State and National Government
Rep. Tom Garrett
Virginia Democrats in the congressional district that includes Charlottesville and Danville have picked a former journalist to face incumbent GOP Rep. Tom Garrett in the general election.
Democrats finished a week-long caucus Saturday by picking Leslie Cockburn the unofficial winner. She previously worked for 60 Minutes and Vanity Fair and beat out Roger Dean Huffstetler, a former Marine, and Andrew Sneathern, a former prosecutor.
Cockburn’s victory will be made official at convention next month in Farmville. Cockburn said her opposition to President Donald Trump helped inspire her to run for office.
Trump won Virginia’s 5th congressional district in the 2016 election. Garrett is a former state senator seeking a second term in Congress.
Barbara Bush-Getty Images
(ABC News) Barbara Bush was remembered at her funeral as a loving wife, mother and friend with a devilish sense of humor and who represented the best of the World War II generation. “Barbara Bush was the first lady of ‘the greatest generation,'” presidential historian Jon Meacham, a friend of the Bush family, said in a eulogy at Saturday’s funeral service in Texas that drew signatories from across the nation and around the world.
Meacham recalled the snowy-haired former first lady’s “long and consequential life,” not least her promotion of literacy, her quick-witted humor and her trademark faux pearls. “She was candid and comforting,” Meacham said, describing her as a “point of light” who “kept everything and everyone together.”
Some 1,500 guests filled St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston for the service. Barbara Bush, who died on Tuesday at the age of 92, had requested in her last wishes a modest funeral at the Gothic-style cathedral, where she and her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, were devoted members for decades.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia will receive nearly $10 million in federal grant money to help combat the opioid crisis.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday its second year of funding through the Opioid State Targeted Response program. Virginia is getting $9.76 million.
A press release says recipients used the first year’s funding to implement medication-assisted treatment, promote prevention strategies as well as the use of the antidote naloxone, and build sustainable recovery support services.
Opioid abuse is causing deep problems across the country. It is being blamed for shortened life expectancies, growing burdens on foster care systems, and strains on police and fire departments.
Virginia’s health commissioner declared the state’s growing opioid addiction problem a public health emergency in November 2016.
Virginia Republicans hoping to upset Hillary Clinton’s former running mate Tim Kaine in a U.S. Senate race are clashing over who is more loyal to President Donald Trump. WFIR’s Lillian Boyd has highlights from last night’s debate.
An area lawmaker’s bill involving sanctuary cities was among those that failed to make it through yesterday’s veto session in Richmond. Rockbridge County Delegate Ben Cline’s bill stated no Virginia locality shall adopt any ordinance, policy or procedure that restricts enforcement of federal immigration laws. But Governor Northam vetoed it, and the House of Delegates did not have the two-thirds majority needed to override that action. WLNI’s Evan Jones has more:
What better day to protest the tax reform bill passed by Congress late last year – if you didn’t support it – than on tax deadline day? WFIR’s Gene Marrano has more:
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – The Richmond International Film Festival has named former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe as the recipient of its 2018 Pioneer Award for Excellence in Public Service & Leadership.
Each year, the festival honors state and national leaders who are paving a future path in leadership and evoking change in communities.
This year, McAuliffe was chosen for effectively ending homelessness among the state’s military veterans.
The award will be presented to McAuliffe by Gov. Ralph Northam during the festival’s Military Spotlight on April 29.
More than 150 award-winning films from 35 countries will be screened at the festival, which runs from April 23-29.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) – Virginia Democratic challengers to sitting members of Congress are having success raising money.
Campaign finance reports released on Sunday show Democrats outraised incumbent GOP Reps. Dave Brat and Tom Garrett during the first three months of this year.
Several other Democratic challengers also posted strong fundraising totals.
Fundraising among incumbent Republicans was mixed. GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock raised the most money last quarter, followed by Republican Rep. Scott Taylor.
Republicans currently hold 7 out of eleven U.S. House seats in Virginia, but Democrats are hopeful they will gain seats thanks to voter antipathy toward President Donald Trump. Democrats easily won all three statewide offices last year and made major gains in the state House.