Newsworthy

Chris Graham

Friday, July 17 – Virginia Bioinformatics Institute researchers present systems biology as a clinical approach to cancer Thursday, July 16 – eVA passes $20B purchase mark – ACLU praises Newport News for action allowing tea party Thursday, July 16 – eVA passes $20B purchase mark – ACLU praises Newport News for action allowing tea party…

Shepherd Bliss | 3-year-olds and cell phones

Letters

“The 3-year-old just walked right past me,” the Santa Rosa, Calif., pediatrician reported, “talking into a cell phone.” That stark image of toddler attached to machine has troubled me. “I was amused at first,” the physician continued. “Then I felt sad. She was learning how to relate to people through a machine. It was so…

Page Shields | Can coal be clean?

Letters

With all of the controversy surrounding the construction of a coal plant in Wise County, VA it bears repeating that coal is not clean energy. The phrase “clean coal technology” fosters hope that scientists will find a way to take harmful elements, especially carbon, out of coal. Unfortunately this is a lost hope as the…

Updates from the Campaign Trail

Chris Graham

Friday, July 10 – AG Race: Cuccinelli calls for special session – 20th House: Saxman statement on anti-gang committee Thursday, July 9 – Dems respond to McDonnell-Bolling jobs agenda Wednesday, July 8 – LG Race: Wagner calls Bolling out on Palin visit – Governor’s Race: Statement from Creigh Deeds on expansion of stem-cell research

Collins nominated to NIH post

AFP

Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Staunton native Francis S. Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Collins, a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the Human Genome Project, served as Director of the National…

Brain-injury group wins state grants

AFP

Crossroads to Brain Injury Recovery Inc. was awarded $144,966 in state general funds to provide case management for individuals affected by brain injury. The funds are administered by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services, and the contract will run from July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2010, with an option to renew for up to…

Earth Talk | Insulating paints

AFP

Dear EarthTalk: Do insulating paints actually insulate and save energy? If they do, are they environmentally friendly to use? – Bob Dibrindisi, Easthampton, Mass. Paint additives that claim insulating qualities have been marketed since the late 1990s, but energy research organizations have not confirmed their insulating value. For its part, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…

A clear direction on energy

Chris Graham

We may not yet have a firm grasp on exactly what we need to do to merge the words clean and energy in perfect harmony, even with the 219-212 vote of the House of Representatives on cap-and-trade legislation last week. But we do at least have direction, and considering how much muck was thrown into…