Tag: COVID-19
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Jury Duty? Pick Me!
by Kerry Dougherty Maybe it’s because I once covered courts for The Virginian-Pilot and always wondered what went on behind those closed jury doors. Perhaps it’s because one of my favorite movies is the 1957 classic, “Twelve Angry Men.” I suppose it could be because I read too many John Grisham novels. Whatever the reason, I’ve…
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It Just Got Worse for the Unemployed
By Dick Hall-Sizemore For those on this blog (including me) who have speculated as to why unemployed Virginians, who were getting up to $300 per week in unemployment benefits, could be behind on their rent, mortgage, and utility bills, here is one answer: They have not been getting that money since August 1. The Virginian…
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Common Sense: Open the Windows
by Kerry Dougherty Somewhere, my mother is smiling. The woman who made us sleep at night — summer and winter — with our windows open to fight germs has been vindicated by no less an expert in public health than German Chancellor Angela Merkel. OK, Merkel isn’t a public health expert, but politicians everywhere seem to…
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The Great Reshuffling of Higher-Ed Enrollment
by James A. Bacon Yesterday I noted the fact that college enrollments in Virginia were holding their own despite the uncertainty and turmoil created by the COVID-19 epidemic. In particular, based on State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) data, I noted that enrollments had increased strongly — 6.6% — in the category of…
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Dominion ❤ New Utility Bill Payment Plan
By Steve Haner Dominion Energy Virginia loves the General Assembly’s most recent proposal on how to deal with mounting unpaid utility bills in the COVID-19 recession. You might not. The state’s dominant utility has activated its network of grassroots lobbyists (including company retirees and stockholders) to express their personal support to their hometown delegate and…
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Virginia Higher-Ed Enrollment Resilient in Face of COVID-19
by James A. Bacon Undergraduate enrollment in Virginia’s nonprofit higher-ed institutions has declined only 1.3% this fall, far less than feared in many quarters, according to preliminary estimates released today by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). There had been widespread concern that measures to combat the COVID-19 virus would disrupt campus…
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House Offers $330 Million Utility, Unemployment Aid
By Steve Haner Virginia’s House of Delegates has proposed spending $120 million from federal COVID-19 relief funds to help at least some Virginia families catch up on their utility bills and wants to pump $210 million from the same source into the state’s unemployment insurance program. Both ideas surfaced when the House Appropriations Committee approved…
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A Tale of Two Governors
by Kerry Dougherty Every once in a while we get a delicious example of agenda-driven news coverage. Last week, for instance. On Thursday, headlines across the country gloated over news that Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons and his wife, Teresa had tested positive for COVID-19. Here, have a peek: CNN: This Republican Governor Refused A Mask Mandate.…
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How Well is VDH Managing COVID-19 Outbreaks?
by Carol J. Bova The Virginia Department of Health data is now equipped with extensive testing capacity and a small army of contact tracers to squelch outbreaks of COVID-19 in Virginia. Recent data regarding the number of outbreaks raises questions about how well VDH is doing its job. One concern is the validity of the…
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Northam Bit by the Bug
Governor Ralph Northam and his wife Pam have contracted the COVID-19 virus, the Governor’s Office announced this morning. The virus apparently was transmitted by a member of the Governor’s official residence staff, “who works closely within the couple’s living quarters.” The Governor and First Lady, who will self-isolate for ten days, are working with state…
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$300 Million Bond Refinancing Won’t “Save” Higher Ed from Long-Term Challenges
by James A. Bacon Governor Ralph Northam has unveiled a higher-education refinancing plan that will allow Virginia’s public colleges and universities to reschedule more than $300 million in debt over the next two years. The Commonwealth of Virginia would refinance bonds issued by the Treasury Board of Virginia and the Virginia College Building Authority. Under…
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Boomerang: Opioid Overdoses Surge
by James A. Bacon When governments shut down economic and social activity to quell the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Bacon’s Rebellion has frequently warned, they run the risk of engendering unintended consequences. We have predicted negative impacts from job loss and social isolation on mental health, substance abuse, domestic abuse, and suicide. Just because…
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Permanent COVID Reg Called “The Fifth Dragon”
By Steve Haner Most Virginia employers probably have not read, let alone fully complied with, the emergency temporary standard on protecting their employees from COVID-19 adopted back in July. Yet the public comment period on the permanent version of the rules, which can carry major sanctions, closes this Friday. Only twenty comments had been filed…
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The COVID Made Me Do It
by James A. Bacon To nobody’s surprise, we are getting confirmation that lower-income students are suffering the most from the way colleges and universities are responding to the COVID-19 challenge. Higher-ed enrollment has dropped significantly this fall, and the drop-outs are skewing toward the lower end of the income spectrum. Some 100,000 fewer high school…
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Two of Five Virginians Say Nix to COVID-19 Vaccine
by James A. Bacon Don’t count on a vaccine to end the COVID-19 epidemic — not in Virginia anyway. Four out of 10 Virginians say they are likely to not get a vaccine, even if approved by the Food and Drug Administration and made available for free. Only 58% say they are “somewhat” or “very”…