By Wallicia Gill and Brad Swanson: FIRST IN A 3-PART SERIES Teen sex trafficking in northern Virginia happens every day, but most people know very little about this horrific crime, even though experts say that our region is a hotspot and the practice is growing. Scare stories are easy to come by. But hard data is hard to find. How…
By Brad Swanson: What should be the role of cops in schools? Should armed police officers even be allowed in schools? These were among the issues that rose to the surface in a tense meeting Monday night of a community group charged with reviewing the terms under which police officers are assigned to high schools and middle schools throughout the…
By Brad Swanson: Fairfax County could cut the arrests of undocumented immigrants from its jail by more than 90% by refusing to cooperate with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a panel of immigration experts who spoke Wednesday night at a public forum. The experts noted that Fairfax County police and Sheriff’s Office are not legally required…
By Brad Swanson: Democratic elected officials took turns praising Virginia’s role in turning the tide after the disastrous 2016 election and urging continued attacks on Republican majorities in the mid-term elections in November. The politicians were speaking at Sunday night’s Jefferson Obama Dinner, the main fundraising event of the year for Fairfax County Democratic Committee. “We wake up tomorrow in…
By Brad Swanson: Marcus Simon remembers vividly the feelings of despondency and helplessness he saw around him as reality set in – despite winning 2.9 million more votes than Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton had lost the 2016 presidential election. “The person who gets the most votes should win,” Simon remembers thinking. “Why shouldn’t it be that simple? That’s the way…