by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, May 24.
- Sea Level Rise Will Cause “Catastrophic Inland Migration” (“Continued mass loss from ice sheets poses an existential threat to the world’s coastal populations.”)
- Climate change fuelling spread of deadly fungal infections, study warns
- Tensions rise as superpowers scrap for a piece of the Arctic
- Trump shows unusual patience as Putin stalls on Ukraine (What does Putin have on Trump? Must be NASTY!)
- Kyiv comes under large-scale Russian drone and missile attack with explosions heard across the city
- Ukraine says 15 people hurt in ‘massive’ Russian attack on Kyiv
- Trump’s road to failure in Ukraine (“For all the president’s efforts, peace has only gotten further away.” Because Trump should be piling on pressure against PUTIN, who is 100% at fault here, the aggressor, and the one who can end this.)
- Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident – and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer
- Trump Threatens EU, Smartphones as Tariff Rhetoric Escalates
- EU calls for ‘respect’ after Trump threatens 50% tariffs
- Trump’s E.U. Tariff Threat Could Cause Economic Damage Beyond Europe
- Why Trump Lashed Out at the European Union Over Trade (“The president’s economic team has been frustrated by what it says is the slow pace of talks.”)
- Trump ‘not looking for a deal’ with EU after tariff threat
- International Harvard students are experiencing ‘pure panic’ as Trump moves to revoke their enrollment
- Judge temporarily blocks effort to ban Harvard from enrolling foreign students
- Chinese College Gives Harvard International Students ‘Unconditional Offers’
- Belgian princess left in doubt about her Harvard future following Trump’s foreign student ban
- Harvard Derangement Syndrome
- Read Harvard’s Lawsuit Against Trump
- Bessent Says Trump Administration Moving Forward on Harvard Tax Threat
- Trump Shocks With US Steel-Nippon Approval But Details Elusive
- Trump announces U.S. Steel, Nippon ‘partnership’
- Trump green-lights Nippon merger with US Steel (That was one thing I disagreed with Biden about.)
- King’s big moment in Canada after Trump row (“So what can we expect from his speech as Canada’s head of state, to be delivered in French and English in Ottawa on Tuesday? It will be written on the advice of Canada’s government. But along with the workaday lines on policy plans, Mr Kinsman expects a message, loud and clear, that Canada will not be the US 51st state.”)
- Trump’s Lie About Dead “White Farmers” Just Got Even More Grotesque(“That photo he brandished to Cyril Ramaphosa was from the Democratic Republic of Congo—whose refugees the Trump administration is pointedly not welcoming to America.”)
- U.S.-Iran nuclear talks show “some progress,” no breakthrough in 5th round
- Israeli use of human shields in Gaza was systemic, soldiers and former detainees tell the AP (That’s unacceptable.)
- Immigrant arrests at courthouses signal new tactic in Trump’s deportation push (“ICE officers have been instructed to arrest people immediately after a judge orders them to be deported or after prosecutors move to drop their case.” Those ICE officers should refuse illegal/immoral orders and/or resign.)
- U.S. citizen with REAL ID handcuffed and held in immigration raid before being released
- Border czar Tom Homan’s security detail costs around $1 million a month (“Homan, one of the faces of Mr. Trump’s pledge to conduct the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, has drawn threats from those who want to cause him harm, two of the sources familiar with his situation said.”)
- Trump administration trying to dismiss MS-13 leader’s charges to deport him
- Trump administration must seek return of third man who was improperly deported, judge rules (“The Guatemala native claims he was raped and targeted for being gay during a previous stint in Mexico but never given a chance to assert those fears before he was deported in February.” Horrifying.)
- Pivoting From Tax Cuts to Tariffs, Trump Ignores Economic Warning Signs
- Scoop: Trump, Rubio take aim at National Security Council’s “Deep State” (I will never get over the fact that Rubio was confirmed 99-0 by the US Senate.)
- Donald Trump purges dozens of National Security Council officials (“Supporters say move is designed to staff body with Maga-aligned people” That’s really, REALLY f’ed up – you should want expertise, not ideology, at the National Security Council!)
- Multiple National Security Council staffers put on administrative leave
- Documents Show E.P.A. Plans to Erase Greenhouse Gas Limits on Power Plants (Completely insane.)
- RFK Jr. softens pledge to find autism cause by September (SPOILER: they are NOT going to find the causes of autism by September – zero chance of that.)
- Trump Has Dropped the Pretense of Ethics (“Free plane, crypto dinner, foreign deals: the first family doesn’t seem to care how corrupt it looks.”)
- Who Won a Seat at Trump’s Crypto Dinner?
- A Helicopter, Halibut, and ‘Y.M.C.A’: Inside Donald Trump’s Memecoin Dinner (As one person described it, this administration is an “orgy of corruption,” aka a kleptocracy.)
- Influencer who attended Trump’s memecoin dinner says he got a ‘Walmart steak’—and no access to the president
- Karen Dunn and Other Top Lawyers Depart Paul Weiss to Start Firm (Everyone should depart Paul Weiss – and nobody should do business with these cowards and collaborators.)
- Judge strikes down Trump’s sanctions against Jenner & Block law firm
- Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump administration to shield DOGE documents (WHY???)
- The Supreme Court just revealed one thing it actually fears about Trump
- The Court’s ‘Make It Up As You Go’ Constitution
- Supreme Court Kills The Independent Agency. Trump Is King (“With a final ruling all but certainly coming down the pike, Trump has created the ultra-powerful, unbounded presidency of Project 2025’s dreams.”)
- A Ludicrous New Supreme Court Decision Could Grant Trump Presidential Power Not Seen Since King George III
- Senate Republicans Won’t Accept House Tax And Spending Cut Bill
- Trump Flexes His Muscles to Force Republicans to a Deal
- The Small Tweaks That Republicans Slipped Into the Domestic Policy Bill (OK, first of all, this is really bad writing by the NY Times, as a “tweak” already is small, you don’t need to say “small tweak.” Second, what Republicans slipped into this bill are very consequential, not “small” at all. The question is, why does the NY Times keep downplaying the threats we’re facing???)
- Hidden Threat to Democracy Slipped Into Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill
- House Republicans warn Senate GOP against watering down Trump agenda bill
- Boeing Strikes Deal to Avoid Criminal Responsibility for 737 Max Crashes (“A deal between the plane maker and the Justice Department, which was opposed by some of the families of those who died in the crashes, includes paying millions into a victims’ fund.”)
- Justice Department agrees to end Biden-era felony case against Boeing
- Pentagon promotes Kingsley Wilson to press secretary despite history of antisemitic comments
- Trump to address West Point graduates as he tries to impose agenda on military
- Pete Hegseth, beset by leaks, clamps down on press inside Pentagon (“Defense secretary’s move outlined in memo seemingly punishes media for reporting on leaks inside department”)
- Trump signs orders to overhaul Nuclear Regulatory Commission, speed reactor deployment (The fact is, nuclear power in the US has been flat for 20 years, because it’s super expensive, takes forever to build, etc, etc. In stark contrast, solar and onshore wind are cheap, super-fast to build, etc.)
- What Are People Still Doing on X? (“Imagine if your favorite neighborhood bar turned into a Nazi hangout.”)
- Freedom of the Press Foundation Threatens Legal Action if Paramount Settles With Trump Over 60 Minutes Interview
- Criticism of Trump Was Removed From Documentary on Public Television (“A segment in a documentary about the cartoonist Art Spiegelman was edited two weeks before it was set to air on public television stations across the country.” That’s disgraceful.)
- Joe Biden Is the Least of Democrats’ Problems (“Some commentators say the former president’s age and acuity will be a litmus test for 2028 candidates. They are embarrassingly wrong.”)
- Kaine in Canada: I’ll force new vote to block tariffs
- Senators Warner, Kaine Push ICE to Require Agents Identify Themselves, Limit Use of Masks and Face Coverings During Enforcement Operations
- Senators Warner, Kaine Push ICE to Require Agents Identify Themselves, Limit Use of Masks and Face Coverings During Enforcement Operations
- What happens to Medicaid in Virginia if massive federal bill to slash billions becomes law?
- Update: Federal cuts to research at Virginia universities now total more than $165 million
- The Politics Hour: Remembering Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly, and D.C. prepares for a military parade
- In Norfolk, Spanberger Highlights Plan to Make Virginia More Affordable, Lower Healthcare & Drug Costs (Spanberger: “The Number-One Priority I Hear Is That We Have to Make Virginia More Affordable for Everyone”)
- Sorry, Virginia: UVA report predicts highest unemployment rate since COVID-19
- Audio: After Trump’s Fmr. VA Campaign Chair Calls Him “100% MAGA,” Batting a Thousand” on the “MAGA Meter,” Youngkin Very Much Lives Up to the Billing! (It will never not be astounding that so many in the media insisted that Youngkin was some sort of “moderate” or “normie Republican”…)
- One poll has the Spanberger/Earle-Sears race close; another has it, not close (“The polling firms working for Virginia FREE indicated in a memo that Spanberger’s lead grows to seven points among ‘high level’ of interest voters, and 20 points among ‘very high level of interest’ voters. These numbers are in line with the Roanoke College rendering of the electorate, which has Spanberger at 43 percent, and Earle-Sears at 26 percent…As to the question, what is going on here, it could be what we’re seeing with the discrepancy in the numbers is, the Virginia FREE poll has a thumb or two on the scales.” This is an INFINITELY better analysis, btw, than whatever the hell is in the Cardinal News…)
- Commentary: Youngkin refuses to fight for disabled children like mine
- Virginia State Police push new seat belt law ahead of Memorial Day weekend
- Norfolk floodwall delayed 4 years as costs rise, city considers alignment changes
- Richmond water plant operator placed on leave, search for replacement underway
- UVa vowed to crack down on criminal students after Yeardley Love’s murder. Did it?
- CWG Live updates: Lots of sun and pleasant for Memorial Day weekend
