by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 23.
- At Davos, the Greta-Donald Dust-Up Was Hardly a Fair Fight (“The teenage activist from Sweden delved into the finer points of carbon neutrality. The president denounced the ‘prophets of doom’ and sputtered, ‘How old is she?’ Thunberg is infinitely smarter – and better – than Trump.)
- Travel ban goes into effect in Wuhan as Chinese authorities try to stop coronavirus spread
- When Will Companies Finally Step Up to Fight Climate Change? (“Microsoft and BlackRock have made positive moves. But there’s still a lot of money to be made in green tech.”)
- Bezos Hack Began With Saudi Goodwill Tour, Intimate Dinner
- The MBS-Bezos Hack Could Be a Ticking Time Bomb (“A U.N. report suggests the Saudi crown prince may have taunted Jeff Bezos about his affair weeks before it was made public by the National Enquirer “in an effort to influence, if not silence, The Washington Post’s reporting on Saudi Arabia.” And Bezos isn’t the only world leader MBS is DM’ing.”)
- Three Americans killed in plane crash while fighting Australia’s wildfires
- Renewable hydrogen costs could halve by 2030, beating “unabated” fossil fuels
- Mnuchin Tells Thunberg to Go Study Economics: Davos Update (Mnuchin should tell his boss to study climate science and clean energy economics, technology, etc. What a corrupt imbecile Mnuchin et al are.)
- Rudy Giuliani Sidekick Lev Parnas Traces Part of Money Trail to Ukraine
- Documents reveal new details of Trump’s scheme to pressure Ukraine
- Let them speak: Most Americans want witnesses in Trump impeachment trial – Reuters/Ipsos poll (“About 72% agreed that the trial “should allow witnesses with firsthand knowledge of the impeachment charges to testify,” including 84% of Democrats and 69% of Republicans. And 70% of the public, including 80% of Democrats and 73% of Republicans, said senators should “act as impartial jurors” during the trial.”)
- By a Narrow Margin, Americans Say Senate Trial Should Result in Trump’s Removal
- ‘Our future is not assured’: Schiff issues stark warning at impeachment trial (100% correct.)
- Adam Schiff’s Moment (“On Day 2 of the Senate impeachment trial, the House presents its case—and a senator has a cold glass of milk.”)
- Trump’s ‘Ridiculous’ Impeachment Defense Could Crumble
- Tensions between McConnell and Schumer run high as trial gains momentum
- Opening arguments: Schiff says evidence supporting Trump’s removal is overwhelming
- As Democrats unfold their case, Trump and GOP press ahead with attacks (The Democrats’ case is incredibly strong, basically overwhelming, by the way.)
- Trump tapes help incriminate the President at his own trial
- Democrats Warn Trump Can’t Be Above Law as Case Heads to Day Two
- That is what blind loyalty to a cultlike leader looks like
- Wednesday’s Senate trial in 5 minutes
- An Impeachment Smoking Gun: The Damning Letter Trump Can’t Cover Up (“Case closed”)
- Dems unload ‘overwhelming’ impeachment case on the Senate — even as they press for more
- TV Ratings: Trump Impeachment First Day Draws 11 Million Viewers
- Why Democrats owe a debt to Mitch McConnell
- Biden says he refuses to be part of impeachment witness deal
- Five key takeaways from Wednesday’s impeachment proceedings (“Adam Schiff asks senators to consider stakes on second full day of Trump’s trial, but Republicans do not budge” Need to throw out every one of these Trump enablers.)
- GOP Senators Representing a Minority of Americans Are Preventing a Fair Impeachment Trial (“Republicans who blocked a call for witnesses on Tuesday represent 15 million fewer people than Democrats who voted yes.” The Senate is anti-democracy.)
- Mitch McConnell has failed the Republican Party
- Democrats’ impeachment formula — 2+2=4 — is easy math (“Analysis: The Democratic case so far adds up, but the math that matters — acquittal votes — remains on the GOP’s side.” Actually, both maths matter.)
- What We Learned on Day Two of the Trump Impeachment Trial (“House Democrats got a chance to lay out their case without interruption, as Trump raged and senators schemed in the background.”)
- Inside Day Two of Trump’s Impeachment Trial: Crosswords, Milk, and Ted Cruz’s Contraband Phone
- Analysis: McConnell Prefers to Hold ’Em but Knows When to Fold ’Em (“Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, was facing defections. He made a strategic surrender.”)
- Senate Republicans Will Pay a Price for Helping Trump Conceal Evidence
- No, Democrats Aren’t Trying to Overturn the 2016 Election (“A surprisingly durable talking point is wrong in at least four ways”)
- Trump’s lawyers are also on trial (“The president’s impeachment trial has revealed a common Trump theme: The lawyers he brings in defend his behavior end up in their own legal morass.” They all should be disbarred.)
- ‘S.O.S.! PLEASE HELP ME!’ The world’s greatest deliberative body falls to pettifoggery.
- Who Plays by the Rules? (“Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer provide a revealing look at today’s rubber-and-glue politics.”)
- Trump Poised To Roll Back Decades Of Clean Water Protections With New Rule (“The new water rule, expected to be finalized this week, ‘will be the biggest loss of clean water protection the country has ever seen,’ environmentalists warn.” Appalling; needs to be reversed immediately if and when Democrats win back the White House.)
- Trump disrupts Republican trial strategy (“Just five hours after Senate Republicans carefully assembled and passed an impeachment trial framework that could clear Donald Trump by next week, the president himself delivered an unwanted surprise to the GOP: The prospect of a longer trial with lots of witnesses.”)
- Fox News Legal Analyst: ‘Ample’ Evidence To Remove Donald Trump From Office
- Fox News tells people to not even watch Trump’s impeachment trial: It’s too boring (“Clearly, the last thing Fox wants is an informed public”)
- Trump Casually Confirms Medicare Is On the Chopping Block
- Report: Facebook is letting a pro-Trump super PAC lie repeatedly — even though its own fact-checkers have debunked the claim (Facebook is a disgrace.)
- White House broadcasts blatantly homophobic sermon attended by Mike Pence (“White House YouTube page streamed a sermon that claimed homosexuality was caused by demons. Mike Pence was there”)
- Christian Nationalists Are Drafting Legislation for State Republicans: Report
- Former senator and White House hopeful Bill Bradley backs Biden (“In 2000, Bradley ran against Al Gore from the left.”)
- Southeast US adds 427 MW of distributed solar in 2019, as advocates press for more (“Florida led the region for small-scale installations, while Maryland kept the lead on a per-capita basis. Solar advocates look to remove barriers to solar throughout the region in 2020.”)
- How 4 Top US Utilities Are Grappling With the Energy Transition (or Not) (“Dominion Energy: Risks of the status quo”)
- FERC MOPR order may have ‘paradoxically unintended consequences’: PJM
- Bloomberg Campaign Announces Virginia Leadership Team
- In Brief Before U.S. Supreme Court, AG Mark Herring Highlights Deficiencies of Federal Pipeline Permit
- Getting to 100% Clean: How Long a Road IS It Actually?
- ‘Environmental Justice Is Not Merely a Box to Be Checked’ (“When concerns about a pipeline were dismissed by regulators, a rural black enclave went to court — and won.”)
- Video: Virginia State Senate Passes “Red Flag” Bill; Far-Right-Wing Senator Slammed for Calling Supporters “Traitors to Virginia”
- CASEY: Whose guns will the Virginia General Assembly grab? (“Despite lurid fears stoked by gun-rights supporters, gun-control legislation gaining traction in Richmond is pretty tame stuff.”)
- The Virginia Senate just passed a ‘red flag’ gun bill. Here’s what it does.
- Virginia Senate passes ‘red flag’ firearms bill on party line vote
- Virginia Senate approves ‘red flag’ law allowing temporary seizure of guns from people deemed threats (“The measure, which drew fiery rhetoric from gun rights protesters, now heads to the state House.”)
- Virginia Senate passes red flag gun law after tightening due process protections
- Graphics: Cost of Winning Local Elections in Several Large Virginia Counties Skyrocketed in 2019
- Democrats start effort to loosen Va. abortion laws (“Led by House Majority Leader Charniele L. Herring (Alexandria) and Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan (Richmond), Democrats in the state legislature want to remove abortion restrictions they say are medically unnecessary and burdensome.”)
- Video: Advocates Urge Legislators to Pass Reproductive Health and Rights Legislation this Session
- Editorial: Virginia commits to help vets who are hurting
- The Effort to Remove Virginia’s Outdated Laws
- Legislation Would Bring Equity to School Dress Codes
- Democrats Are Committed to Fair Redistricting But Differ on How Best to Handle it
- Bill To Create Mental Health ‘Break Spaces’ Fails To Advance
- COMMENTARY: TCI is the solution to Virginia’s transportation, climate problems
- Cooperative approach on new arena in Hampton Roads is a slam dunk
- Coronavirus concerns lead Virginia middle school to cancel visit by Chinese exchange students (“The Fairfax County school system said it was acting ‘out of an abundance of caution.'”)
- Judge to order city to pay $365k to cover plaintiffs’ lawyers in statue case
- Schizophrenic man killed by off-duty Norfolk officer in Chesapeake was walking away when confronted, family says
- Louis Cousins, one of the “Norfolk 17” who desegregated all-white schools, dies at 76
- Editorial: Did Astros’ cheating scandal save minor league baseball in Danville and Bristol?
- D.C.-area forecast: Not quite as cold today, while weekend starts wet and ends dry
********************************************************
Sign up for the Blue Virginia weekly newsletter
