by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, May 19.
One day, I learn to strike as deftly as Obi Wan Pelosi. Until then, I am only her Padowan #morbidlyobese https://t.co/LtRwewp4dJ
— Senator Scott Surovell (@ssurovell) May 19, 2020
- The future of solar power: From unbelievably cheap to insanely cheap
- Sunny places could see average solar prices of $0.01 or $0.02 per kilowatt-hour within 15 years (“New research models that the price of solar will continue to drop faster than previous predictions. This would mean that building new solar would be routinely cheaper than operating already-built fossil fuel plants, even in today’s world of ultra-cheap natural gas.”)
- Long-lasting global recession likely due to COVID-19, says World Economic Forum report
- ‘This Is a Science-Fiction Screenplay’: Europeans Re-Emerge to a New Normal
- Climate Change Is Making Hurricanes Stronger, Researchers Find
- Americans See Climate as a Concern, Even Amid Coronavirus Crisis (“Researchers thought Covid-19 might displace climate change as a threat in the American mind. It hasn’t, according to a new survey.” The climate crisis is by far the top threat facing humanity, particularly as a subset of environmental degradation and destruction more broadly.)
- President threatens to permanently cut WHO funding if changes aren’t made within 30 days (Trump has been, and continues to be, dangerously irresponsible at best.)
- Mnuchin And Fed’s Powell Set To Brief Senators On $2 Trillion Coronavirus Act
- Vaccine Developers Like Moderna Need to Take Their Time
- ‘Crazy thing to do’: Health experts alarmed by Trump’s use of unproven drug (“The treatment has no proven benefits for the coronavirus patients and can cause heart problems.”)
- Nancy Pelosi fears for ‘morbidly obese’ Trump after hydroxychloroquine admission
- This Is About More Than Who’s Walking Pompeo’s Dog
- This is why Trump is back to attacking Obama (“It makes no sense, unless you are a racist narcissist.”)
- Pompeo’s moves against inspector general leave a trail of questions and a department divided
- Mike Pompeo’s scandals big and small erode his dwindling credibility
- Trump lashes out with distractions and disinformation
- Pompeo says he didn’t know fired inspector general was investigating him (Riiiight, we believe you Mike, we really do. LOL)
- Trump says it’s OK for Pompeo to have a paid government employee wash dishes if his wife or son isn’t there (Nope, nope, and nope.)
- Trump says he is taking drug that has not been proved to prevent covid-19 (Drooling moron.)
- The president’s job is to manage risk. But Trump is the risk. (“Trump was a gamble. It’s not paying off.”)
- Trump’s risky new re-election strategy: Waging war with Obama (“Brandishing conspiracy theories, the president is trying to rile up his base by leaning into a battle with a predecessor whose popularity exceeds his.”)
- McConnell taps Marco Rubio to serve as acting chairman of Senate Intelligence Committee (That’s a huge downgrade.)
- The media is helping Trump turn the bogus ‘Obamagate’ into the 2020 version of Clinton’s emails (“It’s becoming clear that journalists never fully reckoned with the mistakes of 2016 campaign coverage. We know this because they seem poised to repeat them.”)
- Lindsey Graham seeks broad authority to subpoena former Obama officials (It would be really interesting to know what dirt Trump has on Lindsey.)
- A Stunned Neil Cavuto Warns About Hydroxychloroquine After Trump Says He’s Taking the Drug: ‘What Have You Got to Lose? … Your Life’
- William Barr Wants to Lock Up Trump’s Deep State Enemies, But Not Joe Biden (This is very, very dangerous shit.)
- Bill Barr, Trump’s Pet Attorney General, Kicks Off the ‘Obamagate’ Show Trials (“You have to give the AG props for his pure, brazen line of BS, and his deep knowledge of how to make the press corps swallow and regurgitate even his most outrageous lies.”)
- The daunting equation facing Trump and GOP governors (“National and state economies can’t regain momentum unless the GOP accelerates reopenings in big metro areas, which have been moving away from the party”)
- Can Biden Expand the Map?
- Elizabeth Warren’s Path to Becoming VP Is Easier Than It Looks
- Before the coronavirus, Joe Biden offered stability. Now he’s talking bold change
- Why the Uncle Joe-Can’t-Internet Criticism Is Mostly Malarkey
- Republicans are serious about voter suppression. Here’s how to stop them.
- Eric Trump used his latest Fox News appearance to push an absurd conspiracy theory about Covid-19 (“Trump’s interview with Judge Jeanine illustrated how Fox News’s coronavirus coverage has gone back off the rails.”)
- Millions of US farm animals to be culled by suffocation, drowning and shooting (This is appalling, but sadly not surprising from the disgusting U.S. meat industry. Just ditch it.)
- Fox’s Karl Rove accuses President Obama of committing a “political drive-by shooting” with his commencement speech (Yep, that’s Karl Rove for you.)
- Ronan Farrow: master #MeToo reporter hit by surprise New York Times takedown (“Pulitzer-winning New Yorker journalist rejects claims from paper’s Ben Smith that work exhibits ‘shakiness at its foundations’” What’s the NY Times up to now?)
- Trump slams Fox after hydroxychloroquine warning: ‘Looking for a new outlet’ (Hahahaha.)
- Downplaying risk of death, Sinclair ran a national segment promoting hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus treatment (Reminder: don’t watch any Sinclair “news” outlets, including WJLA-7 in the DC area.)
- Texas, North Carolina, Arizona see rising cases as they reopen
- Virginia Organizing Hosts Tele-Townhall with Sen. Tim Kaine on COVID Crisis, Emergency Relief
- Human Rights Campaign Endorses Sen. Mark Warner, Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Rep. Elaine Luria for Reelection
- With death rate flattening, D.C. sees potential reopening on horizon; Virginia Beach set to reopen Friday
- Governor Northam Announces Education Work Group to Help Guide Process for Safe, Equitable Reopening of Schools
- AG Mark Herring to Sue EPA Over Failure to Protect the Chesapeake Bay
- Herring, Other State AG’s Say They’ll Sue EPA Over Chesapeake Bay Pollution
- New Online Data Dashboard Highlights the Impact of COVID-19 on Virginia Licensed Nursing Facilities
- Virginia investigates complaints that Fairfax’s online learning fails students with disabilities
- Finance Secretary Sees Signs of Economic Hope
- Beaches to Reopen This Week in Va. Beach, Task Force Working on School Reopening Plans
- Beaches in Virginia Beach can open with restrictions, but no where else
- With new energy regime only months away, regulators grapple with gas expansion proposal (No brainer – the answer should be “absolutely not.”)
- Some Virginia nursing homes are still struggling to source basic supplies
- Which Virginia Counties’ Residents Are at “Higher Risk” for “becoming severely ill if they are infected with the coronavirus?”
- Monday (5/18) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +752 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 31,140), +47 Hospitalizations (to 3,822), +5 Deaths (to 1,014) From Yesterday
- FERC chairman mulls run for Virginia governor (He’s a horrible FERC Chairman and would be a horrible governor. No, thanks.)
- UPDATE: More than 4,000 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from Virginia hospitals
- Northam ‘hopeful’ students will return to school in fall; read what local school districts are considering
- Virginia transportation revenues take a hit as ‘people have stopped buying automobiles’
- Policy Choices Can Help Out-of-Work Families During This Recession and Set Virginia on a Better Course
- Virginia officials say they’ll need 41,000 bottles of sanitizer, 172,000 masks for safe elections
- Cville City Council Member Analysis: “Estimates are all over the map about how much the COVID19 shutdown will cost [Virginia] local governments”
- New Sea Bird Habitat a Success
- Why is Richmond Mayor Stoney’s Administration Trying to Repeal a Clean Energy Ordinance?
- ‘This is not an ordinary election’: Judge eases ballot requirements for Richmond mayoral candidates
- Editorial: Exercise democracy with caution (“Municipal elections in Hampton Roads communities are vital, but come at a harrowing time for gatherings. Voters should take precautions to protect their health and that of others.”)
- Roanoke government to freeze hiring but avoid layoffs; libraries and parks will see cutbacks
- Revenue-sharing money will help Charlottesville avoid operating cuts
- Supervisors set to pick new jail board members who will decide the fate of local ICE agreement
- Fairfax County Public Schools Presentation – “Returning to School: Options and Considerations for Summer and Fall 2020”
- Stalled weather pattern will bring excessive rain to parts of Va. this week
- Cloudy and cool period with late-week showers, followed by a weekend warmup
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