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Saturday News: “It’s Not Just Russia: China Joins the G7’s List of Adversaries”; “The Supreme Court just effectively legalized machine guns”; “CEOs at Trump meeting: Ex-president ‘meandering’ and ‘doesn’t know what he’s talking about'”; “‘Cheapfake’ Biden videos enrapture right-wing media, but deeply mislead”

By
lowkell
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8

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, June 15.

Sen. Tim Kaine, Reps. Abigail Spanberger, Don Beyer, Gerry Connolly, etc. React to “Dangerous,” “Shameful,” “Dreadful” Supreme Court Ruling on Bump Stocks

By
lowkell
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6

Just a horrendous, indefensible ruling by the far-right-extremist Supreme Court majority, totally contemptuous of precedent, the constitution and the rule of law.  Also dangerous. See below for some reactions.

Spanberger Statement on Supreme Court Ruling to Strike Down Federal Bump Stock Ban 

Congresswoman: “As a Former Federal Law Enforcement Officer, I Know that Weapons Designed to Inflict Maximum Casualties Do Not Belong on Our Streets, in Our Schools, or in Our Communities”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger today released the following statement following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Garland v. Cargill, which overturns a Trump-era federal ban on bump stocks.

“During the 2017 Las Vegas shooting — the deadliest mass shooting in United States history, a gunman swiftly killed 58 people and injured 800 more using a semiautomatic rifle modified with a bump stock. In response to this tragedy and the undeniable need to rid our streets of the device that enabled such a horrific massacre, the Trump Administration banned bump stocks with broad bipartisan support. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ended this years-long ban, putting countless American lives at risk in a decision that will inevitably result in more gun deaths.

“As a former federal law enforcement officer, I know that weapons designed to inflict maximum casualties do not belong on our streets, in our schools, or in our communities. Speaker Johnson must bring bipartisan legislation to the U.S. House floor that would codify a ban on bump stocks for civilian use under federal law and save lives.”

—

Bump stocks are accessories that affix to semiautomatic rifles to generate simulated automatic fire with a single trigger pull, allowing a gun to fire at a rate of 400 to 800 rounds per minute. In March 2024, Spanberger urged U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the bipartisan Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act — which the U.S. House passed in 2022 — to the U.S. House floor to codify a ban on the manufacturing, sale, or possession of bump stocks for civilian use under federal law.

 

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02)’s March Toward a Nationwide Abortion Ban: Attacking Service Members’ Access to Reproductive Care

By
Blue Virginia
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8

From the DCCC:

Jen Kiggans’ March Toward a Nationwide Abortion Ban: Attacking Service Members’ Access to Reproductive Care

Yesterday, Jen Kiggans voted for new, extreme restrictions on abortion care for 350,000 active duty women in the military.

House Republicans, including Kiggans, voted overwhelmingly to insert a far-right amendment that would restrict service members’ ability to seek and access essential reproductive care, undermining bipartisan efforts to strengthen health care for our armed forces.

Kiggans is paving the way for a national abortion ban with her vote on new restrictions for service members. 

DCCC Spokesperson Lauryn Fanguen:
“If it’s a day that ends in ‘Y’, Jen Kiggans will vote for national abortion restrictions. She is more interested in attacking the reproductive freedoms of our country’s service members than ensuring our troops have the support they need, and Coastal Virginians won’t forget how wrong Kiggans’ attacks are when they head to the polls in November.”

Friday News: Higher Interest Rates “Boosting Spending and the Economy”; “[C]omplete capitulation by the GOP” [including Youngkin] as Trump (78 Years Old Today) Returns to “Scene of the Crime”; SCOTUS ” Abortion Pill Ruling Should Satisfy Nobody”

By
lowkell
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16

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, June 14.

House, Senate Democratic Leadership Release Statements on Legislation for Special Session on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program

By
Blue Virginia
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6

From the Virginia House and Senate Democratic Caucuses:

House Leadership Release Statement on Legislation for Special Session on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP)

Richmond, VA – Today, in advance of the upcoming special session on June 28, 2024, the following statement was issued in response to the filing of legislation that will remove new requirements to the Virginia Military Survivor and Dependent Education Program (VMSDEP):

Over the last month, each member of the House of Delegates has heard from families from across the state regarding the changes to the VMSDEP program. This has been a long-standing program that has helped countless military families receive an education, improving the overall well-being of each member. Sustaining this program continues to be a priority, and we will reconvene to repeal the changes recently made to this program in the biennial budget passed last month. We are protecting benefits for all veterans and their families in the 2024-2025 school year while working together on a long-term solution.

“I have always been a steadfast supporter of our military servicemen and women, veterans, and their families, ensuring they receive the support they deserve,” said House Appropriations Chair Delegate Luke Torian (D-Prince William). “I am sponsoring this legislation to restore the program to its previous form until Governor Youngkin’s task force provides a comprehensive report and recommendations on how best to sustain this program long-term for veterans and their families.”

“Veterans have many choices when deciding where to call home, and this program is a major reason why some families choose Virginia after their service,” said Delegate Jackie Glass (D-Norfolk). “I’ve heard from countless families in my district and throughout the Commonwealth about how these changes have disrupted their children’s lives and spouses’ efforts to further their education. I am confident we will ensure that this program continues to be a valuable asset in Virginia.”

“Virginia’s wounded veterans and Gold Star families gave more to this nation than many of us can fathom,” said Delegate Mike Cherry (R-Colonial Heights). “I am proud that both parties were able to work together in order to reverse these changes, and I thank the leadership in both parties–as well as Governor Younkgin–for their attention to this important issue.”

“As a veteran with a service connected disability and 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force, I deeply understand the critical role this program plays in supporting our veterans and their families in pursuing higher education,” said Delegate Michael Feggans (D-Virginia Beach). “I am proud to serve as a chief co-patron of this legislation, ensuring that these families continue to receive this benefit because of their selfless dedication to our country.”

The Governor’s task force is set to meet again in July and August and will release its recommendations later this year before the 2025 General Assembly. We look forward to hearing from them as they work with all stakeholders to ensure the success and solvency of this program for future generations.

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Virginia Senate Democrats to Convene June 18 to Address VMSDEP Funding for Gold Star Families

RICHMOND, VA – The Virginia Senate will reconvene on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in the ongoing special session to address technical concerns, including the unintended consequences related to recent changes to the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP). Our actions reaffirm Virginia’s support of our military and law enforcement families whose loved ones have made the ultimate sacrifice for our community.

Today, Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke directed the Clerk of the Senate to notify members to return for work on June 18, 2024.  Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair L. Louise Lucas intends to hear legislation at the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee meeting on June 18, 2024, to:

  • Clarify that all students who enroll in classes by Fall 2024 are grandfathered into the existing Program prior to the budget changes;
  • Exempt from the recent budget changes Gold Star Families, applicable Line of Duty beneficiaries, and those wounded as a result of military combat who are at least 90% disabled;
  •  Require the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to issue official guidance no later than August 1, 2024;
  • Require the Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission (JLARC) to review the program and make recommendations prior to the 2025 General Assembly Session; and
  •   Make additional technical adjustments to the state budget unrelated to the VMSDEP program.

VMSDEP, which provides education benefits to the spouses and children of military service members, was significantly expanded in 2019.  The Department of Planning and Budget projected those changes would increase the cost of the program by $5.4 million per year.  Since the 2019 changes and according to data submitted to SCHEV, program participation rose from 1,387 students to 6,125 students in 2023 and waiver costs increased from $12.0 million to $65.3 million, or a 445% increase. The growth impacts the sustainability of the Program as institutions must offset their revenue loss from waivers through either institutional efficiencies or other revenue sources, including increased tuition on other students.

The changes contained in this year’s budget were passed on a bipartisan vote, and action is necessary now, even as discussions continue about the Program.  After hearing from the veteran community, the proposed changes honor the commitment to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice through military combat, address concerns for students who had planned to enroll in Fall 2024 courses after May 15th, and direct JLARC to independently recommend additional modifications or adjustments to the Program.

“Senate Democrats are proud to support Virginia’s commitment to becoming the most veteran-friendly state in America.  This year’s budget commits over $98 million in state funds to help connect veterans to benefits and care. Additionally, by tax year 2025, veterans will be able to exempt up to $40,000 of their retirement income from state income taxes, saving veterans an estimated $230 million.  We look forward to working with Governor Youngkin and the House of Delegates to examine modifications to the VMSDEP program to ensure its long-term viability,” said Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell.

“This budget was a product of bipartisan collaboration between the General Assembly and the Governor. We are committed to taking this necessary step to rectify unintended consequences as we continue to work together to conduct an independent review to find a long-term solution for VMSDEP. After my personal experience with massive resistance, I have dedicated my entire legislative career to ensure that everyone can access educational opportunities and reach their full potential. Our budget reflects this belief and the proposed changes reinforce my support for all students,” said Senate Finance and Appropriations Chair L. Louise Lucas.

“Democrats honor our veterans by ensuring they receive needed support and resources. The biennial budget includes an additional $20 million per year to cover a portion of the waiver’s cost to institutions, $102 million each year for operating support, and almost $20 million per year for need-based financial aid.  As the Education Subcommittee Chair for the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, I am committed to ensuring higher education is affordable for all students,” said Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie E. Locke.

Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Condemns Attorney General Miyares’ Attack on American Bar Association Standards for Diversity and Inclusion

By
Blue Virginia
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9

From the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC):

Virginia Legislative Black Caucus Condemns Attorney General Miyares’ Attack on American Bar Association Standards for Diversity and Inclusion

The members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC) are in strong opposition to Attorney General (AG), Jason Miyares’, decision to join 20 of his Republican peers in signing a letter urging the American Bar Association (ABA) to eliminate its diversity and inclusion standards for law schools. Governor Youngkin’s administration has established a pattern of encroaching on the freedoms of educational institutions, with the result being the further erosion of access for Black students to public schools, colleges and universities, and now law schools.

The conservative Attorney Generals argued the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action a year ago is in conflict with the existing ABA standard. How to address and define race and racism in the law is an ever changing question and we see no body more fit to interpret the law than the ABA.

In signing this letter, AG Miyares has recommitted his opposition to racially diverse learning environments despite decades of research proving they lead to better outcomes for all students. More importantly, Black people have a right to be everywhere regardless of the personal feelings of politicians. The letter described the ABA’s determination as a threat from which their “profession, and our country, may never recover.” In 2022, the ABA found the percentage of Black lawyers had declined over the past decade to just 4.5 percent.

AG Miyares is right that if inclusive pipelines are created for Black people to exist in legal institutions and have representative influence over our legal code, the profession, and our country, will transform. We will all be better for it. Issues of race could be drawn out until the end of history or we can address them and build a world in which these standards are not necessary at all.

The attorneys argue that law schools should drop their commitment to racially diverse communities altogether, describing it as an “explicit demand to make hiring decisions based on race.” In their advice on how to make schools less racially diverse, the attorneys conclude that “racially motivated recruitment or financial aid” should also be banned.

By attacking race conscious recruitment policies and financial aid programs, AG Miyares has articulated his understanding of systemic racism. He simply chose not to address the underlying question: why do institutions see a decline of Black students when they stop considering racial barriers in recruitment and education financing?

This letter comes just after members of the VLBC won an uphill battle to pass a budget which prioritizes a quality education for all Virginins. Aside from interpersonal racism, Black people experience communities which lack financial resources, attend underfunded schools, and do not have the same opportunities for professional mentorship and networks as their peers. These compounded disadvantages are not coincidental. These circumstances are planned outcomes of hundreds of years of race based discrimination and political strategy. We must plan and strategize our way out of it.

The attorneys were correct in their claim that the potential legal complications in getting this wrong will cost nothing compared to the “harms suffered by those deprived of educational and employment opportunities solely because their skin is the wrong color.”

REMINDER: GOP Senate Candidates Oppose IVF Protections For Virginians 

By
Blue Virginia
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4

From DPVA:

REMINDER: GOP Senate Candidates Oppose IVF Protections For Virginians 

Richmond, VA – As the U.S. Senate votes today on the Right to IVF Act, which includes a Kaine-led provision that expands in vitro fertilization (IVF) protections for military families in Virginia and across the country, it is a clear reminder that the GOP Senate candidates oppose IVF protections for Virginia families

Ever since the MAGA majority on the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, extreme Republicans have been racing to attack reproductive freedom. In February, Alabama’s Supreme Court ruled to make IVF illegal in the state, jeopardizing family planning for Alabamans and sending a shockwave throughout the country that more fundamental freedoms are at risk. MAGA extremists Cao, Parkinson, Smith, and Emord are anti-choice extremists who believe life begins at conception, which puts in vitro fertilization and birth control access on the MAGA chopping block.

Time and again, every GOP Senate candidate has shown their true anti-choice colors to Virginians, letting us know loud and clear that they will do everything they can to restrict reproductive rights:

  • When the Washington Post asked Cao and Parkinson if they would protect IVF, they refused to answer whether they would support Senator Tammy Duckworth’s IVF protection bill. Parkinson has denigrated efforts to protect IVF, calling the issue a “stale talking point.”
  • Last year, Cao and Parkinson supported Senator Tuberville’s blockade of military promotions – including of many Virginians – to restrict access to abortion for service members. Parkinson even went so far as to call Tuberville a “great example” of “asserting his individual power” and repost Senator Mike Lee who argued that Republicans shouldn’t be concerned if Senator Tuberville’s grandstanding harms military readiness. Cao said that he did “actually agree with Senator Tuberville.”

“Today’s vote to protect IVF is a reminder that all of the GOP Senate candidates – Hung Cao, Scott Parkinson, Jonathan Emord, Eddie Garcia, and Chuck Smith -would be a vote against protecting IVF,” said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “If Hung Cao, Scott Parkinson, Jonathan Emord, Eddie Garcia, and Chuck Smith had it their way, they would let states make abortion and IVF illegal.

“As the last state in the South without an extreme abortion ban, Virginians know we need to protect our reproductive rights. This November, Virginians will reject Republicans up and down the ticket because they would be a threat to the freedom of Virginians to make their own health care decisions by banning contraception, IVF, and abortion.”

Youngkin’s Latest Dishonest Attack on Clean Energy

By
kindler
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3

By Kindler

The man just can’t stop.  Governor Glenn Youngkin is an Energizer Bunny powered by fossil fuels (or at least by their fatcat donors), on an endless quest to halt clean energy progress like some sort of Exxon-sponsored Terminator.

Every program, every project that dare divert a teaspoon of oil or gas from use in favor of renewable power must feel his wrath.  In his blind loyalty to the fossil fuel industry, Youngkin will stoop to any level, including breaking the law (as he is doing in trying to illegally cancel Virginia’s legislatively enacted Clean Car Standard and membership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). And like every Republican officeholder in the Age of Trump, he will lie shamelessly in defense of those whose products foul our air, water and land and ravage our climate.

His latest target? A solar power array planned for the Pentagon.  But since it would look bad to scream “HEY, OIL AND GAS CEOS, PLEASE SEND CASH!”, he had to come up with another rationale for telling the Pentagon NOT to save taxpayer money and reduce its pollutant emissions.

So, of course, he went with Republicans’ favorite bogeyman – China!  “This decision brings into question whether American taxpayer dollars will be used to purchase solar equipment from the Chinese Communist Party,” Youngkin sputtered. According to Richmond news station WRIC:

“Youngkin sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin saying the program the money comes from, created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law doesn’t have ‘any stated requirement that such panels be made in America using American technology.’”

That statement is so embarrassingly wrong.  A teenage working in Youngkin’s office could’ve spent 5 minutes searching the Internet to find out that:

To its credit, WRIC noted these requirements in its story and asked Youngkin’s office about them. The lame response from his spokesperson was “Historically, federal agencies have waived the ‘Made in America’ requirements to procure solar panels, prioritizing purchasing cheap Chinese solar.”

And…wrong again!  Exceptions meriting a waiver are pretty limited, and rather than keeping it a Deep State secret, Biden’s Made in America Office posts a record of all such waiver requests. You can look it yourself and see that, across the entire Federal government with its many hundreds of billions in spending, there are currently only 1218 waiver requests, and most of them are for bizarrely unique forms of equipment like NIH’s request for an Orbital Shaking Incubator. (Don’t ask.)

No, Papa Youngkin is not trying to protect us from the Big, Bad Yellow Menace.  He is just working to shore up his ever-shrinking future prospects in GOP politics by attempting to stay in the good graces of the Koch Network and American Petroleum Institute.

The facts are that the project Youngkin is trying to kill will have “potential savings of over 7 million kWh of electricity and 128,157 MMBtu of natural gas per year, leading to an estimated annual total energy cost reduction of $1,357,864 and a significant greenhouse gas reduction of 8,861,845 kg-CO2.”  And it is an investment that will ultimately NOT cost the taxpayers a dime, with a projected payback in 14 years – after which point, those solar panels provide permanently free and clean power, neither of which his beloved fossil fuels can ever provide.

Needless to say, Fox plastered Youngkin’s lies all over its outlets without fact checking a single comma – and then spread them throughout social media like a terrorist poisoning the water supply.

The lesson is clear – elect Republicans and you get public officials who answer to Big Oil, Gas and Coal, not to you. Democrats may not be perfect, but they are investing hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy and creating many thousands of American jobs in the process. Please do your part to keep electing Democrats so that Republicans like Glenn Youngkin have no power to do anything more than whine, pout and stamp their feet.

Please check out my Substack!

Video: Biden-Harris 2024 Launches New Ad As Trump Heads To Capitol for First Time Since January 6

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From the Biden for President campaign:

Biden-Harris 2024 Launches New Ad As Trump Heads To Capitol for First Time Since January 6

“Donald Trump is ready to burn it all down.”

Today, as Donald Trump returns to the Capitol for the first time since he inspired a violent insurrection on January 6, Biden-Harris 2024 is launching a new television ad, “Burn,” to remind voters of the violence he inspired when he encouraged his supporters to stop the peaceful transfer of power.

Since Donald Trump lost the election in 2020, he’s snapped and continues to spiral, becoming more unhinged and dangerous – even after the horrific events he inspired at the Capitol on January 6.

Burn reminds Americans that at the behest of Trump, over 140 officers were injured and five people died. Now, an even more unhinged Trump promises to pardon those same violent insurrectionists and criminals who attacked the brave law enforcement protecting the Capitol on January 6, and has mused that the election this November could be our last. And he continues to encourage more political violence; convicted felon Donald Trump promises a “bloodbath” if he isn’t reelected.

This ad will run today across all battleground states during local news broadcasts in an effort to remind voters about Trump’s unforgivable actions on January 6, and his promise to go further if reelected.

The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Chair of the National Advisory Board and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi:

“Today, the instigator of an insurrection is returning to the scene of the crime. January 6th was a crime against the Capitol, that saw Nazi and Confederate flags flying under the dome that Lincoln built. It was a crime against the Constitution and its peaceful transfer of power, in a desperate attempt to cling to power. And it was a crime against Members, heroic police officers and staff, that resulted in death, injury and trauma that endure to this day. With his pledges to be a dictator on day one and seek revenge against his political opponents, Donald Trump comes to Capitol Hill today with the same mission of dismantling our democracy. But make no mistake — Trump has already cemented his legacy of shame in our hallowed halls.”

WATCH “BURN” HERE

NARRATOR: On January 6, Donald Trump lit a fire in this country.

REPORTER: One hundred and forty officers were injured. The siege lasted for seven hours.

NARRATOR: Stoking the flames of division and hate. Now he’s pouring gasoline.

TRUMP: “They were unbelievable patriots.”

NARRATOR: Pledging to pardon the extremists who tried to overthrow our government.

TRUMP: “We will give them pardons.”

NARRATOR: Inciting them to try again. There is nothing more sacred than our democracy. But Donald Trump is ready to burn it all down.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: I’m Joe Biden and I approve this message.

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Paid for by Biden for President

Thursday News: “As the G7 summit began, the U.S. said it would sign a 10-year security pact with Ukraine.”; “The Economy Is Finally Becoming … Normal?”; “Let’s Talk About Trump’s Gibberish”; “Port of Baltimore back open for business”

By
lowkell
-
25

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, June 13.

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