democrats revamp their midterm playbook for GOP’s anti-trans attacks (“Democratic strategists say the party needs a fresh approach amid a new wave of anti-trans messaging from Republicans.”)
• Fears of a Democratic Wave Push Texas to Center Stage at G.O.P. Convention
• I Can’t Wait to Watch Congressional Republicans Tear Each Other to Shreds After the Midterms (“Grab your popcorn, folks.”)
• As Trump dominates convention, some Republicans quietly ask who comes next
• Empty seats, socialism and Trump dominate the Republican midterm convention
• ‘AMERICA. NO COMMIES!’: One t-shirt explains the GOP’s midterm attack plan (“In an election that is likely to be decided over the cost of living, Republicans are doing everything they can to paint their Democratic opponents as radicals.” The radicals 100% are the Republicans, in fact – bunch of fascists.)
• Desperate Trump Makes Supporters Vow to ‘Cheat Like Hell’ to Save Him (“The president is now a fan of voter fraud.”)
• Fox News Didn’t See a Ratings Bump During Trump’s Republican Convention Speech
• GOP convention attendee calls for shooting Democrats during Cruz’s speech (Cruz saying nothing means he’s ok with this?)
• Vance Assails Democrats in Fiery Speech at G.O.P. Convention (This is a classic media FAILURE; in fact, Vance spewed wild lies, insanity, etc., and the media should MAKE THAT CLEAR RIGHT IN ITS HEADLINES, FRAMING, etc. Why the f*** don’t they do that???)
• RFK Jr. uses military aircraft as he campaigns for GOP in midterms (OUTRAGEOUS.)
• Joe diGenova, loyalist tapped by Trump to oversee controversial DOJ probe targeting his foes, resigns: Sources
• Kimmel says Talarico interview won’t air on TV under regulatory pressure from FCC
• White House Melts Down Over Jimmy Kimmel Accusation
• Rand Paul and his staff travel by private jet with taxpayer dollars while preaching fiscal restraint (Rand Paul is evil.)
• At Trump’s Smithsonian, the Line Between History and Propaganda Is Blurrier than Ever (“As Americans, we must reflect on our past to find answers for our future. What happens when the president prevents us from posing questions in the first place?”)

VIRGINIA NEWS (Giffords announces nearly $1M to help elect Elaine Luria; “Bob Good slams Trump’s dividend proposal”; Wittman stands to benefit from Dominion-NextEra merger; etc.)

• GIFFORDS PAC announces nearly $1M investment to elect Elaine Luria in VA-02
• Rep. Suhas Subramanyam pushes back against Verizon copper landline phaseout at Warrenton town hall (If this were proper grammar, it would read “At Warrenton town hall, Subramanyam pushes back against…”)
• The Dominion-NextEra merger is messy. Rob Wittman stands to benefit from it. (“On May 18, Florida-based NextEra Energy announced its agreement to buy Dominion Energy. Since that time, several developments have occurred, which extend to every ratepayer on the East Coast from Virginia to Florida.”)
• Ben Cline goes solo, as planned, at Salem Rotary Club event: Where’s the beef?
• Bob Good slams Trump’s dividend proposal (“Rep. John McGuire declined to answer when asked if he supported the President’s plan to give $5,000 stimulus checks to every American if Republicans win the midterm elections.” “We would have called that a Socialist vote-buying scheme if Obama or Biden were doing it…We’re supposed to be the party of fiscal responsibility. We’re supposed to be the party of the Constitution. Conservatism doesn’t mean criticizing bad policy just when Democrats do it.”)
• Challenger Beth Macy attends social justice group’s event in Roanoke, while Rep. Ben Cline appears at Salem forum
• Perriello campaign scores political point with jab at McGuire over Trump convention
• NEW REPORT: Virginia Families Face More Than $3 Billion in Health Care and Food Assistance Cuts as Trump Administration Pours Resources into Immigration Enforcement (“FWD.us interactive tool shows Virginia could lose $3.5 billion in federal funding as 50,000 more Virginians face losing health coverage “)
• Most speakers at Hashmi event raise concerns over proposed NextEra-Dominion merger
• Video: VA Sen. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker and Del. Kirk McPike Call for Virginians to Vote “Yes on #3” This November (This amendment will “[repeal] the Jim Crow-era provisions of Virginia law”)
• In rare move, SCC orders three in-person hearings for NextEra-Dominion merger case (“First public hearing would be Nov. 5, with other dates to be announced.” Fine, but how about this issue: “SCC Chair Kelsey Bagot — a former NextEra attorney who has declined to recuse herself from the case?”)
• The day terror changed us and a Virginia governor stepped up to lead and restore confidence (“Reflections and lasting lessons from the catastrophic Sept. 11 attack, through the eyes of columnist Bob Lewis”)
• Joe Morrissey responds to Shannon Taylor ad, accuses her of trying to preempt criticism (I’m linking to this simply to say: 1) who gives AF what Morrissey has to say about anything; 2) this guy should not be elected to anything again.)
• Virginia rolls out more secure EBT cards to curb SNAP benefit theft
• 350 years ago, Nathaniel Bacon held the Virginia legislature at gunpoint. Why do we honor him today? (Who is “we”? If you actually know about Nathaniel Bacon, you definitely don’t “honor” him! For one thing, “Bacon’s Rebellion was undoubtedly a popular call to wipe out Virginia’s indigenous peoples.” So this guy wanted to commit genocide; his goal was “to ruin and extirpate all Indians in General.” Then, “Bacon rallied Virginians to this message, chased the governor out of the capital, burned Jamestown and then set about his bloodthirsty rampage, halted only by his unexpected death due to disease.” So yeah, pure evil pretty much. Which is why it’s astounding that anyone today would “honor” this horrible person – and pretty much says it all about anyone who does so!)
• Virginia Beach sailor pardoned by Trump after weapons conviction (“A Virginia Beach sailor was pardoned by President Donald Trump last week after spending four years in federal prison for possessing and selling unregistered weapons.”)
• Alexandria mayor: No ‘role for Flock in this community’
• Middle school student killed in one of three same-day crashes in Virginia (“A large truck was leaving a shopping center in Fairfax when it struck the 13-year-old who was riding a bike, police said.” UGH, horrible.)
• UVA Football: Tony Elliott fanboys over dogkiller Michael Vick, to his, and our, shame (Not just “dogkller,” also dog ABUSER/TORTURER! For those of us who love dogs, f*** him.)
• DC-area forecast: Cooler and rather cloudy today with an early shower; rain chances rise late Saturday