By Mercy SackorBob Jones, 5 days ago A new veterans housing project is in the works to help low-income and homeless veterans in Akron. One veteran, Andrew Livingston, spoke to News 5's Bob Jones about his experience. "Being a veteran means a lot to me. My dad was a veteran. My brother is a veteran. My sister is a veteran, so we got a house full of veterans," Livingston said. Livingston is a Desert Storm Army veteran who stays at the Valor Home of Summit County in Akron. It of

By Warren Cohen, 20 hours ago A Vietnam veteran who developed high blood pressure years after returning from service used to face a brutal catch-22 when filing a VA disability claim: prove that herbicide sprayed in a jungle 50 years ago caused a condition that millions of Americans develop for other reasons. The medical evidence was nearly impossible to produce, and the VA denied claims like these for decades. That changed when Congress added hypertension, hypothyroidism, and

By Warren Cohen,1 days ago Veterans diagnosed with hypertension, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), male breast cancer, urethral cancer, or cancer of the paraurethral glands can now file for service-connected benefits without assembling individual proof of toxic exposure during deployment. The Department of Veterans Affairs added all five conditions to its PACT Act presumptive list, shifting the burden of proof away from the veteran and onto the agency

By Gee NY, 2026-04-16 The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to honor a trailblazing World War II veteran, with lawmakers stressing the importance of correcting historical oversight and recognizing the contributions of Black women in military service. Speaking on the House floor, Shontel Brown described the bill as an effort to deliver long-overdue acknowledgment. “This bill is about recognition—recognition that’s a long time coming,” Brown said. “Recognitio

By Asher Clark, 2026-04-23 Veterans with a rare, progressive muscle disease face years of paperwork and appeals before the VA will consider their condition tied to military service. Many say the delay leaves them without timely support as their strength fades. A group of affected former service members is now calling for the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat inclusion body myositis the same way it handles ALS, granting automatic benefits without forcing each veteran to

By Team Coffman Chronicle, 18 hours ago House Republicans passed legislation expanding eligibility for certain legacy VA benefits, sending the proposal to the Senate after supporters framed the vote as a long-awaited win for veterans and military families. The House approved H.R. 6047, the Sharron Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act, during a bipartisan vote last week. The bill would broaden access to some education and survivor-related benefits tied to

By David Keller, 20 hours ago Nearly four years after Congress passed the PACT Act with bipartisan fanfare, veterans who filed toxic-exposure claims under the law are running into a painful contradiction: the statute that was supposed to fast-track their benefits has funneled them into one of the slowest processing pipelines at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Multiple veteran service organizations, including the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans, report that

By Joshua Sidorowicz, 3 days ago It's estimated that as many as one in three veterans experience financial stress within the first year or two after leaving the military. For many, that transition can feel sudden, overwhelming and, at times, isolating. For Ricky Montgomery of Mount Holly, New Jersey, the change was stark. Montgomery retired sergeant first class in the Army in 2023 after more than a decade of service. Looking back at photos and mementos from his military caree

By LINDA F. HERSEY STARS AND STRIPES • May 19, 2026 House House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., left, makes remarks during a hearing on May 19, 2026, in Washington, as Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., looks on. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON — Two Republican-led veterans bills will advance to the House for a full vote following a contentious House Rules Committee hearing Tuesday that debated increasing benefits for severely injured veterans

By Ian Khakila, 4 days ago Life as a military spouse can feel like a series of constant adjustments and sacrifices. Deployments, relocations, and long periods of separation make stability and opportunity hard to find. Yet, there are benefits available that can transform your experience, ease daily challenges, and even open doors to personal growth. The following points reveal essential resources that many military families overlook and show how spouses can claim them to impro

By Brett Rowland, 2 days ago (The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Tuesday launched a clinical trial testing MDMA-assisted therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder, one of 19 psychedelic studies the agency is funding through $23 million in external grants. The study, which received federal funding in December 2024, began enrolling participants on May 18 and will include about 80 veterans at VA facilities in P

Published: May. 23, 2026, 5:00 a.m. Nikita Prosin (left) shakes hands with Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Santoli during a May 14, 2026 session of Veterans Treatment Court.Lucas Daprile CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “What’s up, Mike?” Veteran mentors clap as Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge Andrew Santoli greets his “client,” Michael Williams. They talk sobriety and the struggles of going through the criminal justice system. Santoli isn’t in a robe, but th

By Patricia Kime, 6 days ago The House overwhelmingly passed a $480.9 billion budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction and other programs for fiscal 2027 that included full funding for veterans health care and benefits. The bill, which also provides appropriations for veterans-related agencies such as the American Battle Monuments Commission and Arlington National Cemetery, includes nearly $450 billion for the VA in fiscal 2027, a 3% increase from

By Liz Carey, 9 days ago The House approved legislation last week that will fully fund care for American veterans and their families, lawmakers said. The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2027 outlines how $157 billion in discretionary allocation should be spent. The bill is $4 billion above last year’s funding, a 3 percent increase. Officials said the bill includes critical investments in military infrastructure and the milit

By Lena Borrelli, 22 days ago Support for a military family doesn't end when service is complete, and neither do the benefits. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a range of programs designed to help spouses, children and even parents access health care, education funding and financial support1. Knowing what's available and how to qualify can make a meaningful difference in securing long-term stability for veterans' loved ones. Who Qualifies as a VA Dependent? The

Updated: Apr. 28, 2026, 11:12 a.m. Published: Apr. 28, 2026, 11:00 a.m. By Kaitlin Durbin, cleveland.com CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County’s new Veterans Service Commission headquarters is now officially open to the public. County leaders and veteran officials marked the grand opening Friday with a celebration at the 3950 Chester Ave. facility, a $10 million investment aimed at expanding access to benefits, financial assistance and community programming for local veterans. Th

Published: Mar 26, 2026 at 03:19 PM EDT Updated: Mar 27, 2026 at 11:31 AM EDT Exterior shots are photographed on the afternoon of July 20, 2019, at the Department of Veterans Affairs. | P_Wei/Getty Images The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a major change that could significantly expand education benefits for millions of veterans, making it easier for them to maximize their G.I. Bill eligibility following two recent court rulings. In a press release issued

FreshWater Staff Thursday, March 26, 2026 Concentric circle tunnels serve as support system for the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. Officials with the Soldiers’ & Sailors’ Monument this week announced dates for its popular spring events, beginning in April and concluding with a Memorial Day observance in May. These events will offer insights into the architecture of the monument and pay tribute to the men and women of Cuyahoga County who served during the Civil War and contin

BY Siobhan Harms Cleveland PUBLISHED 5:22 PM ET Mar. 25, 2026 A US flag flies above a VFW post in New Philadelphia, Ohio. (Siobhan Harms, Spectrum News). CLEVELAND — Despite many short-and long-term conflicts in the interim, the last time the U.S. officially declared war was during WWII in 1942. What You Need To Know Despite not officially declaring war since WWII, the U.S. has engaged in several conflicts Veterans are classified as peacetime and wartime veterans under U.S. l

By LINDA F. HERSEY STARS AND STRIPES • March 16, 2026 The Department of Veterans Affairs clarified plans for deploying a data tool to assist staff in identifying suspected fraud in claims. The focus of the tool will be on third-party for-profit companies — known as claims sharks — that try to take advantage of veterans and the benefits system, the agency said. (Stars and Stripes) This story has been corrected. WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it