Author: James A. Bacon
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A Project 2025 Revolution at GMU?
by James A. Bacon Lefty professors are fearful that a new Board of Visitors, now comprised of a majority of Youngkin appointees, is about to unleash a right-wing revolution at George Mason University, Virginia’s largest public university. Six of the 12 Youngkin-appointed board members are, or have been, affiliated with the conservative Heritage Foundation think…
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Give Charter Schools a Chance in Virginia
by Chris Braunlich The Youngkin Administration is trying to jumpstart the creation of independent public charter schools in Virginia, in order to provide students additional high-quality options for their education. This effort is long overdue. But the road to quality choices in Virginia is a steep climb. Public charter schools were first established in Minnesota…
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Every State Is a Border State
by Kerry Dougherty File this under “Illegals Committing Crimes.” I know, I know, the Democratic Party line is that illegals commit fewer crimes than American citizens. Frankly, one violent crime by an illegal alien is too many. Fact is, if the southern border closed, crime rates would drop dramatically. Including in Virginia. Last weekend the…
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Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease?
by James A. Bacon Dave Singer is a radiologist at a Virginia hospital. He’s not a front-line physician with primary responsibility for patient care, but, as an in-house expert in reading x-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and other medical images, he reviews hundreds of cases weekly. His vantage point allows him to spot patterns that…
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Richmond Planned Parenthood in Expansion Mode
by James A. Bacon Richmond City Council voted Monday night to sell the old Brookhill School to the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood (VLPP) for $10. The nonprofit organization, which provides abortions among other reproductive services, plans to construct a $6 million, 10,000-square-foot women’s facility on the property, reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In the wake…
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Not a Healthy Development
by James A. Bacon As conservative as I am, right-wing “militias” make me nervous. I’m sympathetic to some of what these citizen groups say they want to accomplish — keep neighborhoods safe, provide backup to local law enforcement in emergencies — but I don’t see why they need to parade around with guns to do…
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Don’t Politicize Cell Phone-Free Education
By Chris Braunlich Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order for developing policies restricting or eliminating cell phones in schools – a concept garnering widespread support among parents, with 61 percent favoring requiring students to leave their phones in secured locations during the day – responds to a clear and rising mental health, academic and behavioral problem.…
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The South Shall Rise Again
The South is projected to have the fastest-growing population of any region in the U.S. through 2050, surpassing even the West, according to the demographics research group at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The population of the Midwest and Northeast are expected to shrink slightly between 2030 and 2050. However, the population boom…
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Virginia Supremes Limit Sovereign Immunity in Portsmouth Case
by James A. Bacon H. Cliff Page, an artist, sculptor, Vietnam vet, merchant mariner, civic activist and former candidate for Mayor of Portsmouth, won a victory for individual property rights when the Virginia Supreme Court ruled unanimously in his favor July 3 in a dispute with the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority (PRHA). “This is…
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DEI at UVA Astronomy: The Stars Are Not Aligned
by James A. Bacon Back in 2020, the University of Virginia Astronomy Department jumped on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) bandwagon. Ashamed of its history of attracting so few Blacks and Hispanics, the Department formed a DEI committee to advance the goal of making the department more demographically diverse. The committee quickly resolved to…
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Restoring Columbus
by James A. Bacon Richmond’s statue of Christopher Columbus is heading to upstate New York. It’s a sad, sad tale. At the height of the George Floyd “mostly peaceful” protests, leftist militants tore down the statue in Byrd Park, spray-painted it, set it on fire and threw it into nearby Fountain Lake. They claimed to…
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COVID Questions Linger
by James A. Bacon There is still much we don’t know about the COVID-19 virus and the effect it has on the human body. One enduring mystery is the syndrome dubbed “long COVID,” when symptoms persist months or years after the infection. Why do some people get it while others don’t? What are the risk…
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No Way Trump Wins Virginia
by Paul Goldman The latest poll from Virginia Commonwealth University has Donald Trump up 3% — 39% to 36% — over Joe Biden after being behind by six in the school’s previous survey of public opinion. Top Trump advisor Chris LaCivita has been telling people publicly and privately Trump will win Virginia as part of…
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Upward Academic Mobility Among Virginia Immigrants
by James A. Bacon Americans are rightly concerned about the impact of the flood of foreigners entering the country illegally through a broken border — not just the fiscal burden of increased outlays for healthcare, schools, and social services but the longer-term risk of creating an unassimilable mass in the body politic. Such fears gain…
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Protecting Trump From Assassins, Virginia-Style
Mike Imprevento is not only my partner on “The Kerry and Mike” talk radio show (9 to 10 every weekday!) but a successful attorney and until recently, a Captain and Staff Attorney for the Norfolk’s Sheriff’s Office. It was in his latter capacity that he was part of the law enforcement team that protected Donald…