Wednesday (6/3) News: “America Broke Something When It Gave Trump a Second Chance”; “Dismay as Trump officials to dismantle key ocean monitoring system”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, June 3.  And yes, as Jamelle Bouie says, “Donald Trump is Getting What He Deserves” – lol.

• New ways to remove CO2 from atmosphere must grow much faster, report says (“Novel forms of CO2 removal must expand at ‘highly ambitious rates’ if world is to limit global heating to 1.5C, says study”)
• Putin remains uncompromising on Ukraine, but is public discourse on war changing in Russia?
• Ukraine targets St. Petersburg as ‘Putin’s Davos’ gets underway
• Putin’s ‘Davos’ haunted by war and stagnation despite the swank of influencers
• US and Iran launch new strikes, as Kuwait says airport hit by Iranian drones (Great “ceasefire,” huh?)
• War Games and Warnings on Strait of Hormuz Went Unheeded by Trump
• U.S. and Iran in fresh clashes as peace talks stall
• Iran fires missiles and US strikes Iran facility after reports of faltering peace talks
• Trump says Iran agreed to not have nuclear weapons, but ‘they can change their mind’ (WTF is THAT supposed to mean???)
• ‘They beat me until I lost consciousness’: growing reports of brutal arrests, torture and deaths in Iran’s prisons (Iran’s government is utterly heinous.)
• The Kardashev Scale: Australia’s staggering energy transition and its untapped opportunity (“Broadly speaking, a Type I civilization controls all of the energy received by its local star at the planet’s surface, a Type II civilization harnesses the total energy output of the parent star (often visualised as a Dyson sphere) and a Type III civilization: commands the energy of an entire galaxy, something even the boldest futurists have difficulty in describing.”)
• U.S. proposes fresh tariffs on 60 economies over forced labor trade practices
• Mullin refuses to commit to following court orders for DHS (WILDLY UNACCEPTABLE!)
• Supreme Court allows Alabama to use congressional map favoring Republicans in this year’s elections (This Court is a f’ing joke. A really bad joke, that is.)
• Breaking: The Supreme Court, Over the Dissent of the 3 Liberal Justices, Allows Alabama to Use Maps that a Lower Court Found to Be Intentionally Discriminating Against Black Voters (Now Updated with Analysis–This is a Significant and Very Bad Ruling)
• Supreme Court greenlights Alabama’s racial gerrymander, signaling free rein for states to discriminate
• Warsh Names Two Conservative Policy Veterans as Interim Fed Advisers (“One helped write chapter detailing potential overhauls of central bank in conservative policy blueprint known as Project 2025” Yikes.)
• Trump Hired One Idiot for Two Jobs, and He’s Qualified for Neither (“The president ran down his list of interchangeable lawn jockeys and ended up with Bill Pulte, who already leads another government office, to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.”)
• Trump’s intel pick delights MAGA and shocks nation’s spies (Ridiculous headline by Politico.)
• Trump’s Strange Choice for Director of National Intelligence (“The president’s selection of Bill Pulte is both baffling and predictable.” It’s not really baffling at all if you kno what Trump is looking for – loyalists, people who will break the law and seek “retribution”, etc)
• Housing official who targeted Trump’s enemies is named director of intelligence (Uttelry APPALLING!)
• Steve Bannon and Jack Posobiec celebrate the appointment of Bill Pulte as DNI, saying he will “start digging in on the domestic side of terrorism” (These people are fascists.)
• 
  5 lingering questions about Trump’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ (“Acting AG Todd Blanche sought to end the furor over the fund, but the saga seems far from over.”)
• ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ is dead, acting AG says (“But Republican senators have been hopeful Blanche would make clear in his testimony that the administration would abandon this effort altogether, which could clear the way for Congress to vote on the party-line package with fewer political headaches.”)
• Order Shielding Trump Family From I.R.S. Audits Will Remain, Blanche Says (“The acting attorney general said the administration was preserving a broad order protecting the president and his family from audits of already filed returns, despite dropping a $1.8 billion payout fund.” WILDLY unacceptable!)
• Dismay as Trump officials to dismantle key ocean monitoring system (“Ocean Observatories Initiative, $368m network that has provided crucial climate data, latest victim of Trump cuts”)
• Scientists lose critical climate record as ocean observatory will go dark under Trump funding cuts (Insane. Vandalism. Evil.)
• Six US states sue Trump administration over deal to kill windfarm project (“State attorneys general argue $1bn deal to terminate major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York is unlawful”)
• Pentagon hires convicted Jan. 6 rioter for sensitive counterterrorism job (“The Trump administration’s appointment of Elias Irizarry, who was 19 at the time of the Capitol attack, has alarmed some in the Defense Department.” Should alarm EVERYONE!)
• Trump’s “Christian Nationalism” Is Neither of Those Things (“The president may dress himself in the trappings of patriotism and religiosity, but make no mistake: His administration is sinful to its core.”)
• America Broke Something When It Gave Trump a Second Chance
• America’s Data-Center Build‑Out Is Falling Way Behind Schedule (“Google, which is raising a fresh $80 billion, has a strategy for getting around the biggest bottleneck.”)
• U.S. Support for LGBTQ+ Issues Remains Down From Peak (“Support for legal same-sex marriage down six points from 2022-2023 high; 62% viewing gay/lesbian relations as moral is lowest since 2016; Perceived morality of changing one’s gender down eight points since 2021”)
• Federal workers experiencing ‘PTSD-like symptoms’ after unlawful firings by Trump administration (“In survey of more than 300 fired probationary employees, 95% reported continuing mental health effects”)
• Federal worker NDA plan sparks accountability concerns
• Thune hits breaking point with Trump (Yeah, sure.)
• He Blew the Whistle on DOGE. Then His Brakes Were Cut (“A federal IT staffer filed a complaint about DOGE, then went public. Shortly after Elon Musk boosted a post calling his claims false, his brake lines were cut. Now he’s suing for defamation.”)
• Scott Pelley Fired From ‘60 Minutes’ Following Explosive Showdown With New Boss (“The veteran journalist previously said editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is “murdering ‘60 Minutes.’”)
• Fired Scott Pelley Slams CBS News: “Incompetence and Unprofessionalism In the New Management Have Wreaked Havoc”
• Scott Pelley fired by CBS after ‘60 Minutes’ clash with management
• Clock Strikes Midnight for Pelley (“Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, Scott Pelley was informed via email that he had been fired from the network he had called home for more than three decades.”)
• CBS News Fires Scott Pelley of ‘60 Minutes’ (“Mr. Pelley, a former “CBS Evening News” anchor, was ousted after months of tensions between staff and Bari Weiss, the network’s editor in chief.” Bari Weiss is a disgrace.)
• Here’s what we just learned about the Democratic Party’s future (“Voters chose centrist and establishment-backed candidates in several key races.”)
• Democrats backing Platner for Maine Senate despite news of sexting infidelity (“Challenger to Susan Collins has already cited PTSD for bigoted online posts and covered up Nazi tattoo”)
• Schumer shares few details on meeting with Platner
• Graham Platner’s Team Keeps Insulting Our Intelligence (“The Senate hopeful’s crew keeps telling us his scandals don’t matter. They keep piling up.” This guy is a hot f’ing mess in just about every way.)
• Exclusive: House Ethics Committee investigating Rep. Jimmy Gomez over sexual misconduct allegations, sources say
• Becerra and Bass surge in California as anti-establishment fever breaks
• Election Live Updates: Races Are Close in California With Many Votes Still to Count (“The reality TV star Spencer Pratt could secure a spot in a runoff with Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles. Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, and Steve Hilton, a Republican, were leading in the governor’s race.”)
• Becerra, Hilton Take Early Lead in California Governor Race (“The top two finishers will advance to the November general election regardless of party.”)
• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to run-off in race to run California’s biggest city
• A Trump Endorsement Falls Flat: 4 Election Takeaways From Iowa and Beyond
• Josh Turek wins Democratic primary in battleground Iowa Senate race (“Turek, a state representative and Paralympic gold medalist, beat state Sen. Zach Wahls, NBC News projects, as Democrats try to compete for retiring U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat this fall.”)
• Trump’s pick for Iowa governor loses GOP primary in upset
• Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland wins Democratic nomination in New Mexico governor’s race
• Jeffries stops short of endorsing one of his members in rare move (“Wasserman Schultz, a member of Jeffries’ leadership team, has stoked the anger of Black Democrats by running in a plurality Black district. ‘People are pissed off,’ a second senior House Democrat told Axios.”)
• Democrat Rebecca Bennett will take on GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has been absent from Congress (“Bennett emerged from a Democratic primary field that included physician Tina Shah, NBC News projects, in one of the most closely divided districts in the country.”)
• Trump endorses New Jersey Republican not seen since March (“Tom Kean has been out with health issue since March. Democrats are sharpening their knives for general election”)
• Missing New Jersey Congressman Issues Statement Promising ‘Transparency’
  (Suuuuure.)
• New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. says he’s ‘energized’ but appears to push back timeline for return
• Former US Army doctor Adam Hamawy will win Democratic House primary in New Jersey, CNN projects
• Wiener and Chan Will Face Off in House Race to Succeed Nancy Pelosi
• Tennesee GOP Rep. Andy Ogles deletes anti-Pride Month tweet (“Rep. Andy Ogles made a social media post Tuesday saying ‘homosexuality has no place in America,’ and then deleted it after drawing criticism from at least one fellow House Republican.” This guy is a completely unhinged bigot.)
• DOJ is investigating former congressman George Santos for insider trading on Kalshi
• Sen. Mark Warner: “Elevating [Bill Pulte] to oversee the Intelligence Community makes clear that this president is not looking for an intelligence leader who will follow the facts or speak truth to power” (Also, Pulte “has demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution”)
• Sen. Tim Kaine questions Secretary of State Marco Rubio about boat strikes
• ‘Nobody believes that’: Sen. Tim Kaine reacts to Marco Rubio saying Iran war is ‘over’
• Prices Are Rising—and Virginians Are Still Footing the Bill for Data Centers (“Data centers need to pay their fair share – and not be allowed to harm and pollute Virginia communities”)
• Virginia revenue forecast jumps by $1.5 billion as budget talks continue (“Spanberger administration says stronger-than-expected revenues could help lawmakers break ongoing budget impasse before the June 30 deadline.”)
• Democratic leaders say budget talks are advancing
• Another year, another Va. retail cannabis market veto leaves businesses, the public with few options (“Governor Abigail Spanberger’s veto shocked advocates for an adult-use market.”)
• Scientists warn mining off Virginia’s coast could damage the ecosystem
• Aging at home drives growing demand for Virginia caregivers (“Richmond-area nonprofits say higher wages, transportation support and Medicaid funding are key to keeping home healthcare workers on the job. “)
• Small Win In Suffolk’s Fight to Keep ICE Out(“The plan may be paused, but Suffolk has good reason to stay vigilant”)
• Virginia Tech board names new rector, vice rector after Rocovich removal
• VT Board of Visitors elects new rector to replace Rocovich (“Board member Jim Miller, who was appointed in 2024 by Governor Glenn Youngkin, will now lead the board.”)
• Virginia Tech lands on ‘flexible’ December deadline to find next president
• Virginia Beach mayor: Ban large-scale data centers in the city (“Virginia Beach is considering a ban on large data centers and hyperscalers. But the city could still allow subsea cable landing sites and colocation facilities, where internet carriers can connect to the cables, with new zoning restrictions.”)
• Editorial: Hopes ride on Virginia Beach safety task force’s success
• Measles outbreak in Buckingham County continues to grow (“Since April, there have been 55 confirmed cases of measles in the area. Statewide, Virginia has reported 77 measles cases this year.” Completely inexcusable.)
• Why are News Leader stories now showing up on local competitors’ websites?
• Case closed in 14-year-old lawsuit over Fluvanna prison conditions
• EXCLUSIVE: Spurred by Tysons casino fight, new advocacy group wants to put money behind local voices
• DC-area forecast: Sunny days as heat ramps up late week