The Department of Veterans Affairs

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Senate passes PACT Act, expanding health care for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bill enhancing health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits won final approval in the Senate on Tuesday, ending a brief stalemate over the measure that had infuriated advocates and inspired some to camp outside the Capitol.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-senate-moves-toward-final-vote-on-the-pact-act-expanding-veteran-healthcare?

ps:About time!!!!! How can anyone vote against this?????

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Biden signs ‘burn pits’ help for vets; a personal win, too

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden, whose elder son Beau died of cancer years after deploying to Iraq, signed legislation on Wednesday expanding federal health care services for millions of veterans who served at military bases where toxic smoke billowed from huge “burn pits.”

https://apnews.com/article/biden-veterans-obituaries-health-care-reform-jon-tester-cc45130782cfbf86ef29723514ce5e39?

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Proposed GOP cuts would slash $30 billion from veterans spending

Thirty million fewer healthcare visits. Fewer staff, increased claims backlog, longer wait times for benefits. Almost a $30 billion shortfall for veterans funding. That’s the uncertainty that awaits America’s veterans, should Congressional Republicans succeed in dramatically slashing federal spending as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy proposed on April 19.

https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2023/04/24/proposed-gop-cuts-would-slash-30-billion-from-veterans-spending/?

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Black veterans are denied VA health benefits more often than white veterans, new data shows

The VA has launched a new initiative to determine why benefits are doled out at different rates and try to level the playing field for Blacks, women and LGBTQ+ veterans.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-care/black-veterans-are-denied-va-health-benefits-often-white-veterans-new-rcna90799?

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Veterans exposed to burn pits, toxins urged to apply for retroactive benefits

WASHINGTON — A deadline for a year’s worth of backdated benefits is fast approaching for U.S. veterans suffering illnesses after exposure to open burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxins.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/08/04/veterans-exposed-to-burn-pits-toxins-urged-to-apply-for-retroactive-benefits/

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Veterans see historic expansion of benefits for toxic exposure as new law nears anniversary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nicole Leger always thought of the burn pits at military bases in Afghanistan as more like campfires than health hazards. Ordered to dispose of sensitive documents, she would toss the paperwork into the flames while catching up with fellow soldiers, moments of quiet bonding that provided a respite from her riskier work as a hastily trained medic for the U.S. Army.

https://apnews.com/article/veterans-toxic-materials-burn-pits-pact-act-79c806d5383464dc1154d6c101a456bd?

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VA reports major uptick in veterans’ care after passage of toxic exposure law

WASHINGTON — Veterans’ care in the United States set all-time records in fiscal year 2023, “shattering” the agency’s performance in previous years, in large part because of an expansion of benefits under the Biden administration, U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough said Monday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2023/11/06/va-reports-major-uptick-in-veterans-care-after-passage-of-toxic-exposure-law/?

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HomeTeam uses AI to help veterans support fellow veterans

92% of veterans are willing to help a veteran experiencing mental health challenges, but only 25% feel prepared to. With support from a team of Google.org Fellows, ReflexAI has developed an AI-powered training tool to help veterans navigate mental health conversations with their peers. Learn more.

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When Veterans in Crisis Can’t Get Help

Two veterans sought psychiatric care at a VA clinic in Chico, California. They were bounced between virtual providers and struggled to get support in the threadbare system. A staffer worried, “We are going to kill someone.” Then tragedy struck.

https://www.propublica.org/article/when-veterans-cant-access-the-psychiatric-care-they-need?

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Florida teacher shortage: Veterans take pass on filling the gap | Commentary

A few weeks ago, the Orlando Sentinel carried yet another story about the dire shortage of teachers in this state.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/05/02/teacher-shortage-veterans-say-no-maxwell/?

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Biden to announce 1 million claims granted for VA benefits under toxic exposure law

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is set to announce in New Hampshire on Tuesday that 1 million claims have been granted for benefits under the toxic exposure law that Congress approved less than two years ago, following the military’s use of open-air burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/21/biden-to-announce-1-million-claims-granted-for-va-benefits-under-toxic-exposure-law/?

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A US veteran died at a nursing home, abandoned. Hundreds of strangers came to say goodbye

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Former U.S. Marine Gerry Brooks died alone at a nursing home in Maine, abandoned and all but forgotten. Then the funeral home posted a notice asking if anyone would serve as a pallbearer or simply attend his burial.

https://apnews.com/article/abandoned-veteran-funeral-maine-0b7c42e9a65b095d882ae1d1ce864da2?

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Jon Stewart pushes VA to help veterans sickened after post-9/11 exposure to uranium

WASHINGTON (AP) — Comedian Jon Stewart is pressing the Biden administration to fix a loophole in a massive veterans aid bill that left out some of the first U.S. troops who responded after the Sept. 11 attacks and got sick after deploying to a base contaminated with dangerous levels of uranium.

https://apnews.com/article/jon-stewart-veterans-radiation-911-health-care-5e7b971f527088e85c58bfd370deb66f?

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‘A golden ticket’: Orlando area veterans awarded free homes

Two military veterans were awarded free homes in a new Orange County community Monday, arriving in a motorcade as hundreds of onlookers waving American flags cheered for them.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2024/08/19/a-golden-ticket-orlando-area-veterans-awarded-free-homes/?

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Trump’s Cronies Threw the VA Into Chaos. Millions of Veterans’ Lives Are on the Line Again.

Donald Trump ventured to Fayetteville, North Carolina, earlier this month — a Democratic city in a swing state with a large veteran population, a powerful cross-section of defense contractors, and, right down the road, Fort Liberty, one of the largest military bases in the world.

https://theintercept.com/2024/10/28/trump-veterans-va-darin-selnick-peter-orourke/?

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Australia's blueprint for screen-free childhood

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Australia's parliament is about to look at a law that would keep kids off of social media until they turn 16. Why it matters: Evidence continues to mount that excessive screen time and social media are increasing anxiety and depression in kids. Many countries have taken on this issue, but Australia's proposal is the most stringent yet. ? Zoom in: The law, which proposes the highest age limit set by any country, could go into effect in a year. Meta and TikTok would have to figure out how to restrict use based on age, AP reports. "The onus will be on social media platforms to demonstrate they are taking reasonable steps to prevent access," Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. "The onus won't be on parents or young people." Australia's proposal doesn't allow exemptions for parental consent or kids' preexisting accounts. ? Zoom out: The big question for social media age limits — which Australia and the platforms operating there will grapple with — is how they can actually be implemented. Most social media companies don't let kids under age 13 open accounts. But a 2022 U.K. study found 80% of 12-year-olds had accounts (CBS). ? What to watch: Some tech experts fear that banning kids from the big platforms will fuel underground, unregulated social media — which comes with its own dangers.

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Mapped: Where veterans live

Data: Census Bureau. (Data for civilians 18+.) Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios Veterans make up the greatest share of the adult population in Alaska (10.5%), Virginia (9.1%) and Montana (8.9%), Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes from the latest census data. They make up about 6.1% of the U.S. population. They make up the lowest shares in D.C. (3.2%), New York (3.6%) and New Jersey (3.6%).

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Veterans face challenges starting small businesses but there are plenty of resources to help

NEW YORK (AP) — Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part.

https://apnews.com/article/small-business-veterans-day-loans-7d86ae810928bb5b8a8bc598c395d93e?

Vets push for psychedelic mental health therapies

Veterans are campaigning to take psychedelic therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder mainstream, despite the Food and Drug Administration's rejection of an ecstasy-based therapy in August.

https://www.axios.com/2024/11/11/veterans-psychedelic-mental-health-therapies?

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Veterans Affairs phases out all gender-affirming care for transgender veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday that it will phase out all medical treatment for gender-affirming care for veterans, citing President Trump's executive order that the federal government only recognizes two sexes.

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/18/va-gender-affirming-care-trans-veterans?

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Veterans Affairs asks employees to report ‘anti-Christian bias’ for investigation by new task force

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs is establishing a task force to investigate employee reports of alleged anti-Christian bias among their colleagues, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to infuse its agenda with religious purpose and champion the rights of Christians.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-veterans-affairs-christian-bias-f7750d2a357f02b250516e12d3eaff0c?

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Veterans Affairs

The Department of Veterans Affairs is walking back plans for mass layoffs, but the agency said it will still cut tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the year. Although the VA had originally planned to lay off roughly 80,000 employees from a total staff of about 470,000, the agency will now reduce the number of staffers by nearly 30,000 through the federal hiring freeze, deferred resignations, retirements and normal attrition. A news release issued by the VA insisted that the reductions would not impact veteran care or benefits. “All mission-critical positions are exempt” from the deferred resignations and voluntary early retirements, the agency said.

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Abortion

The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to end certain abortion services for veterans. In a proposed rule filed last Friday, the VA is seeking to revoke access to abortions and abortion counseling for veterans and their beneficiaries, except in cases where “a physician certifies that the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.” This new rule would roll back a Biden-era move that provided access to abortions when a pregnant veteran’s life or health was at risk if their pregnancy were carried to term, or if the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest — regardless of state laws. To date, 20 states have banned or limited access to the procedure. In states where abortion is limited, higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, as well as greater economic insecurity, have been reported. The VA’s proposed rule is open for public comment for 30 days starting today.

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VA cuts

Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs are finding little to be merry about after the agency said it would eliminate tens of thousands of open jobs. The positions include doctors, nurses, mental health care providers and social workers.

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VA Secretary Collins and Rep. Luna discuss psychedelic drug treatment for veterans

MADEIRA BEACH — Military veterans with PTSD and other mental health conditions may soon be able to use psychedelic drugs to aid in their treatment.

https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/va-secretary-collins-and-rep-luna-discuss-psychedelic-drug-treatment-for-veterans/?