www.youtube.com – 12 On Your Side – 2025-05-13 05:04:19
SUMMARY: As summer approaches, many head to the James River for fun, but it comes with risks. The river, which flows through Richmond, features unpredictable water conditions, including class 3 and 4 whitewater. Recently, tragic drownings have occurred, emphasizing the danger. Seasoned river guide Matt Perry warns of sudden water rises and advises caution, suggesting guided trips for safety. He stresses wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs), checking river conditions, and avoiding swimming alone. It’s also crucial to stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and protect against heat exhaustion. For safety updates, visit housethejamesrva.com.
As temperatures climb and school lets out for the summer, more people start flocking to the James River to cool off. But with that fun comes risk.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-13 10:44:00
With less than five weeks until Virginia’s June 17 primary, over 22,000 voters have cast early ballots, with nearly 90% being Democrats. High Democratic turnout is driven by competitive primaries for lieutenant governor, attorney general, and numerous House seats, unlike the Republicans who have only two statewide primaries and few House challenges. Early voting highlights Democratic contests in House Districts 81 and 93, while Republican primaries in Districts 97 and 70 will select November candidates. Other notable races include Democratic primaries in Districts 56 and 59. Local primaries in Chesapeake, Newport News, and Norfolk also show active voter engagement.
(The Center Square) – With less than five weeks to go, over 22,000 Virginians have already voted in the June 17 primary, and nearly 90% of those ballots have come from Democratic voters.
Early voting turnout is being driven by Democratic primaries for lieutenant governor, attorney general and dozens of House seats across Virginia, according to commonwealth data.
Republicans have far fewer contested races this cycle, with just two statewide primaries and limited House challenges, contributing to the lower early ballot counts so far.
Democratic voters have returned22,705 early ballotsas of Tuesday afternoon, compared to just over 2,000 from Republicans, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
The gap reflects the reality that far fewer Republican races are being contested in June, limiting turnout opportunities for GOP voters.
House District 81, which includes parts of Richmond, now leads the commonwealth in Democratic early voting with 521 ballots returned. Del. Delores McQuinn faces a primary challenge from Henrico school board chair Alicia Atkins.
District 93, which includes parts of Norfolk, follows closely with 507 early ballots cast. Del. Jackie Glass is running unopposed in the primary.
In House District 97, a Republican primary between Tim Anderson and Christina Felder will determine who faces Democrat incumbent Michael Feggans in November.
District 70 also features a Republican primary between Hailey Dollar and Cynthia Scaturico, with the winner facing Democratic incumbent Shelly Simonds.
In District 89, Democrat Blaizen “Buckshot” Bloom faces Karen Carnegie in a primary that will determine who takes on either Mike Lamonea or Kristen Shannon from the Republican primary.
Other high-interest districts include House District 59, where 486 early votes have been cast, and House District 56, which has already logged 478 ballots amid a contested Democratic primary.
Several local primaries are also drawing voters to the polls. Chesapeake voters are deciding between Wallace Chadwick and David Rosado in the Republican primary for sheriff.
In Newport News, Democrats are choosing between Howard Gwynn and Shannon Jones for commonwealth’s attorney and Sanu Dieng-Cooper and Derek Reason for treasurer. In Norfolk, John Butler and Ramin Fatehi are competing for the Democratic nomination for commonwealth’s attorney.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article provides a factual report on early voting patterns in Virginia’s upcoming primary elections, focusing on turnout differences between Democratic and Republican voters. It describes the number of early votes, contested races, and notable candidates from both parties without using language that endorses or critiques any political ideology or party. The tone is neutral and informative, avoiding emotive or persuasive phrasing, which indicates that the piece is primarily reporting on ideological positions and actions rather than presenting its own ideological stance. This adherence to straightforward data presentation aligns with centrist, unbiased reporting.
University of Virginia researcher Natash Sheybani received a \$5.5 million grant to explore how ultrasound technology can improve cancer treatments. As the research director at UVA’s Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, Sheybani aims to use ultrasound to enhance the precision and safety of immunotherapy drugs, particularly for metastatic breast cancer, brain cancers, and pancreatic cancers. Her work may help reduce the harsh side effects of traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, while also aiding drug delivery, especially for hard-to-treat areas like the brain. Sheybani emphasizes the importance of patient and caregiver insights in shaping the research.
Could ultrasound technology help better target cancer treatments? University of Virginia researcher Natash Sheybani recently received a $5.5 million dollar grant that can help her, and her team, answer that question.
As the research director at UVA’s Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center, the grant from the federal Department of Defense will help support Sheybani and her team’s research into the potential of focused ultrasound to improve the safety and precision of immunotherapy drugs for cancer patients.
While Sheybani said medical research professionals often focus intensely on the science of their work, she feels that physical and emotional insights from cancer patients and their loved ones will also be crucial to her team as they dig into the nitty gritty of the science.
“Something we’re trying to do consciously in my lab is pulling in the voices of people who have themselves been diagnosed with cancer, those who have survived or those who have been caregivers to others who understand the (burdens of the disease),” Sheybani said. “I think those voices are so important, because they really do end up kind of dictating what is necessary, what is realistic, what is worthwhile.”
While ultrasound technology may be able to help more effectively target cancer, resulting in more positive survival prognoses, Sheybani also emphasized how it can lessen the “harsh” effects treatment can have on people overall.
For metastatic breast cancer in particular, only about a third of patients live past five years from their diagnosis and it is incurable. But treatments like chemotherapy, radiation and surgeries can help slow its spread. For chemo and radiation, there’s also heightened risks of targeting healthy tissue.
“Breast cancer therapies are still very harsh and we leave a lot of room for off-target toxicity and impacts that can have downstream impact on long-term quality of life,” Sheybani said.
That’s where ultrasound technology comes in. From heating up cancerous cells to break them down to sending sonic cues that can help medications penetrate better, Sheybani’s work at UVA builds on prior related research she has been a part of.
She added that her team also plans to focus on brain cancers and pancreatic cancers — two organs that can be challenging to treat. For the brain in particular, she said a membrane known as the blood-brain barrier makes it difficult for therapeutic drugs to enter in sufficient quantities. And of course, brain surgeries come with risks and duress on the body. Ultrasound could bolster treatments and in some cases help to avoid surgery, she said.
“You’re talking about basically an incisionless procedure, which you can kind of directly juxtapose with how invasive and cumbersome things like an open surgery might be,” Sheybani explained.
An alum of Virginia Commonwealth University and UVA, Sheybani went on to work on her post-doctoral research at Stanford before being recruited back to her alma mater. It’s a happy homecoming, she said, as she aspires to improve cancer treatments and the patient experience.
“I’ve had the good fortune in my career to kind of get in on the ground floor of … these developments that have definitely allowed me to stay in this community of people who are really dedicated to advancing this topic in a way that we hope will be really meaningful for patient outcomes,” Sheybani said.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
This content focuses on scientific research and medical advancements related to cancer treatment without engaging in political or ideological debates. It presents facts and expert opinions in a neutral, informative manner, emphasizing innovation and patient care rather than political viewpoints. Therefore, it reflects a centrist stance, as it neither leans left nor right politically.
www.youtube.com – WTVR CBS 6 – 2025-05-12 22:23:51
SUMMARY: The Washington Commanders recently engaged high school students from Columbia Heights in an important mental health discussion, emphasizing that “Your mind matters.” With support from EverFi, students completed an online mental wellness course before participating in a panel featuring former player Marcus Smith, physician Dr. Herbert Harmon, and APA Foundation’s RL Andrews Jr. They addressed challenges such as anxiety, social media pressure, and the importance of accepting that it’s okay to not be okay. The event created a safe space for teens to open up, reflect, and learn to care for their mental health amid growing pressures, reinforcing that these students are leaders today.
Washington Commanders tackle mental health with area teens
