Thursday News: “Russia hits key Ukraine region ‘from all directions'”; “Polling is clear: Americans want gun control” and Upholding Roe; “‘Men Always Win’: Survivors ‘Sickened’ by the Amber Heard Verdict”; Youngkin Dodges Gun Control Question

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, June 2.

• China’s Oil Giant Sees Its Future in Hydrogen and Clean Energy
• “Golden age of renewables” hailed at official launch of Australia’s biggest wind project
• How Russia could try to get around the European Union’s oil sanctions
• Europe’s Oil Ban Could Mean a New World Order for Energy
• Putin’s Threats Highlight the Dangers of a New, Riskier Nuclear Era
• Live Updates: Facing Heavy Losses, Ukraine Slowly Falls Back in East
• EXCLUSIVE U.S. plans to sell armed drones to Ukraine in coming days -sources
• Russia Is Down. But It’s Not Out.
• Russia hits key Ukraine region ‘from all directions’
• Russia and the west compete to secure safe passage for Ukraine’s grain (“Analysis: both sides agree grain must reach world markets soon but each wants to decide how”)
• Documents Reveal Hundreds of Russian Troops Broke Ranks Over Ukraine Orders
• The Middlemen Helping Russian Oligarchs Get Superyachts and Villas
• After nearly 100 days of war, two out of three children in Ukraine are displaced
• What’s wrong with Vladimir Putin? (“The Russian leader’s health has been the subject of speculation — and denial — for many years.”)
• Russia Says U.S. Is ‘Pouring Gasoline on Fire’ by Arming Ukraine (As usual, take the exact opposite of anything Putin’s Russia says.)
• Ukraine Security Services Hunt for Russia Supporters and Agents
• Biden set clear goals for Ukraine. That could hold the West together.
• Saudi Arabia ready to pump more oil if Russian output sinks under ban
• Oil prices slide after report Saudi Arabia could step up if Russian output dips under sanctions
• As gas prices soar, Biden leans toward visiting Saudi Arabia (This is what our insane addition to oil does to us. So stupid.)
• Divided again, Libya slides back toward violence, chaos
• Afghan Taliban launch campaign to eradicate poppy crop
• WHO Official: COVID Outbreak In North Korea Is Likely ‘Getting Worse, Not Better’
• ‘We’re playing with fire’: US Covid cases may be 30 times higher than reported
• Biden Administration to Cut Costs for Wind and Solar Energy Projects
• ‘Trust’ at the Supreme Court? The court’s self-destruction continues. (“If clerks cannot be trusted, the Supreme Court is in deep trouble.”)
• House Republicans to unveil plan to boost fossil fuel production (Absolutely nuts.)
• Upholding Roe v. Wade Is Supported by Most Americans, WSJ Poll Finds (“More than two-thirds of Americans want to uphold Roe v. Wade, and most favor women having access to legal abortion for any reason, according to a new Wall Street Journal poll that shows a four-decade evolution in the country’s viewpoints regarding the procedure.”)
• ‘Theocratic’ abortion bans will violate religious liberty, faith leaders say (“The anti-abortion side has monopolized arguments based on religion. But some say their faith supports the right to choose”)
• If young voters sit out 2022, Democrats will be in a world of hurt
• How Democratic Senate candidates can put democracy on the ballot (“They should adopt a bold — and popular — set of pro-democracy reforms.”)
• Scoop: Blockbuster witness for Jan. 6 hearings (“J. Michael Luttig, a former federal judge and lawyer who advised former Vice President Mike Pence, is expected to testify in the Jan. 6 select committee’s public hearings this month, Axios has learned.”)
• Steve Bannon’s Election-Takeover Dream Is Coming True (“Recordings obtained by Politico suggest the GOP is embracing the ‘precinct strategy’ promoted by the former Trump adviser and right-wing podcast host.”)
• The GOP’s New Election Rule: Voter Fraud Is Only Real When We Lose to Democrats (“Funny how that works”)
• Hapless Trumpist Mo Brooks gives away the GOP ‘vote fraud’ scam (“Saying the quiet part out loud — very loudly.”)
• Democrats Should “Do Something” the Way the GOP Does Things
• Senate negotiators have ‘framework’ for gun legislation, source says
• Polling is clear: Americans want gun control
• How Democrats can salvage their doomed gun-reform effort (“Throw out the grab-bag and focus on one reform: You should have to be 21 before buying a semiautomatic rifle.”)
• The hidden perversity behind our debate over AR-15s
• America Had 3 Simultaneous Shootings On Wednesday, Less Than 2 Weeks After Uvalde (“Four people were killed in Tulsa, a student was shot in Los Angeles and a woman was targeted at a nail salon in Pennsylvania, authorities said.”)
• Gun groups ready for aggressive effort against ‘red flag’ legislation (These groups are heinous.)
• Pelosi says House will consider assault weapons ban legislation
• House panel taking up gun bill in wake of mass shootings
• Uvalde Teacher Spoke With Husband, a Police Officer, Before She Died
• Irma and Joe Garcia, a teacher and her heartbroken husband, are buried together in Uvalde
• What are Uvalde police hiding?
• 5 people dead at Tulsa medical building, in the 233rd mass shooting of 2022
• Four People, Including Gunman, Are Killed in Attack at Tulsa Medical Building, Police Say
• Fox’s coverage in the wake of the Uvalde shooting favors nonexistent culture wars over murdered children (Fox continues to do enormous damage, 24/7.)
• Buffalo shooting suspect charged with murder as a hate crime, domestic terrorism
• ‘Men Always Win’: Survivors ‘Sickened’ by the Amber Heard Verdict
• Amber Heard Verdict Sends A Message To Black Women Everywhere
• As Johnny Depp wins his defamation suit, “believe all women” loses (“The outcome advocates for domestic abuse survivors have been fearing will resonate throughout the culture”)
• Truth Was Never the Point (“The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial illustrates the dangerous potential of defamation suits to silence critics, punish enemies and spread disinformation.”)
• Why Johnny Depp lost his libel case in the U.K. but won in the U.S.
• And the Winner of the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard Trial Is…Men (“It’s not illogical for survivors to pause and say, ‘Is it worth it to come forward?'”)
• Bill Clinton and Tony Blair Have a Warning for Progressives (“Long tarnished by their own actions, two heroes of the ’90s seek to reclaim their voices.”)
• California cracks down on water use as it sees its most severe drought ever (This is the climate crisis.)
• Why Wall Street Thinks Elon Musk Is Getting Out of the Twitter Deal (“The game of high-stakes poker backfired for Musk.”)
• Sheryl Sandberg, long Facebook’s No. 2 exec, steps down
• Sheryl Sandberg’s Advertising Empire Leaves a Complicated Legacy
• Fox’s conspiracy theories collapse with Sussmann acquittal, unmasking revelation
• Doug Mastriano shared an image claiming Roe v. Wade is “so much” worse than the Holocaust (Beyond disgusting.)
• $5.8 Billion in Loans Will Be Forgiven for Corinthian Colleges Students
• Adm. Linda Fagan becomes first woman to lead U.S. Coast Guard
• Man Who Shot Reagan Granted Full Freedom
• Video: Virginia General Assembly Considers, Adopts Budget Conference Reports
• Virginia will spend $27 million to get more cops in schools
• Virginia Legislative Black Caucus: “Compromise should be about good-faith efforts on both sides, and by that measure, this budget fails miserably”
• Virginia lawmakers approve budget with tax cuts, spending increases
• General Assembly approves budget
• Virginia lawmakers send bipartisan budget deal to Youngkin
• “A Step In The Right Direction”: Aspects Of Virginia’s Compromise Budget Appear Promising, Others Fall Short
• Video: In Powerful Speech, VA Del. Cia Price Says, “I ask my colleagues, how many people have to die before we take [gun violence prevention] seriously?” (“Or maybe for some of you, WHO has to die in order for us to take this seriously?”)
• BREAKING: Delegate Don Scott Elected House Minority Leader; Del. Dan Helmer Voted Vice Chair of Outreach
• Va. House Democrats pick Scott as new minority leader
• Youngkin urges bipartisan action after shootings, sidestepping calls for gun control
• After ending marijuana prohibition, Virginia lawmakers create penalty for possession
• Editorial: A lack of courage (“The lieutenant governor’s speech to the NRA was an opportunity for bold truth telling. It’s a shame she balked when it mattered most.” It’s not that she “balked” or has a “lack of courage”; instead, Sears is a true believer, a right-wing extremist in basically every way, including on guns.)
• Audio: On Right-Wing Radio, LG Winsome Sears Defends Speaking at NRA Convention – “We’re not elected to be cowardly…if you are on the right path, then stay on that path” (Sears says the problem is definitely NOT the guns; it’s “mental health,” “social media,” “broken families,” “kids self medicating,” etc.)
• Virginia 10-Day New COVID-19 Cases Down 82% Compared to 1/19, But Near 3-Month High; Hospitalizations Down to 588 From ~4,000 in January, But Also Increasing
• GOP’s Will Davis seeking 39th District House of Delegates seat
• It’s not too late to call it quits on the Mountain Valley Pipeline
• A second former NSU football player alleges he was hazed and sexually assaulted by older players. Both men have filed federal lawsuits.
• Norfolk police officer accused of threatening woman via text is placed on leave following arrest (“Justine Headen, 22, is charged with making threats in writing, which is a felony. Headen has been with the department since 2021 and is assigned to the Field Operations Bureau.”)
• D.C.-area forecast: Strong storms late today bring heat relief by Friday (“Heavy downpours, frequent lightning and strong wind gusts are probable.”)