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by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise (economic, environmental, etc.) for Thursday, June 25. Also, check out the satirical video by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10) about the Reflecting Pool fiasco.
INTERNATIONAL
- To Escape Record Heat, the French Are Taking to Water. Both Have Been Deadly.
- A Climate Chaos Maker (“Global warming is causing extreme heat around the world. Now El Niño, a natural phenomenon that disrupts global weather patterns, is also at work.”)
- Why Europe Is the Fastest-Warming Continent (“The burning of fossil fuels is raising temperatures worldwide, but local factors, on land and at sea, determine which regions warm most rapidly.”)
- ‘It’s like a furnace’: French struggle with heat-trap homes as climate inequality grows (“Many of France’s buildings are not designed for hot weather – and low-income housing estates are suffering the worst”)
- Trump’s Energy Secretary Says ‘Cold Is Larger Killer’ During Record European Heatwave (“Chris Wright, a former oil and gas executive, urged the UK to embrace fossil fuels at right-wing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London.” Chris Wright is COMPLETELY insane.)
- Datacentres facing increase in global climate-related legal cases, report finds
- France, UK and Spain see record temperatures as heatwave grips western Europe
- Edge of Armageddon: why does one of the world’s top thinkers believe we’re nearing nuclear apocalypse? (“In a chilling new book, theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli says we’re back on the brink – and this time, leaders chronically lack the nous of Kennedy and Khrushchev. So why is he against rearming?”)
- Why Does Everyone Hate AI? (“It’s the fear, the enshittification, datacenter hostility, and the tech broligarchy”)
- Zelenskyy says Russia is shifting air defenses to Moscow and other key sites after drone strikes
- Brent Oil Erases Wartime Gains as Hormuz Reopening Boosts Supply
- Oil price falls to levels not seen since before Iran war
- Iran warns ships it’s ‘unacceptable and dangerous’ to transit the Strait of Hormuz without their approval
- Trump, Republican senator engage in shouting match over Iran war
- Donald Trump blows up at Bill Cassidy over Iran war powers resolution
- From ‘Terrible People’ to ‘Smart People’: The Trump-Led Right Rethinks Iran (“The president has sought to recast the Iranian government as he pursues a peace deal. But there are signs that a softening on Iran in the Republican Party goes well beyond him.”)
- JD Vance is the face of the beleaguered Iran deal – is he its fall guy? (“The vice-president, leading a foundering peace deal to end the kind war he’s opposed in the past, is left holding the bag”)
- 60% Of Voters Think U.S. Military Action Against Iran Was Not Worth It, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly Half Think U.S. Is Too Supportive Of Israel, A New High (“When it comes to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 20 percent of voters have a favorable opinion of him, while 48 percent have an unfavorable opinion of him, and 30 percent haven’t heard enough about him.” If you haven’t heard of Bib Netanyahu, who’s been around for decades now, that means you pretty much don’t follow the news at all.)
- Israel says IDF is staying in southern Lebanon, undermining Iran peace talks
- How Bad an Idea Was Brexit? (“It hasn’t done what its supporters promised—but it has reshaped politics not only in the U.K. but across Europe and in the United States.” DISASTER.)
- ‘I hear he’s extremely liberal’: Trump offers first comments on Andy Burnham (“The US president told reporters the former Manchester mayor ‘probably won’t open up the North Sea’ for oil exploration”)
- Revealed: The Trump Donors, Reform-Backing Billionaires and Oil Companies Funding the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (“The conference has played host to Nigel Farage, Kemi Badenoch, and an array of MAGA figures this week.”)
- Australia’s security environment degrading, spy chief warns
- Back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela kill at least 32, injure hundreds, acting president says
- At least 164 dead and 971 injured after powerful quakes rock Venezuela, acting president says
NATIONAL
- The Prairieland Verdicts Are a National Emergency (“A group of Texas ICE demonstrators was hit with extraordinary sentences. This is dark news not just for them, but for anyone who may want to register political dissent.”)
- ‘We should be worried’: report sheds light on ICE’s booming arsenal of hi-tech surveillance tools (“Spending on government contracts with tech firms that use AI-powered tools to track immigrants has soared to record levels under Trump 2.0, report says”)
- Federal judge bars Trump from implementing proof of citizenship requirement to vote
- Judge Throws Out Federal Suit Against 4 N.J. ‘Sanctuary’ Cities (“Judge Evelyn Padin ruled the Justice Department’s lawsuit was flawed because it did not also challenge a state directive limiting local cooperation with federal immigration agents.”)
- The Supreme Court’s next rulings could set Trump off
- U.S. Inflation Problems Are Far From Over
- Why Americans hate the “good” economy
- Trump Has a Bill Pulte Problem (“The acting director of national intelligence appears to be legally ineligible for the job.”)
- Are ChatGPT and other AI chatbots politically biased? We tested them.
- The White House choreographed a victory lap. Trump veered off script.
- Johnson tries to clean up Trump’s Hill mess
- It could have been a peace summit. Instead, Trump clashed with senators inside ‘intense’ meeting.
- Trump Stuns Republicans With Whirlwind Day of Frustration and Finger-Pointing (“President cancels a signing ceremony for a bipartisan housing bill, berates GOP lawmakers and criticizes European allies”)
- Inside Trump’s closed-door clash with Senate Republicans (“Republican frustrations with Trump are becoming more public and more direct — and so is Trump’s frustration with Senate Republicans.”)
- Trump requests $88 billion from Congress for Iran war, Ebola outbreak and farmers aid
- By Refusing to Sign a Bipartisan Housing Bill, Trump Made It Clear That He Doesn’t Care About Everyday Americans
- This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things (“Congress did its job with a bipartisan bill to address the cost of housing. Then Trump did a Trumpy thing for the Trumpiest of reasons.”)
- Postmaster General Confirms Plan to Hold Back Mail Ballots Under Proposed Rule (That’s absolutely OUTRAGEOUS. So much, by the way, for any Republican claims to care about “states’ rights” or whatever…)
- Senate Democrats Will Train Staff as Election Observers
- Meet the megadonors pouring more than $1.3 billion into the 2026 election (“Billionaires and newly minted trillionaire Elon Musk make up the top individual donors.”)
- Hegseth thwarted internal efforts to extend key Army general’s career
- Internal memo orders staff not to reveal deaths in national parks
- Trump Goes Full Jeb Bush in Speech to Vanishing Crowd (“The president begged his supporters to attend his next event.”)
- Trump Is Making the 250th Small (“The State Fair rally was an empty celebration of a man instead of a country.”)
- American cesspool (“Green algae, blue shards, and a red-faced megalomaniac.”)
- Trump under pressure to back up claim of sabotage at reflecting pool (“President’s promise of photo and video evidence of vandalism at Washington landmark yet to be fulfilled” And never will be.)
- Shocker! Government Docs Show Trump’s Reflecting Pool Vandalism Claims Are Total BS
- Behind the Curtain: America’s great political implosion
- An emboldened hard left eyes Schumer challenge
- Trump Nominee Busted Deleting Hundreds of Vile Posts (“Konstantinos Ligris insisted he didn’t recall hundreds of posts trashing senators, judges, and cops.”)
- House Democrats brace for a “Freedom Caucus of the left”
- Why urban Democrats love socialists now (“Democratic socialists are winning in New York — and in other cities. Can they win elsewhere?”)
- Centrist Democrats are freaking out about progressives’ winning streak
- Mamdani’s growing clout pulls Democrats leftward, shaking party establishment
- Mamdani Sweep in NYC Adds to Strains Between Jews and Democratic Party
- Democratic Leaders Want the Party to Moderate. Its Base Has Other Ideas.
- New York’s Warning for Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer (“They aren’t the dominant force in their hometown.”)
- The Democratic Tea Party Isn’t Here—Yet
- Top Democrat Seems Sour After Mamdani-Backed Candidates Oust House Incumbents (“The House minority leader told CNN the mayor is going to have to patch things up with congressional Democrats follow Tuesday’s primary upsets.”)
- Mamdani Deepens His Influence—and the Divide—in the Democratic Party
- Utah Senate President Loses Primary After Data Center Backlash (“The upset of J. Stuart Adams represented one of the strongest examples of how the data center issue has affected elections.”)
- Editorial: Guard deployment to District had little effect on violence (“A new study concludes the National Guard deployment to Washington, D.C., has had no overall effect on violent crime.”)
- Judge wants to know why Kennedy Center sign is being hidden
- Opinion | Congress must decide on Trump’s gigantic arch (Wow, haven’t heard from Jim Webb in a while!)
VIRGINIA
- Transcript: Reps. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA10), James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Question Bill Gates on Jeffrey Epstein Scandal (“…did you do any sort of background check on [Jeffrey Epstein]?”)
- Video: Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Checks Out the Reflecting Pool, Finds That “when you give a no-bid contract to your Mar a Lago buddy who runs ‘Greenwater Services’, you get more green water!” (“…a perfect symbol of both the corruption and the incompetence of the Trump administration”)
- Rep. Walkinshaw on Trump’s refusal to sign bipartisan housing affordability bill
- Virginia Democrats on the Four-Year Anniversary of the Disgraceful, Far-Right-Extremist SCOTUS Decision Overturning Roe v Wade (“Virginia is the last state in the south without a post- Roe abortion ban, and we plan to keep it that way”)
- Virginia joins challenge to Trump’s controversial IRS settlement (“Attorney General Jay Jones and multistate coalition argue the proposed agreement could benefit Jan. 6 defendants and raises constitutional concerns.”)
- If Virginia’s ‘best state for business’ ranking falls, data center taxation debate will get the blame
- Virginia slaps data centers with big new tax — but no climate rules (“The state’s Democratic trifecta couldn’t agree on clean energy or air-quality reforms in time for the budget, which passed this week after months of negotiation.”)
- Virginia AG Jay Jones Secures Victory in Lynchburg Circuit Court; Background Checks on Private Firearm Sales to Resume July 1
- Injunction to be dissolved against background checks for private gun sales
- Which Virginians benefit from school choice programs? Those who need them the least
- After criticism, Virginia proposes two-year delay in raising school standards (“Proposal would implement new cut scores a school year faster than gradual rollout plan”)
- More than abortion: What Va. patients and providers want you to know about reproductive health laws (“From ‘missed miscarriages’ to treating disease, patients and providers reflect on the gravity of Va.’s pending reproductive rights constitutional amendment.”)
- Spanberger-backed manufactured housing law could get a boost from federal housing effort… whether Trump signs it or not (“As for Trump canceling the signing, the Commonwealth’s junior senator said bills can become law without the president’s signature after a certain number of days.” Only if Speaker Mike Johnson transmits it to the White House, though; then a 10-day clock starts ticking.)
- When the Roanoke Valley needs more water, it won’t build a new reservoir. It will build pipelines.
- How many Richmonders illegally pass school buses?
- Sheriffs in Page, Greene still helping ICE, as 287(g) agreements are set to expire
- Va. legislature grants emergency funds to help close leaking, bankrupt landfill in Chesterfield
- Virginia Beach School Board reverses course on new policy limiting laptops for students, extends ban to first graders
- State pharmacy board penalizes Danville animal shelter over euthanasia records
- DC-area forecast: Decent today before humidity and rain chances build (These guys are good meterologists, but their headlines are annoying. Why is rain, in the middle of a severe drought, not “decent” or even “great”?)
