Virginia falls out of top spot as CNBC's best state for business
Virginia is no longer the top state for doing business in CNBC’s annual ranking, reflecting an economy vulnerable to cuts in federal spending and employment under President Donald Trump. Virginia, named No. 1 last year, fell to fourth in the new ranking that the cable network unveiled on Thursday morning, based on declining scores in its economy, workforce and the cost of doing business here.
George Mason University faces investigation in Trump administration’s anti-DEI crackdown
The Trump administration on Thursday opened a civil rights investigation into the hiring practices at George Mason University, expanding a national campaign against diversity policies to Virginia’s largest public university. The Education Department said it is responding to a complaint from multiple professors at George Mason who accuse the university of favoring those from underrepresented groups. The complaint takes aim at the university’s president, Gregory Washington, saying he issued guidance that favors faculty candidates based on diversity considerations rather than their credentials, according to the department.
The Trump staffers who set out to reshape their alma maters
Less than a decade ago, Gregory W. Brown helped fundraise for the University of Virginia by posing for pictures in his old dorm room. Now he is central to the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on his alma mater for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as one of two Justice Department leaders and U-Va. alumni to threaten sweeping funding cuts and compel the school’s president to resign. Brown is one of several key architects of President Donald Trump’s wide-reaching campaign to root out liberal ideology from higher education who graduated from the prestigious universities the president has emboldened them to transform. Driven by personal experience, the staffers are pushing to overhaul the progressive culture they feel has come to dominate elite colleges and universities.
Residential solar industry weighs impacts of tax credit loss, potential rate changes
Solar installers are staring down a potential one-two punch of changes that could drastically alter the math for residential customers who are considering whether to invest in panels. A federal tax credit that can help a homeowner offset thousands of dollars of the cost of buying solar panels is set to expire at the end of this year, thanks to the federal megabill dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Separately, Virginia utility regulators are deciding whether to allow Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy to reduce how much they credit future residential solar panel owners for the electricity they generate beyond what they consume.
Norfolk wants protection from future flooding. Agreeing on how isn’t easy.
After residents of Norfolk’s historic Freemason neighborhood objected to proposed floodwalls snaking through their community, blocking river views, potentially depressing property values and leaving condominium buildings exposed, staff members from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers walked the planned path with local leaders in January. ... As details about the plan to protect the city from major storms and hurricanes have become clear to residents, the cost has risen and the beginning of construction has been pushed back, clouding the future of the project.
Friday Read What Ken Burns Won’t Say About the American Revolution
“If I have a problem with you,” Ken Burns said, “it’s my fault. If you have a problem with me, it’s still my fault. My mother taught me that.” It was startling to hear this ethos of humility and personal responsibility from a man who had won two Grammys, 15 Emmys, a Peabody and the National Humanities Medal. Not just because of the impossibly large burden this duty put on his shoulders, but because in that moment it was hard to imagine anyone having a problem with him. The documentarian was addressing a Colonial Williamsburg ballroom, crowded with a diverse group of civic educators looking up at him with reverence. They had gathered for A Common Cause to All, a convention organized to find fresh answers to a question as old as America itself: How to help the new generation find meaning in the country’s founding revolution?
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EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Virginia lands $16.4M from new opioid settlement with drugmakers
In another major legal win in the fight against the opioid crisis, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced Thursday that the commonwealth could receive up to $16.4 million as part of a sweeping $720 million multi-state settlement with eight generic drug manufacturers accused of flooding communities with addictive painkillers. “Years ago, pharmaceutical companies exploited Virginians, treating them like test subjects while pushing dangerous, addictive drugs into our communities while lining their pockets,” Miyares said in a statement. . . . Virginia helped negotiate the deal alongside attorneys general from California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Utah. The announcement marks another step in Virginia’s broader legal effort to hold opioid manufacturers accountable — efforts that have now resulted in over $1.1 billion in secured settlements for the state.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Virginia lawmakers to learn of strides, challenges in Chesapeake Bay clean up
The Chesapeake Bay is one of Virginia’s top economic drivers and premiere recreational sites. The commonwealth, as well as surrounding states, have taken strides to clean up the waters over the last decade. But as the estuary faces new, climate change-fueled challenges, researchers will provide critical information and recommendations to lawmakers this weekend on how to meet the obstacles head on. . . . Virginia has achieved 84% of its 2009-2025 reduction goal for nitrogen, 91% of its reduction goal for phosphorus and 100% of its reduction goal for sediment, according to Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Stefanie Taillon.
FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Navy reservist announces campaign to unseat Rep. Jen Kiggans
With congressional midterms still more than a year away, Democrat James Osyf is the latest candidate to announce intentions to challenge Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. Osyf, a first-generation Ukrainian-American and a Navy reservist who served on the USS Norfolk submarine, announced his candidacy Thursday. “I think running for Congress, at least for me, boils down to one fundamental, and that’s really to help Virginia’s veteran and working class families who are being left behind,” said Osyf, a 40-year-old who works at Lockheed Martin as a defense innovation executive.
A fourth Democrat, lawyer Melvin Tull, seeks to challenge Wittman
A fourth candidate, attorney Melvin Tull, has joined the list of Democrats seeking to challenge Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st. The district, which stretches from the Northern Neck to the western portions of Henrico and Chesterfield counties, is one of the 33 Congressional districts with Republican incumbents that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted to flip. . . . Also seeking the Democratic Party nomination to challenge Wittman are Chesterfield County Circuit Court Clerk Amanda Pohl, Lisa Vedernikova Khanna, former president of the Metro Richmond Area Young Democrats, and civil rights lawyer Andrew Lucchetti.
Candidates running for late Rep. Connolly’s seat in Va. weigh in on key issues
In two months, some Virginians will head to the polls to pick a candidate to fill the Congressional seat vacated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly. Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a special election will be held on Sept. 9. Connolly died in May following a battle with esophageal cancer. He served Virginia’s 11th congressional district, which includes Fairfax City and most of Fairfax County. James Walkinshaw, a longtime Connolly staffer and Fairfax County supervisor, won the Democratic primary. Stewart Whitson, a former FBI agent and Army combat veteran, is the Republican candidate.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Appalachian Power seeks state approval of measure to reduce electricity bills
Appalachian Power Co. is seeking state approval to spread out the cost for some of its assets, a move the company says will save its average residential customers about $11 a month. An application filed Thursday with the State Corporation Commission seeks to securitize the costs of restoring power cut off by bad weather, and the Virginia share of the debt and equity on two West Virginia coal-burning power plants that provide a large share of the electricity the utility sells.
Appalachian Power says new financing method will save customers money
Appalachian Power on Thursday said it plans to save customers money by using a newly allowed method of financing to recover costs associated with recent storms and balances on two coal power plants. . . . Specifically, Appalachian’s proposal would save the company an estimated $176 million and decrease the average residential monthly bill by $6.66, according to the utility. That average bill has risen by about $50 since July 2022 to about $174 today.
Virginia awards $67M to fight flooding across the state
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation awarded $67 million in grants from the state’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund on July 1. The fund supports cities and counties across the state in their efforts to manage or prevent flooding. It used to be fueled partly by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), but Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin pulled the state out of the agreement in 2023. The initiative reduces emissions by making power plants pay a fee if they exceed their emission limits. In lieu of funds from RGGI, the Republican governor added $50 million directly to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund this past legislative session.
New “Blue Envelope” program in Virginia aims to ease traffic stops for drivers with autism
A new initiative across Virginia is working to make traffic stops less stressful for people on the autism spectrum. It’s called the Blue Envelope Program, and it’s now available at DMV customer service centers statewide. The envelope is designed to help bridge communication gaps between drivers with autism and law enforcement officers during traffic stops. . . . The Blue Envelope acts as a signal to officers that the person they’re interacting with may communicate in a different way — and that a little extra patience can go a long way.
Virginia prisoners report extreme heat as air conditioning fails
The high temperature in and around Chatham, Virginia is expected to be ninety degrees for the next three days – a dire forecast for about 980 men at the Green Rock Correctional Center. Tim Wright is among them. “We’ve had like two weeks of air conditioning since April,” he says. That’s because the man who had nursed the aging air conditioning system along was transferred to another facility. . . ." The Department of Corrections reports a compressor is on order but could not say when it might be delivered. The facility is now 18 years old.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Federal cuts claim new victim: Virginia’s status as top state for business
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has faithfully defended President Donald Trump’s tariffs and cuts to the federal workforce despite their economic harm to the commonwealth, but on Thursday that allegiance deprived Youngkin of a favorite talking point. Virginia lost its coveted “Top State for Business” ranking from the CNBC financial news network, falling to No. 4 thanks to Trump administration action that the network said “hits The Old Dominion where it lives.” . . . “With economic anxiety rising, Virginia’s economic situation is just shaky enough to take it down a few pegs,” the network said. North Carolina took the top spot on the list.
Virginia drops multiple places in CNBC’s Top States for Business
After a year in the top spot, Virginia has dropped to No. 4 in America’s Top States for Business list, though the commonwealth remains a business powerhouse. Virginia’s neighbor, North Carolina, claimed the top spot for 2025, CNBC revealed Thursday. Last year, Virginia barely beat the No. 2 Tar Heel State. ... The study revealed that budget cuts and tariffs dropped Virginia to 14th for economy. CNBC special correspondent Scott Cohn said this is Virginia’s worst showing since 2018.
Support for Trump policies coincides with Virginia’s drop in business rankings
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has consistently backed former President Donald Trump’s policies, even as reports suggest those policies have harmed Virginia’s economy. Despite growing concern, Democratic leaders have urged Youngkin — along with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares, to break their silence and challenge the administration’s approach, warning that continued support could further damage the commonwealth’s economic outlook. On Thursday, a key economic indicator—one Youngkin has previously cited as a benchmark of success — delivered more evidence that Trump’s policies are taking a toll on Virginia’s economy. CNBC’s annual list of Top States for Business was released Thursday morning, and Virginia fell from first place last year to fourth this year.
Governor: CNBC's 'new subjective metric' dropped Virginia on 'Best States' business list
Gov. Glenn Youngkin is faulting what he called “a new subjective metric” that saw Virginia drop its crown as CNBC’s top state for business – a major political calling card for his administration. In the latest version of its annual “25 Best States for Business” report released July 10, CNBC dropped Virginia to No. 4 on the list. North Carolina, which has been in a battle for the top spot with Virginia in recent years, reclaimed that spot, with Texas and Florida taking the second and third positions, respectively.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Trump administration investigating George Mason over report of discrimination
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating George Mason University for possible racial discrimination, the latest move by President Donald Trump’s administration to eradicate DEI from American colleges and punish colleges that don’t comply. A group of professors at the university in Fairfax County filed a report asserting that university leadership illegally uses race as a factor in hiring and promotions. The complaint alleges that the school’s president, Gregory Washington, instructed administrators to consider how an applicant would improve the school’s diversity, ...
Trump administration increases scrutiny of another Virginia university
Weeks after the University of Virginia’s president resigned amid pressure from the Justice Department, the Trump administration is increasing its scrutiny of another large public university in the state. On Thursday, the Education Department said it had opened its second civil rights investigation in two weeks into George Mason University, this one over the alleged use of race in the hiring and promotion of faculty members. The department said it had received complaints from multiple professors, including about university initiatives to make the demographics of faculty better reflect the diversity of its student body.
Education Department probes George Mason University for hiding DEI practices
The Education Department has launched a federal civil rights investigation into Virginia’s George Mason University for renaming rather than removing its diversity, equity and inclusion program and staff. In a Thursday news release, the agency cited a complaint filed with its Office for Civil Rights by “multiple professors at GMU who allege that the university illegally uses race and other immutable characteristics in university policies, including hiring and promotion.” Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor said the complaint belies administrators’ public claims that the private Fairfax campus “does not discriminate on the basis of race” by favoring minority candidates, which the Trump administration forbids.
The White House says it’s investigating antisemitism. Faculty at George Mason U. suspect a coordinated ouster attempt.
When the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) notified George Mason University on July 1 that it was opening an antisemitism investigation based on a recent complaint, the university’s president, Gregory Washington, said he was “perplexed.” Compared with other campuses, where protesters had ransacked buildings and hunkered down in encampments, George Mason had been relatively quiet over the past year, he said. His administration had taken extensive steps to improve relations with the Jewish community, enacted strict rules on protest, and communicated all of that to the OCR during a previous antisemitism investigation that remained open. By the next day, though, there were signs that the new probe was part of a coordinated campaign to oust him.
Student leaders weigh the future of self-governance after Ryan's departure
Student leaders say the University is at a tipping point for protecting student self-governance following University President Jim Ryan’s decision to resign June 27 after facing pressure from the Trump administration. Many urged renewed attention to a core tradition they fear could be threatened during this period of transition. The University has a historical tradition of student self-governance, which allows students to take part in decision-making processes — major self-governance groups include the Honor Committee, University Judiciary Committee, Student Council and Class Councils.
Preliminary injunction hearing likely July 25 to keep Ken Cuccinelli from UVA BOV seating
A Fairfax County Circuit Court judge will likely hear a preliminary injunction motion July 25 by Virginia Senate Democratic leaders to keep Ken Cuccinelli from sitting on the next UVA Board of Visitors meeting. That word from the counsel representing the plaintiffs. . . . The Governor’s Office and State Attorney General Jason Miyares have opined Cuccinelli, and seven other Governor Youngkin appointees as members of George Mason and VMI boards that the Senate Privileges and Election Committee denied confirmation to, can continue to serve until there’s been a full floor session in which they could be considered.
VIRGINIA OTHER
The ‘defunding’ of Planned Parenthood on pause for now as legal battles progress
Federal funding to Planned Parenthood facilities in Virginia and across the nation are tied up in legal battles for the time being. A provision in Congress’ “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” signed by President Donald Trump last week would block Medicaid payments for services at facilities like Planned Parenthood for up to a year. Planned Parenthood sued the Trump administration over the provision on Monday and a district court judge granted the organization a two-week restraining order against the federal government. In the commonwealth, about 700 to 800 patients per month use Medicaid to pay for services, said RaeAnn Pickett, communications director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia.
Richmond grapples with legacy of Confederate statues amid Trump DEI orders
Ideas of how to memorialize and teach American history continue to clash five years after the purge of Confederate statues along Monument Avenue. Many cheered as the statues came down, witnessing a landmark moment that many considered impossible in their lifetime. Others still wish to see them restored. Two months into his new administration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” . . . Legal experts and analysts say the order is unlikely to revive Richmond’s monuments, as they were local and state property, not under the jurisdiction of the federal government. But the president’s actions signal his willingness to wrest control of cultural institutions and mold American national identity.
New Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan includes staggered goals after 2025 deadlines weren’t met
Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay is a big feat, and the targets from a plan set in 2014 with a deadline of this year weren’t quite met. The new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement has four thematic goals with staggered goals and varying targets to meet for each subcategory. Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz said that those main goals are “healthy landscapes, clean water, engaged communities and thriving habitat and wildlife.” He said by breaking them down, officials were hoping to make them easier to navigate and give everyone involved clear and attainable targets, compared to the 2014 plan.
LOCAL
Appeals court flip-flops on Missing Middle, striking down ordinance once again
The Virginia Court of Appeals has withdrawn a recent decision reinstating Arlington’s “Missing Middle” ordinance, once again striking it from the books as judges reconsider arguments. In a ruling that adds yet another layer of complexity to the legal fight over the controversial zoning change, the appeals court agreed on Tuesday to reassess a judgment that the court handed down just last month. While the previous decision had effectively reinstated the county’s Expanded Housing Options for procedural reasons, the new ruling strikes the ordinance down once again.
Richmond finance department Director Sheila White resigns
Sheila White, director of City Hall’s Department of Finance, has resigned, a city spokesperson told The Times-Dispatch on Thursday evening. Her last day will be July 25. The resignation came on new Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II’s second day on the job. Former Mayor Levar Stoney tapped White to lead the department in May 2021. Her tenure has been marked with controversy, including issues with the city’s meals tax collection and real estate tax rebate delivery.
Richmond finance director Sheila White resigns
Sheila White, who oversaw Richmond's Department of Finance for the last four years, submitted her resignation on Thursday. Her last day will be July 25. White was appointed by former Mayor Levar Stoney, who said at the time that White was "the right (person) at the right time to continue the successful management and upward trajectory of our city.” However, her department has been in the middle of a number of controversies in recent months. Real estate tax refund checks were sent incorrectly, and then tax bills went out to mortgage holders instead of lenders.
Judge slams Virginia Beach election referendum as ‘intentional effort’ to sidestep federal law
A federal judge lambasted city officials this week for what he described as Virginia Beach’s “intentional effort to avoid compliance with federal law” by pursuing an election system referendum question on the November ballot. In a memorandum opinion and order issued Tuesday, Judge Raymond Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia called the referendum effort “problematic,” in part because he said it invites the public to legitimize a voting system that would violate federal law. His written memo followed a hearing last month where Jackson rescinded his previous dismissal of the Holloway v. City of Virginia Beach case.
Residents look to historical tourism to preserve Cumberland County’s past and create economic opportunities for its future
Robin Stocks is 69 and lives in Midlothian but grew up in Cumberland County. A Black Army veteran, she said her life wouldn’t be what it is today if it weren’t for the Pine Grove School she was allowed to attend during the era of Jim Crow segregation. “Everything about the school molded us for the rest of our lives,” Stocks said. . . . That school’s history — as well as that of the other schools, churches and homes the African American community relied on in the central Virginia rural community — is what several community members are pushing to preserve as an economic driver in the region instead of a proposed landfill: historical tourism.
Candidate facing bestiality porn charges makes the ballot in Patrick County
A man facing 10 felony charges of attempting to possess bestiality materials has made the ballot for a seat on the Patrick County Board of Supervisors. Malcolm Roach Sr., 70, of Stuart was arrested by the Patrick County Sheriff’s Office on June 9 and was released the same day on a $7,500 secured bond, Sgt. Michael Harris said via email on Thursday. Harris declined to provide the incident or arrest report, citing the ongoing investigation. Roach filed the paperwork necessary to run for the board of supervisors seat on June 11, according to the Patrick County Registrar, two days after his arrest. The signatures, or petitions, he collected in order to make it onto the ballot were notarized on June 4, before his arrest.
Bristol, Va. files complaint to start Virginia Intermont property transfer
The City of Bristol, Virginia has started the legal process to acquire the former Virginia Intermont College (VI) campus from its owner. After a massive fire destroyed a large part of the campus in December 2024, the city’s leadership has been exploring options to regain ownership of VI. State Sen. Todd Pillion filed a bill at the urging of the Bristol, Virginia City Council. The bill was later signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin and allowed localities to petition the circuit court to appoint a special commissioner. That commissioner would then oversee and execute a transfer of ownership of a blighted and vacant property.
EDITORIALS
As expansion proceeds, a light at the end of the (bridge-)tunnel
With the travel season in full swing, our region’s perpetually congested roads require a little extra patience from everyone. Frustrating as it may be, traffic congestion is as much a feature of life in Hampton Roads as the waterways that define our landscape. However, there’s good news for those who spend an inordinate amount of time idling on our highways: Some relief is on the way. Expansion of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel — long a regional goal and a sought-after dream of those who use it daily — is on schedule and, remarkably, on budget.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Virginia loses its CNBC ranking as the No. 1 state for business. Here’s why.
The champion has been dethroned. Virginia, which last year was CNBC’s “best state for business,” and which has occupied the No. 1 spot a record six times, has been demoted in this year’s rankings to fourth place. It’s the state’s worst showing since 2018. This is an awkward moment for Virginia Republicans.
OP-ED
Jemaine: Virginia should reject false choice about our economy
I’ve worked in politics and policy in Virginia for more than a decade. I started out working on election campaigns, eventually shifted to environmental and clean energy policy, and now run a national climate and clean energy advocacy organization. My career is deeply rooted in the belief that government can and should improve the lives of everyday people. That means addressing the kitchen table issues that are plaguing people every day, from the cost of groceries to the cost of child care to the availability of good paying jobs. But, it also means solving for the big challenges quickly coming over the horizon.
Mingle: UVa's board of visitors must be held to account
As a former general counsel for the University of Virginia and other major universities, I have worked closely with many presidents and board members. One board chair I worked with used to open orientation sessions for new members with this imperative: “The most important responsibility of the board is selecting the university’s president.” And I would remind them of another essential governance responsibility: “Protecting the university’s independence against undue governmental interference.” ... If recent media reports detailing how the UVa Board of Visitors forced president James Ryan’s resignation in lockstep with a federal agency are accurate, it's clear this current UVa board did not.