: News

Filed Under:

Budget Woes To Dominate VA Assembly In 2010

January 11, 2010
Play associated audio
comments

By David Schultz

Senators and delegates from Fairfax County are holed up in a large auditorium as dozens of concerned citizens, one after another, after another, make requests.

The Fairfax delegations holds this "request-a-thon" every year before the session begins. Del. Dave Marsden, a Democrat from Burke, says this year is different.

"Mostly what people are asking for today is 'Please don't cut us any further,'" says Marsden. "They're not asking for additional resources."

That's because they're aware Virginia lawmakers must make $4 billion in budget cuts this year. Marsden and other lawmakers say the big, ongoing story for this year's session will be how those cuts are made.

The session begins this Wednesday in Richmond.

Arts & Culture

NPR

A Read Down Memory Lane: Lessons From Your Former Self

Writings from childhood — cards, stories and other notes — can hide for decades, like time capsules tucked away in boxes, old bedrooms, attics and journals. Writer Jim Sollisch talks about how old thank you notes from his youth foreshadowed his adult life.

Food

NPR

Inside A Tart Cherry Revival: 'Somebody Needs To Do This!'

The revival is partly based on the humble sour fruit's growing reputation as a superfood. And in Michigan, a scientist is on a quest to introduce a whole new world of hardier, tastier tart cherries by breeding American trees with ancestral varieties from Eastern Europe.

Politics

NPR

Black Caucus Leader: We Disagree With Presidents, Even Obama

Rep. Marcia Fudge, the Congressional Black Caucus chair, said her group is concerned that any immigration overhaul significantly boosting the numbers of high-skilled immigrants will negatively impact African Americans with similar skills.

Technology

NPR

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.