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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

VA: Social Justice

California and New York are the only states with a reparations task force. While New York's is just getting started, California's commission issued a report calling for some compensatory reparations based on numerous disparities like health and housing. (Wikimedia Commons)
Report: Philanthropies examining equity and past actions

A new report examines how philanthropy in and around Virginia came at the expense of Black people. The "Cracks in the Foundation" report noted …

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Part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's budget proposal calls for a $24 billion public school investment. This is coupled with an almost $1 billion increase to support teachers, students and parents, up from the previous budget. (Adobe Stock)
Advocates: Proposed VA budget doesn’t meet community needs

Virginia advocates feel Gov. Glenn Youngkin's proposed budget isn't meeting community needs. Youngkin's 2024-2026 budget is built around numerous …

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According to research from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Virginia police estimate there are 31,000 active protective orders on file at any given time in the state. (Adobe Stock)
VA Group Working to Aid Domestic Violence Victims, Survivors

A Virginia group is working to ensure abusers can't use the courts to keep harming their victims. Commonly called "abusive litigation," these come …

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According to research from the Council on Community Justice Task Force on Long Sentences, people serving long sentences make up more than half of the U.S. incarcerated population. (Adobe Stock)
Report: Making Longer Prison Sentences 'More Effective'

A new report outlines ways that states like Virginia could rethink long prison sentences and how to use them more sparingly. The Council on …

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The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has identified several locations across the state as having forever chemicals at their sites. Some are Fentress Air Base, Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, DuPont Spruance Manufacturing in Richmond. (Adobe Stock)
EPA Issues New Guidance on ‘Forever Chemicals’

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is implementing new rules on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as forever chemicals. The new …

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According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States has sustained a total of 341 climate disasters where the damage was more than $1 billion since 1980. In those four decades, the cost of these events exceeds $2.475 trillion. (Adobe Stock)
UN Preparing Fund to Aid Poorer Nations Facing Climate-Change Impacts

The United Nations is reviewing details for a loss and damage fund to aid poorer countries for the harm they will suffer from climate change's effects…

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When the Equal Rights Amendment was first approved by Congress, 35 states adopted it within the seven-year time limit. Since then, three more have approved it, to reach the necessary 38: Nevada (2017), Illinois (2018), and Virginia (2020). (Adobe Stock)
VA Senator Wants to Remove Time Restraint on ERA

A growing group of U.S. Senators are supporting legislation to remove the time limit placed on ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment. When originally …

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Virginia law says all state agencies and institutions need to take
VA Bill Would Ban Withholding Student Transcripts for Debt Collection

As the Virginia General Assembly begins its new legislative session, one bill will be returning - with the goal of alleviating some student-debt …

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According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some of the largest recent price increases in farm real estate have been in Oklahoma and Texas, where prices grew by 11.4% and 11.3%, respectively. (Adobe Stock)
Rising Land Prices Pose Challenges for VA Farmers

Farmers are facing record-high land prices due to a bevy of factors. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, Virginia farm real estate …

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According to AIDSvu's 2020 data, 24,046 people were living with HIV in Virginia, and 628 people were newly diagnosed with the disease. (Adobe Stock)
World AIDS Day Reminds Experts of Progress in Fighting HIV/AIDS

On World AIDS Day, experts are reminding people to take precautions regarding HIV/AIDS. According to an annual report from the Virginia Department …

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A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimates permanently expanding the child tax credit would cost $97 billion per year. But, it would generate social benefits with net present value of $982 billion per year. (Adobe Stock)
VA Families Urge Revival of Child Tax Credit

It's been about a year since Virginia families last received funds from the U.S. Child Tax Credit, and they want it to be reinstated. According to …

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According to the Richmond Eviction Lab, several parts of the city's Southside neighborhood saw 67 percent of eviction filings during the first quarter of 2022. (Jon Anders Wilken/Adobe Stock)
Evictions in VA Continue to Grow

Evictions are on the rise in Virginia after numerous protections provided by federal and state rental assistance programs ended. According to the …

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