Saturday (4/18) News: “Iran says Strait of Hormuz restrictions reimposed due to US ‘breaches of trust’”; “Two weeks that pushed Trump to the edge. Is his presidency unravelling?”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, April 18. Early voting is open TODAY, leading up to election day on Tuesday, April 21, when you can vote (YES, of course!) at your regular polling location during regular polling hours (6 am to 7 pm).

• Stranded and dying, the German whale is a parable of our troubled relationship with these sea giants
• The History of Earth Day—and Why It Still Matters
• ‘We are not going back’: Iran war forces global energy shift (“Nations split over doubling down on fossil fuels or accelerating renewables.” The former option would be utterly moronic; the latter option is the only way, how is there even a question???)
• Who’d have thought a fossil-fuel shill like Trump would be the one to spark a green revolution? (“The US attack on Iran has made the need for renewable energy inarguable. Environmentalists are now being seen for the pragmatists that they are”)al
• Ukraine war briefing: Russia seeking to bring Belarus back into the war, says Zelenskyy (“Building of artillery positions and roads suggest fresh military efforts likely from the north, says Ukrainian president. What we know on day 1,514”)
• How 50 days of the Iran war led to the loss of $50 billion worth of oil
• U.S. renews Russian oil waiver after pressure from countries dealing with Iran war price shocks (Helping Putin yet again!)
• Live updates: Iran’s military command says it has closed Hormuz again over US blockade
• Trump Is Urged to Move on Nuclear Site Thought to Be Beyond Reach of Bombs
• Trump’s Efforts to Strong-Arm Iran Into Deal Spark Optimism—and Confusion (“The president insisted that Iran had agreed to give up its enriched uranium, although the details of such a deal remained unclear”)
• Trump Frames Iran War as All but Over in Optimistic Social Media Flurry (“Iranian officials did not confirm most of Mr. Trump’s claims and disputed several of them.”)
• Iran says Strait of Hormuz restrictions reimposed due to US ‘breaches of trust’
• GOP senators urge Trump to find Iran exit plan as energy prices rise: ‘The clock is ticking’
• Trump Says the Strait of Hormuz Is Open Again. About That … (“I regret to inform you that the president of the United States may not be totally on the level this time.”)
• Trump says U.S. has ‘good news’ on Iran as Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed again
• One of These Trump Threats Is Not Like the Others (“Trump has developed a reputation for backing down from his most over-the-top threats, but dismissing his words is a mistake.”)
• Trump shocked Netanyahu with post declaring Lebanon strikes “prohibited”
• ‘A defeat for Putin’: Ukrainians hope Magyar’s victory will mark new era with Hungary
• Orbán’s era was over in a flash and Hungary’s next PM is a man in a hurry
• The Media’s Groundbreaking Discovery: Anti-Corruption Is Good Politics (“The chattering classes have belatedly stumbled upon a way to defeat authoritarianism. Now if they can only practice what they preach.”)
• If Orban Is a Domino, Is Trump Next?
• Starmer’s Mandelson nightmare never ends. This time, it may cost him his job as U.K. leader (“The British prime minister would have hoped his cool head in the Iran crisis would keep a lid on leadership speculation, but a slow-burning scandal has left him with questions to answer.”)
• US commerce secretary lashes out at Canada ahead of trade talks: ‘They suck … Is this nuts?’
• Rümeysa Öztürk, Tufts University grad arrested by ICE agents last year, returns to Turkey
• They’ve been detained by ICE and ordered deported. Judges are releasing them from custody. (“Judges, including those appointed by Trump, have found that some detainees have been illegally held despite their deportation orders.”)
• Deaths of migrants in ICE custody hit record high under Trump
• Here’s what the stock market might have gotten wrong about the Iran war (“The surge in optimism contrasts starkly with continued energy supply challenges that threaten long-lasting economic harm — and a market reckoning.”)
• Alito and Thomas Have No Plans To Retire Before Midterms: Reports
• Supreme Court Justices Alito, Thomas not expected to retire this year: Sources
• Supreme Court Sides With Oil Companies in Louisiana Coastal Lawsuits (This court SUCKS!)
• With Vaccines Widely Popular, Kennedy Changes Tone, but Maybe Not His Plans
• Two weeks that pushed Trump to the edge. Is his presidency unravelling?
• ‘It’s kind of a tough situation’: US Catholics torn in feud between president and the pope
• Trump suffers rare defeat with House Republicans
• Mike Johnson Has a FISA Fiasco on His Hands (“The House Speaker’s surprise five-year extension and bogus warrant provision backfired, but it was enough to get a gaggle of Democrats to break ranks.”)
• Pete Hegseth’s Latest Embarrassment Proves He’s a Double-Ply Idiot (“At a recent Pentagon sermon—which is its own special kind of blasphemy—the Secretary of Talking About War couldn’t even Talk About the Bible without getting everything wrong.”)
• Exclusive: Justice Department removes lead prosecutor from probe of Trump critic John Brennan
• The FBI Director Is MIA (“Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.”)
• Keystone Kash’s Attorney Outs Even More Devastating Claims (“In attacking a report by The Atlantic, the FBI director’s legal team revealed allegations that were not previously public.”)
• Prosecutor Withdraws From Trump Team’s Investigation of Ex-C.I.A. Chief (“A career Justice Department lawyer, Maria Medetis Long, in Miami is said to have raised concerns about whether the evidence justified moving forward with a bid to prosecute John O. Brennan.”)
• Trump’s lawyers are in talks with the IRS to resolve president’s $10B lawsuit (That’s f’ed.)
• Is Congress having a reckoning over sexual misconduct – or just a moment? (“The resignations of two lawmakers facing ethics investigations have drawn comparisons to the #MeToo movement. Some House members say it’s time to revisit their rules and culture.”)
• J. D. Vance’s Bumpy Ride (“It wasn’t the first time that Trump had debased someone who serves him. It wasn’t even the first time that Vance had had to downplay a blasphemy-themed A.I. image.”)
• Trump says review of UFO files found ‘interesting’ documents (Whatever.)
• Republican Nerves Are Fraying Ahead of Midterm Elections (“High gasoline prices, the war in Iran and recent Democratic victories are fueling the angst”)
• Trump came to Arizona to rally young voters. An older crowd greeted him.
• Joe Rogan’s down on Trump and MAGA — but he’s still hardcore MAHA (Joe Rogan is a wildly irresponsible IMBECILE, the question is why does anyone listen to this asshole???)
• ‘Turning Point Was Charlie Kirk’: Why This Student Group Moved On
• A Republican Dark Money Group Blankets Virginia With Deceptive Mailers Ahead of Redistricting Vote (Utterly disgusting.)
• Anti-redistricting group uses fake AI-generated video of Spanberger in ad (“The spot says in small print that the video contains ‘dramatizations created with artificial intelligence.’”)
• Republicans rush to close the gap in the final stretch of Virginia’s redistricting election (“Behind in the polls and spending in the Democratic-leaning state, Republicans say they are still ‘within striking distance’ ahead of Tuesday’s vote.”)
• In Virginia gerrymandering fight, Republicans claim Obama’s with them. He isn’t
• Spanberger: Amendments, vetoes are part of the job as Virginia’s governor (Sure, of course. The question is whether they’re wise amendments and vetoes; in her case, many/most ARE, but a few are probably not. Also, better in general to discuss this stuff and hopefully make the changes DURING session, not after, especially when it’s your own party in charge.)
• Justin Fairfax saw himself as a victim. His family paid the price. (“The former lieutenant governor’s obsession with his damaged reputation led to a long slide and his estrangement from his family, according to court records and those who knew him. He killed his wife and himself.”)
• After fall: Justin Fairfax’s ‘profound retreat’ from family
• Patients and dental community mourn Dr. Cerina Fairfax, killed by Virginia’s ex-lieutenant governor
• ‘A wonderful human being’: Patients honor slain Dr. Cerina Fairfax
• Patients of Dr. Cerina Fairfax mourn her killing
• Divorce judge was concerned about Justin Fairfax’s recent mental health, 2022 gun incident, court documents show
• UVA students organize Plan B access in a post Roe-America
• Waynesboro: Number of unhoused seeking shelter up dramatically
• Virginia Tech board changed bylaws to allow Rocovich to serve third term as rector; now he oversees presidential search
• Vehicle crashes into Murphy’s Irish Pub patio, multiple injured at Oceanfront
• CWG Live: Very warm again today before Sunday showers and a big cool down (“Well into the 80s again today. Tomorrow should be about 25 degrees cooler.”)