by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, April 8.
- ‘Headed off the charts’: world’s ocean surface temperature hits record high (Disastrous. Get off of fossil fuels on an emergency basis.)
- I’m no genius with genuses, but your garden is killing the Earth (“Your lawn and garden are helping to doom the Earth. If you want to save the planet, all you really need to do is plant a single oak tree.” Kinda silly headline but good article by Dana Milbank: the point is, ditch your lawn and non-native/invasive plants, replace them with NATIVE plants. You can and should start today.)
- Earth Could Warm 3 Degrees if Nations Keep Building Coal Plants, New Research Warns (“Several nations plan to build new coal power plants, with China alone approving nearly 100 gigawatts. Each gigawatt is the equivalent of installing more than 3 million solar panels.”)
- Cancer and heart disease vaccines ‘ready by end of the decade’
- U.S. Faces Hurdles to Striking Prisoner Exchange Deals With Russia
- ‘Journalism is not a crime’: Schumer, McConnell join in rebuke of WSJ reporter’s Russian detention (Unfortunately, it IS a crime in Putin’s increasingly totalitarian Russia.)
- Pentagon Says It Is Reviewing Social-Media Posts That Purport to Reveal Classified Documents on Ukraine
- New Batch of Classified Documents Appears on Social Media Sites
- Report: Russia charges Journal reporter with espionage
- Russia loses election to three UN bodies over Ukraine
- China flies fighter jets near Taiwan after leader’s US trip
- A bloody week for Israel and Palestine culminates with a shooting in the West Bank
- Iran installs cameras in public places to identify, penalise unveiled women (That extremist Trump judge would probably want to do the same thing here.)
- US deploys guided-missile submarine amid tensions with Iran
- In Africa’s Okavango, oil drilling disrupts locals, nature
- King Charles’s ‘Harry and Meghan problem’ grows as coronation nears
- Job growth totals 236,000 in March, near expectations as hiring pace slows
- Why the new jobs numbers are a good sign for workers (“There’s a slight cooling of the labor market but it’s still strong”)
- America Is Back in the Factory Business (“Record spending on manufacturing construction heralds a made-in-the-U.S. rebound, stoked by green-energy incentives and concerns about foreign supply chains.”)
- A Trump-Appointed Judge Has Halted the FDA Approval Of a Leading Abortion Pill
- Biden Administration Vows to Fight Texas Abortion Pill Ruling
- Texas judge suspends FDA approval of abortion pill; second judge protects access
- The Lawless Ruling Against the Abortion Pill Has Already Prompted a Constitutional Crisis (The question is, what do we do when a far-right-extremist, unhinged federal judge makes a ruling that’s COMPLETELY lawless and COMPLETELY unconstitutional?!?)
- A Zealot Judge Has Ordered a Nationwide Abortion Pill Ban
- The Texas judge who issued the ruling has lived a life shaped by conservative causes.
- A Texas judge just issued a national ruling against medication abortion. What now?
- Democrats slam Texas abortion ruling as Republicans mostly go quiet
- The Abortion Ban Backlash Is Starting to Freak Out Republicans
- Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed “Family Trips” with GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts.
- It’s time for Clarence Thomas to come clean (Actually, it’s time for Thomas to resign and/or be charged with crimes. His wife, Ginni, should have been arrested a long time ago.)
- Clarence Thomas Says He Was ‘Advised’ He Didn’t Need To Report Lavish Trips With GOP Donor
- Clarence Thomas says rules are for losers
- Clarence Thomas Says He Was Told It Was Totally Cool to Secretly Accept Free Trips and Yacht Rides From Billionaire GOP Donor (“The Supreme Court justice, who is also married to a big-name conservative activist, says he’ll try to be more transparent about the lavish gifts in the future—but no promises.”)
- Progressives tout string of wins across US as template for Democrats
- Court sides with Justice Dept. on Jan. 6 obstruction charge
- Georgia Trump Investigation Poses Challenges for Federal Prosecutors
- Trump Wanted to Hire Laura Loomer, Anti-Muslim Activist
- PacifiCorp plans nearly fourfold increase of solar and wind portfolio by 2032 (“The utility’s resource plan is expected to reduce its system’s greenhouse gas emissions 70% from 2005 levels by the end of the decade and 100% by 2050”)
- Twitter Builds a Wall (“Elon Musk’s platform will take its cut or die trying”)
- Mehdi Hasan Dismantles The Entire Foundation Of The Twitter Files As Matt Taibbi Stumbles To Defend It (The so-called “Twitter Files” were a complete joke, as were the “journalists” – in air quotes – who “reported” – in air quotes – on this for their paymaster, Elon Musk.)
- Twitter lawyer quits as Musk’s legal woes expand, report says
- Texts between D.C. police and Proud Boys head shown at Jan. 6 trial
- DeSantis Has Never Met a Ban He Didn’t Like (“Think Florida is already an Orwellian hellscape? The governor is coming for abortion next.” DeSantis is American Taliban)
- For DeSantis, Overflowing War Chest Obscures the Challenges Ahead (“As he prepares for a widely expected 2024 campaign, the Florida governor has at least $110 million in allied committees. But he will also have to navigate a series of financial and political hurdles.”)
- Democrats eager to take on Boebert again after near-upset
- Tennessee shows that guns might be the next disaster for the GOP (“Guns are the real pro-life issue.”)
- Tennessee vote marks latest GOP move to stifle dissent, experts say
- The ‘Tennessee 3’ saga highlights the GOP retreat into Fortress MAGA (“The GOP punishment of young Black lawmakers is one chapter in a much bigger, uglier story.”)
- A study confirms it: Tennessee’s democracy really is as bad as the expulsions made you think
- Outrage at G.O.P. Could Propel Expelled Democrats Right Back to Office
- Harris chides Tennessee Republicans for ousting state lawmakers
- Majority of Nashville council members say they will vote to reinstate expelled legislator
- Expelled Tennessee House Dem Could Be Reinstated Almost Immediately
- Memphis could lose funding for major projects if Pearson appointed back to seat, commissioner says
- Florida health officials removed key data from COVID vaccine report
- Props to the Democrats Working Wonders in Wisconsin
- Spanberger Touts Feds’ Support for Repeal of Controversial Tax Rule Affecting Retirees
- VA Democrats Chairwoman Susan Swecker’s Statement On The Tennessee House GOP’s Expulsion Of Two Democrats (“Expulsions were used during the Jim Crow era to prevent Black lawmakers from having a voice in their legislature”)
- Poll: Va. voters support using surplus on mental health, schools and tax cuts — but not for corporations (“A Post-Schar poll finds Virginia voters in favor of using surplus revenue to support individual tax cuts as well as spending for schools, mental health and more.”)
- Cost rises for Potomac rail bridge that would eliminate East Coast bottleneck (“Virginia is looking for builders for the $2.3 billion Long Bridge project, which is still on track for a 2030 opening.”)
- Youngkin’s limits on restoration of voting rights face legal challenges
- As VA Democratic General Assembly Candidates’ Petition Signatures Are Examined, Some Make the Ballot…and Some Don’t. (Among others, VAPLAN’s 2023 “progressive champion” in the State Senate, Scott Surovell, avoids a primary…)
- A look at Youngkin amendments that deal with internet safety
- Community, industry oppose Loudoun data center pollution allowance
- William and Mary closes coastal planning center
- William & Mary unveils details of plan to replace Virginia Coastal Policy Center
- Del. Chris Head, Lily Franklin secure uncontested party nominations
- UVA students okay updated honor code
- GMU to conduct long-term study of Fairfax County police officers
- Prosecutors weigh charging YouTube prankster who was shot in Va. mall (“The YouTuber’s father criticized the top Loudoun County prosecutor for mulling charges against the victim of the shooting at Dulles Town Center.”)
- 2 teenagers stabbed inside Walmart in Fairfax Co.
- D.C.-area forecast: Cool today and cold tonight, then sunshine returns Sunday
