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A historic HBCU first
Virginia State University lands presidential debate
When the presumptive Democratic and Republican nominees enter the Multi-Purpose Center on the campus of Virginia State University on Oct. 1, history will be made. VSU will become the first HBCU to host a U.S. presidential debate.
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President Biden signs $95B bill for war aid in Ukraine
Funds include $26B in aid for Israel, $1B in for Palestinians in Gaza
President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that he was immediately rushing badly needed weaponry to Ukraine as he signed into law a $95 billion war aid measure that also included assistance for Israel, Taiwan and other global hotspots.
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Personality: Rhonda Keyes Pleasants
Spotlight on chair of Family Representative Council of East Marshall Street Well Project
Rhonda Keyes Pleasants entered the funeral industry in 1996 and became a fully licensed funeral director and embalmer in December 2000.
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City Council postpones budget adoption
Despite calls to increase funding for Richmond Public Schools and address capital improvement issues, Richmond City Council delayed adopting its proposed $2.9 billion 2025 budget until May 6.
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School Board reviews conduct proposal for members
At its April 22 meeting, the RPS School Board discussed policy changes to School Board procedures and board member conduct.
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Summer Academy offers students lessons in leadership, public service
Richmond high school and college students can gain political skills and knowledge during the upcoming Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service. The academy runs from Sunday, June 23, to Saturday, July 6, and is organized by Policy Pathways Inc. The program will be hosted in partnership with the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Delegate McQuinn to host annual Community Resource Day
Delegate Delores McQuinn of the 81st District will host her free annual Community Resource Day event on Saturday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New Bridge Baptist Church, 5807 Nine Mile Road.
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Free community testing for COVID-19 continues
The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations:
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Virginia universities announce graduation dates, speakers
College graduations start throughout Virginia in the next two weeks, with thousands of students receiving their diplomas and taking their hard-earned knowledge out into the world.
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USDA updates rules for school meals that limit sugars
The nation’s school meals will get a makeover under new nutrition standards that limit added sugars for the first time, the U.S. Department of Agriculture an- nounced Wednesday. The final rule also trims sodium in students’ meals, although not by the 30% first proposed in 2023. And it con- tinues to allow flavored milks — such as chocolate milk — with less sugar, rather than adopting an option that would have offered only unflavored milk to the youngest kids. The aim is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that provides breakfasts to more than 15 million students and lunches to nearly 30 million students every day at a cost of about $22.6 billion per year. “All of this is designed to ensure that students have quality meals and that we meet parents’ expectations,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters. The limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as cereal, yogurt and flavored milk. By the fall of 2027, added sugars in school meals would be limited to no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfasts and lunches, in addition to limits on sugar in specific products. New WIC rules include more money for fruits and veggies. They also expand food choices Officials had proposed to reduce sodium in school meals by as much as 30% over the next several years. But after receiving mixed public comments and a directive from Congress included in the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill approved in March, the agency will reduce sodium levels allowed in breakfasts by 10% and in lunches by 15% by the 2027-2028 school year.
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Herbs Galore descends on Maymont
Maymont’s Herbs Galore plant sale event on Saturday promises that herb lovers will find everything they need to freshen up their gardens. The fun occurs between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on the Carriage House Lawn, 1700 Hampton St.
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State employees get free admission to VMFA’s ‘Samurai Armor’ exhibit
Commonwealth of Virginia employees and preschool and K–12 teachers (public and private schools) will receive free admission to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ new exhibition “Samurai Armor from the Collection of Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller.” Active duty military personnel and their immediate families also will receive free admission to special exhibitions through the museum’s year-round participation in the Blue Star Museums program.
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Palpable relief doesn’t ease the pain
For anyone who owns a home or land, it has become common to receive a text or letter from a persistent real estate agent or investor offering to purchase their property. In most Black communities, where homeowners have labored long and hard to acquire a home for themselves or family members, the response to such predators is a polite — or not so polite — “no.”
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Published on April 25, 2024
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An American lament, by Dwight Cunningham
t’s tough being an American. It’s hard to know your worth when you’re Black, or Latino, Native American or Asian, Muslim, gay or whatever. Seems today’s patriotic ideal American isn’t any of “those people,” as the powerful spend considerable time and nefarious energy to exert dominance by any means possible.
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Google fires more workers who protested its deal with Israel
Google recently fired at least 20 more workers in the aftermath of protests over technology the company is supplying the Israeli government amid the Gaza war, bringing the total number of terminated staff to more than 50, a group representing the workers said.
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Who will be D.C.’s next QB?
Watch your step. Few revolving doors have spun as fast as the door leading to the Washington Commanders’ quarterback room.