Arlington GOP chairman blasts Youngkin over leaked phone call to lieutenant governor candidate

By JENNY GOLDSBERRY, Washington Examiner

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) was criticized by some members of his party for an alleged phone call he made to the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor. John Reid is running to replace Virginia’s current lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor. Reid said he received a call from Youngkin regarding a “fake” social media account impersonating him that posted sexually explicit photos of “other people,” and Youngkin suggested Reid drop out of the race over it.

Tensions rise as Reid demands Youngkin’s PAC retract ‘defamatory’ statements

By BRANDON JARVIS, Virginia Scope

A lawyer representing Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid sent a cease-and-desist letter Monday to Spirit of Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political action committee. The letter directed the PAC’s executive director, Matt Moran, to “retract all defamatory statements made to the press and that you, Spirit of Virginia, its agents, and its affiliates cease and desist from making, releasing, or otherwise disseminating false and defamatory statements regarding Mr. Reid to any person, organization, or platform in the future.” The letter also instructed Moran and all associated entities to preserve all communications with Graham Moomaw, who first reported Youngkin’s call to Reid in The Richmonder, as well as communications with Virginia Scope.

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In deepening Va. GOP crisis, Reid accuses Youngkin PAC of extortion. Is a legal battle ahead?

By MARKUS SCHMIDT, Virginia Mercury

The internal drama roiling Virginia Republicans deepened over the weekend as John Reid, the party’s embattled nominee for lieutenant governor, accused Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political action committee of extortion — escalating an already explosive rift just months before November’s elections. In a defiant video posted Sunday afternoon on X, formerly Twitter, Reid alleged that a representative of Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC told his team the organization would purchase damaging opposition research and “the lies and threats against me would suddenly stop” if he agreed to drop out of the race.

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Reid says he will not quit race for lieutenant governor, threatens legal action

By KATE SELTZER, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Neither Lt. Gov. candidate John Reid nor Gov. Glenn Youngkin appears prepared to back down from the budding fight that fractured the statewide Republican party. As initially reported by The Richmonder, Youngkin called Reid Friday morning to request he step down from his candidacy for lieutenant governor. That’s after a Tumblr account surfaced that contained reposts of pictures of naked men, The Richmonder reported. The username of that account matches the name Reid uses on other personal social media platforms.

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GOP candidate for lieutenant governor ups the ante in spar with governor

By BILL ATKINSON, Progress Index (Metered paywall - 10 articles a month)

The Republican candidate for Virginia’s lieutenant governor – already embroiled in heat with Gov. Glenn Youngkin over the latter’s reported efforts to push him off the ticket – turned up the temperature in that battle over the weekend by saying “I’m not going anywhere” ... Meanwhile, one of the Virginia Senate’s more traditional conservative voices said Monday that he will support John Reid because “I support all of our nominees.” Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Colonial Heights, also said the issue of whether Reid should come off the ticket should be between Reid and the governor, and no one else.

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Former Gov. George Allen stands by John Reid to remain on GOP ticket

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

Former Gov. George Allen is standing by Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid to remain on the GOP statewide ticket for elections in November, despite a public push by Gov. Glenn Youngkin for him to withdraw from the race. Allen, who endorsed Reid long before he clinched the nomination last week, said Monday that it is “John’s choice,” whether to remain on the ticket after an escalating dispute with Youngkin over sexually explicit photographs of other men that the Republican governor alleged the GOP nominee had reposted on social media.

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Democrats launch billboard attack on Earle-Sears

Virginia Scope

Virginia Democrats launched three billboards along I-64 that they say are “highlighting Winsome Earle-Sears downplaying and defending the Trump Administration’s attacks on Virginia jobs.” The billboards read “Winsome Earle-Sears doesn’t care about 53,394 and counting unemployed Virginians.”

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Where do statewide candidates stand on skill games?

By JAHD KHALIL, VPM

Skill games are machines that resemble slot machines, and get their name because manufacturers say there is an element of skill that determines winnings. The devices have been in a whiplash of legislation and litigation since the General Assembly originally passed legislation to ban the devices in 2020. Then, former Gov. Ralph Northam and the Assembly amended the legislation to allow for a brief legal period, before a judge paused the ban in 2021. In 2023, the Supreme Court of Virginia upheld the ban. The frequent litigation surrounding skill games means that Virginia’s next attorney general will likely be involved in the issue.

Dominion Energy wants new power lines in Chesterfield Co.

By DAVE RESS, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

Dominion Energy wants to build new seven-miles-long high voltage lines in western Chesterfield County in large part to serve a planned hyperscale data center, using four times the electricity the region’s biggest data center campus now needs. The utility expects that the lines, along with the substations and safety equipment needed to direct the right voltages to the right places, will cost about $121 million, it said in a filing with the State Corporation Commission.

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Va. expands warning on areas with measles exposure

By JENNA PORTNOY, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Virginia public health officials on Monday released more detail on the areas in local medical facilities where people may have been exposed to a young child with the state’s first 2025 case of measles, a highly contagious disease on the rise across the nation. The child, who was described as age 4 or younger, was contagious while visiting Kaiser Permanente medical facilities in Fredericksburg and Woodbridge on two days in mid-April, according to a statement from the Virginia Department of Health. The Virginia case stems from international travel ...

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Measles exposure includes more areas at Woodbridge site

By CATHY DYSON, Free Lance-Star (Metered Paywall - 10 articles a month)

Initial information from the state health department about Virginia’s first measles case this year said a potential exposure site in Woodbridge was limited to the Advanced Urgent Care department of Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center. That’s been expanded to include the laboratory, radiology and pharmacy at the Kaiser site, at 13285 Minnieville Road in Woodbridge. A child under 5, who is from the northwest region of Virginia, was in those areas on Tuesday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

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Latest DEQ inspection finds no deficiencies at Bristol landfill

By DAVID MCGEE, Bristol Herald Courier (Metered Paywall - 15 articles a month)

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s recent inspection of the city’s landfill operations revealed they were in compliance with no deficiencies, according to a letter sent to the city last week. The evaluation also documented a first quarter uptick in odor complaints about the quarry landfill, which ceased accepting trash in September 2022 amid public concerns about widespread odors and other environmental issues.

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Virginia implementing technology to slow chronic speeders

By HAWES SPENCER, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

Ten people have been convicted of reckless driving so far this year after getting clocked driving more than 100 mph in Albemarle County, and four alleged street racers are due in Albemarle County General District court this week. While reckless drivers are usually allowed to drive again, a new law would let judges force some speeders to install a speed limiter in their vehicle in order to drive. “This is going to save lives,” the sponsor of the law, state Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, told the Daily Progress ...

Longtime NoVa congressman Gerry Connolly will not seek reelection after cancer resurgence

By MARKUS SCHMIDT, Virginia Mercury

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Fairfax, a fixture in Northern Virginia politics for more than three decades, announced Monday he will not seek reelection after a resurgence of cancer, saying the sun is setting on his time in public service. In a statement published on his social media accounts, Connolly thanked supporters for their “good wishes and compassion,” crediting their encouragement with giving him strength “in my fights — both against cancer and in our collective defense of democracy.”

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Connolly won’t seek reelection due to health

By MICHAEL MARTZ, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, announced Monday that he will not run for reelection to Congress or remain as ranking Democrat on the House Oversight and Reform Committee because of his intensifying battle with cancer. Connolly, a powerhouse in Northern Virginia politics for three decades, has been battling esophageal cancer for six months. He said in a statement to constituents that the cancer has returned.

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Connolly says he will not seek reelection as cancer returns

By TEO ARMUS, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia), a longtime liberal voice representing Northern Virginia, said Monday that he would not be seeking reelection next year and would step down from his role as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee after his esophageal cancer returned. Connolly, 75, had announced his diagnosis last fall, just days after winning reelection to a ninth term representing the state’s 11th Congressional District, which covers much of Fairfax County.

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Gerald Connolly, Top Democrat on House Oversight Panel, to Retire

By MICHAEL GOLD, New York Times (Metered Paywall - 1 to 2 articles a month)

Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, an eight-term Democrat, announced on Monday that he would not seek re-election and would soon relinquish his position as the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, as he faces cancer. Mr. Connolly, 75, announced late last year that he was being treated for cancer of the esophagus but planned to fight the disease while continuing to do his job in Washington, saying he was “very confident of a successful outcome.” In a letter to his constituents on Monday, he said that the disease, “while initially beaten back, has now returned,” prompting his decision to step aside and ultimately retire. Mr. Connolly said he planned to do “everything possible” to finish out what he said would be his final term.

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Kaine expects more hearings after latest Hegseth Signal scandal

By BOB STUART, News Virginian

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine remains firmly opposed to Pete Hegseth’s leadership and expects additional hearings on the defense secretary’s latest Signal scandal. Kaine and fellow Virginia Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, have both called for Hegseth’s resignation after the defense secretary revealed sensitive military information with unvetted civilians via private group chat not once but twice since his appointment. “I see one gaffe after the next,” Kaine told The News Virginian Friday after a tour of the Daikin Applied HVAC plant in Verona.

$700M subsea cable factory breaks ground in Chesapeake amid concerns about tariffs, energy policy

By RYAN MURPHY, WHRO

Gov. Glenn Youngkin sang the praises of international business cooperation Monday as officials broke ground on a massive undersea cable manufacturing factory in Chesapeake. The project from a South Korean cable company will eventually serve national and global wind energy projects and represents the largest investment in the city’s history. But despite the rosy outlook from officials, a cloud of uncertainty swirled. “Tariffs is a concern. If I say that is not a concern, I’d be lying,” said Koo Bon-kyu, president of South Korean company LS Cable & System, told American and South Korean media after the ceremonial groundbreaking.

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Construction begins on massive underwater cable plant in Chesapeake

By ELIZA NOE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

A multimillion-dollar underwater cable factory in Chesapeake has officially broken ground, adding another part of the offshore wind supply chain to Hampton Roads. The 750,000-square-foot plant — part of a $680-million investment by LS Greenlink USA, a subsidiary of South Korean-based LS Cable & System — is expected to create more than 330 full-time jobs.

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Price of a home in Richmond region to likely keep climbing

By ERIC KOLENICH, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

Perhaps the greatest change to life in the Richmond region since the pandemic is the increased cost of buying a home. The median price of a single-family home has shot up 89% from about $220,000 in 2015 to almost $415,000 in the first quarter of this year. Now, experts have bad news for prospective home buyers: Prices are not likely to decline this year. Laura Lafayette, CEO of the Richmond Association of Realtors, said she can envision the median price rising an additional 5% to 7% this year.

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‘Game changing’ behavioral health center unveiled in Hampton

By NICK MCNAMARA, WHRO

Hampton and Newport News officials say a new mental health center will improve access to services and ease the burden on law enforcement and hospitals. Elected and mental health officials on Friday cut the ribbon for the new B.J. Roberts Behavioral Health Center in Hampton. It’s named after the city’s first Black sheriff, who had long supported growing mental health care access.

Student visas restored for 19 Tech students and recent graduates

By LAURENCE HAMMACK, Roanoke Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

All 19 international students and recent graduates at Virginia Tech who had their student visas revoked earlier this month have regained their legal status. But the final outcome of their cases appears uncertain, as changes and confusion continue under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. ... The visas had been restored to 11 of the 19 individuals as of 5 p.m. Friday. Tech said it learned late Monday that the remaining eight were back in good standing.

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UVa student visas restored

By DMITRY MARTIROSOV, Daily Progress (Metered Paywall - 25 articles a month)

The University of Virginia on Friday disclosed that the legal statuses of one current and one former international student whose visas were revoked by the Trump administration have been restored to “active.” UVa revealed that the statuses of the student and alumnus whose records were terminated earlier this month from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, had been restored, according to a university webpage providing updates on recent federal actions.

Commanders and Washington agree to a deal to build at RFK Stadium site, a nearly $4 billion project

By STEPHEN WHYNO, Associated Press

Growing up in the Washington area, Josh Harris cherished his chances once or twice a year to watch his favorite football team play at RFK Stadium, the home during the glory days when the likes of Joe Theismann and John Riggins made the stands shake on the way to three Super Bowl championships. Now the controlling owner and with fellow locals and longtime fans Mitch Rales and Mark Ein also involved, Harris and his group are a giant leap closer to bringing the team back where they think it belongs. Washington’s NFL franchise is set to return to the nation’s capital as part of an agreement between the organization and the District of Columbia government to build a new stadium as part of a project totaling nearly $4 billion.

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D.C., Commanders announce $3.7B deal to move team to RFK Stadium site

By MEAGAN FLYNN, SAM FORTIER AND NICKI JHABVALA, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

D.C. and the Washington Commanders have reached a $3.7 billion deal to transform the dilapidated RFK Stadium site on the banks of the Anacostia River into a new home for the NFL team surrounded by retail, housing and park space — a generational development project likely to shape the legacies of Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) and Commanders owner Josh Harris. Sprawling across 177 waterfront acres, the massive development anchored by a covered 65,000-seat stadium would be funded primarily by the Commanders, who would put up $2.7 billion, according to the terms released Monday. The total cost to D.C. taxpayers is expected to top $1 billion, including stadium infrastructure, parking facilities, recreation improvements and other water and electric infrastructure — a price tag likely to spur heated debate on the D.C. Council and among residents about how public money is used.

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Federal cuts to NOAA could be an ‘incredible blow’ for Chesapeake Bay, storm reporting

By ELIZA NOE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

As summer and hurricane season nears, weather and environmental officials say federal cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will negatively impact climate research, education and storm reporting. The Trump administration reportedly plans to cut NOAA’s roughly $6.1 billion budget by 27% to $4.5 billion in fiscal year 2026. According to an internal administration document obtained by ProPublica, the proposed cuts would close the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, which could end support for NOAA’s hurricane hunter missions, and cut funding to the office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research by nearly 75%.

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Albemarle ICE detainees are being held in Farmville

By HANNAH DAVIS-REID AND MEGHIN MOORE, VPM

Two men who were detained on Tuesday in Charlottesville are being held at the Farmville Detention Center with pending hearings — and possible deportation from the United States. Plainclothes US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials entered the Albemarle County Courthouse on Tuesday morning. Honduran national Teodoro Dominguez-Rodriguez and Pablo Aparicio-Marcelino, a Mexican citizen, were taken into custody in separate interactions.

Purcellville Residents Submit Recall Petitions for Mayor, Councilmembers

By HANNA PAMPALONI, Loudoun Now

Purcellville residents on Monday submitted recall petitions for the town’s mayor, vice mayor and two councilmembers just five weeks after starting the grassroots effort. The move to unseat Mayor Christopher Bertaut, Vice Mayor Ben Nett and councilmembers Susan Khalil and Carol Luke came after residents repeatedly expressed concerns during council meetings that the council majority was having discussions between the four of them without informing the public or the remaining three members of council.

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Purcellville recall petition filed: Residents seek ‘transparency and trust in town government’

By KAREN GRAHAM, Loudoun Times (Metered Paywall - 5 articles a month)

A group of Purcellville residents led by Brian Morgan have taken the next step in seeking the removal of Purcellville's mayor and three Town Council members, delivering recall petitions April 28 to Gary Clemens, Clerk of the Loudoun County Circuit Court. They are seeking to recall Mayor Chris Bertaut, Vice Mayor Carl “Ben” Nett and Council members Carol Luke and Susan Khalil, and filed four recall petitions with nearly 1,200 signatures each.

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Richmond revenue director resigns after more problems with tax rebate checks

By GRAHAM MOOMAW, The Richmonder

Richmond's director of revenue resigned last week after city officials learned of more errors that have hampered the city's efforts to give Richmond property owners back some tax money they've already paid. A month ago, the city announced a mailing error had resulted in thousands of erroneous checks to be sent out payable to an entity called "Hartshorn Community Council." On Monday — as questions swirled about the status of checks residents still weren't seeing in their mailboxes — the city announced it had found several more problems that were delaying the process.

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Richmond director of revenue resigns after tax rebate checks bounce

By SAMUEL B. PARKER, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

The city’s director of revenue last Monday resigned following additional issues with the city’s real estate tax rebate checks, a city spokesperson told The Times-Dispatch. In March, officials issued thousands of the checks with the incorrect names printed on them. This week, multiple sources told The Times-Dispatch their correctly issues checks had bounced.

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Fluoride spike at Richmond water plant reignites calls for regional management

By JONATHAN SPIERS, Richmond BizSense

A spike in fluoride levels during a pump install at Richmond’s water treatment plant last week went unreported for days and has prompted neighboring counties to repeat calls for a cooperative approach to water service in the region. In statements released late Monday afternoon, Henrico and Hanover counties said they were “discouraged” and “disappointed” by what Henrico called “repeated operations failures and communications breakdowns” associated with the plant, which the city said “experienced an issue” during an installation of a new fluoride pump that increased fluoride levels over several hours last Wednesday.

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Counties express frustration after Richmond fails to communicate water error

By MICHAEL PHILLIPS, The Richmonder

Henrico and Hanover sent press releases on Monday expressing frustration that they were not properly informed by the city about an error at Richmond's water treatment plant last Wednesday. The error resulted in an excess of fluoride being introduced into the water, though the level remained below the maximum allowable by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Norfolk election officials ask judge to remove one of its board members

By TREVOR METCALFE, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

Several Norfolk election officials have asked a Circuit Court judge to remove a member of the Norfolk Electoral Board, saying she has disrupted the election process and betrayed the nonpartisan nature of the position. Officials are asking a judge to remove Marianne McKay, the board vice chair, according to court documents.

Future Navy leaders not served by book removal at academy library

Virginian-Pilot Editorial (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

No book can pose a threat to the mighty U.S. Navy. Nevertheless, the Trump administration recently removed 381 books from the Naval Academy library because, apparently, midshipmen need to be protected from knowledge that race relations and the treatment of women and gay people have never been exactly shipshape in America.

Yancey: 10 things to know about the John Reid controversy

By DWAYNE YANCEY, Cardinal News

Virginia Republicans have a lot of challenges going into the 2025 statewide elections: An electorate that has generally (though not always) tilted Democratic. A long-standing historical trend of Virginians electing a governor from whatever party isn’t in control in Washington. Donald Trump in the White House, when that led to record Democratic victories last time. A playing field where eight Republican-held House of Delegates seats are in districts that voted Democratic last year and could do so again this fall. There are two big things, though, that Republicans thought they had in their favor: Glenn Youngkin has been a popular governor, and the party’s ticket was nominated early, without acrimony. Now, at least one of those advantages has been blown to bits ...

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Lewis: The GOP’s disgraceful bid to sandbag its openly gay lieutenant governor nominee

By BOB LEWIS, Virginia Mercury

Things aren’t always what they seem to be, especially in today’s online realm. A “friend request” appeared in my Facebook notifications last week that I immediately recognized as phony. It purported to be from a real-life friend I’ve known for more than a quarter of a century. It used his real name and photo, but it had only 16 friends, not his more than 2,000 online friends, including me. So I reported the sham account to Facebook and texted my friend, who knew about it and had already alerted Facebook. The fake “friendvite” was one of many I reject and report every week. Having a large social media following is not unusual for people like my friend, who spent most of his career in the public eye during decades of distinguished service at top levels in state government. They’re also prime targets for digital impostors.

Morgan: Forget DEI. For Spanberger, Earle-Sears, these K-12 issues matter more

By FRANK MORGAN, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

Virginia’s gubernatorial election campaign season is gearing up, along with the usual barrage of dark money campaign ads with their grainy, unflattering pictures and histrionic narration. In 2021, Glenn Youngkin rode the hot-button education issues of “parental rights” and “critical race theory” to the governor’s mansion. Upon taking office, he even established a tip line to report the teaching of “divisive concepts” in public schools. Alas, the tip line didn’t generate much.

Morgan is a retired educator who worked for 43 years in public school districts in Virginia and South Carolina.

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Clark: Lawmakers missed chance to help ELL students

By CONNER CLARK, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many, if not all education systems worldwide. In Virginia, recent data indicates that the Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. For example, in the 2023-24 academic year, Virginia’s statewide pass rates were 76% in reading/writing and 71% in math compared to that of the 2018-19 academic year when pass rates were close to 80% for all subjects. What’s especially worrying is that there were groups of students who were already facing difficulties with the SOL’s before COVID-19, primarily English Language Learners (ELLs).

Clark is an undergraduate student at William & Mary in Williamsburg.

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Turbyne-Pollard and Thornhill: RVA’s rising senior population exposes a gap in adult day care

By HEATHER TURBYNE-POLLARD AND MATT THORNHILL, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

RVA faces a quiet yet profound crisis — and within this challenge lies an extraordinary opportunity. Our population is growing older at an unprecedented rate, forever changing the ratio of young-to-old and transforming the very fabric of our community. Did you know that in 2010, for every child under the age of 5 in Virginia, there were two adults over 65? By 2030, that ratio will shift dramatically: Four older adults for every young child. We must confront this demographic reality proactively, and our houses of worship have a unique role to play.

Turbyne-Pollard is the CEO of Circle Center Adult Day Services. Thornhill is the founder of the Boomer Project and is developing a new concept in middle-income senior housing.

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Stephens and McKenna: Group offers a new vision for economic growth in Hampton Roads

By BRYAN K. STEPHENS AND BOB MCKENNA, published in Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

In the face of the rapidly changing economic landscape, collaboration is more important than ever. That’s why the creation of the Regional Organizations Presidents’ Council (ROPC) is a pivotal step for the Hampton Roads region. The ROPC, a coalition of regional organizations and their CEOs, is committed to driving economic growth in the region by focusing on collaboration, advocacy and strategic initiatives that move our region forward. The ROPC is committed to creating a stronger, more competitive regional economy for all. The ROPC is not “yet another organization.” Instead, it was formed in 2024 to formally bring together our regional organizations.

Stephens is president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber. McKenna is president and CEO of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.