ON JAN. 20, the Obama administration will inherit quite a few international allies of questionable loyalty and lucidity, including Moammar Gadhafi. Among the tasks awaiting the new president and his secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, is cleaning up a deal made by the current administration with the longtime Libyan dictator.

THERE IS no question that Gov. Tim Kaine earned the job President-elect Barack Obama has chosen for him as chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

Finally. 2008 is over. The new year is here and it's time to pretend like we have ESPN and look into the future. Here are my predictions for what 2009 will bring:

Will Sessoms will be sworn in today as the second elected mayor in the history of Virginia's largest city. Which means Virginia Beach will also say goodbye today to the only elected mayor it has ever had, Meyera Oberndorf, who leaves behind a legacy of integrity and loyalty to the city she has served for decades.

In prosperous times, state and federal lawmakers wanting to polish their get-tough-on-crime image pass bills putting more people in prison and keeping them longer for offenses such as drunken driving, drug possession and dog fighting. When the economy tanks, those mandatory sentencing laws stay in place, and budget cuts instead dig into drug treatment and job-training programs.

Currituck County officials should take a deep breath of fresh country air before they ask federal officials for an exemption from air quality restrictions that cover the Hampton Roads region.

It causes me physical pain to write yet another column about transportation in Virginia, having spent the past decade covering scores of failed attempts to fund state road projects. But it's hard to imagine what torments Del.

Tragedy in the heart of the city Charles J. Cannon Shot Down by Police Captain Prince Says he was justified Those were the headlines that newspaper readers saw in the morning paper of Aug. 4, 1900. They must have gasped as the type jumped off the page, then read the details with fascination bordering on disbelief:

Did the credit cards get a little out of control this holiday season? Has the heating bill climbed a touch higher than anyone budgeted? Tired of explaining to the kids that Santa was not, in fact, too big to fail and never received the bailout he had hoped for?

Given the contempt payday lenders show for their customers, state legislators should not be surprised to find that they are the latest victims of these predators' dirty tricks.