Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, July 1. Also, check out the video by Catherine S. Read of Arlington’s Kip Malinosky accepting the DPVA’s Grassroots Award for the 8th CD. Gotta love Kip’s attitude – now we need about 1,000 more like him and we can take back this state and this country!

*19 firefighters killed battling fast-moving Ariz. wildfire (Terrible tragedy…)

*Millions flood Egypt’s streets to demand Mursi quit

*New same-sex marriage challenge fails

*Cuccinelli challenges Biden to debate (Cuckoo’s flailing.)

*Virginia GOP governor candidate Kenneth Cuccinelli rejects attempts to label him on cultural issues (He can “reject” it all he wants, but this is simply factual – the guy has been a culture warrior his entire career. Look it up!)

*Don’t spend it all  in one place (“The gas tax decreases in Virginia today, but other rates go up to pay for roads.”)

*Pro-Jackson Tea Party group riled up about Rigell

*McAuliffe Opens Campaign Headquarters in Charlottesville

*Local and state Republicans rail against what they call Obama’s ‘war on coal’ (Teapublicans certainly are good at staying on their ginned-up, hysterical, anti-Democratic talking points.)

*Biden fires up Virginia’s Democrats, bashes Cuccinelli at Jefferson Jackson Dinner (How is it “bashing” when you’re telling the truth about a person?)

*Free limousine service is latest issue for McDonnell (“Catering costs and a wedding dress aren’t the only expenses Gov. Bob McDonnell’s family apparently avoided in connection with the June 2011 nuptials of his daughter Cailin: They also received some free limousine service.”)

*Gay Marriage and the Law in Virginia (Excellent analysis by Del. Scott Surovell!)

*Missing Ingredient at JJ Dinner? Rolex Jokes (Sen. Chap Petersen asks an interesting question about Gov. McDonnell’s widening corruption scandals: “Is there some sort of hands-off policy from DPVA?  If so, what’s the point of that?”))

*Monday brings carload of changes to Virginia laws

*How a retiree became a political publisher (Thanks to Tom Whipple for all those years of providing the Whipple Clips, day after day, at 6:30 am or whatever. Since VPAP took over, I pretty much do my own news headlines, but it was great while it lasted!)

*Humid, with on and off waves of rain

*Nationals hit four homers in rout of Mets (Finally!)

A few points on the graphic by Ken Cuccinelli’s campaign is putting out, pushing their false/ginned up “war on coal” meme against Terry McAuliffe.

1. As I demonstrated the other day, Virginia coal mining employment is UP – repeat, UP! – under President Obama. It went DOWN – repeat, DOWN! – under President Bush. So, should we conclude by these statistics that Republicans are waging a “war on coal?” I mean, that’s just as brain dead as Cuccinelli’s idiotic attack line.

2. As I also pointed out, Cuccinelli’s ally Randy Forbes got it exactly backwards when he (hysterically) warns of job losses at the Port of Virginia. In fact, any reduction in Virginia coal consumption at U.S. power plants, while Virginia coal production remains constant, will result in HIGHER net exports of Virginia coal. Nice try by Rep. Forbes, but no cigar.

3. So…Cuccinelli claims that “Virginia coal is 19,260 jobs.” Sound like a lot? Well, it certainly is to the 19,260 people who have those jobs, and that matters. But in context, out of a Virginia civilian labor force of 4.2 million jobs, Cuccinelli is talking about 0.46% of Virginia jobs. And remember, per point #1, those jobs are UP under President Obama. But the main point is that 99.54% of Virginia employment is NOT in coal, and Ken Cuccinelli’s backwards, regressive, trickle-down policies would be disastrous for that 99.54%. They also wouldn’t help the 0.46% of Virginians employed in the coal industry, just as George W. Bush’s policies didn’t help (again, coal mining employment in Virginia was DOWN under Bush).

4. As for economic activity, Cuccinelli claims that coal accounts for $2.5 billion Virginia economic activity. First of all, that’s unlikely. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ statistics, economic output for ALL mining activities in Virginia (oil and gas, coal, etc.) was $2.3 billion, which is obviously less than $2.5 billion. But let’s even say that Cuccinelli’s numbers were right; we’re talking about $2.5 billion out of total Virginia economic activity of $446 billion in 2012. That means mining (coal, natural gas, etc.) makes up 0.56% of Virginia’s economy, while 99.44% is made up of everything else. And again, Ken Cuccinelli’s rob-from-the-middle-class-and-give-to-the-rich economic policies would hurt that 99.44%, while not helping the 0.56% in any way either.

5. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ statistics, Virginia wages in 2011 were $204 billion. Cuccinelli claims $1.4 billion of that’s in coal mining,. which would amount to 0.69% of total Virginia wages. That means that 99.31% of Virginia wages are NOT coal mining related. And again, Cuccinelli’s right-wingnut economic and social policies would seriously harm those 99.31% of Virginia wages, while doing NOTHING to boost the 0.69% related to coal mining.

So much for THAT line of attack. Next?

P.S. Meanwhile, Cuccinelli continues to deny climate science, and the existential threat posed by global warming, while offering ZERO ideas to deal with this crisis. That will do wonders for places like Hampton Roads, when it’s under water, or the rest of Virginia, when we face increasingly severe droughts and storms, etc.

P.P.S. I forgot to mention the first claim in this graphic, that “every dollar raised at the Jefferson Jackson Dinner is a dollar that will go to funding the McAuliffe/Biden/Obama war on coal.” Actually, every dollar raised at the JJ goes to funding the Democratic Party of Virginia, which helps elect Democrats in Virginia. That enables us to promote economic fairness and social justice, a clean energy economy, LGBT equality, a woman’s right to choose, everyone’s right to vote, and many other important policy goals, while blocking Teapublicans’ extremist agenda. If you’re interested in helping achieve those goals, I urge you to give to your favorite Virginia Democratic candidate – for gov, LG, AG, or House of Delegates – today!  Thanks.

Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, June 30. Also, check out the photo of Terry McAuliffe, speaking at last night’s Jefferson Jackson Dinner in Richmond, by Catherine S. Read.

*In South Africa, Obama reflects on Nelson Mandela’s legacy, nation’s past

*Biden: Virginia GOP Afraid Of The Tea Party

*The Supreme Court made you less free (“Don’t let the DOMA ruling fool you. The most recent term restricted your rights.”)

*Governor McDonnell must explain himself (“The details of a gift-giving scandal involving the governor, his family and a controversial businessman have grown more damaging — to the governor and to Virginia — with every new development.”)

*Schapiro: Rolex-wearing governor is political time bomb (“Bob McDonnell’s career is badly damaged, if not destroyed…Fallout could also take out fellow Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the party’s candidate for governor.”)

*Biden urges Democrats to defeat ‘tea party’ Cuccinelli

*Virginia can control its destiny with Medicaid expansion

*AG has kept gas owners from their money

*Cuccinelli: Va. seniors targeted in health scams

*Compromise is about to get harder in Virginia (“Forget about bipartisan compromise in Virginia. In a series of actions this spring, anti-tax activists have killed the prospects even for one-party agreement in Richmond.” Thank you Tea Party – not!!!)

*Tough decisions about school security (“In the aftermath of the December school shootings in Newtown, Conn., Gov. Bob McDonnell and the General Assembly agreed to pump $1.3 million of new money into a state incentive fund that helps localities put police resource officers in public schools.”)

*Downturn paralyzed pay scales for Virginia’s teachers

*Success in reducing state homelessness

*Roanoke Co. Democrats in turmoil (“Chairman Brian Lang says his group is healthy, but several years of infighting have taken their toll.”)

*Washington area commuters say they are seeing less stop, more go

*No, Conservatives, You Won’t Stop Watching Football If The NFL Markets Obamacare

*Nationals vs. Mets: Taylor Jordan loses MLB debut thanks largely to Washington’s sloppy defense

Here are a few Virginia (and national) news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, June 29. Also, see President Obama’s weekly address, in which he discusses the plan he unveiled a few days ago to confront the growing threat of climate change.

*Fossil fuels are a faith issue (by Richard Cizik — president, New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good and spokesperson, The Good Steward Campaign.)

*Invest, Divest and Prosper (Paul Krugman on building a clean energy economy, saving the environment, and prospering in the process. Why are we still wasting our time dithering around with antiquated fossil fuels, when there are far better options available?)

*A stand for Roe v. Wade (“Wendy Davis’s filibuster was a brave stand against deceitful new abortion laws throughout the U.S.”)

*Skirting hurdles on climate change (“Reflexive opposition like McConnell’s has been the tired refrain of folks who have opposed cleaner air and water, limits on acid rain, and higher efficiency cars and appliances. Each time, experience and history proved such alarms ridiculous. American people and industry adapted, leading to cleaner air and water, reduced acid rain, better cars and appliances.”)

*Republicans disparage Biden before Richmond speech (“Republicans disparage.” Yep, that’s what Republicans do. The question is, do they ever do anything else?)

*Cuccinelli fights bid to compel testimony (“Defense attorneys want to subpoena AG in chef’s embezzlement case”)

*Virginia’s gifted governor (“Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R) and his wife, Maureen McDonnell, are guilty of staggeringly bad judgment, ethical dim-wittedness and, in the governor’s case, ignoring Virginia’s financial disclosure laws. Whether the governor and his wife are to be charged with some other abuse of office is up to federal and state investigators.”)

*GOP Leaders Warn Pro Sports Leagues Not To Promote Obamacare (Excuse me? It’s the LAW, why can’t anyone and everyone promote it?!? As for being “controversial,” that’s 100% because Republicans have made it so.)

*Renewable Energy Closing In On Natural Gas As Second-Largest Source Of Electricity Worldwide (Go clean energy!)

*House bill would lift ban on coastal gas, oil drilling (Drill, baby, drill=Stupid, baby, stupid.)

*Morrissey vows to overturn Va. ban on same-sex marriage

*Paula Deen, Bob McDonnell lessons learned the hard way

*Shower, storm threat will stick around

*Nationals rally to beat Matt Harvey, Mets, 6-4 (Actually, they didn’t rally against Harvey, but whatever…this is the Post after all, accuracy is optional.)

Wall Street bankers crashed the global economy. Not a single one was put on trial, never mind sent to prison. Not one, not for a day.

Climate activist Tim DeChristopher pranked one oil and gas leasing auction as an act of civil disobedience. Despite the Interior Department subsequently canceling those leases saying they had been rushed into auction with insufficient environmental and scientific review, authorities decided to make an example of DeChristopher. He was sent to prison for 21 months plus an additional three years of probation.

DeChristopher told his story to David Letterman this week: