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Wednesday

Trump's Uncontroversial VA Pick Sails Through Confirmation Hearing

Veterans Affairs secretary nominee Robert Wilkie (right) speaks with Marion Polk, national commander of AMVETS, before testifying at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee nominations hearing Wednesday. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption

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Carolyn Kaster/AP

National

Trump's Uncontroversial VA Pick Sails Through Confirmation Hearing

President Trump fired his first VA secretary, and his first nominee withdrew. His next pick, Robert Wilkie, is a veteran and a seasoned Washington official.

Trump's Uncontroversial VA Pick Sails Through Confirmation Hearing

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Friday

Surprise! Trump Nominates Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie To Fill Role Permanently

Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, left, is seen as President Trump announces his intention to nominate Wilkie to be the next Veterans Affairs Secretary during a summit at the East Room of the White House on Friday. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Surprise! Trump Nominates Acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie To Fill Role Permanently

Following the disastrous nomination of the president's last pick, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, veterans groups say they hope the embattled agency can finally get back on track.

Wednesday

Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, nominee for veterans affairs secretary, leaves the Dirksen Building afte meeting with Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., on Tuesday.

Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, nominee for veterans affairs secretary, leaves the Dirksen Building afte meeting with Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., on Tuesday. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images hide caption

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Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

Politics

New Charges Against VA Nominee: 'Candyman' Dispensed Drugs Freely, Wrecked Car

Detailed new allegations surfaced Wednesday against Dr. Ronny Jackson, President Trump's pick to lead the VA. The White House is defending Jackson, who wants a chance to clear his name.

New Charges Against VA Nominee: 'Candyman' Dispensed Drugs Freely, Wrecked Car

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Tuesday

More than 20 military employees have shared concerns about Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with members and staff of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the panel's top Democrat, Jon Tester.

More than 20 military employees have shared concerns about Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who was on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, with members and staff of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the panel's top Democrat, Jon Tester. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The Two-Way

VA Nominee Accused Of Drinking On Duty, Improper Prescriptions, Sen. Tester Says

More than 20 military employees described a "toxic work environment" to senators and staff, the Democrat told NPR. President Trump says the decision to withdraw is up to Ronny Jackson.

VA Nominee Accused Of Drinking On Duty, Improper Prescriptions, Sen. Tester Says

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Thursday

Fired VA Secretary Says White House Muzzled Him

Ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin demurred from pointing a finger squarely at President Trump but described a VA riddled with political pressure and conflict. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Fired VA Secretary Says White House Muzzled Him

David Shulkin, the ousted Veterans Affairs chief, tells NPR that political forces in the Trump administration want to privatize the VA and that he was not allowed to respond to an ethics controversy.

Thursday

For Veterans Mustard-Gassed In Secret Tests, Help Now Sits On President's Desk

In this 1945 image, test subjects enter a gas chamber for a U.S. military experiment that will expose them to mustard gas. Courtesy of Edgewood Arsenal hide caption

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Courtesy of Edgewood Arsenal

The Two-Way

For Veterans Mustard-Gassed In Secret Tests, Help Now Sits On President's Desk

More than two years after NPR revealed the U.S. government broke promises to World War II veterans whom it exposed to mustard gas, Congress has passed a bill to help them finally get compensation.

Wednesday

Do U.S. Troops Risk Brain Injury When They Fire Heavy Weapons?

Coalition forces fire a Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle during a training exercise in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2013. Spc. Justin Young/U.S. Department of Defense/DVIDS hide caption

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Spc. Justin Young/U.S. Department of Defense/DVIDS

Shots - Health News

Do U.S. Troops Risk Brain Injury When They Fire Heavy Weapons?

Some modern shoulder-fired weapons produce blast waves powerful enough to rattle the brain. A $30 million study aims to help the military figure out how much blast exposure, over time, is too much.

Do U.S. Troops Risk Brain Injury When They Fire Heavy Weapons?

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Friday

House OKs Bill Making It Tougher To Keep 'Mentally Incompetent' Vets From Buying Guns

A House-approved bill would require a court hearing before a U.S. veteran is deemed mentally unfit to own a gun. Here, rifles are seen at a gun shop in Merrimack, N.H., last year. Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Dominick Reuter/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

House OKs Bill Making It Tougher To Keep 'Mentally Incompetent' Vets From Buying Guns

Critics of the bill say it could lead to more suicides — in one recent year, an average of 20 veterans per day died from suicide, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Monday

Senate Confirms First Nonveteran To Lead VA

Veterans Affairs Secretary-designate Dr. David Shulkin, then the undersecretary for health at the VA, testifies on Capitol Hill Feb. 1. Shulkin was confirmed on Monday. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

The Two-Way

Senate Confirms First Nonveteran To Lead VA

Senators unanimously voted to confirm VA Health Undersecretary Dr. David Shulkin as full secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. He's a rare Trump holdover from the Obama administration.

Wednesday

Hiring Freeze And Obamacare Repeal Could Clobber Veterans Affairs

David Shulkin (center), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary of health, talks with attendees in July prior to testifying at a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing in Gilbert, Ariz. Donald Trump has selected Shulkin to lead the agency. Ross D. Franklin/AP hide caption

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Ross D. Franklin/AP

Politics

Hiring Freeze And Obamacare Repeal Could Clobber Veterans Affairs

If the Affordable Care Act is repealed, some of those left uninsured will be veterans. They may turn to the VA, further burdening a troubled health care system.

Hiring Freeze And Obamacare Repeal Could Clobber Veterans Affairs

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Wednesday

Wednesday

After A Vet's Suicide, Getting VA Benefits Can Compound A Family's Grief

Coning left the Marines in 2013. His wife says she thinks it's likely he had post-traumatic stress disorder, but he was never tested for it by the VA. Courtesy of the Coning family hide caption

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Courtesy of the Coning family

National

After A Vet's Suicide, Getting VA Benefits Can Compound A Family's Grief

A former Marine who served in Afghanistan took his own life recently. But there was no diagnosis linking his service to his suicide, making it hard for his family to receive full death benefits.

After A Vet's Suicide, Getting VA Benefits Can Compound A Family's Grief

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Wednesday

After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home

Stacy Bannerman testifies before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs in 2006. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images hide caption

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Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc./Getty Images

Shots - Health News

After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home

In a minority of cases, violent behavior accompanies post-traumatic stress disorder. Military spouses can become victims, and there are few resources around to help them.

After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home

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Tuesday

New VA Clinic Opens For Transgender Vets

Sue McConnell is one of more than 130 transgender veterans receiving treatment at the Tucson Veterans Affairs hospital. Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ hide caption

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Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ

National

New VA Clinic Opens For Transgender Vets

KJZZ News

The Tucson Veterans Affairs hospital is expanding treatment to the needs of trans veterans, one of the first such facilities in the U.S. to do so. The clinic's services include hormone treatment.

New VA Clinic Opens For Transgender Vets

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Thursday

Department Of Veterans Affairs To Pay For Robotic Legs

ReWalk Robotics service engineer Tom Coulter (right) looks on as paralyzed Army veteran Gene Laureano walks using a ReWalk device on Wednesday in the Bronx, N.Y. Mel Evans/AP hide caption

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Mel Evans/AP

The Two-Way

Department Of Veterans Affairs To Pay For Robotic Legs

The exoskeleton's $77,000 price tag has been too expensive for many injured veterans. But after a major shift in VA policy, eligible veterans with spinal cord injuries may soon be able to walk again.