Saturday News: Trump Shutdown/Breakdown Begins; “RIP, Axis of Adults”; Mattis Departure “Puts Our Nation at Risk”; Dominion Fundraiser for Northam PAC

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, December 22.

• Shutdown begins as Congress fails to reach deal (“Lawmakers adjourn without agreement on border wall. The partial government shutdown comes amid an impasse between President Trump and Democrats over billions in funding for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Negotiations are expected to continue through the weekend.”)
• ‘He takes no ownership’: Trump eschews responsibility for a shutdown he once craved (“After vowing to “take the mantle,” the president seeks to foist blame on Democrats.”)
• Federal workers caught in the fray as Trump battles Congress (“A long-term shutdown would bring massive furloughs and uncertainty for many who are employed by the government or its contractors.”)
• U.S. stocks suffer amid tumult in Washington; Dow has worst week in a decade
• Shutdown? More Like a Breakdown (“Mr. Trump, who thrives on chaos and drama, takes government budget talks to the brink.”)
• The Republican Majority’s Last Act: A Government Shutdown (This is what Republicans do…shut stuff down, break stuff, etc.)
• Schumer, Pelosi: Trump got ‘what he wanted’ with shutdown (Yep, Trump was begging for it.)
• With Generals Gone, the World May See What ‘America First’ Truly Means (“President Trump appears determined to assemble a new team of advisers who will not tell him what he cannot do, but rather embrace his vision of a powerful America. ‘Who will persuade Trump not to withdraw from NATO?’ Daniel B. Shapiro, the former American ambassador to Israel, asked in a tweet. ‘Really scary possibility, no longer theoretical.'”)
• As Markets Tumble, Tech Stocks Hit a Rare and Ominous Milestone (“Technology companies are dragging stocks into an ominous territory that the market hasn’t seen in nearly a decade. The Nasdaq index closed on Friday down more than 20 percent from its August peak, officially entering a bear market. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones industrial average are not far behind.”)
• Trump-Erdogan phone call set in motion the tumult over Syria, Mattis
• Trump’s shutdown stunt is an act of needless stupidity (“Trump’s gamesmanship is born of politics, not principle.”)
• Mattis endured a lot. Here’s why this was the last straw. (“The career Marine’s compassion is something the president almost certainly cannot comprehend.”)
• With Mattis leaving, be afraid
• It’s official. We lost the Cold War. (“A Soviet leader hardly could have outlined a better scenario than Trump has created for Putin.”)
• Bill Barr Just Argued Himself Out of a Job (“His recent memo to President Trump seriously damages his credibility and raises questions about his fitness for the Justice Department’s top position.”)
• RIP, Axis of Adults (“It was never a real thing. But with Jim Mattis’ exit, the idea that Trump’s advisers could restrain the president is finally dead.”)
• Bolton’s Hawkish Syria Plan Backfired, Pushing Trump to Get Out (“The national security adviser expanded U.S. goals in Syria to challenge Iran. But Trump wasn’t on board, senior officials say, and Turkey took an opportunity to push the U.S. out.”)
• The Green New Deal, explained (“An insurgent movement is pushing Democrats to back an ambitious climate change solution.”)
• Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery for malignant lung growths (“The 85-year-old Supreme Court justice is ‘resting comfortably’ after the surgical procedure.” Get well Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we need you!)
• This Woman Is Made of Iron and Leather (“Ruth Bader Ginsburg has kicked cancer’s ass twice.”)
• Trump sees dangerous cracks in Hill GOP support (“A series of recent events is alienating congressional allies Trump would need in an impeachment fight.”)
• Inside the frantic negotiations that failed to avert a shutdown (“With GOP leadership feeling burned, a group of rank-and-file senators stepped up — and still fell short.”)
• Kirstjen Nielsen Is Responsible for Whatever Happens to These Kids (“Make no mistake.”)
• Trump has discussed firing Fed chief after latest interest rate hike: report (Totally unacceptable.)
• The Year of the Old Boys (“It’s hard to overstate the extent to which childish masculinity revealed itself in 2018 as the engine of power in America.” And TOXIC masculinity to boot.)
• Trump lashed out at Whitaker after explosive Cohen revelations
• Current inmates feel left behind by Trump’s criminal justice reform bill (“First Step Act reduces the mandatory sentence for three-strikes offenders but the provisions will not be made retroactive” It should have been retroactive, no question.)
• Trump’s Abrupt Syria Withdrawal Thwarted ‘Major’ Operation Targeting ISIS, Sen. Bob Corker Says
• Democratic Senator On Whether Impending Government Shutdown Can Be Skirted (“NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., about the impending government shutdown and whether it can be avoided.”)
• It’s Been a Year Since Trump Enacted Sweeping Tax Cuts. Rich People Won. (“The GOP said its tax bill would help the middle class. But the rich have reaped the biggest benefits.”)
• Michigan Republicans Approve Bills Throwing Up Obstacles To Voting (“Michigan lawmakers want to tweak voting reforms and make it more difficult to get a measure on the ballot.”)
• Misinformer of the Year: 21st Century Fox Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch
• Three Kansas Republicans switch parties in one week; more defections expected (“Three Kansas state legislators, all women, bail on the Republican Party in the same week. Now comes the deluge?”)
• Retiring Republican senators stop Trump’s scheme to end the filibuster for his wall (“Without Sens. Orrin Hatch and Jeff Flake, there is no way Senate Republicans will be able to change the rule to suit Trump’s whim.”)
• Four Republican members of the Supreme Court just said that Trump can ignore the law (“the theory that Kavanaugh may have a moderate streak is much harder to defend after his vote in East Bay. That case involves a presidential proclamation and set of regulations that, together, makes asylum ‘unavailable to any alien who seeks refuge in the United States if she entered the country from Mexico outside a lawful port of entry.'”)
• Tradition of AGs Stepping Down to Run for Governor Dates to 1950’s (This article fails to mention that almost every AG over the past couple decades has stepped down between February and June of the gubernatorial election year. That’s the key point.)
• “Northam Administration Schedules Controversial Comment Period Over Christmas: Governor’s Actions Make Clear He’s for Pipelines, Not People”
• Wild Virginia Sends FOIA Request to Gov. Northam’s Office Related to Voting Status of New Air Pollution Control Board Members
• Dominion executive, company law firm to help host fundraiser for Gov. Northam’s PAC (Lovely, eh? By the way, note that during the 2017 gubernatorial campaign, Northam called for “a cap on campaign donations and a ban on corporate contributions.” So much for that, I guess.)
• Schapiro: A visit from St. Nick to Va.’s budget Santa
• Virginia’s post-election report details long lines in Chesterfield, paper jams in Henrico and irregularities in Hopewell
• Virginia plans to end driver’s license suspensions for court debt, governor says (Good!)
• As Alexandria mayor, Justin Wilson wants to quicken how government works (“The 39-year-old Democrat says the City Council in the past has been slow and indecisive.”)
• Video: Jennifer Lewis Talks to Native-American Civil Rights Advocate Jordan Marie Daniel About Why #SavannasAct Is So Important”
• Group protests loss of some black lung medical benefits at Rep. Morgan Griffith’s Abingdon office
• Editorial: The threats and opportunities posed by Amazon
• The school board in a small Virginia town defended a transgender student by firing a teacher. Then came the backlash. (“Some of the messages piling up in Paul Diggs’ inbox were easier to ignore than others.”)
• Rodney Lusk announces candidacy for Lee District supervisor
• Larysa Kautz Announces Campaign For Lee District Supervisor Seat (“Supervisor Jeff McKay is running for chairman of the Board of Supervisors, leaving the Lee District seat open.”)
• Connolly chief of staff sets sights on Braddock District supervisor
• Arlington school enrollment slowing down in time for Amazon’s arrival
• Justin Wilson, a 39-year-old VCU graduate and onetime state Capitol page, prepares to become mayor of Alexandria
• Mostly tranquil as we head toward Christmas