by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, August 15.
- Belarus leader appeals to Russia as pressure to quit grows (“Russia sees Belarus as a strategic buffer against NATO and the EU, but ties between the two countries had been under strain before the election.”)
- Belarus: Baltic states call for new ‘transparent’ election amid protests
- It’s time for Belarus’s dictator to go (Good editorial, now do America’s wannabe dictator.)
- Trump Orders TikTok’s Chinese Parent to Sell Its U.S. Assets
- Trump’s Win Is a Loss for the Middle East (“The leaders of the U.S., Israel and UAE get good PR from their diplomatic deal, but the Palestinians get left out.”)
- Iran Threatens ‘Dangerous Future’ for UAE After Israel Deal
- U.S. loses Iran arms embargo bid as Putin pushes summit to avoid nuclear deal showdown
- 2020 just gave us the tools to talk about climate change
- ‘Canary in the coal mine’: Greenland ice has shrunk beyond return, study finds
- Congress exits with no deal, leaving economists flabbergasted (Thanks to “Moscow Mitch” for this disaster.)
- Speculation grows over pardon for Edward Snowden after Trump remarks (Hell no!)
- People who recover from covid-19 don’t need to be retested for three months, CDC says
- The Plan That Could Give Us Our Lives Back (“The U.S. has never had enough coronavirus tests. Now a group of epidemiologists, economists, and dreamers is plotting a new strategy to defeat the virus, even before a vaccine is found.”)
- HHS chief information officer abruptly resigns
- Mitt Romney slams politicians attacking mail-in voting
- Obama denounces Trump bid to deter voters with attack on post office
- Americans Must Defend the Postal Service Like Our Democracy Depends on It
- Postal Service tells 46 states that mail-in ballots may not arrive in time to be counted
- Trump’s assault on the U.S. Postal Service gives Democrats a new campaign message
- The Trump administration’s disastrous policy shift on methane emissions (Basically, the Trump administration wants to destroy the planet.)
- 6 former EPA chiefs call for agency to return to protecting people and the environment
- NJ Rep, Inspector General Investigate What the Hell Is Going On With USPS
- USPS removes mail collection boxes and reduces post office hours as critics accuse Trump administration of voter suppression
- Exclusive: UPS, FedEx warn they cannot carry ballots like U.S. Postal Service
- New Postmaster Hasn’t Yet Met Election Officials About Mail-In Ballot Concerns
- Trump: Voting By Mail Is Fine If Your Last Name Is Trump
- Exclusive: Postal service inspector general reviewing DeJoy’s policy changes and potential ethics conflicts
- ICE Guards “Systematically” Sexually Assault Detainees in an El Paso Detention Center, Lawyers Say
- Trump uses his 1980s tabloid playbook to get favorable headlines today (“It’s media malpractice to amplify Trump’s recent absurd claims about executive orders”)
- Senate committee sought investigation of Bannon, raised concerns about Trump family testimony
- Trump’s Latest Assault on the Law Comes From George W. Bush’s Torture Lawyer (“Trump will follow the John Yoo playbook in a second term: Doing whatever he wants, the law and Constitution be damned, and daring the courts or Congress to stop him.”)
- After social media outcry, Postal Service says it will stop removing mailboxes until after the election
- Republican QAnon candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene’s win highlights coming 2020 crisis (“Will the GOP ignore the dangerous conspiracy theorists that even now are being retweeted approvingly Trump? Or will it take this threat to democracy seriously?”)
- The White Supremacist “Scholars” Pushing the Kamala Harris Birther Lie
- Kamala Harris Changes the Race While Trump Tells on Himself (“There were surprises this week that weren’t entirely shocking: Ms. Harris joined Joe Biden’s ticket and President Trump resurrected birtherism. Here’s what to make of the last week in politics.”)
- Two sites that amplify hoaxes given special treatment at Trump’s briefings despite restrictions
- The Political Media Must Prepare Itself for Trump’s Post-Election Vandalism
- Michelle Obama to go to bat for Biden
- How Jennifer O’Malley Dillon transformed Joe Biden’s campaign
- It Took Newsweek Three Days and a Staff Revolt to Apologize for Kamala Harris Birtherism Op-Ed
- Against Harris, Trump Tries to Run the Birther Playbook (Actually should be “the RACIST Playbook”)
- Trump’s racist attacks against Kamala Harris have already begun (“It’s not birtherism, it’s racism.”)
- Now we know: Trump’s racist appeals have backfired
- Western Heat Wave Tests California’s Clean Grid Transition (“The intense weather catches California’s electricity system in a transformation from old power sources to new.”)
- GAO finds Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli are ineligible to serve in their top DHS roles (OK, so who gets them the hell outta there?)
- GAO Says Cooch Not Eligible to Serve in Current Role Under Vacancy Act
- New Poll Shows Dr. Cameron Webb in Virtual Tie in VA-05
- Video: Congresswoman Elaine Luria Rolls Out Third Television Ad; “Blue Water”
- Rep. Jennifer Wexton Joins 174 House Democrats in Calling on Postmaster General to Reverse Assault on Postal Service
- Video: Abigail Spanberger Campaign Releases Newest TV Ad, “Safe”
- N.J. will send ballots to all active registered voters for November election, governor says (Every state should do that.)
- Virginia Senate Democrats Present Justice Reform and Equity Proposals
- Virginia Democrats must enact meaningful policing reform worthy of the moment
- Northam unveils bills to address pandemic, economic crisis and calls for racial justice
- Governor Northam Unveils Priorities for Upcoming Special Session (“Governor’s proposals include measures to reform policing, protect Virginians from eviction; close the digital divide”)
- Virginia faces $2.7 billion revenue shortfall, but plans no layoffs or cuts in current programs
- Virginia lawmakers will debate police reforms, virtual education and governor’s coronavirus orders (“A special session of the General Assembly begins Tuesday in Richmond.”)
- Money Could Stall Sentencing Legislation
- Wastewater, Runoff from Stormwater, Agriculture Slow Chesapeake Bay Cleanup
- Friday (8/14) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +1,216 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 104,838), +58 Hospitalizations (to 8,650), +7 Deaths (to 2,370) From Yesterday
- ICYMI: Virginia Education Leaders, Parent, Student Praise Biden-Harris’ Roadmap to Reopen Schools Safely
- Nick Rathod: Thinking Long Term During Virginia’s Special Session
- 8/14 UVA COVID-19 Model Update Finds Rt<1.0, 16 Health Districts Experiencing Surges
- Human Rights Campaign Sends Letter to Governor Northam Pushing Vote-by-Mail Reforms
- Virginia utilities report more than $184 million in past due payments
- Northern Virginia prosecutor pushes to maintain discretion on dropping charges (“Arlington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti filed a petition Friday asking the court for a relief from a policy imposed by the county’s four Circuit Court judges.”)
- Newport News has received $36.2 million in aid during the pandemic. Here’s how the city plans to spend it.
- Area schools are already dealing with positive COVID tests in their buildings. What will happen when schools reopen next month?
- Protests Affect Mayoral Race, Unite the Right Anniversary, and the Special Session: Political Analysis for Friday, August 14, 2020
- Karen Keys-Gamarra: We’ve Renamed the High School; Now, Let’s Establish a John R. Lewis Academy Focusing on Government, Public Policy, Leadership and Human Rights
- Virginia Tech students begin move-in as COVID-19 remakes campus
- T-Mobile planning to relocate customer call center to eastern Henrico and hire up to 500 more employees
- Roanoke jail undertakes mass testing for COVID-19 among inmates, staff
- City Council to vote on firearm ban for government property (“Charlottesville City Council is expected to vote next week on an ordinance banning firearms in city facilities and properties next week.”)
- Stafford County Board of Supervisors Pay-to-Play for CARES Act Funds
- Black-Owned Farmer’s Market Debuts in Richmond Food Desert
- Local Virginia GOP leader posts sexist meme about Kamala Harris on party’s online page (“John Massoud used crude language to attack Harris, chosen this week as Joe Biden’s running mate.”)
- Any showers today tend to be light, but another soaking’s inbound late tonight into Sunday
