Author
Another death in custody
By Bruce N. Cruser Henrico resident Irvo Otieno died on March 6 while in the process of being admitted to Central State Hospital. Otieno’s family, their attorneys and the prosecutor who reviewed the video of his death all said deputies assaulted the 28-year-old as he endured a mental health crisis, even though Otieno was handcuffed, […]
Black lung is on the rise in Appalachia; deregulation of the coal mine industry is the main culprit
By Jacob Stump The Virginia Mercury reported on new research by scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago who worked in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers discovered “the largest cluster of (progressive massive fibrosis) ever recorded” – […]
The correlation between guns, school violence and the erosion of American families
By Bill Pike In August of 1975, I started my first teaching job at Martinsville Junior High School in Martinsville, Virginia. Nothing in my education classes, student teaching, or orientation to the school system communicated, “Look out for students who might have a gun.” Almost fifty years later, school systems across Virginia and America are […]
Data centers are a revelation in energy efficiency and are driving the clean energy transition
By Josh Levi When it comes to the future of data centers in the commonwealth, some of the recent public conversation has centered on whether and how much the industry impacts the environment. Often, a narrow focus is placed on the amount of electricity consumed by data centers; it is significant, and the industry has […]
Cuts to Medicare Advantage threaten Virginia seniors, people with disabilities
By Julie Mathews As the manager of a senior living community in Exmore, I know that residents and staff were watching closely during President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Virginia Beach. We were especially hoping that the president would talk about protecting Medicare from cuts that could threaten the quality of life for older […]
Virginia students can learn from ‘The Greatest Generation’
By Alex Kershaw Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine. While the war drags on, democracy continues its long decline. Less than half the world’s population lives in a democracy of some kind according to The Economists’ Democracy Index. I have been enormously blessed in my lifetime. I grew up in […]
Virginia is still for lovers: why the marriage equality ban should be repealed
By Narissa Rahaman This June will mark eight years since the U.S. Supreme Court declared marriage equality to be the law of the land, but Virginia still has a ban on same-sex marriage in its constitution. In the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, the court found that the right to marry must be extended to […]
Small modular nuclear reactors: a good deal for Southwest Virginia?
By Rees Shearer In announcing his 2022 Virginia Energy Plan, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said, “A growing Virginia must have reliable, affordable and clean energy for Virginia’s families and businesses.” The governor’s plan to promote and subsidize small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in Southwest Virginia fails all three of the governor’s own criteria: SMRs can’t be reliable, […]
Pharmacists should be allowed to keep effectively serving their communities
Pharmacists are the backbone of our local health care ecosystem, and they have played a critical role in both slowing the spread of COVID-19 and providing public health education to the patients they serve. As lawmakers look to improve access to care for Virginians, first on their agenda should be empowering pharmacists to test and […]
Removing students from classrooms further harms those who struggle the most
The Virginia House of Delegates has passed House Bill 1461 that would require the Virginia Department of Education to establish a uniform system of discipline for disruptive behavior, including criteria for teachers to remove disruptive students from classes. The bill also recommends the consideration of a three strikes policy for nonviolent disruptive behavior. While a […]
Are Virginia ratepayers and residents subsidizing the data center industry?
By Chris Miller Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Jan. 20 announcement that Amazon Web Services plans to spend $35 billion to establish multiple data center campuses across Virginia was not welcome news for all. Here’s why: it seems that Virginia is chasing an initiative that will require our energy system size to double or triple, with ratepayers […]
Youngkin blocked a battery factory from coming to Va. and an entire economic sector’s potential
By Michael O’Grady Recently, Gov. Glenn Youngkin blocked a deal with Ford Motor Company and Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) to bring car battery research and manufacturing to Southside Virginia, an area desperately needing this type of investment. The move is odd given that Youngkin left the Carlyle Group to champion Virginia workforce development. Furthermore, […]