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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, September 9. 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 the official tailer for the new documentary, “Musk.”
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis; “Anthropic insiders warn AI could kill all humans”; “Oil hits $100 a barrel for first time in months as Middle East conflict intensifies again”; “US bans Canadian dairy, alcohol and motorcycles as trade war with longtime ally escalates “; etc.)
- Can an entire Arctic ecosystem evolve to adapt to the climate crisis?
- The trail of clues that suggest our planet might be heating faster than we realised
- Melting Glaciers and Monster Floods Threaten Nepal’s Big Bet on Hydropower (“Investors have poured money into hundreds of water-powered plants—but those plans didn’t factor in growing instability in the Himalayas”)
- Nepal’s flood disaster and the impact of climate change loom large in the icy shadow of Mont Blanc
- Anthropic insiders warn AI could kill all humans
- Trump told Putin U.S.-Russia ties could be ‘fully restored’ with swift end to Ukraine war, Kremlin says
- ‘Miserable and impossible’: food scarce in Kyiv as Russia targets supply chains (“Supermarket shelves half-filled in Ukrainian capital as Moscow bombs warehouses supporting civilian life”)
- Oil Hits $100 a Barrel as Turmoil Intensifies in Middle East
- Oil hits $100 a barrel for first time in months as Middle East conflict intensifies again
- Iran Signals Readiness to Escalate Fight in Face of Rising U.S. Pressure (“The Iranian government is taking an increasingly aggressive approach as it confronts a growing economic threat and worries that its grip on the Strait of Hormuz is slipping, analysts say.”)
- U.S. Strikes Iranian Oil Tankers in Response to Tehran’s Attacks on Navy Ships
- Iranian school turned to rubble by a US strike draws families to grieve children
- ‘Surge in construction’ at suspected Iranian nuclear site, analysts say, as US considers ways to strike deep underground (“The Pickaxe Mountain site, located near the Natanz nuclear complex roughly 140 miles south of Tehran, has been the subject of steady discussion by intelligence agencies which view it as a likely location for Iran to protect future nuclear program efforts.”)
- Will Taiwan Just Give Up? (“The Taiwanese don’t trust Trump, and they don’t believe America will come to their defense. A deal with China is starting to look inevitable.”)
- French centrists struggle to find unity candidate as extremes surge in polls (“Supporters of centrist former PMs Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal fear they are fighting each other more than the far right and far left.” Crazy.)
- The AfD Is Trying to Turn Its First State Government Into a Far-Right Policy Lab
- European democracies are running out of time to turn away from the abyss (“Far-right parties, Maga ideology and Kremlin money are conniving to suffocate liberal idealism for another generation”)
- Two Nations. Two Democracies at Stake. (The U.S. and Israel.)
- The Guardian view on Britain’s new Middle East policy: an unlawful occupation must carry a price
- I believe in a two-state solution in the Middle East. That’s why we’re taking action to keep that hope alive (“Our sanctions aren’t about the Israeli people, but about the unacceptable policies of the Israeli government, and the suffering they cause Palestinians” Bingo!)
- Trump didn’t oppose UK sanctions on Israeli settlements
- Making Sense of That Big Story Saying Netanyahu Was Warned About Oct 7
- Miliband says UK had to ‘call out’ Israeli West Bank settlements
- Chris Mason: Burnham looks to show he will go further than Starmer with West Bank sanctions
- Europe Unites to Pressure Israel, Breaking With U.S. (“Under new leadership, Britain is spearheading opposition to Israeli settlements, risking American anger.”)
- US bans Canadian dairy, alcohol and motorcycles as trade war with longtime ally escalates (“The measure comes as Canada imposes $20bn in retaliatory tariffs and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney vows to reduce his country’s economic dependence on the US”)
- What Canada’s retaliatory tariffs could mean for U.S. consumers as Trump threatens escalation
- US banning dairy products, most alcoholic beverages and motorcycles from Canada
- Adding Injury to Insult, Canada Edition (“This idiotic trade war will hurt more than people realize”)
- Trump bans some Canadian imports as North America trade war intensifies
- Trump hits back at Canada with import bans, more tariff hikes
- Susan Collins says the White House has ‘underestimated’ impact of Canada tariffs (Including on her political career! LOL)
- Why Trump’s Angry New Tirade at Canada Is About to Backfire On Him (“Trump’s latest threats to punish Canada could hurt a lot of American workers—including in states with big races this fall—even as they reveal MAGA’s deepest failings.”)
NATIONAL NEWS (“NOAA Fisheries Takes A ‘Sharp Turn Away From Science’”; “Donald Trump’s emotional support convention”; “Trump gave Natalie Harp and two other aides $45,000 each in cash gifts for holidays”; “Why Lonnie Bunch Is Leaving the Smithsonian”; etc.)
- NOAA Fisheries Takes A ‘Sharp Turn Away From Science’ (“The agency’s focus on commercial interests threatens fisheries science and over one million miles of protected marine habitats.” If you voted for Trump or stayed home, first of all f*** you. Second, all of this horrific damage is ON YOU!)
- Supreme Court declines to intervene in New York religious vaccine exemption case
- Ground Zero construction crews, firefighter hoist: Fact-checking Trump’s 9/11 response stories
- At 9/11 Tribute, Trump Adds New Claim to His Disputed Role After Attack (Laughable, misleading, ridiculous, cowardly headline by the NY Times, which refuses to say that Trump is WILDLY LYING!)
- Trump’s 9/11 fantasies
(“There is no evidence any of this is true.”)
- With AI memes, Trump promotes mythical version of himself as challenges stack up ahead of midterms (AP uses the phrase “mythical version of himself” instead of “WILDLY LIES.” The political “mainstream” media in this country is completely broken…bunch of cowards who are all about access, also consumed by “fear and favor,” which they claim they don’t do.)
- Trump says firefighters near ground zero carried him to safety ‘right after’ 9/11 attacks (Note how NBC “News” never says that what Trump’s saying is a WILD LIE???)
- Trump’s Midterm Strategy Centers on Tax Cuts, MAHA and Himself (True, but again, this is a bland, sanitized, normalized headline. The media is f’ed.)
- Trump renames places and poses as superhero in bizarre social media blitz (The Guardian, which isn’t based in the US of course, actually comes through with a reasonably accurate headline. US-based “mainstream” media outlets, in contrast, not so much!)
- Republicans in fight to hold on to majority look to ‘midterm convention’ to overcome Trump unpopularity
- Donald Trump’s emotional support convention (“The RNC embarrasses itself with a shindig no one else wanted”)
- Trump’s summer of sabotage (“Congressional Republicans are preparing to share the stage with a president who has spent the August recess complicating their efforts to run their races on their own terms.”)
- Republicans’ Midterms Strategy Will Test Trump’s Political Power as Polling Sags
- Trump’s Ability to Channel Voter Concerns Is Tested as Republicans Gather in Dallas (Yet another bland, vague, anodyne, insipid NY Times headline – which basically says nothing, normalizes Trump, etc. 100% intentional choice on the NY Times’ part.)
- Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to Natalie Harp, two other close aides (Wildly inappropriate; just imagine the reaction if Biden had done that???)
- Trump gave Natalie Harp and two other aides $45,000 each in cash gifts for holidays
- Mass polygraphs at the Pentagon show Hegseth’s weakness (“The more defense secretary Pete Hegseth tries to flex his manly strength, the wimpier he looks”)fb
- Data center backlash is everywhere. The biggest pro-AI group is getting ready to fight back.
- Why Lonnie Bunch Is Leaving the Smithsonian (“After months of clashes with the White House, the historian and leader of the institution is retiring later this year.”)
- Smithsonian chief Lonnie G. Bunch III resigns
- Smithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the Institution
- American Bar Association Ends D.E.I. Standards Under Trump Pressure (Pathetic and disgraceful as is often the case by the American Bar Association.)
- Politics News Site NOTUS Rebrands as The Washington Sun (More “both sides”/false equivalence “access journalism” or what?)
- Ex-60 Minutes managing editor says fired staffers ‘refused to be accomplices’ in show’s ‘destruction’ (No serious journalist should be part of 60 Minutes at this point. And nobody should watch this MAGA bullshit.)
- Paxton’s former top law enforcement official endorses Talarico (“David Maxwell, a former Texas Ranger decorated for his decades of service, reported Paxton to the FBI in 2020.”)
- Elon Musk Targets Democrats on Transgender Issues in Key Senate Races (Disgusting as always from this white supremacist and fascist.)
- Musk’s PAC goes big on trans attack ads
- Elon Musk told ex-girlfriend he needed ‘a legion of children before the civil war’ (“Ashley St Clair was speaking at the Venice film premiere of Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk, where she warned of his dangerous influence”)
- Why Iowa is a state to watch in the midterms (“Meet Rob Sand, the Democrat who’s favored to become Iowa’s next governor.”)
- Chris Pappas Defeats Progressive Challenger in New Hampshire Senate Primary (Good; Pappas’ opponent is far left and probably would have lost in November, which we can’t afford. Also, Pappas is a solid liberal.)
- Trump-Backed Auto Executive Wins House Primary in New Hampshire
- GOP Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Democrat Cinde Warmington to face off for New Hampshire governorship
- Dueling Court Rulings Leave Missouri’s Congressional Races in Chaos (“After losing in two courts and winning in another, Missouri officials said they planned to forge ahead with using a congressional map that was redrawn to benefit Republicans.”)
- Competing court orders add confusion to Missouri congressional elections
- Sen. Roger Marshall’s challenger in Kansas criticizes him for suing patients
- Why House Republicans are pulling money from a key swing seat (“House Republicans are effectively abandoning what was supposed to be a key battleground district in New York over concerns that their candidate, state Sen. Peter Oberacker, is too flawed to seriously compete, sources tell Axios.”)
- Authorities decline to prosecute woman who made false report against Buttigieg (“The accuser has a history of alcohol abuse, hallucinations and delusional thinking, according to an Indiana prosecutor who determined she was not able to form criminal intent.”)
- Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show set to end in 2027 after 24 years on air (Why???)
- California, an Environmental Bastion, Warms to Nuclear Energy (Nuclear power is ok environmentally, but it’s VERY expensive, far more so than energy efficiency, utility-scale solar, onshore wind, etc.)
- As He Backs ICE Crackdown, Nebraska Governor Employs Undocumented Workers
- Grief, fury, conspiracy: inside Turning Point USA after Charlie Kirk’s killing
- Lowell brought flooding, gusty winds, large waves to Hawaii (“Lowell may have never made landfall in Hawaii, but it still brought significant impacts to the state.”)
- National Guard crime task force member arrested in DC, accused of drawing gun on fellow Guard member
VIRGINIA NEWS (“Kaine at CNU: If Democrats win Congress, don’t make it all about investigations”; Subramanyam “pushes national data center legislation”; “Lt. Gov. Hashmi brings Energy Costs Listening Tour to Norfolk”; etc.)
- Kaine at CNU: If Democrats win Congress, don’t make it all about investigations (“But I think my pitch to my colleagues is going to be that we will make a big mistake if this is just going to be about investigations and starting an impeachment…We will make a big mistake if we don’t try to pass legislation — and put it on his desk — that would be good for the American public.”)
- ‘A Trojan horse’: Northern Virginia congressman pushes national data center legislation
- Video: House Majority PAC Launches New Ads in VA02 – “Jen Kiggans voted with Donald Trump 100% of the time, and we pay the price.” (“Trump’s tariffs, Trump’s war, Trump’s healthcare hikes. Kiggans’ support 100% of the time.”)
- Video: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) Says He’s “Learned Very Little” About FBI/DOJ Wiretapping His Calls with VA State Sen. Louise Lucas (“The timing…is really suspect to me and I want some answers”)
- VIDEO: Prosecutor Shannon Taylor Launches New TV Ad Highlighting Her Record Holding Powerful Democrat Joe Morrissey Accountable (“Taylor is running to hold anyone accountable–regardless of party–to lower costs, fight corruption and keep Virginians safe”)
- Tom Perriello hosts healthcare discussion in Danville stop
- Video, Photos from Labor Day 2026 in Virginia – Mark Warner, Abigail Spanberger, Beth Macy, Bobby Scott, etc. (Also, Ben Cline acts like…Ben Cline, lol)
- Advocates are hopeful Virginians will vote “Yes” on Amendment 3
- Andrea Fletcher tapped to lead Virginia’s government technology overhaul (“New Digital Service agency will focus on modernizing state systems, simplifying access to public services and scrutinizing technology programs.”)
- Spanberger is creating a new state technology team
- Packed crowd at Lt. Governor Hashmi’s Energy Costs listening tour (They mean “packed house,” presumably.)
- Lt. Gov. Hashmi brings Energy Costs Listening Tour to Norfolk
- New sales tax could generate $1.27 billion over 3 years for school construction, study finds (“The proposed increase will be on the ballot in 47 localities this fall. The state has estimated that $25 billion is needed to fully modernize Virginia’s schools.”)
- Virginia college students shine in national democracy innovation anthology
- Rural counties reluctant to embrace solar farms run the risk of state intervention (“Localities can no longer ban solar development, which means they all now need rules for solar projects. Some places want more restrictions than others. Here are the political realities they need to keep in mind.”)
- More than 100 people died in Virginia prisons last year. One was 16 years old.
- Virginia is de-Flocking. Richmond, Henrico and Chesterfield aren’t
- Number of youth at Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center falls from 193 to 130
- Umstattd won’t seek reelection, capping decades in local government (I missed this story the other day. This is interesting: “Umstattd has generally supported zoning for data centers, emphasizing how the tax revenue generated by the facilities supports county services. She said she worries the county could face a funding shortfall by 2030, forcing the board either to raise taxes or cut services.”)
- Editorial: Norfolk homicide numbers call for attention and action
- Arlington County sets aside $50K to aid families of ICE detainees
- A Virginia school district pioneers solar and battery microgrids (“Roanoke City Public Schools is building the state’s first solar-plus-storage systems to keep emergency shelters going during extreme weather and cut down on costs.”)
- ‘Busting at the seams’: Report calls Roanoke’s planning department tone deaf, with a culture of no (“Its problems are costing the city money, according to the findings.”)
- Small-scale solar farm in Hanover gives new life to Harris family land
- UVA loses big at hearing in Lars Tiffany case, might want to think about settling
- DC-area forecast: A bit hotter today before storm chances return Thursday
