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Why the Transportation Climate Initiative makes sense
By Andrew Savage If you thought the vibrant, blood orange sunsets over Virginia in July were striking, you weren’t alone. Unfortunately, those sunsets were caused by wildfire smoke out of the West that engulfed the state in a hazy smog and triggered a public health alert. Now, constant natural disasters are clear evidence of an […]
What’s the law on vaccine exemptions? A religious liberty expert explains.
By Douglas Laycock, University of Virginia For Americans wary of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, like the sweeping requirements President Joe Biden announced Sept. 9, it seems there are plenty of leaders offering ways to get exemptions — especially religious ones. No major organized religious group has officially discouraged the vaccine, and many, like the Catholic Church, […]
It’s time for Virginia to invest in services and programs that will support all communities
By Breanne Armbrust The Commonwealth of Virginia finds itself in a unique position — in the middle of a historic pandemic with a budget surplus of $2.6 billion at the start of the new fiscal year. Like many community activists around Virginia, I immediately thought of how those funds could be used to directly benefit […]
What young kids say worked – and didn’t work – for them during virtual learning
By Mari Altshuler, Northwestern University On Aug. 30, 2021, my kid joined millions of children in walking through school doors as he began first grade. Despite the ongoing pandemic, school buildings are almost universally open. While there are many voices expressing health and safety concerns, policymakers have decided that the best choice for children’s well-being […]
Reforms needed at Virginia electric co-ops
By Seth Heald Summer is annual-meeting time at Virginia’s 13 electric cooperatives. Like all consumer cooperatives, electric co-ops are owned by their customers (called “member-owners”) and are supposed to be democratically governed. The key to genuine democratic control is board-of-director elections, which happen at each co-op’s annual meeting, where member-owners can vote for board candidates. […]
Congress: Turn your attention to Americans like me
By John Livesay I am a 64-year-old, life-long Virginian, and I’m proud of my work ethic. In fact, I remember receiving my first work permit in 1970 at age 13. I worked as a grocery store stock boy after school. And I’ve been working ever since, until my disabilities caught up with me. Today, I […]
Electrify Virginia homes now
By Chris Meyer and Ross Wood Recent extreme weather events such as the heat domes in the Western United States directly or indirectly impacted millions of people. Unfortunately, these events will likely become more frequent, eventually impacting Virginia as well, despite our traditionally more moderate climate. So, what can we do now to make our […]
COVID-19 spurred investments in air filtration for K-12 schools – but it’s not an instant fix
By Mark Thomas Hernandez, University of Colorado Boulder The COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to indoor air quality and the effect that ventilation has on reducing disease transmission in indoor spaces. A recent infrastructure survey reported that of the nearly 100,000 operating public school buildings across the U.S., more than a third have an […]
Warner can help bridge divides on budget
By Tram Nguyen, Alexsis Rodgers and Ashley C. Kenneth In the corridors of Congress, legislation is beginning to take shape that could help the country navigate this latest chapter of the pandemic and make historic investments in our infrastructure—but a final deal has yet to emerge. At a critical juncture like this, with so much […]
Fluctuating work week: the devil’s in the details
By Kim Bobo Late one night during the General Assembly’s special session this month, when the Senate was working on its budget amendments, senators approved Amendment 132 offered by Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, by voice vote, which usually means it is not expected to be a close vote. The amendment was described as simply conforming […]
An elite Virginia high school overhauled admissions – how to tell if the changes are working
By Joni Lakin, University of Alabama For decades, gifted education and talent development services in public schools have been accused of creating inequities for students of color, students from low-income communities and nonnative English speakers. This year, there seems to be remarkable momentum to change some systems. Some changes defy common sense. In Virginia, the […]
Do you need a COVID-19 booster shot?
By William Petri, University of Virginia The increasing prevalence of new coronavirus variants is raising questions about how well protected those who’ve already had their COVID-19 shots are against evolving forms of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Here, microbiology and infectious disease specialist William Petri of the University of Virginia answers some common questions about COVID-19 booster […]