Monday News: “Zelensky plans D.C. trip as Ukraine aid hangs in the balance”; “With A Smile and a Smirk, Donald Trump Repeats ‘Dictator’ Comment”; “Cheney: Americans ‘can’t count’ on GOP in Congress to defend the constitution”; “Southwest Virginia Residents Question Nuclear Shift”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, December 11.

• Fossil fuel phase-out will ‘not avert climate breakdown without protections for nature’ (“Top climate scientist says carbon sinks such as forests and wetlands vital to keeping temperature rise below 1.5C”)
• Step Right Up: This Climate Summit Isn’t Just Diplomats and Policy Talk
• Some developing countries are working on ways to swap their debt for climate action
• US Climate Activists at COP28 Slam Their Home Country for Hypocrisy
• Zelenskyy to make last ditch trip to D.C. to meet Biden and push Congress for aid
• ‘Forged documents’: how Ukrainian grain may be enriching Putin’s circle (“Bumper harvest celebrated in Russia can be explained by ‘looting’ of occupied territory, say prosecutors”)
• Zelensky plans D.C. trip as Ukraine aid hangs in the balance
• Biden invites Zelensky to Washington amid Ukraine funding fight
• Biden to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at White House Tuesday
• Republicans to meet allies of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán on ending Ukraine aid (Appalling.)
• Republican senator says Ukraine may have to cede land to Russia to end war (“JD Vance, one of GOP lawmakers who voted to block Ukraine aid package, asks ‘what $61bn would accomplish that $100bn hasn’t’” This guy is a disgrace to America.)
• Ukraine says no green light for EU membership talks would be ‘devastating’
• Alarm Grows Over Weakened Militaries and Empty Arsenals in Europe (“Budget cuts and an eroded weapons industry have hollowed out armed services. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has revealed the risk.”)
• Antony Blinken Defends Lone U.S. Veto On UN Cease-Fire Resolution For Gaza
• Israel battles militants in Gaza’s main cities, with civilians still trapped in the crossfire
• Hamas threatens hostages as Netanyahu says group’s end is near
• Israel’s military said Sunday it struck more than 250 Hamas targets in the past 24 hours
• Hunger, thirst and chaos grip southern Gaza as war forces aid to brink of collapse
• Fighting intensifies across Gaza, raising alarm over potential exodus into Egypt
• Majority of Americans Back Israel, WSJ Poll Finds
• Donald Tusk set to become Poland’s prime minister after vote of confidence – Europe live
• Poland’s popcorn moment as pro-EU leader Tusk returns to power
• Can Poland’s New Government Win Back EU Trust and Rebuild Democracy?
• Javier Milei: New president tells Argentina ‘shock treatment’ looms
• Argentina will stay in Paris climate agreement under Milei: Negotiator (“Milei is a liberal, he’s a libertarian, and he believes in market forces. And the market demands to include measures to address climate change.” Alrighty.)
• What Ails Offshore Wind: Supply Chains, Ships and Interest Rates (“Government officials and energy developers have misjudged the difficulty of constructing huge clean energy projects in the United States.”)
• Supreme Courts in 3 states will hear cases about abortion access this week
• Federal prosecutors urge judge to keep March 4 trial in Trump election case
• Trump defends dictator comments amid NYC soiree filled with MAGA diehards
• Opinion: The Trump dictatorship predictions
• With A Smile and a Smirk, Donald Trump Repeats “Dictator” Comment
• Trump Has Found a Dangerous Workaround to Gag Orders (He should have been in prison a long time ago.)
• Trump’s power in Washington grows as allies pressure colleagues to admit the primary over
• The Two Republican Theories for Beating Trump (“Both strategies so far look insufficient to the challenge.”)
• Cheney: Americans “can’t count” on GOP in Congress to defend the constitution
• Liz Cheney’s plea: ‘Our focus has got to be on defeating Donald Trump’ in 2024
• ‘America doesn’t want’ retribution from Trump, McCarthy says
• Trump the ‘human gumball machine’ will ‘impose his will’ on the nation if elected, Romney says
• In a reversal, Donald Trump says he will not testify in his own defense in New York fraud trial
• Jason Stanley on “undermining propaganda” with fascism: “Trump is robbing democracy of any meaning”
• Iowa poll: Trump surpasses 50% support ahead of first GOP contest (“The former president leads Ron DeSantis among likely Iowa caucusgoers, 51% to 19%, with Nikki Haley at 16%.”)
• MAGA women want a Hallmark “home for the holidays” fantasy — but their votes run their kids off (“Trumpism promises to a return to a time when kids lived close — instead, young people are fleeing to blue states”)
• Fallout rises from McCarthy handshake deal with White House
• Congress stares down hefty to-do list in its final week of 2023
• Less appetite — and opportunity — to serve as fake Trump electors in 2024
• Giuliani spread lies about Georgia election workers. A jury will decide what he owes them.
• Rudy Giuliani to appear in court over defamation of 2020 election workers (“Georgians are seeking $15m-$43m in damages from former New York City mayor for his false statements about ballot counts”)
• Meet the Biden impeachment managers: Larry, Moe and Curly
• Canceling University Presidents Won’t End Antisemitism
• As Fury Erupts Over Campus Antisemitism, Conservatives Seize the Moment
• Rep. Elise Stefanik on University of Pennsylvania president’s resignation: ‘One down, two to go’ (Let’s see Stefanik go after hate speech on the far RIGHT.)
• Republicans say they believe in free speech. Except when it comes to Israel.
• Tucker Carlson Is Launching His Own Streaming Service (Yuuuuuck.)
• Harvard President Claudine Gay’s fate hangs in the balance after university’s board meeting
• We’ve lost the talent for mutual respect on campus. Here’s how we get it back.
• J.D. Vance Is the Latest Prominent Conservative Calling on Journalists to Be Investigated (Really, really bad.)
• ‘Person of interest’ taken into custody amid investigation into Detroit synagogue leader Samantha Woll’s killing, police say
• Elon Musk asks Alex Jones about ‘the whole Sandy Hook thing’ and Jones apologizes again (What a f’ing joke.)
• Feds pitch Virginia on loan opportunities for renewable energy transition
• Dems reintroduce bill to let Virginia localities fund school capital projects through sales tax
• State lawmakers will likely revisit license plate readers next month
• Virginia Cold Case Database growing and providing leads
• Deer populations in Virginia’s cities and suburbs are increasing while the number of hunters declines
• [Youngkin] Administration’s inertia on decertifying [rogue police] officers sets troubling precedent
• Southwest Virginia Residents Question Nuclear Shift (“Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants to build next-generation nuclear plants and data centers. But he won’t tell Virginia residents what he’s doing.”)
• Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger joins On The Hill to discuss her run for governor
• Commentary: From polluted to prizewinner, Virginia’s largest river is stagnating again
• Pro-Palestinian march held in Richmond on Sunday
• Portrait of segregationist Danville judge removed from courtroom, at least for now
• D.C.-area forecast: Blustery today in storm’s wake; temperatures rise late this week (“It’s a mostly dry week with high temperatures in the 40s and 50s; next chance of rain may come Sunday.”)