by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, March 12.
- Quit fossil fuels to stem deadly floods in Brazil’s coffee heartland, say scientists (“Global heating linked to rising risk of extreme rain that causes devastating landslides and rising coffee prices”)
- Countries must seek energy independence through renewables and nuclear, says John Kerry (“Former US secretary of state says oil shock driven by war in Iran highlights dangers of reliance on fossil fuels”)
- The Iran War Is Making the Case fo (“As Brent crude approaches $100 a barrel, clean energy advocates say the Hormuz crisis is the latest proof that fossil fuel dependence leaves consumers at the mercy of distant wars.”)
- Oil sees historic disruptions as Iran escalates attacks on shipping (“Prices surged past $100 per barrel despite the historic release of reserves as conflict escalates on multiple fronts”)
- Iran War Causes Biggest-Ever Oil Market Disruption, IEA Says
- The world just smashed the emergency glass on oil prices. Now it’s up to Trump for a long-term fix
- Global Bonds Erase 2026 Gains as War Fuels Inflation Angst
- Ukraine’s US air defenses are at risk in Iran war (“Kyiv is already feeling the shockwaves of the U.S.-Israel military option.”)
- How Russia’s Scorched-Earth Attacks Put Ukraine’s Power Grid Near Collapse (“Strikes on Ukrainian energy systems have tripled this winter. Continuous repairs and Western aid staved off a total breakdown.”)
- Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure (“Hopes for quickly reviving trade through the strait are dimming without U.S. naval escorts as Iran steps up attacks”)
- Three more ships struck in the Persian Gulf as Iran warns of oil prices hitting $200
- Escalating Hormuz Crisis Raises Specter of Prolonged Closure
- Dire Straits: The Iran War Is Run by Idiots
- Iranian oil squeeze tests Trump’s war plans
- U.S. at Fault in Strike on School in Iran, Preliminary Inquiry Says (“Outdated targeting data may have resulted in a mistaken missile strike, according to the ongoing military investigation, which undercuts President Trump’s assertion that Iran could be to blame.”)
- Iranian school was on U.S. target list, may have been mistaken as military site
- Attacks on Middle East Desalination Plants Highlight Risks of Near-Total Dependence on ‘Fossil Fuel Water’ (“Destroying the facilities is a violation of international law that could cause a humanitarian crisis in the most water-scare region on Earth. Powering the plants with electricity from fossil fuels poses additional long-term threats.”)
- US Responsible For Killing Iranian Schoolchildren, Investigation Finds. Trump Previously Blamed Iran. (“New reporting confirms American Tomahawk missile destroyed Shajarah Tayyebeh school on the last day of February. The president earlier said he “just doesn’t know enough about it.””)
- The Obvious Is Taking Its Revenge on Trump (“The reasons other U.S. presidents avoided war with Iran are becoming all too evident.”)
- Iran Escalates Attacks on Shipping and Dubai
- Exclusive: US intelligence says Iran government is not at risk of collapse, say sources
- FBI warns Iran aspired to attack California with drones in retaliation for war: Alert
- Trump and Netanyahu Are No Longer on the Same Page
- The Limits of Iran’s Proxy Empire (“The country spent decades cultivating the Axis of Resistance, but, as the war continues, the Houthis and other allied forces have plenty of reason to stay out of it.”)
- First week of war with Iran cost US $11.3 billion (And we accomplished…???)
- Iran targets busiest international airport as top UN body demands halt to attacks on Gulf neighbors
- Trump’s Iran war whiplash clouds U.S. endgame
- Why Trump’s Gulf allies are resisting pressure to join the Iran war
- Dismay as ancient heritage sites across Iran damaged in US-Israel bombing
- We attacked Iran with no clear plan for regime change, Israeli security sources say
- Trump Targets Major Trading Partners With New Investigation
- War in Ukraine spills into Hungarian election campaign (Orban needs to lose.)
- Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court to End Protections for Haitian Immigrants (This is APPALLING!)
- Markwayne Mullin: Meet the New Boss, Same as the Noem Boss (“The Oklahoma senator tapped to be the new DHS chief is more of the same.”)
- DHS pick Markwayne Mullin once hired felon who illegally stored guns at work (“The senator from Oklahoma denied knowing about the employee’s criminal record, but the employee says he did. A “cache” of weapons was found at Mullin’s business.”)
- Republicans block Democratic bill to fund DHS agencies other than ICE, CBP
- The mysterious case of the DHS white supremacist memelord (“Or: why some MAGA group chats leak, and others don’t.”)
- Shot by Border Patrol, Then Called a “Domestic Terrorist” (“The case of Marimar Martinez, a U.S. citizen shot by an officer in Chicago, offers a rare window into the recent spate of D.H.S. shootings—and the smear campaigns that often follow.”)
- Videos of ICE Shooting in Texas Capture a Confusing and Fatal Encounter (This was murder. Period.)
- Immigration detention cases decline amid Trump admin pullback from hardline tactics
- DHS in Chaos as ICE Barbie’s Henchman Forced Out During Power Struggle (“The man Noem and Lewandowski installed at CBP to oust its veteran boss has cleared out his office.”)
- Trump Finds Himself in the Joe Biden Bind (“But he has only himself to blame for the spiking price of gas.”)
- A Third of Americans Have Cut Spending or Borrowed Money for Health Care
- GOP senators warn Trump that shaky economy could spell election disaster
- ‘America’s mortal enemy’: Pete Hegseth expressed extreme antipathy toward Iran for years
- How Hegseth Came to See Moral Purpose in War as Weakness (Hegseth is a warm criminal and must face justice one day!)
- Pentagon bars press photographers over ‘unflattering’ Hegseth photos (Just imagine the reaction if that had happened in a DEMOCRATIC administration.)
- Pete Hegseth Sure Knows How to Spend Government Money (“$124,000 for ice cream machines? I had no idea our warfighters at the Pentagon had such a sweet tooth.”)
- Oversight chair: Epstein accountant named individuals who fueled Epstein’s wealth (“The co-executor of the convicted sex offender’s estate testified Wednesday behind closed doors on Capitol Hill.”)
- James Comer: DOJ in 2019 ‘asked New Mexico to stop’ Epstein ranch probe
- If the Shoe Fits: Trump and the Florsheim You Can’t Refuse (“The strangely Soviet odor of the week’s weirdest story.”)
- Police say Jan. 6 plaque is unlawfully hidden from public at U.S. Capitol
- Paxton vs. Cornyn Is a Choice Between Two MAGA Flavors (“Both are awful. Both are Trumpy. One also happens to be extravagantly corrupt.”)
- ICE Lawyer Who Told Judge She Was Overwhelmed Seeks New Role: Lawmaker (“Julie T. Le, a former government lawyer, described in stark terms how overstretched the legal system had become during the administration’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota. Now, she said, she hopes to fix the “system’s failures” by running for Congress.”)
- Democrats deliver ‘stunning’ flip in New Hampshire special election, latest in series of 28 upsets
- A Police Report About a House Candidate Surprised the White House
- Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says “I never thought I’d have to ever say this, but I am seriously concerned about the security and integrity of our elections in 2026.” (“And if we have a corrupted election, I’m not sure how our country ever comes back.”)
- Sen. Tim Kaine speaks on national, state impacts of war in Iran
- ‘It will not pass:’ Tim Kaine says no to SAVE Act
- Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Demands Accountability in Explosive DOGE Social Security Breach Allegations (Reportedly, “DOGE Goon Took Social Security Data With Him”)
- Williams: This PAC mailing is an insult to Virginia’s Black electorate
- A conversation with author, candidate Beth Macy: On grace, and government cheese
- BREAKING: Dorothy McAuliffe Launches Campaign for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District (“Will Kick Off 4 day-District Wide Tour on Saturday in All 16 Localities in New 7th CD”)
- McAuliffe talks about running for Congress in the first interview of her campaign (This is absolutely false: “There is nobody representing everyday people in the halls of Congress today.” In fact, Democrats in Congress are VERY MUCH representing everyday people; it’s Republicans who are representing the wealthy, big corporations and special interests.)
- Clock ticking on Virginia budget as Democrats clash over data center tax break (“With adjournment days away, lawmakers have yet to meet on a compromise spending plan amid a dispute over a costly incentive credited with fueling Northern Virginia’s tech boom.”)
- Special session looks likely as the budget battle over data center tax exemptions continues (“House Appropriations Chair and budget conferee Del. Luke Torian told reporters on Tuesday that the 11 conferees had not yet met regarding the budget.”)
- Spanberger floats ‘consumption tax’ for data centers (“‘I beg to differ with anyone who says that it’s on me to meet to discuss this budget,’ Lucas said in a social media post Tuesday, adding quote ‘I delivered a budget that makes life affordable by ending a tax giveaway to big tech.'”)
- Spanberger meets with Virginia budget negotiators to jumpstart talks
- Editorial: Virginia’s moves to make wind, solar more affordable look to the future (“If handled wisely, natural sources such as wind and solar energy have great potential to be both clean and affordable.” This subheader is really dumb; in fact, wind and solar ALREADY are clean and affordable, it’s not about “potential” for that…although certainly they could get even MORE affordable than they are now.)
- After five years of attempts, Virginia on track to set up a Prescription Drug Affordability Board
- Cryptocurrency Scams double in Virginia
- As localities keep adding speed cameras, Virginia lawmakers move to tighten rules surrounding their use
- Fairfax County Board chairman pushes back on casino proposal (“Right now, the bill requires voter approval. But the chairman says unless the deal starts looking a lot better for Fairfax, he doesn’t think there’s enough support on the board to even put it on a ballot.”)
- Mayor Danny Avula proposes Richmond’s $3.4B spending plan
- Social media comments by Lynchburg vice mayor fuel emotional city council meeting (“The vice mayor, who first compared Virginia’s redistricting effort to rape in a Facebook comment last week, doubled down in subsequent social media posts and emails before apologizing at a city council meeting Tuesday.” Yikes.)
- Massive power transmission line planned for Campbell to Culpeper (“Plans call for the 765-kilovolt line to span 115 miles over nine counties. It represents a major investment in grid infrastructure during a time of rising demand for electricity.”)
- Chesterfield’s proposed budget offers some tax relief as real estate tax bills rise
- CWG Live: Sharply colder today with rain, snow and gusty winds (“Snow doesn’t accumulate, except maybe for a little grassy slush. Temperatures drop more than 40 degrees from Wednesday.”)
