Sunday (9/6) News Roundup: Witkoff, Kushner Praise War Criminal/Dictator Putin; Under Trump, US Claims Correctly Sizing Africa on World Map Is “Radical”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, September 6.  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, Indonesia, China, Europe, everywhere really; Witkoff and Kushner heap praise on war criminal, pure evil Putin; Panetta warns of “forever war” with Iran; etc.)

• June 2026 broke heat records across Europe and oceans, EU climate data reveals
• El Niño-fuelled wildfires destroy precious Indonesian forests – in pictures (“Indonesian authorities intensify operations as fires continue to burn across Sumatra and Kalimantan, with haze spreading to Malaysia, Singapore and Philippines” UGH!)
• On the ground in China’s wiped-out border zone, the fate of hundreds is still unknown
• Rescuers in Nepal find two more people alive after flash flood disaster (“Chinese man at Trishuli hydropower project and Nepali woman in Nuwakot found 10 days into rescue operation”)
• At flood-destroyed China-Nepal border, no sign of a once-busy port (“About 20 Chinese rescue workers in bright orange operated excavators, shovels and ground-penetrating radar detectors ‌on Sunday in an effort to find hundreds of people missing since a tsunami-like mudslide destroyed China’s main border crossing with Nepal.”)
• Solar is now bigger than coal in China — and yet still way behind (“China has more solar capacity online than coal capacity. It’s a remarkable milestone, but the fossil fuel still generates far more electricity than solar does.”)
• Witkoff and Kushner discuss ‘next steps’ with Putin to end Ukraine war, says US
• Witkoff and Kushner meet with Putin about ending Ukraine war
• US Envoys Due in Kyiv After Putin Says Ending War ‘Not Simple’ (It’s VERY simple – Russia needs to cease fire and then withdraw all of its forces from every inch of Ukraine.
• ‘Nobody will win’: Zelenskyy adviser warns of mutual destruction if war with Russia continues (“Serhii Beskrestnov says deadlock on frontline and increasing use of deep strikes is placing civilians and infrastructure at greater risk”)
• Kremlin says Ukraine talks with US envoys were useful; no sign of breakthrough
• The Norwegian gas plant that could safeguard Europe from Trump (“Europe’s newfound focus on energy security has sparked interest in ramping up gas production on the Norwegian continental shelf.”)
• Iran’s Attacks Keep the Strait of Hormuz in a Lethal Stalemate (“The U.S. military is helping oil get out of the Persian Gulf on tankers, but Iran is still attacking the ships and scaring operators away.”)
• Iran war likely to drag on for another six months, ex-US defense secretary warns (“Leon Panetta tells Guardian US is risking ‘forever war’ and says Pentagon ‘turmoil’ sending message of weakness”)
• Iran claims strike on US ship in Strait of Hormuz as fighting escalates
• US and Iran trade retaliatory attacks on ships as conflict flares
• Broken feet, ripped-out hair and now a death sentence: the fate of twin sisters jailed over Iran protests (“Taraneh Rahimi was told prison guards would rape her sister, Romina, if she did not sign a confession”)
• How Billions in Iranian Money Passes Through U.S. Banks (“Illicit Iranian funds are flowing through U.S.-dollar clearing accounts, creating an enforcement dilemma for Washington.”)
• USS Lincoln sailors delight in the ‘simple stuff’ as they get their first break in months in Thailand (“Speaking to NBC News, U.S. service members described just how much the port call meant to them after what they described as an extraordinarily tough deployment.”)
• Civilians among at least 60 killed in Yemen as ground fighting escalates (“Houthi rebel offensive against government forces on west coast leads to some of deadliest clashes in years”)
• The Violent Israeli Nomads Who Defy Law and Order in the Name of God (“Young squatters ditch mainstream lives to push Palestinians from land in the West Bank they claim is the divine birthright of Jewish people” F’ed up.)
• For Gaza to Recover, Hamas Must Be Expelled (“A Palestinian miracle on the Mediterranean is within reach if Gaza rejects Islamism, Jihadism, Hamas and stale nationalist notions, all of which have left it devastated. Will those in the West who express support for Palestinians finally abandon their sloganeering about ‘resistance’? Effective pro-Palestinian advocacy can speak out against Israeli actions without the futile pursuit of Israel’s destruction. Some people want to make a point; others want to make a difference. The path forward demands the latter.” BINGO! Also, of course, Hamas is absolute evil, and if you can’t bring yourself to say that, there’s something seriously wrong with you.)
• The U.N. backed a map that shows Africa true to size. The U.S. was sole objector. (“The U.S. was the only country to vote against the U.N. resolution, which encourages the use of an ‘Equal Earth’ map. The U.S. described it as a ‘radical ideological project.'” What on earth is “radical” about this???)
• German region votes in election that could bring first far-right state government to power (“The vote for the state legislature in Saxony-Anhalt, a region of 2.1 million people west of Berlin, has gained outsized prominence because it represents the best chance yet of a governor’s post for the far-right, anti-migration Alternative for Germany, or AfD.”)
• Germany’s far-right AfD is poised for power – and split on whether to cozy up to Trump
• Far Right Win Could ‘Rupture’ Profitable Renewables Push in East Germany – Experts (“Victory in this weekend’s landmark election could see Alternative for Germany stall a lucrative wind and solar drive in Saxony-Anhalt.”)
• Canada turns its critical minerals into leverage against Trump

NATIONAL NEWS (“Pierre Damas Should Not Be Dead”; “Game On” for midterm elections, as Trump runs out of time to monkey with by-mail voting; “The Rush-Job Presidency”; etc.)

• Pierre Damas Bel Should Not Be Dead (“Pierre Damas Bel wanted to be a doctor. — He came to the United States in 2024 to reunite with his parents, who had fled Haiti three years earlier fearing for their lives. Living in Springfield, Ohio, he had temporary protected status and a pending asylum case.”)
• Trump turns up the heat on Warsh as Fed rate hike looms
• 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.”)
• An estimated one-third of foster youth identify as LGBTQ+. Federal agencies are ripping away their protections
• Trump is running out of time as he tries to restrict mail voting (“Two swing states are sending ballots, and other states plan to send theirs soon.”)
• Trump’s War on Mail-In Ballots Has Voters Baffled. That May Be the Point. (“From Oregon to Florida, officials are at once reassuring voters that their ballots are safe and encouraging them to use drop boxes or vote in person.”)
• In latest win for voters, appeals court rejects bid to revive DHS voter purge database, for now
• Trump’s Embrace of AI Data Centers Adds to GOP’s Midterm Peril
• As Midterms Approach, Republicans Find There Is No Escape From Trump
• More voters identifying as Democrats and not calling themselves Republican (“Latest data from Gallup, showing 49% leaning Democrat and 39% Republican, marks sharp reversal from 2024”)
• Scoop: Republican midterms convention speakers revealed
• Democrats seek to counter RNC’s ‘Trump-a-palooza’ convention in Dallas
• How to Tell if Democrats Are Poised for a Huge Midterm Win
• These are the most important House races to watch in November
• Game on: November elections kick into high gear with control of Congress in the balance (“Trump is unpopular and inflation is still high – and Democrats are looking to use that to their advantage”)
• The Battle to Save a Pioneering General From Pete Hegseth’s Purge (“Gen. Christopher T. Donahue’s vision for fighting future wars won him powerful supporters around the world. Could they save his career?”)
• JD Vance’s wildly disingenuous response to his Tucker Carlson problem (Vance is ALWAYS “wildly disingenuous”
• The Rush-Job Presidency (“Trump wants his ballroom and arch done while he’s in office. There’s a risk.”)
• This enhanced geothermal project aims to unlock gigawatts of power to fuel the data center boom (Whatever you think of data centers, it’s GREAT news to see geothermal moving ahead – basically unlimited potential for clean, 24/7 power!)
• Tesla’s Cybercab has been deployed, and it’s already under investigation
• Republicans struggle to unite in Georgia’s key races after bruising primaries
• Ossoff and Talarico to Share Fund-Raising Event in Hollywood
• Trump’s Super PAC Drops $10 Million in Texas Senate Race (“The Republican Party faces diverging spending priorities two months out from Election Day.”)
• New Hampshire Democrats Sound an Alarm: ‘We’re Losing’ (“The state has not elected a Republican to the Senate since 2010. But Chris Pappas, the likely Democratic nominee, anticipates a tough race against a well-known opponent, John E. Sununu.” Yikes.)
• Falling ceiling debris at Kennedy Center may mire debate over renovations

VIRGINIA NEWS (Griffith doesn’t want to debate Powers; Virginia consumer sentiment plunges; etc.)

• Iran war — and high fuel prices it caused — are big obstacles for GOP in Virginia’s 2nd District
• John McGuire bought NVIDIA stock before NVIDIA made a $12.9 billion AI deal
• MAGA Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA09) Refuses Debates With Democratic Nominee Joy Powers, Claims Voters “Already Know” Where He Stands (“’Congressman Griffith can reconsider at any time,’ Powers said. ‘I’m ready.'”)
• Rep. Morgan Griffith turns down debates with 9th District challenger Powers
• Virginia consumer sentiment plunges as prices erode earnings, survey finds (“Virginia consumers aren’t happy about their financial outlook, as wages struggle to keep up with rising prices for fuel and groceries.”)
• New Spanberger-created Housing Production Commission holds first meeting (“The effort aims to increase housing supply across the Commonwealth as home prices continue to rise.”)
• Audio: Loudoun County Chair Phyllis Randall on Data Centers, Moratoria, Costs and Benefits, What Should Have Been Done Differently, Vitriol and Death Threats, etc. (With 253 data centers, Loudoun is known as the “data center capital of the world”)
• Greene County fighting AG’s inquiry into ICE partnership
• Williams: Voting rights, not naming rights, must be the priority (“On Aug. 20, Black Virginia News announced the formation of the new Virginia Crusade for Voters. Nine days later, an article in The Richmonder featured Richmond Crusade leaders denouncing the new organization. Meanwhile, the Virginia Crusade for Voters set up a website.”)
• Mother charged after 5-year-old walks to pond alone, stirring parenting debate (“Her conviction in Virginia, for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, has sparked disagreement over how young is too young for children to walk alone.”)
• A paper mill is suffocating a small Virginia town, and officials are dismissing concerns (“There’s no question the Smurfit Westrock paper mill is polluting the small town of Covington, Virginia. The question is why isn’t anyone doing anything about it.”)
• Rescue teams search for 81-year-old Loudoun Co. woman who’s been missing for 2 weeks
• DC-area forecast: Bright and beautiful through Labor Day; warming midweek