Author
Our first president left us lessons on civility and humility
By Michael Bugeja When George Washington was 6 years old, he received a hatchet as a gift and immediately tested it on his father’s cherry tree. His father saw the damaged tree and asked his son if he had done the deed. The boy confessed with his most famous maxim: “I cannot tell a lie.” […]
Stage is set for dramatic House races in Virginia this fall
By Kyle Kondik Matchups are set for a pair of high-profile House races in our home state. State Sen. Jen Kiggans (R) will face Rep. Elaine Luria (D, VA-2) in a Hampton Roads-based seat, while Prince William County Supervisor Yesli Vega (R) won a competitive primary for the right to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D, […]
What are PFAS, and why is the EPA warning about them in drinking water?
By Kathryn Crawford, Middlebury “PFAS? What’s PFAS?” You may be hearing that term in the news as the federal government considers new rules and guidelines for the chemicals. Even if the acronym is new to you, you’re probably already familiar with what PFAS do. That’s because they’re found in everything from nonstick cookware to carpets […]
Jan. 6 hearing gives exposure to violent footage and dramatic evidence — but to what end?
By Mark Satta, Claire Leavitt and Ken Hughes A violent mob of Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, intent on disrupting a joint session of Congress that was meeting to count electoral votes and declare Democrat Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election. They did not succeed in preventing […]
Maybe it’s time for more demand-side approaches to gun control
By Alex Keena In the wake of dozens of mass shootings in the past month, gun violence has once again dominated the national conversation. Democrats have repeated their calls for increased restrictions on access to firearms, such as banning assault weapons, while many Republicans are opposing such measures, arguing instead that mass shootings stem from […]
Why the voices of descendants of the enslaved at historic sites matter
By Stephen P. Hanna, Amy Potter and Derek H. Alderman On May 17, after weeks of negative stories on Montpelier in the national press, the foundation that operates the Virginia plantation home of James Madison finally made good on its promise to share authority with descendants of people enslaved by the man known as “the father” of […]
Six charts show the key role firearms makers play in America’s gun culture
By Michael Siegel, Tufts University Americans have blamed many culprits, from mental illness to inadequate security, for the tragic mass shootings that are occurring with increasing frequency in schools, offices and theaters across the U.S. The latest, which occurred on May 24, 2022, at a Texas elementary school and left at least 19 children and […]
Who are the governor’s marine commission picks there to serve?
By Stephen Atkinson In a news release late Friday evening, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced appointments to various state boards, including the nine member Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the body that manages the commonwealth’s fisheries. Of the governor’s four appointments to the VMRC, three represent commercial fishing interests from the Reedville area. For the hundreds of […]
As cases climb again, just how accurate are rapid antigen tests? Two testing experts explain.
By Nathaniel Hafer and Apurv Soni As of May 2022, the U.S. is experiencing another uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases. High rates of infection in Europe and Asia, along with the continued emergence of new sub-variants, such as omicron BA.4 and BA.5, raise concerns that another surge could be on the way. Even […]
The federal rescue plan helped rural Virginia. Why not make parts of it permanent?
By Anita Royston In early 2021, rural communities like Pittsylvania County were struggling. A full year of the pandemic had taken its toll on us — some schools were still closed, health care costs were still going up, many people couldn’t return to work, and even more were struggling to make ends meet. The American […]
What’s behind the U.S. baby formula shortage – and how to make sure it doesn’t happen again
By Dr. Steven Abrams A baby formula shortage has added to the woes of American parents already confronted with the pressures of raising an infant during a pandemic in a country ranked low for family-friendly policies. Media reports have highlighted the plight of mothers, fathers and caregivers across the U.S. who have scrambled to find scarce supplies, or driven long distances to buy […]
With help of a Petersburg factory, a nonprofit drugmaker is taking aim at high insulin prices
By Jing Luo, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Doctors have been treating diabetes with insulin since 1922. A century later, about 1 in 5 of the 37 million Americans living with diabetes take this medication – a hormone that helps cells absorb sugar from the blood. This medication helps avert a host of medical problems […]