Sarah van Gelder: The new normal

AFP

Americans are facing a troubling reality. The economic recovery they were promised has not materialized. There’s growing talk about a “new normal”—a new way of life to take us through a long period of failed recoveries. There are, indeed, good reasons to believe we won’t go back to the old ways. But this new normal…

Perspectives on the economy: U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling

Chris Graham

Interesting week for me in my often overlapping roles as a business writer and politics writer. On Wednesday, I met with U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, after a roundtable in Staunton with local business owners and business leaders who gave Warner quite the earful about the state of business and the state of the…

Hunger Action Month

AFP

The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is part of a national movement to raise awareness and take action to fight hunger in America. September is Hunger Action Month, and today marks the launch of hunger-fighting activities and hunger awareness initiatives in the community. Throughout the month, Feeding America’s nationwide network of more than 200 food…

Text of McDonnell budget speech

AFP

Gov. Bob McDonnell addressed the joint Senate Finance, House Appropriations and House Finance Committees in Richmond on Thursday. Below are the governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery. Thank you. Chairman Colgan, Chairman Putney, Chairman Purkey, members of the General Assembly money committees, ladies and gentlemen: good morning. As is the custom each summer, I come…

Operation Purple: Camp for military kids

AFP

Operation Purple is under way at Camp Horizons in Harrisonburg. The camp, created in 2004, is for children ages 6-12 whose parents are serving in any branch of the military. In 2004, there were 12 Operation Purple camps across the United States. The program has grown to the point that this year there are 68…

Ken Plum: Yesterday’s solution

Ken Plum

A press release from Gov. Bob McDonnell’s office last month proclaimed that a charter school bill the governor signed put Virginia in the “vanguard of the National Charter School Movement.” While a certain amount of hype is to be expected in any press release, this one may have gone over the top. In considering the…

Ground Zero Mosque: Legal-Yes; Moral-Never

AFP

The Jewish synagogue, the Christian/Catholic church, the Shinto and Confucian shrines, the Buddhist and Hindu temples, and yes, even the Islamic mosque are all houses of worship to be respected, revered and prayed in by people of faith seeking answers, guidance, truth, atonement and presumably a path to goodness, peace, righteousness and betterment. Yet, as…

White House News: President speaks on clean energy manufacturing

Chris Graham

Remarks from President Barack Obama at Menomonee Falls, Wisc., on Monday, Aug. 16, 2010:   Thank you very much. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you very much. It is wonderful to be at ZBB Energy. And thanks for your hospitality, and thanks for helping to build a future. I’ve got a couple of…