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Rozell: GOP House races expose the risks of far-right primary campaigns
Can a Republican primary campaign that is so ideologically extreme navigate back to the electable middle in time for the fall election? Two Virginia congressional races are testing the proposition and either could ultimately determine the balance of national power and profoundly shape U.S. policy for many years. One is the confusing and bitter nomination fight in the rural, strongly conservative 5th Congressional District that exposes deep fissures in the GOP.
Tennessee gives this hospital monopoly, which operates in SW Va., an A grade — even when it reports failure
A Tennessee agency that is supposed to hold accountable and grade the nation’s largest state-sanctioned hospital monopoly awards full credit on dozens of quality-of-care measurements as long as it reports any value — regardless of how its hospitals actually perform. Ballad Health, a 20-hospital system in northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia, has received A grades and an annual stamp of approval from the Tennessee Department of Health. This has occurred as Ballad hospitals consistently fall short of performance targets established by the state, according to health department documents.
Bill and Hillary Clinton to headline Virginia fundraiser for Biden, hosted by McAuliffe
President Biden and former President Clinton will team up for a mega fundraiser inside the Beltway in late June, hosted by former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, Axios has learned. The event will be the third iteration of a successful fundraising formula that includes an evening with two (or three) Democratic presidents for the price of one. Scheduled for June 18, it follows the “three president” extravaganza in New York in April and a planned event with Biden, Clinton and former President Obama in mid-June in Los Angeles, hosted by George Clooney. The New York event brought in $26 million for Biden’s re-election effort.
D.C.-area parents worry about learning loss and teacher shortages, poll finds
Nearly half of Washington-area parents say learning loss from the pandemic and teacher shortages are major issues for local schools, a Washington Post-Schar School poll found, as districts continue to look for ways to boost student performance. When asked to rate how serious certain issues were in their communities’ schools, 46 percent of parents of schoolchildren across the region say learning loss from covid disruptions and not having enough teachers are major problems. More than half of parents in D.C. name each as major problems, along with roughly half in suburban Maryland and just over 4 in 10 in Northern Virginia.
Tobacco commission announces more than $5 million in grants for Southwest, Southside
Eleven projects in Southwest Virginia totaling $3.71 million and eight projects in Southside totaling $1.33 million — focusing on site development, agribusiness, tourism and business development — were approved by the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission during the first meeting the panel has held in Lee County. Among the awards is a grant of $656,416 that will go toward constructing a shell building for a potential data center at a developing Wise County industrial park called Project Intersection. In recent months, county and economic development officials have said repeatedly that they hope to land data centers for Southwest Virginia.
Trump endorses Cao for GOP Senate nomination
Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Hung Cao for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Virginia to oppose Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine. In a Sunday post on the social media site Truth Social, Trump announced his “complete and total endorsement” of Cao, a retired military officer from Loudon County, over four other Republicans.
Haines: Youngkin fights bias in the opioid crisis. Why not maternal health care?
Last May, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order to expand Naloxone access and combat opioid overdoses. As vice chair of the Chesterfield County School Board last year, I was grateful for the governor’s efforts to combat well-documented bias toward those who struggle with substance-use disorder. Bias has prevented school boards from stocking life-saving naloxone. The governor’s strategic decision to attend a Revive! Training at Stafford High School with the first lady gave political cover to Virginia school boards considering policies to stock naloxone in their schools.
Student’s future in jeopardy after UVa denies access to Grounds citing protest
A nursing student arrested during a May 4 anti-war protest at the University of Virginia is still being denied access to Grounds, a prohibition that has already cost him a job and could result in him failing his academic program. A total of 27 people were arrested when Virginia State Police broke up an encampment of protesters opposed to Israel's monthslong war with Palestinian terror group Hamas, ... That total arrest number includes some who say they were never part of the protest but were in the area of the encampment when state police arrived. UVa issued all 27 who were arrested "no trespass" orders, or NTOs, preventing them from legally returning to Grounds. Most of those orders have since been lifted or modified. Mustafa Abdelhamid’s has not.
Virginia Explained: Data center expansion, with all its challenges and benefits
Humanity is almost a quarter of the way through the 21st century and Virginia — home to 70% of the world’s data centers — is on the frontlines of the latest emerging technology: artificial intelligence, or AI. The prevalence of data centers and the rising role of AI don’t equate to a dystopian battle between humans and machine control, though (at least at the moment). Rather, these issues are at the center of a debate over localities’ authority and revenue benefits, historic preservation, environmental considerations, and electricity demand and utility rate projections, all shaped by ever-increasing internet use.
Yancey: Senate candidate thinks driving to Abingdon is time wasted. Here’s why it’s not.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin last week got to experience some of the things that make the western part of Virginia unique. First he couldn’t fly into Wise County for a speaking engagement because a cloud was sitting on top of the mountaintop airport. Instead, his state plane diverted to Abingdon and the governor took a 49-mile ride to the town of Wise. His police escort couldn’t clear away one obstacle, though: a 100-ton boulder that, loosened by overnight rains, had fallen onto the road. The governor persevered, though. Even though he was running late due to the elements, he made all of his scheduled events last Thursday in Southwest Virginia ...