Thursday News: “Biden and Xi agree to curb fentanyl production”; “‘Same clown car with a different driver’: House GOP goes off the rails”; “Trump victory in 2024 will end [US democracy]”; “Leadership falls into place for upcoming General Assembly session”

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, November 16.

• “Net zero greenwash:” Energy giants called out over plans to burn more fossil fuels
• Microplastics found in clouds could affect weather and global temperatures
• WHO declares loneliness a ‘global public health concern’ (“The World Health Organization has launched an international commission on loneliness, which can be as bad for people’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day”)
• Plant-based swaps may cut diabetes and heart disease risk, major review finds
• Global Fight Against Inflation Turns a Corner (“Falling inflation across industrialized countries has opened the door for central banks to start cutting interest rates next year.”)
• In wartime Russia, soaring prices bite as election looms
• The Deadly Schemes Putin Is Pulling Off During Israel’s War in Gaza
• Mitch McConnell’s Strength Is Tested in Fight for Ukraine Aid
• Israel targets Hamas leader’s Gaza house as fighting reported near hospital
• Exclusive: Bodycam video shows early moments of Hamas massacre in Israel and tunnels under Gaza
• Hamas Chief Who Deceived Israel Is Target No. 1 Deep Underground
• Joe Biden issues strident defence of refusal to call for ceasefire in Gaza (“US president argues Hamas has said it will not stop attacking Israel, and says he is ‘mildly hopeful’ of hostage deal”)
• Biden Says Palestinian State Must Be Part of Solution
• Israel orders residents from southern Gaza towns, raising fear of war’s spread
• Hostage-Taking and the Use of Children and the Vulnerable in War (“The war in Gaza has the feel of history sliding backward.” And also Russia’s vicious, barbaric assault on Ukraine.)
• UN security council backs resolution calling for humanitarian pause in Gaza (“Resolution calls for release of hostages held by Hamas and for humanitarian corridors across the Gaza Strip”)
• Hamas agrees to tentative deal to free dozens of hostages, pending Israel’s approval (“Hamas wants a multiday pause in fighting, increased humanitarian aid, and freedom for an unknown number of Palestinians in Israeli jails in exchange for the release of at least 50 women and children being held in Gaza”)
• BBC goes inside Al-Shifa hospital with the Israeli army
• Israel calls it a humanitarian corridor, but for fleeing Palestinians, it’s forced displacement
• Scoop: U.S. warns Israel it’s violating visa waiver deal with West Bank closure
• Xi Says China Has No Interest in ‘Hot War’ With US
• Biden-Xi Meeting Delivers Small Wins and Promises of Better Ties
• Biden and Xi agree to curb fentanyl production
• Biden and Xi agree to restore military ties, helping ease tensions
• Pandas, fentanyl and Taiwan — takeaways from Biden’s long-awaited meeting with Xi
• Five things we learned from the Biden-Xi meeting
• Xi signals marked shift in tone for China on US – but with Biden’s off-the-cuff ‘dictator’ comment can it last? (It’s simply a factual statement that Xi is a dicator.)
• China praises ‘warm’ Xi-Biden meeting in change of rhetoric (“Foreign ministry says US and China have ‘most important bilateral relationship in the world’ after leaders’ talks”)
• Xi and Biden end yearlong silence, finding common ground on AI, fentanyl and military communications
• Did Biden and Xi just hit a reset? Not quite, but they did agree on a few things
• China’s Xi Draws Standing Ovation From U.S. Business Leaders—and Some Doubts (“At a dinner with U.S. corporate chiefs, Xi Jinping sought to enlist corporate America’s help in easing bilateral tensions but made no mention of boosting trade or investment.”)
• The Outlaw Ocean Project Exposes China’s Use Of Forced Uyghur Labour To Supply UK Seafood Industry
• Nearly half of American adults faced medical bill issues in last year – survey
• Accelerating Clean Energy Ambition (“How the US Can Meet its Climate Goals While Delivering Public Health and Economic Benefits”)
• Leaving the leaves can protect the tiniest animals in your yard
• US Regions Will Suffer a Stunning Variety of Climate-Caused Disasters, Report Finds
• Want to help birds this winter? Plant native berries.
• Speaker Mike Johnson calls separation of church and state a “misnomer” (Johnson is an extremist, nutjob AND an idiot.)
• ‘Same clown car with a different driver’: House GOP goes off the rails
• Mike Johnson Has Ties to a Christian Movement That Played a Key Role in Spreading Trump’s Big Lie (“One more red flag in the ongoing parade made up almost exclusively of red flags.”)
• House Democrats Saved Mike Johnson’s Ass
• Why Republicans Are on the Verge of Fistfights (“A historian who studies political violence and the runup to the Civil War explains why congressmen are getting ready to brawl.”)
• Republican Senator Who Tried to Fight Teamster Boss Says He’s “Not Afraid of Biting. I Will Bite”
• The unusual inability of the House GOP to win votes
• House GOP starts Thanksgiving recess early after hardliners revolt on spending bill
• Senate passes stopgap funding bill, setting up two new government shutdown deadlines
• House passes stopgap bill to avert government shutdown
• Senate passes bill to avert government shutdown, sending it to Biden to sign
• GOP Congressman Declares the GOP Is Useless, in Floor Speech Democrats Are Probably Turning Into a 2024 Ad Right Now
• Far right criticises Mike Johnson over US funding bill – but so far his job looks safe
• ‘Anti-establishment’ activist sought to incite Trump supporters on Jan. 6, DOJ argues
• “Our democracy hangs by a thread”: Expert panel says a Trump victory in 2024 will end it (“Fight through the trauma and exhaustion, our panel urges: The 2024 election could ‘end the American experiment’”)
• Suppose They Threw a Cage Match Between Fascism and Democracy and Nobody Cared
• Trump’s Love-Hate Relationship With the World Is Mostly Hate
• Trump signals he’s out for revenge in second term
• Trump’s new Latino strategy casts him as victim of socialists
• We have zombie Republican presidential candidates, enabled by an undead media (“The Republican race is grotesque: Trump’s rivals pretend to be viable candidates, and the media pretends to ask them questions”)
• Leonard Leo’s firm got nearly $500K from conservative nonprofit, tax filing shows
• The Squad Is About to Fight for Its Political Life
• Progressives facing primary challenges over Israel demand more help from Jeffries
• Sen. Joe Manchin says he ‘absolutely’ would consider a presidential run (That’s totally irresponsible.)
• Sen. Joe Manchin says Donald Trump would destroy US democracy if he wins second term as president
• Ethics Committee will not recommend punishment for embattled Rep. George Santos
• Ronna McDaniel is under siege — and, her critics concede, likely to survive
• Elon Musk’s Disturbing ‘Truth’ (“The billionaire affirmed the deadliest anti-Semitic conspiracy theory in recent American history.”)
• Elon Musk praises antisemitic replacement theory that motivated a mass shooting as “the actual truth” (“An X premium user attacked Jewish communities for pushing ‘hatred against whites’ and supporting ‘hordes of minorities’ coming to the country. The same conspiracy theory was behind the Tree of Life shooting — and has been echoed on Fox News.”)
• Protest outside DNC headquarters in Washington turns violent (“Demonstration organizer Dani Noble disputed the police account that protesters engaged in violent activity and said that they gathered peacefully.”)
• Capitol Police clash with group protesting ‘violently’ outside DNC
• Kari Lake ‘drove a stake’ through the heart of McCain Republicans. Now she wants a meeting.
• Public transit systems try to avoid a ‘death spiral’ as remote work hurts ridership
• Virginia members of Congress ask for investigation into site pick for new FBI headquarters
• Yevgeny Vindman, officer who reported Trump, to run for Spanberger seat
• Del. Dan Helmer Launches VA10 Campaign – “To Defend Democracy” Against “MAGA Extremists”
• Today’s Trump Cult GOP in a Nutshell: Insurrectionist/Extremist John McGuire (R) to Primary Christofascist Rep. Bob Good (R-VA05) (This is clearly not a party that ANYONE should vote for, EVER, under ANY circumstances.)
• Virginia Senator-elect McGuire announces challenge to Rep. Bob Good
• Rep. Bob Good blames Republican timidity on abortion for ‘low red turnout.’ The math shows otherwise.
• Climate report is a window into Virginia’s future
• Two years in, here’s what Biden’s infrastructure law has done for Virginia
• BREAKING: VA Senate Dems Elect Scott Surovell as New Majority Leader; Mamie Locke to Remain as Caucus Chair (Dems hold a narrow, 21-19 majority in the State Senate.)
• Democrats pick Sen. Scott Surovell to be majority leader in Va. Senate
• Virginia Senate Democrats and Republicans tap veteran legislators as caucus leaders
• A look at the General Assembly’s new leadership for 2024
• Leadership falls into place for upcoming General Assembly session (“Democrats in the General Assembly will have an unprecedented number of Black legislators in leadership positions.” Republicans, in stark contrast, will be overwhelmingly right-wing white guys.)
• Virginia Democrats could push for constitutional amendments on abortion, voting, same-sex marriage
• Proposed Dominion rate settlement would keep customer base rates stable for next two years
• Virginia county famous for transgender legal fight passes Youngkin’s ‘model policy’
• Bob Anderson elected Loudoun County commonwealth’s attorney, defeating Buta Biberaj
• Buta Biberaj concedes, Bob Anderson wins Loudoun Co. Commonwealth’s Attorney race
• Casino Could Be Built Without Zoning Change: Fairfax County Executive
• Study of carbon dioxide storage hub proposed for Wise County receives $4.29 million federal grant
• Pulaski County’s green era: a vertical farm, solar panels and green manufacturing
• Mother of 6-year-old boy who shot teacher gets 21 months for marijuana use while owning a gun
• Man charged with shooting 5 Norfolk women identified in court by the 2 who survived
• D.C.-area forecast: Nice and mild into Friday before a cooler weekend