Earth Talk: Navy sonar testing in oceans impacting marine mammals

Roddy Scheer

Active sonar is a technology used on ships to aid in navigation, and the U.S. Navy tests and trains with it extensively in American territorial waters. The Navy also conducts missile and bomb testing in the same areas. But environmentalists and animal advocates contend that this is harming whales and other marine wildlife.

Opinion: What McAuliffe must do on voting rights restoration

AFP

We commend Gov. McDonnell for loosening the Commonwealth’s grip on its felony disenfranchisement law. But we need to do more. We hope that Gov.-elect Terry McAuliffe will build on that progress by establishing a truly automatic restoration process for all Virginia citizens who have lost those voting rights due to a felony conviction.

Patrice McDermott: Farm Bill threatens our right to know

Letters

Families who live near or share waterways with large corporate farms or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) have a critical need to know some basic facts about these operations. The public’s right to this information, however, could be stripped away by the Farm Bill currently under debate in Congress.

Susan Vento and Judy Van Ness: Veterans Day surprise from Congress

AFP

Americans are observing Veterans Day. Some will observe it with a day off from work or checking out the special Veterans Day sales that will be held in department stores. But the real meaning of the day should be to think about the great sacrifices of the men and women who deserve to be honored.