by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, February 3.
- Whistleblowers Warn That Ad Industry Is Fuelling Online Hatred and Climate Crisis
- The last US nuclear weapons treaty with Russia is dying (“Russian and U.S. nuclear arsenals could expand for the first time in three decades.”)
- ‘It’s a miracle we survived’: the civilian crew trapped on a ship in Ukraine as bombs rained down
- ‘Nothing is sacred to them’: the race to save rare plants as Russian troops advance
- Russia hits Ukraine energy targets with hundreds of drones, missiles, ahead of talks (Absolute evil.)
- China’s Generals Are Disappearing (“For three years, Xi Jinping has been cleaning out his military elite, bringing high-level dismissals and disappearances to nearly every arm of the military.”)
- Why China is building so many coal plants despite its solar and wind boom (“Why China is building so many coal plants despite its solar and wind boom”)
- America is alienating what could become a superpower
- Europe begins its slow retreat from US dependence (“The EU aims to reduce reliance on America in areas such as technology, energy, payments and defense. That will take some time.”)
- Seeking shelter from Trump’s fury, U.S. trade partners reach deals with each other
- Trump’s Surprise Trade Deal With India Resets Fractured Ties
- Paris prosecutors raid X offices as part of investigation into child abuse images and deepfakes
- Paris prosecutors summon Elon Musk to appear after raid on X’s French offices
- Exclusive: Despite new curbs, Grok produces sexualized images – even when told subjects didn’t consent (“Elon Musk’s flagship artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, continues to generate sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warn that the subjects do not consent, Reuters has found.”)
- Trump faces criticism as ‘beyond unprecedented’ UAE crypto deal raises conflict of interest fears (“The White House says the president is ‘not involved’ in running his businesses. Ethics experts remain concerned”)
- Pete Hegseth Delights in Violence (“His first year at the Pentagon has been marked by uncomplicated celebrations of death.” Pure evil.)
- Donald Trump set to welcome Colombian president to White House for talks (“US president to meet with Gustavo Petro weeks after threatening military action in the country”)
- Trump-Petro meeting could end in detente or discord with Colombia leader (“Outcome of meeting uncertain as ‘erratic, temperamental’ presidents could be either ‘confrontational’ or amicable”)
- US contractor sent Gaza plan to White House that would secure 300% profits (“US contractor sent Gaza plan to White House that would secure 300% profits”)
- Chaos in Minneapolis Exposes an Internet at War With Truth
- Trump ICE Threats Take Darker Turn as MAGA Erupts in Demands for Blood (“As Trump’s designs grow more unnerving and MAGA figures call for an escalation, a journalist who closely tracks ICE explains how the agency is effectively becoming an instrument of authoritarian state terror.”)
- Haitians win pause on Trump’s plan to end their protected status
- The Real Reason ICE Agents Wear Masks (“Face coverings may work less to protect federal agents from danger than to make it easier for them to do unconstitutional things.”)
- How DHS Spent $35 Billion Since Trump Retook Office (“To support its deportation push and erect border walls, Homeland Security gave big contracts to Anduril and construction firm Fisher Sand”)
- Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon (“Under President Donald Trump, DHS has weaponized administrative subpoenas to attack free speech, according to privacy and civil rights groups.”)
- Where are ICE and Border Patrol agents coming from?
- What it’s like to see ICE tear gas kids
- DHS’s account of two Venezuelans shot by border patrol falls apart in court: ‘A smear campaign’
- ‘It’s Been Brutal’: Twin Cities Economy Suffers Under ICE Crackdown
- House Democrats once again left complaining about a Senate spending deal
- Trump Presses House G.O.P. to Back Deal to Reopen Government
- House votes to reopen government pose GOP loyalty test and Democratic dilemma
- House to vote on reopening government, extending ICE funding
- GOP leaders labor for support ahead of key test vote on ending partial government shutdown
- U.S. Manufacturing Is in Retreat and Trump’s Tariffs Aren’t Helping
- Trump Had Unusual Call With F.B.I. Agents After Election Center Search (Very, VERY ominous.)
- Trump says Republicans should ‘nationalize’ elections (Totally unconstitutional and also insane.)
- Trump, in an Escalation, Calls for Republicans to ‘Nationalize’ Elections
- Will Republicans kill the filibuster to pass Trump’s voter suppression bill?
- When Trump makes election threats, it’s best to believe him
- American Democracy Will Not Die in Darkness (“Which means that it might — might — survive”)
- Dear media, stop acting like Trump means what he says (“Whether over “a deal” on Greenland or a “pivot” on ICE, we need far more skepticism”)
- Trump Goes Public With Plan to “Take Over” Elections
- Is Trump winning or losing his war on offshore wind power? (“The US president tried to kill offshore wind projects – now four are back under construction”)
- Coal plant owners say DOE ‘emergency’ order to run it violates Constitution (“By mandating the generator’s availability to operate, the order ‘constitutes both a physical taking and a regulatory taking’ of property by the government without just compensation, they said.”)
- Tulsi Gabbard accused of trying to ‘bury’ whistleblower complaint
- Democratic victory in deep-red Texas district casts a pall over GOP plans to keep the House (“Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a Texas state Senate district by 14 points after Trump carried it by 17 points in 2024. The state is a key battleground in the midterms.”)
- Fulton County, Georgia, to sue Trump administration over seizure of 2020 election records (“Fulton County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said the county is filing a motion Monday challenging the legality of the search and the seizure of sensitive election records.”)
- New Epstein files fail to quell outrage as advocates claim documents are being withheld (“Advocates call for further disclosures after Trump’s justice department released more than 3m files last week”)
- Sloppy redactions in Epstein documents are traumatizing survivors (“An abuse survivor whose sensitive personal information was released in latest drop calls the Justice Department’s mishap ‘profoundly distressing.'”)
- Clintons Capitulate on House Epstein Inquiry, Agreeing to Testify
- Bill and Hillary Clinton now agree to testify before Congress
- Trump news at a glance: Trevor Noah’s Grammys joke hit a sour note for Trump (“President threatens to sue comedian over joke about Epstein island “)
- Newly released files shed new light on Chomsky and Epstein relationship
- Trump Is Said to Have Dropped Demand for Cash From Harvard
- Trump Says He’s Seeking $1 Billion From Harvard University (Under what authority???)
- Exclusive: Trump’s one-time weaponization chief is expected to depart Justice Department in coming weeks
- CBS News Expected to Cut Ties With Contributor Peter Attia Over Epstein Links
- Wall St. Lawyer Brad Karp Says He Regrets Epstein Interactions
- Turning Point USA announces Kid Rock as rival headliner to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show (What a f’ing joke.)
- Maryland House passes new congressional map, setting up a showdown with the state Senate
- Trump ally Pirro threatens jail for anyone bringing a gun into D.C.
- ‘Crisis’: The fallout from Trump’s surprise plan to close Kennedy Center
- Trump Made a Bad Bet on the Kennedy Center (“The president’s temporary closure of the institution is an acknowledgment that his initial makeover strategy was a failure.”)
- Kennedy Center won’t be torn down during $200 million renovation, Trump says
- Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos stays silent as employees brace for cuts (“Bezos has not publicly responded to several letters sent by Post staffers urging him to curb potential layoffs”)
- Beneath the Stifling Boredom of Melania (“Watching the most expensive documentary ever made while the American experiment falls to pieces.”)
- Melania Trump’s Memoir Was Bad, but the Movie Is Worse
- Savannah Guthrie was getting ready to cover the Olympics. Then came the ‘worst phone call of her life’
- Video: Former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA10) Says “In one short year, [Trump] has destroyed” the Kennedy Center (“Will he try and destroy the building itself like he has the East Wing? We can’t trust he will do anything legal…”)
- The Virginia Democrat in the Middle of the Data Center Boom Wants His Party to Crack Down (“Rep. Suhas Subramanyam is making the case that the Democratic Party needs to show it has ideas for how to regulate this issue.”)
- What is Ben Cline trying to say here about a proposed Augusta County ICE facility? (“What in god’s name is Ben Cline trying to say here?”)
- U.S. House Democrats From Virginia Send Letter to DHS Secretary Noem, ICE Acting Director Lyons Opposing Proposed ICE Facilities in Stafford and Hanover (“…these facilities undermine public safety, erode trust between local law enforcement and the public, and place a federal agency indifferent to constitutional liberties near our schools, hospitals, and residential areas.”)
- As ICE seeks to expand footprint in Va., Youngkin’s final-day prison sale directive draws scrutiny
- Bills would fast-track battery storage at solar farms
- General Assembly balks at rent caps
- New governor could see new versions of old bills seeking to regulate the data center industry
- Two Spanberger-backed housing bills get out of Virginia House of Delegates
- Free school breakfast bill garners bipartisan support in Senate
- Virginia House OKs electric grid review bills
- Video: Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Mayor Danny Avula Welcome Buddhist Monks to Richmond on Day 100 of Their Walk for Peace (“Therefore I, Abigail Spanberger, Governor, do hereby recognize February 2, 2026 as Walk for Peace Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”)
- Thousands greet Buddhist monks in Richmond during their walk for peace (“Gov. Abigail Spanberger declared Feb. 2 to be Walk for Peace Day in honor of the monks that walked through Richmond Monday afternoon.”)
- Subcommittee postpones vote on bill to dissolve VMI governing board
- Anne Holton appointed to Richmond School Board — over objection from one board member
- Editorial: Amending Hampton University’s land-grant status would right a historic wrong (“Restoring Hampton University’s land-grant status would enable the school to access federal funding and state matching grants.”)
- Buchanan County to provide short-term funding for Appalachian School of Law
- Norfolk council members losing patience with community funder’s failures
- Brendan Banfield found guilty of aggravated murder in ‘au pair affair’ killings trial
- CWG Live: Several hours above freezing today; a little snow possible this evening (“Back to the deep freeze this weekend.”)
********************************************************
