Nov 8, 2017

Danica Roem becomes Virginia's first transgender elected official

Erica Pandey, author of @Work

Roem canvasses in Virginia. Photo: Steve Helber / AP

Danica Roem, a transgender woman, was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates Tuesday. She defeated incumbent Robert Marshall who, in 2006, referred to himself as the state's "chief homophobe" and, earlier this year, introduced a "bathroom bill" pertaining to transgender individuals, per the Washington Post.

Roem will be one of the very few transgender elected officials in the nation. The first openly transgender person to hold office was Althea Garrison, elected as a Republican to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1992.

Roem is also one of several Democrats who unseated Republicans in races for the Virginia state legislature, a shocking outcome that could see Democrats become the majority party in the chamber.

Go deeper: Democrat Ralph Northam wins the race for Virginia governor

Go deeper

Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 2 a.m. ET: 32,840,145 — Total deaths: 994,146 — Total recoveries: 22,715,575— Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 2 a.m. ET: 7,078,088 — Total deaths: 204,491 — Total recoveries: 2,750,459 — Total tests: 100,492,536 — Map.
  3. States: New York daily cases top 1,000 for first time since June — U.S. reports over 55,000 new coronavirus cases.
  4. Health: The long-term pain of the mental health pandemic — Fewer than 10% of Americans have coronavirus antibodies.
  5. Business: Millions start new businesses in time of coronavirus.
  6. Education: Summer college enrollment offers a glimpse of COVID-19's effect.
Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
4 hours ago - Health

Texas city declares disaster after brain-eating amoeba found in water supply

Characteristics associated with a case of amebic meningoencephalitis due to Naegleria fowleri parasites. Photo: Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Texas authorities have issued a warning amid concerns that the water supply in the southeast of the state may contain the brain-eating amoeba naegleria fowleri following the death of a 6-year-old boy.

Details: The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a "do not use" water alert Friday for eight cities, along with the Clemens and Wayne Scott Texas Department of Criminal Justice corrections centers and the Dow Chemical plant in Freeport. This was later lifted for all places except for Lake Jackson, which issued a disaster declaration Saturday.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Jacob Knutson
Updated 9 hours ago - Politics & Policy

What they're saying: Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett for Supreme Court

Judge Amy Coney Barrett in the Rose Garden of the White House on Sept. 26. Photo: Oliver Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Democratic and Republican lawmakers along with other leading political figures reacted to President Trump's Saturday afternoon nomination of federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court.

What they're saying: "President Trump could not have made a better decision," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement. "Judge Amy Coney Barrett is an exceptionally impressive jurist and an exceedingly well-qualified nominee to the Supreme Court of the United States."

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow