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How Virginia’s new gun laws will reduce intimate partner homicide
By Jonathan Yglesias and Justin Lingenfelter Last week, Gov. Ralph Northam took historic action to sign several gun safety bills into law. This came in the wake of a tragic mass shooting in Virginia Beach, followed by a special session on firearms that concluded within three hours with no action taken and the emergence of […]
How to thwart ‘Zoom-bombing’
By Claudia Sachs The virus of hatred and bigotry is on the rise in the United States, and now it’s digitally creeping into our classrooms, offices, and bedrooms. As the number of cases of the COVID-19 virus is on the rise and schools and houses of worship have shuttered their doors, the global disease of hatred […]
Plummeting tax revenues will put governors in tough budget situations
By Raymond Scheppach “Governors Have the Best Political Jobs in America” is the name of one of my lectures in a leadership course I occasionally teach at the University of Virginia. In that class, I describe how governors have huge appointment powers for their personal staff, agency directors and even boards and commissions. Governors dominate […]
Correctional facilities are Virginia’s landlocked cruise ships
By Drs. Scott Heysell and Rebecca Dillingham In February, the Diamond Princess cruise ship, quarantined in the port of Yokahama, Japan, harbored the largest cluster of people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2), outside of mainland China. As the global pandemic has spread, COVID-19 outbreaks have been associated with more than […]
Inequality, race and COVID-19
By Kendyl Crawford and the Rev. Dr. Faith Harris Does COVID-19 have the potential to change everything for our world? It is hard to tell at this stage of the pandemic. What has changed for most of us is Gov. Ralph Northam’s Executive Order 55 (Temporary Stay at Home Order Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)). […]
Debacle over captain’s firing is a window into military mismanagement
The United States was introduced this week to a reality that many in the military community have known about for decades. Yes, Thomas B. Modly, the acting Navy secretary, resigned Tuesday over the firing of Capt. Brett Crozier of the USS Theodore Roosevelt and comments he made about Crozier’s character. But Modly had been following […]
The CDC now recommends wearing a mask in some cases: A doctor explains why and when to wear one
By Dr. Thomas Perls, Boston University The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has changed its policy and is now advising everyone, whether or not they have symptoms of COVID-19, to cover their face with a mask or cloth covering whenever social distancing is difficult to maintain. To be clear, the CDC is not saying you should […]
COVID-19 is changing the health care landscape
By Dr. Clifford L. Deal We are living in the greatest public health crisis in the last hundred years. COVID-19 has quickly taken hold of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health announced 1,706 confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout Virginia as of Thursday. We expect the number of cases and deaths to increase. The challenges faced by […]
Tips for weathering COVID-19 financial fears
By John Whitfield As thousands of Virginians now face financial insecurity due to COVID-19 and the economic turndown, here are some legal suggestions if you’re struggling or are concerned about what happens next. I’ve spent the last 39 years as a legal aid lawyer providing free legal assistance (at Blue Ridge Legal Services, the legal […]
Investment in local open space, greenways and trails is critical
By Christopher G. Miller In these emotionally and physically trying days of COVID-19 quarantines and social distancing, many people are increasingly turning to iconic parks, trails and green spaces for solace, exercise and restorative access to nature. And that’s great news. But our current situation is showing us, loudly and clearly, that we need more […]
A win for undocumented immigrants is a win for all
By Tram Nguyen Every person in Virginia deserves to live in their community free from fear. The exclusion of undocumented Virginians from being able to drive has been a crippling barrier to that principle. But the state legislature has now passed a bill that will allow driving for many immigrant residents through driver privilege cards […]
It’s dangerous to stigmatize Asians, especially during a public health crisis
By the Virginia Asian Advisory Board In an already anti-immigrant environment, Asians, particularly the Chinese, are reportedly facing increasing acts of racism, xenophobia and stigmatization as a result of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Asian students have reported being victims of name calling, harassment and even violence. Asians, and even products made in China, are ridiculed or […]