Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, May 30. Also check out Lt. Governor Bill Bolling (R), who says that Terry McAuliffe deserves “a lot of credit” for being “a great support to us in the final days of that debate” over the transportation bill. Meanwhile, remember that Ken Cuccinelli was busy ranting about how this was a huge tax increase, which would upset his pals Grover Norquist and the Koch brothers, etc.
*Pakistan Says U.S. Drone Killed Taliban Leader
*Ricin Found in Threatening Letters to Bloomberg
*In shift, high-tech firms look to add factory jobs in U.S.
*Obama plans to nominate Comey as FBI director
*GOP needs more Doles and fewer Bachmanns (Yep, and a lot fewer Ken Cuccinellis, EW Jacksons and Mark Obenshains…)
*New Terry McAuliffe ad says he would avoid ‘divisive, ideological agenda’ as Va. governor (“I want as governor to unite people, to bring everyone together, to work together for our families. Let’s focus on what Virginia families want us to focus on, No. 1 – jobs.”)
*Report: Climate change affects Virginia disasters (“More than nine out of 10 Virginians live in localities that have been hit by at least one federally declared weather disaster since 2007 – an accelerating trend linked to global warming, a new report says.”)
*Jeff’s Notes: Gubernatorial guessing game. (“With voter turnout falling in Virginia, election outcomes become harder to predict.”)
*Virginia’s big step toward justice
*McDonnell to ease restoring nonviolent felons’ rights
*McDonnell’s decision to restore felons’ civil rights a switch for GOP
*Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s effort to focus on jobs hamstrung by party’s lieutenant governor pick (How about by Ken Cuccinelli’s own, equally insane, comments and actions?)
*GOP candidate E.W. Jackson preaches the ‘Properity Gospel’ (See my diary below for more on this lunacy.)
*Sequester effects not biting region yet (“The region’s economy is growing, but experts say the effects of cuts could worsen in months to come.”)
*Martin stands by controversial comments on Planned Parenthood (Yep, he’s completely bonkers.)
*Smithfield Foods deal could become test of U.S. attitudes toward China
*Plan for Smithfield sale blindsides town officials and residents (All I know is that Smithfield has been a horrible company in terms of workers, the environment, treatment of animals, you name it. I find it hard to see how it will get any better now.)
*No hurry on fracking in the national forest (“Access to energy resources must be weighed against necessary protections for public water supplies.”)
*James Harder is Democrats’ pick to go against Yost in 12th District
*Loudoun Supervisors seize control of Board of Equalization, remake assessment process
*Late Baltimore rally upstages Zimmerman’s 3-homer power show
*Summertime heat through Sunday
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