Thursday News: “As one Joe builds, another Joe destroys”; Kaine Vows To “Keep Fighting”; “Supreme Court ruling is a bitter blow to Trump”; “Youngkin quickly embraces culture wars, telegraphing a worrisome four years”; VA GOP “offensive against climate action begins”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 20.

• ‘The treeline is out of control’: how the climate crisis is turning the Arctic green (“In northern Norway, trees are rapidly taking over the tundra and threatening an ancient way of life that depends on snow and ice”)
• There Will Be Another Variant. Here’s What the World Can Do Now.
• Europe considers new COVID-19 strategy: accepting the virus
• Brussels reassures US after Macron’s surprise call for EU-Russia talks
• U.S., European officials hold crisis talks as Ukraine standoff intensifies
• Ukraine tension sparks unintended NATO renewal
• The Man Putin Fears (“From the confines of his barracks, he still runs a network of dissidents devoted to ousting President Vladimir Putin. Its top leaders are fugitives from Russian law, though they were not hard for me to find while reporting this story.”)
• Joe Biden thinks Russia will attack Ukraine – but will face a ‘stiff price’
• CIA says ‘Havana Syndrome’ not result of sustained campaign by hostile power
• U.K. Conservatives may oust Boris Johnson — here’s how they can do that
• Hana Horka: Czech singer dies after catching Covid intentionally —
• ‘Build Back Better’ Hit A Wall But Climate Action Could Move Forward
• Predictions Favored Solar Over Wind Power. What Happened? (“One lesson: Renewable technology benefits from early, consistent government support.”)
• 2022 Outlook: A new recognition is coming of rate design’s critical role in the energy transition
• Omicron Is in Retreat
• Omicron pushes COVID deaths toward 2,000 per day
• Covid disproportionately hurt working-class moms. Why don’t Republicans care?
• America must take steps now to avoid a slide into authoritarianism
• The rush to label Biden a failed president is wildly premature
• Manchin, Sinema join with GOP in rejecting attempt to change filibuster rules, effectively killing Democratic voting bill
• As one Joe builds, another Joe destroys
• Joe Manchin finally makes it plain: He is in favor of minority rule
• Why Biden Had No Other Choice on Voting Rights (“Tonight the president—and his party—learned the true definition of the phrase slim majority.”)
• Fact check: GOP falsely claims the Constitution prohibits voting rights legislation
• Why A Failed Voting Rights Push Is A Setback For Democracy — And Democrats
• Kyrsten Sinema’s Moment of Infamy (“The enigmatic Democrat votes for the filibuster and against her party.” Disgraceful.)
• For Black Voters, a Flashback to the 1890s
• Supreme Court ruling is a bitter blow to Trump (“The decision is yet another instance of the courts rebuking the former President’s attempts to use them for his own political gain”)
• In Rebuke to Trump, Supreme Court Allows Release of Jan. 6 Files
• How Jan. 6 Gave the 14th Amendment New Life (“Legal scholars say a long-forgotten provision of the Constitution could bar from office anyone who encouraged the Capitol riot.” The NY Times still using the word “riot,” instead of “insurrection” or “coup attempt,” by the way. Why?)
• Trump held secret meetings in days before Capitol attack, ex-press secretary tells panel (“Stephanie Grisham gave more significant details than expected about what Trump was doing before 6 January, sources say”)
• What’s Happening on the Left Is No Excuse for What’s Happening on the Right
• 5 significant bills and 5 executive orders Biden signed in his first year — and his 5 biggest priorities for 2022
• Biden asks, ‘What are Republicans for?’ Republicans have already chosen not to answer.
• Biden asks, ‘What are Republicans for?’ Republicans have already chosen not to answer.
• The media wants to paint Joe Biden as a failure. He won’t let that happen.
• Biden shifts tone on GOP, blasting Republicans in news conference
• Biden held a record-long news conference. Conservative media jumped at the chance.
• Biden’s road back: Asking Republicans ‘What are they for?’ (“The old joke about Wagner’s music being better than it sounds applies to President Biden’s first year in office: It’s better than it looks. Alas for Biden, that’s not good enough.”)
• One year in, Biden confronts the limits of his power (“Democratic euphoria has faded as the president’s ambitious goals have run headlong into the harsh realities of a 50-50 Senate, GOP opposition and a conservative Supreme Court.”)
• Bernie Sanders Blasts Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema For ‘Undermining’ Joe Biden (“‘They have forced us to have five months of discussions that have gone absolutely nowhere,’ the Vermont senator complained.”)
• CNN covers voting rights as Democratic infighting, instead of focusing on Trump’s Big Lie as the threat to democracy
• Supreme Court hears arguments on campaign finance law, issues statement on NPR report
• Parent-activists, seeking control over education, are taking over school boards
• The eternally unfulfilled dream of Trump’s opponents: This time, they’ve got him
• Does the Trump Family’s Grift Add Up to Fraud?
• Eric Trump Pleaded The Fifth More Than 500 Times In Deposition, Court Filing Says
• Donald Trump calls for racial violence: White supremacists are listening, but the media laughs (“While the media congratulated itself for mocking or ignoring Trump’s Arizona rally, he spread vicious racist lies”)
• The January 6 Ray Epps conspiracy theory all over right-wing media goes back to a pro-insurrection group with ties to “Stop the Steal” (“The right-wing group Stop Hate baselessly claimed Ray Epps was an FBI agent who incited the insurrection — inspiring a GOP representative to repeat the lie in Congress”)
• New Filings Reveal Another Billionaire Behind the Big Lie (“Dick Uihlein has been a reliable GOP donor for years. But in 2020, he gave millions to groups associated with overturning the election.” Heinous.)
• To Crack Open the Big 2020 Election Scheme, Start by Prosecuting the Fake Electors
• In Florida, Ron DeSantis is creating a paradise of authoritarianism
• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has fought vaccine mandates, tests positive for COVID-19 —
• FBI agents descended on Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s house, but won’t say what they’re investigating
• Texas GOP Candidate For Governor Won’t Fire Staffer With Deep White Nationalist Ties
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Delivers Floor Speech During Debate on Voting Rights Legislation, Says “The Time To Act Is NOW” (“I stand to follow the Senator who holds LBJ’s seat, as the Senator from the Byrd seat, to today argue that the time has come for us to protect voting rights.”)
• Abigail Spanberger gets it. Will Democrats follow her lead? (“Democrats can use Spanberger’s Trust Act to show voters they aren’t crooks.”)
• Doctor to challenge Wexton in primary for 10th Congressional District (“Shadi Ayyas, a medical doctor from Purcellville, has filed election paperwork seeking to challenge incumbent U.S. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D) for the Democratic nomination in the 10th Congressional District, according to campaign records.”)
• Castorani drops out of GOP race in 7th; former Rep. Frank Wolf’s grandson jumps into party battle in 10th
• Youngkin quickly embraces culture wars, telegraphing a worrisome four years
• Youngkin chooses former Heritage Foundation official as Va.’s new chief diversity officer (Anyone who argued that Youngkin was really a “moderate,” or who wrote any “news” article portraying him as such – OR as a “mystery” – is an idiot.)
• As Republicans threaten two years of climate legislation, Democrats go on defense
• The GOP offensive against climate action begins
• What Youngkin’s executive order means for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
• Editorial: Youngkin’s first moves play to all (Republican) sides
• Youngkin pick for Virginia’s diversity officer is staunch critic of systemic racism education
• Video: On VA House of Delegates Floor, Del. Ken Plum Compares Youngkin’s “Wild Goose Chase” In Search of “Inherently Divisive Concepts” and “CRT” in the Schools to Trump’s 2020 Election “Big Lie” (Plum rips “state-sponsored official history that is gauged to create an image of oneself regardless of how untrue”)
• Covid quarantines put brakes on Virginia GOP agenda (“Several members of the Virginia House of Delegates are working remotely under new rules that only allow them to do so if they have Covid-19 symptoms.”)
• Former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R): Gov. Youngkin “does not have unchecked authority”; Cannot Overturn State LAW on Masking in Schools (“Local School Boards do not work for the Governor”)
• Virginia PTA, Pediatricians, 71% of Virginians All Support Children Continuing to Wear Masks in School(Glenn Youngkin appears to be on the opposite side of all of these groups.)
• Virginia COVID-19 Cases Up a Massive (198,847!) the Past 10 Days; Hospitalizations (3,942) Near Highest Level Since Pandemic Began
• Republicans look to increase police presence in Virginia’s schools
• Bill would give attorney general power to prosecute violent crimes
• Effort to decriminalize psilocybin gaining steam in Richmond
• Electric vehicle parking spots bill moving to the House
• Hampton Roads parents, teachers turn to school boards after Youngkin’s masking order — but few decisions so far
• Norfolk gets $250M from Army Corps for massive project expanding downtown floodwall
• Bill to let all localities impose sales tax for school construction advances from Senate committee
• This could be big: Winter storm watch issued as Hampton Roads braces for possible heavy snowfall
• D.C.-area forecast: Burst of morning snow precedes blast of Arctic cold