by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, October 16.
- Could superpowered plants be the heroes of the climate crisis? (“Carbon-guzzling trees and crops, genetically altered to boost photosynthesis and store carbon in the roots, could absorb millions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere”)
- EU wrangles over negotiating stance for COP28 climate summit
- Putin’s visit to Beijing underscores China’s economic and diplomatic support for Russia
- Biden Administration Appoints a Special Envoy for Gaza’s Humanitarian Issues (“Veteran diplomat David Satterfield will lead diplomacy to address the crisis faced by Palestinians.”)
- Supplemental funding request for aid to Israel and Ukraine could come this week
- Biden considering trip to Israel in the coming days, but travel isn’t final, according to AP source
- Gaza’s crowded hospitals near breaking point as Israeli ground invasion looms
- Urban battle from past Gaza war offers glimpse of what an Israeli ground offensive might look like
- Israel Latest: Biden, Scholz Make Diplomatic Push to Contain War
- Biden Considers Israel Visit, Warns Against Gaza Occupation (“Hamas doesn’t represent all Palestinian people, Biden says”)
- Israel Announces Another ‘Safe Passage’ for Gazans to Move South
- ‘It’s tearing me apart’: A week on, hope wears thin for families of those taken hostage by Hamas
- 500,000 Palestinians Flee South as Israel Prepares to Invade
- IMF, World Bank ‘impotent’ on Israel-Gaza war shock as reforms edge forward
- The Viral Protester Who Explains Why Benjamin Netanyahu’s Long Political Career May Finally End (“‘Netanyahu, the corrupt, the very corrupt’ has ‘been in the seat too long,’ declared Shirel Hogeg, whose sister and her family were critically wounded in Hamas’s attack.”)
- Can White House Diplomacy Help Prevent Escalation in Gaza and Beyond? (“It is not a simple matter for the Biden Administration to be the backstop for Israel’s looming actions in Gaza and also a voice for strategic caution and the initiator of a diplomatic track.”)
- Analyst: Israel’s costly misunderstanding of Hamas’ true aims
- CNN Poll: Americans are deeply sympathetic toward Israelis and see their military response to Hamas attacks as justified (“Half of Americans (50%) say that the Israeli government’s military response to the Hamas attacks is fully justified, another 20% say it’s partially justified and just 8% that it is not at all justified, with 21% unsure”)
- Opposition wins Polish election, according to exit poll (Let’s hope the exit poll is accurate.)
- Polish opposition poised to oust ruling nationalists in major political shift
- Tusk Gets His Chance to Bring Poland Back From the ‘Dark Side’
- Daniel Noboa elected Ecuador’s youngest president (“Mr Noboa will only have 17 months in office. He will govern only to May 2025, due to the fact that the current election was triggered early when outgoing President Guillermo Lasso dissolved parliament amid an impeachment trial. He can run again for the 2025-29 presidential term if he wishes to.”)
- The UK Labour Party has a Biden-esque economic plan — but it’s very different to Bidenomics
- Jordan faces uphill climb to win speaker vote as House chaos drags on
- Jim Jordan’s rapid rise has been cheered by Trump and the far right. Could it soon make him speaker?
- Rep. Crenshaw Knocks Jim Jordan Speaker Supporters’ ‘High-Pressure Campaign’: ‘Dumbest Thing You Can Do’
- Turner: If GOP can’t elect Speaker then ‘deal will have to be done’ with Democrats
- Senior House Republican says GOP members ready to block Jordan
- Video: Former Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-VA05) Says It’s “shocking…we have 155 people voting for an election denier as actual Speaker of the House” (Says House GOP conference “like monkeys flinging poo and screeching”)
- ‘Informal’ House Speaker Talks Underway With GOP, Jeffries Says
- Jim Jordan still facing at least “10 to 20” holdouts as speaker vote looms, Republicans say
- Climate Advocacy Group Plans to Spend $80 Million on Ads to Aid Biden (“Climate Power says the lack of awareness and understanding of the president’s record on environmental issues is hurting him in the polls.”)
- President Joe Biden: The 2023 60 Minutes interview transcript
- Team Biden-Harris Amasses Larger War Chest Than Entire MAGA Field Combined (“Raises More Than $71 Million in Q3; Reports Historic $91 Million in Cash on Hand; Doubles Recurring Donors to Campaign to Record 112,000”)
- Trump is crushing his GOP competition in polls — and cash
- Judge to consider imposing gag order on Trump in 2020 election interference case (“Protective order poses dilemma for Tanya Chutkan as Trump could use it to falsely attack the criminal case as political”)
- Crenshaw defends Jordan’s attempt to overturn 2020 election: ‘A lot of them did that’ (That says it all about the Republican Party at this point.)
- Tapper cuts off Haley for blaming Biden for House not having Speaker (Haley is completely dishonest.)
- Boebert spent campaign cash at Beetlejuice boyfriend’s bar
- Manchin and Sinema’s fundraising slows as they ponder 2024
- Driving 100 miles in labor; giving birth in the ER: Fears rise as 3 maternity units prepare to close in Alabama
- Man targeted 6-year-old boy, mom in deadly Plainfield stabbing because they are Muslim: detectives (Appalling and totally unacceptable.)
- GOPer cut off by CNN host for anti-immigrant rant when asked about Gaza refugees (That’s far-right extremist Rep. Bob Good of VA05 for ya…)
- Conservative Republican, Former VA Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Says “The once Grand Old Party is being driven into the gutter by a handful of right wing nut jobs”
- Glenn Youngkin thinks he has a Republican response to Democrats’ abortion attacks (The only “response” is a bunch of lies by Youngkin et al.)
- Glenn Youngkin united Virginia Republicans around a 15-week abortion ban. Some have pushed to go further. (“Many Republicans running in legislative races advocated this year for far stricter abortion bans than the one the governor has proposed.”)
- School board races are becoming battlegrounds for national debates. Communities are feeling the impacts. (The problem isn’t generic “debates” or “partisan schisms,” that’s just misinformation. In fact, the problem is a right-wing assault on LGBTQ kids, the teaching of African-American history, public education in general, etc. The media just loves hiding behind “neutral” words like “debates” and “partisan schisms.” Blech.)
- New report: Election deniers hold some positions of power across Virginia
- Virginia universities increasingly eyeing guaranteed admissions
- Small modular nuclear reactors: Unlikely, unaffordable, dirty and dangerous (“The Appalachia Peace Education Center in Abingdon considers the small reactors a bad idea. Here’s why.”)
- Newcomer Ward battles ‘Goliath,’ incumbent Stuart in 25th Senate District
- 5 Chesterfield School Board seats are up for grabs in region’s largest system
- When it comes to Norfolk’s plans for the future, council members urge looking beyond downtown
- $20 million expansion of Blue Ridge Regional Airport continues, with a longer runway and new terminal still to come
- Developers in Pulaski hope to revamp historic school building into indoor farming facility
- PM Update: Decreasing clouds and wind tonight; stray shower chance Monday
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