National and Virginia News Headlines: Thursday Morning

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, August 6.*The Voting Rights Act at 50 ("...in 2013, five Supreme Court justices elbowed in and concluded, on scant evidence, that there was no longer a need for the law's most powerful tool; the Voting Rights Act, they claimed, had done its job." Worst Supreme Court ever?) *It's Either Iran Deal or 'Some Sort of War,' Obama Warns *My Question for the Republican Presidential Debate ("The center-left wouldn't agree with all of his trade-offs, but if that were the G.O.P. position - climate change is real and here's our market solution - I guarantee you we'd have had a serious compromise national climate policy by now. We're paying a huge price for the way the Tea Party has marginalized the center-right.") *Will the Republican presidential race get serious with the first debate? (Of course not.) *Cecil the lion's death highlights the work to be done to protect wildlife (Exactly. And for everyone saying we shouldn't cry for Cecil because there are other bad things going on in the world, or that we should be outraged instead about whatever they think we should be outraged about, with all due respect, you are 100% missing the point here.) *Bernie Sanders to Visit Liberty University, a Rare Venue for a Democratic Campaign (Well that's...uh, different.) *You Can Thank Fox News for the Rise of Donald Trump (You can thank Fox for a lot of other bad things in America right now as well...) *How Jeb Bush Accidentally Expressed The GOP Position On Planned Parenthood *How Jeb and the GOP Got Trumped (Trump very much represents the Republican "base" - extreme, bigoted, truculent, crazy, etc.) *Federal Appeals Court Tosses Out Texas Voter ID Law *Hot air in defense of big coal (The same scare tactics the polluters, etc. have always used, whether against the Clean Air Act or whatever. Ignore them; they are full of crap.) *The Voting Rights Act after 50 years ("Dr. William F. Reid, who in 1967 was elected as the first black member of the Virginia House of Delegates in 82 years, said it is sad to witness history repeating itself.") *Mountain Valley Pipeline opponents win a round in West Virginia ("...a Circuit Court judge ruled that surveyors seeking a route for the pipeline could not enter the property of county landowners who had prohibited such access.") *At Latino summit, McAuliffe's message is direct: Don't forget to vote ("The Democratic governor comes to Arlington to urge the Latino community to vote and become politically active.") *U.S. court denies Va. GOP request for congressional redistricting extension *Va. company sues over state uranium mining ban (You mean the same company which corruptly, albeit "legally," bribed the Virginia General Assembly by sending them on all-expense trips to France? Uh huh.) *James City County Planning Commission votes against Dominion proposal to build Skiffes Creek switching station *Pr. William backs a route that would bury most of high-voltage power line *EDITORIAL: Our decision to not endorse candidates in 2015-and likely the years ahead (I mean, these people endorsed Barbara Freakin' Comstock, so maybe they're better off not endorsing, but still...lame.) *Anxiety, frustration and incredulity follow suggestion of school sports cuts *In Algonkian District, Loudoun Republicans' infighting continues *More Norfolk schools likely to make the grade *Nats suffer 11-4 loss as Diamondbacks tee off on bullpen (This team is reeling.) *D.C. area forecast: Rain develops late today, heavy tonight; Weekend still looks good