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Vaccine mandates have always faced resistance and saved lives
By Dr. Randy Olson Health care professionals had high hopes that rapid vaccination of our entire U.S. population would slow COVID-19 transmission and stem the disproportionately high death count in the United States. We also hoped to avoid more concerning mutations that are inevitable when viruses multiply unchecked. I lost my mother to COVID-19 in […]
Alpha then delta and now omicron: six questions answered as COVID-19 cases once again surge
Guest column by Sara Sawyer, University of Colorado Boulder; Arturo Barbachano-Guerrero, University of Colorado Boulder, and Cody Warren, University of Colorado Boulder Editor’s note: The omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, has fueled a rapid surge in cases globally. We asked a team of virologists and immunologists from the University of Colorado […]
Youngkin steps into the D.C. swamp with Wheeler pick
By Michael Town One of the best ways to tell how an administration intends to govern is by who they surround themselves with – the people they tap to lead agencies and the individuals who will be in the room as decisions are being made. Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s nomination of Andrew Wheeler, a former coal […]
Governor should reconsider policy decisions that will hurt the environment
By Tracy Kelly and Neelu Tummala As health professionals in Virginia, we look forward to working with Gov. Glenn Youngkin to promote a healthy environment for families in the commonwealth. As a nurse and a surgeon, we see the impact of climate change in the stories and faces of our patients. This is why we […]
2021’s biggest climate and weather disasters cost the U.S. $145 billion
By Stacy Morford, The Conversation The disasters just kept coming in 2021, from Hurricane Ida’s destruction across Louisiana and the Northeast to devastating wildfires in the West and damaging storms, tornadoes and floods. Nearly half the U.S. was in drought, and extreme temperature spikes disrupted power supplies just when people needed cooling or heating most. […]
How democracy gets eroded – lessons from a Nixon expert
By Ken Hughes, University of Virginia Now that a full year has passed since the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, the 2020 election and the republic, it’s evident that the attack never really ended. Instead, it spread out to other, less visible, more vulnerable targets. Donald Trump had hoped to reverse his election […]
The ‘sore loser effect’: How rejecting election results can destabilize democracy
By James Piazza, Penn State An attendee at an October 2021 political rally hosted by right-wing activist Charlie Kirk asked: “How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people?” The attendee was referring to the baseless allegation that Joe Biden stole the 2020 U.S. presidential election and that he unfairly denied […]
Incorporate social-emotional learning into physical education in Virginia schools
By Lila Newberry The Virginia Department of Education says their recently developed equity-focused social-emotional learning standards are in place to “ensure every student in Virginia attends a school that maximizes their potential and prepares them for the future: academically, socially, and emotionally.” The development of SEL standards for Virginia schools is a step in the […]
Manchin killed Build Back Better over inflation concerns. Why that’s misguided:
By Michael Klein, Tufts University One of Sen. Joe Manchin’s main concerns in deciding to pull his support for President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan is that it would drive up inflation, which is currently rising at the fastest pace in four decades. On Dec. 19, 2021, the West Virginia Democrat said in an interview […]
There’s something rotten in Bristol
By Jo Albers My husband and I spent several years researching what part of the country we wanted to spend our retirement; our golden years. We wanted to be close to the mountains, but also to have access to restaurants, live music and shopping. We narrowed our search to the Southwest Virginia/ Northeast Tennessee region, […]
Home care is a lifeline for people with disabilities. Congress has to find a way to invest in it.
By Steve Grammer In high school, while my classmates were away on college visits, I toured nursing homes. Even though I was just 18, I was informed that I would soon be living in one. It was true: Barely into my 20s, I was moved to a nursing home where my roommates were elderly Alzheimer […]
Halt hydrogen hype
By Mary Finley-Brook Hydrogen energy produced from natural gas can have a higher carbon footprint than using either natural gas or coal directly for heat. Hydrogen types are not the same: Green hydrogen production is based on renewable sources, yellow hydrogen comes from nuclear energy, grey from fossil fuels and blue specifically from fossil gas. […]