Government/Politics

Youngkin announces alternative hiring process for individuals with disabilities
Virginia state government has implemented an alternative hiring process for individuals with disabilities, serving as a model for inclusive employment practices.

Spanberger bill to combat agriculture supply chain challenges, lower food costs
Abigail Spanberger and Anthony Gonzalez have introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen supply chains across the American agriculture industry and lower food costs for U.S. consumers.

Virginia receives $982K grant to build nutritious school lunches
The Virginia Department of Education has received a $982,827 USDA grant to build and retain a knowledgeable workforce to ensure school lunches are nutritious and meet students’ needs.

Biden, Congress taking additional steps to alleviate baby formula shortage
President Biden is invoking the Defense Production Act to require suppliers to direct needed resources to infant formula manufacturers, the administration announced on Wednesday.

America was built on white supremacy: But we can rebuild on a new foundation
“White supremacy has no place in America,” President Biden said Tuesday in Buffalo. Except that it does, and it’s what America was founded on.

Update: What’s the latest on the nationwide baby formula shortage?
Politicians are going out of their way to let people know that they’re doing something about the baby formula shortage.

White House press secretary: Mass shootings are not about mental health
The right and its enablers in the news media prefer to shift the focus after mass shootings from the need for gun safety reform to mental health.

Inmate job training leads to gainful employment, low recidivism
Inmates who complete job training with Virginia Correctional Enterprises have a low recidivism rate, and nearly three-quarters are gainfully employed following their release.

Moore, Beyer, Bernice Johnson introduce bill to fight human trafficking
Reps. Gwen Moore, Don Beyer and Eddie Bernice Johnson have introduced the Counter Human Trafficking Research and Development Act.

Spanberger, Rice urge House leaders to bring bill to increase police pay to floor
Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA-07) and Tom Rice (R-SC-07) are urging U.S. House leaders in both parties to advance their bill to help increase officer pay and help police departments hire more officers.

Youngkin, Miyares announce creation of task force to address violent crime
Gov. Glenn Youngkin today announced the creation of a task force of executive branch and Office of the Attorney General officials to better align strategies to reduce violent crime in cities and communities across the Commonwealth.

Earth Talk: Carbon-saving travel in innovation
You hear a lot about electric cars and trucks these days, but has there been any carbon-saving innovation lately in trains and even planes?

Eve’s choice: Patriarchy no longer rules
Some people are able to liberate the creation story from its theological misogyny, but for most believers (especially the male ones), it’s pretty clear.

Bill commemorating Virginia site in Brown v. Board signed into law
A bipartisan bill to commemorate historic sites that catalyzed litigation leading to the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was signed into law by President Biden.

You’ve been flagged: Predictive AI technology puts a target on your back
It’s just a matter of time before you find yourself wrongly accused, investigated and confronted by police based on a data-driven algorithm.

Kevin Martin: To end the horror in Ukraine, go big, and go broad
The tragic, illegal war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine should end now, with a ceasefire and then a comprehensive peace agreement.

Staunton, Waynesboro get $500K in federal funding for affordable housing
Staunton has been awarded $317,340 in federal funding for affordable housing, and Waynesboro stands to get $187,537 in affordable housing funds from monies coming from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Gov. Youngkin announces administration appointments made this week
Gov. Glenn Youngkin today announced he has chosen additional key administration appointments.

Lawmakers call on infant formula manufacturers to address shortages
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine joined Democratic colleagues in calling on infant formula manufacturers to make every effort possible to get parents and families the formula they need to feed their kids.

Youngkin announces $1.2 million in Growth and Opportunity Virginia grants
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced more than $1,261,859 in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia grant awards for eight projects focused on creating critical talent pipelines.

Virginia DEQ awarded $2 million brownfield grant by EPA
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality was awarded $2 million in brownfield grant money by the EPA, the most funding of its kind ever received by the agency.

Winslow Myers: Beyond our nuclear march of folly
The planet and its national and international institutions are not even close to facing the realities that confront us. Instead, we live in a fantasy la-la land, or what Greta Thunberg might call blah-blah land.

Mel Gurtov: Loose lips can sink ships, and peace
During World War II, US sailors were warned: Loose lips sink ships. A similar warning should have gone out to all US officials in recent days—and the President should have been the first to acknowledge that the warning included him.

Spanberger calls on FDA to addressing ‘nightmare’ baby formula shortage
Seventh District Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger released a statement Thursday on the ongoing formula shortage in Virginia and across the country.

Virginia state revenues up sharply: Youngkin continues push for tax cuts
April Virginia revenue collections exceeded forecasts, pushing state revenues $1.9 billion higher year-to-date than the mid-session revised forecast issued in February.