Saturday (6/6) News: Trump’s Iran War Mainly Benefits Green Energy, China?; DoJ Argues “Trump could also tear down the Statue of Liberty”; Trump Eggs On “‘Less Shackled’ Pulte”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, June 6 (the 82nd anniversary of D-Day in World War II). Also, check out the VA01 Democratic forum held the other day – courtesy of the Gloucester Democrats.

• Mangrove Forests Fight Climate Change—But Climate Change Is Fighting Back (“Mangroves store vast amounts of climate-warming carbon. Sea level rise may push them past the brink, according to a new study.”)
• Electric cars are starting to take over the world (“Despite sluggish EV sales in the U.S., it’s full steam ahead for electric vehicles in most other regions.”)
• Global grid capex to surpass $650 billion in 2026, says Rystad Energy
• As Ebola Spreads in East Africa, Will China Step Up? (“China is well positioned to help stop the deadly virus, and could fill the void left by the U.S.”)
• CDC report: Ebola outbreak could rival the worst on record unless world acts
• The World Has Learned From the Last Ebola Outbreak, but Gaps Remain (“The vaccine development process and coordination between health organizations have improved since a devastating 2014-16 outbreak.”)
• How the War in Iran Is Transforming the Global Economy (“The green-energy industry, and China, may be the biggest beneficiaries.”)
• Putin says there is ‘no point’ meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine war
• Ukraine targets St. Petersburg again after Putin rejects Zelenskyy’s offer for direct talks
• Putin pours cold water on Zelensky meeting
• Putin’s Inner Circle Travels on Western-Made Private Jets Despite Sanctions (“Wealthy Russians enjoy many of the luxuries of their prewar lives”)
• Women accusing Andrew Tate criticise UK extradition delay as influencer appears in Russia (“Lawyer for British women attacks ‘extraordinary spectacle’ of Tate’s arrival in Moscow”)
• Scoop: Trump’s Iran envoys quietly convene nuclear experts in Tennessee
• Iran Fired Drones Toward Strait of Hormuz With U.S. Shooting Down at Least 4, U.S. Military Says (“The latest violence between the United States and Iran threatened a cease-fire and risked further stoking tensions in the region.”)
• Blackouts, hyperinflation, dissent: Iran considers perilous prospect of peace (“Conditions that led to bloody prewar protests have been made worse, commentators say”)
• Trump says Iran has not agreed to a deal to end the war because ‘they’re strong, they’re proud’ (He’s previously called them lunatics, etc…)
• What Visual Evidence Tells Us About Israel’s Use of White Phosphorus in Lebanon (“Videos collected by The Times show how the Israeli military has deployed a munition over populated areas in Lebanon that can be extremely harmful.”)
• Pentagon raised threat of Israeli spying on U.S. to highest level, sources say (“The counterintelligence threat level was raised by the Defense Intelligence Agency in recent weeks after growing concerns that Israeli espionage had become more aggressive than usual, sources say.”)
• Israel faces growing pressure over alleged abuse of Gaza flotilla members
• Starmer suggests US ‘trying to interfere in our democracy’ over Nowak claims
• Downing Street hits out after Vance post about Henry Nowak (Vance is an irresponsible, demagogic douchebag.)
• Hegseth takes six of his children to France on official trip (“The Pentagon says he is covering their travel expenses, but bringing them along could strain his security team at a time of increased threats, officials warned.”)
• As Trump Pushes Deportations, a Skyrocketing Caseload Strains Immigration Courts (“A federal surge has more than doubled caseloads within some immigration courts. Lawyers said the tactic was causing errors and confusion.”)
• ICE deported his dad. Now he’s graduating high school without him (F*** ICE)
• ICE at the World Cup Is a Threat to Us All
• ICE Calls Detainees the ‘Worst of the Worst.’ The Data Shows Otherwise.
• The White House’s Latest Provocation Is ‘Grotesque and Terrifying and Juvenile’
• The Supreme Court Is Illegitimate (“The court’s conservatives ripped the mask off the institution in a brief, unsigned decision allowing Alabama to use a racially discriminatory congressional map.” That’s certainly been the case since Mitch McConnell stole a Supreme Court seat in 2016/2017.)
• The Supreme Court Has Invented a Right to Discriminate (“Alabama gambled on the Court’s partisanship, and won.”)
• Kevin Warsh’s Job Just Got a Lot More Complicated (“The labor-market rebound is setting in motion a collision between the new Fed chairman, the bond market and the White House”)
• Stocks Slide as Investors See Rates Rising After Strong Jobs Data (The NY Times says these were “strong jobs data,” but when Joe Biden was president, the same or even stronger jobs numbers were called weak or disappointing or whatever by the NY Times. So…yep, they are WILDLY biased.)
• Spy-law extension at risk after Senate votes against launching debate (“Section 702 foreign surveillance authority is set to lapse June 12.”)
• Trump’s Gift to Drug Cartels, Money Launderers, and Terrorists (“Making America a safe space for fraudsters, crooks, and national security threats.”)
• The Forest Service says it’s closing offices to cut costs. But the math doesn’t add u
• Tensions grow between Trump and Senate GOP: Five takeaways
• Trump Fumes as Republican Senator Delivers Todd Blanche an Ultimatum (“Senator Thom Tillis is standing in the way of Attorney General Todd Blanche.”)
• Todd Blanche Reveals He’s Making It Harder for Dems to Prosecute Trump (“The acting attorney general bragged about putting “roadblocks” in place for those seeking justice against Trump.” Blanche is scum.)
• Justice Department urges judge not to block ‘anti-weaponization’ fund that it says is already dead
• Trump Says He Still Wants To Pay Jan. 6 Rioters. It Would Be Pretty Easy To Do So. (“Jan. 6 rioters are betting that Trump will still have their backs — and there’s an easy way he could pay them.”)
• Trump Urges ‘Less Shackled’ Pulte to Fire Intelligence-Community Employees (“President said in interview Office of the Director of National Intelligence should be ‘much smaller’ and maybe even terminated”)
• Bill Pulte’s Family Has Ties to “The Family” (“The new acting national intelligence director’s grandfather was close with Fellowship Foundation leader Doug Coe”)
• The J6 Rioter Now Working at the Pentagon (“His hiring is part of a dangerous trend in the Trump administration.”)
• Trump says he’s considering government stake in top AI companies
• Trump auctions off rights to drill in Alaska wildlife refuge, but gets few bidders
• NYT, WSJ Podcasts Promote Pro-drilling Ads by Top US Oil Lobby API (“The New York Times has included dozens of ads pushing looser permitting rules on America’s third-most popular podcast since September, analysis finds.” Appalling.)
• Trump is turning the organs of the state against his personal enemies. Look at E Jean Carroll (“The justice department decision to launch a criminal investigation into Carroll is a troubling, dark turn”)
• Group that funded Duffy’s road trip includes his ex-staffers (“The cross-country travel has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers.”)
• Trump could also tear down the Statue of Liberty, DOJ argues in defense of White House ballroom (“Justice Department lawyers said the courts are powerless to intervene in the dispute over the former East Wing.“)
• Bruised Democrats weigh how to win back voters, and regain power: ‘We’ve got to fight’ (“The party may reclaim the US House and even Senate, but primary candidates are far from united on how to move forward”)
• Conservative Pundits Don’t Think James Talarico Is a “Real Man.” Then Who Is? (“The rising Democratic star is injecting some wisdom and empathy into Texas politics. Jesse Watters, Stephen Miller, and the like can’t seem to handle it.”)
• Ken Paxton’s Senate Bid Raises the Stakes in His War on Latino Voting Groups
• Janet Mills shows no sign of reigniting her Maine Senate bid amid Graham Platner’s troubles
• Platner Says His Past Is Being ‘Weaponized’ Amid Mounting Democratic Concern (Take some responsibility for your own actions???)
• Sen. Brian Schatz offers first show of support for scandal-ridden Graham Platner (Alrighty…)
• Will Graham Platner Make It to November? (“And are Democrats blowing a golden opportunity to beat Susan Collins?”)
• The Messy Rise of Graham Platner (“The Maine oyster farmer’s dark years are a mounting liability for Democrats in their quest to gain control of the Senate” Have his “dark years” ended? If so, how/why?)
• Democrat Xavier Becerra will advance to November election in California governor’s race, CNN projects
• DOJ sends prosecutor to observe LA ballot counting amid Trump’s baseless ‘cheating’ claims (These people are f’ing crazy.)
• Right-wing media melts down as Spencer Pratt sinks in vote count (“Trump administration launched a federal probe as Republicans fall behind in California primaries”)
• Missing congressman and his staff paint a picture of business as usual (“Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., has offered little explanation for his ongoing absence. His social media posts highlight how Capitol Hill staffers have come to cover for bosses who are MIA.”)
• First on CNN: House member’s chief of staff charged with carrying a gun into US Capitol complex
• Trump Arch Will Need Red Lights, F.A.A. Says (“The Federal Aviation Administration advised that if the Trump administration adds red obstruction lights to the arch design, it is likely to pose no risk to local aviation.”)
• Police Remove Diabetes Experts From Conference for Distributing Critique of Trump Administration (“The researchers were handing out copies of the editorial, recently published in the association’s flagship journal, which detailed the effects of N.I.H. cuts and other Trump administration actions on diabetes research and outcomes, when security staff asked them to step outside and tried to take away the papers, said Aaron Kelly, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Minnesota who was among the researchers escorted out. A video taken by MedPage Today, which first reported the news, shows a tense confrontation, including a man in uniform putting his hands on an expert.”)
• Right-wing media celebrate CBS News gutting 60 Minutes and firing Scott Pelley (Right-wing media is the antithesis of 60 Minutes.)
• Why The New York Times Is Wholly Responsible for Bari Weiss’s Rise (“She was at The Wall Street Journal and should have spent her career there. But the Times decided she was … interesting. Why do liberals do this?”)
• Transcript: Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Question Pam Bondi About Trump and the Epstein Files (Walkinshaw to Evasive, Dishonest Bondi: “You haven’t answered it. You don’t have an answer.”)
• Another contentious Republican primary in the Fifth District in the offing
• “Black Smoke” on Virginia Budget Negotiations, Largely Over the Issue of Data Center Tax Breaks. (A few thoughts on where we’re at right now, with a 6/30 deadline looming)
• Virginia budget negotiations stall, again. But a backup plan emerges. (“Democrats in the General Assembly don’t appear to be any closer to reaching a budget deal. Money committee chairs Sen. Louise Lucas and Del. Luke Torian met with Gov. Abigail Spanberger Friday morning. But the conversation didn’t go well.” “Facing a June 30 deadline, when state funding runs out, one option the legislature is considering is a “skinny budget” that would fund core government services and legislation signed by Spanberger that is required by law to be funded. The General Assembly could resume talks after that, but if lawmakers don’t, any individual member budget amendments not tied to legislation could be dead until the legislature comes back in January.”))
• Louise Lucas to the ‘Data Center Diva’: No more tax breaks for data centers
• Budget negotiations have blown up after Lucas, Torian and Spanberger meeting (“… it now looks like a ‘skinny budget,’ which would fund core services of the state government, appears to be where things are heading.”)
• Virginia’s Water Supply Is Under Threat – and AI Data Centers Are Making the Problem Worse (“Rural county governments are being wooed by slick promotions of easy revenue by the data center industry while omitting crucial information”)
• Virginia offshore wind panel discusses Dominion, potential for future projects
• Rooftop solar possible for Roanoke County Career and Technology Center
• JUST IN: Three FCPS employees charged with separate crimes in past week
• DC-area forecast: Hot today, a little less so Sunday, then a brief respite