Wednesday News: “Arctic endured year of record heat”; “Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ into Venezuela”; “Trump’s Inferno of Hate Is Intensifying”; “Susie Wiles Keeps Talking”; “Trump’s economic approval hits a new low at 36%”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, December 17.

• Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined’ (“Region known as ‘world’s refrigerator’ is heating up as much as four times as quickly as global average, Noaa experts say” Disastrous.)
• China’s Clean Energy Investments Abroad Are a Boon for Climate, but Human Rights and the Environment Are a Different Story (“Chinese companies have pledged hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy manufacturing investments overseas. The projects could help lower emissions, but they are having significant social, environmental and human rights impacts.”)
• Cost of wind and batteries fall, coal and gas rise as CSIRO finds new way to show renewables are cheapest (This is in Australia, but it could be anywhere, really.)
• US Readies New Russia Sanctions If Putin Rejects Peace Deal (“The new measures could be unveiled as early as this week.”)
• For Ukraine’s Allies in Europe, a Bad Deal With Russia Is Worse Than No Deal (“A deeper agenda is driving Europe’s support for Kyiv: self-preservation”)
• My dad is shrinking to nothing. His bogus conviction is alarming. (“Does Beijing want Jimmy Lai to be a martyr for freedom? His health is alarmingly deteriorating in prison.”)
• Trump orders ‘blockade’ of sanctioned oil tankers leaving, entering Venezuela
• Seizing Venezuelan oil tankers could backfire on Trump (“More legally defensible than blowing up boats, but that doesn’t make it a good idea or policy.”)
• Trump orders blockade of ‘sanctioned oil tankers’ into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on Maduro (So…yeah, Trump is starting a war for absolutely no serious reason.)
• Trump orders oil tankers blockade in Venezuela, labels it a “terrorist” regime
• Second near midair collision reported near Venezuela involving US Air Force tanker
• Pentagon won’t release full video of Caribbean strike that killed two people, Hegseth says (“Legal experts have raised concerns US forces may have committed a war crime by killing survivors of initial strike”)
• Killing the ‘brain trust’: How Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists (“A Washington Post-PBS Frontline investigation reveals new details about Israel’s Operation Narnia, the assassination campaign that targeted Iran’s nuclear scientists during the 12-day war.”)
• ‘An unspeakable loss’: Funeral takes place for rabbi killed in Bondi shooting
• Suspect in Bondi Beach Massacre Is Charged With Murder and Terrorism
• Trump expands travel ban and restrictions to include an additional 20 countries
• “I’ve Never Seen So Many Police Cars” (“Hiding out with an immigrant family in ICE-occupied Memphis.”)
• Man trying to escape war in Ukraine lands in ICE detention in Virginia
• White House Shrugs Off Rise in Unemployment Rate
• An A+++++ Economy, My A++ (“Trump made big boasts but he isn’t delivering”)
• US jobless rate for Blacks and teens surges in November
• Next Fed Chair in ‘No-Win Scenario’ as Selection Process Draws to a Close (“The person picked to replace Jerome H. Powell will be thrust into a credibility problem that will be difficult to escape.” Yep, they’ll have zero credibility.)
• Trump officials privately raise doubts about Hassett for Fed chair
• Donald Trump May Be About to Pick the Least Important Fed Chair in Decades
• Unemployment rate hit a four-year high last month
• Spooked by AI and Layoffs, White-Collar Workers See Their Security Slip Away
• 2026 Economic Outlook, December 2025 (“More Than Six in Ten Say Economy is Not Working for Them Personally…. Economic Pessimism for 2026 Widespread”)
• Trump’s economic approval hits a new low at 36%, poll finds
• 11 Months Ago, at Trump’s Inauguration, Youngkin Promised a New “Golden Age” for America. Instead “There are nearly 1 million more unemployed people now than in January.” (“The US economy is in a hiring recession”; “Wage gains are slowing”; Black unemployment at 8.3%; etc.)
• Trump Dangles Cash Payments to Buoy Voters’ Views of the Economy
• New Head of Trump’s Cancer Panel Speculated About Links Between Vaccines and Cancer (So…insane person.)
• CDC drops hepatitis B shot recommendation for some infants (Bonkers.)
• Trump moves to dismantle major US climate research center in Colorado (INSANE and EVIL)
• Coast Guard enacts policy calling swastikas, nooses ‘potentially divisive’ (White supremacist administration, as if we’d elected George Wallace or David Duke president.)
• Republican tensions boil over as ObamaCare deadline approaches
• House Republican leaders ditch vote on ACA funding, all but ensuring premiums will rise (“Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said Republicans worked on the issue throughout the weekend but could not come to an agreement with a group of members who want the funds extended.”)
• The Man Who Rules the Country Presides Over Nothing
• Senate GOP grows uneasy as Pentagon’s Kelly investigation escalates (That’s it? “Uneasy?” Pathetic.)
• Trump’s Inferno of Hate Is Intensifying
• The MAGA Crack-Up Is Overrated. MAGA Is Here to Stay. (Agreed 100%; the underlying ideology – white supremacy, misogyny, xenophobia, etc, etc. – is unfortunately VERY strong.)
• Trump’s war on democracy is failing (“And it’s his own fault.”)
• Why Are Democrats So Afraid to Even Mention the Source of Trump’s Political Power?
• Susie Wiles, JD Vance, and the “Junkyard Dogs”: The White House Chief of Staff on Trump’s Second Term (Part 1 of 2)
• Susie Wiles Talks Epstein Files, Pete Hegseth’s War Tactics, Retribution, and More (Part 2 of 2)
• Takeaways From Susie Wiles’s Candid Interviews Describing Trump World
• ‘Extremely demoralizing’: Republicans respond to the bombastic Wiles interview
• White House scrambles to address Susie Wiles’ explosive Vanity Fair interviews
• Trump Still Needs Susie Wiles (“The president made clear he supports his chief of staff despite her Vanity Fair comments.”)
• Republicans are quiet quitting on Trump (“The White House chief of staff says the president has “an alcoholic’s personality””)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene says ‘dam is breaking’ within GOP against Trump
• Off-cycle elections send Republicans a clear midterms warning
• They prosecuted the Capitol rioters. Now the rioters and the DOJ are after them. (This is INSANE.)
• Jared Kushner’s firm backs out of Paramount’s Warner Bros. bid
• Judge lets Trump’s ballroom construction proceed
• Bari Weiss’ much-hyped CBS News town hall with Erika Kirk was a massive ratings flop (Good.)
• Here’s who is justifying Trump’s deranged response to Rob Reiner’s murder
• The Final Hours and Shocking End to Rob and Michele Reiner’s Efforts to Save Their Son (“The Reiners supported their son through stints in rehab, made a movie about addiction with him, and let him live in a guesthouse. Prosecutors charged him with their murder.”)
• Rob Reiner’s son Nick set to appear in court on 2 counts of murder in killing of his parents
• Reiner Family Associate Details Events Before and After Killings Were Discovered
• Authorities release a new photo of Brown University shooting suspect, asking public to help identify person of interest
• Ex-Trump voters swung hard to Democrats over costs in NJ & VA, new research shows
• 26 for 2026: Here Are 26 Things to Keep an Eye On as Virginia Heads Into 2026 (Economy, budget, affordability, primaries, redistricting, Gov. Spanberger, Speaker Scott, cannabis, gaming, data centers, Metro, etc, etc.)
• Video: At U.S. Capitol Statue Dedication, Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA03) Honor Civil Rights Leader Barbara Johns (“It is hard to think of a better example of a Virginian to represent the Commonwealth in the United States Capitol”)
• Tim Kaine says he has ‘deep concerned’ about rationale for boat strikes
• Musk’s doubts about DOGE spotlight political risks for U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans
• KIGGANS FOLDS AGAIN: Jen Kiggans RULES OUT Bucking Her Party to Prevent Skyrocketing Health Care Costs (“Kiggans ‘has ruled out’ signing onto a measure backed by 214 of her colleagues that would extend the ACA tax credits for three years”)
• Here’s what it will take to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps before the midterms
• New Virginia school accountability framework is an improvement, analysts say
• Va. Dept. of Wildlife Resources proposes reducing protections for fish at water intakes (HELL NO.)
• Amid lawmaker concerns, Va. transportation board to consider rail and trail plan in January
• JLARC: New school accountability system is better but refinements are needed
• JLARC: Va.’s new school accountability system ‘generally sound’ but needs work
• 5 implications of the cannabis bill taking shape in Virginia, one for each leaf on the plant
• Gretchen Bulova Wins HD11 (Fairfax) Democratic Firehouse Primary 47.7%-17.6% (1,188 Votes Cast); Margaret Angela Franklin Wins HD23 (Prince William/Stafford) Democratic Firehouse Primary with 67% (334 Votes Cast)
• Franklin Rolls to Victory in Prince William, Stafford HD-23 Caucus
• JUST IN: Gretchen Bulova wins primary for husband’s Va. House seat
• Franklin wins Democratic nomination for 23rd House District special election, will face GOP’s Robinson
• Editorial: Hampton Roads survey provides valuable insight about our region
• Blacksburg council member Liam Watson guilty of election fraud, illegally voting
• New Fairfax Co. Supervisor Rachna Sizemore Heizer wants to restore trust in government
• Virginia teen, a Brown University shooting victim, remembered as a scholar always willing to help
• Charlottesville police chief joins Spanberger transition team
• Youngkin ‘sweetened beverage’ SNAP ban doesn’t go far enough: Hit the rich welfare recipients
• How a staffing shortage is slowing Roanoke’s planning and zoning efforts
• Following the money: How and where Danville’s casino revenue is being spent, one year after it opened (“Danville has received tens of millions from Caesars Virginia. That money is being spent all over the city.”)
• CWG Live: December chill finally breaks; rain likely Thursday night, maybe a storm (“Highs mainly near or above 50 through the weekend. Thursday night’s rain could come with a gusty thunderstorm.”)