by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, August 25.
- Global electric power demand returns to pre-pandemic levels (“Carbon dioxide emissions rise above 2019 levels as electricity demand outpaces growth in renewables, putting climate goals further out of reach” Gack.)
- The Climate Crisis Is Worse for Women. Here’s Why
- The Middle East Is Becoming Literally Uninhabitable (“One of the regions hardest hit by climate change is also one least equipped to deal with it.”)
- Madagascar on the brink of climate change-induced famine
- Berta Cáceres’ Murder Shocked the World in 2016, But the Killing of Environmental Activists Continues (“The Indigenous activist in Honduras had won the Goldman prize for opposing the Agua Zarca Dam. But it didn’t protect Cáceres in one of the world’s most dangerous countries.”)
- Denser Cities Could Help Curb Carbon Emissions, if the NIMBYs Allow It (NIMBYs are the worst.)
- COVID jab protection wanes within six months – UK researchers
- Rejecting Covid Inquiry, China Peddles Conspiracy Theories Blaming the U.S.
- US intelligence study inconclusive on Covid origins, according to reports
- The Coronavirus Could Get Worse (“Delta is far from the last variant. But what shape the virus takes next depends on us.”)
- Biden to Receive Report on Covid-19 Origins, but Challenges Persist in How to Deal With China
- China Eyes Afghanistan’s $1 Trillion of Minerals With Risky Bet on Taliban
- China may ‘gloat’ about Afghanistan now, but the Taliban’s return comes with problems, says professor
- Afghan evacuations pick up with days to deadline (“More than 70,000 are evacuated as US president vows to complete troop pull-out by 31 August.”)
- An Animal Rescue Is Racing To Get Hundreds Of Pets Out Of Afghanistan Before Aug. 31
- The administration’s confidence on Afghanistan is building. But the result is what matters. (“As the airlift takes flight, the gloom lifts.”)
- Biden rejects allies’ pleas to keep troops in Afghanistan beyond end of August
- Joe Biden Says U.S. On Track To Complete Afghanistan Evacuations By Aug. 31
- Biden pushes to complete Afghan evacuation by Aug. 31 — but orders backup plan
- How Many People in Afghanistan Need to be Rescued? The Number Remains Elusive.
- Two Congress members make unauthorized trip to Kabul amid evacuation efforts (Absurd and not cool at all.)
- Two Congressmen Piss Off Pentagon With Trip to Afghanistan
- Afghanistan’s Falling Man: The 17-Year-Old Soccer Star Who Plunged From a U.S. Military Jet (“Zaki Anwari saw no future as the Taliban streamed into Kabul. Viral images of his death horrified the world.”)
- First US troops have started leaving Afghanistan as Biden decides not to extend withdrawal deadline
- The coming collapse of the Taliban
- Budding Resistance to the Taliban Faces Long Odds (“For now, the fighters have merely two assets: a narrow valley with a history of repelling invaders and the legacy of a storied mujahedeen commander.”)
- Private Rescue Efforts in Afghanistan Grow Desperate as Time Runs Out
- Harris Trip to Vietnam Delayed by ‘Health Incident’ in Hanoi
- Many Older Americans Still Aren’t Vaccinated, Making the Delta Wave Deadlier
- The economy could be getting help from positive news on the delta variant
- Vaccine Efficacy Diminished as Delta Arose, CDC Report Shows
- House passes $3.5 trillion budget plan, aims to vote on infrastructure package by late September
- The House Has Passed A Bill To Restore The Voting Rights Act
- Gottheimer’s Suicide Squad Hurt Their Party But Gained Nothing Democrats have five weeks to get their act together.
- They’re Conservative Democrats, Not ‘Moderates’
- “Not since the Second World War have we seen a government mobilize so broadly, do so much…do it by and large so well” (“Watch carefully and appreciate it. Because you likely have never seen this kind of display of government management virtuosity before.”)
- White House fires back at McCarthy as it doubles down on domestic agenda
- The Supreme Court’s stunning, radical immigration decision, explained
- Supreme Court says Biden administration must comply with ruling to restart ‘remain in Mexico’ program for asylum seekers
- Where America Lost And Gained Population Could Throw Democrats A Redistricting Lifeline (“Despite the country’s overall population increasing by 7.4 percent, rural areas — the reddest parts of the country — have steadily lost residents over the past 10 years…By contrast, the fastest-growing parts of the country are the suburbs.”)
- Biden to Hold Cybersecurity Summit With Tech Giants, Top Banks, Energy Firms
- These Maps Tell the Story of Two Americas: One Parched, One Soaked
- ExxonMobil has poured millions into communities it’s accused of poisoning. Now there’s blowback (Horrible, horrible company)
- The Arizona audit is getting crazier. But we should pay close attention anyway. (“The whole Republican Party should feel shame at what it has been doing.” Utter disgrace.)
- The Trump Clown Car Has a Smashup in Arizona
- A Right-Wing Shock Jock Could Become California’s Governor (That would be a disaster.)
- FCC looks to fine conservative activists $5 million for false mail voting robocalls
- 6 In 10 Floridians Support Requiring Masks In Schools, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; 61% Say Recent Rise In COVID-19 Cases In Florida Was Preventable
- Ron DeSantis’s anti-mask mania is deeply unpopular. Democrats must jump on that.
- DeSantis Faces a Revolt From Angry Parents and Schools Over Masks
- Leader of ‘Atomwaffen’ conspiracy sentenced to 3 years in prison for threatening journalists and advocates
- On Fox News, FDA approval of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine gets swamped by propaganda
- Baby on ‘Nevermind’ cover sues Nirvana, alleging child pornography (That doesn’t seem like it will get anywhere.)
- Breaking: Herschel Walker is running for U.S. Senate in Georgia
- A Herschel Walker candidacy is a total nightmare for Senate Republicans
- Charlie Watts Held the Rolling Stones Together for Half a Century
- How Sony Tarnished Jeopardy! and Alex Trebek’s Legacy (Pathetic.)
- National Rifle Association cancels annual meeting, citing concerns over COVID-19 infections in Texas (LOL!)
- Roger Stone claims Mike Lindell is being backstabbed by Steve Bannon — and his own advisers (“Stone and Bannon have both shilled for Lindell’s pillows — but now they’re backing away from his fraud claims”)
- Spike Lee’s New Documentary Gives a Notorious 9/11 Conspiracy Theorist His Biggest Platform Ever (Wildly unacceptable.)
- GOP hopefuls fight for Trump’s favor in Ohio Senate race (They are both utterly appalling.)
- Why J.D. Vance may be just the kind of phony GOP voters are looking for (“Anybody can be independent; the value of a shameless panderer shouldn’t be underestimated.”)
- Warner can help bridge divides on budget
- Sen. Mark Warner talks infrastructure, Afghanistan on central Virginia trip
- Prominent Virginia Republicans Endorse Terry McAuliffe for Governor, Citing Terry’s Leadership on Vaccines & COVID Recovery
- McAuliffe touts slate of support from anti-Trump Republicans
- [UPDATED] Terry McAuliffe Receives Support From The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation AgPAC; First Time Group Has Not Endorsed a Republican For Governor Since 2005 (UPDATE: The Farm Bureau press release specifically said it would NOT be endorsing, then they apparently went ahead and…endorsed both. Clown show.)
- On the trail: Governor candidates McAuliffe, Youngkin visit Williamsburg to discuss policies ahead of election
- Deciding Factors (“A close governor’s race between two wealthy Virginia businessmen could set the tone for broader national elections, but this time it’s not business as usual.”)
- “I can’t promise you I won’t concede,” Youngkin says when pressed by an attendee at a recent event
- McAuliffe hits Youngkin on abortion in new ad
- COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Taking Center Stage in Gubernatorial Race
- Virginia, an ‘outlier’ on campaign finance reform, considers new restrictions
- Cleaner school buses are on the way in Virginia, but funding questions loom (“A first round of grants to help schools replace dirty diesel buses was awarded this month. Now, advocates are on the lookout for funding sources to help complete a full-scale conversion to electric and propane school buses.”)
- Tuesday (8/24) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations (1,453) at Highest Level Since Early March, 10-Day New Cases (+26,361) Highest Since Mid February(!)
- Virginia lawmakers say their law was not intended to mandate masks, contradicting Northam’s order (Who cares what Siobhan Dunnavant has to say on anything? As for Chap Petersen…kinda the same comment.)
- Northam: More than 6K Afghan refugees arrive in Virginia
- Va.’s reliance on tax credits for land conservation is ‘certainly not equitable,’ review finds (“95% of conservation spending goes to private tax credits, report finds”)
- A glimmer of hope emerges from Redistricting Commission
- Virginia police union wants to ban ticket quotas after State Police official urged writing 5 per day
- U.S. may include Fort Pickett in system for resettling Afghan airlift arrivals
- Two-thirds of Richmond city employees are fully vaccinated; 85% in compliance with vaccine mandate; Stoney says termination on the table for those who aren’t.
- After historic spike, summer census shows 16% decline in homelessness across Richmond region
- Former Norfolk Sheriff Bob McCabe found guilty in federal bribery trial (“The jury deliberated about five hours over two days before rendering its verdict. The judge revoked McCabe’s bond afterward and he was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals.”)
- Virginia Beach School Board won’t vote on policies to protect transgender students just yet (“The board voted 9-1 to take it up at its next meeting, meaning Virginia Beach will start the school year with some but not all of the protections in place that the state is requiring school districts to adopt.”)
- Editorial: Prioritizing public safety (“Hampton Roads cities must prioritize vaccinating first responders and make vaccinate rates available to the public.”)
- D.C.-area forecast: Hot and humid on repeat before a slightly cooler weekend
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