Latest news with #Virginians
Axios
2 days ago
- Health
- Axios
Walmart rewords Virginia pop-up tying condom searches to data consent
Pushback on the Walmart website warning Virginia users to avoid searching for or buying reproductive or sexual health products if they don't consent to their information being collected has led the retailer to change the pop-up's wording. Why it matters: The message raised questions from some shoppers and a state senator about how major retailers are interpreting and complying with the new reproductive health privacy protections in Virginia. State of play: Those protections, which took effect July 1, are part of a law that bans the collection or sale of identifiable reproductive health data without explicit consent from the consumer. That information can be related to buying birth control, condoms and pregnancy tests. But Virginians will see the Walmart pop-up simply by being on the website. Catch up quick: Walmart's original message said that viewing such products on its site means you consent to sharing your data. While that language has been scaled back, the retail giant's new wording still suggests Virginians who use the site are automatically consenting to having limited information collected since there's no opt-out option. The new law doesn't explicitly require businesses to offer an opt-out. Zoom in: State Sen. Barbara Favola, who sponsored the law, called Walmart's initial message " over-encompassing" earlier this month, but she told Axios on Friday that the new pop-up is "a warmer version." She said a workgroup will submit changes refining the law next year. Walmart spokesperson Marilee McInnis told Axios that Walmart will "continue to assess the best way" to "inform customers how we use certain types of information," as per the new law. McInnis also said Walmart doesn't sell Virginia consumer health information or use it for targeted advertising. Between the lines: Walmart, as of an Axios review on Friday, is one of the only big retailers with a visible message on its landing page regarding the new law. Costco, when you click on condoms or birth control pills, shows a message under product details saying searching or buying "a health care product or service" implies consent to data collection. CVS, Target, Amazon and Walgreens do not have similar notes.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Dem in ultra-competitive House race bases campaign in DC, three hours outside district
A Democrat fighting to unseat a Republican House lawmaker in Virginia is facing questions about how much time he's actually spending in the district he wants to represent. James Osyf, 40, an executive at Lockheed Martin, is the most prominent of three Democratic candidates competing against two-term incumbent Jen Kiggans (R-Va.). While the competitive 2nd Congressional District is based on the southeastern Virginia coast, Osyf is listed as the owner of a $1.7 million Washington, DC home and has registered his campaign at a capital city address, some 200 miles away from the people he wishes to serve in Congress. 5 James Osyf launched his campaign earlier this month in a bid to flip a vulnerable Republican seat. Facebook / James Osyf In addition, a review of publicly available records indicates Osyf does not live anywhere in the district. 'While it's constitutionally legal to run for a House seat from outside the district, it's a rare occurrence, and rarely successful,' Dante Scala, a professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire who has studied political campaigns for decades, told The Post. 'Voters expect, rationally enough, that they are better represented by someone who resides in their district, all other things being equal. Political opponents quickly jump on this,' he added. 'It certainly doesn't look good,' agreed Todd Belt, the director of the Political Management program at George Washington University, 'which is why candidates often fake a residence in a district in order to run there.' Kiggans, who unseated Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in 2022 and was re-elected last year, registered her campaign in Virginia Beach, in the heart of the district. 5 James Osyf registered his campaign in Washington, DC, three hours away from Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. FEC registrations can be amended, so it is possible for Osyf to change his base of operations and his residence as the drive for votes revs up. However, GOP operatives keen on holding the toss-up seat have already taken notice. 'James Osyf is a DC resident and political opportunist who has no business representing Virginians,' National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesperson Maureen O'Toole alleged to The Post. 'Voters don't want him in Hampton Roads, and they'll reject him next year.' 5 Rep. Jen Kiggans holds one of a handful of House seats that Democrats are carefully eyeing heading into the 2026 cycle. Earlier this month, Osyf sat for an interview with a local news outlet, The Virginian-Pilot, which claimed he 'lives in Virginia Beach.' However, property records give no indication that the candidate owns a home in the city, though that does not preclude the possibility of him renting a house or apartment. DC property records, on the other hand, show that Osyf purchased a lavish three-story home in DC's Eckington neighborhood back in 2023. 5 The Navy reservist has made standing up for veterans a key focus of his campaign. Facebook / James Osyf Real estate firm Redfin estimates the late-19th century townhome is now worth $1.86 million and describes it as a 'Commanding Victorian Brownstone' and a 'masterpiece renovation.' Osyf's campaign did not respond to repeated requests to clarify the candidate's living situation. Osyf does have at least one known connection to southeast Virginia: His LinkedIn profile indicates that he has served as a reserve officer in the Navy's Second Fleet since 2023. That fleet is based in nearby Norfolk, which is covered by a different congressional district. 5 House Republicans are facing historical headwinds heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Getty Images Osyf appears to have spent the bulk of the last decade in and around DC. His LinkedIn profile lists his current job as director of policy and program operations at Lockheed Martin in suburban Bethesda, Md., in addition to stints in the Navy Reserve in DC, San Diego and Virginia Beach. Osyf attended Georgetown University Law Center between 2015 and 2019, before being admitted to the DC Bar in January 2020, according to the DC Bar Association. Virginia law requires candidates to be residents of the commonwealth for at least one year immediately before the election in order to qualify to hold office.
Axios
22-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Why your grocery bill in Virginia might keep climbing
Beef prices have reached record highs nationwide — hitting Virginia at peak grilling season. Why it matters: The steep price tag might squeeze grocery budgets for the next two to four years, says Patrick Montgomery, CEO and cofounder of Missouri-based KC Cattle Company. These costs are "just the tip of the iceberg," Montgomery tells Axios. By the numbers: Ground beef — the second-most consumed meat nationwide — averaged $6.12 a pound in June, up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to federal data released last week. It's the first time that ground beef has been above $6 since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) data collection began in the 1980s, per the Joint Economic Committee's minority arm. Meanwhile, Virginians are eating more beef now (59.1 pounds) than they were last year (58.9). Zoom out: The beef supply chain is being strained by a multi-year drought and high consumer demand while farmers face higher production expenses. Pittsylvania County cow producer Hunter Johnson told WSET the costs of expenses like pesticides and fertilizers have increased 30-35%. And the Virginia Cooperative Commission says cattle supply is the lowest it's been since 2014. The other side: The spike in prices for "conventional sources of beef" could be a good thing for local butcher shops like Belmont Butchery, owner Tanya Cauthen tells Axios. "It actually makes local meat more competitive as a result because there's less of a price difference," she says. Yes, but: Cauthen has noticed that customers are buying smaller portions and asking more about alternative or cheaper steak cuts. Her pro tip on maintaining a family food budget: "Talk to your butcher about what you're trying to make, because they will probably have a suggestion that you would've never thought of." What we're watching: Whether the incoming U.S. tariff on Brazil, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all U.S. beef imports, will have an impact on Richmond-area restaurants.
Axios
21-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Richmond region feels impact as Virginia unemployment climbs
Virginia was the only state in the nation that saw a statistically significant increase in unemployment last month, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Why it matters: More than 160,000 Virginians were out of work but looking for a job in June amid a gloomy national labor outlook for the unemployed. State of play: The latest unemployment data, out Friday, suggests the state's job losses go beyond the Trump administration's culling of federal workers. Overall, there were roughly 8,400 fewer jobs in Virginia in June than in May. And Richmond saw the third-highest month-over-month decrease in nonfarm employment in the state. Zoom in: All but four of the dozen or so nonagricultural industries in Virginia posted job losses between May and June, per detailed data from Virginia Works, the state's workforce development arm. The biggest losses by sector came from: Professional and business services: ⬇️ 3,500 Federal government: ⬇️ 2,500 Education and health services: ⬇️ 2,200 Leisure and hospitality: ⬇️ 1,500 The state's monthly job gains were in state government (+2,200), construction (+1,700), goods producing (+1,000), and local government (+100). By the numbers: Virginia's unemployment rate hit 3.5% in June, the sixth month in a row the state's rate has increased. Metro Richmond's unemployment rate also ticked up slightly to 3.5%. Both are below the national average of 4.1%. Regionally, Northern Virginia took the brunt of the monthly jobs losses, per Virginia Works. Of the 8,400 decrease in nonfarm employment between May and June, more than half of the jobs lost — 4,700 — were in NoVa. Virginia Beach/Norfolk MSA lost 2,600 jobs. Richmond MSA, which includes 20 localities across the region, lost 1,100. Yes, but: Year over year, Virginia added 35,600 jobs, largely in service-providing fields, construction, and heath care and education. Meanwhile, professional and business services jobs — which tends to be a catch-all category for white-collar jobs — in the state fell by 6,900. What they're saying:"We expect there will be federal job reductions and that the growth in non-federal jobs over the course of the year ... will provide opportunities for those who have experienced job dislocation," Gov. Glenn Youngkin said in a statement Friday.
Axios
21-07-2025
- Health
- Axios
Where to find Richmond's new harm-reduction vending machines
The city of Richmond installed its first public, harm-reduction vending machines last week, and plans to add more this year. Why it matters: The machines offer free, anonymous access to life-saving medical supplies 24/7, including Narcan, or naloxone, a drug that can quickly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. State play: While Virginia had the second-largest drop in overdose deaths in the country last year, over 1,500 Virginians still died from overdoses. Fentanyl, the effects of which Narcan can counteract, is the leading cause of drug overdose deaths, per VDH data. In addition to Narcan, the machines are stocked with fentanyl test strips, first aid kits and personal hygiene items. If you go: Vending machines were installed last week at Marshall Plaza (downtown) and Southside Plaza (South Richmond).
