NATIONAL

“This week has seen a headache-inducing debacle unfurling in the tiny town of Burns, Oregon, in which a few members of the Bundy family have traveled there from their usual haunts in Nevada, accompanied by a few other colorful characters of Western flavor, and have successfully staged the conquest of a deserted headquarters of a federal bird refuge.” – Scott McKay/Spectator

“In 2008, in the high-profile Supreme Court gun-rights case called District of Columbia v. Heller, a brief was filed from the eighth floor of the Daniel Price Sr. State Office Building in Austin, Texas, specifically from the corner office of the man who was then the state’s solicitor general, Ted Cruz.” – Politico

“President Obama on Tuesday will formally announce plans to expand background checks and make other changes to America’s gun rules via executive action‎, going around Congress and fueling allegations of executive overreach.” – Fox News

“(VIDEO) Rick Santorum Supported Ted Cruz Before He Opposed Him” – Red State

“A group of up to 1,000 men of ‘Arab background’ sexually assaulted dozens of women New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, according to police. The assaults, however, were not confirmed for days, leading to public accusations of a cover-up.” – Daily Caller

“Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz dismissed attacks against his record and his personal style Monday, suggesting that his political rivals are “panicking” as the Iowa caucuses approach.” – NBC News

“The American Right is divided between those who think our country has serious problems and those who think it is teetering on the edge of collapse. Donald Trump’s rise has been fueled by the latter group, which sees itself as Cassandra, accurately surveying and desperately trying to revive a ‘crippled America,’ as Trump titled his book.” – National Review

“Hillary Clinton says that aliens may have already visited humanity.” – Hot Air

“Former President Bill Clinton was confronted by a reporter Monday and asked whether his past history with women is ‘fair game’ on the campaign trail.” – The Blaze

“The trading year started with a bang in China.” – Breitbart

LOUISIANA

“JOHN BEL EDWARDS’ LAND THIEVING CHIEF OF STAFF” – Chad Rogers/The Dead Pelican

“Cities along the Mississippi river are bracing for possible flooding.
One of those cities includes Vidalia.” –KNOE.com

“I drove down to Metairie, in the New Orleans suburbs, with Ryan Booth today to hear Justice Antonin Scalia talk about religious liberty. It turned out to be an unusually great day, not because of Scalia’s speech (which was short, with no Q&A, given that Scalia’s plane had been late, and he had a luncheon to get to), but because of the people I met while we were all waiting for him to show. More on that tomorrow. I want to talk here about what Scalia said.” – The American Conservative

“A disturbing reality has set in even before Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards takes the oath of office on Jan. 11. The budget for the current fiscal year is coming up some $1 billion short of what is needed to pay the state’s bills, and the budget for the new year beginning July 1 is short by $1.9 billion.” – Jim Beam/The American Press

“Budget crises are nothing new in Louisiana, but the current-year fiscal shortfall has even the most veteran elected officials and Capitol staff members concerned. Many have said it could lead to a tax increase as soon as March or April.” – NOLA.com

“Rodie Sanchez has never forgotten Eugenie Boisfontaine.” – The Baton Rouge Advocate

“Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards says in fewer than two weeks he’ll release a ‘menu of options’ for digging Louisiana out of its continuing budget troubles.” – WWL.com

“A Lafayette news organization has gone to court seeking hundreds of emails from Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope that The Independent claims shows the marshal used his public position for a political stunt during the sheriff’s race.” – The Baton Rouge Advocate