Friday News: “Pelosi Regroups on Infrastructure With Hopes for Friday Vote”; “The trainwreck of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema”; “In Your Facebook Feed: Oil Industry Pushback Against Biden Climate Plans”; “Virginia polls hint at a dug-in electorate”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, October 1.

• International climate pledges may be on the right track—maybe (“World’s climate targets aren’t bad, but they’re still a far cry from 1.5C warming”)
• Explainer: Global energy shortage or a coincidence of regional crises?
• Germany’s election casts U.S. democracy in harsh light (“The sense of maturity in Germany’s election marks a stark contrast with the situation in the United States.”)
• Brazil protesters aim to summon spirit of 84 for massive anti-Bolsonaro drive (“Demonstrators who took part in rally that hastened end of Brazil’s dictatorship hope for similar show of force this weekend”)
• Venezuela’s Battered Bolivar Gets Makeover With Six Fewer Zeroes (“It’s the latest attempt to salvage a currency beaten down by years of hyperinflation.”)
• Four Crises Have U.S.-Europe Security at a Turning Point
• Merck Says Covid Antiviral Cut Hospitalization, Deaths by Half
• Euro zone inflation hits highest level in 13 years as energy prices soar
• Inside the CIA’s desperate effort to rescue its Afghan allies
• Fact check: Did the Marine who Trump brought on stage at rally actually hoist a baby over a wall at Kabul airport? (“In a statement Wednesday, a US Marine Corps spokesperson said Clark was not the individual who lifted the child over a wall in the viral image and that Clark is now being investigated for his appearance at the rally.”)
• Covid-19 is sticking around. Time to stop pretending it’s not your problem.
• Covid is killing rural Americans at twice the rate of people in urban areas (Republicans are killing off their “base” voters.)
• School Boards Are Begging the White House to Shield Them From Right-Wing Attacks (“‘Education leaders are under an immediate threat,’ the National School Boards Association wrote in a letter to Joe Biden this week detailing incidents that have unfolded across the country.”)
• More Than Half of Police Killings Are Mislabeled, New Study Says (“Researchers comparing information from death certificates with data from organizations that track police killings in the United States identified a startling discrepancy.”)
• It’s ugly, but we’re finally getting a glimpse of how the sausage will be made
• Republicans’ Debt Ceiling Brinkmanship Is Self-Incriminating
• Apple and Disney among companies backing groups against US climate bill (“Amazon and Microsoft also supporting groups fighting legislation despite promises to combat the climate crisis, analysis finds” F*** them all.)
• In Your Facebook Feed: Oil Industry Pushback Against Biden Climate Plans (“The messages take aim at Democrats by name as part of a broad effort to undermine landmark climate legislation that now hangs in the balance in Congress.”)
• Biden signs temporary funding bill to prevent government shutdown
• Splintered Democrats delay vote over infrastructure plan backed by Biden
• Pelosi Regroups on Infrastructure With Hopes for Friday Vote
• House Delays Vote on Infrastructure Bill as Democrats Feud
• Manchin Sets $1.5 Trillion Ceiling For Democrats’ Reconciliation Bill
• Katie Porter’s epic takedown of Kyrsten Sinema reveals an important truth
• With Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s Snubbing of the Democrats’ Reconciliation Plans, Environmental Advocates Ask, ‘Which Side Are You On?’ (“The Arizona Democrat, whose vote is crucial for Biden’s climate plans, has been coy about her reasons for refusing to support the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion package.”)
• The trainwreck of Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is the cost of not getting money out of politics
• The Democratic Agenda Isn’t Dead Yet (“Joe Biden’s economic plan is stalled in Congress because the warring wings of his party aren’t yet desperate enough to compromise. They could be soon.”)
• The biggest test of Biden’s presidency so far
• The left defies Pelosi as Biden’s big hopes are in limbo
• Schumer feels heat to get Manchin and Sinema on board
• Democracy Cannot Survive the Fracturing of the Democratic Coalition
• Joe Manchin Is Really Dealing in Some Stunning Bafflegab Here
• The Democrats’ agenda is right. But the strategy’s all wrong.
• Manchin throws down gauntlet with progressives
• Chait: Joe Manchin Just Might Finally Be Onto Something (“Glimmers of hope in his quasi-plan.”)
• How Biden Could End the Debt-Ceiling Crisis by ‘Minting the Coin’ (“Really, the president could bail the U.S. out this easily.”)
• Everything in That Memo Could Still Happen
• Inside Clean Energy: Here’s Why Some Utilities Support, and Others Are Wary of, the Federal Clean Energy Proposal (“A utility’s ability and willingness to comply with the proposal comes down to the company’s experience with renewable energy, its location and local politics.”)
• Anti-Defamation League CEO says he spoke with vice president’s office about Israel interaction (“Glad to hear her confirm she is proud of her record supporting #Israel, and knows claim it is committing ‘ethnic genocide’ is patently false”)
• PennEast Pipeline Cancelation Could Signal ‘End of an Era’ for Unnecessary Fossil Fuel Projects (“The pipeline would have crossed more than 88 waterways, 44 wetlands, 30 parks, and 33 conservation easements. Experts say the cancelation demonstrates that federal regulators must stop approving gas pipelines that fail to show they are needed in the first place.”)
• FERC Chair Glick calls for tougher reviews of natural gas projects as commission staff reject EPA advice
• The Trailer: So long, swing seats: Gerrymandering is already shrinking the midterm map
• I Know This Is Crazy, but Maybe We Should Live Under Majority Rule
• In political crosshairs, U.S. Supreme Court weighs abortion and guns (This court has lost almost all legitimacy.)
• Alito defends letting Texas abortion law take effect, says Supreme Court critics want to intimidate justices (Alito is a menace, also wrong on nearly everything. How the hell does someone this extreme and f’ed up get on the Supreme Court?!?)
• Biden is on track to transform federal courts (“Now, Congress needs to expand overworked federal benches.”)
• Harriet Hageman once rebuked Trump and endorsed Liz Cheney. She’s now challenging her with his support (Disgraceful.)
• Lewandowski fired from ‘Trumpworld’ following allegations of unwanted touching, harassment
• Jeff Bezos’s space flight firm ‘rife with sexism’, employees’ letter claims (“Open letter by current and ex-staffers alleges ‘consistently inappropriate’ behaviour by Blue Origin leaders”)
• In Facebook ads, the oil and gas industry is taking aim at climate provisions in President Biden’s budget bill. (All Zuckerberg cares about is money.)
• We Know What Facebook Knew, and When It Knew It. Now What?
• Facebook whistleblower isn’t protected from possible company retaliation, experts say
• No, Facebook’s domination isn’t inevitable (“We could choose to stop its unchecked growth now.” And we should do so, immediately.)
• Alex Jones Just Lost 2 Sandy Hook Cases (This guy is pure evil.)
• White terror: Millions of Americans say they’d support violence to restore Trump to power
• Ozy Built a TV Show on a False Claim, Says Its Former Producer (Yep, it seems like a wildly dishonest scam.)
• How Liz Cheney could win her seat and rout the MAGA cult (“If she wins reelection, she might establish herself as the sole alternative on the right.”)
• Durham issues fresh round of subpoenas in his continuing probe of FBI investigation into Trump, Russia (Why on earth is this still a thing?)
• How a Secret Google Geofence Warrant Helped Catch the Capitol Riot Mob
• A scary portrait of life inside Trump’s White House
• Far-right militia group membership surged after Capitol attack, hack shows (“Hundreds of people joined Oath Keepers or renewed membership after many of group’s members participated in riot”)
• Where Breitbart’s False Claim That Democrats Want Republicans To Stay Unvaccinated Came From
• Virginia politicians respond to Congress’ last-minute vote to keep government open
• Sen. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Comment on Passage of Resolution to Keep Government Funded Temporarily (“Now, despite Republicans blocking action, Democrats are going to find a solution to raise the debt ceiling”)
• DCCC: Kevin McCarthy Silent as GOP Congressional Candidate Jarome Bell Calls to “Execute” Americans Over 2020 Election Results
• Fox “News” Poll of Virginia Has Terry McAuliffe Up 4 Points (48%-44%) Over Glenn Youngkin; Enthusiasm Seems About Equal Among Supporters of Each Candidate (Voters overwhelmingly favor schools requiring teachers and students to wear masks and teachers to be vaccinated.)
• Glenn Youngkin’s “Predatory Delay” Truthiness (aka, LIES) on Climate; Also, Chuck Todd Exemplifies Dismal Media Framing of the Climate Crisis (“In this week’s debate, Youngkin fear mongered, spewed nonsense and refused to even say the words ‘climate crisis,’ ‘global warming,’ etc.”)
• FWIW Virginia: With 33 Days Until 11/2, “Breaking down digital ad spending from #VAGov + delegate races” (Youngkin “falsely claiming that he is opposed to parents’ involvement in their kids’ education”; Winsome Sears “has yet to run a single ad on Facebook or Google since the GOP convention, allowing Ayala to define the online campaign on her own terms”)
• A McAuliffe Veto Has Become a Flash Point in the Governor’s Race (It’s only a “flash point,” supposedly, because Youngkin is wildly distorting and demagoguing on this. It’s up to the media to point this out.)
• Does This GOP Candidate for Governor Have Momentum—or Is He Just Rich? (Youngkin is spending a shit-ton of money.)
• Virginia polls hint at a dug-in electorate
• Two Weeks Until Virginia AG Debate; Does Jason Miyares Stand With Donald Trump Asking Arizona’s Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich to Investigate the 2020 Election?
• Herring accuses Miyares of voting against legislation that would impact his family’s business
• Video: Community Organizations Call Out Virginia Redistricting Commission for Ignoring Concerns of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Communities While Drawing Maps
• Thursday (9/30) Virginia Data on COVID-19: With Delta Now Dominant, Hospitalizations (1,986) Near Highest Level Since Mid February, 10-Day New Cases (+30,636) Near Highest Since Mid February
• What’s missing in Virginia’s efforts to develop former surface mines
• After poker ‘disaster,’ watchdog suggests stripping Va. Charitable Gaming Board of some powers
• Flood insurance is getting a huge overhaul. Here’s what it means in Hampton Roads.
• Attorney general’s office sues Newport News landlord, accusing him of “blatant” housing discrimination
• Editorial: Paul Trible’s legacy is, in a word, impressive
• D.C.-area forecast: Sunny and comfortable through tomorrow before muggier air arrives Sunday