Virginia News Headlines: Sunday Morning

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, February 23.

*Political order overturned in Ukraine (“President Yanukovych leaves Kiev, denies he has resigned”)

*World’s top drug lord captured (Meanwhile, we need to change policy in the U.S., since we’re the main consumers of these drug lords’ products.)

*Obama steps up his efforts to energize Democratic base

*What the Stimulus Accomplished (“Of all the myths and falsehoods that Republicans have spread about President Obama, the most pernicious and long-lasting is that the $832 billion stimulus package did not work…put simply, it prevented a second recession that could have turned into a depression. It created or saved an average of 1.6 million jobs a year for four years.”)

*Va. ‘ethics reform’ is riddled with loopholes and softens a penalty for lying in disclosures (It’s worse than a joke, even a bad one.)

*Richmond’s hell-no Republicans (“Republicans are far more interested in partisan warfare than a fact-based effort to help the uninsured find coverage and good health care.” Or doing anything else constructive…)

*Bush shares insights on administration (“Former president George W. Bush beguiled an overflow crowd at the Richmond Forum Saturday night with insights on his turbulent administration that were grounded in faith and seat-of-the-pants reads of his fellow world leaders.”)

*McAuliffe expands Medicaid push (“The governor plans a series of events across Va. starting this week”)

*Schapiro: Part-time lawmakers and their full-time health care (“According to the state personnel office, 104 of 140 delegates and senators and 202 of their spouses and children are covered by the government’s health plan, which last year legislators closed to part-time civil services workers to save money.”)

*Herring creates panel to review attorney general’s office

*The GOP’s expansion of Medicaid (“They don’t like to admit this, of course. Some of them, and some Republicans down the hall in the Senate, might not even realize they’ve done it.”)

*Our view: Extended duty (“A bipartisan bill to extend foster care in Virginia to age 21 is zipping through the General Assembly without opposition. That’s how sensible it is.”)

*Thinking twice at the statehouse (“Two of former Gov. Bob McDonnell’s public education reforms are struggling to survive this year in the General Assembly, where some members are reconsidering last year’s votes.”)

*Former House Speaker Wilkins looks to resurrect his political career (“The 77-year-old is unhappy with the recent failures of the Republican Party and is running to become chairman of the 6th Congressional District Republican Committee.”)

*Fairfax school chief uses staff cuts, raises as budget tactic (“Karen Garza has followed a similar pattern when it comes to developing budgets at previous jobs in Texas.”)

*Crystal City bus, street car stops to cost far less than infamous $1 million ‘superstop’

*NFL to adopt 15-yard penalty for use of racial slur? (So much for using the Washington team’s name? LOL)

*Another taste of spring before cold, snow chances return starting tonight