Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, January 17. Oh, and that message from likely 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton? I believe she’s talking about Dodd-Frank, and I believe she’s talking to folks like Gerry Connolly and Don “I am a Hillary Clinton Democrat” Beyer. 😉

*Vox Sentences: Hottest. Year. Ever.

*2014 Is The Hottest Year On Record, Breaking 2005 And 2010 Highs (Great job, humanity – not!)

*RNC’s Priebus looks at 2016 as ‘do or die’ (Let’s all work hard to make sure it’s “die” for this science-denying, war-on-women-and-the-environment-and-workers, far-right-wing party.)

*Sureme Court to rule on gay marriage bans

*Former Virginia health secretary, Henry Co. native Marilyn Tavenner steps down as Medicare chief

*Holder limits seized-asset sharing process that split billions with local, state police (Good!)

*Analysis: CBO contradicted the latest case against Obamacare 68 different times (This case is a joke, completely without merit. Only a right-wingnut Supreme Court would even agree to hear it, let alone rule in favor of it!)

*Republicans Introduce An Anti-Abortion Bill So Extreme That GOP Women In Congress Are Revolting

*Our view: Jim Webb wins the first primary (One of the silliest editorials I’ve ever read at the Roanoke Times. Among other things, they completely miss what’s been the main line of criticism on Webb: that he “sucks” on climate change.)

*McAuliffe’s PAC brought in nearly $2.48 million in 2014

*Six former attorneys general back McDonnell’s release pending appeal

*McDonnell’s new boss in Virginia Beach says he was glad to help (“Former Gov. Bob McDonnell has worked 24 to 30 hours a week for Bay Mechanical. He makes around $5,000 a month, according to Rod Rodriguez, the company’s CEO.”)

*Va. GOP seeks U.S. Senate ethics probe of Warner in Puckett case (Let’s get this straight; Republicans essentially try to bribe Phil Puckett to resign and throw the Senate to their control, and now THEY are suing?!? LOL)

*Virginia lawmakers push for mandatory reports in campus assaults

*U.Va. fraternities agree to new party rules after rape article controversy

*UVa emails reveal tension, worries following Rolling Stone story

*Author, survivor of 1984 rape at U-Va. now doubts Rolling Stone story

*Sunny and chilly today, then rain returns to the area on Sunday

Isn’t that nice of him? On the other hand, since he’s wallowing around in $30 million of our tax money (ain’t taxpayer-funded corporate welfare grand?); skewing Virginia’s energy policy in a harmful, pro-fossil-fuel direction that hurts all of us; and earning $10.9 million in compensation in 2013, while his company earned $545 million in the third quarter of 2014 alone, I suppose the least he can do is wish us “suckers” a happy 2015. One thing’s for sure: Tom Farrell will be livin’ large this year (and for many years to come), given his company’s protected monopoly status, not to mention its (wildly corrupt) de facto ownership of the Virginia General Assembly, State Corporation Commission, etc. 🙁

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, January 16.

*Scientists: Human activity has pushed Earth beyond four of nine ‘planetary boundaries’ (Extremely disturbing, this should be a 12-alarm fire for every government and individual on earth right now. Why isn’t it?!?)

*New Poll: Likely 2016 Voters Want Shift to Solar, Wind; Away from Coal, Oil (Americans are right on this, of course. The problem is that most Republicans – and some Democrats – are bought and paid for by the fossil fuel industry.)

*Pope Francis says climate change is mostly man-made. Will anyone care? (Actually, change “mostly” to “overwhemlingly” and you’ve got it right.)

*Belgium Raids Thwart Plan to Kill Cops in Streets, at Stations: Official

*MLK’s prophetic call (“His views on economic justice apply today.”)

*Obama to Senate Dems: ‘I’m going to play offense’ (“The president said he’s prepared to veto hostile legislation, including an Iran sanctions package.”)

*Joni Ernst makes the cut to rebut Obama’s big speech (Republicans select a conspiracy theorist, climate science denier, and all-around wacko to deliver their SOTU response. That says it all about the Republican Party these days.)

*Republican Party Chairman Defends Comparison Of America’s Founding Fathers To ISIS (Ditto to the last sentence of my previous comment.)

*Sens. Warner, Kaine join Republicans to call for biennial budgeting

*A bill advances in Virginia to derail a ruling granting in-state tuition for some students who came to the U.S. illegally (Yep, Republicans are the anti-immigrant, anti-Latino party.)

*Former delegate Janis announces run for Stosch’s Senate seat

*Work to restore Virginia’s reputation (“Richmond politicians have only themselves to blame for their sorry image across America: – A former governor (Bob McDonnell) on his way to prison for trading the prestige of his office to help sell nutritional supplements – His wife (Maureen McDonnell) awaiting sentencing.”)

*Del. Joseph Morrissey is an embarrassment to Virginia’s General Assembly (You know, Morrissey’s a disgrace for sure, but there are a lot bigger disgraces in the General Assembly right now, such as the delegates and senators who do the bidding of Dominion, Altria, etc. Why don’t THEY get this kind of scrutiny and ostracism?)

*Va. Gov. McAuliffe Takes Stock of First Year in Office, Looks to Bring Jobs to Commonwealth

*Va. House Democratic caucus split over Morrissey’s fate

*McAuliffe would veto anti-Dream Act bill (“A spokesman for the governor called the legislation ‘counterproductive and mean-spirited.'” Exactly.)

*Vice President Joe Biden visits Norfolk, talks cybersecurity

*Newport News Delegate BaCote likely to retire post-session

*Arlington may get okay for an external auditor

*VSU enrollment continues sharp decline

*Winds may gust above 20 mph today, while temperatures peak in the 40s

By now it’s clear that if it means anything, the laughable phrase “the Virginia Way” comes down to government of the wealthy/powerful corporations, by the wealthy/powerful corporations, and FOR the wealthy/powerful corporations. That reality is pounded home when you look at who’s sponsoring – and who’s attending – “2015 Chamber Day at the Capitol” (see the graphics at right, and the two on the “flip”).

Note that these aren’t just ANY corporations, but some of the worst – most polluting, destructive, harmful, etc. – corporations in Virginia: Altria (nee Philip Morris, purveyors of products that cause lung cancer, emphysema, etc.); CONSOL Energy (remember Ken Cuccinelli’s Conflict of Interest Problem: The CONSOL Energy Campaign Contributions Timeline and Inspector General Says Ken Cuccinelli’s Office ‘Inappropriately’ Aided Energy Companies and BREAKING: Cuccinelli’s Office Improperly Helped CONSOL Energy Rip Off SWVA Landowners?); Appalachian Power, Dominion, Alpha Natural Resources (basically, “global warming and blowing up mountains start here”), etc.

In a way, what’s even MORE disturbing here is that there’s no citizens’ or environmental equivalent to this dirty/destructive corporate festival with Virginia’s top political leadership, several of whom – Tommy Norment, Bill Howell, Dick Saslaw – are completely bought and paid for by these corporations. And the reason why there isn’t such balance? Simple: these corporations have the money to throw an event like this, not to mention donate millions of dollars to essentially “capture” Virginia government; citizens generally do not have money like that.

And no, the pathetically weak “ethics reform” we’re likely to see coming out of the General Assembly this year won’t lay a globe on stuff like this. In fact, events like “2015 Chamber Day at the Capitol” make a complete mockery of the very concept that these people could ever reform the rancid, corrupt system of which they are an integral part.

So, is Rep. Bob Goodlatte BADlatte in the running for worst Congressman in Virginia or in the entire country? At the national level, there’s a great deal of competition, but BADlatte’s blocking of comprehensive immigration reform, his generally far-right-wing record, and now his idiocy on the Voting Rights Act, certainly puts him in the running! Personally, I’m just trying to figure out who’s more of a disgrace to Virginia: a) BADlatte; b) climate science denier Morgan Griffith; c) Bob McDonnell; d) Joe Morrissey; or e) Ayn Rand-worshipping Dave Brat. Thoughts?

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, January 15. Also, here’s video of Gov. McAuliffe’s entire State of the Commonwealth Address.

*U.S. Solar Jobs Climb 22% as Clean Power Aids Economic Recovery (And it could be doing that here in Virginia too, as could wind power, if only Dominion and the coal companies would get the hell out of the way.)

*Boko Haram Appears to Be Using Abducted Girls as Suicide Bombers: Experts (Absolute evil.)

*GOP Censures Member for Racist Posts and Calls for Resignation (Here in Virginia, they not only do NOT censure racists, raging homophobes and anti-Semites, they nominate them for Governor, Lt. Governor, chair of their party, etc. They also haven’t censured Sen. Steve Martin for his latest, bigoted remarks about Muslim Americans.)

*Senator Says Most People On Disability Don’t Deserve It (Rand Paul: not quite as extreme as his father, but nastier? just as extreme as his father AND nastier?)

*Secret Service to oust four senior officials

*The sky didn’t fall (“The business lobby forgets its fear-mongering.” They ALWAYS say the sky will fall if government does xyz and it never, ever does. In the future, ignore them.)

*Exacerbating inequality (“How government helps the 1 percent.”)

*Romney Advisor: ‘There Wouldn’t Be An ISIS At All’ If Mitt Was Prez (Just like in 2012, the Romney folks continue to be delusional, downright crazy, etc.)

*Virginia Democratic Sen. Linda ‘Toddy’ Puller to retire (Apparently Del. Scott Surovell is running to replace her. I’ve also heard rumors of Del. Luke Torian, Del. Mark Sickles, and PW County Board member Frank Principi. Should be interesting!)

*Virginian-Pilot journalists: Corporate management pressure is stifling coverage (Brutal, devastating article. After reading this, you will never look at the Virginian Pilot – or probably a lot of newspapers – the same way again. And not in a good way…)

*FBI probing theft of $600,000 from Saslaw’s campaign accounts, senator says (Bizarre. How could Saslaw not have noticed this?)

*Jim Webb Is the Democrats’ Rand Paul (“Somewhere on Earth-Two, the former Virginia senator is having his moment.”)

*Morrissey sworn in, says ‘I compartmentalize things’

*Amid drama over alleged sex scandal, jailed lawmaker returns to Va. Capitol

*McAuliffe pitches new economy, tied to progressive change

*Oceana report: Offshore wind would reap twice the energy, jobs as offshore drilling

*Martin vs. Chase: The Most Fascinating Race In Virginia  

*Ex-Va. Governor Renews Request to Remain Free During Appeal

*Virginia General Assembly: More scrutiny on ethics seen unlikely to change lobbying (Unacceptable.)

*Bay’s grade unworthy of cheer (“It’s a measure of how complicated, and how difficult, it will be to cleanse the Chesapeake Bay of centuries of neglect that the watershed’s chief advocate was somewhat cheered by a report that gave the estuary a D+.”)

*Scandal: The Morrissey mess (Yeah, I have really mixed feelings on how to proceed now.)

*U-Va. fraternity members talk about sting of discredited rape allegations

*Alexandria is $50 million closer to a new Metro station at Potomac Yard (“If all goes as the city hopes, the station on the Blue and Yellow lines could open by late 2018.”)

*4 Republicans seeking nomination for Bedford County supervisor seats

*Nats acquire Yunel Escobar from A’s in exchange for Tyler Clippard

*A nice weather change: Sunny, dry  and temperatures in the 40s