Saving the Veterans Administration means adequately staffing it
When members of the U.S. Senate announced they would block confirmation of a nine-member commission that would have closed dozens of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities across the country, it was a huge win for veterans, military families and our country. Lawmakers saw through the guise that closures would help “modernize” the VA and halted a pernicious privatization effort. Now it’s
Read MoreGoogle gets FEC approval to let campaign emails bypass spam filters after GOP criticism
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) voted Thursday to allow Google to push forward a Gmail pilot program that would allow campaign emails to dodge spam filters, a move that comes after accusations from Republicans that the filters were biased against their messages. The FEC voted 4-1 to approve the program, concluding that the test of new features
Read MoreArmy identifies Ranger candidates killed by falling tree during Georgia storm
The Army has identified the two Ranger candidates killed by a falling tree Tuesday during a training exercise in the north Georgia mountains. Staff Sgt. George Taber, 30, and 2nd Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon, 23, died after they were hit by the tree while sheltering from a storm on Yonah Mountain near Dahlonega, Ga., according to an Army statement. Fitzgibbon and Taber, along with three other Ranger candidates, we
Read MoreFinding solutions to National Park Service housing challenges
While visitors revel in the beauty of our awe-inspiring national parks this summer, many of the dedicated public servants who facilitate those experiences continue face a housing crisis. Throughout the country, there are numerous examples of National Park Service staffers and their families living in deteriorating and outdated on-park housing, or in nearby communities where easy access to national parks has led to soaring home prices that government employees can’t afford. As acting director of the National Park Service (NPS), I visited Mt. Rainer in 2020 to see firsthand how the
Read MoreMembers of Congress mourn Indiana Rep. Jackie Walorski
Members of Congress mourned the loss of the late Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.) on Thursday, a little more than a week after the congresswoman died in a car accident. Walorski’s funeral took place at Granger Community Church in Indiana, according to the South Bend Tribune. She will be buried at the Southlawn Cemetery. Walorski, 58, along with two of her staffers, Zachery Potts, 27, and Emma Thomson, 28,
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