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Democrats, Republicans release dueling abortion ads in high-stakes Virginia elections

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Democrats, Republicans release dueling abortion ads in high-stakes Virginia elections


Democrats and Republicans in the state are ramping up their attacks ahead of high stakes state-wide elections in Virginia, releasing dueling ads about abortion — a hot-button issues at the center of nearly every race in both the GOP-led state House and the Democratic-controlled state Senate.

Last week, Virginia Republicans ran an ad titled “No Limits” accusing Democrats of fighting to make late-term abortions “the rule and not the exception,” while Democrats released a number of ads across the state this week warning Republicans would ban abortion if they take full control of the General Assembly.

Virginia is currently the southernmost state that hasn’t banned or restricted abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Political science experts told ABC News that while Republicans in the state refrained from campaigning on the issue of abortion last year and much of this campaign season, they are joining in now to mobilize Republican voters.

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“While Dobbs served Republicans well, they lost the messaging enemy in Roe that had been successful for them,” Dr. Chapman Rackaway, a professor and Chair of Political Science at Radford University. “The inverse happened for Democrats. Dobbs gave them a threat on which they could message, and they did so aggressively in 2022.”

“From the newly-released ads, it looks like Republicans believe that using the extremist tag on Democrats is the messaging on which they can mobilize,” Rackaway added.

Activists who oppose abortion told ABC News that Republicans in the state are backing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s stance on abortion — a 15-week ban with exceptions.

“In 2022 with the midterm elections, Republicans used the ostrich strategy … kind of burying your head in the sand and hoping the issue goes away,” said Billy Valentine, the vice president of Political Affairs for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “Looking ahead to Virginia, I think the party has recognized that strategy didn’t work. We need to find where we stand and contrast that with the Democrats.”

Virginia Governor Glen Youngkin addresses the Economic Club of Washington’s luncheon event at the Marriott Marquis, Sept. 26, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

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Valentine told ABC News that he believes Democrats in the state are trying to misrepresent Republican candidates’ stance on abortion by saying they would ban abortion without exception, pointing to several recent ads from Democratic candidates.

“It’s incumbent on our candidates to tell the truth, which is what we are advocating for, is a 15-week limit, not a ban because it has exceptions for life of the mother, rape, and incest,” he said.

Republicans in the state say Democrats are putting out “misrepresentations and half truths” about several Republican candidates’ stance on abortion.

“This is out of character even for them,” said Garren Shipley, director of communications for the Republican Party of Virginia. “They’re our caucus and our candidates. We’re behind the governor on the 15-week limit with common sense exceptions.”

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PHOTO: Abortion rights protesters demonstrate outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's home, June 27, 2022, in Alexandria, Va.

Abortion rights protesters demonstrate outside Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home, June 27, 2022, in Alexandria, Va.

Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Meanwhile, Democrats in the state say their ads are informing voters that the Virginia GOP will ban abortion if they take full control of the General Assembly.

“This is nothing more than the Governor’s handlers trying to correct a narrative that their candidates themselves have been pushing,” said House Democratic Caucus Leader Don Scott.

“Just this year Republicans introduced life at conception bills, banning all abortions at the moment of fertilization and criminalizing anyone who performs the procedure,” Scott said. “No matter how they try to dress it up, if something is legal today, and a law changes making it illegal tomorrow, then that’s a ban. There’s no lies about that.”

Virginia Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Swecker echoed Scott’s concerns that Republicans will increase restrictions on abortion.

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“Anyone who has looked at Republicans’ records knows that Youngkin and the MAGA extremists who are running to control the General Assembly want to ban abortion immediately and will increase the restrictions every chance they get,” Swecker said in a statement. “They’ll overturn our rights and then keep taking more.”

In the highly competitive Fredericksburg-area state Senate race, Republicans criticized Democrats for releasing an ad about Republican candidate Tara Durant who is running against Joel Griffin, the Democratic nominee.

The ad published by Griffin’s campaign said Durant supports letting Virginia ban abortions without exception.

“Virginia Democrats are reverting to their tired tactics of overt falsehoods and flagrant fear mongering,” said Dave Rexrode, Youngkin’s political adviser and chairman of his PAC, Spirit of Virginia.

“Joel Griffin’s ad is just the latest desperate and despicable attempt to mislead voters. It will not work,” Rexrode added in a press release.

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Griffin’s campaign defended the ad, saying Durant publicly praised the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“While we watched the legal landscape shift, Durant reaffirmed where she was on abortion rights, sending a mailer stating her 100% pro life stance,” a spokesperson for Griffin’s campaign told ABC News. “The stakes are clear: If elected, Tara Durant would let Virginia ban abortions with no exceptions.”

Control of both chambers of the General Assembly is up for grabs, with several political experts indicating that the results could be viewed as a referendum on Youngkin given his successful push for his preferred candidates to win their primary races earlier this year.



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How Kamala Harris’ new policy plan could impact housing in Virginia – WTOP News

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How Kamala Harris’ new policy plan could impact housing in Virginia – WTOP News


Virginia Democratic lawmakers praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ housing policy plans in a virtual call Wednesday afternoon. The gathering came…

This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury. 

Virginia Democratic lawmakers praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ housing policy plans in a virtual call Wednesday afternoon. The gathering came on the heels of a new campaign ad highlighting Harris’ plan to build three million new homes and rental units if elected president.

The plan is part of a proposal she unveiled ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which includes providing $25,000 in down payment assistance for some first-time homebuyers and tax incentives for builders.

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A 2021 Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission study found that most Virginains affected by affordable housing issues are  renters. It also found that a declining number of Virginians can afford to purchase a home, while the state has an estimated shortage of at least 200,000 affordable rental units.

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, said that Harris’ plans will help local governments handle affordable housing issues.

“She can do this by deploying tax incentives to build starter homes to alleviate the shortage of houses on the market for aspiring homeowners,” Beyer said.

He pointed to Harris’ support of increasing low income housing tax credits that local governments could utilize for construction of new homes and apartments. These tax breaks to developers help incentivize development of homes to various percentages of area median income.

But many localities in Virginia lack the authority to utilize LIHTC credits when negotiating developments and redevelopments with companies and a bill that would have expanded those abilities was vetoed this year by the governor. This is where state and federal levels of government can be helpful to local governments.

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Alexandria councilman John Chapman stressed how increasing affordable housing options is “not a hyper-local issue.”

“We want to hear that at the state level, and we love to hear that at the federal level, that there’s a need for supply, and there are also going to be some additional tools,” he said.

Housing is a personal issue for him, Chapman said, as someone benefiting from living in the home that his mother was able to purchase, in part, from down payment assistance.

“I know personally of the effect of the generational wealth that has passed along from family to family,” Chapman said.

Some of Harris’ policy platforms will hinge on who controls the U.S. House and Senate next year if she is elected. In Virginia, Sen. Tim Kaine is running for re-election and all 11 congressional seats are in play.

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Beyer said that he thinks the fact that both Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have previously served in Congress can bode well for them.

He said that he thinks both candidates “struck a bipartisan and post-partisan tone in the convention.”

Bolstering housing supply is also something former president Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, wants to address if re-elected.

Trump’s housing plans include opening portions of federal lands to allow for new home construction while addressing inflation overall, as well as building on previous efforts to reduce regulatory barriers to construction.

During his first term in office he created Opportunity Zones meant to attract investors to underinvested neighborhoods, but there’s not enough evidence to determine if poverty declined more in these zones than elsewhere.

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Agenda 47 from his campaign also alleges that illegal immigrants have driven up the cost of housing. While limited legal immigrants qualify for federal housing assistance, undocumented people could lose their anonymity if they tried to purchase a home or lease an apartment.

Jeff Ryer, a spokesman for the Trump campaign in Virginia said that “Trump will defeat inflation, lower mortgage rates and make homeownership an achievable dream again for Virginia families.”



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Watch as Penn State Blue Band is evacuated from West Virginia game due to lightning storm

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Watch as Penn State Blue Band is evacuated from West Virginia game due to lightning storm


A lightning storm hit Morgantown, WV, at halftime of the Penn State-West Virginia game causing a delay and evacuation of the stadium. Among the affected was the Blue Band, which was seated in the stands at the time. They were evacuated through the tunnel and out to their buses to wait out the storm.

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How to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia NCAA college football game today: Livestream options, more

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How to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia NCAA college football game today: Livestream options, more


Garrett Greene #6 of the West Virginia Mountaineers snaps the ball during the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Bank of America Stadium on December 27, 2023 in Charlotte, NC. 

David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images


The Penn State Nittany Lions face the West Virginia Mountaineers today for a Week 1 NCAA college football showdown.  The Mountaineers finished last season with a surprise 9-4 record and hope to upset the No. 7 Nittany Lions today.

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Keep reading to find out how and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game, even if you don’t have cable.


How and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game

The Penn State vs. West Virginia game will be played on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at noon. ET (9  a.m. PT). The college football game will air on Fox and stream on Sling TV and the platforms featured below.


How and when to watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game without cable

While many cable packages include Fox, it’s easy to watch the game if Fox isn’t included in your cable TV subscription, or if you don’t have cable at all. Your best options for watching are below. (Streaming options will require an internet provider.)

Sling TV: The most cost-effective way to stream college football

If you don’t have cable TV that includes Fox, one of the most cost-effective ways to stream college football this season is through a subscription to Sling TV. We suggest leveling up your coverage to the Orange + Blue with Sports Extra tier to get more NFL and college football games this fall.

The Orange + Blue plan regularly costs $60 per month, but the streamer currently offers a half off promotion for your first month, so you’ll pay just $30. The Orange + Blue with Sports Extra plan is $45 for your first month and $75 per month after. The Sports Extras add-on features 18 channels, including NFL Redzone, ESPNU, SEC Network, Big 10 Network and ACC Network, making it ideal for pro and college football fans.

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The streamer is also currently offering big savings on four months of the Orange + Blue tier plus the Sports Extra plan when you prepay for the Sling TV Season Pass. The plan costs $219, reduced from $300.

Note: Because Sling TV does not carry CBS, Sling subscribers will want to add Paramount+ to their bundle. (Paramount+ and CBS Essentials are both subsidiaries of Paramount Global.)

Top features of Sling TV Orange + Blue plan:

  • Sling TV is our top choice for streaming major sporting events like NASCAR.
  • There are 52 channels to watch in total, including local ESPN, NBC, Fox and ABC affiliates (where available).
  • You get access to most local NFL games and nationally broadcast games at the lowest price.
  • All subscription tiers include 50 hours of cloud-based DVR storage.
  • You can add Golf Channel, NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL RedZone, MLB Network, Tennis Channel and more sports-oriented channels (18 in total) via Sling TV’s Sports Extras add-on.

Watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game free with FuboTV

You can watch every college football game airing on network TV, including today’s game, on FuboTV. FuboTV is a sports-centric streaming service that offers access to almost every college football and NFL game of the season. Packages include CBS, Fox Sunday NFC games via “NFL on Fox”, NBC (“Sunday Night Football”), ESPN (“Monday Night Football”), NFL Network and more, so you’ll be able to watch more than just today’s games, all without a cable subscription.

To watch college football without cable, start a seven-day free trial of Fubo. You can begin watching immediately on your TV, phone, tablet or computer. In addition to NFL football, FuboTV offers MLB, NBA, NHL, MLS and international soccer games. 

Top features of FuboTV Pro Tier:

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  • There are no contracts with FuboTV — you can cancel at any time.
  • The Pro tier includes over 180 channels, including NFL Network. (You’ll need to upgrade to Ultimate for NFL RedZone.)
  • FuboTV includes all the channels you’ll need to watch college and pro football, including CBS (not available through Sling TV).
  • All tiers come with 1,000 hours of cloud-based DVR recording.
  • Stream on your TV, phone, tablet and other devices.

Watch the Penn State vs. West Virginia game on Hulu + Live TV

You can watch college football, including Fox and ESPN with Hulu + Live TV. The bundle features access to 90 channels, including both Fox and FS1. Unlimited DVR storage is also included. Watch every game on every network with Hulu + Live TV, plus catch live NFL preseason games, exclusive live regular season games, popular studio shows (including NFL Total Access and the Emmy-nominated show Good Morning Football) and lots more.

Hulu + Live TV comes bundled with ESPN+ and Disney+ for $77 per month after a three-day free trial.


If you’re anxiously waiting for today’s game to begin, now is a great time to check out Amazon’s college football fan shop. The Amazon College Fan Shop is filled to the brim with officially licensed fan gear: You’ll find jerseys, team flags, T-shirts, hoodies and more, including tons of great gear for the football fan in your life. There are plenty of great deals awaiting you at Amazon, too, including some must-see deals on TVs for watching sports.

Tap the button below to head directly to the College Fan Shop page on Amazon and select your favorite team.


Watch today’s game with a digital HDTV antenna

digitalantenna.png

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You can also watch sports airing on network TV with an affordable indoor antenna, which pulls in local over-the-air HDTV channels such as CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS, Univision and more. Here’s the kicker: There’s no monthly charge.

For anyone living in a partially blocked-off area (those near mountains or first-floor apartments), a digital TV antenna may not pick up a good signal — or any signal at all. But for many homes, a digital TV antenna provides a seriously inexpensive way to watch sports without paying a cable company. Indoor TV antennas can also provide some much-needed TV backup if a storm knocks out your cable.

This ultra-thin, multi-directional Mohu Leaf Supreme Pro digital antenna with a 65-mile range can receive hundreds of HDTV channels and can filter out cellular and FM signals. It delivers a high-quality picture in 1080p HDTV and top-tier sound. It comes with a 12-foot digital coax cable.


What is the Penn State Nittany Lions current team ranking?

The Penn State Nittany Lions are currently ranked 7 out of 134 teams, according to our sister site CBS Sports.


What is the West Virginia Mountaineers current team ranking?

The West Virginia Mountaineers are currently ranked 31 out of 134 teams, according to CBS Sports.

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When is the 2024 NCAA college football championship game?

The College Football Playoff National Championship will be Monday, January 20, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.




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