Politics
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Virginia Republicans want to restrict reproductive care for servicewomen, spouses, and veterans
Two years ago, when I retired after serving 20 years in the United States Air Force, there was no question where I would put down my final roots: Virginia. As a Virginia Beach native, the Commonwealth is home, but it’s also one of the best places to live for veterans transitioning to civilian life. There’s…
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Who is Mike Johnson, the new Speaker of the House?
The new House Republican leader supports a nationwide abortion ban, played a key role in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election, and opposes same-sex marriage.
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Democratic Senate candidate Schuyler VanValkenburg on the stakes of his race
In Richmond-area Senate District 16, Democratic Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant. Dunnavant is a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist who has repeatedly pushed for abortion bans during her term in the Senate. During this year’s election-year legislative session, she attempted to mitigate her opposition to reproductive rights somewhat, but in an ad she…
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Republicans rake in Big Pharma cash while Democrats advocate for lower drug prices
November’s General Assembly elections will likely have a meaningful impact on how much Virginians spend for prescription medication. Via both words and actions, Republicans and Democrats are demonstrating which side of prescription drug affordability they’re on. In this year’s legislative session, Democrats in the state Senate proposed a measure establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board…
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Op-ed: Northern Virginia in the crosshairs
“Does [Gov. Glenn Youngkin] feel that fomenting outrage over manufactured crises will give him a political advantage? It worked for him in 2021, and soon we will know if it works for him in the critical election in November, when all legislative and many school board seats are up for election,” writes Marianne Burke.
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We read 50 days of Trump’s Truth Social posts so you didn’t have to
Trump posts on his Truth Social platform dozens of times a day and his messages there are becoming increasingly angry, violent, and dark, suggesting a second term in the White House could be even more extreme than his first.
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Virginia Senate candidate Monty Mason’s closing pitch
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Monty Mason faces former sheriff Danny Diggs in Hampton Roads-area SD-24. Mason has served in Virginia’s legislature since 2013. He’s regarded as a pro-business Democrat who’s a leader in the General Assembly on transportation infrastructure, foster care, and aging issues. Mason is also a staunch supporter of reproductive rights and gun safety.…
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How many votes are needed for Speaker of the House?
It usually takes 218 votes—a simple majority of the 435 members of the House—to become House Speaker, but due to two vacancies, only 217 votes are currently needed. For more than two weeks though, Republicans have failed to agree on a new leader, leaving the federal government paralyzed.
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New poll finds GOP policy positions unpopular with Virginia voters
A new poll of likely voters in Virginia’s 2023 legislative elections reveals that reproductive freedom, K-12 education, and the economy are the biggest issues folks will be considering at the ballot box in November. With just weeks to go before Virginians cast their votes for all 140 members of the General Assembly, a significant majority…
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Heads up, Virginia: This weekend is a sales tax holiday
Thanks in part to budget amendments championed by Democrats in the General Assembly, Virginians can shop for certain items sale tax-free this weekend (Oct. 20-22). Virginians are used to seeing this sales tax holiday in August of each year, but a forgetful legislature and six extra months of negotiations over the state budget resulted in…
