Wednesday News: “Scientists warn climate tipping points ‘imminent’”; “As Jan. 6 hearings begin, Republicans side with the terrorists”; “It’s Fox News that’s set the country ablaze”; “The Radical Courage of Simone Biles”; Major Youngkin Surrogate Attended 1/6 Pro-Trump Rally

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, July 28.

• Ignoring climate change will yield ‘untold suffering,’ panel of 14,000 scientists warns (“A few big climate policies could change everything — but we have to act fast.”)
• Thousands of scientists warn climate tipping points ‘imminent’ (“Researchers say ‘overexploitation of the Earth’ has seen many of its ‘vital signs’ deteriorate to record levels.”)
• Why the Paris Climate Agreement Might be Doomed to Fail (“An economist argues that the international accord, which depends on collective action, does not include the kinds of incentives and penalties that would ensure that countries do their part.”)
• The Climate Change Link To More And Bigger Wildfires
• New IUCN green status launched to help species ‘thrive, not just survive’ (“Conservation tool will focus on recovery efforts to give a fuller picture of threats to plant and animal populations”)
• Critical measures of global heating reaching tipping point, study finds (“Carbon emissions, ocean acidification, Amazon clearing all hurtling toward new records” We are in deep, deep shit.)
• Low-carbon hydrogen is not cheap and needs support, says major energy organization
• Iron-air batteries: Huge green-energy breakthrough, or just a lot of hype?
• Delta’s Spread Is Testing China’s Aggressive Covid Playbook
• Russia Bolsters Base on Afghan Border Amid ‘Hasty’ U.S. Exit
• Julian Assange stripped of citizenship by Ecuador
• The political crisis in Tunisia, explained by an expert (“The Arab Spring’s democratic success story is under threat.”)
• A Black uprising is shaking Cuba’s Communist regime
• EXCLUSIVE North, South Korea in talks over summit, reopening liaison office
• Scoop: Israel launches maximum pressure campaign against Ben & Jerry’s
• ‘They Have My Sister’: As Uyghurs Speak Out, China Targets Their Families
• South Africa Is Falling Apart (This is really, really bad news.)
• Mandela’s Dream for South Africa Is in Ruins (“Following the imprisonment of Jacob Zuma, and at a time when inequality is worse than during apartheid, mob violence is threatening the country’s constitutional order.”)
• Fed to Stress Patience on Scaling Back as Virus Threat Lurks
• Biden proposes rule to strengthen ‘Buy American’ requirements
• How the Delta Variant Could Slow the Economic Recovery (“There is no reason to expect a repeat of the huge disruption of 2020. But in terms of the recovery, this may amount to throwing sand in the gears.”)
• The science didn’t change, the virus did, Fauci says as CDC updates mask guidance
• Biden will announce vaccination requirement across federal government on Thursday
• Vaccine mandates are finally arriving. The Biden administration should embrace them. (“We should cheer tough vaccine directives.”)
• As Infections Rise, C.D.C. Urges Some Vaccinated Americans to Wear Masks Again
• Covid Is Now a Crisis for the Unvaccinated (“Over 97 percent of people who are hospitalized for Covid-19 are unvaccinated, according to the C.D.C.”)
• White House staff told to wear masks again, as cases rise in the capital.
• The first January 6 hearing was a harrowing indictment of the GOP
• Biden’s ‘Summer of Joy’ Turns Grim as Delta Infections Skyrocket (For vaccinated people, it’s mostly still fine.)
• Trump and DeSantis clash with Biden as the mask wars roar back to life
• The truth of Jan. 6 got a boost from the officers who testified. For now. (“Now, the effort to discredit them will begin.”)
• Will A Pro-Vaccination Push By GOP Leaders Change The Minds Of Unvaccinated Americans?
• What will Republicans defend if not themselves, the Constitution and Capitol?
• The heroes of Jan. 6 expose the lies that Republicans keep telling us
• Capitol police testimony blunts GOP’s law-and-order message (A bunch of Trump supporters viciously *assaulted* the police. So much for right wingers “backing the blue” and all that…)
• ‘This is how I’m going to die’: police tell panel of trauma of Capitol attack
• As Jan. 6 hearings begin, Republicans side with the terrorists
• Police officers beg the country: Do not forget the hell of Jan. 6
• Cop Shares Voicemail Threat He Received During Testimony About U.S. Capitol Riot (“‘This is what happens to people who tell the truth in Trump’s America,’ said officer Michael Fanone.”)
• D.C. Cop Defines ‘Terrorists’ To Explain Why He Refers To U.S. Capitol Rioters That Way
• Rioters and anti-vaxxers are cut from the same cloth
• 
  What did Jim Jordan know about the insurrection and when did he know it?
• The First Reality-Based Congressional Oversight Hearing in Years (“Jim Jordan’s absence allowed the Jan. 6 House select committee to actually do its job.”)
• Five takeaways from gripping officer testimony at the first January 6 hearing
• How right-wing networks covered the January 6 hearing after months of soft-pedaling the Capitol attack
• Republicans Refuse to Reckon With January 6
• Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy Confirm They’re Cowards With No Souls on First Day of 1/6 Hearings (“They claimed to have better things to do than listen to testimony from the officers who saved their lives.”)
• DOJ: Ala. Rep Brooks should not be dismissed from Capitol riot lawsuit; actions not ‘within scope’ of duties
• GOP Rep. Mo Brooks may be sued over speech he gave before riot at Capitol, Justice Dept. says
• Frequent Fox News guest calls officer testifying to January 6 commission a crisis actor (Fox continues to be a complete disgrace, certainly not journalism…)
• The select committee’s aim is truth. Naturally, Republicans are up in arms.
• Republicans offer varying reasons for opposing Jan. 6 investigation (“Republicans’ struggle to explain their near-blanket opposition to having Congress examine the causes and ramifications of the insurrection has left the party open to charges that it is avoiding a thorough investigation of the worst attack on the Capitol since the War of 1812.” Inexcusable.)
• The Real Source of America’s Rising Rage (“The Answer: It’s All About Fox News”)
• How Fox News has promoted members of Congress who attempted to overturn the 2020 election (“Members of Congress who voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election have made nearly 600 weekday appearances since January 6 — which works out to over four appearances per weekday”)
• Trump Must Testify—and Watch the Body-Cam Videos
• Democrats ramp up pressure for infrastructure deal amid time crunch
• Trump Is Gone, but the Media’s Misinformation Challenge Is Still Here
• Roe v. Wade Is Now in the Hands of the Three Trump Justices
• Analysis: U.S. Supreme Court’s ‘shadow docket’ favored religion and Trump (This 6-3 right wingnut Supreme Court sucks, as predicted.)
• The courts are destroying America’s ability to fight pandemics (“Public health crises require a dynamic government that makes quick decisions. GOP judges want to prevent that.”)
• Norman Lear: As I begin my 100th year, I’m baffled that voting rights are still under attack (“Racial and religious nationalism, nativism and authoritarianism are seemingly on the rise everywhere. It is deeply discouraging to this member of what has been called ‘the Greatest Generation.'”)
• Republicans don’t care for voting so much (“They seem to think voting is a privilege that can be suspended — like driving.”)
• EXCLUSIVE U.S. studies plan to pay fishing industry for offshore wind impacts
• White House seeks to shield Biden from GOP attacks on crime issue
• Far-right lawmakers back bill that could ban teaching basic constitutional history (“The House Freedom Caucus backs a bill that would cut off federal funding to anyone teaching about the full contents of America’s founding documents.”)
• Twitter Permanently Suspended Eight Accounts That Had Been Promoting Pro-Trump “Audits” Of The 2020 Election
• Chuck Todd on why Meet the Press can’t survive on just one platform (Chuck Todd, lol.)
• Daniel Hale, who leaked information on U.S. drone warfare, sentenced to 45 months in prison
• Greene and Gaetz forced to flee pro-Jan. 6 event, chased off by noisy protesters
• Simone Biles and the price of being a GOAT
• For exceptional Black women like Simone Biles, greatness is never enough
• Simone Biles Just Demonstrated a True Champion Mind-Set
• The Radical Courage of Simone Biles (“Her decision not to compete on Tuesday is a welcome example of an athlete setting her own limits.”)
• Breaking: Simone Biles drops out of individual all-around competition
• Former President Barack Obama joins NBA Africa as strategic partner
• The Texas Election Bill Contains a New Obstacle to Voting That Almost No One Is Talking About
• Jake Ellzey wins Texas special election runoff, CNN projects
• Donald Trump’s Low-Energy Night in Texas
• Oregon Rep. Pleads Guilty to Allowing Violent Protesters Into State Capitol Through Backdoor
• Will Cain’s Fox News podcast is horrible on vaccines. It’s also sponsored by Facebook. (Facebook is atrociously bad.)
• Video, Virginians’ Reactions to Testimony of Police Officers About the Violent, Pro-Trump 1/6 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol (Meanwhile, “GOP leadership is once again gaslighting on the front steps of the U.S. Capitol. They are now actively aiding and abetting Trump’s big lie”)
• Video: Rep. Gerry Connolly Says We Need To Know Who Planned the 1/6 Insurrection, What Was the Role of Trump and “potentially some members here in Congress” (Connolly adds that Rs are “gaslighting what happened on January 6th…They want you to believe this was really just an overzealous tourist group”)
• Video: DPVA Calls on Virginia Republicans to Cancel “Election Integrity Rally” (“If Glenn Youngkin has a shred of integrity and cares at all about our democracy, he will not attend this event.” It doesn’t appear Youngkin has that “shred of integrity” or “cares at all about our democracy”)
• Terry McAuliffe Calls on Glenn Youngkin to Immediately Drop Out of “Election Integrity” Rally and Denounce Dangerous Conspiracy Theory (“Youngkin has focused his entire candidacy on divisive conspiracy theories, peddling Donald Trump’s lies, and trying to hide his out-of-touch views from Virginians.”)
• Youngkin to participate in ‘election integrity’ rally at Liberty University (“One Republican derided the event as ‘conspiracy-palooza.'” Youngkin is either an extremist/conspiracy nutjob himself or is pandering heavily to extremists/conspiracy nutjobs.)
• Youngkin, McAuliffe plan to disclose some tax return details
• Virginia Democratic Lt. Governor Nominee Hala Ayala Calls on “Extreme Republican Nominee” Winsome Sears to Drop Out of “Election Integrity” Rally (“Anyone who attempts to undermine faith in our democracy has no absolutely place leading it.”)
• AG Mark Herring Calls on Jason Miyares to Withdraw From “Election Integrity” Event and Stop the Spread of Misinformation (“The January 6th insurrection is a test of moral character and Jason Miyares has failed. He chose Donald Trump over public safety and American democracy.”)
• John McGuire faces criticism after he reveals that he attended the Jan 6. rally in D.C. (Note that McGuire is a major surrogate for Glenn Youngkin. That really says a lot about Youngkin.)
• Tuesday (7/27) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations Picking Up, Highest 10-Day New COVID Cases (+6,519) Since 5/14
• CDC calls for vaccinated people in areas with high COVID risk to mask up. In Virginia, that’s most localities
• Some Virginia nursing homes join the call for employee vaccine mandates (No brainer)
• Editorial: Now comes blame for state mental hospital crisis
• Governor Northam Announces Virginia to Reduce Water Pollution, Increase Access to Clean Water (“$411.5 million investment in American Rescue Plan funds will improve aging water and sewer infrastructure, restore waterways”)
• Northam proposes spending federal relief money on clean water; Virginia Republicans complain of being left out of the process (“$411 million for water system improvements is latest proposal for using coronavirus funds.”)
• Governor Northam wants to use ARP funds to replenish unemployment insurance trust fund
• GOP Lawmakers Say They’re Shut Out of Stimulus Plans (Northam spokesperson: “If Delegate Gilbert has spending priorities, he knows how to get in touch with the Chairman Torian and the Governor…He hasn’t done so—plenty of other members have.”)
• Democratic leaders’ limits on special session debate draw GOP pushback (House Appropriations Committee Chair Luke Torian: “As always, the Appropriations Committee is committed to hearing from and working with all members of the House in advancing this COVID-19 recovery spending plan”)
• AG Mark Herring Successfully Defends Virginia’s Policies Protecting Transgender Students (Judge dismisses legal challenge seeking to block DOE’s newly implemented “Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools”)
• Eviction moratorium to end July 31, Virginia’s rent relief program to continue
• Editorial: Help pending for area vets (“With a site finally selected in Chesapeake, a new Veterans Administration outpatient clinic is moving toward reality at long last.”)
• Fairfax County moves toward requiring coronavirus vaccines for its workers (“Virginia’s largest county joined other government agencies in the country seeking to respond more aggressively to a surge of infections caused by the delta variant.”)
• In Petersburg, Advocates Highlight Virginia’s Urgent Need for School Infrastructure Upgrades
• ‘People power’: Henrico residents urge Board of Supervisors to create police civilian review board
• Mental health crisis team in Newport News among 1st in Virginia to be primary responders on nonviolent calls
• Botetourt, Roanoke counties lift in-school masking requirements (“Both Botetourt County and Roanoke County public school divisions recommend unvaccinated individuals, which would include all students under the age of 12, should still wear masks in school.”)
• Interview: Shelly Wood is a Democrat running to be the next Chesapeake Commonwealth Attorney
• Roanoke Democratic Committee loses leaders to resignations; Jeffrey indictment part of issue
• D.C.-area forecast: Heating up again today with a storm chance, then not as hot for a while