Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, December 13. By the way, I'd just note that President Obama has now saved the U.S. economy from Great Depression II and has not taken a big step towards saving the earth's environment. Meanwhile, we've had 69 straight months of private sector job growth, adding 13.7 million jobs, and the stock market has more than doubled since he took office. Energy production has also boomed, while gasoline prices are super low. So why isn't President Obama at 70% approval in the polls?
- Historic climate pact to cut greenhouse gases is approved (Great, but now we have to go wayyyy beyond this and get off of fossil fuels as rapidly as possible.)
- Now that we have an agreement, what happens next? ("Climate activists are ecstatic, but it’s too soon to tell how the rest of society — including the energy sector — will respond to help make sure the goals are realized.")
- With the Paris climate pact, critics now have no basis to say action is pointless (They never did have any basis to say that. Climate deniers just pull s*** out of their butts.)
- The Five Key Decisions Made in the UN Climate Deal in Paris
- Extremism ends in civil war: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and a right-wing insurgency the GOP can no longer control ("The last time a U.S. political party put forth a radical like this was 1860. There are really frightening parallels")
- Cruz rises to top in poll of Iowa Republicans (Oh pleasepleaseplase Republicans, nominate Ted Cruz! LOL)
- In Historic Paris Climate Deal, World Unanimously Agrees To Not Burn Most Fossil Fuels ("Unanimously," except for one extremist outlier: our country's own Republican Party!)
- Podesta to donors: Cruz is likely GOP nominee
- 2017 hopefuls out in force at GOP Advance in Hot Springs (“'We’re not going to decide for a year,' Cuccinelli said of his 2017 plans, even as supporters elsewhere were talking about him as a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2018.'")
- GOP’s Rep. Wittman says he is running for governor of Virginia in 2017 ("Activists at a party retreat also were abuzz about a potential challenger to Eric Cantor’s successor." Wittman is a far-right wingnut, or at the minimum pretends to be in order to try and gain their support.)
- GOP congressman Rob Wittman prepares to jump into Va. governor’s race. ("Rob Wittman and Ed Gillespie round out list with speculation that Ken Cuccinelli could run as well." Freak show.)
- McAuliffe budget to include $13 million for veterans
- Schapiro: Judgeship fight a lost opportunity for both parties ("... that’s what the dispute over McAuliffe’s appointment of Jane Marum Roush has become: much gnashing of teeth, a lot of noise and anger flying here, there and everywhere like flecks of relish, mayonnaise and soggy toast from a partially eaten tuna fish sandwich.")
- Va. decides not to change rules that withhold documents from defense ("A panel had urged that prosecutors provide police reports, witness lists and other information, but the Va. Supreme Court said no.")
- Editorial: Regional cooperation and the Virginia Way ("Virginia is the only state in America that entirely separates cities and counties." Weird.)
- Concern raised over Dominion's proposal to release treated toxic coal ash in Quantico Creek (There's absolutely no excuse for this.)
- Virginia awakening to campus drug problems, looking for solutions
- Bob Goodlatte, Morgan Griffith key to changes in House rules (That's a frightening thought.)
- Virginia Beach's pursuit of an NHL team will require taxpayers to step up
- On the Lynnhaven River, oyster population sees a comeback – and conflict
- D.C. area forecast: Near-record warmth sticks around through tomorrow
