Fort Hunt Men’s Rugby Team Wins Championship, West End Takes Women’s Title

June 10, 2014, 8:24 am

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Patch Huntington-Belle Haven, VA --

Two Virginia high schools vied for men’s and women’s state rugby championships. Reported by Patch 35 minutes ago.

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New Pizza Restaurant Up and Running in Arlington

June 10, 2014, 7:51 am

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Patch Ballston-Virginia Square, VA --

Fairfax County native opens restaurant on Pershing Drive. Reported by Patch 1 hour ago.

Virginia 3-year-old in critical condition after twin brother shoots him with unattended gun

June 10, 2014, 8:31 am

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A 3-year-old boy is in critical but stable condition in Hopewell, VA after his twin brother found an unattended handgun and accidentally shot him. According to CBS News, the shooting took place at around 10:00 a.m. on Monday. Hopewell Police Chief John Koehane said the injured boy was taken to John Randolph Medical Center for treatment of a bullet wound to the buttocks. He was transferred from there to VCU Medical Center to have a […] Reported by Raw Story 28 minutes ago.

Virginia voters go to polls for primaries in 3 U.S. House districts

June 10, 2014, 8:11 am

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U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor faces a challenge from a political newcomer backed by the tea party as Virginia voters go to the polls Tuesday for three congressional primaries. Reported by NY Daily News 48 minutes ago.

House of Cards-Style Corruption in Virginia

June 10, 2014, 8:16 am

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In the Netflix show "House of Cards," Kevin Spacey plays Frank Underwood -- a shrewd and cunning politician who methodically manipulates his way into higher levels of power like a chess game, often through blackmail, bribery, and other forms of skullduggery. Phil Puckett, a Virginia state senator, is truly embodying the worst of Frank Underwood, throwing his constituents under the bus to secure benefits for himself and his family.

State Senator Phil Puckett, a Democrat, announced his resignation today after 16 years in the senate. Puckett is from Southwest Virginia, which is largely poor and rural. His resignation will trigger a special election which Republicans are likely to win, giving the GOP a majority in the Senate. If a Republican replaces Puckett, his daughter gets a judgeship and he gets a position as Deputy Director of the state tobacco commission.

Should the Republicans win the Senate, they're likely to take Medicaid expansion out of the state budget, making access to health care impossible for 400,000 Virginians -- particularly poor and rural Virginians in Russell County, where Puckett used to serve. Unless McAuliffe is willing to veto the Republican budget and trigger a state government shutdown on July 1, nearly half a million Virginians won't get access to the health care they need.

Puckett's daughter, Martha P. Ketron, has had her judicial appointment up in the air since the start of this year's legislative session. Last year's elections, in which former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe won the governor's race, also saw the 40-seat State Senate switch hands from GOP control to Democratic control. State Senator Ralph Northam won the Lieutenant Governor's race and a Democrat narrowly won his old Senate seat in a special election this January. Republicans have been blocking Ketron's confirmation for a judgeship in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, on the grounds of an informal policy that doesn't allow for relatives of legislators to serve as judges. Ketron was named as an interim judge in July of 2013 and requires confirmation from the legislature to serve a 6-year term. Puckett's resignation from the senate means the anti-nepotism policy will no longer apply.

The sweetheart deal for Puckett and his family will likely come at a lethal cost to Virginians who depend on Medicaid expansion. A Harvard study recently found that as many as 17,000 Americans may die due to lack of Medicaid expansion in states where Republican governors have opted out of expanding the program under Obamacare.

Out of the 8 million Americans who lost the ability to get health insurance under expanded Medicaid programs, 432,000 diabetics won't be able to have access to medication, 659,000 women won't have access to mammograms, and 3.1 million women in need of regular pap smears won't have health insurance to make those exams and treatments available. Former Florida governor Charlie Crist claims 6 Floridians die each day due to current governor Rick Scott's decision to not expand Medicaid, which Politifact rated "half-true," only on the grounds that the number is actually closer to 3 a day.

Blocking Medicaid expansion isn't only a loss for people who need Medicaid -- it's also political suicide. According to Public Policy Polling results collected this past April, five Republican governors who chose not to expand Medicaid are trailing in their bids for re-election. Maine governor Paul LePage and Pennsylvania governor Tom Corbett are both losing popularity among their blue-state constituents. Red state constituents are losing confidence for Kansas governor Sam Brownback and Georgia governor Nathan Deal. And in Florida, Rick Scott's opposition to Medicaid expansion is widely opposed by a 58 to 33 margin.

At the federal level, Mitch McConnell may lose his re-election bid in Kentucky, as his constituents are supportive of Kynect -- Governor Steve Beshear's expansion of health insurance for Kentuckians. McConnell has been put in such a precarious position over Obamacare's popularity among Kentuckians that he's taken the position of wanting to repeal Obamacare but keep Kynect, which a Washington Post fact-checker called "not credible." 413,000 Kentuckians have signed up for Kynect, the state-based exchange funded by Obamacare, and most qualified for the federal subsidy that lowers premium costs.

The fact that Senator Puckett is letting the GOP buy him out with a cushy job and a prestigious position for his daughter so they can successfully block Medicaid expansion isn't just nakedly corrupt, it's also lethal. Puckett deserves to be investigated and the Democratic leadership needs to hold fast to either having a budget that expands access to healthcare, or having no budget at all.

Senator Puckett's office did not return calls for interview requests.

(This article originally appeared on Reader Supported News.) Reported by Huffington Post 43 minutes ago.

Ohio and Virginia Chambers of Commerce Launch Private Health Insurance and Benefits Exchange through CieloStar

June 10, 2014, 8:09 am

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MINNEAPOLIS, June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CieloStar, a leading nationwide healthcare benefit distribution and payment technology company, announced today that it has partnered with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Chamber to open private health insurance and benefits... Reported by PR Newswire 50 minutes ago.

Judges Could Be Contributing To Social Security Woes

June 10, 2014, 8:13 am

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Four Social Security judges defended their work Tuesday amid accusations they rubber-stamped claims for disability benefits, approving billions of dollars in payments from the cash-strapped program.

Each of the judges approved more than 90 percent of the cases they heard from 2005 to 2013, according to a new report by the Republican staff of the House Oversight Committee. The report says the high approval rates indicate the judges didn't follow proper procedures or conduct meaningful hearings. "In essence, these judges rubber stamped nearly every claimant before them for a lifetime of benefits at taxpayer expense," the report said.

The administrative law judges were scheduled to testify Tuesday before the Oversight Committee.

In written testimony, Judge Gerald I. Krafsur of Kingsport, Tennessee, said he had heard thousands of cases and never had one overturned because the applicant was not disabled.

Judge Harry C. Taylor of Charleston, West Virginia, said he makes it a point to keep an open mind about each case while conducting a balanced, thorough review.

From 2005 to 2013, Krafsur approved 99 percent of the cases he decided, the report said. Lifetime benefits average about $300,000, according to the report, so Krafsur's cases will lead to nearly $1.8 billion in benefits.

During the same time period, Taylor approved 94 percent of the cases he decided, for nearly $2.5 billion in total benefits, the report said.

Also scheduled to testify were Judge Charles Bridges of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Judge James A. Burke of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"I am concerned about Americans who work hard and earn disability coverage," Burke said in written testimony. "When they become disabled, they wait three years to get the coverage they earned. Lives and families are destroyed. I see their medical records and hear their testimony. I am trained to make legal and factual decisions. I am confident that I make the right decisions."

From 2005 to 2013, Burke approved 96 percent of the cases he decided, according to the report. Bridges approved 95 percent.

The report said some judges approved claims at alarmingly high rates as part of an agency effort to reduce case backlogs and processing times. It is often easier for a judge to approve a claim than to deny it, the report said. Denials can be appealed, so judges must meticulously document their reasons, the report said. Approvals are generally accepted, ending the judge's role in the case.

In 2007, the average processing time for a hearing was 512 days. It was reduced to less than a year in 2012, but has since crept back up to 411 days.

In written testimony for a second hearing on Wednesday, Acting Social Security Commissioner Carolyn W. Colvin blamed budget cuts for the recent increase.

A report by the committee's Democratic staff said the judges at Tuesday's hearing grant benefits at a rate much higher than the vast majority of administrative law judges. The Democratic report says oversight and training for the agency's 1,400 judges has improved over the past decade.

Both reports note that, overall, judges are approving claims at the lowest rate in years. In 2013, judges approved 56 percent of the cases they decided, down from 72 percent in 2005.

Tuesday's hearing comes as Social Security's disability program edges toward the brink of insolvency. The trust fund that supports the disability program is projected to run out of money in 2016. At that point, the system will collect only enough money in payroll taxes to pay 80 percent of benefits, triggering an automatic 20 percent cut in benefits.

Congress could redirect money from Social Security's much bigger retirement program to shore up the disability program, as it did in 1994. But that would worsen the finances of the retirement program, which is facing its own long-term financial problems.

Nearly 11 million disabled workers, spouses and children get Social Security disability benefits. That's a 45 percent increase from a decade ago. The average monthly benefit for a disabled worker is $1,146.

An additional 8.4 million people get Supplemental Security Income, a separately funded disability program for low-income people.

In order to qualify, people are supposed to have disabilities that prevent them from working and are expected to last at least a year or result in death.

Social Security disability claims are first processed through a network of local Social Security Administration field offices and state agencies called Disability Determination Services. About two-thirds of initial claims are rejected, according to agency statistics.

If your claim is rejected, you can ask the field office or state agency to reconsider. If your claim is rejected again, you can appeal to an administrative law judge, who is employed by Social Security.

The Republican report notes that most cases have been rejected twice by the time they reach an administrative law judge, raising questions about high approval rates.

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Follow Stephen Ohlemacher on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stephenatap Reported by Huffington Post 46 minutes ago.

West Cary Group Chosen as Agency of Record for Union First Market Bank

June 10, 2014, 8:26 am

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RICHMOND, Va., June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- West Cary Group, a full-service, brand-advertising agency headquartered in Richmond, Va., has been selected as agency of record for Union First Market Bank. Since acquiring StellarOne Bank, Union has become the largest Virginia-based community... Reported by PR Newswire 33 minutes ago.

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Injured Worker Rescued from 100 Feet at Gwinnett Cell Tower

June 10, 2014, 8:54 am

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Patch Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA --

The worker had lost his grip on a climbing peg and was saved by his cable grab system. Reported by Patch 5 minutes ago.

Elderly Man Shoved Off MARTA Train at Station: Video

June 10, 2014, 8:54 am

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Patch Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA --

An elderly man reportedly making inappropriate comments about women on a MARTA train was shoved off the train by another passenger. Reported by Patch 5 minutes ago.

Stowers Insitute for Medical Research Shares Spotlight with Top Star at the 25th American Century Championship

June 10, 2014, 8:59 am

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In honor of the late Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, the Stowers Institute for Medical Research has been designated the official beneficiary of the 2014 American Century Championship.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. (PRWEB) June 10, 2014

Celebrity golfers and lifesaving gene-based research may seem like an odd pairing, but at the 25th American Century Championship, July 15-20 at Edgewood Tahoe, they’ll be sharing the spotlight in tribute to the late James "Jim" Stowers Jr., founder of American Century Investments. Stowers, who passed away in March at the age of 90, was an investment management innovator who used the fruits of his labor to co-found and endow the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, the official national beneficiary of this year’s tournament.

"Jim was an amazing person who focused his entire life on helping others,” said Jonathan Thomas, president and chief executive officer of American Century Investments. “As an asset management pioneer, he helped people improve their financial situation, while through the Stowers Institute for Medical Research he brought ‘hope for life’ to those afflicted with diseases like cancer, diabetes and dementia by using basic research to improve human health. In tribute to Jim and his unparalleled generosity, we are proud to be directing a portion of the 2014 American Century Championship proceeds to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.”

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a 550-person, basic biomedical research organization focused on improving the understanding of fundamental biological processes and using this knowledge to guide the development of innovative approaches to treat, diagnose and prevent disease. The Institute was established in 1994 through the extraordinary generosity of cancer survivors Mr. Stowers and his wife, Virginia, who dedicated their personal fortune to improving human health through basic research. Each year, more than 40 percent of American Century Investments' profits are distributed to the Institute. Total dividend payments since 2000 now exceed $1 billion.

“The American Century Championship is known for its high-profile sports heroes and celebrities,” said Thomas. “But, thanks to his achievements in business and life sciences, and the enduring legacy he left the world, Jim Stowers is as big a star as any hall-of-fame athlete or award-winning actor.”

The American Century Championship has a long history of supporting worthy causes. Since the tournament’s inception in 1990, approximately $4.2 million has been raised for a range of national and local non-profits. Previous beneficiaries include the Uniformed Firefighters Association Scholarship Fund, Fallen Patriot Fund, Lake Tahoe Fire Relief Fund (Angora fire), Autism Speaks, LIVESTRONG Foundation, American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Expect Miracles Foundation, United Negro College Fund and Boys & Girls Club.

The charities are showcased in tournament literature and promotional materials; they split the amateur prize pool (tournament winnings donated by players wishing to maintain their amateur status) and receive donations from participants in a pre-American Century Championship celebrity-amateur tournament. They also receive proceeds from a $1 million hole-in-one (17th hole at Edgewood) where the player gets half, and the charities share the other half.

For the 2014 tournament, custom golf bag maker Vessel has created event-branded golf bags for each celebrity player. Autographed by the celebrities, the golf bags will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Stowers Institute. Tournament viewers can bid on the celebrity bags online or via text message from July 7 through July 20.

NBC will televise the second and final rounds of the American Century Championship live on Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20. The opening round will be televised on NBC Sports Channel on Friday, July 18. The 54-hole American Century Championship has been played at Edgewood Tahoe’s 6,707-yard lakeside course since its inception in 1990.

Defending 2013 champion and former NFL quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver will be seeking his fifth tournament win. Perennial tournament favorites Charles Barkley, Aaron Rodgers and John Elway are slated to welcome newcomers Terrell Davis (former NFL running back), Rob Riggle (comedian) and Patrick Peterson (NFL cornerback).

About American Century Investments
American Century Investments is a leading privately-held investment management firm, committed to delivering superior investment performance and building long-term client relationships since its founding in 1958. Serving investment professionals, institutions, corporations and individual investors, American Century Investments offers a variety of actively managed investment disciplines through an array of products including mutual funds, institutional separate accounts, commingled trusts and sub-advisory accounts. The company's 1,300 employees serve clients from offices in New York; London; Hong Kong; Mountain View, Calif.; and Kansas City, Mo. Jonathan S. Thomas is president and chief executive officer and Victor Zhang and David MacEwen serve as co-chief investment officers. Through its ownership structure, more than 40 percent of American Century Investments' profits support research to help find cures for diseases including cancer, diabetes and dementia. For more information about American Century, visit http://www.americancentury.com.

About the Stowers Institute for Medical Research
The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life. Jim Stowers, founder of American Century Investments, and his wife, Virginia, opened the Institute in 2000. Since then, the Institute has spent over $1 billion dollars in pursuit of its mission. Currently, the Institute is home to nearly 550 researchers and support personnel; more than 20 independent research programs; and more than a dozen technology-development and core facilities. For information about the Stowers Institute for Medical Research visit http://www.Stowers.org.

©2014 American Century Proprietary Holdings, Inc. Reported by PRWeb 18 seconds ago.

Border Crisis Images Play Role in Cantor's Defeat

June 11, 2014, 7:49 am

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HOUSTON, Texas—The House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor (R-VA), fell from a 34 point lead to defeat after reports of illegal immigrant children flooding into South Texas and being kenneled like dogs in federal facilities. Cantor’s internal polling showed him up by 34 points just days before the primary where he lost by a margin of 11 points to Tea Party challenger Dave Bratt.

Photos released by Breitbart Texas in an exclusive story by Managing Director Brandon Darby clearly showed that the teasing of a potential amnesty deal was leading to a flood of children crossing illegally into Texas in hopes of a future amnesty. The loss by Cantor will likely end any discussion of immigration reform by this Congress for the remainder of this session according to an article in National Journal. 

Fox News reports this is the first loss of a sitting House majority leader in a primary election in U.S. history. Fox News also reported that in the closing weeks of the race, “Bratt argued the seven-term congressman’s support for legal status for children who have illegally entered the country fueled the problem of children from Central America pouring across the southern border, creating a humanitarian crisis.” Darby’s released photos caused the issue to escalate across the country drawing attention from news outlets across the world including a featured story on Huffington Post.

Sean Hannity, speaking on Fox News Tuesday night called the loss a “political earthquake.” 

On the Breitbart News Big Government site, Tony Lee called the primary loss by Cantor “A referendum against amnesty.”  In his article, Lee said, “In knocking Cantor off and shocking Washington and the GOP establishment, voters in Virginia's seventh congressional district may have killed amnesty legislation in this Congress."

The National Journal article quoted above said “The issue of immigration policy drew heightened attention on Fox News and conservative talk radio in the past week after news reports documented a surge of undocumented children arriving at the United States border, overrunning processing centers and the Border Patrol.” Cantor’s response last Friday was to double-down on his amnesty position by suggesting he could work with President Obama to allow a path to citizenship for some children of illegal immigrants already in the country.

At the Republican Party of Texas state convention in Fort Worth last week, Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) who is thought by many to be considering a run for House leadership next year, spoke to Breitbart Texas about his reaction to the photos that were revealed in Darby’s article. “Every time someone talks about legal status and amnesty,” Gohmert said, “it causes a rush on the border and it creates the situation that Breitbart has been reporting on where all these kids come here unaccompanied, because they know they're going to get amnesty at some point."

Gohmert concluded, "Because all this talk about amnesty for kids, as Breitbart has been reporting, it is simply getting worse and worse at our border. It is immoral and outrageous that we would be drawing kids to their detriment."

MSNBC reported “Brat’s criticisms gained traction after reports of nearly a thousand of migrant children stranded at the Arizona border made national headlines.” Breitbart Texas’ Kristin Tate reported earlier today about the worsening conditions of the children being warehoused in Arizona.

Fox News Political Contributor Carl Cameron said, "This is a bad night for the establishment," on the Sean Hannity Show.

Breitbart Texas has announced a Border Security and Public Corruption Tipline. If you have information that is in contrast to the information being released by DHS, you are encouraged to call or email Brandon Darby, Managing Director of Breitbart Texas. The number for you to call is 877-204-2033 or you can email Darby via bdarby@Breitbart.com.

Bob Price is a staff writer and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX. Reported by Breitbart 2 hours ago.

Poll Raises Questions About Immigration Factor In Eric Cantor Defeat

June 11, 2014, 7:21 am

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WASHINGTON -- A poll out Wednesday from Rep. Eric Cantor's Virginia district raises questions about the wisdom of running away from immigration reform for the GOP.

The survey, conducted Tuesday by Democratic firm Public Policy Pollsters for the labor-aligned Americans United for Change, found that most voters in Cantor's district favored immigration reform, even as a sliver of the electorate was tossing the Republican House majority leader from office in favor of conservative Dave Brat.

Some instant analysis and immigration reform opponents were quick to blame Cantor's support for reform -- wavering though it was -- as the reason he lost.

J. Kenneth Blackwell, the former Republican Ohio secretary of state who is now a member of the right-leaning American Civil Rights Union, declared in a statement Wednesday that Cantor's "shocking loss" in the Tuesday primary "happened because he failed to show leadership on key issues such as out-of-control immigration and attempts by the Left to subvert election integrity." Blackwell described reform as "amnesty."

There could be some truth to in his statement, in that the small sliver of voters who showed up at the polls in the low-turnout election (about 12 percent of voters) may well have felt that way.

Some analysis declared immigration reform dead.

But the survey by PPP -- which has a margin of error of nearly 5 percentage points and surveyed 488 voters -- says that most of the rest of the electorate strongly favors immigration reform. The automated poll found that 72 percent of the voters favor the immigration deal that's on the table in Congress, compared to 23 percent who were opposed.

There are plenty of questions that can be raised about the survey because such polls don't capture cell-phone only households, the sponsor is admittedly partisan, and the question, while accurate, seems designed to be reassuring. It reads:
There is bipartisan immigration reform legislation being debated in Washington. The bill would secure our borders, block employers from hiring undocumented immigrants, and make sure that undocumented immigrants already in the U.S. with no criminal record register for legal status. If a long list of requirements is met over more than a decade, it provides eligibility for a path to citizenship.
Still, the poll is not far out of line with other recent surveys, such as one released Tuesday by the Public Religion Research Institute that said 62 percent of Americans back a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

The poll suggests that the real reason for Cantor's loss was that he is unpopular. He only scored an overall 30 percent approval rating, and among GOP voters it was 43 percent positive against 49 percent negative.

Nevertheless, with anti-immigration reform advocates already touting Cantor's loss as their victory, it would seem even harder for the House GOP leaders to be willing to address immigration this year, at least before their primaries are all over. And if immigration reform is as popular as the polls suggest, that could be a significant downside in the general elections in November, and in 2016. Reported by Huffington Post 2 hours ago.

Curtains Up: Macy’s Brings Back “Yes, Virginia the Musical,” Offering $100,000 in Grants for School Productions

June 11, 2014, 7:13 am

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Macy’s announces the return of “Yes, Virginia The Musical” for the 2014 holiday season. Now in its third year, the school program is part of Macy’s annual holiday “Believe” campaign, inspiring elementary and middle schools nationwide to perform the original production of “Yes, Virginia The Musical” in their local communities. To continue the tradition and support art in schools, Macy’s will provide the royalty-free script and score, and also $1,000 grants to 10 Reported by Business Wire 2 hours ago.

Eric Cantor Defeated in Surprise Primary Landslide

June 11, 2014, 7:37 am

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House majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his Republican primary election Tuesday night. Instead of once again running for Virginia’s 7th congressional district this fall, Cantor’s challenger, David Brat, will be on the ballot. Cantor is now the first House Majority … Reported by WebProNews 2 hours ago.

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UMD, GW, and VT add Johns Hopkins to NSF's DC I-Corps Node and NSF's National Innovation Network

June 11, 2014, 7:37 am

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COLLEGE PARK, Md., June 11, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland, along with the George Washington University and Virginia Tech, have added the Johns Hopkins University to the National Science Foundation's  Innovation Corps (I-Corps ™) regional... Reported by PR Newswire 2 hours ago.

Ken Cuccinelli Is The New President Of The Senate Conservatives Fund

June 11, 2014, 8:13 am

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Ken Cuccinelli, who lost the 2013 Virginia governor's race to Democrat Terry McAuliffe, is the new president of the Senate Conservatives Fund.

The SCF is a political action committee founded by former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), which aims to support some tea party candidates over incumbents in Republican primaries. Cuccinelli, the former attorney general of Virginia, said he was ready to help the group "take on Republican incumbents who've lost their way."

"I'’m honored to serve as the next president of the Senate Conservatives Fund," Cuccinelli said in a statement on the SCF's website.” "I've always had tremendous respect for this organization and applaud its members for working to elect principled conservatives. SCF has given our nation's grassroots a powerful voice and I’m excited to join them in the fight. I look forward to working with the hundreds of thousands of SCF supporters across the nation to help change Washington.”"

The SCF touts that it has helped elect "rising stars" in the GOP like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). The group recently got behind tea partier Chris McDaniel in his Mississippi Senate race against incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran, and Joni Ernst, who is seeking to replace retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).

*Watch a video message from Cuccinelli to SCF's members above.* Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.

David Brat explains his stunning victory over Eric Cantor

June 11, 2014, 7:50 am

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Republican giant-killer David Brat said Wednesday his victory over House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia was not just about immigration reform. but he said his differences with Cantor on the issue clearly was a "differentiator." Reported by NY Daily News 2 hours ago.

Parents of Toddler Burned by Police Grenade: ‘Never Saw Drugs’

June 11, 2014, 7:49 am

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Patch Virginia Highland-Druid Hills, GA --

Alecia and Bounkham Phonesavanh tell their side of what happened for the first time after a police grenade detonated in their toddler’s crib during a drug raid. Reported by Patch 2 hours ago.

Eric Cantor was a friend of the NSA. The guy who beat him hates it.

June 11, 2014, 8:05 am

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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's stunning defeat in the Virginia primaries last night had pundits and policy wonks signing the death certificate for immigration reform. But Cantor's loss — and David Brat's win — promises to add even more momentum to a different high-profile issue before Congress: NSA surveillance. Reported by Washington Post 1 hour ago.