GOVERNMENT + POLITICS
Jill Biden headlines Democratic rally in Henrico
With polls showing a tight race between former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe and GOP challenger Glenn Youngkin, first lady Jill Biden stumped for McAuliffe in Henrico, one of several high profile Democrats scheduled to campaign in Virginia between now and Election Day. At Dorey Park Friday night, Biden vouched for McAuliffe’s ability to lead in […]
Johnson & Johnson booster shot recommended by FDA panel
WASHINGTON — A federal vaccine advisory panel on Friday endorsed a second dose of Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, meaning millions more Americans are expected to soon join the line for booster shots. Anyone who received a J&J shot at least two months ago will be eligible for an additional dose, under the committee’s […]
$880 million pitch to General Assembly aims to match students and careers
A group of business and higher education leaders are pushing an $880 million proposal to make Virginia public colleges and universities more affordable and help industries facing worker shortages fill jobs. The $880 million Growth4VA proposal, developed by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, is split into two different categories: $300 million for career development […]
FDA panel recommends booster shot of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON — Millions of Americans who received Moderna’s two-shot COVID-19 vaccine are expected to be eligible soon for booster shots, after a federal advisory panel on Thursday recommended a third dose for older and higher-risk adults as well as certain workers. The unanimous recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration vaccine panel came a few […]
Virginia Redistricting Commission consultants told to compromise on Congressional maps
Virginia’s bipartisan Redistricting Commission put work on House of Delegates and state Senate districts behind it Thursday and moved on to redrawing congressional district boundaries. In taking up the state’s 11 U.S. House boundaries, the bipartisan commission punted on its duty to remap state legislative districts to the Virginia Supreme Court. Without comment on partisan […]
Virginia has the ability to fix our crumbling schools. Do we have the will?
By Keith Perrigan The school infrastructure crisis in Virginia is well-documented and longstanding. The most recent data provided by the Virginia Department of Education shows that the total cost to replace schools that are at least 50 years old would carry a price tag of over $25 billion. Unfortunately, school divisions that serve high poverty […]
In remote address to GOP grassroots organizing event, Trump stumps for Youngkin
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday delivered his most fulsome backing yet of Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Glenn Youngkin, in a virtual address to a GOP grassroots rally in Henrico. “I’ll tell you what, Glenn Youngkin is a great gentleman. He loves his state. We’ve got to get him in,” Trump told a gathering of […]
Redistricting stalemate may have been inevitable. It doesn’t mean the effort was useless.
Gridlock and intransigence were predictable when Virginia’s first-ever redistricting commission met to draw new maps for legislative and congressional seats. It was probably inevitable, given the rampant partisanship that pervades politics everywhere in the country – including in the commonwealth. That doesn’t mean the new exercise was “staring at failure,” as one harsh headline blared […]
Congrats on the baby — now pay up
By Jasmine Winter Here’s a notice a new mom shouldn’t receive: “Your doctor ordered a test to see if the membranes around your baby were leaking. The procedure is not approvable under the plan clinical criteria because there is no proof or not enough proof that it works as well as other tests to check […]
‘We have had the airing of the grievances’; Va. Redistricting Commission moves on to Congressional maps
Members of the Virginia Redistricting Commission said Monday they’ll move on to redrawing the state’s 11 congressional districts after efforts to reach a compromise on General Assembly maps ended in a stalemate last week. Monday’s meeting was nonetheless dominated by grousing from both Democrats and Republicans about the commission’s implosion Friday, where three Democratic members […]
A nightmare before Christmas: Unresolved, Senate debt limit posturing risks a financial crash
The myopic partisan brinksmanship that is the predominant pursuit of Congress these days reached a seeming impasse last week over a critical vote to raise the federal debt limit before our elected elites did what they do best: kick the can down the road. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offered the Democrats, who hold […]
A year into legal sales, medical marijuana patients see high prices and long waits
As Virginia’s medical marijuana industry closes out its first year of sales, some patients are complaining about long waits to register with the state and high prices once they get into dispensaries. “A month’s supply costs me between $600 and $700 — and that’s not covered by insurance,” says Tamara Netzel, a former schoolteacher from […]