Dogwood Daily: Over 300,000 Virginians now enrolled in Medicaid

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But First…

Virginia will hold its annual 3-day sales tax holiday this weekend, during which you can buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, hurricane and emergency preparedness items without paying sales tax. A full list of eligible items can be found on the Virginia Tax website.

5 Things you need to know today

1. Night one of Democratic debate features ideological brawl – Ten Democratic candidates for president took the stage last night in a debate that highlighted the ideological differences between leading progressive candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and a slew of moderates who have struggled to gain traction in the polls. The candidates’ differences were on display as they discussed their views on everything from healthcare to immigration to climate change. Tonight, ten more candidates take the stage and once again, The Dogwood will have live coverage on Twitter. – The Dogwood
   
   
2. More than 300,000 Virginians now enrolled in expanded Medicaid program – Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Wednesday that more than 300,000 Virginia adults have enrolled in the state’s expanded Medicaid program. “Because we expanded the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program, hundreds of thousands of additional Virginians now have access to medical care and an opportunity to lead healthier, more productive lives,” Governor Northam said. – CBS 19
   
   
3. Rep. Jennifer Wexton supports impeachment inquiry against Trump – Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) called Tuesday for the opening of an impeachment inquiry against President Trump. Wexton released a statement explaining her decision: “As a former prosecutor, it is clear to me given the conduct by the president detailed in the Mueller Report and Director Mueller’s recent testimony before Congress that–were he not a sitting president–Donald Trump would be indicted on charges for obstruction of justice.” Wexton joins Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) as the only other lawmaker from Virginia to support an impeachment inquiry. – The Dogwood
   
   
4. More than 100 million Americans had their personal information compromised in Capital One hack – More than 100 million Americans had their names, addresses, dates of birth, credit history, social security numbers, and/or bank account numbers compromised after a software engineer hacked into a server holding customer information for Capital One. In response, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring is warning Virginia consumers to be vigilant and keep a close eye on their finances. – The Dogwood
   
   
5. Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott says 500,000 students could lose free meals due to food stamp changes – Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said the U.S. Department of Agriculture withheld data showing that its proposed changes to the food stamp program – which would cause up to 3 million Americans to lose access to food stamps – could also cause more than 500,000 low-income students to lose access to free meals. Scott wrote a letter to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue asking the USDA to revise its proposal to include the estimate and restart the 60-day comment period. – CNN

From the Gram