by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, December 5.
- New defense by Trump’s counsel is dismissed by legal scholars, leaves White House officials baffled (“The brazen assertion that a president cannot obstruct justice signaled a controversial defense strategy in the Russia probe as the president’s political advisers are increasingly concerned about the legal advice he is receiving.”)
- Oceans under greatest threat in history, warns Sir David Attenborough (“Blue Planet 2 producers say final episode lays bare shocking damage humanity is wreaking in the seas, from climate change to plastic pollution to noise”)
- Trump slashes size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments in Utah (“President signs two proclamations slashing protections for Utah monuments, representing a triumph for fossil fuel industries, ranchers and Republicans” Disgraceful as always; see you in court.)
- Jerusalem: Turkey warns Trump against crossing ‘red line’
- Cohen: Mueller’s Facts and Trump’s Make-Believe
- Krugman: Republicans Are Coming for Your Benefits
- Among the Tax Bill’s Biggest Losers: Blue State Taxpayers Who Earn More Than $200,000
- On Second Thought, the RNC Would Like to Elect Alleged Sex Predator Roy Moore
- RIP John Anderson, the Last Liberal Republican
- The Republican War on Economics (It’s really a war on reason, rationality, sanity and also on the 99%
of this country that isn’t rich.) - GOP tax bill: Social Darwinism makes a big comeback (“Thomas Malthus’ vicious theory that the rich are moral, and the poor worthless, comes alive in Republican tax bill”)
- Supreme Court allows full Trump travel ban to take effect (Just reminding everyone that Merrick Garland should be on the Supreme Court, but Republicans stole the seat.)
- Pelosi: GOP tax proposal ‘the worst bill in the history’ of Congress(Hard to find a worse one in recent decades, that’s for sure.)
- Immigration in spotlight as budget battle intensifies
- Republicans are ready to break their promise to Dreamers (“John McCain and Jeff Flake may fight their own party on DACA, but GOP leaders are ready to back away from a deal”)
- MSNBC sides with rape apologist Mike Cernovich, fires contributor for 2009 tweet mocking rape apologists (“Pizzagate conspiracy theorist Cernovich once said, ‘A whore will let her friend ruin your life with a false rape case. So why should I care when women are raped?'”)
- Laura Ingraham compares baking cakes for same-sex couples to baking cakes for white supremacists (“Guest Ian Millhiser correctly points out white supremacists are not a protected class”)
- McFarland’s Testimony About Russia Contacts Is Questioned
- Pence pleads ignorance as Russia probe deepens (Uh huh.)
- Deutsche Bank receives subpoena from Mueller on Trump accounts: source
- ‘We’ve already lost’ — GOP takes stock of the nightmare unfolding in Alabama
- Here’s how conservationists plan to fight back against Trump’s attack on Utah’s monuments
- Sen. Cornyn rules out DACA fix, setting up government shutdown fight (“Republicans need Democratic votes in the Senate in order to pass the spending bill. Without a DACA fix, they may not get them.”)
- Manafort ghost-wrote an op-ed defending himself with the help of a Russian colleague (You can’t make this shit up.)
- Larry Summers said the Senate tax bill will kill 10,000 people each year. The truth is worse. (“Tell me again about how you believe in the sanctity of life.”)
- Republicans’ “Permanent” Corporate Tax Rate Is Anything But (“The moveable center of the GOP’s tax plan.”)
- House conservatives almost topple tax vote (“In a dramatic political stunt, more than a dozen members of the Freedom Caucus withheld support for a crucial procedural vote on the GOP’s tax bill.”)
- Trump’s Threat to Take Down the GOP Still Stands (“Corey Lewandowski and David Bossie don’t know if Donald Trump will remain a Republican, but they believe Republicans owe him their loyalty.”)
- McAuliffe 2020? Virginia governor may run for president (Pass.)
- Va. Gov. Terry McAuliffe talks transportation in interview with ABC7’s Rich Reeve
- McAuliffe Remembers Highs, Lows as Term as Virginia Governor Ends
- Preliminary hearings set for 3 Virginia House recounts, 4th pending (” Judges are set to hear recount petitions in three Virginia House of Delegates races this week, while a fourth has yet to be scheduled. The preliminary hearings mark the initial step in the recount process, which campaign and election officials said could be completed by Christmas.”)
- Cities around Virginia should heed lessons of botched response to Charlottesville rally
- Patrick Bonsignore column: Voter Registration is Nonsense. We Should Get Rid of It. (“We should scrap our current voter registration process and start over. But before we can do that, we need to replace conservative lawmakers, who use the myth of voter fraud to intentionally disenfranchise voters, with candidates like Democrat Doug Jones who pledge to fight voter suppression.”)
- New coalition plans to show needs of small and rural school districts to General Assembly
- Williams: Henrico cannot hold off change
- Charlottesville police captain disputes Aug. 12 report’s findings
- ‘It falls woefully short’: Charlottesville residents criticize report on white supremacist rally (‘I’m sorry,’ Vice Mayor Wes Bellamy said. ‘We let you all down’ on Monday.”)
- At Charlottesville council meeting, residents widely pan Heaphy report, Signer response
- Charlottesville residents take aim at leaders, police
- Rep. Comstock’s bill would give Metro more federal money in exchange for reform board and controls on labor costs.
- After two years of defending rate freeze, Dominion says it’s ‘time to transition away’ from controversial 2015 law (It’s time for Virginia to transition away from Dominion!)
- White nationalist Chris Cantwell is granted bond in Albemarle
- After blistering report, Charlottesville announces plans for new rally permitting process
- Richmond School Board approves $224.8 million, five-year facilities plan without public input
- $34.50 for 10 miles? New tolls on I-66 kick off with some high rates.
- Kenya Gibson takes oath of office for 3rd District seat on Richmond School Board
- D.C.-area forecast: Warm and showery today with cold weather arriving tomorrow
