NATIONAL

“So you think you know politics inside out? From Donald Trump’s baseball hat to Hillary Clinton’s viral shoulder-brush, the year 2015 has been capped off by some truly amazing details. John Boehner’s resignation was a shocker, but who would have guessed that he’d announce it by singing ‘Zip-a-dee-doo-dah’? Or that Ted Cruz would post 15 hours of unedited video showing him giving so many shoulder rubs to his extended family? Here’s a quiz to test your memory for all the sideshows of the political carnival—with special extra-credit questions for obsessives only. (Answers and scoring at bottom.)” – Politico

“Gun rights supporters in Texas counted down the hours, minutes and seconds to New Year’s Day, because when the clock strikes midnight, licensed firearms owners in the Lone Star State can openly carry their handguns in public.” – Fox News

“The soon-to-be finished year of 2015 has been one full of milestones and records, but this one is certainly not worth celebrating. The Obama administration has been busier than even rolling out new regulations. The 2015 Federal Register has amounted to 81,611 pages of new and proposed ones, more than the federal government has ever before issued in a single year.” – Red State

“During a segment on Bill Cosby finally being charged with sexual assault, an MSNBC guest tonight posed the question of whether people would have had the same reactions to Cosby if he hadn’t been a big promoter of ‘respectability politics.‘” – Mediate

“Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump filled a hotel ballroom with over 2,000 people for a rally on Wednesday, attracting die-hard supporters as he has in other cities, but was dogged by a rival who is also very popular in South Carolina: Ted Cruz.” – Reuters

“While Disney has to be pleased with the way its $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm is turning out, thanks to the galactic success of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ the man who created the ‘Star Wars’ universe doesn’t feel the same way.” – Variety

“Allies of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee are plotting a multi-pronged offensive against Ted Cruz as the Republican presidential race enters the final month before the Iowa caucuses.” – Texas Tribune

“The Houston chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on authorities to investigate a possible bias motive in the case, citing what it called a ‘recent spike in hate incidents targeting mosques nationwide.’” – Hot Air

“The national spokesman for the Ted Cruz campaign said Wednesday he was perplexed by 2016 rival Donald Trump’s recent attack on the Texas senator.” – The Blaze

“President Barack Obama’s new 181-page plan to award work-permits to at least 100,000 foreign college-grads also contains a convoluted section that would also sneak work-permits to a huge range of foreign migrants – even after courts have formally ordered their repatriation.” – Breitbart

LOUISIANA

“As a candidate for governor, John Bel Edwards went to great lengths to convince voters he was what we would describe as an old-line, conservative Democrat.” – HannaPub.com

“Governor Bobby Jindal will be leaving office next month after a run for the white house that never really got any traction and with low approval ratings, even among Republicans.” – WWLTV.com

“Neighbors living near the newly designed and nearly completed Orleans Parish Prison claim inmates harass women daily as they pass by open windows.” – Fox8Live

“Facing a massive shortfall in the current budget and next year’s as well, a member of the incoming John Bel Edwards administration said “everything’s on the table,” which seems to mean at least a consideration of tax hikes.” – WWLTV.com

“Louisiana corrections officials want a federal judge to reduce the nearly $890,000 that a team of lawyers is requesting in a lawsuit over hot conditions on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary.” – KALB.com

“WWL-TV‘s top stories of 2015″ – WWLTV.com

“Who’s on the list?” – The Baton Rouge Advocate