by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, April 27. But first, check out the exchange between Trump and Norah O’Donnell of 60 Minutes, in which Trump thuggishly lashes out at the media (“I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would because you’re horrible people….You’re a disgrace”), also defensively states, “I’m not a rapist. I didn’t rape anybody. I’m not a pedophile. Excuse me. You read that crap from a sick person. I was totally exonerated.” (note: he doth protest too much; in fact, Trump’s anything but “totally exonerated,” quite the contrary!). Also, check out the video feed of the Virginia Supreme Court oral arguments on the redistricting amendment today, starting at 9 am.
- More than 50 countries, including Australia, meet to thrash out an orderly path away from fossil fuels
- How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific
- Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds (“Researchers find ‘alarming’ effect on fertility across global species from simultaneous exposures”)
- 60 Countries to Meet on Phasing Out Fossil Fuels but Are Excluding the U.S. (“The Trump administration was not invited to the gathering in Santa Marta, Colombia. A White House spokeswoman called the green transition ‘destructive.'” Classic case of the media amplifying a wildly false claim by the Trump liars – it would have been easy in this case for the NY Times to put in the word FALSELY before “called” – so why didn’t they???)
- Pope Leo signals shift away from Catholic Church’s focus on sex
- The U.S. Started the War. The Rest of the World Is Feeling the Effects. (“In eight weeks, much of the global economy has been knocked sideways by the conflict in the Middle East. America has mostly been spared from the tumult.”)
- Ukraine’s drone commander has Russian oil, troops and morale in his sights
- Iran Foreign Minister to Meet Putin With US Talks at Stalemate (“The Russia trip comes after a report that said Tehran was signaling willingness to accept an interim deal with the US.”)
- Iran offers U.S. deal to reopen strait but postpone nuclear talks
- No headway in Middle East peace efforts as US and Iran refuse to yield
- ‘I should not have wished for war’: six ordinary Iranians on how the US-Israel conflict has changed them
- Iran didn’t have a nuclear weapon before this war. But you can see why it would develop one now (“If lawless aggression by ‘might is right’ nuclear-armed powers spreads unchecked, what other option do middle-ranking countries have?”)
- JD Vance can’t escape the Iran war (“The more the vice president tries to distance himself from the conflict, the further he gets sucked in”)
- Pakistan still seeks to bridge US, Iran gaps despite failure of face-to-face talks
- The Iran War Is Starting to Expose Cracks in China’s Economy
- Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare (“Energy prices are rising, growth is slowing and Europe’s cash-strapped governments have few tools left to protect voters from the fallout.”)
- Netanyahu’s biggest rivals join forces for Israel’s next election (“Two of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s most formidable political rivals said on Sunday they were joining forces in a bid to oust his coalition government in the upcoming election expected later this year.” Good; it’s long past time for Netanyahu to go!)
- ‘Israel must change direction’: Netanyahu rivals join forces for next election (“Rightwing Naftali Bennett and centrist Yair Lapid announce new party before Knesset vote expected later this year”)
- Orbán associates rush to move wealth out of Hungary after election defeat (“Incoming PM Péter Magyar accuses Fidesz-linked figures of trying to shield their wealth from accountability”)
- King Charles steps into U.K.-Trump standoff just as new security concerns arise
- King Charles Is on a Mission to Salvage U.K. Relations With Trump (“With the ‘special relationship’ on the rocks, U.K. ties with President Trump now rest on a charm offensive by King George III’s great-great-great-great-great-grandson”)
- US strike kills three on alleged narco boat as campaign death toll hits 185
- Fed to Hold Interest Rates as Political Drama Overshadows Policy Debate
- Tillis says he’s ready to move ahead with confirming Warsh as Trump’s pick as Fed chair
- ‘It’s going to be a circus’: Inside Mike Johnson’s grueling week’ (“The speaker has to rescue a contested spy law, fund immigration enforcement, pass a farm bill, host a king and deal with fallout from the WHCD.”)
- GOP senators losing confidence in Hegseth amid Pentagon turmoil (They EVER had confidence in this fascist f’ing clown???)
- Is the Supreme Court Coming Apart at the Seams?
- How Trump is moving to control US elections, one state at a time (“Reuters uncovered a Trump administration effort to gain federal control over elections, historically run locally, in at least eight states – using investigations, raids and demands for access to balloting systems and voter ID.” Really, REALLY bad!)
- We Marinate in Conspiracy Today. Who’s to Blame? Partly, Donald Trump. (“With respect to the attempts on his life, Donald Trump is the victim of conspiracy-mongering. But somehow, it’s a little hard to feel too bad for him.”)
- Trump officials hire ‘deportation judges’ with less training or experience (“The president is remaking courts to clear a backlog of asylum cases. Hires include an attorney for Jan. 6 rioters and a lawyer who championed Minneapolis ICE raids.” YIKES!)
- Trump’s Shockingly Unqualified U.S. Attorney Picks
- Suspect in White House Correspondents’ dinner shooting wrote of targeting Trump administration (“Cole Tomas Allen, 31, is accused of rushing a security checkpoint armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives, and exchanging gunfire with law enforcement.”)
- How did last night’s shooter get that close to Trump with an arsenal of weapons?
- Trump lashes out at ‘60 Minutes’ anchor for reading alleged gunman’s manifesto (Actually, Politico, he lashed out – as he often does – at the ENTIRE political news media.)
- Correspondents’ dinner lacked highest security level despite presence of top officials (“The White House correspondents’ dinner, attended by the president and several Cabinet members, was not given top security status that would have unlocked the full weight of federal security resources.”)
- Alleged White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter set to appear in federal court
- Accused attacker at Washington media dinner is a tutor and computer engineer from California
- The Most Frightening Shooters Are the Smart Ones (“A manifesto-like email allegedly sent by the dinner shooter suggests a murderous obsession with Trump’s politics.”)
- A new attack on the rituals that define US democracy (“The thwarted attack is part of a rising tide of violence against public officials”)
- ‘I don’t expect forgiveness’: Authorities review writings of California teacher suspected of shooting
- Gunfire at the White House correspondents’ dinner is another grim sign of our times
- Donald Trump’s Would-Be Assassin Had a Plan. The Opposite Is About to Unfold. (“The political fallout here is clear.”)
- Gunfire of the Vanities: Trump dinner shooting defines a violent, unserious America (“Another Trump assassination try leaves dinner guests wanting to party on, in a laughingstock America, numb to violence.”)
- There’s Zero Proof the Correspondents’ Dinner Attack Was Fake. But There Sure Are Plenty of People Claiming It Was. (“The attack touched off a conspiracy theorist bonanza—though largely not from the usual suspects.”)
- DC’s Strange, Late Night: The Surreal Scene at WHCD Parties After the Shooting (“Oz Pearlman was mentalizing President Trump when the commotion started, and soon the main event was cancelled. Then a different kind of wild time began across Washington’s hotspots, where an esprit de press corps, some dancing, and plenty of tequila made for a very American juxtaposition of violence and gaiety.”)
- The Simple Security Flaws That Exposed Trump to Another Gunman (“At the same hotel where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot 45 years ago, it was remarkably easy for a shooter to charge toward a ballroom where President Trump—along with his cabinet members and the reporters who cover his administration—were dining Saturday night”)
- Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in court over OpenAI’s founding mission (“Musk’s lawsuit accuses Altman of fraud, while OpenAI says that Musk is ‘motivated by jealousy’”)
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Condemns Political Violence; On Redistricting, Says “it would damage the credibility of the VA Supreme Court for a generation if they were to overturn the will of the voters”
- As Highly Vulnerable Trump Rubber Stamp Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Kicks Off Her Reelection Campaign, DCCC and Fmr. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA02) Blast Her Atrocious Record
- “Another defeat for the GOP”; “Richmond Circuit Court rules for Dems in redistricting case related to compactness” (“…this Court knows its role is clear. It is not to assess the wisdom of public policy nor to engage in policy making from the bench.”)
- All paths on redistricting converge at Virginia Supreme Court
- Multiple lawsuits challenge Virginia’s redistricting election. Here’s where each case stands.
- Virginia court declines to block Democrats from using new voter-approved congressional map
- Redistricting case puts at least two Virginia Supreme Court justices in awkward spot: They will soon be up for reappointment. (“Virginia is one of only two states where legislators elect Supreme Court justices. Now those justices must rule on whether the legislature followed the law. Would ruling that General Assembly cut legal corners endanger their judicial careers?”)
- Heaphy: The Virginia Constitution is clear. Why the Virginia Supreme Court should uphold redistricting amendment (“The redistricting amendment is consistent with the Virginia Constitution, Supreme Court precedent and the fundamental principle that the people ultimately define the basic standards the govern our democracy.”)
- Virginia Supreme Court considers whether to block voter-approved US House map favoring Democrats
- Winners & Losers | Are Witches Invading Virginia? (“Failing upward and leveling the playing field.”)
- Data center tax exemption changes still holding up Virginia budget (“A Democratic senator wants to end the $1.9 billion handout. The industry doesn’t want to cede that much.”)
- Virginia cannabis retail plan in limbo after lawmakers reject Spanberger changes (“Governor must decide whether to sign or veto long-debated proposal as disputes over regulation, enforcement and timelines persist.”)
- Governor Spanberger: Good governance means standing with public workers | Guest column
- Guv’s emphatic veto on Fairfax casino won’t be the last word – bet on it (“Scott Surovell – the Senate majority leader, Fairfax County Democrat, and persistent supporter of a casino-entertainment complex – has indicated this saga isn’t over, columnist Roger Chesley writes.”)
- Big projects have claimed most of the industrial land in Danville and Pittsylvania. The region is preparing for more growth. (“Though lots of industrial park acreage has been claimed so far this year, the region still has more shovel-ready sites than anywhere else in Virginia. But local officials say they can’t get complacent.”)
- VCU wants to raise performance standards for tenured professors
- CWG Live: Sunny and nice today before increasing rain chances midweek (“Shower chances return Tuesday afternoon. More significant rain and thunder are possible Wednesday afternoon into the night.”)
