Politics

03

Aug

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

A baby who lived for 40 minutes inspired a network of refuge for pregnant women in post-Roe America

On the wall of the maternity home, painted in large letters, is the motto: “Saving Babies, One Mom at a Time.” For founders Randy and Evelyn James, the home started with one baby — their own. Paul Stefan was the last of their six children, born with a fatal condition. They had chosen not to abort the pregnancy as doctors advised. He lived just over 40 minutes, long enough to be baptized and named after their Catholic priest. In the nearly two decades since the Jameses have channeled their son’s memory and their anti-abortion beliefs into running maternity homes. “We…

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02

Aug

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Congress takes steps to revive affordable internet funding

A federal program that provided internet discounts to low-income people may yet be resuscitated. A Senate committee on Wednesday voted for $7 billion in funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, and House of Representatives members have introduced legislation that would put $6 billion into the dormant initiative. For two years, the program known as ACP provided $30 discounts per month, or $75 a month for people on tribal land, and included one-time $100 discounts on laptop, desktop, or tablet purchases. The $14.2 billion Congress provided via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ran out earlier this year. More than 23 million households…

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02

Aug

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

‘It’s very intense’: The vice presidential vetting process, from those who have been vetted

WASHINGTON – So you want to be vice president? Prepare for one of the most invasive reviews of your personal life in American politics. Before they can be selected as a running mate, vice presidential contenders undergo a vetting process that seeks to unearth their darkest secrets − and even those of their family, friends, and business partners. “It’s very intense,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who was vetted as a potential running mate to former President Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2016, when he was chosen to be the vice presidential candidate to Hillary Clinton. Rep. Byron…

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01

Aug

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

‘Bodily autonomy is on the ballot:’ VA Democrats focus on abortion ahead of 2024 election

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – Bodily autonomy is on the ballot this November, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan said Wednesday, addressing a couple dozen women in Connie McGowan’s House of Photography at Stoney Point Fashion Park. “One out of three women in this country live in a state that has an abortion ban or extreme restrictions,” McClellan, D-Richmond, who led Wednesday’s discussion, said. Women in the audience shared stories of their experiences with reproductive health care and what the lack of access could mean for them, their children, and grandchildren. They discussed what could happen to access to reproductive health care in Virginia and…

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01

Aug

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Henry County seeks state money to improve traffic flow on U.S. 220

Ongoing efforts to improve one of Southside’s strategic roadways could become a Virginia Department of Transportation priority. Henry County is in the process of submitting several project applications to VDOT, one of which is a way to smooth traffic flow along a portion of U.S. 220 south of Martinsville. The proposed project site is the intersection of U.S. 220 and Virginia 87. The design, known as a continuous green T, would allow southbound traffic to continuously flow freely while northbound lanes would be controlled by traffic signals. Officials felt the intersection was an ideal location for the proposed project. As…

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29

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Candidate’s dispute with Richmond’s elections office exposes error in city’s training video

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – A Richmond electoral board member apologized and made a motion to change the ballot order for a City Council race after a candidate shared paperwork issues she had with the city’s elections office. But it didn’t get a vote at the board’s July 23 meeting as no other member seconded the motion, a decision that came after General Registrar Keith Balmer told them to expect a lawsuit from the other candidate in the race if they did. A review of emails from 9th District City Council candidate Stephanie Starling by 8News found Balmer’s office shared the…

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26

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Blinken to celebrate Biden legacy, reassure allies in Asia after president drops out of 2024 race

VIENTIANE, Laos (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make the case for the Biden administration’s expanded commitment to Asia and the Indo-Pacific region more broadly as he visits Laos, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Mongolia this week and next. The trip comes as the 2024 U.S. presidential election campaign heats up after a series of bombshell developments upended the race. Blinken, who has already modified his travel schedule twice since the trip was announced just hours after President Joe Biden made his decision not to seek re-election, arrives in Vientiane, Laos, on Saturday for the annual…

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26

Jul

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Joe Manchin, one of the few threats to Kamala Harris, says he won’t take her on

Sen. Joe Manchin of Virginia, who briefly sparked fears among Democrats that he could re-register as a Democrat and challenge Vice President Kamala Harris for the presidential nomination, has ruled out running. Appearing on CBS Mornings on Monday, Manchin, who left the Democratic Party and filed as an Independent in May, said: "I am not going to be a candidate for president." He added: "I am a candidate for basically speaking for the middle of this country." Manchin later explained his reasoning for not challenging Harris, saying: "I don't need that." Although he won't oppose Harris, who already has substantial…

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25

Jul

By Courtney

Politics

6 frequently asked questions about the presidential ballot in Virginia

In light of President Joe Biden’s recently announced withdrawal from the presidential race, here are some frequently asked questions — and answers about the Virginia ballot. 1. Is it too late for Kamala Harris to make the ballot in Virginia? No. The deadline for presidential candidates to qualify for the ballot in Virginia is Aug. 23. As far as Virginia law is concerned, Vice President Harris isn’t replacing President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee because Biden hadn’t been formally nominated yet, so officially, there’s no one to replace. Democrats had been planning a virtual roll call next week to…

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28

Apr

By Dorothy Brand

Politics

Misinformation has created an alternative world for some Americans

There’s a tendency in this heated political climate to simply reject people who are saying false things and to write off conspiracy theorists writ large. But as the US approaches the third straight election in which misinformation — and the fight against it — is expected to play a role, it’s important to understand what’s driving people who don’t believe in US elections. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan and his team have an hourlong documentary, “MisinfoNation: The Trump Faithful,” airing on “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper” on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. I talked to O’Sullivan about the documentary, in which…

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