State and National Government
President Trump is taking part in the G-7 summit today – its in Canada, where the tariffs he’s threatening to impose on imports from that country and other G-7 members could lead to a chilly reception. WFIR’s Gene Marrano spoke to a Virginia Senator on that issue:
Sergio Coppola/courtesy photo
There are four candidates vying for the Democratic 6th District Congressional nomination in next Tuesday’s primary. One says he won’t support another’s candidacy should they win. WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more:
Click below to hear an extended conversation with Sergio Coppola on campaign issues:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed a new state budget that expands Medicaid to as many as 400,000 low-income adults. The Democratic governor signed the legislation Thursday on the steps outside the state Capitol. He said the bipartisan compromise on Medicaid expansion is a stark contrast to the “chaos and partisan warfare” in national politics. The General Assembly voted last week to approve the budget with Medicaid expansion. The vote ended a long-running partisan stalemate over the issue, with several Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure. A tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid was a key provision of the Affordable Care Act pushed by former President Barack Obama.
Corey Stewart
Corey Stewart is one of three Republicans seeking their party’s Senate nomination in next Tuesday’s primary. The winner will face incumbent Democrat Tim Kaine in November. Stewart joined us live today on the Roanoke Valley’s Morning News for a wide-ranging discussion. Here is the full conversation:
Ralph Northam
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is set to sign a new state budget that will expand Medicaid to as many as 400,000 low-income adults.
The General Assembly voted last week to approve the budget with Medicaid expansion. The vote ended a long-running partisan stalemate over the issue, with several Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure.
Northam, a Democrat, made expanding Medicaid a key plank of his successful 2017 gubernatorial campaign. He’s scheduled to sign the budget bills on the steps outside the state Capitol Thursday afternoon.
A tally from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows Virginia will become the 33rd state to approve Medicaid expansion. Expanding Medicaid was a key provision of the Affordable Care Act pushed by former President Barack Obama.
Ed Gillespie
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Former Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie is joining a public relations firm.
Financial communications firm Sard Verbinnen announced Tuesday that Gillespie would be chairman of a newly launched public affairs office.
Gillespie ran unsuccessfully for governor last year and for the U.S. Senate in 2014. He was a White House advisor to President George W. Bush and chairman of the Republican National Committee.
He’s previously worked as a communications consultant and lobbyist. Gillespie has said he has no plans to run for office again.
A new statewide poll finds an overwhelming majority of Virginians know very little about the three Republican candidates for U.S. Senate. The Roanoke College Poll shows 77% of those questioned say they don’t know enough about Corey Stewart to form an opinion of him. That number climbs to 90% for E.W. Jackson and 93% for Nick Freitas, this with primary day is now less than one week away. More from WFIR’s Evan Jones:
Click here for full poll results and methodology.