Focal Point

Even with an increase over last year, numbers don't approach a 1993 peak.

A community walk to prevent suicide centers on awareness and remembrance of those lost. Agencies like the Dept. Of Veterans Services provide resources to reduce the suicide rate, particularly among veterans.

Virginia provides special services for veterans entangled in the criminal justice system. Why are those who have served at a higher risk and what’s being done to help those who have served the country?

Army veteran Jim Rudisill argues that Veterans Affairs is improperly denying him full benefits under the G.I. Bill. Through his lawyers, he argued to the U.S. Supreme Court he’s entitled to more robust benefits passed by Congress after 9-11.

While veterans make up about 6% of the general population, they make up 8% of the prison population. We spoke with a number of those behind bars, and they cite post-traumatic stress disorder as well as trouble transitioning out of the military as factors that led them to prison.

There are nearly 1.5 million Latino veterans in the United States today. In Virginia, ALVA – the American Latino Veterans’ Association, is the only national non-profit focused on helping all Latino veterans thrive after service.

People continue to die as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its fourth week. Ariel Ahram, chair of Virginia Tech’s Government and International Affairs program discusses the origins of the conflict, the growing regional tensions and what to expect over the coming weeks and months.

America’s problem with mass shootings is undeniable. Some people advocate for more stringent regulation of firearms. Others caution against government overreach. In the balance is the ability for law-abiding gun owners to exercise their freedom and for the general public to simply live life with a reasonable sense of safety from gun violence.

The debate over abortion could play a pivotal role in Virginia’s 2023 elections. We introduce you to two women, both deeply devoted to their faith, about their thoughts on abortion and how their religious beliefs led them to different sides of the debate.

Controversial speakers are meeting with increasingly fierce protests on campus. Two Virginia schools are banding together to search for efforts to ensure free speech on campus.