As with the previous debate in June between Trump and President Joe Biden, Hampton Roads viewers should look for the candidates’ positions on issues central to the region, particularly those about the military and climate change. Policies in those two areas will shape the future of coastal Virginia and should carry considerable weight with area residents.

A little more than 10 weeks ago, Biden and Trump met on a stage in Atlanta in a debate that would alter the course of the campaign and, in no small way, the future of the United States. The shortcomings of both men were made plainly obvious. Biden spoke haltingly, looking frail as he struggled to argue his positions with clarity or intensity, while Trump began with plenty of energy, but his fact-free bluster petered out over the course of 90 minutes.

For Biden, this was effectively the end of his campaign. He withdrew from the race on July 21, and formally endorsed Harris as his successor. The party coalesced around her, formally making her the Democratic nominee through a virtual roll call of delegates on Aug. 6.

Though she has been in the spotlight for weeks — holding rallies, selecting Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, accepting her party’s nomination at the DNC — there is still a sense that the nation doesn’t really know Harris or what her election would mean in terms of policy.

She delivered a detailed economic policy speech in North Carolina last month and has been increasingly more specific about her plans if elected. Still, there is no better opportunity than in a debate with Trump for Americans to gain a better sense of what a Harris administration would do to improve their lives.

This is also a pivotal moment for Trump, who now faces a difficult bid for another term as president. While he led Biden in most swing states, Trump now trails Harris — and the debate may be one of the last opportunities to reverse that decline.

Trump, of course, is a known quantity, with a four-year record in office that spells out the type of leader he was and would be. On the campaign trail, though, his lengthy, often-rambling speeches are short on policy specifics and long on half-truths, grievances and promises of revenge.

For Hampton Roads voters, Tuesday’s debate may offer a chance to hear the two candidates sound off about defense policy and climate change. These two issues, more than others, will define the trajectory of the region and shape the future of our communities.

Our area is home to more than 80,000 active-duty service members and about 120,000 retirees, and the region is heavily dependent on defense spending to power its economy. As such, the policies of the next commander in chief are hugely consequential here and questions about the military deserve to play prominently at the debate.

So, too, should climate policy be central to the debate, not only for Hampton Roads but for communities across the nation threatened by extreme weather and the perils of a warming planet. The United States should be a leader, not only in defending against climate change, but in turning crisis into opportunity through the development of a green energy economy and resilience solutions for at-risk areas.

Though vice presidential candidates Walz and Sen. JD. Vance will debate each other in October, this could be the last chance to see both presidential candidates head-to-head. Hampton Roads voters should hope this event is marked by substance rather than spectacle and that Americans come away knowing more about how those vying to be the next president will address the important policy questions facing our nation.

It’s therefore incumbent on area residents planning to cast a ballot this year to give ample time to these municipal elections, where decisions directly affect their families, homes and businesses. The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press believe part of our service to readers is covering these vital local contests and this year will be no different as voters gather information essential to making informed choices at the polls.

Historically, Labor Day weekend marks not just the traditional end of summer, but the moment campaigns for the November election kick into high gear. That’s not the case with the presidential race, of course, but candidates for municipal offices typically make their push after students have returned to school and autumn is around the corner.

The expansion of early voting has changed that calculus. This year, Virginians can begin casting ballots in less than three weeks, on Sept. 20. Most of those voters don’t need to be persuaded; they are ready to vote on Day 1 of early voting.

But the majority of people intending to participate in November’s election will soon begin reviewing candidate lists, checking campaign websites, attending rallies and debates, and otherwise involving themselves in the process.

Trouble is, the races for many municipal offices struggle to find oxygen in a crowded electoral ecosystem. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump dominate everything, from news coverage to fundraising to campaign staffing. That energy and money trickles down to other races, but don’t expect to see advertisements for school board candidates at every intermission while watching professional football today.

They can’t compete with the national campaigns, or even the U.S. Senate campaign in Virginia between incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao. Instead, they’ll have to use social media platforms, in-person rallies and on-the-ground get-out-the-vote efforts to connect with likely voters. It can be a slog.

Ultimately, they’re depending on a curious electorate to take an active interest in those competing to serve in municipal offices. They need would-be voters to look further down the ballot, to take an active interest in local races, and to come to the voting booth (or to fill out their absentee ballot) having done their research in order to make informed decisions for every race.

City councils in our region make a host of decisions that affect countless aspects of their communities. They set the property tax rate, oversee police and fire services, make planning and zoning decisions, and otherwise have a hand in numerous aspects of daily life.

School boards may not have taxing authority — district budgets depend on city council appropriations as well as state and federal support — but they do make policy and leadership decisions and even what books they consider “suitable” for public schools.

It would be folly to overlook those races or to allow others to make those decisions. So now is the time to dive in.

The Virginia Department of Elections has updated candidate lists on its website, elections.virginia.gov. Virginians can also confirm or update their voter registration, or register to vote by the Oct. 15 deadline. They can request absentee ballots as well.

The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press will publish voter guides prior to the start of early voting with information about the races and candidates seeking municipal offices. Readers should visit pilotonline.com/election-2024 and dailypress.com/news/politics/election for all our reporting about this year’s elections.

Along with candidates’ social media and in-person outreach, there is ample opportunity to be an informed voter this year — and no excuse not to be. It might require area residents to wade past the buzz around the federal races, but that effort is more than worthwhile.

Mail service has improved somewhat, and there is reason to believe that will continue thanks to continued pressure from elected officials and the public. But delivery issues loom large in advance of the November election, and voters who intend to vote by mail must make accommodations to ensure their ballots are counted.

Predating American independence, the U.S. Postal Service tied a far-flung nation closer together and enabled people on either side of a vast expanse to communicate. As a testament to its reliability, Pew Research Center reported in August that 72% of Americans had a favorable view of the Postal Service and, demonstrating rare bipartisan agreement, that includes 76% of Democrats and 68% of Republicans.

That polling wasn’t broken down by state, but it would be interesting to see the strength of USPS support in Virginia following a year of chronic delivery problems amid a reform effort meant to streamline the agency’s operations.

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s 10-year Delivering for America plan, introduced in 2021, aims to put the USPS on a path to financial sustainability through sweeping changes throughout the service. A key part of the blueprint is the reorganization of mail processing through consolidated distribution hubs, allowing the agency to accommodate growth in package volume.

In July 2023, the first Regional Processing and Distribution Center opened in Richmond to serve central Virginia, Hampton Roads and parts of eastern North Carolina. It did not go well.

Residents throughout the service region experienced lengthy delays for mail delivery, if they received mail at all. Essential medication was delayed. Christmas cards showed up months late. Things were broken.

A March report by the USPS inspector general found piles of mail stashed in various locations, some of it two months old, and staff members who didn’t have duties or workflow clearly communicated to them. Worse, a plan intended to lower costs had instead increased them as workers logged more overtime to handle severe disruptions in processing, sorting and delivery.

By April, Virginia’s mail delivery rate was 66.1%, by far the worst in the country. Wyoming was second at 79.6%

Elected officials — U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, and U.S. Reps. Rob Wittman and Jennifer McClellan — pushed for action, conducting their own on-site inspections and pressuring DeJoy into righting the ship.

Their intervention seems to have helped. Virginia’s delivery rate is now 78.1%, an improvement though still behind the target rate of 93%. Sen. Tim Kaine said recently that DeJoy has been responsive and meeting with him and other members of the delegation regularly to resolve the ongoing problems.

That’s welcome news, but improvements won’t come fast enough for November’s election.

Speaking to a state House committee on Wednesday, Virginia Elections Commissioner Susan Beals warned that ongoing delivery issues would demand more of residents planning to vote by mail. She urged them to complete their ballots quickly after receiving them, to return them promptly and to use the commonwealth’s online ballot tracking tool (available through elections.virginia.gov) to ensure it arrives on time.

Voters should also consider dropping off their absentee ballots at their local registrar’s office or using a safe and secure drop site to ensure timely delivery. Notably, Beals said the USPS issues — not fraud or non-citizen voting or any other partisan conspiracy nonsense — to be the largest threat to this year’s election.

There may be no stronger argument about the urgency to get the USPS issues corrected than the potential impact on voting. In the meantime, though, those sending ballots by mail should expedite the process and track them to ensure their votes are counted.

After more than four years of dealing with the threat of COVID-19, it’s tempting to think of the deadly virus as an unpleasant chapter in the past.

Unfortunately, COVID is very much still with us. Thank goodness the newer strains are not as lethal as the original virus, at least for most people. But it would be folly to assume that even weakened variants aren’t responsible for grave illness and even death.

These days, COVID circulates similarly to influenza. It’s been more than a century since the flu pandemic of 1918 killed 675,000 people in the U.S., but it’s still important for most of us to be vaccinated against the dominant flu strain as winter approaches. Like COVID, flu threatens the most vulnerable, especially the elderly and people with various medical conditions.

Unlike the flu, there is the added threat of long COVID, which can last months and even years. There is no test for long COVID but those suspected of the diagnosis report debilitating fatigue, memory loss and confusion, dizziness, tingling in extremities and loss of taste and smell for extended periods.

Don’t assume that you’re protected because you’ve had COVID or have been previously vaccinated. Immunity wanes, and the COVID strain continues to mutate.

That’s why the federal Centers for Disease Control recommends everyone 6 months and older should get the latest COVID booster, which was recently made available. Yes, you can get the flu shot (available to most people free or at little cost) and the COVID booster at the same time. Most local pharmacies offer the shots. As always, discuss any medical decisions, including the COVID booster, with your doctor.

Health officials keep track of COVID-related deaths. They also monitor data on cases that send people to doctors and to hospitals, and the percentage of lab tests that are positive. But many cases go unreported, especially now that many people with relatively mild symptoms don’t get medical attention or test for inflection.

Officials try to get a better picture by monitoring wastewater. Virginia state health officials have found “very high” levels of coronavirus in wastewater recently, suggesting that the virus is actively circulating — likely in far greater numbers than the case data shows.

Those levels are higher than at this time last year, and Virginia officials also report an increase in emergency room visits by people who are diagnosed with COVID.

There’s usually a COVID surge in the heat of summer, and that held true this year. The next surge begins as students return to public schools and colleges. Then the fall and winter holidays, with people traveling and gathering indoors, intensify the problem.

The best way to prepare is to get the latest booster. Those with medical conditions that make COVID more of a threat should consider wearing masks when in crowded, indoor spaces. Talk with your doctor about the best approach.

It’s also important to keep the safety of other people in mind. Staying home when you have even mild COVID will avoid spreading the virus to people who may be more at risk.

If you think you might have COVID, don’t shrug it off because you aren’t terribly sick. Use one of the easy self-testing kits, so you’ll know what you’re dealing with and what you should do to protect others. If you test positive, stay away from other people until, for 24 hours, you’ve felt better and had no fever, without the use of antifever medication.

Free tests will soon be available again by mail from the federal Department of Health and Human Services at Covidtests.gov. Knowledge is power. COVID is still with us, but we can do our part to protect ourselves and those around us.

His bright light, now extinguished, reminds us all of what has been lost in the Israel-Gaza conflict as the last 11 months have seen too much destruction, too much bloodshed and too many heartbroken families devastated by loss. It lends further urgency to those calling for an end to the killing and the pursuit of a lasting peace.

The Israeli government announced Sunday that it had recovered the bodies of Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages after storming a tunnel complex during ongoing operations in Gaza. All six had been executed at close range between Thursday and Friday, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

Goldberg-Polin was among the roughly 250 people taken from southern Israel in a surprise Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that killed 1,200 people. The operation prompted a furious IDF response and full-scale invasion of Gaza, which is roughly the same size as Hampton and is home to 2 million residents.

There is no reliable estimate of how many have died in that operation. Neither side produces trustworthy casualty numbers and numerous journalists have died covering the war. But it’s no stretch to say the death toll is staggering and defies comprehension.

At the heart of the conflict, though, are the men, women and children such as Goldberg-Polin, who was taken when terrorists overran a music festival in the town of Re’im. The New York Times reported in November that, prior to his abduction, he lost part of his left arm in an explosion as he and others took shelter in a bomb shelter.

Before moving to Israel, Goldberg-Palin lived with his family in the West End neighborhood of Richmond for four years, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. His father worked for Capital One and they attended Keneseth Beth Israel synagogue.

In short, these were ordinary people living ordinary lives in Virginia. His parents became public faces of grief and resolve as they pleaded day after day, month after month, for their son’s release, including a recent speech at the Democratic National Convention.

That they will never see him again, hug him again and tell him that they love him again is a pain no parent should know. And while Hamas bears blame for what happened on Oct. 7, it is a pain known all too well on the Palestinian side as well, as IDF forces have decimated Gaza, leaving few families there untouched by the brutal violence of war.

Not that the conflict is in any way confined to that region. Goldberg-Polin was a dual Israel-U.S. citizen, and was one of eight Americans still held by Hamas nearly a year after the Oct. 7 attack. And U.S. funding for Israel’s campaign has been a national flashpoint, particularly on college campuses but also in street protests and at the DNC last month.

There are undoubtedly extremist elements in those protests and some have used contemptible tactics, including disgusting antisemitism, to press their case. But the overwhelming number of those calling for a ceasefire are pro-peace. They want the killing to stop and for a political solution that frees the hostages and allows the people of both sides to live.

This weekend showed that Americans calling for peace are joined by countless Israeli residents themselves, who filled the streets to denounce Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after news of the hostages’ deaths was released.

As we mourn Goldberg-Polin and celebrate his memory, we can only dream of what he could have accomplished in life had that opportunity not been cruelly taken from him. No one else should meet the same fate.

It’s past time to stop the killing, to free the hostages and to find a path to peace.

When that C+ is the grade the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science has awarded the Chesapeake Bay for its overall health in 2023, it’s a cause for optimism. That’s the highest grade the center’s annual assessment has given the bay.

The center has been awarding the report cards since 2006, but looking back at data for years before the report card was introduced, scientists found that the bay’s health measures for water quality, habitat and underwater grass last year were the same as in 2002.

So the C+ is an encouraging sign that efforts to save the bay are making progress, even if the progress is slower than we might want, and even if climate change and development in the watershed make the challenge greater.

The bay’s report card monitors pollutants in the water as well as chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen, water clarity, the condition of plants and animals living near the water’s bottom and the health of aquatic grasses, a critically important habitat.

The scientists also issue a report card for the condition of the entire watershed, which takes a broader look, considering various ways humans interact with the environment and how that affects efforts to clean up the bay. The watershed report card grade is just 52%, a C-, the same as last year.

A deadline looms for bay cleanup efforts:  The federal government has set 2025 as the date by which the states and the District of Columbia are supposed to meet ambitious goals for reducing pollutants and sediment flowing into the bay.

EPA’s latest evaluation, released in mid-August, shows that Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania — the states responsible for about 90% of the pollution — are unlikely to meet their 2025 goals.

Virginia has met its goal for reducing sediment, but it’s at 80% of its goal of nitrogen reduction and 62% of the phosphorus reduction goal. Nitrogen and phosphorus are major causes of algal blooms in bay waters.

Maryland has met 100% of its 2025 goals for phosphorus and sediment but is at 83% for nitrogen reduction. The EPA said Maryland needs to step up efforts to improve agricultural practices and better manage suburban stormwater.

Pennsylvania is the laggard in these efforts. It is not on track to meet any of the three goals for 2025. Long the biggest polluter of the bay, the Keystone State has more farmland than any other watershed state, and it has lagged in reducing pollution from fertilizers and animal waste.

Last year, lawsuits filed by Virginia and other states, as well as by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and other environmental groups, led to a settlement agreement aimed at making Pennsylvania step up its efforts and the EPA do more to enforce pollution controls.

Since then, Pennsylvania has invested more funds into the effort, and the state has been making more progress.

In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Republican lawmakers are on board with their Democratic colleagues in supporting efforts to save the bay, the nation’s largest estuary and a resource vitally important to Virginia’s economy and quality of life, as well as the nation’s defense.

Youngkin has also said that the pollution reduction goals, set before he took office, are unrealistic. He will have a chance to discuss that when the Chesapeake Executive Council meets in December. The council includes governors of states in the watershed and the mayor of the District of Columbia, the EPA administrator and the chair of the Chesapeake Bay Commission.

The latest report card shows that Virginia is making good progress. Now our leaders should do everything possible to keep the momentum going, to set worthy goals and intensify efforts to achieve them. The time is now to save the bay for present and future generations.

“Labor Day is more entitled than any other to be called a national holiday. Other holidays had their origin in state legislative action. Labor Day had its origin in national legislative action. After Congress had taken the lead the states followed. It is moreover a peculiarly American holiday. It is a most characteristic representation of our ideals. No other country, I am told, makes a like observance. But in America this high tribute is paid in recognition of the worth and dignity of the men and women who toil.” — President Calvin Coolidge, “Address to a Group of Labor Leaders on Labor Day,” delivered Sept. 1, 1924, in Washington, D.C.

“So often we overlook the work and the significance of those who are not in professional jobs, of those who are not in the so-called big jobs. But let me say to you tonight, that whenever you are engaged in work that serves humanity and is for the building of humanity, it has dignity, and it has worth. One day our society must come to see this. One day our society will come to respect the sanitation worker if it is to survive, for the person who picks up our garbage, in the final analysis, is as significant as the physician, for if he doesn’t do his job, diseases are rampant. All labor has dignity.” — Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., “All Labor Has Dignity” delivered at Bishop Charles Mason Temple of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 18, 1968. 

“Unionization, as opposed to communism, presupposes the relation of employment; it is based upon the wage system and it recognizes fully and unreservedly the institution of private property and the right to investment profit. It is upon the fuller development of collective bargaining, the wider expansion of the labor movement, the increased influence of labor in our national councils, that the perpetuity of our democratic institutions must largely depend. The organized workers of America, free in their industrial life, conscious partners in production, secure in their homes and enjoying a decent standard of living, will prove the finest bulwark against the intrusion of alien doctrines of government.” — John L. Lewis, president of the Mine Workers and founding president of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), “Labor and the Nation,” delivered Sept. 3, 1937, in Washington D.C.

“This fight that you are in is the great industrial revolution that is permeating the heart of men over the world. They see behind the clouds the Star that rose in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago, that is bringing the message of a better and nobler civilization. We are facing the hour. We are in it, men, the new day, we are here facing that Star that will free men, and give to the nation a nobler, grander, higher, truer, purer, better manhood. We are standing on the eve of that mighty hour when the motherhood of the nation will rise, and instead of clubs or picture shows or excursions she will devote her life to the training of the human mind, giving to the nation great men and women.” — Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, co-founder of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), “Speech at a Public Meeting on the Steps of the Capitol,” delivered Aug. 15, 1912, in Charleston, West Virginia. 

“The laborer has been regarded as a mere producing machine … but back of labor is the soul of man and honesty of purpose and aspiration. Now you cannot, as the political economists and college professors, say that labor is a commodity to be bought and sold. I say we are American citizens with the heritage of all the great men who have stood before us; men who have sacrificed all in the cause except honor.” — Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, “What Does the Working Man Want?,” delivered May 1, 1890, in Louisville, Kentucky.

That, unfortunately, is in short supply behind the wheel these days, as are good judgment, caution and restraint. The latest traffic fatality numbers confirm Virginia motorists must exercise more of each on the commonwealth’s roads, recognizing they could decide whether they arrive safely at their chosen destinations — or not at all.

In order to obtain a driver’s license in Virginia, most residents need to demonstrate a knowledge of road safety and successfully complete an education course that includes a test of skills behind the wheel.

These requirements help ensure a baseline aptitude for what’s expected of drivers on state roads. One wonders, then, why so many motorists in Virginia fail to demonstrate any of that knowledge when operating their vehicles.

We’ve all seen it: reckless driving, distracted driving (usually because of a cellphone), excessive speeding, failure to signal, following too closely, dangerous and aggressive driving, and the list goes on.

All of these reflect poor judgment by the driver, but they also put others at considerable risk. Cars aren’t playthings; they can be incredibly dangerous and even deadly if not operated with the requisite caution, attentiveness and consideration of others sharing the road.

This month, the Virginia Crime Commission released its annual report about motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian fatalities, covering incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2022. The figures help illustrate the poor behavior on state roadways and areas in which Virginia drivers need to do better.

Some 5,309 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents during that six-year period: 4,464 (84%) drivers or passengers, 771 (15%) pedestrians and 74 (1%) bicyclists. While the number of crashes is down — there were 131,848 in 2018 and 122,434 in 2022 — the number of fatalities increased by 19% from 2017 to 2022.

The report found increases in the causes of death, as well: “a 22% increase in unrestrained fatalities, 39% in speed-related fatalities, and 10% increase in alcohol-related fatalities in 2022 as compared to 2017.”

It’s well known — or, at least, it should be well known — that wearing a seat belt is the easiest way to protect yourself in a vehicle. Drivers should buckle in and make sure everyone else in their car does the same. The jump in unrestrained deaths is almost inexplicable, but the data tells the story.

Similarly, drinking before driving puts everyone on the road at risk. There are countless tales of inebriated drivers escaping terrible accidents that they caused through their thoughtlessness, while others involved weren’t so fortunate. It’s a simple rule: If you’re drinking, designate a driver or find another way home.

The speed-related fatalities are a vexing problem, one that’s all too familiar on roads in our area, especially on Interstates 64 and 264. Highways aren’t a racetrack, despite what some appear to believe, and people have a far greater likelihood of surviving a crash at slower speeds than when they are driving well above the speed limit.

There are two parts of road safety: drivers’ habits and enforcement of the laws. The VCC report notes that law enforcement are issuing fewer traffic tickets, largely due to staffing shortages in the wake of the COVID pandemic and, according to Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police Executive Director Dana Schrad, the racial justice protests in 2020.

But it shouldn’t take flashing blue lights and hefty fines for motorists to exhibit good behavior on the Virginia roads. Drivers need only demonstrate the skills and knowledge that earned them a license to begin with. That shouldn’t be too much to ask.

The alternative could well be, not a date in court, but months spent recovering from injuries sustained in an accident — and that’s if you’re lucky enough to survive it.

As the nation marks Overdose Awareness Day on Saturday, the stories of those lost should power our commitment to do more to help those at risk. By supporting treatment and interdiction centers, advocating for more drug abuse resources and comforting those in the thralls of addiction, we can use our grief to help save lives in Hampton Roads.

According to data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2022, about 8.8% Americans, or about 24.7 million people aged 12 and older, used illicit drugs other than marijuana in the previous year. That includes 10.2 million people who used cocaine and  methamphetamine or misused prescription drugs, and 8.9 million who misused opioids.

About  27.2 million were classified by the HHS data as having a drug use disorder, including 6.1 million people who have an opioid use disorder. Highlighting a deadly problem in this country, nearly 1 million people reported misusing prescription fentanyl or using illegally manufactured fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid responsible for a substantial number of overdose deaths each year.

The proliferation of fentanyl has become an intractable, and relatively recent, crisis in the United States — one we’ve seen take firm root in Virginia.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University released a report in January using data from 2021 that found “nearly 150,000 people in Virginia had an opioid use disorder, 127% higher than 2020 estimates, with at least six Virginians dying of an opioid drug overdose every day on average.” They calculated that the opioid epidemic cost the commonwealth about $5 billion that year alone.

The numbers don’t tell the whole story though, because each of those Virginians ensnared by addiction, each who abuses opioids, and each who dies of an overdose was someone’s child, full of hopes and dreams before drug use extinguished their light. These are parents and siblings, friends and neighbors — the people who would otherwise be an integral thread in the fabric of our communities.

If there is sunlight amid so much darkness, it’s that awareness and treatment efforts may be making a difference. The Virginia Department of Health reports that the preliminary count of overdose deaths last year marked the second consecutive annual decline and fentanyl deaths are also falling, albeit a lot slower than anyone would like.

There are plenty of factors involved in that reduction, but more people are aware of the particularly lethal threat posed by fentanyl. There are more resources and more coordination working to help those suffering from addiction. And the deployment of anti-overdose drugs, such as Narcan, is more widespread than ever.

In the commonwealth, the Youngkin administration has emphasized the battle against fentanyl. First lady Suzanne Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares launched companion campaigns to warn against the drug’s dangers and educate the hardest hit communities about how to get help and help others. And on Wednesday, the governor’s office announced the statewide expansion of Suzanne Youngkin’s “It Only Takes One” initiative.

At itonlytakesone.virginia.gov, Virginians can learn how to spot the signs of addiction, find strategies for how to help a loved one, and sign up for overdose training, including the proper use of Narcan.

Along with greater investment in mental health service, including addiction treatment, Virginia is increasingly making lifesaving services available where people need them. But they need more people eager to put their effort behind this cause to stem this deadly tide in their communities.

Virginia is making progress, but we’re a long, long way from being able to say it has a firm grasp on this problem. On Overdose Awareness Day, we should remember those lost, comforting those for whom the scars of tragedy will never fully heal, and pledge to doing what we can to join the fight against drug addiction.

Those changes would wallop the state economy, potentially putting thousands of Virginians out of work — people who have nobly spent their careers in public service. State leaders such as Gov. Glenn Youngkin may support former President Donald Trump, but they should be clear about their opposition to this plan and relentless in their defense of Virginia workers.

Heritage, a think tank in Washington, D.C., has been an incubator for conservative policy since before the Reagan administration. In preparing for this year’s election, it gathered dozens of Trump administration veterans to map out an agenda “wish list” should the former president win a second term.

The resulting Project 2025 document is a detailed 900-page plan that leaves no part of federal policy untouched. It calls for eliminating the Department of Education, privatizing the National Weather Service and gutting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and compromising the independence of the Department of Justice, among other things.

For Virginia, though, a provision to fundamentally transform the civil service, the cadre of workers who staff the federal government, bears special mention.

The civil service is structured to ensure that career employees provide invaluable institutional knowledge and continuity to their agencies and departments. Protections under federal law ensure that the government is staffed by professionals who serve the public rather than political appointees loyal only to a president.

But Project 2025 proposes to reverse that for a significant number of federal workers, converting traditional civil service positions into political jobs selected by the administration. Unlike some other ideals in the Project 2025 blueprint, this comes straight from Trump himself, who attempted to carry it out toward the end of his term.

In October 2020, Trump issued an executive order to reclassify a subset of federal workers as appointees, removing job protections for these roles and making workers who filled them easier to fire. Because it was not fully implemented, there is no firm count of the number of positions that would be affected.

Trump can argue, though it strains credulity, that he had no hand in the development of Project 2025, but his fingerprints are all over this provision of the plan. He tried it once before, after all, and would be unconstrained to try again should he win November’s election.

That would have a profound impact on Virginia, whose roughly 140,000 civilian federal employees are eclipsed only by those in California and the District of Columbia. According to data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, 3.7% of the commonwealth’s workforce is part of the civil service, men and women who are the lifeblood of the Virginia economy.

One would think that every Virginia official would be unyielding in their criticism of any proposal that would cause widespread disruption to tens of thousands of residents. Not so.

Youngkin, for one, has thrown his lot in with the former president, endorsing him and appearing with him at a June rally in Chesapeake. He recently dismissed Project 2025’s civil service proposal as no big deal and those rendered unemployed by these reforms could easily find another job in Virginia.

If the left-leaning Center for American Progress rolled out a proposal for the Harris-Walz campaign that would put thousands of Virginians out of work and decimate the state economy, Youngkin and other Republican leaders throughout the commonwealth wouldn’t stop howling about it.

Civil service workers living in Virginia deserve no less than the same full-throated defense, even if it’s not advantageous to the governor’s future political prospects. Youngkin was elected to serve the people of Virginia first — all of them — and he should be courageous enough to stand up to Trump when circumstances demand it.