Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, December 21. Also, check out President Obama's interview with NPR.
- Democrats embrace modern America as Republicans reject it ("...a deeper unease and even rage characterize the response of many in the GOP ranks to what the country has become. This can cross into a loathing that Trump exploits")
- Krugman: The Donald and the Decider ("Bluster and belligerence as substitutes for analysis, disdain for any kind of measured response, dismissal of inconvenient facts reported by the 'liberal media' didn’t suddenly arrive on the Republican scene last summer. On the contrary, they have long been key elements of the party brand.")
- President Obama Says Donald Trump Is 'Exploiting' Americans' Fears
- Donald Trump’s got Putin fever: The GOP frontrunner is stumping for a Russian strongman
- Why Dictators Don’t Bring Stability To The Middle East (Agreed; Bernie Sanders is totally wrong about this one. In fact, often corrupt and brutal dictators create tremendous anger, resentment, etc. among the population, and cause at least some people to be attracted to radical, violent alternatives.)
- Donald Trump: No Proof That Putin Kills Journalists ("In 2012, The Guardian’s Peter Preston catalogued the deaths of journalists since Putin came to power, many of them dying by gunshot wounds. In addition to journalists, many political critics of Putin, including human rights activist Natalia Estemirova and Sergei Yushenkov, co-chairman of the Liberal Russia movement, have died since he became president. Earlier this year, Boris Nemtsov was shot in central Moscow while walking with his girlfriend after dining out.")
- Will the GOP Mount a Third-Party Challenge to Trump ("Experts—and history—suggest it's an increasingly plausible scenario. And could end in disaster.")
- American Muslims are spreading a message: We are not a threat
- A recipe for housing disaster ("Tucked into the massive measure was a provision, co-sponsored by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), that would prohibit the Treasury from divesting its stake in Fannie and Freddie for two years. )
- Editorial: Another legal attack on the Chesapeake
- As decision nears, opposition builds to offshore drilling along Atlantic Coast
- Editorial: Confederate sympathizers fight another lost cause ("When you preface your remarks with 'I’m not a racist, but...' you have already lost the debate. The point seems to have escaped Republican state Sen. Charles Carrico, who said just that on Wednesday. He has filed a bill that would return the Confederate battle-flag logo to the vanity license plate of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.")
- Washington region reaps the benefits of new congressional spending plan
- Seeking new uses for old spaces
- Muslims, Christians and Jews take an interfaith walk to show that ‘love is stronger than hate’
- Lynchburg schools' superintendent weighs in on McAuliffe's budget proposal
- Five Richmond shootings in 24 hours leaves three dead, including 12-year-old girl (Another day of gun violence in America...ugh.)
- Projections for James River power line challenged
- D.C. area forecast: Big warm-up this week, chance of record highs Christmas Eve; Lots of rain chances
