Keya Vakil is the deputy political editor at COURIER. He previously worked as a researcher in the film industry and dabbled in the political world.
Keya Vakil
Latest from Keya Vakil
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Supreme Court strikes down Census citizenship question, but allows partisan gerrymandering
The Supreme Court delivered two consequential decisions on Thursday morning
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Dogwood Daily: It's primary debate night (again)
Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. But First… If you’re one of the 1.2 million D.C. area residents hitting…
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Virginia Beach City Council supports independent inquiry into mass shooting
The Virginia Beach City Council indicated its support on Tuesday for an independent inquiry into the May 31 mass shooting in Virginia Beach that left 12 people dead. This development comes after the families of three victims requested an independent investigation, though the council said any investigation wouldn’t begin immediately and would only start when…
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Dogwood Daily: Legal residents barred from Medicaid in Virginia for years
Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. But First… The first 2020 Democratic primary debate is tonight, in Miami, and…
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State Sen. Bill DeSteph's opposition to gun safety bills raises concerns over conflict of interest
State Sen. Bill DeSteph (R-Virginia Beach) indicated he has little interest in reforming the state’s gun safety laws, even after his city was the site of a tragic mass shooting that left 12 people dead. A new report from ThinkProgress offers background on his position and hints at a possible conflict of interest. DeSteph holds…
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White House issues executive order to battle healthcare costs, but still wants to repeal ACA
The White House issued an executive order on Monday that aims to force insurance companies, doctors and hospitals to give patients more information about their healthcare costs before they receive it. Insurers and medical providers have long negotiated prices in private, and neither side wants competitors to know specifics about the deals they’ve made. As…
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NextGen America and Emily's List fighting to flip Virginia blue
NextGen America will spend $1 million to register at least 12,000 millennial voters in Virginia as part of its push to flip control of the General Assembly to Democrats in November. The Washington Post reports that NextGen, founded by liberal billionaire Tom Steyer, will conduct voter outreach in 11 mostly Republican-controlled districts and aim to…
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Nearly 200 Virginia Tech freshmen to live at a Holiday Inn Express
If you’re attending Virginia Tech University as a freshman in the fall, you might live at a Holiday Inn. The university has agreed “in principle” to lease out the Holiday Inn Express hotel on Plantation Road near its intersection with Prices Fork Road for the 2019-20 school year, according to a report in The Roanoke…
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Dogwood Daily: Richmond mayor pushes to ban guns in city buildings
Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. But First… Did you know today marks Virginia’s 231st birthday? It’s true, the…
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Nearly 250,000 children in Virginia face food insecurity
There are 247,470 children in Virginia who face food insecurity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Map the Meal Gap 2019 report. The USDA defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. Virginia’s rate of child food insecurity is actually the fifth lowest rate in…