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The Torres family needs to stay together, protected and safe
By Eduardo Zelaya For a parent, time can move fast and slow simultaneously. A year ago, Frederick Torres and his wife were preparing to send their little boy to kindergarten. Now, he’s about to be a “big boy” first-grader. The baby boy they carried in their arms when they fled Nicaragua is now a […]
Virginia can help keep the global internet free, open and accessible
By Asheesh Agarwal As a national leader in cybersecurity, Virginia is setting the standards for data protection and critical infrastructure through its numerous data centers, cloud computing capacity, and skilled workforce. A recent report by the American Edge Project explains how Virginia’s expertise could help to keep the internet open and accessible for everyone. […]
Stolen Afghan child needs to be returned to her rightful family
By Dr. Marsha Griffin, Dr. Susan Foster and Dr. Breeda McGrath It is a well-accepted fact in the world of child psychology: children thrive when they are cared for by their families and feel immersed in their culture, heritage and community. Deprived of these supports, children can feel lost and are at severe risk of […]
Project:HOMES marries compassion to innovation at Chesterfield, Va.’s Bermuda Estates
By Christie Marra Claudia Guerrero Barrera enjoys her role as community engagement specialist for Virginia-based housing nonprofit project:HOMES, spending afternoons sitting around a kitchen table, drinking coffee, and chatting with women in the Bermuda Estates neighborhood of Chesterfield. They discuss their relief at having persuaded the county to place a school bus to stop in […]
Expanding abortion access would benefit all Virginians
By Brook Smith Just over a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion bans and restrictions have swept the South, leaving Virginia by far the least restrictive state in the region. Our position as a bastion of abortion rights is worth taking pride in, but it is also an immense burden […]
Understanding the root causes of gun violence: changing the narrative
By Rachelle Hunley Despite the thoughts and prayers frequently offered for victims of violence following mass shootings, all too often, when “everyday” gun violence occurs in Black and Latino communities, politicians, the general public and the media ignore it or blame victims for their own pain. When it comes to the national debate on gun […]
Virginia must act in support of digital assets
By Greg Leffel Digital assets like cryptocurrency, NFTs, blockchain services and metaverse technologies are a transformative force reshaping our economy. As of this year, digital assets are used by 46 million people in the US, and Virginia ranks No. 7 among the top states in the country that are creating a digital economy. While plenty […]
I nominate Alexa for the Supreme Court
By Robert “Bobby” Whitescarver The erosion of federal protection for our country’s natural resources continues down a slippery slope into the canyon of our political divide. In its recent 9-0 decision on Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, the Supreme Court severely limited federal regulatory authority to protect the waters of the United States. Do all […]
On Independence Day, Virginians gain a new resource for civics, history education
By Joni Albrecht Today, the John Marshall Center for Constitutional History and Civics (JMC) is not only celebrating American independence, we are also celebrating a historic union, one long in the making. The JMC today joins its longtime partner, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC), to create an innovative study center that will revolutionize […]
Shortsighted RGGI repeal effort leaves Virginians in harm’s way
By Rebecca R. Rubin In June, Virginians were inundated with smoke from wildfires that have been raging across Canada and could continue through the summer in the worst wildfire season in that nation’s history – a crisis that scientists agree is being driven by climate change. Thousands of miles from the flames, we Virginians suffered […]
We must act together to end gun violence in our community
By L. Robert Bolling Not again. We’ve witnessed another senseless death of a child as a result of violence. The recent events at the Huguenot High School graduation ceremony were devastating — seven gunshot victims, two of whom passed away and several with life-altering injuries. Shawn Jackson, 18, had just graduated. He was with his […]
The future of Virginia’s outdoors depends on us
By Maribel Castaneda Virginia is for all kinds of outdoor lovers. From the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the sandy shores of Virginia Beach, our state is home to incredible natural beauty that is unmatched anywhere else in the country. (I’m not biased or anything.) Virginia’s outdoors are a precious natural resource […]