by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, January 19.
- We just took a major step forward in protecting the oceans (“The high seas used to be the wild west of the ocean, but a new treaty could finally bring oversight.”)
- Scientists warn of ‘regime shift’ as seaweed blooms expand worldwide (“Study links rapid growth of ocean macroalgae to global heating and nutrient pollution”)
- ‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave
- Trump is addicted to military force. But the U.S. needs more soft power.
- Putin invited to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace,’ Kremlin says
- China’s birth rate hits record low as population continues to shrink
- America vs. the World (“President Trump wants to return to the 19th century’s international order. He will leave America less prosperous—and the whole world less secure.”)
- Trump’s Plan to Seize Greenland is Simultaneously Evil, Illegal, and Counterproductive (“It would alienate allies, impose US rule on an unwilling population, and blatantly violate both US and international law.The plan to impose tariffs on nations opposing the seizure is also illegal and harmful.”)
- Trump tells Norway he no longer feels obligation to think only of peace (“President Donald Trump in a written message to Norway’s prime minister said he no longer feels obligated “to think purely of Peace” because he had not been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and he repeated his demand for control of Greenland.”)
- Europe weighs using trade ‘bazooka’ against the U.S. as Greenland crisis deepens
- ‘It Will Be Done!!!’: Trump Issues Ominous New Greenland Warning In Late-Night Rant
- EU has ‘tools at its disposal’ to deal with Trump’s Greenland tariff threats
- Trump Has an Offramp on Greenland. He Doesn’t Seem to Want It.
- Don’t Back Down, Europe — Trump’s tariff threats against allies should be the last straw.
- Europeans reeling as Trump imposes tariffs on 8 countries over Greenland dispute (If Putin had a puppet as US president, what would be different right now? Got me.)
- In Trump’s Drive for Greenland, NATO Is the First Casualty
- Starmer Pushes Back Against Greenland Tariff Threat as ‘Completely Wrong’
- Bessent: ‘The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency’ (So by that reasoning, any president can impose a national emergency any time, for any reason – and that means we don’t have rule of law or a democracy.)
- The Morality of a Mafia Boss (“Trump wants the freedom to act how he pleases. We’re already seeing the results.”)
- Death toll in Spanish train collision rises to 39 and authorities fear more bodies could be found
- Center left wins Portugal presidential election first round, setting up showdown with far right (“António José Seguro will face far-right leader André Ventura in a runoff ballot Feb. 8.”)
- Syria president claims ‘victory for all’ as ceasefire with Kurdish-led force announced
- How Is Trump’s Venezuela Takeover Going?
- Kidnapping and $12 Billion Battle Hang Over Conoco Return to Venezuela
- Noem Denies Use of Chemical Agents in Minnesota, Then Backtracks
- In Minneapolis, a Pattern of Misconduct Toward Protesters (“Legal and criminal justice experts said a ruling by a federal judge last week revealed conduct by immigration agents that evokes the civil rights era.”)
- DOJ vows to press charges after activists disrupt church where Minnesota ICE official is a pastor
- Lawyers allege Dept. of Homeland Security is denying legal counsel to Minnesota detainees
- FBI opened probe on Minneapolis shooting; none exists now, Justice Dept. says
- Bruce Springsteen Dedicates ‘Promised Land’ to Renee Good
- Bruce Springsteen Blasts Trump at Surprise Benefit Gig: ‘ICE Should Get the F-ck Out of Minneapolis’ (“Springsteen jammed with Willie Nile, Gary U.S. Bonds, and Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at the annual Light of Day benefit show in Red Bank, New Jersey”)
- Very Important Moment (“Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) went on CNN this morning and among other things said, ‘I think ICE needs to be totally torn down… People want immigration enforcement that goes after criminals, not the goon squad that has come from Stephen Miller and Trump.'”)
- Top Trump Official Says FBI Won’t Investigate Killing by ICE Agent (“DOJ targets now include victim Renée Good’s widow, Gov. Walz, and Mayor Frey—but not shooter Jonathan Ross”)
- In Minneapolis, I Glimpsed a Civil War
- The president of the United States is at war with his own country (“The Trump administration is engaged in a comprehensive war, and its enemy is half of America.”)
- Why Bernice King sees MLK Day as a ‘saving grace’ in today’s political climate (“With everything going on, the one thing that I think Dr. King reminds people of is hope and the ability to challenge injustice and inhumanity.”)
- The current US political climate is spurring a ‘reclaim’ and rallying on the MLK holiday
- Big Business Should End Its Faustian Bargain With Trump (“He’s out of control – and if you don’t hang together to counter him, you’ll hang separately”)
- Trump has rolled out many of the Project 2025 policies he once claimed ignorance about
- Who Are the AWFULs? Trump Hates Them, So They’re Doing Something Right (“They’re affluent, white, female, urban liberals—and the murder of Renee Nicole Good will politicize millions of them.”)
- Trump’s long-awaited healthcare “plan” is a joke (“He can barely bring himself to pretend he cares.”)
- ‘No longer in my hands’: How Hill Republicans stopped caring about DOJ releasing the Epstein files (“On the one-month anniversary of the Justice Department missing the deadline to release all the Epstein materials in its possession, Republicans in Congress are largely shrugging their shoulders.”)
- One month after the Epstein files deadline, only a fraction of the DOJ’s records have been released (“One of the co-authors of the Epstein Transparency Act, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., called the Justice Department’s delay in releasing the files ‘an obstruction of justice.'”)
- With democracy in free fall, the media must (finally) wake up (“Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos has stayed shamefully silent after the FBI seized computers and searched a Washington Post reporter’s home”; “CBS News, under new leadership, continues down its path toward becoming Fox Lite”; “Even the New York Times, generally functioning at a high level of journalism, is so intent on its vaunted concept of “independence” that it falls prey to normalizing the dangerously abnormal.”))
- Inside Bari Weiss’s Hostile Takeover of CBS News (“The network’s new editor-in-chief has championed a press free from élite bias, while aligning herself with a billionaire class more willing than ever to indulge Donald Trump.” Truly evil.)
- Zero Chucks Left to Give (“Chuck Schumer now sees a path back to the majority. Can he manage his way through it?”)
- Dems’ divide over Harris surfaces as she looks like a 2028 contender
- Josh Shapiro Writes That Harris Team Asked if He Had Ever Been an Israeli Agent (“In his new memoir, the Pennsylvania governor suggests that when Kamala Harris’s team vetted him to be her running mate, aides focused on Israel to an extent he found offensive.”)
- ‘60 Minutes’ Airs Delayed ‘Inside CECOT’ Story: Trump Officials Still “Declined Our Requests” For Interviews, Correspondent Says
- Louisiana’s Letlow prepares Senate bid after Trump endorsement (“Her entry would be the worst-case scenario for GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy.”)
- Some Trump voters are sneaking away (“They’ll never admit they’re wrong, but polling reveals quiet GOP regret”)
- Scoop: Musk shocks with $10 million donation in Ky. Senate race
- Virginia Democrats push for earlier spot on 2028 presidential primary calendar (Virginia should go first, actually.)
- Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Argues What We Need Right Now Is More Bipartisanship, Working to “Find Common Ground” Like He Did as Virginia Governor in 2006-2009 (Among other problems with this reasoning, today’s national GOP is Trumpified and extremist…with basically no “moderates” left anymore.)
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says “The only security threat to Greenland right now is the United States” – Not Russia or China (Sen. Warner: “Does President Trump not realize he looks kind of silly taking that prize from her as she tries to basically suck up to him?”)
- McClellan Joins Al Sharpton with Rep. Horsford on PoliticsNation on Greenland, MLK Day and More
- As “Despicable Toady for Trump” JD Vance Rants About Virginia Redistricting and How “In the [USA], you don’t have to apologize for being white anymore,” Glenn Youngkin Says Vance Would Be a “Great” 2028 GOP Presidential Nominee (Vance-Youngkin 2028 anyone?)
- Virginia lawmakers send reproductive rights amendment toward November vote
- These bills aim to regulate Virginia data center siting, generator use and SCC oversight
- Pope & Schapiro: The inauguration and first actions of Governor Abigail Spanberger
- In historic first for Virginia, Adam Spanberger becomes first gentleman (“The computer engineer and avid bicyclist said he’s happy working behind the scenes to support his wife and Virginia’s new governor, Abigail Spanberger.”)
- Historically noted: Gov. Spanberger’s shining moment (“In her first speech as governor, Abigail Spanberger staked out an ambitious agenda — and she’s got 1,454 days and nights to achieve it, writes columnist Bob Lewis.”)
- Spanberger’s inaugural ball draws thousands, highlights Virginia roots
- Four Candidates for the Democratic “Firehouse Primary” THIS Tuesday for HD5, the Seat Being Vacated by Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker, Who Will Be Moving to the State Senate (The candidates are Eileen Cassidy Rivera, Kirk McPike, Chris Leibig and Greg Darrall)
- A conversation with Chris Leibig, House District 5 candidate (“Criminal defense attorney talks criminal justice reform, labor and protecting Alexandrians in live conversation”)
- A conversation with Eileen Cassidy Rivera, House District 5 candidate
- A conversation with Kirk McPike, House District 5 candidate
- Roanoke wants a casino. It’s going about that in a way no other Virginia city has done. (“Another challenge: Studies for the Danville and Petersburg casinos put the Roaoke Valley within their market areas.”)
- Nelson County: Democrats elect Paul Sullivan to serve as local party chair
- CWG Live: Turning bitterly cold tonight, wind chills dip into single digits
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