Xiaq Virtual public hearing set for Tuesday for Route 17/50/522 bridge over Interstate 81 at Exit 313

漏 vegefox 鈥?stock.adobe We have just exited Phase 2 of the balloon incident. In Phase 1, Discovery, the Biden administration went into action mode on finding that a Chinese spy balloon had crossed over half the US. An air force jet shot the balloon down, displaying Cold War-style toughness with China. In Phase 2, Evaluation, new facts have emerged that shed further light on the episode.To wit:US intelligence was aware of the balloon from the moment it entered US airspace. Intelligence officials did not consider the balloon a particularly threatening weapon, aware that at least four times in the recent past鈥攊ncluding three on Trumps watch鈥攕uch intrusions had occurred, all without incident. In fact, senior Trump officials, by their own admission, were聽completely unawareof those incidents.Bidens hesitancy to shoot down the balloon had as much to do wi stanley cup th rabid Republican charges of weakness as with concern about causing debris to fall over populated areas.Beijing accepted responsibility for violating US territory, but the larger question of authorization for balloon missions remains. Chinese balloon launches may not be authorized at the highest levels鈥攖hat is, by Xi Jinping鈥攂ut may be under lower-level authority, military or civilian. Students of bureaucracy will recognize this possibility immediately: a government agency th mugs stanley at acts autonomously, wi stanley cup thout top-level oversight. Its business as usual, separate from in this case the foreign ministry. Xi surely was aware of bal Qpxw Press Conference: Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden

U.S. Sens, Mark R. Warner D-Va. and Tim Kaine D-Va. today urged Senate confirmation of the Presidential nomination of Marilyn Tavenner聽of Virginia to serve as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services.CMS is t stanley uk he lead federal agency responsible for health care for millions of Americans through its administration of Medicare, Medicaid and programs related to implementation of The Affordable Care Act. The senators, joined today by U.S. House of Representatives M stanley mug ajority Leader Eric Cantor R-7th , urged Senate Finance Committee approval of Tavenners renomination to lead CMS.Tavenner, who has served as CMS Acting Administrator since late 2011, was a nurse for almost 20 years and ultimately rose to serve as a hospital CEO in Richmond. She also served as Virginias Secretary of Health and Human Resources in the administration of then-Gov. Kaine. Ive known Marilyn Tavenner for over 20 years, and she is the real deal. I believe she is a phenomenal choice to lead CMS, 聽Sen. Warner said.聽 She brings a unique set of skills to this job: she grew up in in Southside Virginia, worked her way through school, started as a nurse and then worked her way up to hospital CEO. She has my full support and I commend her without reservation to this committee. Her skill in doing that stanley cups ing costs] is a skill thats very precisely matched with the need of the moment. How to keep patient care first 鈥?because thats her first attribute 鈥?but nevertheless wrestle with difficult c