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Quil Lawrence Quil Lawrence is a New York-based correspondent for NPR News, covering veterans' issues nationwide.
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As The Country Reexamines Statues And Symbols, The VA Resists A Gender-Neutral Motto

Female Marine Corps recruits train at the United States Marine Corps recruit depot June 21, 2004, in Parris Island, South Carolina. Some House Democrats and many veterans want the service of women and of all vets to be recognized in an updated motto for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

America Reckons With Racial Injustice

As The Country Reexamines Statues And Symbols, The VA Resists A Gender-Neutral Motto

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a male-focused motto that some veterans and lawmakers say needs updating.

NYPD Officer Accused Of Using Chokehold Charged With Strangulation

The NYPD says officer David Afanador was arrested Thursday on charges of strangulation and attempted strangulation over the incident last weekend on the Rockaway Beach boardwalk. NYPD via AP hide caption

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NYPD via AP

Updates: The Fight Against Racial Injustice

NYPD Officer Accused Of Using Chokehold Charged With Strangulation

The officer, 39-year-old David Afanador, was suspended the same day the cellphone video appeared to show him choking a Black man on a Queens boardwalk.

NYPD Eliminates Plainclothes Anti-Crime Units Implicated In Many Shootings

Protesters are arrested by NYPD officers for violating curfew beside the iconic Plaza Hotel on 59th Street, Wednesday, June 3, 2020, in the Manhattan borough of New York. John Minchillo/AP hide caption

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John Minchillo/AP

Updates: The Fight Against Racial Injustice

NYPD Eliminates Plainclothes Anti-Crime Units Implicated In Many Shootings

Commissioner Dermot F. Shea says he will move toward more high tech, intelligence-based policing and away from "brute force." "It will be felt immediately in the communities that we protect," he says.

New York Criminalizes Use Of Chokeholds By Police

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, center, signs into law a sweeping package of police accountability measures on Friday that received new backing following protests of George Floyd's killing. Kevin P. Coughlin//AP hide caption

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Kevin P. Coughlin//AP

Updates: The Fight Against Racial Injustice

New York Criminalizes Use Of Chokeholds By Police

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has approved changes that have been vehemently opposed by police unions for years — including allowing the public to access police officers' past disciplinary records.

National Security

What Veterans Think About Sending Active-Duty Troops To Police Protests

Some military officials have come out against the deployment of active-duty troops to police nationwide protests. Others, including some army veterans, have supported the idea.

What Veterans Think About Sending Active-Duty Troops To Police Protests

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Memorial Day Honor Flights Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Crisis

The Washington Monument and the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building are visible behind the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., on Memorial Day. Andrew Harnik/AP hide caption

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Andrew Harnik/AP

Coronavirus Updates

Memorial Day Honor Flights Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Crisis

Thousands of people who were planning to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C., on Memorial Day had to cancel this year. That includes veterans traveling with the nonprofit network Honor Flight.

Memorial Day Honor Flights Canceled Because Of Coronavirus Crisis

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COVID-19 Hits Veterans Homes, VA Says New Home-Care Program Still Months Off.

Rob Grier says if he weren't taking care of him, his dad, Robert Grier Sr., would probably need to be in a nursing home. Courtesy of Rob Grier hide caption

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Courtesy of Rob Grier

The Coronavirus Crisis

COVID-19 Hits Veterans Homes, VA Says New Home-Care Program Still Months Off.

Veterans' homes have been ravaged by the virus. The VA has just announced new rules for its caregivers program, but veterans' groups fear thousands will be left behind.

COVID-19 Hits Veterans Homes, VA Says New Home-Care Program Still Months Off.

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National

VA Says It's Getting More Masks For Staff; Workers Say They're Still Unsafe

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been criticized for its lack of preparation and response to the coronavirus crisis and how its serving its vulnerable population.

VA Says It's Getting More Masks For Staff; Workers Say They're Still Unsafe

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National

VA Head Pledges To Provide Health Care Backstop, Responds To Lack Of Gear Claims

Veterans Affairs head Robert Wilkie responded to claims that his staff lack protective gear. He says the VA is fulfilling its "fourth mission" of providing a health care backstop for the U.S.

VA Head Pledges To Provide Health Care Backstop, Responds To Lack Of Gear Claims

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Public Health Service Poised To Create A Ready Reserve To Fight The Coronavirus

Admiral Brett Giroir, M.D., assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Public Health Service, speaks during one of the daily briefings on COVID-19 last week. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

The Coronavirus Crisis

Public Health Service Poised To Create A Ready Reserve To Fight The Coronavirus

The U.S. Public Health Service has won congressional authorization for a ready reserve of doctors and nurses to deploy across the country.

Public Health Service Poised To Create A Ready Reserve To Fight The Coronavirus

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New York City's COVID-19 Death Toll Soars Past 10,000

In the Queens borough of New York City on Tuesday, people wearing face masks wait in line to enter a store that offers check-cashing services. Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

Coronavirus Updates

New York City's COVID-19 Death Toll Soars Past 10,000

City officials have recalculated the number of deaths caused by the coronavirus to include some 4,000 people who died at home probably from the illness but who were not tested.