Bacon Bits: Scandal, Scandal, Scandal… and Dental Care

The Old Dominion is looking a lot like the Ante-Bellum Dominion. So, how are Virginia’s political scandals playing out nationally? Not very well. Headline from the New York Post: “Virginia is for Losers.” Lead story in the Wall Street Journal: “Virginia Faces Leadership Crisis as Attorney General Apologizes for Using  Blackface.”

The PC police strike again. But there’s no let-up in the racial identity wars. A fraternity and a sorority at the University of Virginia have been criticized for holding parties in which people dressed up wearing Native American attire in one instance and sombreros and maracas in another, according to the University of Virginia’s Cavalier Daily. The Inter-Fraternity Council issued a statement condemning the attire as “prejudiced and culturally insensitive.” “The IFC condemns these actions and any others that appropriate cultures.”

Meanwhile, in the real world… The first test train on Metro’s Silver Line extension to Dulles Airport made it only 1,000 feet out of the Wiehle-Reston East station before running into trouble, according to WTOP television. The two-car train ran into a problem with the tracks. The incident follows revelations of problems with concrete found in the walls of new Metro stations and in rail ties. Nearly 300 cracks have formed in buildings at the new Metro facility that will house and maintain railcars for an extension.

And don’t don’t forget to floss! Check out the Virginia Policy Review, a digital public-policy journal published by University of Virginia students. This issue highlights research on issues of relevance to Virginians, including one topic addressed here in the Rebellion: increasing rural access to dental care. Among the recommendations: “Expand the dental hygienist scope of practice to work independently on routine cleanings and preventative care … with the requirement that patient contact with a dentist be scheduled after clean up.”