News & Opinion

In the face of a damaging congressional report that disclosed 300 sexual assaults in VA hospitals, with patients often the victims, Veterans Affairs Department officials say they are committed to improving protections and prosecuting those who violated the law.

WASHINGTON -- Hundreds of people were sexually assaulted in Veterans Affairs facilities since early 2007, and many cases weren't reported to the proper officials, according to a government report released on Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office reported Wednesday that there have been nearly 300 alleged cases of sexual assaults at Veterans Administration facilities over a three-year period through 2010, and that many of the alleged incidents were not reported up the chain of command by VA police.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the unemployment rate for Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans’ increased from 10.9 percent in April to 12.1 percent in May, leaving 232,000 veterans unemployed.

A new report from a congressional watchdog agency questions efforts by the Veterans Affairs Department to reduce sexual assaults in its hospitals and clinics, finding flaws in security and failures to report crimes to higher headquarters.

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle introduced her first legislation in Congress in response to a study released Tuesday that fond almost 300 sexual assaults have been reported at Veterans Administration facilities nationwide.

TOMS RIVER -- Rep. Jon Runyan, R-N.J., will host a Veterans Expo on the campus of Ocean County College from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.

May employment numbers from the Labor Department show little improvement in the job market, especially for veterans.

The chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee announced an ambitious goal Wednesday of finding jobs for 400,000 veterans within two years, a move that would reduce the unemployment rate for veterans of all generations from 7.7 percent today to about 4.5 percent.

Oldsmar's new Veteran's Memorial Park served as the backdrop for  a Memorial Day Service honoring fallen soldiers Saturday morning.