Despite record sales growth amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, along with a rising number of confirmed cases among store workers, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, Kroger, is proposing to cut health care benefits for thousands of employees in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.
The Virginia Defender
Established in 2005 as The Richmond Defender, The Virginia Defender is a free community newspaper, published quarterly for the Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality. Print distribution is 16,000 and statewide. The online publication launched in Summer 2020.
VA. BEACH SANITATION WORKERS STRIKE OVER HAZARD PAY
What do you do when, in the middle of a pandemic, they call you an “essential worker,” but then don’t pay you like one? For Virginia Beach sanitation workers, the answer was to strike.
MULTIPLE CRISES CHALLENGE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES
Immigrant communities in Virginia are facing unprecedented challenges, now greatly complicated by the COVID-19 crisis. Below is a list of some of the organizations that offer services to immigrants in the state.
NEWS U CAN USE: FREE NURSE HOTLINE, BOOKS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED, AND MORE
In this edition of News U Can Use: details on a free nurse hotline, free braille and audio books for the visually impaired, free legal services, and $35 attorney consultations.
CANDIDATE RESPONSES TO DEFENDER QUESTIONNAIRE
This newspaper sent the list of questions below to all candidates for Richmond mayor and city council, asking for simple yes or no answers. We received 12 responses. The results appear below.
OPEN LETTER TO SHERIFF IRVING ON COVID-19 IN THE CITY JAIL
Many individuals and organizations have been concerned about how the city jail has been handling the threat of COVID-19. Recently there have been some major improvements in the number of active cases in the jail, but little has been done to address the issue of trust. The following is an open letter to Sheriff Irving.
SHOCK & DISMAY AS HEARING REVEALS DESECREATION AT EAST END CEMETERY
There was palpable shock and sorrow at a public hearing as descendants of families buried at the Evergreen and East End cemeteries heard that human bones recovered near the Richmond cemeteries had likely been the victims of medical dissection.
