NATIONAL

“Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz finally went toe-to-toe Tuesday night in Las Vegas – and Rubio came out on top.” – Politico

“House Republicans announced a deal Tuesday night between the GOP-led Congress and the White House on a trillion-dollar, year-end tax and spending package to fund the government through fiscal year 2016.” – Fox News

“Look, Lindsey Graham is what he is by now. He’s a serious voice on national security, whether or not you agree with his neoconservative point of view. He’s also an irritatingly moderate figure on many other issues, especially given that he’s elected by deep-red South Carolina. He’s the only serious, influential figure on the undercard stage, given that none of Huckabee, Santorum or Pataki has won an election in the past 13 years. Really Graham should quit this race, and the undercard debates should be brought to an end, as we get closer to the voting. But as long as they go on, we may as well get a few laughs from them. So pick your favorite face Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 38% made in tonight’s debate:” – Red State

“It’s maybe too early to completely write off Jeb Bush’s struggling presidential campaign.” – NBC News

“President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign was built on the claim that he was not just tough on terrorists, but also he was successful in fighting them. ‘President Obama has placed the killing of Osama bin Laden at the center of his reelection effort,’ began one Washington Post story about the effort.’ – The Federalist

“How do atheists celebrate Christmas?” – CNN

“In 1979’s ‘California Über Alles,’ the Dead Kennedys imagined then-Governor Jerry Brown as a despotic hippie president, a Zen fascist who would deploy the suede-denim secret police to round up citizens who didn’t sufficiently “mellow out.” Jello Biafra may have overestimated Brown’s political prospects, but then, he wasn’t completely off about governor’s worldview.” – The Federalist

“Congressional leaders and the White House have reached agreement on a massive year-end tax and spending package, House Speaker Paul Ryan told GOP lawmakers late Tuesday, urging support for the legislation that delivers GOP wins but also includes many Democratic priorities.” – The Blaze

“If you are a moron, you could interpret Donald Trump’s statements in the GOP debate tonight to mean he wants to start shutting down specific websites or services on the internet. He clarified later that he was talking about geography: limiting access to, say, Syria or wherever Islamic State is operating from.” – Breitbart

LOUISIANA

“The Louisiana oil and gas industry may receive an early Christmas present this year. Lawmakers are poised to lift a decades old ban on U.S. oil exports.” – WWLTV.com

“As terror threats increase across the globe, Louisiana law enforcement is reaching deep in its arsenal to make sure they have the state covered.” – WAFB.com

“Three weeks before leaving office, Jefferson Parish President John Young said Monday (Dec. 14) he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate. If he makes the 2016 race, he would join a potentially crowded Republican field vying to succeed Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who has said he won’t run for re-election.” – NOLA.com

“Controversy is growing over a company in Colfax Louisiana receiving some potentially hazardous waste material from Camp Minden. The company has made it clear that the hazardous material was not the unstable M-6 propellant, but still many people are concerned with the open burn method being used.” – KNOE.com

“An NOPD officer who was found guilty of raping a 7-year-old girl in October 2003 was sentenced to life in prison.” – WWLTV.com

“Boustany Launches Senate Campaign” – Chad Rogers/The Dead Pelican

“Jace Crehan told sheriff’s detectives his fiancée, Brittany Monk, was with him July 4 when he stabbed her convicted molester Robert Noce Jr. six times inside his Zachary trailer, strangled him with a belt and pulled him inside a 55-gallon plastic drum, according to newly released documents.” –The Baton Rouge Advocate

“One of the victims in a double shooting in the west bank of Jefferson Parish has died at University Medical Center, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office reported.” – NOLA.com

“Election-weary voters have barely been able to catch their breath after a grueling campaign for Louisiana governor before being confronted with the possibility of another yearlong heated race for the U.S. Senate. The surprising election of Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, even has other members of his party talking about seeking the Senate seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. David Vitter.” – American Press

“For the past month, LSU’s recruiting outlook was mostly doom and gloom.” – The Baton Rouge Advocate