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“The magnitude of these cuts is really becoming manifest right now. We probably could have had three or four votes a year ago. People have been home during recess, talking to their healthcare providers. We might have now, you know, 10 or a dozen. We need about a dozen Republican votes to do that.” — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
By Charlotte Rene Woods
During a roundtable discussion at Feed More, a food bank in Henrico County Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he believed there’s a growing chance Congress could adjust or undo Medicaid changes the Republican-controlled legislature enacted last summer — with or without flipping Congress to Democratic control.
It would still be a long shot, he and U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, noted. But since H.R. 1 passed, every member of Congress has spent time in their districts hearing from their constituents, as voters name healthcare a chief concern.
This one-sentence cutline should be identical to the caption used on your website (Photo by Name/Newsroom)
By Nathaniel Cline
The U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have formally proposed revoking tax-exempt status from private educational institutions that use race-based policies in admissions, scholarships, or other programs, arguing that they constitute discrimination.
Some schools offer admission, scholarships or other assistance to historically disadvantaged groups and minorities who were locked out of educational opportunities in previous decades.
Department of Health offices in Richmond. (Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce for The Virginia Mercury)
By Charlotte Rene Woods
Sesame has now been added to the state’s major food allergen list, the Virginia Department of Health announced along with several regulation updates and revamped guidance for food establishments that will go into effect on Thursday.
The ingredient joins fin fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, milk, peanuts, soy, wheat and eggs as items that restaurants, food trucks and other food vendors must disclose in packaged and unpacked items on their menus for consumers’ awareness.
Businesses are not required to reprint existing menus and can offer a standalone handout or a QR code so customers can access the information.
By Kevin Hardy
President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada is creating headaches for Republicans ahead of November’s midterms as high prices remain a top concern among voters.
Responding to Trump’s increased tariffs, Canadian officials have said they’re deliberately targeting goods from states where there are close elections. And GOP candidates in Kansas, Maine and Ohio among others have been forced to balance supporting Trump with defending local manufacturers.
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