by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, December 7.
- It’s time to face the inescapable truth: We’re running out of time on climate change (“The transition away from fossil fuels will be difficult. But it is essential for our planet’s survival.” As I’ve been saying for years, climate change is – or should be – the #1 issue for Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and everyone else. While many other issues are important – and many “intersect” with climate/environment – all of them are basically moot if we don’t have a livable planet.)
- Meeting the Climate Challenge Requires Transforming Our Society. Are We Capable of That? (“Current evidence says no.”)
- U.S.-China Friction Threatens to Undercut the Fight Against Climate Change (“They have the largest carbon footprints. Also the largest economies. Now, as diplomats meet for high-stakes climate talks, a U.S.-China standoff threatens to slow action on climate change at a crucial moment.”)
- As Trump and Xi Planned Trade Truce, an Arrest 7,000 Miles Away Imperiled It (“On Saturday, President Trump met with President Xi Jinping of China. Meanwhile, a top Chinese executive was detained in Canada at the United States’ request. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou of the technology firm Huawei was meant as a warning over alleged breaches of sanctions on Iran, but it complicated trade talks.”)
- OPEC yet to agree on final deal as Iran seeks exemptions
- Huawei arrest stokes fears of China reprisals among America Inc executives
- U.S. Companies Feel the Pinch as Tariff Costs Start to Mount (Tariffs are a tax. Where are all the anti-tax Republicans on this? Why aren’t they going nuts on Trump? Because it only matters if a Democrat is in the White House?)
- The Art of the Imaginary Deal (“On trade, Trump is a rebel without a clue”)
- Trump Plans to Open 9 Million Acres to Oil Drilling and Mining (“In one stroke, a plan to strip protections for the imperiled sage grouse would open more land to drilling than any other step the administration has taken, experts said.” Absolutely insane, given the need to get off of fossil fuels ASAP!)
- Chuck Schumer: No deal on infrastructure without addressing climate change (Agreed, that has to be the #1 priority, along with protecting our democracy and rule of law.)
- Trump’s EPA to weaken emissions standards for new coal plants despite urgency of climate crisis (“Yet the EPA doesn’t expect this move will lead to any new coal plants.” This is batshit crazy.)
- This Reported Trump Attorney-General Pick Has a Special Record on Special Investigations/a> (“William Barr has priors when it comes to special counsels and Republican scandal.”)
- William Barr is leading attorney general candidate in Trump discussions (“Barr’s past statements about the Russia probe, in which he has questioned the political tilt of Mueller’s team, could give some Democrats fodder to attack Barr’s nomination”)
- Bush AG William Barr, a Law-and-Order Conservative, Favorite to Succeed Sessions (“William Barr is best known as a big fan of mass incarceration”)
- Democratic 2020 campaign revving up quickly (“The first major presidential campaign announcements could come before year’s end. The Democratic National Committee plans to announce a debate framework by then featuring 15 to 20 candidates. The first primary debate could happen as early as May, a full three months before the premiere debate of the 2016 cycle. And long-rumored White House hopefuls are already bowing out.”)
- Making President Trump’s Bed: A Housekeeper Without Papers (“At the president’s New Jersey golf course, an undocumented immigrant has worked as a maid since 2013. She said she never imagined she ‘would see such important people close up.'”)
- Trump is a political vampire (“As the party of Trump purifies itself, true talent among Republicans is becoming a waste product.”)
- Trump to Pick Nauert to Replace Haley as UN Ambassador, Sources Say (“Nauert, 48, is an unusual choice for the UN role given that she had little experience in government or foreign policy before joining the administration in April 2017 after several years as an anchor and correspondent for Fox News, including on the ‘Fox and Friends’ show watched by Trump.”)
- 2020 Is Already Shaping Up to Be Another Festival of Stupid (“No one learned anything from 2016. Not the Democrats, not the elite political media. Nobody.”)
- Robert Mueller’s Bigger Collusion Picture Is Starting to Emerge
- What Qualifies You to Become a Top Trump Energy Regulator? Telling Your Son to Deny Climate Change. (“The Senate just confirmed Bernard McNamee to be a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission” This guy has absolutely no business being in government at all, let alone in any position of authority. Nor does anyone else who denies/minimizes man-made climate change.)
- Republican officials had early warnings of voting irregularities in North Carolina (People should go to jail for this.)
- George H.W. Bush, Pearl Harbor and America’s other fallen
- Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media 2018 (And we wonder why we have Trump as “president?” #1 is the absolutely evil Sean Hannity, #2 is the head of godawful CNN, #3 is the toxic Matt Drudge, #4 is the absolutely evil “Fox and Friends,” #6 is Morning JOKE, #15 is the absolutely evil Tucker Carlson, #16 is brain-dead Chuckles Todd, etc.)
- Senate edges closer to rebuking Trump on Saudi Arabia
- The First Epic Online Meltdown of the 2020 Democratic Primary Has Begun, and It’s About Beto O’Rourke
- Lone Wisconsin Republican Who Opposed Stealing Democrats’ Power Explains Why (“I believe that these changes will have unforeseen impacts… throughout Wisconsin”)
- Fox apologizes after Gohmert questions whether Soros is really Jewish (“The Texas Republican is randomly spreading anti-Semitic conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality.” Of COURSE he’s a Republican.)
- High intrigue surrounds Mueller filing in Manafort case
- Congress averts shutdown, postponing fight over Trump’s wall
- Democratic, GOP super PACs quadruple fundraising as big-money groups’ influence grows
- Trump advisers fear 2020 nightmare: A recession
- Wisconsin Republicans Are Shooting Themselves In the Foot (“They have managed to energize the progressive base, expose themselves as sore losers, and undermine crucial democratic norms. And in return … they got extraordinarily little…igning the lame-duck legislation would be an especially classless way for Walker to leave office; it will tarnish his reputation in ways that I’m not sure he grasps. And, frankly, it’s just not worth it.”)
- Sen. Mark Warner Expresses ‘Grave Concerns’ About Digital Ad Fraud in Letter to the FTC
- After rants on voter fraud, Trump now silent on possible treachery in North Carolina
- Sen. Udall, Rep. Beyer Introduce Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act to Safeguard America’s Biodiversity
- It’s time for the General Assembly to side with customers, not utilities, on solar (Yep, it’s LOOOONG past time!)
- Video: CCAN’s Harrison Wallace Declares, It’s Time We “Grab the Wheel from Dominion and Put Them in the Backseat for Good”
- Lt. Gov. Fairfax says NFL is wrongly keeping Kaepernick from playing (“We talk about the First Amendment. We talk about the opportunity to express yourself. … it’s hard to believe that protesting police brutality and the shooting and killing of unarmed people, primarily unarmed African-Americans, that that’s controversial. I don’t think that’s something that any of us wants to see.”)
- Virginia College and Brightwood College closing; for-profit operator cites dwindling enrollment (Former for-profit “colleges” lobby head Brian Moran must be sad.)
- Abrupt closure of Virginia College campus in Chesterfield impacts hundreds of students: ‘They just put us in a messed up position’
- Jury must decide defendant’s state of mind during deadly Charlottesville crash
- Virginia high school teacher fired for refusing to use transgender student’s new pronouns (“A Virginia high school teacher was fired Thursday for refusing to use a transgender student’s new pronouns, a case believed to be the first of its kind in the state.”)
- Toscano: Misplaced spending priorities in Virginia higher ed
- Study estimates Amazon’s Virginia economic impact at $14.2 billion, more than 59,000 jobs over 12 years
- Petersen: Use sports betting money for community colleges
- Virginia Beach councilman who lost election contests race, says opponent didn’t live in district
- Virginia, Norfolk may seek up to $4 million refund over broken promise as Norfolk Southern move advances
- How money stokes divide of historic black community in Virginia pipeline battle (“Neighbors and families are pitted against one another over a natural gas pipeline project in Union Hill. In the end, who stands to lose?”)
- Newport News is getting a downtown lab to develop marine technology
- BREAKING: After 10 Years as Fairfax County Board Chair, Sharon Bulova Announces She Will Not Run for Reelection [UPDATE: Bulova, Connolly Endorse Jeff McKay for Chair]
- Virginia AG holds anti hate crimes roundtable in Norfolk
- Invasive Asian longhorned tick is in Virginia and it has scientists concerned
- Arlington board chair hopes to exact revenge on GOP legislator (I’m with Katie Cristol on this…Republican Tim Hugo badly needs to go!)
- Going green: Arlington schools says solar energy will save them $4 million (“The five schools that will see solar panels installed are Alice West Fleet Elementary School, which is still under construction, Washington-Lee High School, Kenmore Middle School, Jefferson Middle School and Tuckahoe Elementary.” That’s great. Remember also that energy efficiency is by far the cheapest form for energy – the energy you never have to produce or consume in the first place.)
- Nor’easter will bring rain, wind and possibly snow this weekend to Hampton Roads
- Today may be brightest of the next few as clouds build ahead of gathering storm
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