Free Republic

Just weeks before last year's "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Va., Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney announced a new commission to recommend "how to best tell the real story" of the Confederate-era and other statues on Monument Avenue, a tree-lined street known as one of the city's tourist destinations. Then the white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville, some 70 miles away. They rallied around a statue of Robert E. Lee that had been slated for removal during an August weekend that turned violent. The next week, Stoney added to the Richmond group's charge: The commission would examine the possible removal or...

If you receive monthly benefits payments from the VA, you may want to double check your online account. Just a few days before Aubry and David Stevenson planned to leave town for a wedding someone had logged into David's eBenefits account and changed his direct deposit. "They shouldn't be able to change my contact information and my direct deposit," David said. "You should have to do that in person. You should definitely have to do that in person." Someone obtained David's user login and with minimal safeguards in place, the hacker was able to re-route David's disability check to a...

LinkedIn: The mission of LinkedIn is simple: connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Several years ago I joined LinkedIn more to try to connect with former Army buddies, not trying to get a job. Got an email from them today that "You appeared in 3 searches this week" The searchers were: Alabama Department of Mental Health and Veterans Evaluation Services Stuff like this causes conspiracy theories and paranoia. Why are the VA and Alabama Mental Health searching LinkedIn? Possible gun control comes to mind. As far as I know I have not initiated any recent...

The five flag poles that line the entrance sidewalk to the VA Northern Indiana Health Care System at 2121 Lake Ave. typically fly flags of the country's five branches of military:  Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. On Tuesday, through, those flags were taken down and just one was flown in their place: an LGBT pride flag. -snip The VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System issued the following statement: "Logistically, we could not add a flag without removing a flag from the poles outside our VA. Rather than single out one military branch's flag to be temporarily replaced with the LGBT flag, we...

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A packaging company plans to expand in Virginia and create 141 new jobs. Gov. Ralph Northam announced Monday that TemperPack plans to spend $10.4 million on a new manufacturing operation in Henrico County.

LOS ANGELES, California, May 18, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) -- California’s Democratic Attorney General Xavier Becerra is leading a coalition of 20 attorneys general, representing 19 states plus Washington, D.C., opposing a Trump administration rule change that prioritizes abstinence education over contraception distribution in family planning funds. In February, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that abstinence messages and natural family planning methods would be given priority in distributing $260 million worth of family planning grants. The announcement did not mention artificial birth control. In response, Planned Parenthood affiliates in Ohio, Utah, and Wisconsin, as well as the American...

The Senate will take up a bill that would allow more veterans to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Thursday. The legislation passed the House Wednesday 347-70 and has the support of President Trump. It would allow more veterans to go outside the VA healthcare system and use private-sector doctors when VA medical centers can't provide appointments within a month, veterans have to drive more than 40 minutes to access care, or when care is determined inadequate by VA leaders. “The Senate next week will take up and pass the VA MISSION...

A hub for gambling is taking shape in a historic area of Virginia between Richmond and Williamsburg, signaling sharp change in a state that long resisted the lure of gaming revenue. Two weeks ago, a Chicago company announced plans to buy and reopen the dormant Colonial Downs horse-racing track, Virginia’s only facility for major thoroughbred events. The deal — worth some $20 million — was made possible when the General Assembly this year legalized a type of video horse-racing game that some have likened to slot machines.

19-year-old student, Yonsong Zhao, came to the United States from China on a student visa.  As of January, 2018, he had been in the country for seven months. As with many people, especially young men, he likes guns. In China, it is nearly impossible to access legal guns. Zhao set about learning what was necessary for him to acquire and legally fire guns in the United States. Given the complexity involved, I am amazed that Zhao appears to have found the various rules, and followed them rigorously.  It is well that he did. The authorities were watching him very...

A woman who gave a Loudoun County, Virginia restaurant an average rating online after ordering food says she got a scare after the manager showed up at her home unannounced later that night. Yesha Callahan, an editor for online magazine The Root, says she ordered food from La Porchetta, a pizza restaurant Callahan said the delivery driver was friendly and asked her for a Yelp review. After her meal, Callahan logged on and gave her assessment of a burger and an Italian-style pastry. "Tried this place based on the reviews and the fact that they had zeppoles on the menu,...

Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- 19-year-old student, Yonsong Zhao, came to the United States from China on a student visa. As of January, 2018, he had been in the country for seven months. As with many people, especially young men, he likes guns. In China, it is nearly impossible to access legal guns. Zhao set about learning what was necessary for him to acquire and legally fire guns in the United States. Given the complexity involved, I am amazed that Zhao appears to have found the various rules, and followed them rigorously. It is well that he did. The authorities were watching him...

According to four administration officials, allegations against Jackson were brought by VP Pence’s Army Physician Dr. Pena. Dr. Pena, officials contend, has held a long-time grudge against Jackson because of his continuing promotions in the White House. Senator Tester, who made the allegations against Jackson public on CNN, would not disclose his source. The Secret Service does not corroborate Sen. Tester's statements

LYNCHBURG — GOP U.S. Senate candidate Nick Freitas in a debate on Thursday called out rival Corey Stewart’s campaign for making ethnic jokes about his name. Stewart responded that if a little name-calling got under Freitas’ skin, he would be thrashed by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine should he be the GOP nominee in the general election. The scrap came toward the end of a lively debate at Liberty University featuring Stewart, Freitas and minister E.W. Jackson of Chesapeake, who are competing in the June 12 primary. The candidates discussed foreign policy, defended President Donald Trump and the tax cut he...

The CEO of the nation's largest nonprofit health system may be tapped to lead the second largest federal department. Sources familiar with the matter say Anthony Tersigni, EdD, president and CEO of St. Louis-based Ascension, is being considered to fill the role of secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The role is vacant after Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, MD, withdrew his nomination April 26. Ascension's participation in the Veterans Choice Program makes Dr. Tersigni uniquely qualified to fill the role, according to sources familiar with the matter. To date, Ascension has cared for more than 10,000 veterans through...

A furious President Donald Trump on Saturday called for the resignation of the Democratic senator who assembled and released what he called “false” allegations that scuttled the nomination of the White House doctor who’d been in line to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Trump stepped up his criticism of Montana’s Jon Tester, top Democrat on the Senate Veterans’ Committee, in two tweets days after asserting that Tester “has to have a big price to pay” politically in the GOP friendly state for his leading role in Ronny Jackson’s failed VA bid. Tester faces a competitive re-election race this year....

President Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs has withdrawn his nomination amid allegations of workplace misconduct and prescription mispractice. The withdrawal of Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson followed a decision by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to indefinitely postpone his confirmation hearing. Staffers on the committee were looking into charges against Jackson of creating a "hostile work environment" including "excessive drinking on the job [and] improperly dispensing meds.”

Link to video  On Thursday morning, 29 March, 2018, a English Bull Terrier escaped from an apartment and started attacking people on the street. A man and a woman were bit on the arms and legs and were taken to the hospital.  People attempted to use several items to stop the attacks. They kicked at the dog. They beat it with a hammer.  They used pepper spray. Nothing worked until a man with a gun waited for the right moment, then shot the dog. Twice.  From wsls.com: Paul Burek saw it all unfold and rushed to help. He had...

David Shulkin, former U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin, whom President Donald Trump fired as Veterans Affairs secretary, offered a parting shot in an op-ed for The New York Times – warning that privatizing the VA Department could hurt veterans. "Privatization leading to the dismantling of the department's extensive health care system is a terrible idea," Shulkin wrote. "The department's understanding of service-related health problems, its groundbreaking research and its special ability to work with military veterans cannot be easily replicated in the private sector." Trump fired Shulkin Wednesday, making the announcement over Twitter. The president picked the White...

A proposed City of Richmond School Safety resolution asks Congress to ban “large-capacity ammunition cartridges.” The proposed resolution also calls on Congress to “ban the manufacture, sale, purchase, possession, and use of assault weapons.” It also asks to implement “universal background checks.” Such checks would require a background check for a private sale just like the background check currently required for a retail purchase. Ironically, almost every high-profile firearm-based attacker acquires his or her gun via background checks at retail sales, so such an expansion would do nothing to prevent future attacks. To date, attackers that do not acquire firearms...

An armed man took three hostages during an "active shooter situation" at a California veterans home Friday afternoon, a fire official said. Earlier, it emerged the veterans home was on lockdown after reports of shots fired. The Napa County Sheriff’s Office said officers responded to the Veterans Home of California in Yountville around 10:45 a.m. local time and a shelter-in-place order was issued.