Thursday News: “In a single day, Big Oil suffers historic blows on climate”; “Biden orders US intelligence to intensify efforts to study Covid’s origins”; “Kevin McCarthy, meet Dr. Frankenstein”; “John Warner was the kind of Republican the country needs now”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 27.

• Oil Giants Are Dealt Major Defeats on Climate-Change as Pressures Intensify
• The little engine that could, and the oil giant that couldn’t
• ‘Landslide Victory for Climate Justice’: Court Rules Shell Must Cut CO2 Emissions 45 Percent by 2030 (“‘This is a turning point in history,’ said an attorney who noted that the ruling ;may also have major consequences for other big polluters.'”)
• Shell Loses Climate Case That May Set Precedent for Big Oil
• ‘Powerful signal’: In a single day, Big Oil suffers historic blows on climate
• Climate: World at risk of hitting temperature limit soon (Ditch fossil fuels on an emergency basis…by 2030 or 2035.)
• No, The Pandemic Didn’t Slow Down Climate Change. In Fact, Scientists Warn It’s Accelerating (“Scientists say humans must keep global temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The World Meteorological Organization warns that number is looming.”)
• Scientists say humans must keep global temperatures from increasing more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The World Meteorological Organization warns that number is looming.
• Russia Raises Heat on Twitter, Google and Facebook in Online Crackdown
• Egypt cements role as Middle East power broker
• The EU Has to Come Down Hard on Belarus — and Fast
• No, Biden’s summit with Putin doesn’t make the U.S. look ‘weak’
• U.S. and China trade representatives hold first phone call under Biden
• Biden’s Top Man in Asia Says the Era of Engagement With China Is Over
• Blinken’s Brief Mideast Trip Shows Biden’s Focus Is Elsewhere
• Immunity to the Coronavirus May Persist for Years, Scientists Find
• Vaccinate the World! The Best Investment Ever.
• The origin of Covid is now an intelligence operation
• Growing storm over Covid’s origin may have massive consequences (“The mystery over Covid-19’s origin has political implications for the world, as well as dueling legacies of two presidents that will be defined by the pandemic”)
• Joe Biden orders US intelligence to intensify efforts to study Covid’s origins
• China pushes back against the Biden administration for raising pressure on coronavirus origins
• Statement by President Joe Biden on the Investigation into the Origins of COVID-19
• The Wuhan lab-leak theory is getting more attention — because key evidence is still missing
• A Wave of Afghan Surrenders to the Taliban Picks Up Speed
• In defense of the two-state solution (“Some are declaring the two-state paradigm for Israel and Palestine totally doomed. But it’s not — and it’s still worth fighting for.”)
• Biden faces dilemma on Trump steel tariffs
• Nearly a decade after Benghazi, the U.S. is quietly returning to Libya
• The Gaza war isn’t an argument against the Iran nuclear deal
• Susan Collins’s latest move on the Jan. 6 commission builds the case for filibuster reform (“A bipartisan accounting into the insurrection is probably not possible.”)
• Mother Of Capitol Officer Brian Sicknick Seeks Meeting With GOP Over Jan. 6 Commission (“Putting politics aside, wouldn’t they want to know the truth of what happened on January 6?”)
• Romney: GOP blocking Jan. 6 commission ‘would be seen as not wanting to let the truth come out’
• 85% Of Republicans Want Candidates To Agree With Trump, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Americans Support Early Cut To Federal Jobless Benefit
• Jobless Claims Seen Falling to Another Pandemic Low
• Schools Clear Hurdle to Returning in the Fall: Teachers Want to Come Back
• It’s crunch time for Biden
• Ignore the hysterical commentary surrounding Biden’s agenda (“The president does have a big-picture strategy.”)
• Biden Administration Defends Huge Alaska Oil Drilling Project (Horrible idea.)
• On Voting Rights, Biden Prefers to Negotiate. This Time, It Might Not Be Possible. (“The president’s long history of deal making on the issue is crashing into the realities of a more sharply partisan time.”)
• Biden is said to be planning to nominate Burns and Garcetti for ambassadorships.
• U.S. Faces Outbreak of Anti-Semitic Threats and Violence
• One Year After George Floyd’s Murder, the Racial Reckoning Gave Way to a Backlash (“As history shows, any progress is inevitably followed by a retreat.”)
• How populism could help Democrats blunt the GOP in midterms
• McConnell focuses ‘100 percent’ on blocking Biden — and zero percent on America (That’s what McConnell always has done.)
• How Red Or Blue Is Your State? Your Congressional District? (Virginia is D+4.6 points, which is leaning “blue,” but by no means anything we can take for granted. Virginia’s congressional districts range from D+48.81 in VA08 to R+35.26 in VA09, with VA07 at R+5.47 and VA02 at R+0.65.)
• Cities Reverse Defunding the Police Amid Rising Crime
• Karine Jean-Pierre becomes first Black woman in 30 years to host daily White House press briefing
• Kevin McCarthy, meet Dr. Frankenstein
• Trump tried to end Spygate probe of NFL’s Patriots with bribe, late senator’s son alleges
• Trump regime’s amazing list of crimes keeps getting longer — but we can’t afford to look away (“Spying on journalists, stealing children, abducting activists from the streets — it could happen again, and worse”)
• There Are Herds of Scapegoats Shielding Trump
• GOP frets behind the scenes over potential Trump 2024 bid
• ‘It’s insane’: Proud Boys furor tests limits of Trump’s GOP
• Fox News’ fearmongering about critical race theory is all about the midterm campaigns — and now the network is admitting it (Total sham.)
• Fox News has attacked Black Lives Matter over 400 times in a 6-month period
• Tom Cotton says calls to end racism are Chinese propaganda (Cotton is evil and batsh**.)
• Why QAnon is disappearing from online view
• Eric Carle, The Creator Of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar,’ Has Died. He Was 91
• Associated Press tells staff it made mistakes in firing of Emily Wilder (Did they rehire her? Nope. Total joke.)
• The AP’s Social Media Maelstrom (“Sources inside the AP shed new light on the firing of news associate Emily Wilder, which forced the news agency to review its own policies.”)
• AZ GOPers Target Dem SoS Hobbs—And Hobbs Only—In Mad Dash To Rewrite Election Rules
• Nine dead, including gunman, in San Jose rail yard mass shooting (And yet the gun lobby and Republicans block any action to stem this violence. For his part, Glenn Youngkin says gun rights are “absolute.”)
• San Jose mass shooting: Ex-girlfriend of suspect Samuel Cassidy alleged rape and violent, alcohol-fueled ‘mood swings’
• Top Wisconsin Republican Robin Vos hires former cops to investigate November election (What could possibly go wrong?)
• Facebook no longer treating ‘man-made’ Covid as a crackpot idea
• Juan Williams Is Suddenly Out at Fox News’ ‘The Five’—And Insiders Are Blaming Co-Host Greg Gutfeld
• House Dems respond to GOP ads accusing them of opposing security funding to Israel (“Rep. Elaine Luria told JI the attacks are ‘a flat-out lie’ and ‘disgraceful,’ and Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux said they are ‘nonsense’”)
• Sen. Tim Kaine highlights maternal and infant mortality along with racial inequities in maternal health
• Remembering John Warner, Virginia’s Longest- Serving Senator
• John Warner was the kind of Republican the country needs now
• R.I.P. Former U.S. Senator John Warner (R-VA), Who Died Last Night at Age 94 (Sen. Tim Kaine: “Virginia has lost an unmatched leader, and my family has lost a dear friend.”)
• John Warner, Genteel Senator From Virginia, Dies at 94 (“In his 30 years in the Senate, the former Navy secretary was a leading Republican voice on military policy. He was once married to Elizabeth Taylor.”)
• Schapiro: John Warner, the consummate insider — and outsider
• New Washington Post Report: Glenn Youngkin Attempts to Hide His Far-Right Extremism (“Youngkin’s pathetic attempt to hide his extreme views is an insult to Virginia voters”)
• Muslim Candidate Asked Islamophobic Question During Virginia Debate (“A moderator asked Del. Sam Rasoul, a Democrat running for lieutenant governor, whether he could represent Virginians ‘regardless of faith or beliefs.'” This – plus the absurd “Critical Race Theory” question – says it all about Sinclair broadcasting specifically, and right-wing media in general.)
• A question about candidate’s Muslim faith roils Democrats’ debate for Virginia lieutenant governor (Absolutely disgraceful by the moderator, but what else would anyone expect from right-wing media like the odious Sinclair broadcasting – in this case, WJLA7 in the DC area.)
• Debate Moderator Becomes The Story With Question To Muslim Candidate
• AG Mark Herring Calls For Federal Resources to Combat Militia Extremism
• Newport News City Council moves local elections to November – but it doesn’t like it one bit
• Northam’s finance secretary leaves for job at Sentara Healthcare (Ah, the “Virginia Way” – revolving door between government and industry.)
• Wednesday (5/26) Virginia Data on COVID-19: Hospitalizations, 10-Day New COVID Cases Near Lowest Points Since Early in Pandemic
• Va. House Democratic Caucus OKs mailers portraying top Democratic donors as ‘dark money billionaires’
• Will the progressive prosecutor movement come to Richmond?
• City officials, developer targeting 2023 opening date for $560M Urban One casino in South Richmond
• Editorial: One year after George Floyd’s death, Richmond still seeks closure and change
• Charlottesville City Council, School Board weigh cost, financing of reconfiguration
• Arlington Dems Pour It On, Boost “Regular” Dem Mary Kadera to Big Victory in School Board Caucus Over “Insurgent Candidate”
• Military couple from Springfield shot to death in their front yard 2 days after burglary at same location
• Unarmed man shot by Va. sheriff’s deputy released from hospital
• D.C.-area forecast: Very warm but much less humid today before a rainy start to the weekend