Saturday (3/21) News: “Three weeks in, Iran war escalates beyond Trump’s control”; “The US broke the all-time heat record for March. Yes, it’s climate change”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, March 21.

• Putin offers to stop sharing intel with Iran if US cuts off Ukraine (“The U.S. rejected the Russian proposal, which has nonetheless sparked concerns in Europe amid growing transatlantic tensions.”)
• Iran War Puts Global Energy Markets on the Brink of a Worst-Case Scenario (“‘This will be so, so, so, so, so bad,’ one analyst says.”)
• The Price of Oil Is Surging. Here’s How It Could Get Much Worse. (“We’re a couple of headstrong Trump moves away from a full-blown market panic.”)
• Trump administration lifts sanctions on millions of barrels of Iranian oil (“As oil prices soar, Treasury Department has lifted sanctions on Iranian crude already loaded onto vessels — giving Iran’s war effort against the U.S. a boost.” Crazy.)
• Trump signals U.S. may leave allies to manage Iran fallout
• Trump weighing several options for U.S. troops inside Iran (“Discussions about possible ground troops have focused on missions aimed at escalating the war in attempt to end it, sources say, but no decisions have been made.”)
• Trump administration making heavy preparations for potential use of ground troops in Iran
• Trump considers “winding down” Iran war without opening Hormuz Strait
• The Strait of Hormuz Was Supposed to Be Too Big to Fail (“But at just 35 miles wide, it did. It’s just the latest evidence of how dependent the global economy is on a handful of choke points.”)
• Iran says a strike hit a key nuclear facility as Mideast war enters week 4 and US sends more troops
• Three weeks in, Iran war escalates beyond Trump’s control (“President Donald Trump ends the third week of the Iran war confronting a crisis that seems to be slipping out of his hands: Global energy prices are surging, the United States stands isolated from allies and more ​troops are preparing to deploy despite his promise the war would be only a “short excursion.””)
• Trump Had No Plan B for Iran (“And it shows.”)
• Iran’s willingness to escalate this high-stakes war is its greatest weapon (“Regime will do whatever it takes to cling on to power – including sacrificing economies of other Gulf states”)
• The First Casualty of Trump’s War in Iran Was the Truth (“The cruellest irony is that of a President who addresses the Iranian people in the language of liberation and then threatens freedom of the press back home.”)
• Trump Says US Considers ‘Winding Down’ Iran Military Effort (Yet another “Trump says” headline by the mainstream media, without noting that you literally can’t believe a word Trump says on ANYTHING; the guy’s a pathological liar.)
• US furiously seeks to avert potential monthslong closure of Strait of Hormuz
• As oil prices continue to rise, right-wing media urge Trump to seize Kharg Island
• Iran war enters its fourth week with no clear end in sight
• Iran Believes It’s Winning—and Wants a Steep Price to End the War (“Tehran sees an opportunity to control the Mideast’s energy as it bets on outlasting Trump’s will—a risky gamble”)
• Iran Targeted Diego Garcia Base With Ballistic Missiles
• Prime-time Fox shows gave less than a minute of airtime to the Pentagon’s $200 billion Iran funding request (Fox is far-right, state propaganda.)
• Iran War Puts U.S. Diplomatic Missions in the Crosshairs (“Drone and missile attacks as well as new terror threats have U.S. embassies worldwide on high alert”)
• Iranian strikes on bases used by US caused $800m in damage, new analysis shows
• As Iran war drags on, right-wing media lash out at NATO and Iranians who haven’t overthrown their government (“When it comes to assigning blame for the Iran war spiraling out of control, MAGA media have found convenient scapegoats who aren’t named Trump”)
• Russia may test Trump’s Cuba’s blockade with oil tankers crossing Atlantic
• Cuba rejects U.S. Embassy request to bring in fuel, calls it ‘shameless
• MAGA battle over Iran, Israel intensifies with Joe Kent resignation
• Denmark Was Ready to Blow Up Airfields to Stop a U.S. Invasion of Greenland
• Yes, Venezuela Has a Ton of Oil—But Its Biggest Opportunity Is Offshore Wind (“Imagining what a prosperous future for Venezuela would look like if the nation shifted from oil and gas to wind energy.”)
• How Iran’s IRGC rebooted Lebanon’s Hezbollah to be ready for war
• Israel deliberately targeting medical facilities in south Lebanon, say health workers (“Medics and officials say there is systematic use of double-tap strikes in campaign to make the south uninhabitable” That sure sounds like war crimes.)
• U.S. military strike on boat in Pacific leaves two dead and a rare survivor (“The ongoing U.S. maritime operation against alleged drug traffickers has killed 159 people in nearly 50 strikes.”)
• Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child (“Paolo Zampolli, a former modeling agent and a longtime Trump ally, was in a custody battle over his son. An ICE official agreed to help.” That’s completely f’ed up, illegal, etc.)
• A massive border wall expansion is underway. Pushback is coming from all sides. (“The aggressive pace of expansion has alarmed advocates who say the construction will destroy pristine country, threaten endangered species, and cut off access to sacred Indigenous and archaeological sites.”)
• Record deaths in US immigration custody expose systemic failures (“Families, advocates and lawmakers say poor care, opaque investigations and bureaucracy leave deaths unexplained”)
• Democrats outraged as Fetterman votes to advance Markwayne Mullin nomination (“Calls for Pennsylvania senator – Trump’s ‘favorite Democrat’ – to resign after casting decisive committee vote”)
• Trump administration waves the white flag in some ICE cases (“The Justice Department is increasingly telling judges it can’t defend ICE’s actions.”)
• White House revises its DHS offer as talks to end shutdown pick up (“Border czar Tom Homan met again with lawmakers Friday night in the Capitol.”)
• Bill to fund Homeland Security fails again as concern grows about airport lines
• TSA workers go unpaid as unpredictable wait times mount during shutdown. Here’s what travelers should know this weekend
• Judge Rules Pentagon Restrictions on Press Are Unconstitutional (“A federal judge tossed parts of the Pentagon’s restrictions on news outlets, saying they violated the First Amendment, in a lawsuit brought by The New York Times.”)
• Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to policy limiting reporters’ access to Pentagon
• Graphics show the scale of extreme heat hitting the US
• The US broke the all-time heat record for March. Yes, it’s climate change
• Stocks tumble Friday as losses mount from Iran war impact, Dow and Nasdaq near correction
• Defense workers’ morale has plunged under Trump, survey finds (“Only 9% of Army civilians found Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership motivating.”)
• Yes, Trump Derangement Syndrome Exists; but It’s Among His Supporters (“That Pearl Harbor comment: Aside from being a fascist, the man is a national embarrassment. The deranged Americans are those who still support this charlatan.”)
• Trump’s politics of death extend far beyond Iran (“COVID, gun violence and Iran reveal a governing instinct based on authoritarian violence disorder”)
• Top Disaster Response Official Claims He Teleported to a Waffle House (“FEMA’s Gregg Phillips says he has experienced multiple “scary” episodes of sudden teleportation” So this guy’s an insane person. Great.)
• Men Like Cesar Chavez Are Not Exceptional (“It’s not just the Epsteins of the world who are capable of monstrosities.”)
• Chávez celebrations halted nationwide as allegations reshape legacy
• Polymarket Says It Predicts the Truth. Its Social Feeds Are Filled With Falsehoods. (“A review of the betting market’s social media feeds found it has published hundreds of false and misleading posts.”)
• Elon Musk misled Twitter investors ahead of $44 billion acquisition, jury says (“Total damages could reach up to $2.6 billion, attorneys for the plaintiffs said.”)
• Musk Misled Twitter Investors Before 2022 Buyout, Jury Says
• James Talarico’s Campaign Is Breaking the Brains of American Evangelicals (“Turns out, Jesus has no political party. But don’t tell these guys that.”)
• Poll: Talarico leads Cornyn and Paxton in general election matchups (“In a hypothetical general election matchup, Talarico leads Cornyn by 2 points — 43 percent to 41 percent — and leads Paxton by just 1 point, 44 percent to 43 percent.”)
• Growing Frustration With Chuck Schumer Spurs Talk of Replacing Him (“Some Capitol Hill Democrats are discussing how to get the N.Y. senator to step aside as minority leader amid concerns about his negotiating style and midterms strategy”)
• Justice Dept. Seeks to Drop Charges Against Officers in Breonna Taylor’s Death
• Alexander Brothers Are Said to Seek Trump Pardons for Sex Trafficking (“People representing the three brothers have reached out to a lobbyist and an influential Jewish group that have supported clemency for others. There are no signs the White House is considering a pardon.”)
• Mark Robinson admits ‘I lied’ about CNN story
• MAGA ‘Black Nazi’ Names Trump in Twisted Sex Confession
• Video, Photo: Governor Abigail Spanberger Votes YES on the Redistricting Referendum (“Stand with Gov. Spanberger and vote YES…to stop Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans’ power grab”)
• Video: “Our Democracy Is Worth Fighting For” — Virginia Veterans Urge YES Vote on April 21 (Also today: Gov. Abigail Spanberger will vote YES on the referendum and urge Virginia voters to do the same)
• ‘Not a done deal’: Democrats start to sweat over Virginia’s redistricting referendum (“It’s a random April election. We’re talking about reaching voters who are taught to check out around this time of year and check back in the summer.”)
• Spanberger blames Trump as Virginia gas prices near $4 a gallon, votes ‘Yes’ in redistricting effort
• Spanberger calls April 23 special session to finalize state budget
• Virginia Is Poised to Ban ICE Contracts, Unless the Feds Agree to Obey the Law. No One Expects Them to. (“A bill passed by lawmakers would not outright bar local contracts with ICE. But they could continue only if ICE accepts due process rules and state courts having power over its officers.”)
• Ivy Main: “Virginia is going backwards on climate” (Even as wind and solar boom around the country and the world) (Gov. Spanberger and the General Assembly “face a daunting task” turning this around; “we won’t get there by building more gas and less solar.”)
• VA Attorney General Jay Jones Joins Coalition Filing Emergency Motion to Stop Nexstar/Tegna Merger (If merger goes through, Nexstar and its partners would oversee “265 television stations…reaching about 80% of U.S. households”)
• Virginia among states filing emergency motion to stop Nexstar-Tegna merger
• Virginia lawmakers passed big changes to energy and environment policy this year. Here’s a look.
• Virginia could ban the sale of assault firearms: What to know (“Legislation passed by the General Assembly seeks to ban the sale and production of assault weapons and to prohibit carrying them in public. The bans are part of a suite of gun regulations the legislature sent to Spanberger’s desk this year.”)
• The Politics Hour: VA State Sen. Scott Surovell on data center tax breaks and a Fairfax casino
• Why Virginia should empower local governments to preserve affordable housing
• Virginia home sales market still strong: Good news if you already own one (“Home sales in Virginia were up 12 percent in February from January, with a staggering median sales price: $410,000.”)
• Public audit of 12 of our communities tells us about how responsive they are to information requests from the public (“A group of student auditors asked a dozen localities for public information. The responses clarify where local government deserves credit for transparency and where it falls short of its responsibilities as keepers of the people’s information, as well as how local governments understand and execute their responsibilities under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.”)
• Cost of Norfolk floodwall project balloons to $6 billion, completion slated for 2037 (“The city seeks funding help from Congress and the General Assembly”)
• CWG Live: Warm first weekend of spring ahead of early-week cool shot (“A little cooler than Friday but still above average today. Around 80 in D.C. on Sunday.”)