by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, August 25. Today’s biggest developments and headlines include the climate crisis (always at the top of these news highlights because it’s existential and should be a massive story every single day)…plus lots more…see below. And yes, as Jamelle Bouie says, we absolutely 100% are going to have to tear down Trump’s corrupt, monarchical, disgraceful ballroom. Hell, let Americans line up with sledgehammers and *tear the f’ing thing down*!
INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Climate crisis out of control; Trump’s “theory of global power faces a reckoning in Iran and Canada”; etc.)
- Earth is simmering in its hottest water temps on record, and that’s bad for fish and us
- At least 35,000 excess deaths recorded in Europe’s back-to-back heatwaves (“True figure likely to be much higher as it only covers about half of continent and does not include August totals”)
- The world inches toward catastrophic climate events: ‘Bigger shocks are on the way’
- Climate damage would obliterate any economic benefits of new North Sea fields, analysis shows (“Exclusive: Economic harm of CO2 pollution from Rosebank and Jackdaw forecast to far outweigh any boost to UK”)
- ‘Like smoking a cigarette’: Indonesia chokes on haze as blazes intensify amid super ‘El Niño’ (“In Indonesia’s Kalimantan, fires have ravaged tens of thousands of acres, with suffocating smoke reaching Malaysia and putting Singapore on alert” Crazy shit.)
- Australia has just 12,000 sea lions left – and ‘carnage’ may await them as bird flu takes hold, scientists warn (“Virus has already caused catastrophic losses in seals in South America and sub-Antarctica, particularly among pups”)
- Burnham plans trip to New York as Ukraine pleads for US-made missiles (“UK prime minister ‘likely’ to attend UN general assembly, after meeting Zelenskyy and saying supply problem is fixable”)
- Trump’s theory of global power faces a reckoning in Iran and Canada (“Trump hopes to chalk up a lopsided trade deal with Canada and to cause the downfall of Iran’s regime”)
- U.S. Attempt to Strangle Iran’s Economy Depends on China’s Cooperation
- Iran vows to retaliate after US widens sanctions
- Losing the Iran War: The Economic Front (“The D in Bessent’s “D-Day” stands for Dud”)
- Bessent unveils sweeping campaign of sanctions and pressure against Iran
- Iran says it is ‘fully prepared’ to counter widened US economic sanctions
- Trump targets Iran’s trade lifelines — here are the countries most exposed
- The Memo: Trump and Bessent crank up economic pressure on Iran as other options fall short
- Can Trump’s economic war against Iran do what airstrikes and negotiations couldn’t?
- U.S. Squeezes Iran but Avoids Targeting Its Biggest Lifeline: China
- The Warnings That Came Before a War Now Reaching the Six-Month Mark
- ‘Honest leaders are the first step to a better future’: Cockroach hunger striker targets India’s political class
- Gulf between Hezbollah and Lebanese state grows wider as Israeli occupation continues (“People in south of country rely on group’s longstanding social welfare system that cash-strapped state fails to provide”)
- A year after Israeli strikes killed journalists at a hospital, no one has been held accountable
- Mark Carney tells Trump he will never own Canada amid tariffs (“Tired of the president’s coercive tactics, the Canadian prime minister puts his country’s economy on the line”)
- Canadians do not seek a trade war – but nor will we be bullied by Donald Trump (“A fundamental rupture in the values that have united North America is not a problem that can be wished away: this is a warning to the western alliance”)
- Lutnick’s Intervention in Canada Talks Draws Praise, Blame
- Canada set to announce retaliatory tariffs as Trump tells its leaders to ‘fall in line’
- Mark Carney says Canada can’t accept US trade deal that would weaken French language (“Prime minister praised for rejecting US trade proposal as Trump shows little interest in retreating from dispute” Putin is loving this, btw.)
- ‘Flunky,’ ‘Loser’: Trump Trades Wild Insults With Canada’s Ford
- Escalated U.S.-Canada trade talks threaten fallout
- ‘He Has a Lot of Room to Kiss My Ass’: The Trade Fight With Canada Is Getting Personal (“‘He Has a Lot of Room to Kiss My Ass’: The Trade Fight With Canada Is Getting Personal”)
- How Canada could hit back to hurt the US economy – and Trump
- ‘Absolutely ridiculous’: Canadians react to new tariff tensions with the US
- How U.S.-Canada Tariff Negotiations Turned Into an All-Out Trade War (“Accounts of the negotiations show that, while the U.S. offered Canada what it said was the best deal, what Canada had to give up in exchange was seen as unthinkable.”)
NATIONAL NEWS (Trump regime’s war against visa holders – for no good reason whatsoever; seriously, f*** the 6 Republican justices on the corrupted, extremist, lawless US Supreme Court; Darline Graham is a wildly unqualified gaffe machine…who won’t even say if she would have voted to certify the 2020 election – so of course Trump loves her!; etc.)
- US set for largest mass visa revocation in history targeting up to 200,000 foreigners, officials say (Absolutely evil.)
- Trump Administration Prepares to Revoke Up to 200,000 Visas From Asylum Seekers (There is literally ZERO good reason to do this, and a lot of really bad reasons!)
- DHS conducted far-reaching surveillance during Minnesota ICE surge, court documents show
- Wife of active-duty US Army sergeant is deported (APPALLING!)
- Trump administration proposes $103,000 fee for H-1B visas after legal setback (“The president contends the program to hire skilled foreign workers has been used to take jobs away from Americans. A judge struck down a previous attempt to implement a similar fee.”)
- ICE Arrests 1,328 Illegal Aliens in DC, Virginia, Maryland in 14 Days
- Trump’s border wall construction threatens rock art as old as the pyramids: ‘The ancestors are still here’
- US building twice as much gas-fired capacity as China in AI boom, analysis finds (“There has been a 76% increase in under-construction gas-fired projects amid ‘frenzy’ to build more datacenters” F’ed up.)
- US Treasury’s Scott Bessent ‘will lose’ battle with bond markets, former mentor warns (“Trump ally should cut budget deficit rather than try to suppress bond yields, says billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller”)
- Trump can’t stop rocking the economy — and causing more political problems for the GOP
- Trump’s fight with GOP senators over trade intensifies
- The Supreme Court just revived Trump’s attempt to sabotage the 2026 election (“The bizarre, but temporary, new voting rights decision, explained.” This Court majority is F**ED!)
- Nothing changes yet with the Supreme Court’s order on elections. But it could open door to ‘chaos’
- Making Sense of the Mail-in Ballots Ruling (“The Supreme Court’s grant of a stay in one of the mail-in ballot cases is deeply wrong, but it’s also not the main event over whether Trump’s patently unlawful executive order can take effect.”)
- Supreme Court clears the way for Trump mail voting order in advance of midterms (The six Republican justices on the US Supreme Court are completely f’ed up.)
- Court Allows Trump to Pursue Mail Voting Limits, for Now (“The administration asked the court to clear the way for President Trump’s order that creates “state citizenship lists” and directs the Postal Service to decide who gets a mail-in ballot.”)
- Supreme Court gives Trump an interim win on his mail voting order, but hurdles loom
- What Monday’s Supreme Court election order ruling is and is not (“The Republican majority gave Trump a temporary win. It could be short-lived — or it could “foment chaos,” as Justice Jackson wrote, calling out the majority in unusually direct terms.”)
- Explainer: The battle over Trump’s bid to restrict mail voting hits a pivotal point. Where things stand and what comes next
- Trump’s new attempt to seize control of the Federal Reserve, explained (“This completely unnecessary showdown was brought to you by an incompetent Supreme Court.”)
- Is R.F.K., Jr., Winning or Losing? (“A case for cautious optimism about the Trump Administration’s war on vaccines.”)
- The Biggest Carbon Polluters Are to Blame for Half of U.S. Western Water Lost to Climate Change, ‘Groundbreaking’ Paper Says (“Some of the most impactful changes have come in the stressed Colorado River basin.”)
- Trump criticism leads to rare criminal charges for Air Force officer who called for impeachment
- Trump Is Losing Touch With the Public (“As the president spends less time with his base at rallies, his populist instincts are failing him.”)
- Squeezed by tariffs and Iran war, farmers say they face a new crisis (The lesson: DON’T VOTE REPUBLICAN – EVER!)
- A MAGA Propaganda Circular Firing Squad (“How leaking to a prominent pro-Trump influencer prompted accusations of entrapment and deep-state conspiracy.”)
- White House Crops Natalie Harp Out of Grand Prix Content (“Things seemed a little awkward between Trump, his wife, and his deeply devoted personal aide during Sunday’s IndyCar Freedom250 Grand Prix”)
- Trump and Natalie: A F*cked-Up Love Story (“The weirdest relationship ever just got weirder.”)
- Trump’s Fury Over Natalie Harp Mess Worsens as Leaks Grow More Damning (“As the scandal around Trump’s devoted aide spirals downward, a political operative who previously held a job similar to hers explains the deeper reasons all this is so unsettling.”)
- MAGA-Curious CBS Boss Eyes Fired CNN Host for New Job (“Bari Weiss is hunting for famous faces to join her new regime.”)
- Trump’s trade war with Canada could rattle economies in states with key Senate races
- Trump Lays It on the Line for Darline Graham (Darline Graham is utterly unqualified to be a US Senator.)
- Lindsey Graham’s Sister Is Running to Replace Him. She’s a Gaffe Machine. (“After an epic debate flub on Friday night, Darline Graham’s conversation with Slate didn’t go much better.” She is a MORON!)
- Trump’s MAGA Inc. makes last-minute buy for Darline Graham in South Carolina runoff (“The president’s super PAC spent more than $827,000 on voter phone calls and texts for Graham — even as battleground Republicans have been clamoring for money.”)
- Trump-Aligned Group Opens Its Wallet to Boost Darline Graham in South Carolina (“MAGA Inc., with a $400 million war chest, is spending on get-out-the-vote efforts as some Republicans see Graham’s rival gaining traction”)
- Darline Graham refuses to say if she would have certified 2020 election results (“Lindsey Graham voted to certify the results of the 2020 election. Would his sister? The appointed senator apparently doesn’t want to talk about it.” Darline Graham is a f’ing disgrace.)
- ‘He’s all in’: Trump tests his sway over the GOP with Darline Graham (“The runoff to succeed the late Sen. Lindsey Graham will reveal whether the president can propel a virtual stranger to the Senate.”)
- Ken Paxton unveils anti-data-center plan as GOP voter anger mounts in Texas
- Abdul El-Sayed distances himself from Hasan Piker’s comments on American Jews (Every Democrat should condemn hate speech and obviously have nothing to do with bigots, extremists, etc.)
- Abdul El-Sayed Asks Jesse Watters If He’s Circumcised In Bonkers Exchange
- Poll Shows Shapiro With Wide Lead in Pennsylvania Governor’s Race
- Fetterman’s Popularity With Republicans Surges as He Angers the Left, Poll Finds
- Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1932. Will that change in November? (“Adam Hamilton, a liberal megachurch pastor, is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall in this year’s midterm election”)
- Florida Prepares to Roll Back School Vaccine Requirements (“A proposed rule represents a step forward in the state surgeon general’s plan to eliminate all vaccine mandates.” Insane people.)
- Fast-moving Hawk wildfire is about 27% contained in Reno, Nevada, officials say
- Study’s Alarming Finding: At Least 1 in 4 N.F.L. Players Gets Brain Disease (It’s a brutal sport.)
- Many N.F.L. Players Get C.T.E. Why Hasn’t the Government Intervened?
- Emergency response workers pulled from national parks for Trump’s ‘beautification’ of Washington, DC (INSANE – and presumably illegal?)
- Kennedy Center revenue plunged after Trump’s name went on the building
VIRGINIA NEWS (Kaine hears from Virginia farmers “as Canada trade fight drives up concern”; Cline-Macy to have three debates; Spanberger slams Trump on trade war, harm to farmers, etc.)
- “Remember the little guy”: Kaine hears from Virginia farmers as Canada trade fight drives up concern (“Stakeholders warn that tariffs, rising fuel and fertilizer costs and shrinking export markets are adding pressure to an industry already grappling with difficult growing conditions and an aging workforce.”)
- Cline accepts Macy’s challenge for 3 debates. Here’s where and when. (Surprising that this extremist buffoon didn’t de-Cline – get it? LOL – but looking forward to Macy kicking his pathetic MAGAss! Haha.)
- Wittman owns shares in energy giant at the center of proposed $67B merger
- Top 15 Reasons to Vote for Shannon Taylor (“Wittman’s pre-Congress career was shellfish sanitation and a series of local offices; Wittman has spent 19 years trying to get re-elected, while Shannon has spent 15 years being accountable in court.”)
- Senator Kaine and Congressman Vindman hear from veterans
- Video: After Jared Kushner-Hakeem Jeffries Meeting, Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA11) Pledges, “I promise you, we will not use kid gloves on Jared Kushner or anyone else involved in the corruption” (Also: “In my view, [Trump impeachment] is inevitable,” but first need a slew of investigations…)
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08), etc. Confront the “Real and Mounting Economic Harm” of “Trump’s Idiotic Trade Attack On Canada” (“It may take years to fix what Trump is breaking if it can be fixed at all…”)
- New Trump tariffs on Canada will hit Virginia business, industry pretty hard
- American consumers will pay for the collapse of U.S.-Canada trade talks in ways hard to see. Here are the Virginia congressional districts with the most jobs at risk.
- Virginia officials say donations aren’t influencing their views on Dominion-NextEra merger (Well, they’re certainly not going to say that Dominion $$$ influence their votes, lol.)
- Spanberger says energy and economic development plans to come this fall
- Virginians will weigh in on 3 changes to their state constitution this fall. Here’s a look at the proposed amendments. (“The amendments would enshrine in the constitution the right to reproductive healthcare, including abortion; remove a ban on same-sex marriage; and restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated people.”)
- NEW: Gov. Abigail Spanberger Slams Trump Administration’s Plan to Undercut Virginia Cattle Farmers, Warns of “Crushing Impact” (“These concerns are not just isolated to Virginia”)
- Spanberger goes where Ben Cline won’t, shaming Trump on efforts to kill beef industry
- The thousand-dollar line (“What I found reading every noise rule in Virginia that could reach a data center”)
- Virginia considers calls for mandatory school nurses as healthcare gaps persist
- Back to school: Hampton Roads students and teachers begin a new school year (“Monday marked a new beginning for about 200,000 students scattered around Hampton Roads.”)
- DC-area forecast: Another bonus day of beautiful sunshine and low humidity
