Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, February 24.
*Warrant issued for Ukraine’s ousted leader
*Pentagon Plans to Shrink Army to Pre-World War II Level (“A result, the officials argue, will be a military capable of defeating any adversary, but too small for protracted foreign occupations.” Sounds about right.)
*The EPA’s strong case for regulating greenhouse gas emissions (An increasingly rare event: the Washington Post gets something right!)
*Health Care Horror Hooey (“Even supporters of health reform are somewhat surprised by the right’s apparent inability to come up with real cases of hardship.”)
*Virginia and other states wrestle with whether to expand Medicaid under Affordable Care Act
*Va. Beach Mayor Sessoms backs Medicaid expansion
*McAuliffe: I’m the new kid on the block
*Lawmakers’ health plans draw fire in Medicaid debate
*Maureen McDonnell at heart of gift scandal
*Letter to the Editor: Why the Streetcar Will Benefit All of Arlington (“…early indications show us that we can expect the streetcar corridors to induce new transit-oriented buildings that yield a 500% increase in real estate taxes on re-developed sites. The Arlington streetcars will pay us back with a handsome and increasing return on investment.”)
*Damage toll from spill estimated at $70 million; could rise by 10 times (“The recent coal ash spill on the Dan River caused at least $70 million in damage to fish, wildlife and other related aspects of the economy, according to a Wake Forest University professor with an extensive background in coal ash research.”)
*Our view: Too important for games (“The hill Comstock and Marshall are most interested in conquering this year isn’t the pile of 2,627 bills and resolutions filed in the General Assembly for the 2014 session. Both have their eye on Capitol Hill.”)
*Special plates not worth the trouble (“…the slim pieces of metal are proving increasingly troublesome as states wrestle with free speech issues.”)
*Two E. Shore businessmen face off in special election (“Democrat Willie Randall of Northampton County is a retired Army major and former county supervisor who is a financial analyst for Edward Jones.”)
*After Fairfax student deaths, a focus on mental health
*D.C. area forecast: Winter is back, and here to stay for a while; snow chance early Wednesday
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