Friday (4/17) News: “‘Popesplaining’ Vance”; “Hegseth channels his inner Tarantino”; “America’s Orange Jesus”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, April 17. Just two more days of early voting (today and tomorrow), then the election is in four days (Tuesday, 4/21); have you voted (YES!) yet?

• Stunning growth of battery storage puts it at centre of global energy security needs, for cars and for grids
• Colombia convenes climate ‘coalition of the willing’ to break global fossil fuel deadlock (“Santa Marta conference born out of frustration at Cop summits, where renewable progress has been stalled by major polluters”)
• Pope says ‘world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants’ amid feud with Trump’s White House (Stop calling it a “feud”!)
• How the first American pope is reclaiming Christian values from the Trump administration
• History Is Running Backwards (“Why reactionaries are taking over the world”0
• America’s Global Rizz Is Going Up in Smoke
• AP Exclusive: Europe has ‘maybe 6 weeks of jet fuel left,’ energy agency head warns
• The 27-Year-Old Diplomat Waging Trump’s Cultural War With Europe (“Five years out of college, Samuel Samson has driven the Trump administration’s push to upend eight decades of America’s relationship with Europe.” What a @#$%!)
• Diplomatic cables show Iran war is damaging US on multiple fronts across the world
• Exclusive: US to delay weapons deliveries to some European countries due to Iran war, sources say
• Even for Europe’s populist firebrands, Trump might be going too far (Why call them “populists” when they’re just far-right reactionaries, fascists, etc?)
• What would Trump do if Putin struck Europe?
• Scoop: Democrats eye new strategy after Iran war powers fail (“A group of House Democrats is discussing plans to force a vote on an Iran war powers resolution every day until one finally passes or U.S. operations in the region end, Axios has learned.”)
• Oil falls as Trump reiterates Iran war ‘should’ end soon and Israel-Lebanon truce lifts hopes
• Trump says war in Iran is going ‘swimmingly’ and ‘should be ending pretty soon’ (First of all, who says “swimmingly” in the year 2026, or even in the past few decades? Second, no it’s not going “swimmingly.”)
• House effort to end Trump’s war with Iran fails by one vote (“The nearly party-line vote of 213-214 shows that Republicans are sticking with the president’s military campaign in Iran. Every Democrat except one voted to order an end to the war.” Jared Golden is a disgrace.)
• ‘More compromises’: Trump wants an end to Iran war (“While the president claims he’s got the cards, he may have to give ground to get a deal.”)
• Trump’s Lebanon ceasefire takes Israel by surprise
• Trump announces 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon
• Live updates: Israel and Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire in fighting between Israel and Hezbollah
• Push for Israel‑Lebanon Peace Risks a New Confrontation With Hezbollah (“The exclusion of the U.S.-designated terrorist group from the negotiating table will make it hard to achieve a lasting agreement.”)
• Trump news at a glance: president urges Hezbollah to act ‘nicely and well’ as Israel-Lebanon ceasefire begins
• Mandelson Became Britain’s Ambassador to U.S. Despite Failing Security Vetting (“Britain’s foreign office overruled vetting officials in granting Peter Mandelson, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, the highest level of security clearance, the government said.”)
• UK’s Starmer again under pressure to resign as Mandelson row reignites
• Senate GOP losing patience with Speaker Johnson as DHS faces crisis
• Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is leaving the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the move Thursday evening and wished Lyons well.”)
• ICE Agent Charged With Assault After Motorists Say He Brandished Gun (“Minnesota prosecutors have spent weeks investigating the conduct of immigration agents who took part in an immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities. This is the first case they have brought.”)
• Democrats Make Final Push to Delay Confirmation Hearing of Trump’s Fed Pick
• Clarence Thomas Wouldn’t Know What Progressivism Was If It Smacked Him on the Head
• Trump wants less spending. RFK Jr.’s ‘not happy’ about it. (“At the first of several budget hearings, the health secretary said newly proposed cuts were needed because of the federal debt.”)
• Trump Says He Will Nominate Erica Schwartz to Lead CDC
• Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director
• Inside the CDC’s leadership vacuum: work at a ‘standstill’ and low morale as 80% of top posts remain vacant (“Current and ex-officials at the CDC warn Americans’ health security in danger under RFK Jr’s direction”)
• Senate votes to repeal Biden-era wilderness protections in Minnesota, sending bill to Trump’s desk (“The Senate voted 50-49 to overturn a Biden-era move to block mining in an area around Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.” Terrible.)
• America’s Orange Jesus (“Reflections on a week in which Donald Trump decided to feud with the Pope while comparing himself to the Saviour.”)
• GOP, Democrats blast Vought for holding back cash: ‘You don’t have the authority to impound’
• Hegseth channels his inner Tarantino with fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction (“The defense secretary said his prayer drew on Ezekiel, but wording closely matches Quentin Tarantino dialogue”)
• Hegseth attacks ‘unpatriotic’ media and compares reporters to Jewish biblical group (Hegseth is completely unhinged.)
• Pentagon Pete Goon Offers Wild Explanation for ‘Pulp Fiction’ Prayer (Deranged individual as Secretary of Defense – what could possibly go wrong??? )
• Trump administration embraces quest to stamp out the events of Jan. 6 (Totally f’ed up.)
• ‘Popesplaining’ Vance out of depth in row over whether Iran is a just war (“Trump administration has riled head of Catholic church over use of theology to justify conflict in Iran”)
• Pope James David Vance the First (“The vice president has decided he’s a more accomplished theologian than Leo XIV.”)
• Trump muses about Vance vs. Rubio as Iran peace talks heat up
• House extends surveillance powers until April 30 after late-night revolt sinks GOP plan
• Clash Between Trump and the Pope Is Dividing American Catholics (“From ‘deeply disappointed’ to ‘way out of proportion,’ Catholic voters across the U.S. react to the fight between two of the world’s most powerful men”)
• Where the DOGE Operatives Are Now (“WIRED tracked down some of the most prominent figures of last year’s DOGE invasion. Here’s where they are now—in government and beyond.” Every one of them should be facing criminal charges.)
• What’s Next for the GOP After Trump? Get Ready for 31 Flavors of MAGA.
• Utah Becomes the New Center of U.S. Measles Cases (“Nearly 600 people have been sickened across the state, which has seen an increase in vaccine exemptions among children in recent years.”)
• Judge Again Halts Aboveground Construction on Trump’s Ballroom
• 
  Progressive Analilia Mejia coasts to victory in New Jersey special House election
• Pollution Persists in the Florida Everglades Despite 40-Year Restoration Effort, Report Says (“The river of grass is not on track to meet a new water quality standard, according to the report. The state says recent data show the pollution is nearly within limits.”)
• What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center (“I spent 10 months working at the institution because I thought I could help protect it. What I observed there is far worse than the public knows.”)
• Conservation groups raise alarm as Potomac River named most endangered in the nation
• Video: Sen. Tim Kaine Catches OMB Director Russ Vought in a Series of Wild Lies About Tariffs Supposedly Not Being Taxes, Dept. of Defense Supposedly Being “Dept. of War”… (“You’re just voluntarily complying with this whimsical cosplay?”)
• Video: With Just Two More Days of Early Voting Before 4/21 Election, Check Out the “Yes for Virginia Live Rally” at 7 pm
• Democrats bring in national figures and Republicans see fundraising surge in final days of redistricting campaign
• Macy outraises Cline, Perriello outraises McGuire, but redistricting would knock one of the Democrats out of the fall race
• On Virginia Tech shooting anniversary, survivor-turned-legislator sees gun bill success (“‘The goal is to get guns out of the hands of individuals who should not have them,’ Del. Garrett McGuire said.”)
• Thousands of women in neighboring red states coming to Virginia for abortions
• Pope & Schapiro: The Fairfax tragedy, the referendum, and the reconvene session
• Virginia lawmakers push back on Spanberger’s changes to retail weed market bill
• Opinion | Why Virginians have soured on Spanberger (“They voted for a moderate and got a hack instead.” I’m including only to say a few things: 1) it’s totally, laughably wrong; 2) the Bezos Post editorial page is a hot f’ing mess, basically a bunch of right-wing trolls at this point; 3) the author disowned his own book, “The Emerging Democatic Majority” LOL)
• BREAKING: “An overnight murder-suicide has taken place at the home owned by former VA Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax in Annandale”
• Justin Fairfax Was A Coward (“…he had no floor. No bottom. A man who will use Emmett Till to protect his political career will use anything to protect himself. Anything. Anyone. Including, it turns out, the mother of his children.”)
• Court documents reveal mounting tension in Fairfax marriage before murder-suicide (“Justin Fairfax, a former Virginia lieutenant governor, saw his political career fade after sexual assault allegations. He and his wife, Cerina, were divorcing.”)
• Justin Fairfax killed his estranged wife and himself 2 weeks before a court deadline to move out
• For a brief time, Justin Fairfax was poised to become one of the most significant political figures in Virginia history (“Police say the former lieutenant governor killed his wife and then himself on Thursday, a tragic close to a political career that rose fast and then fell hard.”)
• A look back at former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s political career, personal struggles (“Once a rising star, Fairfax faced sexual assault allegations, a failed gubernatorial bid, and mental health issues following his time in office”)
• After fall: Justin Fairfax’s ‘profound retreat’ from family
• Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s Children Were Home During Murder-Suicide, Teenage Son Had to Call 911
• Justin Fairfax lost custody of kids, was ordered to move out, court documents say (“Court documents say Justin Fairfax spiraled into alcoholism and isolated himself from family involvement following the 2019 sexual assault allegations against him while he was in office.”)
• Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax kills wife, self in Annandale home, police say
• Former Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, wife Cerina, dead in apparent murder-suicide
• Virginia Beach approves 9:30 p.m. weekend curfew at Oceanfront beginning Friday
• Update: Virginia Beach leaders approve drastic measures to curb Oceanfront violence
• Valley Health changes staffing contracts, trims service citing ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ (It’s crazy that the media feels the need to use that laughable, absurd, Orwellian name for Trump’s heinous bill.)
• Federal appeals court rules against Fairfax County in police shooting (“The decision about the 2022 incident questions Fairfax County police tactics surrounding use of force during undercover”)
• Buck-Hayes pleads guilty to fire attack after wife’s affair left him ‘rejected’
• CWG Live: Warmth ebbs somewhat today, recharges Saturday