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Perspective
Family Tradition
By C. Douglas Smith
From Inter-Session, the bi-weekly newsletter of the Virginia Interfaith Center between sessions of the General Assembly
 While travelling out of state recently, I found myself in an urban center where alcohol sales have been privatized. It was an ugly scene: corner stores selling liquor next to seedy bars; steel grates covering smokey windows lit only by the neon signs that beckoned people inside for cheap whiskey. The traffic was regular. Not far away a Salvation Army drop-in facility did its best to provide refuge for God's children afflicted with life's challenges -- abuse, mental illness, addiction -- and beset by struggle. ...
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The Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy is Virginia’s oldest faith-based advocacy group. We are a nonpartisan coalition of faith communities working to create progressive public policy by engaging people of faith, educating the public about social issues, the legislative process, and the call to advocacy.
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Why I Give to The Center
 The Virginia Interfaith Center is a prophetic voice, speaking truth to power. As a Christian, I believe this is what Jesus did, and as the body of Christ in the world, I believe The Center is helping us be this prophetic voice.
--Phyllis Albritton
Blacksburg, Virginia
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Political Headlines from Va. Press Assoc.
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Police chief pushes Homeland Security to tighten work permits
In a letter to Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security John Morton, Chief Charlie T. Deane stated Mortonamp;rsquo;s agency must reconsider and correct the process of issuing Employment Authorization Cards to illegal immigrants in the deportation process.
Nye launches new ad focused on his work against aircraft carrier move….
U.S. Rep. Glenn Nye, D-Norfolk, went after Republican Scott Rigell over negative advertising during the most recent debate between the two congressional hopefuls and Independent Kenny Golden. So far Nye's stayed positive on the campaign trail, probably because he knows as an incumbent in behooves him to talk about his record because Rigell doesn't have any kind of political background. Rigell's business acumen appears to be when the Republican is hanging his hat on - and the lack of political experience…
Burgers, dogs and Bush-bashing at Scott’s annual Labor Day picnic….
U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott's annual campaign kickoff brings hosts of Democrats to the southern tip of Newport News to gear up for the looming fall campaigns. The 34-year-old picnic is free open to the public - so come hungry for burgers, hot dogs and beautiful views of the Hampton Roads harbor. But you have to wonder if folks wish it was the 32nd annual picnic when there were rumors that Barack Obama might show up. You can probably bet that the commander-in-chief isn't making the rounds this…
DMV reports spike in customer traffic
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles saw its customer traffic spike more than 26 percent yesterday, the first day of service after a weeklong state computer outage, the agency said this morning. By the close of business Thursday, DMV served 25,584 customers statewide. On the same day in 2009 --the ...
Cuccinelli defends actions against ‘overreaching’ government
The overflow crowd of more than 200 showed up to hear Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli discuss the impact of federal cap-and-trade legislation and the role his office played representing ratepayers in litigation against Appalachian Power. But they also heard the conservative Republican vigorously defend his eventful first eight months in ...
Bars, restaurants face new taxes with privatization
Gov. Bob McDonnell is counting on restaurants and bars for millions a year to make up the revenue from the liquor monopoly.
Northrop Grumman regrets computer outage
Gov. Bob McDonnell yesterday formally announced a Northrop Grumman-financed investigation of the failure by a state-hired firm.
GOP will take over House, U.Va.‘s Sabato predicts
The Democrats are likely to lose 47 seats and control of the House of Representatives in November#39;s elections, a top political analyst said in a forecast yesterday. Larry Sabato, a political scientist at the University of Virginia, also said the Democrats are likely to lose eight or nine seats in ...
Chicken keeping gets nod from county planners
Ten chickens, six ducks, four turkeys or two emu would be allowed on two-acre properties.
School board defers stimulus item
After more than an hour and a half of discussion Wednesday night, the Prince William County School Board elected to bring back the issue of stimulus funding at a yet-to-be determined date.
Planners recommend approving Wartime Museum plan
Project will go to Board of County Supervisors in October
View from Olympia: A common topic immigration
RICHMOND, VA -- Across the state in areas with distinct personality traits, there#39;s one common topic on the minds of residents: immigration.
Nye, Rigell and Golden on stage trading barbs on BP, mosques and gay marriage….
Rep. Glenn Nye, Republican Scott Rigell and Independent Kenny Golden are at work trying to convince a decent crowd of voters that they're right for Congress tonight in Norfolk. They've already had opening statement - and now they've touched on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the Manhattan mosque that is an ongoing controversy. Right now they've only got 60 seconds to answer questions so you're getting pretty short responses. None of the three candidates agree with the controversial mosque…
Perriello’s local town hall to be webcast
The meeting is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday
UPDATE: McDonnell lays out concerns to Northrop Grumman
As state gets back to work following computer outage, McDonnell says contractor will pay for investigation into problems.
State launches review, extends DMV hours
Gov. Bob McDonnell and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee are launching an independent review of the computer-system failures that affected operations at the Department of Motor Vehicles and 25 other state agencies – and Northrop Grumman is picking up the tab.
“I have spoken personally with Northrop Grumman CEO Wes Bush. I expressed to [...]
Northrop Grumman to pay for independent review of Virginia computer failures…
Northrop Grumman has agreed to foot the bill for an outside review of the computer breakdowns that crippled Virginia's online services over the past week. On Thursday Gov. Bob McDonnell announced that the investigative arm of the General Assembly - the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission - is working with state leaders and officials at Northrop - the defense contracting behemoth that runs the state's information technology. The Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Taxation…
Transportation group backs sale of ABC stores
A Northern Virginia transportation group threw its support behind selling the stateamp;rsquo;s liquor stores to fund road improvements.
Nye, Rigell and Golden face off in Norfolk forum tonight…despite Hurricane Earl
Democrat Glenn Nye, Republican Scott Rigell and Independent Kenny Golden share the stage for the second time tonight in Norfolk, during a joint forum at Second Calvary Baptist Church. The three congressional candidates are all running for Virginia's 2nd District, which includes parts of Hampton and Norfolk and all of Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore. The three men shared the stage two weeks ago in a forum in Virginia Beach that drew nearly 600 people. Here's a full video of the first showdown…
Hurricane Earl delays Virginia efforts to rescue Joint Forces Command…
In response to the Pentagon's desire to shutter Joint Forces Command in Hampton Roads, Gov. Bob McDonnell put together a military affairs commission stacked with elected leaders and military veterans with deep Virginia roots. Dubbed the Commission on Military and National Security Facilities, the panel is designed to bring some added weight to Virginia's efforts to protect the military and civilian jobs at Joint Forces in Norfolk and Suffolk. Virginia elected officials blasted the move when Defense…
UPDATE: DMV resumes issuing licenses
Statewide 1,331 people applied for driver#39;s licenses and ID cards in the first hour of business today.
DMV extends licenses, hours after computer outage
Virginia expects to resume renewing driver#39;s licenses today after a giant, weeklong computer failure. But that may not be reason to smile. Because of continuing data headaches, the Department of Motor Vehicles still can#39;t match thousands of photographs with driver information, potentially rendering 10,000 to 16,000 head shots unusable.
DMV to be back in service Thursday
The agency has not been able to process license and identification card renewals and applications since Aug. 25, when the computer system failed. The DMV estimates the week-long disruption affected between 35,000 and 45,000 customers.
VRS reports investment gains, and one key loss
The Virginia Retirement System reports its market investments fared well in the past year, but now the $47.7 billion pension system is about to lose its chief investment officer, Charles W. Grant.
UPDATE: DMV to resume normal operations tomorrow
Gov. Bob McDonnell says computer functions have been restored across state government after outage started a week ago.
DMV expected to be back online by Thursday
Department of Motor Vehicles locations in Virginia are expected to be fully operational on Thursday – and Gov. Bob McDonnell has directed the department to extend its hours in the weeks and weekends ahead to process the backlog in applications due to a failure in the data-storage system serving offices statewide.
“From this office to our [...]
Rights groups urge feds to reject 287(g)
A coalition of faith groups, civil and human rights organizations, and government officials have asked the Department of Homeland Security to reject Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s request to allow the Virginia Department of State Police to enter into a 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
A 287(g) agreement, named after a provision of federal law, [...]
McDonnell declares state of emergency in advance of Earl
Gov. Bob McDonnell today declared a state of emergency in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a step authorizing state agencies to take precautionary action to prepare for any potential impacts in eastern Virginia from Hurricane Earl. A state of emergency must be declared under state law so that additional resources are available and positioned for use [...]
Tax department computers operating; DMV still out
Tax agency#39;s quot;core functionsquot; restored following massive outage in state information technology network.
Ethics probe sought on 1st District Democratic candidate
The 1st District Republican chairman wants an ethics investigation of Democratic congressional candidate Krystal Ball after personal financial-disclosure forms she filed last year and this year showed her going from a net worth of $100,000 to more than $1 million. Ball attributed the sudden increase in wealth to stock options ...
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Public News Service (National)
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