Thursday News: “Surprise U.S.-China deal spurs hopes for UN climate talks”; “Trump is losing in court. But his threat to democracy is growing.”; “Movement builds on right to target books”; “Virginia emerging as ground zero in battle for House majority”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, November 11. Thanks to all veterans for their service to our country!

• ‘God’s judgment’ will be on failure to preserve Earth, Pope Francis warns
• As climate summit nears its end, negotiators try to work out a deal
• 2C or 1.5C? How global climate targets are set and what they mean.
• Why has it been so hard to get fossil fuels mentioned in U.N. climate deals?
• In emotional video at U.N. climate summit, Ireland’s former president slams Saudi Arabia and world leaders
• Cop26: delegates negotiate over draft text to limit global heating – day 11 live
• Surprise U.S.-China deal spurs hopes for UN climate talks
• Earth’s peatlands store twice as much carbon as its forests. So will they be a ‘carbon bomb’ or a climate solution?
• US-China deal on emissions welcomed by global figures and climate experts (“UN and EU say the agreement could help pave the way to wider breakthrough, though concerns remain over ‘patchy details’”)
• 5 Things To Know About The Potential New Climate Agreement In Glasgow (“Five years after the Paris Agreement, the world may finally call out fossil fuels by name. But the so-called Glasgow Agreement punts on most other issues.”)
• World’s militaries avoiding scrutiny over emissions, scientists say
• Here’s How Mexico Can Clean Up Its Dirty Energy Industry
• NSW formally declares Australia’s first Renewable Energy Zone
• In Australia’s coal country, the mines are booming — but their costs are ever present (Bonkers.)
• China’s Xi Wins Backing for Doctrine Enabling Third Term
• Xi Jinping looks to secure his political future by reinterpreting China’s past (“A key meeting of the ruling Communist Party on Thursday approved a rare ‘historical resolution’ that could help the Chinese leader stay in power indefinitely.”)
• Does Xi’s Seizure of History Threaten His Future? (“The Chinese Communist Party’s past struggles are being buried by the need to cohere around what Xi Jinping calls ‘the great rejuvenation.'”)
• UAE, Bahrain, Israel and U.S. forces conduct Red Sea military exercise
• U.S. official says Russia ‘took advantage’ of Europe’s energy crisis
• Inflation Shock Tears Up Trader Playbooks From Stocks to Bitcoin
• Neighbours of Belarus say migrant crisis risks military clash
• Belarus Leader Threatens to Shut EU Gas Flow in Border Spat
• Unlike Before, Poland Gets Support From Europe on Tough Borders
• First Nations in Ontario could receive billions in back-rent after court ruling
• London’s River Thames, now home to sharks, seals and seahorses, is no longer ‘biologically dead’ (“The British capital’s Zoological Society said cleanup effort have brought down levels of chemicals like phosphorus, making the river ‘home to myriad wildlife as diverse as London itself.'”)
• FW de Klerk: South Africa’s former president dies at 85
• 2022 will be a record year for wind and solar, new report finds (“Utility-scale solar and wind deployments are on track to hit a new record in 2022, according to a new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The firm estimates that 44 gigawatts of solar will come online next year, almost double 2021′s projected 23 gigawatts.”)
• New poll shows a vicious cycle of COVID-19 misinformation — and Fox News’ part in it
• Why it’s not quite time to panic about inflation (“How to think about rising prices, explained by an economist who thinks about this all the time.”)
• Maybe We Should Have Listened To Larry Summers On Inflation (“He doesn’t think Build Back Better will make it worse.”)
• Inflation in the economy today is different. Here are four charts that can explain why. (“The delta variant and supply chain backlogs have kept prices elevated. When will that change?”)
• Joe Biden’s Biggest Economic Problem? Inflation Is Rising Faster Than Wages.
• Manchin may delay Biden social spending plan over inflation (It’s always something with this guy…)
• GOP Megadonor Announces Plans to Fundraise for Joe Manchin
• The Anti-Critical Race Theory Movement Will Profoundly Affect Public Education
• Domestic extremists pushing violence against Congress, school and health officials, DHS bulletin says
• First Thing: Kyle Rittenhouse case in jeopardy as lawyers seek mistrial
• Judge rejects another Trump attempt to slow down documents from going to House January 6 committee (“Short of a court order, the Archives will turn over more than 40 pages on Friday related to January 6, including White House visitor and call logs and three handwritten memos from the files of ex-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows.”)
• Swift Ruling Tests Trump’s Tactic of Running Out the Clock
• Supreme Court’s Watergate-era rulings against Nixon may end Trump’s executive privilege claims
• Trump’s Lawyers Lost Another Case in Which They Relied on Extreme Nonsense
• Trump is losing in court. But his threat to democracy is growing. (“The chances that he could succeed are increased by the normalization of his own corruption and that of those around him.”)
• The Supreme Court finally figures out that religious liberty cases are hard (“Several justices appear concerned that respecting inmates’ religious rights might make it harder to execute them.”)
• Businesses should deliver on their promises to stand up for voting rights
• We must protect our elections now. National security is at stake. (“Foreign adversaries are licking their chops as they watch efforts to destabilize our voting.”)
• How Democrats can shake voters loose from the GOP coalition (“They don’t need to win all or even most of the GOP-leaning electorate to make an impact.”)
• Why do some still deny Biden’s 2020 victory? Here’s what the data says.
• Wow, a Lot of 2022 Republican Candidates Have Been Accused of Assaulting or Threatening to Murder Someone
• Liz Cheney got something right — and some things very wrong (“She can demand more of Americans.”)
• Why White Voters With Racist Views Often Still Support Black Republicans (“Black Republicans, on the other hand, are perceived differently by racially prejudiced white Americans. Their embrace of the Republican Party and its conservative ideology help assure racially prejudiced whites that, unlike Black Democrats, they are not in the business of carrying water for their own racial group. Instead, they are viewed as distinct from other Black elites.”)
• The War on ‘Wokeness’ (“To be clear: Democrats didn’t lose Virginia because progressives were too ‘woke.’ They lost because Youngkin lied about critical race theory to activate white racial anxiety. Don’t blame wokeness for the reactions of whiteness.”)
• Trump’s attacks on McConnell seen as prelude to 2024 White House bid
• GOP asks Congressional Budget Office to exaggerate costs of Build Back Better plan
• House GOP leader attacks Build Back Better over a measure that doesn’t exist (Kevin McCarthy is consistently and completely dishonest.)
• Crying Pro-Trump Capitol Rioter Who Assaulted Cop Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison (Still seems too short.)
• GOP Ignores Its Gosar Problem and Plots to Punish Moderates
• Elon Musk Sells Around $5 Billion in Tesla Stock
• Elon Musk once again proves the need for a billionaire tax
• ‘I think we should throw those books in a fire’: Movement builds on right to target books
• We Have Moved Swiftly On to the Book Burning
• The Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse Continues to Be Unnervingly Weird
• As Kyle Rittenhouse trial nears end, judge’s decisions from the bench come under scrutiny
• Kyle Rittenhouse’s story is a tragedy. The right thinks it’s a triumph. (“They’ve already embraced him as a hero. Now imagine how they’ll react if he’s acquitted.”)
• Judge rules Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on school mask mandates violates federal law
• “He’s Hanging Out With the Stars of the Gossip Column”: The Eric Adams Era Has the Makings of a Tabloid Gold Mine
• Virginia emerging as ground zero in battle for House majority
• Control of the U.S. House could be decided in the Richmond suburbs
• Virginia Senators call for federal investigation into Liberty University
• Rep. Elaine Luria meets with veterans ahead of Veterans Day
• VA02 and VA10 GOP Candidates (Jen Kiggans and Jeanine Lawson) Endorsed by Far-Right Rep. Elise Stefanik (R), Who “aided Trump in his efforts to overturn the election results”
• Hampton Roads’ veteran population growth is as fast as any in America. Mark Warner wants to make sure the VA knows it.
• Video: Spotsylvania School Board Republicans “are literally urging the burning of books in school libraries”; One Declares, “I don’t want them in our schools for another night” (Since “moderate Republican” Glenn Youngkin’s supposedly SO concerned about education, he undoubtedly will weigh in on this shortly…LOL)
• Right-Wing Extremism Already on the Rise in Virginia After Glenn Youngkin’s Election (“I think we should throw those books in a fire”)
• Spotsylvania School Officials Ban ‘Explicit’ Books Amid Calls to Burn Them
• Youngkin rolls out transition team with ex-governors, longtime political hands
• Ralph Northam column: On Veterans Day, honoring those in Virginia who serve our country
• How activist Princess Blanding got a boost from a GOP operative
• Margins make outcomes unlikely to shift in two tight House races, Virginia elections commissioner says
• Wilder teams up with Youngkin, former GOP governors as transition begins
• Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin announces his transition steering committee
• Wednesday (11/10) Virginia Data on COVID-19: 1-Day New Cases +1,407; 10-Day New Cases +15,012; Hospitalizations at 877 (Lowest Since Mid August)
• Despite GOP Gains in Virginia, the State’s Landmark Clean Energy Law Will Be Hard to Derail (“Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin said during the campaign that he wouldn’t have signed the law, but support remains in the Senate and at two key regulatory agencies.”)
• Advocates say massive change is needed at Virginia Employment Commission
• Some in newly empowered Va. GOP open to speeding retail sales of marijuana
• Republican Vote on Cannabis Subcommittee Signals The Party is Still Unclear on Intentions for a Retail Market
• Del. Marcus Simon resigned from the Redistricting Commission
• ‘You can’t live in a swamp’: Virginia fishing village threatened by rising sea levels (“A new study found that Tangier Island is losing ground faster than previously thought, highlighting how climate change threatens U.S. coastal communities.”)
• Norfolk councilman says residents should demand removal of police chief and city manager
• Hanover school board rejects transgender bathroom access proposal
• D.C.-area forecast: Mild today, rain late tonight and then a much a cooler weekend