by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, August 28.
Trump trying to get Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on the phone was crying out for the Veep treatment. pic.twitter.com/7NmSMiKFh5
— Matt Deegan (@matt) August 27, 2018
- Trump Reaches Revised Trade Deal With Mexico, Threatening to Leave Out Canada (Uhhhh…no.)
- Iran’s parliament blames Rouhani for economic troubles, refers him to judiciary
- ‘The Gravest Crimes Under International Law’ (“A United Nations panel calls out Myanmar’s persecution of its Rohingya minority and says six top military commanders should be held to account.”)
- North Korea threat remains despite Trump summit, says Japan (Anyone who praised Trump for his FUBAR North Korea summit, or even suggested he should get the Nobel Peace Prize, is ipso facto an imbecile.)
- Rift Grows Between U.S. Allies Over North Korea’s Nuclear Threat (“Japan warns of grave danger, while South Korea builds ties”)
- Trump’s NAFTA Strategy: Bluff, Rebrand, Declare Victory (“The president’s announcement that he was ‘terminating’ a free-trade agreement means less than he said.” In short, Trump is completely full of crap.)
- Primary Briefing: Florida, Arizona And Oklahoma
- Marquee Republican Races in Florida, Arizona and Oklahoma to Test Loyalty to Trump (“Arizona and Florida have contested primaries for both parties, while Oklahoma Republicans will choose a candidate for governor”)
- North Carolina’s gerrymandered map is unconstitutional, judges rule, and may have to be redrawn before midterms
- We Deserve Better Than This (“The president’s pettiness is at full-staff.” Actually, this is EXACTLY what Trump supporters voted for, and therefor deserve. The rest of us don’t, though.)
- McCain Death, Florida Shooting Cast Shadows On Tuesday’s Primaries
- It Would Take Only a Single Senator (“With Republicans clinging to a precarious 50–49 majority, every individual GOP senator can serve as a check on Trump’s excesses whenever they choose to act.”)
- When Trump Acts ‘Nuts,’ His Aides Should Do More Than Whisper to the Media (“They have a constitutional duty to the nation to give it chapter and verse on the president*’s latest “episode.”” And if he’s unfit to be president, which he clearly is, he should be forced from office per the 25th amendment.)
- An awkward phone call with Mexican president becomes part of the Trump spectacle
- Trump turns McCain’s death into another political firestorm (In addition to being corrupt and possibly a traitor, Trump is incapable of acting like an adult, a statesman or a unifying figure for the nation. Worst President Ever.)
- Trump Relents Under Pressure, Offering ‘Respect’ to McCain (Trump’s a pathetic, no-class lowlife.)
- Donald Trump’s Response to John McCain’s Death Reminds Us Just How Petty He Is
- With call for pope to resign, divisions within the Catholic Church explode into view (Perhaps the Roman Catholic Church, as an institution, is fatally flawed? Or does it “simply” need massive reforms?)
- Pope encourages parents to take gay kids to therapy (“Ignoring a son or daughter who has homosexual tendencies is an error of fatherhood or motherhood.” Yeah, this church really might be fatally flawed.)
- States consider investigations into Catholic Church abuse (No question, every state should be investigating this child-abusing organization.)
- Has Trump ended NAFTA? Not just yet. (“If the president really wants to renegotiate NAFTA, he needs to work fast.”)
- Ducey aims to please Trump with McCain fill-in
- In farewell statement, McCain takes one last swing at Trump (“We weaken our greatness when we confuse our patriotism with rivalries that have sown resentment and hatred and violence in all the corners of the globe. We weaken it when we hide behind walls rather than tear them down, when we doubt the power of our ideals rather than trust them to be the great force for change they have always been.” Bingo!)
- McCain conspiracists say his brain cancer was a hoax (“In his honor, let’s fight the conspiracy theorists until their leader is out of the Oval Office.”)
- John McCain and the tragic transformation of the Republican Party (“Donald Trump’s victory in 2016 proved the GOP wasn’t interested in the longtime senator’s idea of a grand bargain on immigration.”)
- Want to honor McCain, GOP? Grow a spine. (“Trump’s Republican Party cares little for McCain’s ideals of honor, service and community.”)
- Mollie Tibbetts’s death is about violence against women, not immigration, says a family member (Correct.)
- Why It Can Happen Here (“We’re very close to becoming another Poland or Hungary…The fact is that the Republican Party is ready, even eager, to become an American version of Law and Justice or Fidesz, exploiting its current political power to lock in permanent rule.”)
- The End of Impunity (“What Democrats can do with subpoena power.”)
- How John McCain’s Death Will Reshape the Senate (“Mitch McConnell’s job is about to get easier.”)
- House Republicans Have a Secret List of Trump Scandals They’re Covering Up
- GOP senator: McCain is ‘partially to blame’ for controversy over White House flags (Note that James Inhofe is also a climate science denier. ‘Nuff said.)
- Timing of Trump’s Mexico trade deal gives Democrats an advantage (“Because of statutory requirements under Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), Congress likely won’t be able to ratify the bilateral agreement until 2019, when Republicans could be in the minority following the November midterm elections. Even if Republicans hang on to their majority in the Senate, they will still need the help of Democrats to push through the trade agreement.”)
- “Trump Is Nuts. This Time Really Feels Different”: Trump Rejects “War Council” Intervention, Goes It Alone (“With his closest allies defecting, the president increasingly trusts only his instincts. He “got joy” from stripping former C.I.A. director John Brennan’s security clearance. And after betrayals by Allen Weisselberg and David Pecker, a former White House official says, Trump “spent the weekend calling people and screaming.”)
- Manafort Sought Deal in Next Trial, but Talks Broke Down
- Poll: Cruz leads O’Rourke by 1 point in Texas Senate race
- NRATV host criticizes survivor of Madden tournament shooting for supposedly not hearing gunshots over his headphones (These NRA people keep plumbing the depths of depravity.)
- Chuck Todd said Fox News is responsible for plummeting trust in the press. He’s right. (True, but so are people like…Chuck Todd.)
- Jerry Falwell Jr. says Sessions has lost evangelical support (Hopefully there is a hell…for people like Jerry Falwell.)
- Trump biographer explains Trump must be ‘dragged kicking and screaming to do the right thing’ because he has a gear missing
- Roger Stone says he may soon be indicted in Trump-Russia investigation (“Robert Mueller is coming for me”)
- World stocks hit six-month high as NAFTA deal eases trade war fears
- Trump Accuses Google of Rigging Search Results Against Him (More lunacy and conspiracy theorizing from the ranting/raving old man in the White House.)
- White House role in FBI headquarters plan detailed in watchdog report
- Virginia’s four competitive congressional contests
- Scott Taylor Staffers Submitted at Least 59 Fraudulent Signatures — For His Opponent
- Former GOP rival plans to sue ex-Taylor staffers in forged signature case
- Gov. Northam orders flags to fly at half-staff for John McCain until Sunday
- AG Herring: Virginia uranium mining ban should stand
- AG Mark Herring Wins Preliminary Injunction Blocking 3D-Printed Guns
- We should stop using jails as dumping grounds for people suffering from mental illness
- GOP tries to tie Charlottesville protest images to Democrat in Va. congressional race (Yep, we reported on this two days ago.)
- Metro train separates in Silver Line incident in Virginia (“No injuries were reported. About 70 passengers were aboard the Silver Line train Saturday when it the front cars separated from the back ones in the McLean area, a Metro spokeswoman said.”)
- Thousands flock to Fairfax alternatives during Metro shutdown
- Some lawmakers see economic potential in responding to sea-level rise (Seriously???)
- Montgomery Co. supervisors hear about proposal for nature park
- Former assistant vice provost’s discrimination lawsuit against UVA is dismissed
- It’s a hot, humid, and hazy kind of day. Heat indexes approach 105.
