Linda Hersey

6 days ago | stripes.com | Linda Hersey

The Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters building in Washington, D.C. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing a 4% increase for program funding in fiscal 2026, representing a $5 billion jump in spending as many other federal agencies brace for steep spending cuts.

1 week ago | daytondailynews.com | Linda Hersey

Reviews include inspections by the VA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and many of the states where the homes are located. Sharon Silas, director of health care at the Government Accountability Office, testified about a newly published GAO report on opportunities for the VA to improve oversight of state veterans homes. The VA paid about $1.5 billion for care at state veterans homes in fiscal 2023. The agency offsets some costs for care for eligible veterans.

1 week ago | daytondailynews.com | Linda Hersey

The program also funds peer support, family education and social workers to link veterans to resources and services in their communities. “Veteran suicide is a scourge that has to be addressed,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who is helping to lead the legislation for renewing and expanding the grant program in fiscal 2025 for another three years.

1 week ago | stripes.com | Linda Hersey

Scott and Patty St. Clair on April 30, 2025, standing in front of a mural of an image of their son Joe St. Clair in Washington. Joe St. Clair is being held in a Venezuelan prison. The Bring Our Families Home Campaign, a coalition of families dedicated to bringing home loved ones who have been wrongly detained in foreign countries, gathered at the mural, which features the faces of their imprisoned relatives, to raise awareness of their plight.

2 weeks ago | stripes.com | Linda Hersey

Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., left, and Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., during a heated discussion at a congressional hearing on Feb. 26, 2025. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON — Rep.