NATIONAL

“There are mass protests again about a grand jury’s decision not to indict a police officer in the death of a black man. This time, the protesters might even be right.” – The Federalist

“There is no doubt that Pantaleo aggressively handled Garner around the neck and then pressed his head to the ground. Soon after, Garner died. On top of that, the state medical examiner (ME) concluded that a homicide occurred. Sounds cut and dried, especially given that grand juries need merely find probable cause in order to return an indictment.” – Andrew McCarthy/National Review

“A coalition of seventeen states joined together today to file suit against the Obama administration, arguing that President Obama swept aside the constitutional limits on his power and violated his constitutional obligation to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed” when he moved to unilateral dismiss enforcement of the immigration laws against 4 million illegal aliens.” – CNS News

“Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has aligned himself with a conservative faction of House and Senate lawmakers who want to block Obama’s executive action on deportations through the government funding bill.” – Washington Examiner

“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll just say it: We’re no longer No. 1. Today, we’re No. 2. Yes, it’s official. The Chinese economy just overtook the United States economy to become the largest in the world. For the first time since Ulysses S. Grant was president, America is not the leading economic power on the planet.” – MarketWatch

“Speaker John Boehner said Thursday he expects some House Democrats will join Republicans in passing a trillion-dollar spending package next week to avert a government shutdown.” – The Hill

“The Texas Senator, who almost single-handedly persuaded House Republicans to shut down the government in 2013 – with disastrous political results – is back at it in the waning days of the 113th Congress. With the ability of federal agencies to spend funds appropriated by Congress set to expire next week, Cruz is pressing his fellow Republicans to adopt legislation that would virtually guarantee another shutdown over President Obama’s executive action on immigration.” – CNBC

“In three weeks, Utah intends to seize control of 31.2 million acres of its own land now under the control of the federal government. At least, that’s the plan.” – Washington Times

“In the end Breitbart News could not find a Republican named Barry who attended Oberlin during Dunham’s time there who came anywhere close to matching her description of him. In fact, we could not find anyone who remembered any Oberlin Republican who matched Dunham’s colorful description.” – Breitbart

“With weeks to go until she makes an announcement about her future, Hillary Clinton has started meeting with a broad range of political figures — including potential campaign managers, POLITICO has learned.” – POLITICO

LOUISIANA

“Take the two runs together, then, and add the party switch and the residency issue and it appears that Forest Bradley-Wright is trying to gain the Democrats a seat on the key energy commission by stealth. The run as a Republican, then, would be a ruse.” – PJ Media

“Take the job, Les. If Michigan, your alma mater comes calling, if it says it needs Les Miles to rescue its once proud and now sputtering football tradition, you should accept.” – Scott Rabalais/Baton Rouge Advocate

“Should Sen. Mary Landrieu lose her seat on Saturday, Louisiana won’t just lose its only Democrat in statewide elected office. It will also lose the only woman in statewide elected office.” – NOLA.com

“I’m running against a guy who is hiding,” Landrieu told supporters days before Saturday’s vote, castigating Cassidy for not participating in more debates. “And now we know why – because he was double-dipping at the taxypayer expense.” – Yahoo! News

“Cassidy’s strategy parallels what Republicans did to win a half-dozen Senate races in other states Obama lost in 2012, and the Nov. 4 results confirmed that it works in Louisiana, too. Landrieu led the primary with just 42 percent, significantly less than in her previous races. According to exit polls, just 18 percent of whites backed Landrieu, and almost three out of four whites said they strongly disapprove of Obama.” – Monroe News Star

“The state of Louisiana has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take the rare step of hearing an appeal of Louisiana’s ban on same-sex marriages before a federal appeals court rules. Attorney Kyle Duncan filed the request this week.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“Unhappy with grand jury decisions not to indict a white Ferguson, Mo., police officer in the fatal shooting of a black teenager and a white New York City police officer in the chokehold death of a black man, protesters disrupted spectators Wednesday night (Dec. 3) at the LUNA Fete light projection in front of New Orleans’ Gallier Hall.” – NOLA.com

“Republican state Rep. Simone Champagne of Jeanerette is resigning her legislative seat Dec. 31 to join the leadership team of Mayor-elect Ken Ritter of Youngsville.” – Baton Rouge Advocate

“This week the Pelican Institute for Public Policy submitted public comments to the Environmental Protection Agency opposing EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which would increase electricity prices and raise reliability concerns in Louisiana.” – Pelican Post

“The president of the University of New Orleans is recommending discontinuing several programs as part of phase one of restructuring aimed at cutting costs, rebuilding enrollment and moving the school forward.” – WWL-TV

“Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bill Cassidy favors over-the-counter sales of birth control. The Baton Rouge congressman recently gave his opinion to an LSU journalism student on Tiger TV, a campus television station.” – Baton Rouge Advocate