FACT CHECK: Jen Kiggans Voted to Cut Veterans Benefits – Then Lied About It
From the DCCC:
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Thursday News: UK Election Called for 7/4; Time to “Raise the heat on this corrupt [and insurrectionist] Supreme Court”; Spineless, Amoral Nikki Haley Caves Yet Again; “An ACLU lawyer defended racists’ free speech rights. Now she’s running for [VA01]”
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 23.
- Can ‘rock weathering’ help tackle the climate crisis and boost farming? (“Trials show spreading basalt on farmland helps capture CO2 from the atmosphere and improves crop yields”)
- Island Nations Notch a Climate Win From World’s Maritime Court (“The ruling pressures a UN treaty’s 169 signatories—which do not include the US—to slash greenhouse gas emissions.”)
- New NASA Mission Tracks Microscopic Organisms in the Ocean and Tiny Particles in the Air to Monitor Climate Change
- G-7 Nations Split Over How to Tax Billionaires
- Ukraine, U.S. Say Russia Is Using Banned Toxic Gas in Battle
- Inside the White House, a Debate Over Letting Ukraine Shoot U.S. Weapons Into Russia (“After a sobering trip to Kyiv, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken is urging the president to lift restrictions on how Ukraine can use American arms.”)
- Can European Recognition Bring Palestinian Statehood Any Closer? (“Not on its own, in all likelihood. But it reflects a growing exasperation with Israel that might eventually lend momentum to a two-state solution.”)
- The day-after peace in Gaza will be fragile. Here’s how to make it work.
- Hostage families share disturbing new video of female Israeli soldiers being abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7
- Netanyahu speech plans spark internal furor for Democrats
- How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options
- Rishi Sunak will call general election for July in surprise move – sources
- Sunak has taken an astonishing gamble in going for a general election
- Sunak Fights Election on Economy That’s Only Just Picking Up
- The British Prime Minister Bowed to the Inevitable
- China holds military drills around Taiwan as ‘punishment’ (Thuggishness.)
- How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan (“Around 80% of the world’s gum arabic is harvested from Sudan’s acacia trees, and the widely used ingredient has become a key funding source for both sides in the country’s civil war.”)
- Biden Plans to Give Kenya Key Ally Designation During Its Leader’s Visit
- Stage Collapses at Campaign Rally in Mexico, Killing at Least 9 (“Strong winds caused the collapse in northern Mexico as a presidential hopeful campaigned for a local candidate, officials said. Dozens were injured.”)
- The military is encroaching on Mexican democracy
- We could all be Scarlett Johansson one day soon
- Scarlett Johansson’s ChatGPT face-off confirms our fears about AI
- Gas Prices Are Dropping, in Time for the Memorial Day Weekend
- Congressional Dems confront broken trust on border as Biden prepares to act alone
- Supreme Court Justice Alito’s Beach House Displayed ‘Appeal to Heaven’ Flag (We literally have one insurrectionist, Samuel Alito, on the Supreme Court for sure, another – Clarence Thomas – who’s at the bare minimum MARRIED to an insurrectionist – Ginni Thomas. How is this in any way/shape/form acceptable? Why are any of their opinions considered legitimate???)
- Second flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters displayed outside house owned by Justice Alito, report says
- What These Stories About Samuel Alito’s “Provocative” Flags Are Really About (“No, John Roberts is not going to do anything about this one either.”)
- Abusing Their Power and Position (“While Donald Trump ratchets up the violent rhetoric, Nikki Haley announces support for his presidency and Samuel Alito is found to have flown another pro-Trump, anti-government flag”)
- Florida hearing in Trump classified documents case devolves into shouting match
- Judge Outlines ‘Shell Game’ Played with Classified Docs at Mar-a-Lago
- Unsealed motions in Trump’s Fla. case suggest new evidence of possible obstruction
- A Bunch of Classified Documents Ended Up in Trump’s Bedroom at Mar-a-Lago
- Trump Gives Unconvincing Excuse for Not Testifying at Trial
- We’re on the Cusp of a Trump Verdict. Here’s What Our Insiders Think.
- Two hundred judges, more nominees moving, and a shadow docket bill
- Trump vows to “NEVER” take away birth control — except he spent four years doing just that (“Trump’s attacks on contraception were unrelenting. He even asked the Supreme Court to block women’s access”)
- Donald Trump Falsely and Outrageously Claims Biden Was Ready to Shoot Him During Mar-a-Lago Raid
- Nikki Haley says she’ll vote for Donald Trump in 2024 presidential race (Haley is scum.)
- Revealed: the extremist Maga lobbying group driving far-right Republican policies (“Documents show the Conservative Partnership Institute is pushing its far-right agenda at events involving GOP members”)
- Trump electors in key states want to serve again, despite criminal charges
- The Minnesota GOP endorsed an anti-semite for U.S. Senate. Republicans are silent.
- Far-Right-Extremist Hung Cao, the Quite-Possible 2024 VA GOP U.S. Senate Nominee Against Tim Kaine, Apparently Thinks Rural Virginians Are “Podunk” (DPVA Chair Susan Swecker: “I challenge Hung Cao to come down to the Shenandoah Valley & say that to our face. Coward. Pick a time & place.”)
- Video: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) Delivers Remarks on House Floor Recognizing PSP Awareness Month (“Despite its life-changing
impact on more than 30,000 Americans, PSP remains relatively unknown… I am on a mission to change that.”) - On heels of OpenAI scandal, Congressman Beyer files transparency bill
- Former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Responds to “false attacks from…shadowy dark money group” (“I hope my primary opponents will speak out against this attack and promise to run a positive campaign.”)
- Video: Senator Suhas Subramanyam Releases Television Ad “Leader” Featuring Incumbent Congresswoman Wexton
- An ACLU lawyer defended racists’ free speech rights. Now she’s running for Congress (Yeah, this is an example of where the ACLU kinda goes off the deep end, in this case, defending neo-Nazis’ 1st amendment rights, but also in this case exacerbating a serious public safety issue.)
- Video: VA House Dems Majority Leader Charniele Herring, Del. Rip Sullivan, Del. Alfonso Lopez Rip Youngkin’s Illegal RGGI Pullout – Youngkin “uninterested in protecting Virginia and Virginians” (That Youngkin would give up on this crucial funding is “nonsensical”)
- Virginia scholarship aiding those impacted by Massive Resistance and their descendants gets record funding
- MVP says it hasn’t yet completed construction, pushes in-service date to early June (“MVP says they are 99 percent finished building their 303-mile natural gas pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia.”)
- Jewish Israeli student sues UVa, claims school fosters ‘virulent antisemitism’ (“Legal experts say the case likely won’t succeed in court, while other Jewish students worry it will place a target on their backs.”)
- 3 Southwest Virginia lab school projects need a new public sponsor, state budget specifies
- Richmond plans to build $150,000 kids nature zone on Belle Isle
- D.C.-area forecast: Summery warmth fuels showers and storms through the weekend
Video: VA House Dems Majority Leader Charniele Herring, Del. Rip Sullivan, Del. Alfonso Lopez Rip Youngkin’s Illegal RGGI Pullout – Youngkin “uninterested in protecting Virginia and Virginians”
See below for video from yesterday’s press conference by Virginia House Democrats regarding Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s absurd, destructive and illegal decision to pull Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). A few quotes include:
Virginia House Democratic Leader Charniele Herring: “It was the only choice that we had, as we voted for the budget to ensure that we do not have a shutdown of our government, that we had to vote for a budget that excluded RGGI. But I am determined, as well as my colleagues, that we will re-enter RGGI. There is a court case proceeding right now on RGGI. But I feel personally that the governor’s actions were inappropriate and very shortsighted, just by the fact again that we’ve lost funds coming into…Virginia…low-income housing will not have the benefits of energy efficiency and we still have a coastal flooding problem”
Del. Rip Sullivan: “It was an enormous disappointment that RGGI was left out…the governor has this wrong. And I expect the court is going to agree with that. The law that we passed in 2020 was not a mere suggestion, it was a clear directive. When the governor was elected, I was committed to giving him the benefit of the doubt and trying to work with him on many issues facing Virginia, including issues relating to the environment and climate, which is an area that’s been a core issue of mine since I joined the General Assembly. And like on so many issues, we didn’t really know what to expect from the new governor. But my hopes were dashed on… day one when the governor announced his intention to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. And now a full 2 1/2 years later, the picture has become even more clear. While we’ve had isolated moments of progress…this governor’s legacy when he leaves office will be one of resistance to improving our environment, being uninterested in protecting Virginia and Virginians.”
Del. Alfonso Lopez: “The amount of revenue from RGGI was
more than we actually anticipated when we first went in…around $200 million in the first year…$825 million since…Here’s the other thing just be aware of…the second most susceptible part of the country for flooding after New Orleans is the Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area. And the idea that [Youngkin] would give up on one of the main sources of revenue for us to actually address recurrent flooding as well as energy efficiency standards for low-income homes, but for the significant amount of money that’s that’s used from this program specifically to address flooding when we in Virginia need it so but badly, as someone said is nonsensical.”
Former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn Responds to “false attacks from…shadowy dark money group”
From former VA Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn’s campaign:
| Eileen Filler-Corn, 56th Speaker, Responds to False Attacks |
| Loudoun County, VA – Today, former Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn released a response to the false attacks from Virginia Democratic Action Committee PAC, a shadowy dark money group founded by fellow Democrats for the express purpose of attacking her record.
“It is disappointing but unsurprising that I face false and baseless attacks from a dark money group,” said Filler-Corn. “It is clear that my message – that we need women on the frontlines defending our rights and our freedom – resonates with voters. As Speaker, I made historic progress for the Commonwealth, rolling back right-wing abortion restrictions and holding election deniers accountable. These false attacks are plainly sexist and rely on vile antisemitic tropes. I will continue to run a positive race that highlights my experience and track record of delivering for the Commonwealth. I hope my primary opponents will speak out against this attack and promise to run a positive campaign. Democrats should not be attacking each other.” Here are the facts:
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Eileen Filler-Corn, the former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, is running to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. She made history by leading the most progressive House agenda in Virginia’s history. Filler-Corn championed gun safety, increased the minimum wage, expanded abortion rights, legalized cannabis, promoted a path to carbon neutrality, and enhanced voting rights. With over a decade of service, she now seeks to bring that progressive change to the national stage, advocating for the people of Northern Virginia. She is proudly endorsed by leaders, including former Governor Ralph Northam, former Attorn |
Video: Senator Suhas Subramanyam Releases Television Ad “Leader” Featuring Incumbent Congresswoman Wexton
From VA State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam’s campaign:
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VIDEO: Senator Suhas Subramanyam Releases Television Ad “Leader” Featuring Incumbent Congresswoman Wexton Commercial Showcases Rep. Wexton’s Endorsement and Subramanyam’s Life in Service Fighting for Key Democratic Issues Ashburn, VA – Today, Senator Suhas Subramanyam, Obama White House Alumnus and Candidate for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District (VA-10), released his second television advertisement, titled “Leader”. The spot showcases Senator Subramanyam’s endorsement by incumbent Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton, who calls him “principled, effective leader with a long commitment to service”. The ad also highlights Suhas’s life in service as a firefighter/EMT and Obama White House Alumni, as well as his impressive record fighting gun violence, taking on MAGA extremists, and defending abortion rights. The ad will air on television, streaming, and digital channels as Suhas adds to the message already being broadcast to the voters of the 10th. |
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The new ad campaign adds to the building momentum for Senator Subramanyam’s campaign, who also boasts recent endorsements from Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, Virginia State Senator Russet Perry, Loudoun County Supervisor Laura Tekrony, Loudoun County School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield, and AAPI Victory Fund. ### Senator Suhas Subramanyam has dedicated his life to public service as a State Senator, Obama White House advisor, Capitol Hill staffer, and as a Loudoun volunteer firefighter/EMT. In Richmond, he has worked across the aisle to pass gun violence prevention bills, protect democracy, and defend abortion rights. Senator Subramanyam is best positioned to keep VA-10 in Democratic hands because he represents more VA-10 constituents than any of the 16 primary election candidates, and he has consistently outperformed the Democratic ticket and delivered for his constituents. Suhas resides in Ashburn, Virginia (in VA-10) with his wife, Miranda, and their two daughters. |
Far-Right-Extremist Hung Cao, the Quite-Possible 2024 VA GOP U.S. Senate Nominee Against Tim Kaine, Apparently Thinks Rural Virginians Are “Podunk”
In a few weeks, Virginia Republicans will quite possibly nominate far-right-extremist Hung Cao as their 2024 nominee for U.S. Senate against Sen. Tim Kaine. Undoubtedly, if/when they do so, the entire Virginia GOP will fall in line behind Cao, including endorsing him, campaiging for him, etc. That will happen, of course, despite the fact that Cao is – how to put this nicely…ah, forget it! LOL – bats*** crazy? Remember, this is the guy
And now, check out Cao’s latest:
Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao again called the report that prompted the allegations a “hit job” and referred to the Staunton News Leader, which reported the story, as a “podunk local newspaper” on an episode of the Alec Lace show Tuesday.
[…]
Cao did not attend a Senate candidate forum last Friday morning, which took take place in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, home of the Staunton News Leader. Staunton is in the Shenandoah Valley, a reliably red part of the commonwealth for Republican legislators in both state and federal offices.
For some background on the scandal involving Cao’s scam/grifter PAC, see Video: Pressed by MAGA Radio Host to Explain His Slimy Scam PAC, 2024 VA GOP U.S. Senate Frontrunner Hung Cao Has ZERO Answers (bottom line: Cao used the scam/grifter PAC money to promote himself, not to help Republican candidates running in 2023).
In response to Cao’s “podunk” comments, Democratic Party of Virginia Chair Susan Swecker responded:
“I’ve been reading the News Leader since I was a 6 yr old young Democrat with my daddy in Highland County. If you think we’re all ‘podunk’ I challenge Hung Cao to come down to the Shenandoah Valley & say that to our face. Coward. Pick a time & place.”
Nice. Of course, Cao won’t show up and do that, but it’s great for Swecker to highlight what a phony this guy is. Oh, and in addition to being a phony, the quite-possible 2024 Virginia GOP U.S. Senate nominee is also a far-right extremist, who has said things like:
- Appallingly compared abortion to the atrocities of the Holocaust, saying: “The Nazis did this. They’ll take Jewish babies and just take the legs and just smash the babies and kill them. You think that can’t happen in this country?’”
- Incredibly launched a vicious, truly disgusting attack against Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10), who is not running for reelection due to severe health problems, namely “a modified diagnosis of Progressive Supra-nuclear Palsy, type-p (PSP-P),” from which – according to Rep. Wexton – “there is no ‘getting better’.” Tragic and horrible. Yet according to Hung Cao, “my bet is she’ll step down this January so that. … she will be fully vested with five years, and she would then again just live off of the pension from the U.S. Congress.” Cao further claimed that people like Rep. Wexton “are out for themselves.” WTF?
- Praised the violent insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol on 1/6/21; said members of Congress should be “beating down the doors” demanding that imprisoned January 6th insurrectionists be set free, pledged to “release and seek compensation for” those arrested in connection to January 6th, and said he had “a lot of friends” who were investigated by the FBI for their activities on January 6th.
- Peddled conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and wants to gut ballot access in Virginia.
- Denied and mocked the climate crisis and climate science.
- Pledged to repeal the Affordable Care Act
- Denigrated various African countries (see below)
- And much, much, much, much more (e.g., Backs “Off-Label Alternatives” to Treating COVID, Is 100% Anti-Reproductive Freedom, Railed Against “Insidious Grooming…of Students” by “government-backed organizations,” etc, etc.)
Hung Cao, who wants to be the GOP nominee against @TimKaine, is: a climate denier, a gun nut, a 100% anti-abortion extremist (he actually compared abortion to the Nazi atrocities of the Holocaust!), and…check this out. https://t.co/pjqYoxMwjG h/t @vademocrats pic.twitter.com/JhruqfMlUn
— Blue Virginia (@bluevirginia) May 17, 2024
UPDATE 2:10 pm – See below for DPVA’s press release on this.
Richmond, VA – A new damaging report from the Staunton News Leader highlights how Hung Cao not only failed to answer questions about his scam PAC but also how he insulted the Shenandoah Valley by calling the newspaper that first reported the story “podunk.”
The report highlighted that this isn’t the first time Cao has neglected the Shenandoah Valley. Earlier this month, Cao skipped a candidate forum in Augusta County, turning his nose up at a chance for voters to hear about his campaign and hold him accountable.
And this certainly isn’t the first time Cao has been caught lying about his scam PAC. The report notes that Cao “repeated an earlier stated falsehood” on the Alec Lace Show, that he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023, when he in fact left the PAC in June 2023. Cao also lied and said he didn’t promise to donate the money from the PAC to other candidates despite “multiple recordings available online show Cao saying otherwise.” And Cao once again lied about federal super PACs being unable to donate to in-state candidates, which the super PAC could have Cao just chose not to keep his promise and donate to local candidates.
Instead of answering for his string of inconsistencies, Hung Cao lashed out at the Shenandoah Valley, creating a whole new slew of problems for his campaign.
“Hung Cao has no one to blame for his scam PAC but himself, and insulting Shenandoah Valley won’t change that fact,” said DPVA Chairwoman Susan Swecker. “”I’ve been reading the Staunton News Leader since I was a 6-years-old young Democrat with my daddy in Highland County. If he thinks we’re all ‘podunk,’ I challenge Hung Cao to come down to the Shenandoah Valley and say that to our face. Coward, pick a time and place.”
Read more below:
Staunton News Leader: ‘Podunk’: GOP hopeful for U.S. Senate denigrates small town paper rather than answering questions about Super PAC
Elizabeth Beyer
May 22, 2024
- Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Hung Cao again failed to address critical questions about spending by the Unleash America super PAC when asked by a conservative talk show host on Tuesday, May 21.
- But he did continue his attacks on the story that prompted critiques from members of his own party.
- Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao again called the report that prompted the allegations a “hit job” and referred to the Staunton News Leader, which reported the story, as a “podunk local newspaper” on an episode of the Alec Lace show Tuesday.
- That report was published in USA Today as well as The News Leader. The reporter is part of the USA Today Network’s Elections team, covering Virginia elections for the network’s two commonwealth papers, The News Leader in Staunton and The Progress-Index in Petersburg. The story was published in nine other Gannett newspapers across the country.
- Skipped out on a local candidate forum, misremembered dates and promises
- Cao did not attend a Senate candidate forum last Friday morning, which took place in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, home of the Staunton News Leader. Staunton is in the Shenandoah Valley, a reliably red part of the commonwealth for Republican legislators in both state and federal offices.
- Cao repeated an earlier stated falsehood on the Alec Lace Show, that he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023. In fact, a memo from his Senate campaign legal counsel said that Cao resigned from the PAC on June 15, 2023.
- Cao told Lace that he didn’t promise to donate money raised by Unleash America to Republican candidates in Virginia’s 2023 elections. Multiple recordings available online show Cao saying otherwise on conservative talk shows and in newspapers in early 2023.
- Cao also told Lace that federal super PACs, such as Unleash America, cannot donate to state-level candidates. In fact, Virginia has no limits on campaign contributions.
- A different interview, and a different story
- When Cao launched Unleash America in February 2023, the super PAC had one stated goal: To get Republicans elected during Virginia’s 2023 statehouse contests to support Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda, as reported by the Staunton News Leader and USA Today.
- The PAC raised $103,489 in individual contributions from around the country, which Cao called a “minimal amount” in an earlier interview with John Fredericks, another conservative talkshow host. Cao’s principal U.S. Senate campaign committee, Hung Cao for Virginia, contributed $45,000 to the super PAC, for a total of $148,489 raised by Unleash America between January and December 2023.
- After Republicans lost the House of Delegates in Virginia and failed to flip the Senate, analysis of Unleash America’s expenditures showed no support of any kind, in-kind or otherwise, for Virginia’s Republican candidates.
- In that earlier interview with Fredericks, Cao said “a lot of the money was reimbursed.” However, according to Federal Election Commission filings, money raised by Unleash America was paid to people who worked on Cao’s failed 2022 Congressional campaign as well as his current bid for the U.S. Senate.
- “Start up costs a lot, you have to have lawyers, you have to have compliance people, you have to have start up fees, so a lot of the money was moved over from the old campaign to keep it alive,” Cao told Fredericks, apparently referring to the cost to launch his bid for the U.S. Senate.
- Where did the money go?
- About $12,500 of the money donated to Unleash America was spent on legal fees, according to FEC filings.
- Another $37,514 from the super PAC was paid to John Ryan O’Rourke. O’Rourke is Cao’s 2024 Senate campaign manager and was his campaign manager during his 2022 bid for Congress. In the same year that O’Rourke received payment from Unleash America, he also received $96,168 from Hung Cao for Virginia, Cao’s Senate campaign committee.
- Another $22,867 of Unleash America’s money went to K2 & Co., a communications firm Cao had employed during his 2022 Congressional campaign and also during his 2024 Senate campaign. K2 & Co. was paid $15,000 by Cao’s Senate campaign on October 3, 2023.
- The super PAC also paid $29,403 for list rentals, $18,576 for digital fundraising, $6,398 in meeting and lodging expenses as well as bank fees and $3,904 in earmark fees to WinRed, a fundraising arm of the Republican Party.
- Federal Election Commission filings show that Unleash America did not contribute any of the $148,489 it raised to Virginia’s Republican candidates in 2023.
Video: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10) Delivers Remarks on House Floor Recognizing PSP Awareness Month
From Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA10):
Wexton Delivers Remarks on House Floor Recognizing PSP Awareness Month
Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) spoke on the House floor to recognize PSP Awareness Month. Wexton shared the story of her personal journey batling PSP and the urgent need to raise awareness of the rare disease. Due to complications from her condition, Wexton delivered the remarks via a text-to-speech app.
“I share the personal details of my journey with PSP not because I want to be told how inspiring I am or for you to feel sorry for me. I speak about what I’m going through because there are tens of thousands of other Americans out there who are fighting the same battles I am, and many of their loved ones, colleagues, and neighbors are having similar struggles with how to deal with the rapid and scary changes happening to the person that they know and love,” said Rep. Wexton.
A video of Wexton’s floor speech can be viewed here
Wexton has led a PSP Awareness Week of Action this week, including leading a bipartisan resolution recognizing May as PSP Awareness Month and hosting a briefing for Capitol Hill staff on PSP and the challenges in diagnosing and treating the disease.
Wexton is believed to be the first Member of the House to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which she first did earlier this month speaking in favor of her legislation to rename a post office in her district after Secretary Madeleine Albright.
I’m sharing my personal journey with PSP not because I want you to feel sorry for me, but because there are tens of thousands of other Americans and their loved ones fighting the same battles.
That’s why I’m leading a bipartisan effort to recognize May as #PSPAwarenessMonth. pic.twitter.com/uEFy7ipRce
— Rep. Jennifer Wexton (@RepWexton) May 22, 2024
Wednesday News: “Bibi Is Choosing Stefanik and Trump. President Biden, Don’t Be Fooled.”; Trump Might (or Might Not) “call for [restricting contraception], but that doesn’t mean he won’t let states do it”; “The unhinged MAGA “meme team” apparently behind Trump’s “unified Reich” video”
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 22.
- Coal and gas use must peak and decline, “starting today:” BNEF outlook warns world headed to 2.6°C
- New report chronicles toll of climate crisis on Latin America and the Caribbean
- ‘Never-ending’ UK rain made 10 times more likely by climate crisis, study says (“Winter downpours also made 20% wetter and will occur every three years without urgent carbon cuts, experts warn”)
- Ukraine makes gains in its other war – fighting corruption
- Under Relentless Russian Assault, Ukraine Adopts a Defensive Crouch
- Tucker Carlson Comes Full Circle With Show on Russia State TV (Carlson is 100% a traitor.)
- UN halts all food distribution in Rafah after running out of supplies in the southern Gaza city
- Gaza aid piles up in Egypt, US pier delivery falters
- Live updates: Palestinian state recognized by several European countries
- ‘A pack of lies.’ Israeli Prime Minister denies he is starving civilians in Gaza as a method of war
- Norway, Ireland and Spain recognize Palestinian state; Israel condemns move
- U.S. Says Israel-Saudi Deal Within Reach but Israel Might Balk
- 3 U.S. allies recognize Palestinian state, dealing latest diplomatic blow to increasingly isolated Israel
- Bibi Is Choosing Stefanik and Trump. President Biden, Don’t Be Fooled.
- China warns of reprisals against Taiwan after president’s inauguration speech
- What Raisi’s Death Means for the Future of Iran (“Raisi died at a precarious time for a revolutionary regime that is ever more xenophobic, paranoid, and rigid. His legacy is ‘a sharp deterioration of Iran’s relations with the West, owing to the failed efforts to negotiate a return to the 2015 nuclear agreement, increasingly close military ties with Russia, and the perilous tit for tat with Israel,’ Ali Vaez, an Iran expert at the International Crisis Group, told me. His successor will have to deal with ‘deep social and economic discontent, regional instability and tension, and, over the longer horizon, the fate of the Islamic Republic.'”)
- Analysis shows large-scale PV still cheapest electricity tech in Australia
- Armies of young insurgents are changing the course of a forgotten war (“The BBC’s Quentin Sommerville spent a month with revolutionary forces at jungle bases and on front lines in Myanmar.”)
- Biden administration canceling student loans for another 160,000 borrowers
- Majority of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession – and most blame Biden (We live in a country where vast swaths of citizens are WILDLY misinformed and/or uninformed about the most basic information. For instance, “49% believe that unemployment is at a 50-year high, though the unemployment rate has been under 4%, a near 50-year low.” WTF???)
- EPA announces $300m funding to clean up US former industrial sites
- Key GOP senators criticize Alito over upside-down flag inciden
- Exactly How Bad Is Justice Samuel Alito at His Job? Kudos to Vox for Its Answer. (“The inverted flag should give Congress an opportunity to open up all of Alito’s partisan hackery to oversight.” Pretty much everything Alito – and Thomas – have been involved with should be considered illegitimate.)
- Half of Swing-State Voters Fear Violence Around US Election
- The Right Has A Terrifying Second Trump Term Plan Called Project 2025
- Your total tax burden would probably go up under Trump. Yes, up.
- Trump’s history could hurt him with the jury
- 5 big moments the Trump jury will have to weigh
- The jury in the Trump trial faces a task unique in American history
- Opinion: Trump’s defense ends on one disastrous witness
- If Trump’s Acquitted, He’ll Be an Unstoppable Terror
- On social media, news outlets give more attention to Kamala Harris using an expletive than Trump’s corrupt promise to oil executives
- Lawyers found classified docs in Trump’s bedroom 4 months after Mar-a-Lago search
- Trump email falsely says Biden was ‘locked & loaded’ to ‘take me out’ in Mar-a-Lago search (That’s really, really sick and irresponsible and…ugh.)
- ‘Unified Reich’: Trump campaign goes full Nazi
- Biden blasts Trump’s “unified Reich” video: “That’s Hitler’s language”
- How Trump’s hidden Nazi messages help conceal his open antisemitism
- The unhinged MAGA “meme team” apparently behind Trump’s “unified Reich” video (“Apparent “meme team” leader Brenden Dilley told women not to “worry your pretty head about those politics” and that “what you need to concern yourself with is how come the floors in the kitchen aren’t as shiny as they were two weeks ago””)
- The right’s fascism problem
- Trump backtracks on “looking at” restrictions on contraceptives
- Trump Claims He’ll “Never” Call for Restricting Birth Control, After Saying He’s “Looking at” Restricting Birth Control (“He might not call for it, but that doesn’t mean he won’t let states do it.”)
- Scoop: Senate Democrats plot reproductive-rights blitz
- House G.O.P. Moves to Crack Down on Noncitizen Voting, Sowing False Narrative
- Republicans close ranks against Senate border security deal (Of course they do.)
- Scoop: Mike Johnson’s communications director to leave Capitol Hill
- 5 takeaways from primaries in Georgia, Oregon and Kentucky
- Giuliani says he will stop accusing Georgia workers of election tampering (A wee bit late for that!)
- Fani Willis blasts ‘clown’ Jim Jordan and MAGA followers for trying to interfere in Trump case
- Louisiana House passes bill to make abortion pills a controlled dangerous substance (Sick.)
- Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Voted “Against Reforms For Predatory Payday Lenders Who Target Military Members” (“Coastal Virginians deserve an honest, transparent representative who will put their priorities first – not the far-right extremism and lies Jen Kiggans promotes.”)
- Va. teacher pay gets a boost in budget, but it’s still projected to fall short of national average
- Editorial: Bill to protect family-planning measures in Virginia falls to Youngkin veto (“Gov. Youngkin squandered an opportunity to end the uncertainty about access to contraception in Virginia.
- Ivy Main: Will Virginia’s residential solar market survive the coming year? (“The Virginia Clean Economy Act came with a ticking time bomb”)
- Dems say Youngkin’s rejection of RGGI costing millions despite budget boost
- Virginia Democrats celebrate environmental wins, say they’ll still fight to stay in RGGI
- 5 Va. colleges awarded lab school funding must resubmit applications
- Too hard to stomach? Fairfax County chews on a ‘meals tax’ for dining out (“Lawmakers directed the county executive to study the pros and cons of a tax of up to 6 percent on food and beverages prepared in restaurants, grocery and convenience stores.”)
- Business owners remove, scale back street dining as Norfolk enacts new rules
- Who’s running for the Richmond City School Board?
- D.C.-area forecast: Summery pattern settles in with a daily risk of showers and storms
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Voted “Against Reforms For Predatory Payday Lenders Who Target Military Members”
From the DCCC:
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Tuesday News: “Doomsday Glacier” in Serious Trouble?”; “What Does the Dow Hitting 40,000 Tell Us?”; “Trump’s social media account shares a campaign video with a headline about a ‘unified Reich’”; “Kaine: Shenandoah County ‘chose to honor people who aren’t worthy of it’”
by Lowell
Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, May 21.
- Ocean water is rushing miles underneath the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ with potentially dire impacts on sea level rise (Bye by Miami, other coastal cities, etc?)
- In Two New Studies, Scientists See Signs of Fundamental Climate Shifts in Antarctica
- Significant Environmental and Climate Impacts Are Impinging on Human Rights in Every Country, a New Report Finds
- Top oil firms’ climate pledges failing on almost every metric, report finds
- “Very extreme”: Climate change the most reasonable explanation for record Antarctic sea ice deficit
- Iranian president’s death adds to volatility as conflict shakes the Middle East
- The one thing US fears after Iranian president’s death (“Biden administration officials still fear Iran could blame the U.S. or Israel for the helicopter crash that killed Ebrahim Raisi.”)
- Iran to Hold Presidential Elections June 28 After Raisi’s Death
- After Ebrahim Raisi’s Death, Elections Pose Tricky Test for Iran’s Rulers
- Exclusive: Donald Trump foreign policy advisers met Israeli PM Netanyahu, source says (This is really, really ominous!)
- Israel tries to contain fallout over ICC warrant requests after allies voice support for the move
- What the ICC arrest warrants mean for Israel and Hamas
- Gaza detainees shackled and blindfolded at Israel hospital, say whistle-blowers
- Why Netanyahu’s War Cabinet Is Existentially Divided (“The Israeli prime minister refuses to plan for life after the war in Gaza.”)
- As China ramps up disinformation, the U.S. is far too vulnerable
- ASML and TSMC Can Disable Chip Machines If China Invades Taiwan
- New 9/11 Evidence Points to Deep Saudi Complicity (Bin Laden was Saudi, 15/19 hijackers were Saudi, etc. But gotta keep that oil flowin’ and those SUVs rollin’, right?)
- Haiti’s Gangs Grow Stronger as Kenyan-Led Force Prepares to Deploy
- What Does the Dow Hitting 40,000 Tell Us? (“The background here is the gap between what we know about the actual state of our economy and the way Trump and his allies describe it. By the numbers, the economy looks very good. Unemployment has now been below 4 percent for 27 months, a record last achieved in the late 1960s, ending in February 1970. Inflation is way down from its peak in 2022, although by most measures it’s still somewhat above the Federal Reserve’s target of 2 percent. U.S. economic growth over the past four years has been much faster than in comparable major wealthy nations.”)
- Clean energy tax credit market poised to grow amid new transferability rules
- How to save the Supreme Court from Alito’s ethical malfeasance
- Supreme Court’s Samuel Alito problem compounded by Donald Trump’s immunity case (“By dragging out a case they shouldn’t have even taken, the conservative majority tacitly endorses January 6”)
- Supreme Court Justice Alito sold Bud Light stock, then bought Coors during boycott (Alito’s corruption reeks to high heaven…)
- There’s No Sense of Shame at the Supreme Court
- Evidence Is Building That Samuel Alito’s Brain Is Filled to the Brim With Right-Wing Internet Chum (“The Supreme Court justice sold Bud Light stock when the nation’s most online conservatives were furious that the company worked with a trans influencer.”)
- Senate Democrats revive bipartisan border security bill as GOP vows to block it again
- Behold the Delights the Trump Justice Department and FBI Would Hold
- A Hidden Variable in the Presidential Race: Fears of ‘Trump Forever’ (“Undecided voters are concerned that if Donald Trump returns to the White House, he’ll never leave.” 100% accurate!)
- If Trump wins, what would hold him back? (“The guardrails of democracy reined him in last time. But they’re weakening.”)
- Trump’s social media account shares a campaign video with a headline about a ‘unified Reich’
- Trump posts social media video seemingly suggesting his victory will bring ‘unified Reich’
- Prosecution Rests Case in Trump Trial as Defense Targets Cohen Again
- Judge blasts Trump defense witness for ‘contemptuous’ staring, muttering at hush money trial
- Trump’s Hush-Money Trial Day 784: Judge Merchan Appears to Be at the End of His Rope
- Trump increasingly relies on allies to deliver the attack lines the gag order bars him from uttering
- ‘Don’t give me side eye’: Judge gets furious with Trump witness
- Team Biden-Harris Enters June Ahead of Trump with $192M War Chest (“Team Biden-Harris Raised More than $473 Million In Year Since Launch, $51 Million in April”)
- ‘October 7 was a turning point’: Trump’s pro-Israel fundraising accelerates.
- Spoiler Alert: Billionaire Trump Mega-Donor Gave Another $5M to RFK Jr.
- Nevada abortion rights groups submit signatures to advance ballot measure
- Controversial Donald Trump movie ‘The Apprentice’ depicts him as rapist (Sounds perfectly accurate – why put “controversial” in the headline at all?)
- Trump’s Social Media Company Posts Q1 Revenue of $770,500 and Net Loss of $327.6 Million
- FDIC Chairman Martin Gruenberg to Resign Following Report Detailing Sexual Harassment at Agency
- Scared about America losing democracy? Texas is already gone
- Meteorologist slams DeSantis move to scrub climate change from Florida law (DeSantis is a f’ing disgrace, and he’s the role-model governor of Youngkin, who is…yep, ALSO a f’ing disgrace.)
- Kaine: Shenandoah County ‘chose to honor people who aren’t worthy of it’ (“There’s a difference between telling history and honoring people. When you’re naming a school after a Confederate general, you’re not just telling history, you’re deciding that they’re worthy of honor”)
- Jen Kiggans voted in 2020 against reforms for predatory payday lenders who target military members
- A Q&A with VA-02 Democratic candidate Missy Cotter Smasal (Smasal REALLY needs to win this November – and godawful incumbent Jen Kiggans REALLY needs to go!)
- Backed by rival GOP factions, vets in Va. primary look similar on paper (“The GOP has more of an opening in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District after Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced she’s running for governor.”)
- Video: Dan Helmer Launches First Broadcast Television Ad in VA-10; Stresses That Our Democracy Is Fragile, That We Can’t Take It For Granted
- Video: Reproductive Health Leaders Hold Governor Youngkin and Republicans Accountable for Veto of the Right to Contraception Act (“instead of listening to the 8 in 10, [Youngkin] chose to appease the ultra-right wing of his party…”)
- Dominion gets approval for battery pilots, Appalachian Power seeks bids for renewable projects
- Roanoke city manager’s departure comes as city council faces an unusual amount of turnover
- Cowell resigns as Roanoke city manager (“Bob Cowell, who has held Roanoke’s top job since 2017, leaves following several high-profile personnel issues at city hall. His last day is June 7.”)
- Virginia legislators seek reforms at Riverside Regional Jail (“18 people have died while incarcerated at the Prince George facility.”)
- Youngkin’s plan to vacate James Monroe Building on hold
- Richmond plans to sell Arthur Ashe Center, give proceeds to school system
- Richmond registrar broke city code when signing nearly $1M in contracts, officials say
- In the face of a lawsuit and veto, Virginia Beach’s election system still up in the air (“Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed legislation that would have aligned Virginia Beach’s charter with its new district voting system.”)
- D.C.-area forecast: Warm sunshine through midweek before storms late Thursday
