Junk food and drug use cut into life expectancy gains for states
Dr. Mona Hanna of Flint, Michigan, checks on baby Sereena in May. Hanna’s program to improve health and life expectancy with cash payments to new mothers is slated to expand…
Some states on track to restore abortion access, while others push for fetal rights in 2025
“Bans off our bodies” balloons decorated the Protect Kentucky Access election night watch party on Nov. 8, 2022, in Louisville after Kentuckians defeated an anti-abortion amendment to the state Constitution.…
It’s time to turn outrage into change: We need a better system to pay for health care
The argument for comprehensive health care coverage isn’t just moral; it’s practical. A 2020 report estimated that an all-inclusive system could save the U.S. $450 billion annually while preventing nearly…
‘The shield that protects our democracy’: Democrats celebrate Biden judicial nominations
President Joe Biden is joined by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., right, and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., during a celebration of their work to appoint a…
Virginia’s special elections test party strength before 2025 Governor’s race
The Virginia state Capitol in Richmond. (Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury) With Republicans poised to take control of Congress and the White House, Tuesday’s special elections in Virginia’s General Assembly mark the…
FOIA Friday: Espionage case in Virginia ends with prosecution
File cabinets. (Getty Images) One of the less noticed features of the Virginia Way is the long-running tendency of the commonwealth’s leaders to conduct their decision-making behind closed doors. While…
First Amendment gives way to national security: Countdown on for TikTok
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up TikTok’s plea for a stay of its partial ban and is set to hear arguments starting Friday. (Photo by Kevin Frayer/Getty…
Maine’s public employees applaud removal of Social Security benefit restrictions
The Social Security Fairness Act, co-written by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, received bipartisan support in the U.S House and Senate last year. (Photo illustration by iStock/Getty Images Plus) Colin Bushell,…
Where is Virginia’s Imagination Library program and more state headlines
The state Capitol. (Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • “Where is Virginia’s Imagination Library program?” — VPM • “Gerald Massengill, former state police superintendent who oversaw Virginia Tech shooting report, dies.” –…
New Year’s Eve Tragedy Is A Wake-Up Call
Hawaii must finally crack down on illegal fireworks. This is not a tradition.