by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, September 19. 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, here’s some video – courtesy of CSPAN – of last night’s “Hands Off!” Kennedy Center rally.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
- For Climate-Vulnerable Countries, Debt Costs 25 Times More Than Climate Action
- What Happens When Earth Passes 1.5 Degrees of Warming? (“Climate scientist Michael Mann digs into the story behind the latest numbers.”)
- Renewables hit more than 80 pct of grid demand for first time – despite heavy throttling of wind and solar (Great job, Australia! Now, what about the US? EU? etc.)
- Creating a Kill Switch to Shut Down a Rogue A.I. Is Harder Than It Sounds
- Google says its AI model gained unauthorized access to three outside systems (“The company said the intrusions resulted from mistaken identity, where Gemini thought it was operating within a test but was actually connected to the real internet.”)
- Google’s Gemini becomes latest AI model to break out and hack computer systems (Yeah, this is totally going to end well…not!)
- What might an AI doomsday look like? Experts have given it some thought
- Ten days that changed the course of AI
- Russia Aims to Inject Chaos Into Elections, U.S. Intelligence Finds (“The Kremlin is once again seeking to undermine confidence in American democracy with online influence campaigns, U.S. officials said.”)
- Trump says son has paid back Russian for wedding party (Another “Trump says” headline, without noting that EVERYTHING TRUMP SAYS IS A LIE – until proven otherwise. The media just f’ing sucks.)
- Trump Makes Stunning Claim About His Son’s Oligarch Pal (“The president contradicted himself while rushing to defend why a pal of Putin’s would pay for Don Jr.’s wedding festivities.”)
- Alex Ovechkin claims he’s ‘not in politics’. His pro-Putin video says the opposite (“After the NHL star appeared in an ad campaign for United Russia, it’s fair to start pressing about the impact of his stances – even if he doesn’t want to talk about it”)
- Latvia’s president warns that Europe is not up to date with drone and aerial warfare in Ukraine (“Edgars Rinkēvičs says drone warfare in Ukraine is moving at ‘lightning speed’ and efforts to prepare for an aerial war could be obsolete by next year”)
- Oil prices are high but could be much worse. Trump has China’s Xi to thank for that
- Xi Jinping Skipped One Dinner—and Sparked a Flurry of Questions About His Health (“China’s leader felt unwell at the Brics event in India, reviving worries over who would succeed him”)
- More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly (“Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database.”)
- Inside the US ‘Kill Chain’ That Destroyed an Iranian School (“Pentagon investigators have discovered that flawed intelligence, outdated imagery and an overreliance on AI contributed to a missile strike that killed 123 children in Minab.”)
- Trump’s Iran war has economists aghast
- Saudis Give European Oil Buyers No Supplies for Next Month (“Saudi Aramco told at least two oil refining customers in Europe that they will be allocated no crude next month under long-term agreements after the kingdom’s key pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked, people informed of the decision said.”)
- Why the Houthis Are Saudi Arabia’s Problem (“The U.S. opted not to intervene as Yemen’s Houthi rebels seized a major choke point for Saudi oil shipments on the Red Sea.”)
- Pact with Saudi Arabia threatens to draw Pakistan into Middle East conflict (“Activation of mutual defence agreement by Riyadh as fighting with Houthis escalates would have wide-reaching repercussions for Islamabad”)
- Israel’s Qatargate Scandal (“Did Benjamin Netanyahu’s aides peddle influence to a foreign power?”)
- These Israelis want to fly home to vote. Netanyahu is trying to stop them
- Exclusive / Shaheen holds up $2.8B arms sale to Israel
- From ovations in Venice to death threats in Israel: the extreme responses to NAZA documentary (“As Gaza documentary wins cinematic acclaim, its directors face vitriol in Israel amid a febrile election campaign”)
- US and Denmark reach security deal after Trump’s threats to take over Greenland (“The agreement would allow the US to expand its military presence, while Denmark and Greenland say it preserves their sovereignty and right to self-determination” Is there anything new here?)
- Denmark’s leaders are cautiously optimistic about Trump’s announcement of a Greenland deal
- Here’s how Germany can defend its democracy. Banning the AfD isn’t the answer (“Instead, constrain it legally and fight it politically. The world is watching”)
- Inside Machado’s Plan to Return to Venezuela and Revive Its Democracy (“The Nobel laureate is planning her comeback from exile in Panama, setting up a clash with the U.S.-backed interim government”)
- F.B.I. Temporarily Halted Cooperation With Canada Over References to 9/11 (“The abrupt move by Kash Patel, the bureau’s director, came as President Trump was ramping up his attacks on the country.”)
- Carney’s Euro trip inflames Trump tensions
NATIONAL NEWS
- Appeals court rejects Trump’s third-country deportation policy (“A unanimous three-judge panel ruled that deportees must have “a meaningful opportunity to contest” their deportation.”)
- Trump ally Stephen Miller leads sweeping push to accelerate removal of migrant children (“Exclusive: key White House loyalist orchestrating multi-agency effort condemned by critics as cruel and racist” Miller is about as pure evil as you’ll find…)
- Men deported from US bound and beaten in Equatorial Guinea detention hotel, lawyers say
- Trump administration pushes on with construction of controversial Big Bend border wall (This shit needs to be torn down.)
- Trump’s Latest Trade Threat Would Throw America Into A Massive Recession (“Cutting off countries that export more to us than they import would mean ending trade with 95 countries and territories: China, Taiwan, South Korea, Israel — even Burundi.”)
- Trump says he will demand drug companies split up vaccines into more doses (Absolutely brain-dead, ignorant crap. Everyone needs to IGNORE TRUMP on this.)
- RFK Jr. Got Free Flights to Fiji and Greece From a Top Donor (“The health secretary disclosed over $250,000 in gifts from security specialist Gavin de Becker” RFK Jr. needs to be IMPEACHED if/when Dems take back Congress.)
- Democracy May Survive Trump, but It Looks Like Capitalism Might Not (“The “businessman” with “private sector” experience is exactly the person who might bring not only the American but the global economy to its knees.”)
- Civil Rights Groups Sue to Keep Armed Agents Away From Voting Sites
- Trump’s Census Proposal Could Cut Seats From Red States(“Texas and Florida could lose Republican congressional seats under a proposal to block some immigrants from the 2030 census, a Times analysis found.”)
- Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say
- MAHA advocates are rallying against GOP “traitors” who passed the farm bill (“Moms Across America founder Zen Honeycutt: ‘If the Republicans lose the midterm elections … this will be one of the reasons why'” LOL)
- The House’s post-midterm to-do list is a political minefield
- Behind the bluster, Trump’s private view of the midterms is a sobering one (I don’t believe it.)
- Judge Rules the EPA Illegally Terminated a $7 Billion Solar Program (“The program was intended to make solar power accessible to lower-income Americans.”)
- Gold Statues and Staff Cuts: How Trump Has Disrupted America’s Parks
- Speak at Your Own Risk (“Donald Trump’s attacks on the First Amendment”)
- Trump says he is banning media outlets CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House (Trump’s been at war with them for years, yet the “mainstream” media has largely kissed Trump’s ass, sanewashed and normalized him relentlessly, etc. And what did they get from all that pathetic groveling? NOTHING!)
- FPF comments on Trump’s media ban announcement (“It’s difficult to imagine a more blatant violation of the First Amendment than Trump banning news outlets from the People’s House for criticizing the government. It’s also hard to imagine a dumber move.”)
- Trump says he’s banning media outlets, including POLITICO, from White House
- MAGA Turns on Trump Over His Wild Media Ban (“The president’s latest threat to the First Amendment appears to have unnerved some of his staunchest defenders.”)
- DOJ says recent Supreme Court ruling shields Maurene Comey firing
- Reagan Judge Foils Desperate Bid to Hide Trump Accuser’s Interviews
- GOP Latino gains fade as gender divides deepen
- House GOP’s top messenger: Socialism attack line “doesn’t really resonate”
- Republicans in Tough Races Are Tip-Toeing Away From Trump
- Trump criticizes Republican who said immigration enforcement had ‘gone too far’ (Salazar is COMPLETELY full of crap, of course; she literally promised in the fall of 2024 that there was NO WAY Trump would ever go after immigrants who’d been here for years, who hadn’t committed crimes, etc.)
- Trump refers to Black man from racially offensive 1988 campaign ad while stumping in North Carolina
- The nativist provocateur who keeps pushing the Texas GOP further right (“Republican leaders criticized a recent post by Bo French attacking South Asian students. But many in the party have felt compelled to embrace parts of his ideology.” EVIL!)
- Karl Rove, a father of the modern Texas GOP, is voting for a Democrat
- Seeking Black Votes in Texas Senate Bid, Talarico Wins Crucial Endorsement (“The Congressional Black Caucus’s political wing backed James Talarico, who defeated a Black opponent in the primary. He faces Ken Paxton, the Republican state attorney general, in November.”)
- F.A.A. Has an Unusual Safety Request for the Top of Trump’s Arch: Fire (“The aviation agency deemed the mammoth arch safe for air travel if it includes a constant flame and other safety measures to help make it visible to planes.”)
- What the Kennedy Center’s Tax Return Reveals (“A previously unseen filing captures the state of the institution seven months after Donald Trump’s takeover.”)
- The Kennedy Center Is Trump’s Most Grotesque Obsession
- Thousands protest closure of the Kennedy Center amid fears Trump is set to demolish the institution (“Demonstrators gathered outside the building in Washington, after the president was spotted holding a placard that read: ‘Kennedy Center DEMOLIS …’”)
- Protesters form human chain at Kennedy Center amid Trump’s threats to demolish it (“Protesters are demanding Trump be removed as the Kennedy Center chairman.”)
- ‘Nothing is sacred’: Kennedy Center protesters fear for its future
- Kennedy Center Supporters Rally Amid Speculation About Possible Demolition
VIRGINIA NEWS
- Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Demand Investigation Into DHS Voter Data Misconduct in Virginia, Nationwide (They also blast the Trump administration’s “repeal of an executive order to clean up the Chesapeake Bay”)
- 2026 midterm early voting begins in Virginia
- Tom Perriello & Mark Warner greet voters at early voting kickoff rally
- Warner appears in Charlottesville to support Perriello (“Virginia’s senior senator campaigned alongside Perriello in Charlottesville just one day after Gov. Abigail Spanberger did the same.”)
- Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress
- Video: VA Gov. Abigail Spanberger Lays Out “New Nation-Leading Standards and Initiatives” on Data Centers, Also “Responding to Unprecedented Risk from [AI]” (“Data center projects should meet high standards for air quality, water and land conservation, and noise control…”)
- Spanberger signs order tightening rules for Virginia data centers
- Spanberger presents slate of data center regulation proposals, puts first directives in motion (“Executive Order 22 bans nondisclosure agreements between data centers and executive branch agencies, departments, state boards and commissions.”)
- Spanberger issues executive order to hold data centers ‘accountable,’ form AI task force (“Her order, which follows a monthslong budget battle over tax exemptions and more recent concerns regarding the safety of AI, stops short of a moratorium on development.”)
- Reaction to Spanberger’s data center plan runs from ‘too much’ to ‘not enough’ (That was 100% inevitable.)
- Will Spanberger’s data center plan be enough for Virginia voters in 2027? (Excellent question by reporter Brad Kutner. The answer? We really don’t know.)
- Spanberger rolls out Data Center Accountability Framework: ‘Step in the right direction’
- Virginia’s attorney general says DHS may have violated state election law after whistleblower report
- Glenn Youngkin mounts new ad blitz for Trump’s school-choice ‘freedom scholarships’ in battleground states (Youngkin is slime.)
- Spanberger rescinds Youngkin regulation reduction order (“Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger ended former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s mandate to cut state regulations by 25%, replacing it with a streamlined review process.”)
- Interviews for Virginia Tech’s next president to take place in coming weeks (“The search committee is seeking a replacement for Tim Sands, who in April announced his plan to step down.”)
- Loudoun Board Opposes Valley North Transmission Line, Denies Substation Near Dulles Airport
- The Danville animal shelter implemented some recommendations made in a 2021 assessment, and declined others
- DC-area forecast: Mild today before shower chances rise Sunday; cooler, wetter pattern ahead
