by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, December 21.
- Top scientists warn that Amazon rainforest has hit a ‘tipping point’ (Another massive environmental crisis, yet again caused by humans.)
- North Korea warns U.S. could ‘pay dearly’ for human rights criticism
- U.S. Braces for North Korean Missile Test as Trump’s Diplomacy Fizzles (“Amid a diplomatic vacuum, North Korea has bolstered its arsenal of missiles and its stockpile of bomb-ready nuclear material. If the test goes ahead, it would be a glaring setback for President Trump’s boldest foreign policy initiative, even as he faces an impeachment trial at home.”)
- New Zealanders hand in 50,000 guns after assault weapon ban (“The government banned the most lethal types of semi-automatic weapons less than a month after a lone gunman in March killed 51 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques.”)
- The abandoned asylum seekers on the US-Mexico border (“Thousands of asylum seekers remain at risk in Mexican border towns, waiting for humanitarian aid.”)
- How Trump’s conversations with Putin overlapped with his emerging Ukraine conspiracy theories
- White House threatened to veto spending bill over Ukraine payments (WTF is *that* all about?)
- As Showdown Intensifies, McConnell Plots Impeachment Strategy (“Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, has earned the nickname ‘the grim reaper’ for his iron-fisted grip on the chamber. Now his latest test will be making short work of President Trump’s impeachment trial while keeping his own party unified.”)
- Trump signs $1.4 T spending package, averting shutdown
- Congress grants health-care industry a multibillion-dollar victory after wagging finger at it for much of 2019
- What a shame that cruelty isn’t an impeachable offense
- Trump’s trademark vindictiveness spares no one — living or dead
- Trump adviser: Expect more aggressive poll watching in 2020 (“One of President Donald Trump’s top re-election advisers told influential Republicans in swing state Wisconsin that the party has ‘traditionally’ relied on voter suppression to compete in battleground states” There you go, the smoking gun on this one…that Republican charges of “voter fraud” are, of course, completely false, and that this is ALL about suppressing the votes of minorities and others likely to vote Democratic.)
- Uncertainty hangs over Trump impeachment trial
- Jeff Flake: The president is on trial. So are my Senate Republican colleagues.
- Poll: Majority approves of Trump’s impeachment (“The new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll also shows an identical 52 percent would approve of the Senate voting to remove Trump from office.” According to Trump, 52% of Americans are “extreme left.” Uh huh.)
- Trump rages at Christian magazine that called him ‘grossly immoral,’ but still finds evangelical support
- Evangelical Leaders Close Ranks With Trump After Scathing Editorial (Because of course they do.)
- Facebook says a pro-Trump media outlet used artificial intelligence to create fake people and push conspiracies (“Facebook took down more than 600 accounts tied to The Epoch Times, a media outlet that has spent heavily on digital ads to push pro-Trump conspiracy theories.”)
- ‘It’s killing us’: midwestern workers savaged by Trump’s trade wars (“Layoffs are common, shifts have been cut – and workers in America’s manufacturing and farming heartlands are losing hope”)
- Under Stephen Miller plan, ICE to use child migrant data to expand deportation efforts (Just remember, Miller’s a white supremacist.)
- The December Democratic Debate in 6 Charts (“This time, Biden walked away with the highest marks from respondents in our poll. But if it’s hard to see a decisive winner from last night, that’s because Biden, Warren and Sanders all performed roughly as well as we would expect given their pre-debate favorability. Buttigieg and Steyer received the worst marks for their performances, relative to their pre-debate favorability ratings.”)
- January Debate Criteria May Winnow Democratic Field Some More
- Pete Buttigieg’s Campaign Says This Wikipedia User Is Not Pete. So Who Is It? (“Tracking down the editor who tracks every move the South Bend mayor makes.”)
- ‘He’s the linchpin’: Buttigieg blocking all roads to the nomination (“Buttigieg’s ideology, profile and poll position in Iowa has spurred the rest of the Democratic field to take him on.”)
- Trump Has a Habit of Quoting His Allies on Twitter Saying Things They Never Said (Anytime Trump says “they say” or “people say,” you can be 100% sure he’s lying.)
- After two years, Trump’s tax cuts have failed Americans
- The decade that shook America (“2010 to 2020 was a contradictory decade that will confound future historians with a simple question: how did America go from Obama to Trump?”)
- Democrats understand moderation. Republicans don’t.
- Ronald Reagan’s Daughter Torches Donald Trump: ‘His Cruelty Really Has No Limits’
- The Hill can’t stop spreading misinformation about Trump’s impeachment (“The site’s social media strategy sows confusion and spreads lies”)
- Democrats Sparred Over a Wine Cave Fund-Raiser. Its Billionaire Owner Isn’t Pleased. (Agreed, it’s ridiculous to attack someone over this. That is NOT the real issue!)
- A Dramatic Error in American Spaceflight (“Boeing was set to pass a meaningful milestone in spaceflight, but a glitch cut the mission short.”)
- Iowa woman said she ran over a 14-year-old girl because she ‘was a Mexican,’ police say
- Investigation finds GOP lawmaker engaged in domestic terrorism
- Senators Warner, Kaine Praise Passage of Government Funding Bills
- Abigail Spanberger column: USMCA shows how trade deals should get done
- Matt Bevin defends pardoning child rapist: Victims’ ‘hymens were intact’ (How the hell was someone this insane and horrible ever elected?)
- Virginia Could Take the Lead in Tackling the Housing Crisis (“The state is considering legislation to prevent cities from limiting housing to single-family units.”)
- Northam’s Virginia budget is both astute and generous
- After a year of chaos and victory, Northam says: ‘I am the leader of this party.’ (“Virginians have stuck with me and I am proud that they have.”)
- Despite sexual assault allegations, Justin Fairfax “planning on running” for governor in 2021 (“[Fairfax spokeswoman Lauren Burke] said there’s no clear date as to when he’ll officially file as a candidate. ‘After session, I guess,’ she said, referring to the General Assembly session that starts in January and ends in March.”)
- New Poll: “Virginians’ motivation to vote in next election grows amid impeachment proceedings”
- Commonwealth Institute: Proposed Tax Increases Would Be Regressive and Only Partially Offset
- Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring Issues Advisory Opinion on Localities’ Second Amendment Resolutions
- In official opinion, Virginia AG says gun sanctuary resolutions have ‘no legal effect’
- Attorney General Mark Herring, in advisory opinion, says Second Amendment resolutions have ‘no legal effect’
- Line in the Sand or Symbolic Statement: 2nd Amendment Sanctuary Movement Grows in Virginia
- VRE backs Virginia’s major rail service expansion goals
- Supreme Court to hear appeal over Virginia Beach arena deal
- A dozen Virginia Tech cadets suspended as result of ‘blood-pinning’
- Norfolk and Hampton foster care programs have steered work to company with personal ties to city officials
- Albemarle passes ordinance for use of e-scooters, e-bikes
- Temperatures edge upward through Christmas Day, with dry weather and light winds
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