Friday News: “House Poised to Pass Stimulus as Minimum Wage Hike Dealt Blow”; Rs Worship Golden Idol of Trump; “Virginia budget deal includes 5% raise for teachers and state employees”; “Virginia is still stuck in an ethical free-for-all when it comes to money in politics”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, February 26.

Honest question: have these people read the Bible? https://t.co/Iiaoji9AzA

— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) February 26, 2021

• Joe Biden speaks to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman before release of Khashoggi murder report (“White House says president ‘affirmed the importance the United States places on universal human rights and the rule of law’”)
• Saudi Crown Prince Implicated in Khashoggi Murder, U.S. Finds
• Libya risks losing control of its destiny as planeloads of fighters and arms flood the country
• US carries out air strikes in Syria targeting Iranian backed militia structures
• Exclusive: U.S. carries out airstrike against Iranian-backed militia target in Syria, officials say
• Unable to get U.S. vaccines, world turns to Russia and China
• Egypt presents Biden a familiar conundrum: How to handle a ‘friendly’ authoritarian
• Asian banks are failing on climate by channeling billions into coal, report says
• One Pfizer Dose Strongly Protects Those Who’ve Had Virus, Studies Find
• Another Covid-19 surge hangs in the balance. This is how experts say we keep it from becoming reality
• 5 things to know before key FDA panel votes on J&J’s single-shot Covid vaccine today
• Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them.
• More than 25m drink from the worst US water systems, with Latinos most exposed
• Key Senators Float Tax on Big Firms to Enable Minimum-Wage Hike
• Mitch McConnell Doesn’t Get to Define ‘Bipartisan’
• Minimum-wage increase imperiled in covid relief bill by Senate official’s ruling (God, the US Senate sucks.)
• Top Senate Official Disqualifies Minimum Wage From Stimulus Plan
• Republican Senators Haven’t Represented a Majority of Voters Since 1996 (This is how wildly unrepresentative the US Senate is.)
• Sen. John Thune, Opposing $15 Min Wage, Says He Earned $6 As a Kid—That’s $24 With Inflation (This Senate Republican leader doesn’t even understand the concept of adjusting for inflation?!?)
• Costco raises its minimum wage above rivals like Amazon, Target and Best Buy
• The House is set for a historic down payment on Biden’s legacy
• House Poised to Pass Stimulus as Minimum Wage Hike Dealt Blow
• Scoop: Schumer wants to freeze stimulus changes (“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is privately saying he can pass President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus package but wants to avoid any last-minute changes jeopardizing its trajectory, three sources familiar with the talks tell Axios.”)
• Mitch McConnell Says He’d ‘Absolutely’ Back Donald Trump In 2024 Presidential Race (McConnell is waaayyy beyond parody…just a completely f’ed-up excuse for a human being.)
• House votes to pass Equality Act, prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
• The Equality Act can become law — if Democrats will add religious exemptions
• Sen. Rand Paul parrots right-wing media lies about trans youth during Dr. Rachel Levine’s confirmation hearing (Another horrible Republican Senator, also a bigot like his loony-tunes father.)
• Rand Paul tried to derail Rachel Levine’s historic confirmation hearing with transphobic misinformation
• Why Senate Republicans fear Deb Haaland (“The interior secretary nominee would bring experiences and perspectives that have never found representation in the leadership of the executive branch.”)
• Kennedy Apologizes For Calling Haaland A ‘Whack Job’ After Misspeaking About Tanden (This Republican’s even stupider than John Thune.)
• Biden’s Cabinet Remains Sparse As Nominees Await Confirmation
• Boehner goes off script, tells Cruz to “go f**k yourself” (Most Americans would like to tell Cruz to go f*** himself.)
• Liberal group targets Republicans who voted to overturn 2020 election
• It’s Been a Stunning Week for Republican Bad Faith (Every week is, if you’re paying the least bit of attention.)
• The McCarthy-Cheney disagreement wasn’t funny. It presents a serious choice for Republicans. (“The split is foundational and permanent.”)
• ‘Nobody came, nobody helped’: Fears of anti-Asian violence rattle the community
• The GOP is not even trying to disguise its racism anymore
• The GOP campaign to sink Neera Tanden isn’t about ‘hypocrisy.’ It’s worse.
• Capitol Police chief says extremists have discussed attack on Congress during Biden’s first joint address
• Trump reemerges to legacy being erased by Biden
• Five things to watch at CPAC
• The Republican Party Is Now in Its End Stages (Until we see mass resignations and a new party, I don’t believe this at all.)
• Trump’s hold on Republican Party on display as conservatives gather
• Republicans don’t get to talk about bipartisanship (“The height of hypocrisy for the partisan MAGA crowd.”)
• Democrats Are Split Over How Much The Party And American Democracy Itself Are In Danger
• Jennifer M. Granholm Sworn in as 16th Secretary of Energy
• Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner’s Final Financial Disclosures Show Where They Made Their Money
• We’re suing to hold Trump accountable for ‘treasonous acts’, NAACP chief says (“Derrick Johnson accuses president of ‘operating under a white supremacist doctrine’ in suit filed using 1871 Ku Klux Klan Act”)
• The Capitol Rioters’ Camouflage (“Their whiteness is the camouflage that allows them to approach their enemies and stab them with a dirk right in the back, because you don’t see them in a field of white, right? That’s how they got to the Capitol”)
• Three Percenter Truck at Capitol on Jan. 6 Belongs to Hitler-Quoting Rep’s Husband
• The Political Smearing of Ben Rhodes (“And the lessons conservatives and progressives alike can take from it.”)
• A single Trump judge is already sabotaging Biden’s efforts to slow deportations (“Biden is likely to spend his presidency fighting Republican judges who block his policies for legally dubious reasons.”)
• Judge rules CDC eviction moratorium unconstitutional (A Trump-appointed judge, of COURSE.)
• Marjorie Taylor Greene Wants People to Know She’s Not Just Crazy, She’s a Crazy Bigot
• Marjorie Taylor Greene posts anti-transgender sign across hall from lawmaker with transgender child (Evil.)
• Capitol insurrectionist with history of violence previously tried to harass members of Congress with Marjorie Taylor Greene in 2019
• Right Wing Laments Loss of Mr. Potato Head’s Imaginary Genitals as Hasbro Gives Toy Line Gender-Neutral Name (These people need to get a grip.)
• Andrew Cuomo, once touted as the ‘gold standard,’ finds his brand tarnished by multiple crises
• It looks like the Batmobile, works on solar energy, and could be the future of cars
• Twitter announces paid Super Follows to let you charge for tweets
• The Marty Baron Exit Interview (“The legendary editor recalls angry calls from Trump and shares ‘deep concerns’ about the survival of newspapers and democracy.”)
• Ex-Olympic gymnastics coach dies by suicide hours after being charged with human trafficking, sex crimes
• Video: On MSNBC, Asked About Jim Jordan and Other Seditionist Republicans, Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA11) Says “you look at people quite differently after January 6th than you did before”
• Wexton says Capitol Police chief was “filibustering” House Appropriations Subcommittee’s questions
• Video: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) Has VERY Intense Exchange with Acting Chief of U.S. Capitol Police re: Insufficient Officers on 1/6, Not Holding Any Public Briefings Since Attack, “Not Standing By Your Officers,” etc. (“So you’ll answer our questions, but not those of the press, is that what I’m getting from you?”)
• Virginia tribes to receive more than $1M for housing assistance
• Thursday (2/25) Virginia Data on COVID-19 Finds +2,036 Confirmed/Probable Cases (to 570,982), +73 Hospitalizations (to 23,871), +156 Deaths (to 7,963)
• If Johnson & Johnson vaccine is authorized, Virginia expects 50,000 doses a week (“Drug maker’s one-shot vaccine could boost Virginia’s 160,000 doses a week to 210,000 a week. That allocation, plus the 52,000 doses shipped directly to Virginia pharmacies, could increase available supplies more than 60% in another week or so.”)
• Virginia House and Senate negotiators agree on budget featuring raises for teachers, state employees (“The two-year spending plan, which will be put to a vote Saturday, reflects the state’s improving economy.”)
• Virginia budget deal includes 5% raise for teachers and state employees
• Editorial: Late census data casts uncertainty on Virginia elections (“Elections this year are almost certain to proceed as scheduled and are likely to use existing maps. The big question is whether those would be for full two-year terms, or whether all 100 delegate seats should be up for election again next year — meaning they would coincide with elections for U.S. House.”)
• Bill requiring in-person school in Virginia heads to Northam after passing Senate
• Virginia General Assembly mandates in-person instruction starting this July
• An Unprecedented General Assembly Session Wraps Up
• General Assembly commits to tabulating Virginia’s greenhouse gas emissions
• Virginia is still stuck in an ethical free-for-all when it comes to money in politics
• Virginia NAACP Commends General Assembly on Passage of HB1890 Virginia Voting Rights Act
• With deadline looming, Virginia lawmakers still negotiating marijuana legalization bill
• Virginia Senate Passes Del. Danica Roem’s Bill to Ban the “Gay/Trans Panic Defense”
• Quick-Witted Sen McClellan Finds Appropros Response to Sen Morrissey’s Objection to Bill Banning LGBTQ+ Panic Defense
• House Democrats Lambaste GOP Peers for Hypocrisy of Their Sudden (Supposed) Love for Public Education
• Senators make bipartisan call for new investigation of Parole Board following report
• Parole board comes under fire after a report showing misconduct is discovered
• Leaked Draft of Parole Board Investigation Raises Questions
• VA Grassroots Coalition Asks That Senators Petersen and Saslaw Arrange For “Governor’s Schools” Bill To Be Reconsidered By the Senate Education and Health Committee
• Pete Snyder’s campaign employee has been advising the committee tasked with making nomination process decisions
• As Virginia Republicans Lurch Ever Further to the Far Right, LG Candidate Tim Hugo (R) Endorsed By Viciously Anti-Immigrant, Extremist Ken Cuccinelli
• Former Rocky Mount officers forbidden from carrying guns while awaiting trial on Capitol-related charges
• The University of Richmond confronts its racist legacy
• Northam’s push to reopen schools meets sharp criticism in Portsmouth as board mulls a proposed return (“During a nearly three-hour meeting, School Board members heard administrators’ proposal for a phased return to in-person learning. Portsmouth is one of three districts in Virginia that is both all-virtual and without a date to return.”)
• Bristol, Virginia Schools may take legal action against Northam over crowd restrictions
• Litter increases during the pandemic have been a ‘nightmare’ for some Hampton Roads cities
• Clouds increase today, with rain odds up starting tonight (“Temperatures are mild through the weekend, despite increasing dampness.”)