by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 6.
- Real zero means not having to worry about despots, oligarchs, fruitcakes and invaders, says Forrest
- EU trade deal could force UK to restrict use of weedkiller linked to cancer
- Trump lashes out at Pope Leo again ahead of Rubio trip to Rome (“The criticism of the pontiff’s stance on Iran highlighted what Vatican officials have described as an unprecedented low in relations with the United States.”)
- Trump again assails Pope Leo, potentially complicating Rubio’s visit to the Vatican this week
- To stay or risk the ‘Road of Death’ – Ukrainian civilians trapped in frontline city
- ‘Putin only cares about parades’: fury as Russia rains missiles on Ukraine during 24-hour truce (“Dozens killed despite ceasefire announced by Zelenskyy, after Moscow asked for Saturday truce for its annual military parade”)
- Ukraine races to build its own missile shield as Patriot supplies run short (“Facing American interceptor shortages, Kyiv is pitching its own system linked with pan-European technology to fill the gap.”)
- How the Iran War Is Shifting Power Toward China (“As the U.S.’s credibility and military capacity are tested abroad, China has gained leverage by staying out of the fight and learning from it.”)
- Oil prices plunge on report U.S. and Iran closing in on a deal to end war; Brent crude down to $100
- Oil plunges, markets surge on report U.S. and Iran near deal to end war as gas prices jump past $4.50
- The real cost of the Iran War: $72 billion for the first 60 days (Massive waste of money.)
- White House Insists Iran War Is Over, Even While Missiles Fly (“The White House is turning to rhetorical leaps as President Trump tries to put the biggest political crisis of his presidency behind him” Instead of calling them L-I-E-S, the NY Times, goes with “rhetorical leaps” for whatever reasons)
- Trump Looks for a Silver Bullet to End the Iran War. There May Be None. (“The president is trying to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, but Iran’s government is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise.”)
- White House gave Iran private message before new Hormuz operation
- Trump Pauses Plan to Guide Ships While Seeking Iran Deal
- Live updates: Hegseth says ceasefire is not over despite Iranian strikes on UAE and commercial vessels (Yet again, I ask, why can’t the media just say that Hegseth – or Trump, etc. – are LYING, full of CRAP, etc., right in their headlines???)
- Exclusive: U.S. and Iran closing in on one-page memo to end war, officials say (“Among other provisions, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the U.S. agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped but nothing is truly resolved.”)
- US Boosts Efforts to End Iran War as Trump Suspends Hormuz Plan
- Fox’s ”nuke” justification for the Iran war — and the higher prices it’s wrought — has collapsed (“Is it a small price to pay if you get nothing in return?”)
- Ex-US spy for Israel calls for Gaza ethnic cleansing as he seeks Knesset seat (“Jonathan Pollard, who served 30 years for selling US military secrets, advocates ‘forcible removal’ of Palestinians” This guy…UGH.)
- Democrats urge Rubio to acknowledge Israel possesses nuclear weapons amid Iran war (“In a letter sent on Monday, 30 Democrats wrote that it was unsustainable for Donald Trump to collaborate with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on a military campaign against Iran – with the stated goal of preventing the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon – without publicly acknowledging the US ally’s possession of the bomb.”)
- US military kills three people in boat strike in eastern Pacific (“Without offering details or evidence, US Southern Command describes the people killed as ‘narco-terrorists’” Sounds like a possible crime; needs to be investigated.)
- Canaries’ leader opposes plan to let virus-hit ship dock, as three patients evacuated to Netherlands
- Trump administration axes fast-track training for new ICE recruits
- The Supreme Court Is Exerting Its Power in a Way Never Seen Before (“After destroying the Voting Rights Act, the conservative majority jumped right into an action that could change how the court operates forever.”)
- John Roberts Believes in an America That Doesn’t Exist
- Exclusive: Bert Callais, lead plaintiff in case that gutted Voting Rights Act, is an election conspiracist who was at Jan. 6 protest (We are truly living in a nightmare “timeline”)
- The Supreme Court Just Made Its Voting Rights Ruling Even Worse (“The court has fast-tracked its decision demolishing the VRA, helping Southern states redraw their maps before the midterms.”)
- Gasoline costs 50% more in the US than it did before the Iran war
- US Gasoline Hits $4.50, Nears All-Time High as Iran Fuel Crunch Grows
- FDA blocked studies finding Covid and shingles vaccines safe, HHS official says (“Serious side-effects from vaccines were rare, scientists found in studies funded by US taxpayer money” They’re VERY safe and VERY effective.)
- F.D.A. Blocked Publication of Research Finding Covid and Shingles Vaccines Were Safe (“The agency’s scientists and data contractors reviewed millions of patient records for studies that were pulled back before release.”)
- US FDA blocked publication of COVID, shingles vaccine safety studies
- Another Marty Makary Mistake (“The FDA chief names Vinay Prasad’s deputy to replace him.” This dude was an adivsor to Glenn Youngkin. ‘Nuff said.)
- Trump and his oil-and-coal oligarchy should face sanctions for their war on the environment
- Assaults against U.S. Jews reach 46-year high
- Poll: Trump blamed for gas prices as Democrats gain midterm edge (“Just 37% of respondents approve of the job Trump is doing overall, while 59% disapprove. That’s the highest level of disapproval ever in the Marist poll for Trump between both of his terms. What’s more, 51% strongly disapprove, which is tied for worst ever for Trump in the poll. The number shows the intensity of opposition that he’s facing…By a 52%-42% margin, respondents said they would vote for a Democratic candidate in their district if congressional elections were held today.”)
- A decades-long plan to abolish the Electoral College may finally pay off (“Democrats could be one midterm wave away from instituting a national popular vote. Should they?”)
- Americans’ views on crime often diverge from actual crime trends, report says (A “report” figured this out, huh? I mean, this has been GLARINGLY OBVIOUS for decades now – Americans almost always think crime is high and/or going up up up, even when it’s low and/or going down down down. This is largely the media’s fault, by the way, for its relentless, irresponsible, ghoulish “if-it-bleeds-it-leads” coverage.)
- How car-loving American cities fell so far behind their global peers on public transit (“With most major European cities well-served by trains and buses, bringing US transit up to par would cost $4.6tn”)
- Abortion is still a problem for the GOP
- Federal employment agency sues NYT for discrimination (Total crap.)
- Trump’s Case Against Comey Is Imploding—and Handing Dems a New Weapon (“The Comey indictment is totally baseless. The question, which Democrats are now exploring, is how such prosecutions can be stopped.”)
- Trump Goes Into Detail About Guns And Violence… While Surrounded By Kids!?!
- Trump describes Iran war horrors in Oval Office full of kids: ‘Right between the eyes’ (“Children and athletes assembled for Trump’s reinstatement of the presidential fitness exam became his captive audience for Iran war and trans athlete rants on Tuesday”)
- Senate Dems eager to force Republicans to vote on Trump’s ballroom
- Republicans want to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on Trump’s $400 million ballroom (“The controversial vanity project was already unpopular. The GOP’s planned use of public funds is poised to make matters worse.”)
- Howard Lutnick faces congressional showdown after Epstein files revealed island visit (“The commerce secretary said he stopped talking to Jeffrey Epstein in 2005. But a House inquiry wants to know why investigative files show otherwise.”)
- Poll finds broad rejection of religion-related messages from Trump, Hegseth
- ‘The Kamala Harris problem’: Vance’s 2028 hopes hinge on Trump, Iowa Republicans say (“The vice president’s first trip to the early caucus state saw him defending the White House’s response to a sputtering economy with an eye towards his own presidential ambitions.”)
- Takeaways from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan: Trump’s flex pays off and Democrats win special election
- With Indiana, Trump asserts his grip on the GOP (“The president successfully ousted a majority of the Republican state senators who blocked his redistricting effort last year.”)
- Another House Republican is under the microscope for alleged sexual misconduct (“Some senior GOP lawmakers have been concerned for months about accusations surrounding Rep. Chuck Edwards.”)
- Trump administration sues Denver over its 1989 assault weapons ban
- California gubernatorial frontrunners clash in high-stakes debate as early voting gets under way (“Republican and Democratic candidates met again in race shaped by Eric Swalwell’s exit and Xavier Becerra’s rise”)
- Florida creates ‘anti-woke’ AP history alternative for students (Whitewashed, propagandistic “history,” in other words.)
- In Attack on Mamdani, Vornado Chief Likens ‘Tax the Rich’ to Hate Speech (“Steven Roth, the chief executive of Vornado, criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani for singling out the billionaire Ken Griffin in his bid to make the wealthy pay more taxes in New York City.” Nutjobs.)
- Real estate titan compares ‘tax the rich’ slogan to racial slurs (Utterly deranged.)
- N.Y.P.D. Captain Is Transferred After Calling Mamdani ‘Total Nonsense’ (“The captain, James G. Wilson, was also filmed calling Democrats a ‘waste of human race.'” Seems like someone like this should NOT be a police officer.))
- New York Democrats amplify their push for 2028 redistricting
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Says Republicans Won’t Challenge Trump on Iran War Because “they don’t want to cross him,” are “terrified” of the “blowback” (Also: “There is just a strong strong fealty and loyalty to Trump”)
- New Poll* of Virginia: Warner +25 pts; Dems Lead Generic House Ballot by 14 pts; Spanberger 52%-41% Approval; Newsom Beats Vance 46%-38% (*By “The Virginia Project,” which is right-wing Republican)
- Video: Rahm Emanuel Demolishes Glenn Youngkin, Corrects His B.S. and Lies, Shuts Him Up…VERY Entertaining! (Emanuel also calls out Youngkin’s party for massive “crony capitalism and corruption”)
- Black voters were the most enthusiastic for the redistricting amendment. Southwest Democrats were the least. (“The Democratic vote was down across Virginia, but it was down inconsistently. The highest retention rate from last November was generally in localities with high Black populations.”)
- Virginia joins 21 states in opposing USPS gun mailing proposal (“Attorneys general warn rule could bypass background checks and weaken enforcement of state firearm laws.”)
- Virginia names 2027 Teacher of the Year (” Gov. Abigail Spanberger named Madeline Duffy as Virginia’s 2027 Teacher of the Year on Tuesday. Duffy is a special education teacher at Nottoway High School. She was recognized for connecting with and creating real world learning experiences for her students.”)
- Officials from both sides of aisle ask Spanberger to sign PDAB bill
- Menhaden board punts vote to increase Virginia reduction fishery quota restrictions (“The board is considering multiple options to implement time period quotas throughout the menhaden fishing season to address the concerns that the fishery is capturing the forage fish before they can move through the Bay up to Maryland.”)
- Virginia delegate resigning for tech policy job; special election coming (“In an exclusive interview with Dogwood, Maldonado said she was taking a job to head up AI policy at a think tank in Washington, DC called Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF).”)
- Manassas’ Vásquez Luna exploring a run for Del. Maldonado’s seat
- Editorial: New study envisions area workforce changes with AI
- One Virginia jail thought it could fix its budget by detaining immigrants. It was wrong.
- Husband of Staunton Montessori School staffer on mold story: ‘You are absolute trash’ (“I’m supposing Kevin Hall, who, per his LinkedIn profile, is a senior systems analyst at McKee Foods, wasn’t happy with us writing about the repeated health issues experienced by students at the school that stemmed from a mold problem after heavy rains last fall flooded a classroom. I’m the bad guy here, see, for reporting on this. The issue was reported to me by a parent, who came to me with pages of receipts, detailing months of back-and-forth with the school over the mold problem in the classroom.”)
- Charlottesville’s ‘State of Homelessness’ report identifies greater need
- Lexington golf club renovation spurs concerns about watershed impacts
- Fairfax Co. parents call for less laptop, tablet screen time during class
- CWG Live: Occasional rain today, thunderstorm possible; lingering showers Thursday?
