by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, August 3.
- Climate change isn’t partisan and people are realizing it’s not a ‘left-wing plot,’ charity founder says
- New Zealand releases its first national plan to protect against climate-driven disasters
- As wheat prices soar, the world’s consumers vote with their feet
- Cold showers, no lights: Europe saves as Russian gas wanes
- UN Nuclear Chief Warns Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Plant Is ‘Out Of Control’ (“‘Every principle of nuclear safety has been violated’ at the plant, Rafael Grossi told the Associated Press.”)
- U.S. imposes sanctions on Putin’s reported girlfriend
- First ship with Ukraine grain cleared to sail on to Lebanon
- Pelosi leaves Taiwan after high-stakes trip
- Pelosi visit: Taiwan puts the ball firmly in Xi Jinping’s court
- China plans show of force after Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
- Pelosi to Taiwan president: “We will not abandon our commitment” to island
- Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan
- Pelosi Vows ‘Ironclad’ Defense of Taiwan; China Plans Live-Fire Drills
- Questions mount over whether Pelosi’s Taiwan trip is worth the consequences
- Pelosi Just Lit a Match at the Dynamite Factory (Let’s hope Pelosi knows what she’s doing on this.)
- Pelosi’s Taiwan trip a culmination of decades of challenging China
- The real crisis over Taiwan will start after Pelosi comes home
- Pelosi’s Taiwan Trip Isn’t Helpful to Anyone But China
- Zawahiri appeared on his balcony. The CIA was watching — and ready to kill him.
- It Was Still Good to Get Out of Afghanistan
- Taliban is facing backlash after U.S. drone strike against al-Qaeda leader
- The Taliban gave al-Qaeda a haven. Again.
- Gas Prices Have Fallen for 49 Straight Days, Approach $4 a Gallon
- Biden set to sign second executive order to protect abortion access (“The directive equips the Heath and Human Services agency to expand coverage for patients seeking out of state care”)
- Biden to sign executive order aimed at helping patients travel for abortions
- Scoop: 2024 GOP hopefuls back Trump’s plan to purge civil servants (Which means that we can’t elect any of them!)
- The mini-Trumps are as big a threat to democracy as Trump is
- Imagine If BOTH Parties Wanted to Save the Planet
- First on CNN: Jan. 6 text messages wiped from phones of key Trump Pentagon officials
- Are the “walls closing in” on Donald Trump? Don’t hold your breath (“Mainstream media is way too eager to claim that justice is coming and Trump is toast. That’s how he likes it”)
- Ex-White House counsel subpoenaed by federal grand jury investigating Jan. 6 attack
- Poll: Americans favor Manchin-Schumer climate deal by wide margins
- Inflation is the least significant aspect of the Inflation Reduction Act
- Manchin’s bill requires 50 votes. Defending constitutional rights should, too.
- Democrats scramble for Sinema’s support on climate, health and tax bill
- Manchin, Sinema ‘exchanging text’ on climate, tax deal
- Will Kyrsten Sinema Kill Biden’s Climate and Health Agenda? (“She really, really hates taxing the rich.”)
- Sinema leaves Democrats in suspense
- The GOP’s Love Affair With Joe Manchin Is Over
- Two top House Democrats decline to say Biden should run in 2024
- What’s Behind Senate Republicans’ Hesitancy Toward Same-Sex Marriage?
- The Electoral Count Reform Act must pass — even if it’s not perfect
- If low-level zealots can be prosecuted for Jan. 6, so can Trump
- Senate passes veterans health bill after Republicans cave to pressure
- Trump Faces Questions About His Net Worth in Interview He Tried to Avoid
- Kansas votes decisively to uphold abortion rights
- Takeaways: Abortion backlash in Kansas, Greitens’ collapse
- Winners and losers from Tuesday’s primaries
- Roe jolts the midterms — 5 takeaways from a key primary night
- Kansas Could Show Us What Overturning Roe Will Do to the Midterms
- The Kansas Abortion Shocker (“The defeat of an anti-abortion ballot measure could buoy Democratic hopes for an outraged electorate this fall.”)
- Kansas Voters Support Right to Abortion in First Post-Roe Vote
- Kansas Voters Reject Constitutional Amendment Removing Abortion Protections
- Kansans resoundingly reject amendment aimed at restricting abortion rights
- Election deniers could soon be one election away from running Arizona
- Five takeaways from primaries in Arizona, Missouri and beyond
- Several election deniers backed by Trump prevail in hotly contested primaries
- Tudor Dixon wins the GOP nomination for governor in Michigan, NBC News projects (“Dixon, who secured Trump’s endorsement last week, will face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in an election that will have major implications for the next presidential race.”)
- Rep. Peter Meijer narrowly loses to Trump-endorsed challenger in Michigan primary
- Election-denier Mark Finchem wins Arizona GOP secretary of state primary, NBC News projects
- Capitol Rioter Who Compared “Cancel Culture” to the Holocaust One Step Closer to Running Arizona’s Elections
- Rusty Bowers, a Jan. 6 committee star witness, loses GOP primary in Arizona
- Blake Masters Wins GOP Nomination for Senate in Arizona Primary
- Katie Hobbs wins Arizona Democratic primary for governor. GOP race too close to call
- Arizona Officials Warned Fake Electors Plan Could ‘Appear Treasonous’
- Trump tries to topple a powerful Wisconsin Republican in his futile quest to reverse his 2020 loss.
- Missouri AG Eric Schmitt beats Hartzler, Greitens to claim GOP Senate nomination
- One GOP impeachment backer falls, two more locked in tight primaries
- Eric Defeats Eric in a Battle of GOP Election Deniers (“Eric Schmitt won the Missouri US Senate primary…Schmitt may lack Greitens’ personal baggage, but he’s a fairly radical nominee in other context”)
- Profits Slump at CNN as Ratings Plummet
- Sandy Hook parents: Alex Jones claims created ‘living hell’
- ‘This is not your show’: Judge admonishes Alex Jones in court, says he violated oath twice (Lock him up already!)
- Vin Scully, beloved sportscaster, dies at 94 (R.I.P.)
- Trump’s shadow? Virginia senators seek to protect federal employees
- Senators Warner, Kaine Celebrate Passage of PACT Act Bill to Expand Benefits for Toxic-Exposed Veterans (“We’re glad the Senate has finally done the right thing by passing this bipartisan legislation”)
- Video: On “Morning Joe,” Sen. Tim Kaine Says It Was “Astounding” to See Republican Senators “giving each other fist bumps” After “knifing veterans in the back” (Kaine also talks about “very very good news” of Zawahiri killing; need for his “Reproductive Freedom for All Act”)
- Why one pro-Roe Democrat is still seeking bipartisanship on abortion (“Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) knows his cross-aisle collaboration isn’t getting a vote, and he sees his progressive critics. He’s not backing away.”)
- Kaine touts bill to protect abortion rights, advocate calls it ‘stunt’
- Sen. Mark Warner: ‘The world is a safer place’ after killing of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
- Lt. Gov. Sears endorses Vega for Congress in 7th District (Unhinged extremist endorses unhinged extremist.)
- THE PERFECT MATCH: Anti-Abortion Radical (Winsome Sears) Endorses Anti-Abortion Radical (Yesli Vega) in Virginia (“The two have recklessly spread lies about abortion, spewed anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and are dangerously out of step and out of touch with the values of Virginians.”)
- PolitiFact: “National Republican Group Falsely Claims Spanberger Backs Defunding Police” (In contrast, Spanberger’s extremist opponent “defended the insurrectionists who beat and bloodied the brave Metropolitan Police Department and Capitol Police officers who fought to protect our Capitol on January 6, 2021.”)
- Virginia’s uninsured rate dropped after Medicaid expansion, new report finds
- Mountain Valley Pipeline could benefit from agreement secured by W.Va. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin
- Federal climate deal could force completion of Mountain Valley Pipeline (We need to pass the Schumer-Manchin bill and then defeat the side agreement on the fracked-gas Mountain Valley Pipeline boondoggle.)
- VA Sierra Club 2022 “Climate, Energy, and Justice Legislative Scorecard”: 58/140 Legislators – ALL Democrats – Get “A” Grades; ALL Republicans Get “F” Grades! (Getting an “F” score on environmental protection, needless to say, should be automatically disqualifying for holding public office in America.)
- Youngkin still eyeing gas tax break as he looks to next year (The gas tax funds transit, roads, bridges, etc. So suspending it harms those things. Maybe that’s what Youngkin *wants*?)
- Youngkin discusses budget, COVID-19, and inflation in Virginia Beach (Youngkin is a dishonest clown.)
- Tuesday Virginia COVID-19 Stats: 10-Day New Cases at 31,724; Hospitalizations at 813 (Near Highest Level Since Early March)
- Youngkin’s pick for Virginia’s historic resources board resigns after comments on Confederate statues, slavery
- After Barely Losing to Republican Incumbent by <1 Pt. in 2019, Democrat Josh King Announces Again for Prince William County Sheriff
- 3 monkeypox cases reported in Southwest Virginia; COVID levels remain high but steady
- Charlottesville takes no action on city employee who attended Jan. 6 events (Why the hell not?)
- D.C.-area forecast: Heat index near 100-105 tomorrow; storm chances return late tomorrow
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