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John Curran relaunches lieutenant governor bid as write-in, alleging signature sabotage
John Curran, the former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor who said internal sabotage cost him a spot on the primary ballot, announced Monday he is re-entering the race — this time as a GOP-aligned write-in. “Today, I am announcing my WRITE-IN campaign for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia as a Republican,” Curran said in a statement. “My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it.” Curran’s announcement reignites tensions in an already turbulent race following his exit in April, when he failed to qualify for the ballot despite claiming to have far surpassed the 10,000-signature requirement.
Virginia Democrats seek more hard data on federal cuts while Republicans see more optimism
Democrats on a special committee charged with exploring the effects of federal shake-ups on Virginia expressed concern with a lack of solid information from presenters from Southwest Virginia. Meanwhile, Republicans struck a more cautious tone during a meeting in Wytheville on Monday. Republicans noted that a lot of the presentations focused on estimations and speculations of potential impacts of the federal cuts. “The main thing that struck me today was a little room for optimism,” Del. Ellen Campbell, R-Waynesboro, said during the meeting.
Return of measles virus to Va. brings new risks for children
The first case of measles hit Virginia in April, raising risks for a troubling comeback 25 years after U.S. health officials declared the eradication of the virus. But the spread of the highly contagious virus and a growing anti-vaccine sentiment could leave one population increasingly at risk — kindergartners. Just half of Virginia’s public and private kindergarten classes reported a 95% vaccination rate — the key threshold for herd immunity — at the start of the 2024-25 school year, according to an analysis of state health data by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO. The average measles vaccination rates for kindergartners include a 92% rate in Hampton Roads, 94% in Richmond, and 96% in Northern Virginia.
The UVa shooter asked his mentor to tell his story. But that mentor isn’t talking.
"They not getting off this bus," the killer informed his mentor 100 minutes before unleashing the fusillade that claimed the lives of three fellow University of Virginia students and Cavalier football players, seriously injured two others and left a community searching for answers. ... Today, going on three years after those texts and that life-shattering blast of leaden horror inside a chartered bus returning to Charlottesville from a field trip to Washington, D.C., the full story remains untold. That's because the mentor, who sits on UVa's School of Education and Human Development Foundation, isn't speaking about what he did in those 100 minutes ...
Martinsville administration defends city bank card charges
A city council meeting last week has resulted in the disclosure of bank card expenses from city officials showing thousands of dollars in travel, hotel stays, food, and conferences, including trips to Las Vegas and luxury resorts. Bank card statements, downloaded by the Martinsville Bulletin from a publicly available folder on the city of Martinsville’s OneDrive SharePoint server, contain redacted monthly statements from Bank of America from January 2024 through March of this year. City Councilman Aaron Rawls requested the statements under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and shared them with the Bulletin.
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EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Youngkin vetoes measure to let African American history courses count toward graduation
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed a bill that would have allowed African American history courses to count toward high school graduation requirements. The measure, which was introduced in the House by Loudoun County Del. David Reid, would have allowed students and parents to choose African American History or AP African American Studies as substitutes for either World History I or World Geography that satisfy the history and social studies credit that students must complete.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Virginia state lawmakers briefed on potential impacts of federal Medicaid cuts
A bipartisan group of Virginia delegates were briefed Monday on the impact Medicaid cuts could have across the state and local communities. The meeting, the third for the Emergency Committee on the Impacts of Federal Workforce and Funding Reductions, was held one day after congress unveiled legislation that targeted $880 billion in cuts centered around Medicaid. Currently, there are 1.9 million Virginians enrolled in Medicaid across its Base, FAMIS and Expansion programs.
Virginia signals it’s ready to explore geothermal energy with new legislation
Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is working with Democrats who control the General Assembly to increase renewable energy. It's the hottest new energy source, literally. Geothermal energy is created by boring deep into the ground to release heat from the earth's crust. And now Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin [signed] a bill that would add geothermal energy to Virginia's renewable energy portfolio standards – essentially encouraging geothermal energy production in Virginia. The bill was introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike, a Democrat from Prince William County.
Legislature narrows use of noncompetes
In recent years, federal and state governments have embraced a push toward restricting the use of noncompete agreements by employers, most notably with the ultimately unsuccessful 2024 Federal Trade Commission rule that attempted to ban noncompetes nationwide. While noncompetes are still enforceable in Virginia, recent legislation passed by the General Assembly will further narrow which employees can be subject to noncompetes. During the Legislature’s regular session earlier this year, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 1218, which expands the definition of “low-wage employee” to an employee who is entitled to overtime compensation under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
STATE ELECTIONS
Curran announces write-in bid for lieutenant governor
John Curran, who did not qualify for the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, announced Monday that he is launching a write-in campaign for the general election in November. "My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it," Curran said in a statement, apparently referring to the controversy over John Reid, the party's nominee for lieutenant governor. He added: "This decision is not about my opponent being gay."
Virginia Lt. Gov. race: Republican John Curran announces write-in campaign
John Curran, a business consultant from James City County, announced Monday that he intends to reenter Virginia’s lieutenant governor race as a write-in candidate. Curran initially ran for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor but did not turn in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot ahead of the April deadline. He alleges he had gathered 10,000 signatures but many of them were stolen by a former campaign staffer, a matter he says Virginia State Police are investigating. “I know that write-ins are historically a long shot,” he said.
‘I love my job’: Miyares fighting for second term as Virginia attorney general
Now fewer than six months from election day, Attorney General Jason Miyares is fighting to keep the position he has held for the past three and a half years for another four. As the sole Republican vying for the position, Miyares says he wants to keep Virginia on track. That’s why, he told 29News, instead of chasing the Governor’s office, he’s hoping to stay on as the Commonwealth’s top lawyer. “For me, candidly, it was an easy decision, because I love serving in this role,” Miyares said. “I love my job. I love what I do every day.”
Miyares talks first term and his reelection campaign
Attorney General Jason Miyares argues that Virginia is safer today than it was when he took office, pointing to declines in murder and overdose rates as the centerpiece of his reelection pitch to voters. In an interview with Virginia Scope, Miyares cited what he called a “remarkable turnaround” in public safety, touting the results of his office’s work on violent crime, fentanyl enforcement, and consumer protection. “There are more Virginians alive today than when I took office because of what we’ve done,” he said.
GOP candidates for state House seat debate data centers
Data center sprawl — and their massive power demands and big-dollar political contributions — were the hot topic of a recent forum involving Republican candidates vying for their party’s nomination to run for the 21st District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. Gregory Lee Gorham, 65, of Sudley Springs, and Sahar Smith, 57, of Catharpin, took part in the event, which was sponsored by the Bull Run Republican Women’s Club and held at Giuseppe’s Ristorante in Haymarket. The third candidate, Xanthe Larsen, did not attend.
STATE GOVERNMENT
More resignations at Virginia’s embattled Birth Injury Fund
A total of five employees have resigned from the Virginia Birth Injury Fund in the past month — an exodus that has gutted the small agency’s finance team as it tries to rebuild after an insider embezzled millions of dollars meant for the families of disabled children. The latest resignation is that of Kan Cheung, who was hired earlier this year to work as the fund’s director of finance and investments. Cheung was only hired in April, according to a former employee at the fund who asked to speak on the condition of anonymity.
Richmond receives Notice of Alleged Violation from Virginia Department of Health for fluoride spike
The Virginia Department of Health has alleged that Richmond appears to have operated its Waterworks in violation of the Public Water Supplies law when the spike in fluoride levels occurred in April, which was caused by pump issues. According to an announcement by a city spokesperson, the city received a Notice of Alleged Violation from VDH on Monday, May 12, for an incident in April when a pump installation at the city’s water treatment plant caused fluoride levels to increase in city water temporarily.
Water regulators say Richmond’s system wasn’t set up to get accurate fluoride data
Virginia water regulators say they’ve found no evidence of public health impacts from a recent fluoride problem at Richmond’s water treatment plant. But the state is encouraging the city to issue a revised press release about the incident to make it clearer to the public that officials can’t say for certain how high the fluoride levels got.
Virginia aims to boost progress in SOLs by making it part of students’ final grades
Starting in 2026-2027, the results of standardized testing will make up 10% of a student's final grade. The decision came as part of a bipartisan effort to increase test results across the Commonwealth. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Virginia students have barely progressed in test scores since sharply falling after the COVID-19 pandemic. While Democrats and Republicans have traded blame for the outcome, both agreed an overhaul was necessary.
CONGRESS
New push from Kaine aims to close retirement gap for Virginia’s youngest workers
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is backing bipartisan legislation aimed at helping workers as young as 18 — particularly those who enter the workforce straight out of high school — gain access to employer-sponsored retirement plans, a benefit many currently don’t receive until age 21. On Monday, Kaine, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, teamed up with HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., to reintroduce the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act.
Rep. Vindman, state lawmakers decry federal environmental rollbacks at Prince William Forest Park event
Elected leaders representing Prince William County and nearby areas joined U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman during a Friday news conference denouncing the Trump administration’s approach to environmental policy outside the Prince William Forest Park Visitor Center.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Transco plans another natural gas pipeline project for Va.
The natural gas pipeline developer The Williams Companies plans another pipeline expansion in Virginia, this time to run from Pittsylvania County to parts north. The Transco Power Express would supply markets north of the Transco compressor station in Chatham with up to 950 million cubic feet of gas daily, serving “the power-hungry Virginia market,” Williams’ President and CEO Alan Armstrong said last week on a quarterly earnings call.
Report warns of deep hit to Virginia’s economy, citing federal government cuts
One in seven jobs in Virginia is directly or indirectly linked to the federal government. Cuts to the federal workforce and government spending will mean a significant hit to Virginia’s economy this year, according a new economic forecast. The University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service forecasts Virginia will lose 32,000 jobs this year because of federal government cuts, economic output will slow and the unemployment rate will rise to 3.9% this year and as high as 4.7% in 2026. Virginia’s current unemployment rate is 3.2%.
In sales, fast-food and some medical fields, 33% of Virginia workers struggle financially
One of every three workers in the Fredericksburg region and beyond — who hold down 20 of the most common occupations in the state — doesn’t earn enough money to make ends meet. That’s according to new research from United Ways across Virginia and their research partner, United for ALICE. . . . “The crux of the struggle,” as the United Way puts it, is the gap between wages and expenses. The report looked at costs in 2023 and noted that a family of four in Virginia needed, on average, more than $99,000 a year, just to cover the essentials.
Study: Coal, natural gas retain roles in Southwest Virginia’s economy
Despite its decline in recent decades, Southwest Virginia’s coal industry still accounted for a $1.8 billion total economic impact in 2024, supporting over 5,000 area jobs, according to a new study by Chmura Economics & Analytics. Additionally, the economic impact of the natural gas industry accounted for over $480 million and supported over 1,100 Southwest Virginia jobs, the study shows. Commissioned by the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, the study breaks down how the energy sector continues playing a role in the region’s economy.
Trump-China tariff reductions welcomed by Va. businesses
Virginia business welcomed President Donald Trump’s reduction on tariffs with China announced Monday morning. They hope it could lead to more industry changes. Don Bright with the lumber company Meherrin River Forest Products in Lacrosse said he had containers of logs on the water, headed for China, when the tariffs kicked in a few weeks ago. He had to work with shipping companies to find new ports, sometimes diverting to further-out stops and transporting product over land to meet the tariff deadline. Other shipments weren’t as lucky.
Tariff deal with China doesn’t end uncertainty in Virginia
What does the owner of a beloved Richmond toy store do when almost all of the merchandise it sells ultimately comes from China? For Thea Brown, owner of World of Mirth in Carytown, all she could do was pay the $1,200 tariff imposed on the $5,000 cost of the merchandise she had ordered. “For no reason,” she said. But there was a reason: the trade war that President Donald Trump launched soon after taking office on Jan. 20 that has affected imported goods from almost all of the United States’ trading partners, especially China.
Maryland, Virginia try to boost blue catfish harvest, with mixed success
Maryland recently has taken a few tentative steps aimed at boosting commercial harvest of blue catfish(Ictalurus furcatus), the voracious nonnative predator devouring blue crabs and many native fish in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Efforts to do likewise in Virginia, though, have been at least partially thwarted by resistance from recreational anglers and fishing guides who want to maintain them as lucrative trophy fish.
TRANSPORTATION
Richmond airport backs away from services takeover plan
Richmond’s airport has shelved its plans to take over fueling and other services for airliners from two firms that now do that work. Instead of going ahead with the takeover, the Capital Region Airport Commission decided to extend Richmond Jet Center’s lease for five years until 2031 and is looking forward to signing a similar lease with the second firm, Million Air. The two fixed-base operators employ 120 people. . . . Last year’s proposal that the airport take over the business with the two firms’ leases scheduled to expire in January 2026 sparked strong opposition from airlines and other aviation businesses. They argued that the airport’s financial projections for the takeover were badly inflated.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Virginia Commonwealth University using Siegel Center rentals to raise funds to pay student athletes
Virginia Commonwealth University will start renting out the Siegel Center for concerts and events in an effort to generate revenue for athletes. VCU has partnered with a California-based event management company, ASM Global to manage the facility. The university expects to spend $5 million compensating its athletes beginning next year. For the first time, colleges will be able to directly and legally pay their players, pending final approval of a lawsuit against the NCAA.
VIRGINIA OTHER
Sea levels in Hampton Roads continue to rise, but at a steady pace
Hampton Roads continues to see rising tides linked to climate change and sinking land. But the rate of change in recent years has stayed in line with past forecasts, according to the latest “sea level rise report card” from William & Mary’s Batten School and Virginia Institute of Marine Science. “We are accelerating at a high rate compared to a lot of the rest of the country, but that rate hasn't been changing, really,” said Molly Mitchell, an assistant research professor. “It's been a pretty consistent rate.”
LOCAL
Prince William School Board ratifies ‘historic’ collective bargaining wage agreement
The Prince William County School Board on May 7 approved the school division’s collective bargaining agreement with the local teachers' union, bringing the addition of a wage agreement. The School Board ratified the school division’s inaugural collective bargaining agreement in March 2024, but wages — a sticking point between the two sides — were not included in those negotiations or the agreement. The union — the Prince William Education Association — and the division ultimately went back to the negotiating table to nail down a wage agreement.
Manassas GOP Calls for Action on Jail’s Immigration Policy Ahead of Meeting
The Manassas City Republican Committee is calling on residents to fill the room at the next Prince William-Manassas Regional Jail Board meeting, pushing for the jail to renew its 287(g) immigration enforcement partnership with federal authorities. . . . The city’s Republican committee says the jail’s decision to end the 287(g) program in 2020 amounts to a “sanctuary” policy, a claim they say was confirmed by Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office. The group is calling for full cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to process all undocumented immigrants charged with crimes.
Norfolk to vote on allowing city attorney to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting
Norfolk City Council members plan to vote on an ordinance Tuesday that will allow the city attorney’s office to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting charges. ... The code change was first proposed by Mayor Kenny Alexander at his annual State of the City address in April. Alexander said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi and his office were not doing enough to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting cases. Fatehi has disputed the claims, saying his office prosecutes every felony shoplifting case. He said the issue is his office doesn’t receive enough funding from the city or state to prosecute misdemeanor shoplifting cases.
Augusta County Sheriff’s Office gets body, dash cameras
The Augusta County Sheriff's Office has become the third local law enforcement agency to utilize body-worn cameras, nearly a year after the devices were approved. The sheriff's office began using the Axon cameras at the beginning of April and continue to roll out dash cameras for its vehicles. . . . The sheriff's office was a little late to the party as both the Staunton and Waynesboro police departments have had body cam devices in use for about a decade. Calls for the recording devices in the county became amplified in 2021 following two shootings in May of that year.
Today's Sponsor:
Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
Bridging the gap between hospital and home, Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center provides warm and loving care in a home-like center. Learn more: https://colonialheightshc.com/
EDITORIALS
Va. teacher salaries increase, but there is much left to do
Virginia’s leaders don’t strive for a middling commitment to economic development, transportation, law enforcement or any other government responsibility that shapes the state’s quality of life. But the middle is precisely where the commonwealth lands in a new national ranking of teacher salaries — signaling a need to expand major initiatives in recent years to boost classroom pay. Average teacher salaries in Virginia increased 5.1% in 2023-24 and 3% in 2024-25, but the average pay in the state last year — $66,327 — still ranks 26th in the nation ...
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Rural communities are keeping Va. from becoming an exporter of people. That’s where population growth is.
Virginia lies over top of an earthquake zone, something we’re occasionally reminded of. Some of us felt the 2011 earthquake near Mineral in Louisa County that shook even the Washington Monument and damaged two schools in Louisa so severely they were closed for the rest of the school year. Others felt the much smaller earthquake that originated near Dillwyn in Buckingham County. The strongest Virginia quake in recorded times was in 1897 near Narrows in Giles County; that tremor brought down chimneys as far away as Bedford County and damaged others from Lexington down into North Carolina. We are now living through another seismic event, except this one doesn’t involve geology; it involves demography.
OP-ED
Parastaran: Recovery schools can help teens battling addiction
In 2023, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s annual survey on drug use and health estimated that 2.2 million adolescents aged 12-17 — about 8.5% of this age group — had a substance use disorder. Yet, a staggering 1.8 million received no treatment. Do the math and you’ll find a concerning picture for education: In an average classroom of 30 students, two are likely struggling with an unaddressed addiction. And the future of those students all-too-often includes a spiral leading to academic failures, dropouts and juvenile delinquency. Fortunately, there are initiatives to break this cycle.