Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, December 18.
*Mr. Obama’s Historic Move on Cuba (“Mr. Obama could have taken modest, gradual steps toward a thaw. Instead, he has courageously gone as far as he can, within the constraints of an outmoded 1996 law that imposes stiff sanctions on Cuba in the pursuit of regime change.”)
*U.S., Cuba make historic move to ease Cold War stance
*Pope’s Intervention Helped Break Logjam in U.S.-Cuba Talks (I’m not a Catholic by any means, but Pope Francis truly rocks!)
*Cuba deal opens new front on political battlegrounds (“GOP critics denounced Obama’s move as overreaching and naive, but there’s growing public support to end the divide.”)
*Right-Wing Media Lash Out After Obama Announces Deal With Cuba (“Right-Wing Media Lash Out” – that’s the key phrase here, as that’s mostly what they seem to do.)
*The War on Reproductive Rights Will Get a Lot Uglier Next Year (Keep that in mind, all you Democrats who stayed home in November!)
*McAuliffe budget plan helps local governments but not state employees
*McAuliffe briefs lawmakers on Virginia budget cuts, spending (“If we are going to build the new Virginia economy, we must invest in our workforce, in savvy economic development strategies, in education and in infrastructure.”)
*McAuliffe budget would boost job fund, teacher pensions (“Despite a crippling budget crunch, Virginia’s governor offered big plans, including Medicaid expansion.” Actually, Medicaid expansion would help with the “crippling budget crunch!”)
*McAuliffe’s budget misses some needed cuts (“Conservative and liberal think tanks have pointed to the folly of sales tax holidays, and a 2011 report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission highlighted more than $12 billion worth of tax preferences, many of which are ripe for repeal.”)
*Dollars and sense (“Of course, the revenue picture would look considerably different if the General Assembly had agreed to expand Medicaid, as McAuliffe struggled strenuously to do. The GOP-dominated House of Delegates refused.”)
*Terry McAuliffe Chances Gun Control in Virginia
*McAuliffe calling for tighter day care rules
*Salem pipeline open house an example of conviction, unity of opponents (“If conviction alone could halt a $3.2 billion interstate pipeline project, the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline might just be dead in the water.”)
*Under McAuliffe, gifts to governor toned down
*Kaine on Cuba: ‘Engagement Rather Than Isolation’
*Joe Morrissey to announce his future today (“We expect that some time late this morning at the State Capitol in downtown Richmond.”)
*Goodlatte signs legal brief fighting Obama immigration action (BADlatte strikes again!)
*In Richmond area, immigrants view Obama plans with cautious optimism
*New Cuba policy met with cheers by immigrants in Roanoke Valley
*Sen. Kaine tours site of catastrophic rocket explosion (“The Virginia Democrat remained committed to private space industry after the recent mission’s failure.”)
*U-Va.: Outside review of sex assaults will be public when the investigation ends
*Arlington poised to close arts center in Rosslyn after years of losses (Yeah, that one just didn’t catch on.)
*Here comes the sun – and a nice breeze, too – for a couple of days
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