Virginia: Saturday is Puppy Mill Awareness Day

AFP

Story by Sara Christopherson Recently, the Humane Society of the United States posted an article on their website stating that Virginia was the next big “Puppy Mill State.” A five-month, undercover investigation by The HSUS revealed a substantial Virginia puppy-mill industry that is largely unregulated and often in violation of state and federal laws. Millions…

Business and Economy: Comparing the Obama and McCain tax plans

Chris Graham

Story by Chris Graham [email protected] (First in a series.) John McCain and his surrogates are right. Barack Obama is going to raise your taxes – if you’re among the top 1 percent of wage earners. An analysis of the McCain and Obama tax plans done by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center shows that both of…

9/11: Bin Laden’s Victory

AFP

Column by W.R. Marshall Gen. David Patraeus is leaving Iraq. Osama Bin Laden has won. A simple declarative statement — and an unfortunately true one. The victory was handed to him by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al; the Neocon architects of the now ironically entitled “War against Terror.” A war that was lost before it…

Shepherd Bliss: Slow Food Nation attracts 50,000 … beneath the surface

AFP

Column by Shepherd Bliss “Come to the table,” Slow Food Nation invited. And come to San Francisco over Labor Day weekend they did — around 50,000 people attending perhaps the largest food celebration in American history. Tables and straw bales appeared in the heart of the city’s Civic Center around a victory garden on about…

The Top Story: Obama, McCain visiting Va.

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Barack Obama is not welcome in Southwest Virginia. That was the rather curious, to me, anyway, message today from the presidential campaign that has said that it will tone down the partisan rhetoric and even reach out across the aisle to welcome Democrats into its reform-minded administration if…

Fifth District: Perriello raises questions about Goode fund-raiser

Chris Graham

Item by Chris Graham [email protected] What interest would a lobbyist group have in hosting a pay-to-play fundraiser for Fifth District Congressman Virgil Goode? That question is being asked by the campaign of Democratic Party nominee Tom Perriello. “This is just another example of how Virgil Goode has been bought and paid for by the special…

The Top Story: Democrats taking up mantle of fiscal responsibility

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] Democrats have been doing well in Virginia in recent years, and it’s no secret why. They’ve been balancing budgets and building the economy. And while national Democrats are using a “more of the same” theme to link GOP presidential nominee John McCain to the failed presidency of George…

The Top Story: Seriously … Sarah Palin?

Chris Graham

The Top Story by Chris Graham [email protected] She has executive experience, but let’s put Sarah Palin’s Alaska in perspective. It has a population of 670,000 and a state budget of $6.6 billion. Which, essentially, makes it Fairfax County (population 1 million, operating budget of $3.3 billion), only colder. So maybe we can dispense with the…

Shepherd Bliss: Slow Food Nation to release healthy food and agriculture declaration

AFP

Column by Shepherd Bliss “We, the undersigned, believe that a healthy food system is necessary to meet the urgent challenges of our time,” begins the final draft of the Declaration for Healthy Food and Agriculture. Initiated by Roots of Change and half a year in the drafting, it will be released Friday at Slow Food…