Latest news with #VeteransAffairs
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
At Norfolk State University, Veterans Affairs workers decry effects of budget cuts
Democratic congressional leaders, including Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Newport News), on Tuesday morning heard accounts from local leaders and experts on the effects to veterans from Trump administration's policies. The testimony at the event at Norfolk State University centered on the staffing levels at the recently opened North Battlefield VA Outpatient Clinic, cuts to Veterans Affairs, and uncertainty in veterans' health care and benefits. The VA has plans to lay off as many as 80,000 staff by the end of the year. The federal government instituted a hiring freeze earlier this year and has also laid off thousands of probationary employees. Dr. Sheila Elliott, a pharmacist who has worked at the Hampton VA Medical Center for 35 years and serves as the president of Local 2328 AFGE union that represents direct patient care staff, told the group that workers who are essential to veterans' health care have lived in fear for their jobs since the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) began making cuts to the federal government. She said the list of VA employees that are exempt from layoffs, such as recreation therapists shows the 'unnuanced approach' to how the VA functions. 'Recreational therapists work with veterans to improve physical fitness, reduce stress, anxiety, ultimately leading to a higher quality of life,' Elliott said. 'I have seen first hand the impact of indiscriminate cuts on veterans access to services.' Susan Hippen, a retired Navy Master Chief who represents the Veterans of Military Families Caucus, said in her recent visit to the North Battlefield Clinic, which opened in April at less than 30% of its full staffing level, that it is a 'ghost town' and is failing to meet the needs of veterans on the Southside. Among the services not being provided at the new clinic are dentistry and radiology, on top of mental health appointments already taking months to schedule, according to Hippen. 'Expressing my concern about the careless dismissal of the people who provide our care, process our claims, or assist with benefits should not be referred to as political fearmongering — it is a fact,' she said. Scott closed the event by quoting President George Washington who reportedly said, 'The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive our veterans in early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.' 'We owe it to our veterans to provide the health care they need,' Scott said. 'Not only is it the right thing to do, it's a national imperative.' VA Secretary Doug Collins has insisted that the job cuts will not be a detriment. 'The department's history shows that adding more employees to the system doesn't automatically equal better results,' Collins told Congress last month. Collins has said that the personnel changes would not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries, and that 'mission-critical' positions were exempt from the reductions. The cuts, he said, would increase productivity and eliminate waste. Gavin Stone, 757-412-4806,
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
I'm a gay man in Detroit. Celebrating Pride feels more important than ever.
Robert M. Nelson here. A couple of years back, I wrote a guest column in this fine newspaper about what can feel like insincere corporate support for Pride — how it can be a performative act to maximize profit, that at its worst erodes the authentic queer experience, and at its best gives us a surface level of seen-ness, a mainstream support that often feels as thin as a dollar bill. Since I last wrote here, things have only gotten more worrisome for queer folks in America and are downright terrifying for our transgender siblings. Rights and respect for LGBTQ+ people had been moving forward for the last few decades, but now those rights are being peeled away. And the moment the political headwinds changed, support for LGBTQ+ Americans started to feel very flimsy. Pride has always had a special place in my heart, but this year i'm feeling it so much more. More from Freep Opinion: LGBTQ+ pride is being diluted by corporate rainbow washing Growing up, my parents and grandparents taught to me to believe in and to love America — a country, a place, a belief come to life ― an idea that in execution is often severely flawed, but ultimately strives towards the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for all, be they an immigrant, gay, queer, women, men, trans, fat, thin, old, Black, Asian, disabled or able-bodied. But it seems our government, and as such, we the American people, are no longer striving — our country is feeling like a scarier, far less hopeful place. You can feel it, too, can't you? The exhausting weariness of trying to get by in a country where the truth, science and so many people matter far less than they did a few years ago; where the future for anyone who isn't a billionaire ― and LBGTQ+ folks especially ― grows darker and darker each day. There are regular attacks on the middle and working classes through the increasing cost of living, cuts to Veterans Affairs, Medicaid and other health services and medical research. Attacks on trans and queer folks, and the executive orders policing the bodies of (mostly) women, transgender and non-binary people, seem to be the steps to a subjugation of queer people and, at some point in the not-so-distant future, of all women. Queer teen suicide ideation (already twice the rate of their straight-identifying counterparts) is up , along with the feeling that people just don't care about each other. And the odds of anything changing in the near term are down. Being an employed, white, gay, cis male with stable housing gives me some privilege, a bit of a shield against what's coming. But watching the erasure of trans folks, queer folks, women, people of color and more, I am very worried — concerned, confused and worn-the-hell out. I fluctuate between thinking I, or someone I love, will be disappeared or sent to a gulag, and thinking I'm crazy for worrying about being sent to a gulag. (A gulag, an El Salvadorian prison … without due process under the law, we are all at risk.) More from Freep Opinion: Trump's attacks on your access to news are all part of Project 2025 I don't know what the future holds, but I do know this … from Patroclus and Achilles to me and that dizzyingly dashing bantamweight MMA fighter, queer love has been with us since before recorded time, and it cannot be erased. It's not going anywhere. Alas, queer hate, using the smallest minority as a scapegoat to rally against, has been with us for nearly as long. And that's why we have Pride. Pride Month is more than just a time to wave rainbow flags, show off cute outfits and watch a drag show while eating chicken-on-a-stick. At its very heart, Pride is an event to gather with people who care, with folks who are sharing the same oftentimes lonesome and frightening experience, a place for all who are marginalized to feel accepted, heard, and, for one weekend at Hart Plaza (or last weekend at Ferndale Pride or Hotter Than July next months in Palmer Park, or at the many Pride events across our state) at least, to be surrounded, supported and seen by people just like you. Just like me. Pride is a home, and you, queer reader, are Pride.I don't know what we can do to save or reclaim our country, but maybe it's the same as what we can do to save or reclaim our sense of self: Rally likeminded individuals to support, to vote, to come together, to shout, to celebrate ourselves, our authentic existence, our lives, our liberty, our pursuit of happiness, our very survival and … our Robert M. Nelson at the MotorCity Pride Parade on Sunday, June 8 at 12 p.m. Find more information about Detroit's Pride celebration at Submit a letter to the editor at and we may publish it online and in print. Like what you're reading? Please consider supporting local journalism and getting unlimited digital access with a Detroit Free Press subscription. We depend on readers like you. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As a gay man in Detroit, LGBTQ+ Pride is important this year | Opinion
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Trump news at a glance: veterans affairs department muzzled after critical article
Senior officials at the US Department of Veterans Affairs have ordered VA physicians and scientists not to publish in medical journals or speak with the public without first seeking clearance from political appointees of Donald Trump. Veterans advocates say the decision fits into a pattern of censorship by the Trump administration, and came hours after the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine published a perspective co-authored by two pulmonologists who work for the VA in Texas. The article warned that cancelled contracts, layoffs and a planned staff reduction of 80,000 employees in the nation's largest integrated healthcare system jeopardizes the health of a million veterans who served in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Here are the key stories at a glance: The edict, laid down in emails on Friday by Curt Cashour, the VA's assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, and John Bartrum, a senior adviser to VA secretary Doug Collins, came hours after the article published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 'We have guidance for this,' wrote Cashour, a former Republican congressional aide and campaign consultant, attaching the journal article. 'These people did not follow it.' Read the full story Russell Vought, the director of the office of management and budget (OMB), on Sunday cast doubt on the constitutional obligation of the White House to ask Congress to sign off on Donald Trump's massive cuts to the federal workforce spearheaded by Elon Musk. Vought indicated the White House preferred to rely on 'executive tools' for all but a 'necessary' fraction of the cuts instead of submitting the whole package of jobs and agency slashing that took place via the so-called 'department of government efficiency' (Doge), to the congressional branch for its official approval. Read the full story The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed a list of 'sanctuary' states, cities and counties from its website following sharp criticism from a sheriffs' association that said a list of 'noncompliant' sheriffs could severely damage the relationship between the Trump administration and law enforcement. Read the full story A teenage transgender athlete in California, who has been at the center of widespread political attacks by rightwing pundits and the Trump administration, won in two track events over the weekend. The 16-year-old athlete, AB Hernandez, tied for first place alongside two other athletes in the high jump, and tied for first place in the triple jump. This comes as the Trump administration threatened to withhold federal funding from California for allowing trans athletes to compete in girls' sports. Read the full story The White House budget director Russ Vought on Sunday dismissed as 'totally ridiculous' fears expressed by voters that cuts to benefits in the huge spending bill passed by the House will lead to premature deaths in America. Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, now awaiting debate in the US Senate, will slash two major federal safety net programs, Medicaid, which provides healthcare to poor and disabled Americans, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), which helps people afford groceries, which will affect millions of people if it becomes law. Read the full story The is FBI investigating a multiple-injury attack in downtown Boulder, Colorado. One person died and 11 other were injured after 80 shots fired at North Carolina house party. A British businessman was accused of plotting to smuggle US military technology to China. Catching up? Here's what happened on Saturday 31 May.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
House lawmakers to unveil draft budget for vets programs this week
Congressional appropriators will unveil their first draft of the fiscal 2026 federal budget this week, with a House committee mark-up of planned funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and military construction projects. The VA-Milcon measure is typically less contentious than other sections of the budget, but will likely still feature several points of conflict between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. VA leaders have proposed steep cuts in department staffing next fiscal year, but have not detailed the scope and costs of those plans. The House Appropriations Committee's initial work on next year's budget will come before White House officials have unveiled their full federal spending request for fiscal 2026. Last month, officials presented lawmakers with a 'skinny' budget roughly outlining funding request parameters for each department, but a more detailed budget plan is expected out in the coming weeks. But appropriators in recent weeks have expressed concerns about the long wait for those details and the approaching end of the current fiscal year. Lawmakers have until Oct. 1 to pass a budget plan for the new year, or pass a short-term extension to avoid a partial government shutdown. House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — 2200 Rayburn NATO Outside experts will testify on challenges facing NATO. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Army Posture Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 10 a.m. — 419 Dirksen Transnational Criminal Organizations Outside experts will testify on transnational criminal organizations operating in the Americas. Senate Appropriations — 2:30 p.m. — 124 Dirksen National Nuclear Security Budget Teresa Robbins, acting administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration, will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. Senate Foreign Relations — 2:30 p.m. — 419 Dirksen China's Influence in Africa Outside experts will testify on challenges posed by Chinese involvement in African affairs. Senate Veterans' Affairs — 4 p.m. — 418 Russell Pending Nominations The committee will consider several pending nominations. Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — Dirksen G-50 Army Posture Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Appropriations — 10 a.m. — Location TBA FY2026 VA Appropriations The committee will mark up its draft of the fiscal 2026 appropriations bill for Veterans Affairs programs and military construction projects. House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — 2118 Rayburn Air Force Posture Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin and Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Transportation — 10 a.m. — 2167 Rayburn Coast Guard Programs Service officials will testify on the fiscal 2026 budget request. House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2200 Rayburn Syria Outside experts will testify on the security situation in Syria.
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Senate rankings: The 5 seats most likely to flip
The 2026 midterm cycle is already bustling with activity as Senate Republicans gear up to defend their majority and Democrats try to reverse course from a difficult few years and chart a path forward. The fields are starting to take shape as incumbents decide whether to run again, candidates launch campaigns and party leaders attempt to woo their top choices. It's all happening against the backdrop of constant action at the White House and Congress' push to enact President Trump's massive tax bill — both of which will play outsize roles in the coming cycle. Here's an early look at the five Senate seats most likely to flip next year. Sen. Jon Ossoff (Ga.) is considered the most vulnerable Democrat on the Senate map and Republicans have eagerly been awaiting the chance to win back the seat. But they were barely a quarter of the way into the cycle when Republicans got their first big piece of bad recruitment news: Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) decided against a Senate bid, depriving the GOP of its top choice across the entire 2026 map. His decision scrambled the race. Not only did it deprive the GOP of a top-tier candidate in a crucial race, it also increases the chances of a bloody primary. 'Kemp is the 1:1 on the board. Full stop,' one GOP operative said. 'This is a situation where you want a primary. Where you want them to show their mettle because I just don't think that we have a clear enough indication on any of these guys to say they can do it.' Multiple Republicans indicated they expect a primary much like what happened in Ohio last year: a crowded field of B-tier candidates, many of whom will prompt more questions than answers. The field is already starting to take shape. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) is in, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is out and operatives believe Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) may follow Carter into the primary. More are likely to go for it, but none that are considered heavy hitters at this stage. Top party figures have been hoping for freshman Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) to take the plunge, but few expect him to do so. There have also been murmurs around Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler — but nothing more. Republicans concede Ossoff will be to beat without Kemp, pointing to his growing war chest, battle-tested history and penchant for avoiding missteps during his term. GOP operatives, though, see openings to whack him over support for transgender women in sports and steadfast opposition to Trump. 'I am bullish on Jon Ossoff. … He's done a great job. He's centered the people of Georgia and their needs and their concerns,' Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) told The Hill, arguing that the GOP's 'one big, beautiful bill' will be an albatross at the ballot box. 'I'd hate to have to run as a Republican in this moment,' he added. If Democrats are going to make any headway toward winning back the majority, toppling Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is a must. And for now, they are waiting to find out whether Gov. Roy Cooper (D) is in or out for what would be the marquee matchup on the board. Much like Kemp in Georgia, Cooper is a popular two-term governor who would easily give his party the best chance of flipping a seat and avoiding a messy primary. Democrats are hopeful that Cooper will not follow the lead of numerous governors over the past decade who have spurned bids for the upper chamber. 'They've got to convince him that serving in the Senate is better than spending time with his family,' one Democratic operative with North Carolina ties said of party leaders. 'That's a hard sell.' Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.) has already announced a bid. Whoever the Democratic nominee is will have to face an incumbent Republican who has twice won close contests. But for Tillis, squaring off against a popular governor in a year when the mood of the country might not be in the GOP's corner would likely make it his toughest political bout yet. Adding to his issues is potential GOP primary as some conservatives continue to cry foul over his work with Democrats in recent years. But Republicans remain confident as the state's rightward tilt stayed true in November. Governors past and present also have found that running for the upper chamber is a different animal, potentially giving Tillis another boost. Does anyone want to face off with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) next year? That's the question on the minds of top politicos as Democrats struggle to find a viable candidate against the Maine centrist after the party failed spectacularly to defeat her in 2020, leaving them burned in the New England state heading into next year. The latest blow came as Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) announced he will run for his toss-up House seat once again rather than mount a statewide bid. That's leaving Democrats to pin their hopes on Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) throwing her hat in the ring — but Mills hasn't sounded overly enthusiastic about a potential bid. 'I'm not planning to do anything right now, I'm just — I'm not planning to run for anything,' Mills told a local outlet in late April. 'Things change week to week, month to month, but I'm not … at this moment, I'm not planning to run for another office.' The reticence comes after Sara Gideon vastly outraised and outspent the five-term senator in 2020, only to see her polling advantage evaporate come election day. Collins won by eight percentage points, owing in large part to her long-standing connections to the state. 'In general, for any senator who's served their state and been out there and talking to the voters and engaging them and working to solve those problems, they're going to be effective with their voters to gain their support,' said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), who ran the Democratic Senatorial Committee during the 2020 cycle. 'From what I have seen from so many of my colleagues and Republican colleagues, that's the winning combination,' she added. Nevertheless, Maine remains a blue state and the last one to not change parties as part of the realignment that finally saw Montana and West Virginia fall into GOP hands last year. This and some troublesome polls are keeping that glimmer of hope alive for some Democrats. One Democratic operative made clear to The Hill that there remains donor interest in playing ball —- but only if a 'legit candidate' takes the plunge. It's not even halfway through the off-year and the Michigan Democratic primary is already the leader in the clubhouse to become the most contentious of the 2026 cycle as a trio of key players look to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in the Wolverine State. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), former health director Abdul El-Sayed, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D) and former Michigan state House Speaker Joe Tate have all launched bids in recent months. Stevens, the favorite of Washington Democrats, is the initial leader with 34 percent, according to a new survey released last week. That's a 12-point advantage over El-Sayed, who has Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) backing. But the presence of the two is giving Democrats agita over what is becoming a proxy battle between the party establishment and progressive forces, with that battle stretching into one over Israel and Palestine. 'It's basically a [Hillary Clinton] versus Bernie type fight,' said one Democratic operative with Michigan ties. As for McMorrow, she is the dark horse. The state senator, who has seen her star rise in recent years, is pitching herself as part of a new generation of Democrats, having said she will not back Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for his current post. She is also using the Pete Buttigieg playbook of flooding the zone media wise. Democrats maintain they are unconcerned with a testy primary and believe it will be a net-positive come general election time. 'I've never been opposed to primaries when I was [DSCC] chair,' said Peters, who chaired the committee in both 2022 and 2024. 'A primary can be constructive. … I would hope they wouldn't cross the line and attack each other, although that's always sometimes difficult. But … a primary can really strengthen a candidate before they get into the real show.' Across the aisle, former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) is once again the party's top choice to become its nominee. But unlike his 2024 run, he might have a primary on his hands as Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) is moving closer to running. Of course, winning in the state will be difficult for any Republican. Michigan has not elected a Republican to the Senate in more than 30 years. New Hampshire is considered a must-win state for Democrats in 2026. And they are breathing easy despite Sen. Jeanne Shaheen's (D-N.H.) retirement as Rep. Chris Pappas' (D-N.H.) presence gives the party a top-tier candidate. Shaheen, a three-term lawmaker and ex-New Hampshire governor, has been a formidable force in the state's political scene for years and is set to leave a major void in the Democratic-leaning state. However, Democrats remain bullish that the seat will remain in the party's hands. Of all the states on this list, New Hampshire is the only one former Vice President Kamala Harris carried last year. It is also the only one, other than Georgia, that is unlikely to have a knock-out, drag out Democratic primary that could prove damaging in a general election. The major questions reside on the Republican side as former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) is eyeing a second run in the Granite state 12 years after he narrowly lost to Shaheen. According to a source familiar with the ex-senator, Brown is continuing to take a 'hard look' at a bid and has been traveling around the state, attending party events and doing his 'due diligence.' He also was spotted on Capitol Hill making the rounds in March. A decision is expected by early fall. Brown was dogged in his 2014 run over accusations that he was a carpetbagger, having run two years prior for reelection in Massachusetts. Republicans are widely expecting that attack once again, especially in contrast to the Pappas family's longstanding ties to the state. 'The problem is the Pappas family is New Hampshire,' the GOP operative said. What isn't clear is what the GOP's fallback options are in a state where they likely need everything to break right to have a chance. No Republican has nabbed a Senate seat in the state in 15 years, though the party has held the governorship since 2017.
