Good morning! We hope everyone who celebrates it has a great Christmas Eve. Here are a few stories on a light news day…

Awkward –> Democrats and civil rights leaders are asking Obama to withdraw his federal court nominees from Georgia because they lack of diversity. The nominees were selected as part of a deal with Senate Republicans, reports Peter Sullivan for The Hill.

Mission accomplished? –> Barton Gellman reports for the WaPo that Edward Snowden considers it so. ALSO: MSNBC’s Adam Serwer on how Sonia Sotomayor helped undermine the NSA’s constitutional arguments.

Not happy –> At ThinkProgress, Ian Millhiser reports that some county clerks in Utah are using Jim Crow tactics to avoid issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in defiance of a federal court’s ruling last Friday.

Railroaded –> At Slate, Spencer Woodman reports that North Carolina lawmakers are trying to cut budgets by taking away poor criminal defendants’ right to free legal representation.

Holding them to account –> Miami and Los Angeles, two cities hit hard by the mortgage crisis, are suing several big banks, according to Mariah Blake at MoJo.

Get a (union) job! –> At In These Times, Michelle Chen offers some advice for young ladies: join a union for the wage premium it offers.

Getting Godless-er? –> New Harris poll finds belief in God down among Americans, belief in evolution rising. But more still believe the Devil is real than think evolutionary science is legit.

Now enjoy the day!