Youngkin, 19 Republican governors sign letter supporting bill that would cut billions from Medicaid
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed onto a joint letter with other Republican governors in support of a “big beautiful bill” backed by President Donald Trump that is currently advancing through Congress and would cut $625 billion from Medicaid over the next decade if passed. The federal program helps states provide health care coverage to low-income people and those with disabilities. Democratic lawmakers, advocacy groups, Medicaid beneficiaries and some Republicans have cautioned against the proposal for months.
Gerry Connolly, Democratic congressman and fixture of Virginia politics, dies at 75
U.S. Rep. Gerald “Gerry” Connolly, an outspoken Democrat who sought key reforms in the federal government while bringing transformational development to his populous Virginia district, died Wednesday. He was 75. Connolly, who most recently held a prominent position as the ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, served in Congress for more than 16 years. He died at home in the company of family members, his family said in a statement. Connolly announced in 2024 that he had esophageal cancer and said a few months later that he planned to retire from Congress. His death leaves House Republicans with a 220-212 majority.
Del. Gilbert says he will step down as leader if the caucus has new elections
House Republican Caucus Leader Todd Gilbert has told colleagues he will step down if they call for a new leadership election — a move that comes as he’s in the running for the U.S. attorney position in Virginia’s Western District. “The team we’ve built can’t afford sudden disruptions—either in planning or leadership,” Gilbert said in a statement to Virginia Scope Wednesday night. All 100 House seats are up for election this November. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority. “This election is absolutely critical for the future of our Commonwealth,” Gilbert continued.
DOJ opens civil rights probe into Virginia high school’s admissions policies following Miyares referral
The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia over the use of race in admissions to its top-ranked Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Last year, the US Supreme Court declined to hear arguments over the same allegations, but this investigation signals that the Trump administration will use the civil rights division to challenge affirmative action policies – a longtime hot-button issue for conservatives who claim that such admissions policies focus more on race than they do academic achievement. The investigation follows a referral from the state attorney general who announced Wednesday that his office had found reasonable cause to believe the district and the school discriminated against Asian American students on the basis of race.
Youngkin, Bondi announce Virginia task force surpasses 1,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced Wednesday that the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force has surpassed 1,000 arrests of undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes. Speaking from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bondi praised the task force’s efforts, attributing the operation’s success to the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement.
From Red Oak to Greenville, Bluefield to Orange, and Goldvein to Silver Beach, VaNews delivers headlines from every corner of Virginia that would be hard to find on your own. This free, nonprofit resource relies entirely on voluntary contributions from readers like you. Please donate now! |
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Virginia’s governor says Arlington County ‘standing in the way’ of federal immigration enforcement
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin slammed Arlington County on Wednesday for breaking an agreement with immigration authorities, a week after the county just outside of the nation’s capital voted to stop alerting federal agents when they arrest migrants accused of violent crimes. Mr. Youngkin, a Republican, delivered the broadside while celebrating the arrest of more than 1,000 illegal immigrants suspected of major crimes as part of an ongoing operation by the Virginia Homeland Security Task Force.
Miyares accuses Fairfax County school system of anti-Asian discrimination in Thomas Jefferson High admissions
The battle over Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology’s student admissions policy isn’t quite over after all. More than a year after the U.S. Supreme Court passed on an opportunity to weigh in, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares accused Fairfax County Public Schools today (Wednesday) of “intentional” discrimination against Asian American students applying to the magnet school in Annandale. A state investigation found that acceptance of Asian American students to Thomas Jefferson High School (also known as TJ) has declined since the Fairfax County School Board updated its admissions policy five years ago — a result that Miyares claims was “the intended outcome.”
‘It was not an accident’: Va. AG says Thomas Jefferson High School’s admissions policy violates civil rights laws
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said he’s found proof of racial discrimination tied to Fairfax County Public Schools’ admissions policy at Thomas Jefferson High School, even though the admissions policy was litigated all the way to the Supreme Court and ruled constitutional. Miyares announced the findings of his investigation Wednesday at the Korean Community Center in Annandale, not far away from the high school.
Miyares wants U.S. agencies to intervene in Va. magnet school’s admissions
The admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was challenged again this week as Virginia’s attorney general and an activist group aimed to revive a debate over whether the policy unfairly discriminates against Asian American students. Attorney General Jason S. Miyares (R) on Wednesday said that his office had completed a two-year investigation into the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson, the prestigious Northern Virginia magnet school locally known as TJ. He said the probe found that the Fairfax County district’s decision to switch to a more holistic admissions policy violated the Virginia Human Rights Act and the federal Civil Rights Act.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Virginia renters make modest gains from lawmakers in the General Assembly
As rental housing costs continue to rise, Virginia lawmakers passed a few modest measures this year to reduce fees, offer tenants more protections and boost housing for Navy sailors. More ambitious proposals, including potential rent controls, failed to win broad approval. Several members expressed frustration about the state’s inability to address what is typically a tenant’s largest monthly expense: rent. “We are at a point where, if we do not make significant changes, it will get exponentially worse, and I don’t think everyone is clued in on that enough,” said Del. Marcia Price, D-Newport News.
‘All hands on deck moment’ as Virginia faces federal challenges
Virginia budget leaders delivered a blunt challenge to Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Tuesday about the economic threats that residents of Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads face as President Donald Trump slashes the government workforce and spending. Meantime, Youngkin joined 19 other Republican governors in a letter to Trump, endorsing his package of big tax cuts and spending cuts, which the president is urging congressional Republicans to pass.
STATE ELECTIONS
Spanberger holds 4-point lead over Earle-Sears in Virginia FREE poll
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, holds a four-percentage-point lead over Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for governor in a new poll commissioned by Virginia FREE, a statewide business advocacy organization. Spanberger, who stepped down in January after three terms representing a formerly Republican swing district in Congress, holds a 52-48% lead over Earle-Sears, according to a poll of 1,000 likely Virginia voters that two firms, Pantheon Insight and HarrisX, conducted for Virginia FREE. The margin of error in the poll is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
More access, less cost: Spanberger lays out health care plans if she wins Virginia governorship
While Abigail Spanberger’s former congressional colleagues stayed up late Tuesday night debating proposed cuts to Medicaid in a jumbo GOP bill to reduce federal spending, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee outlined her health care-focused plans if she becomes Virginia’s next governor Wednesday morning at a local independent pharmacy in Mechanicsville. Standing in Mechanicsville Drug Store, a family-owned business that’s nearly 70 years old, Spanberger drove home her legislative priorities to lower prescription drug costs and close rural health care gaps in the state.
Spanberger faces opposition, open minds while pitching healthcare cost plans
Near the Hanover County line sits the locally owned Mechanicsville Drug Store. It’s the kind of place that still has a breakfast counter alongside greeting cards, a pharmacy and other odds-and-ends. And Wednesday morning, in between its narrow aisles, it hosted Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger. The former congresswoman was there to talk about her plans to address healthcare costs. But she touched on why she first ran for Congress back in 2017, specifically when then-Congressman Dave Brat, who she later unseated, voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Spanberger shares priorities to lower healthcare, prescription drug costs
Former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger stood in front of a crowd at a Mechanicsville drug store Wednesday, announcing how she looks to lower drug costs and make healthcare more affordable for Virginians. The Democratic nominee for Virginia governor announced her main priorities at the Mechanicsville Drug Store — a family-owned pharmacy that opened in 1957 — on Wednesday, May 21, saying she aims to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs for seniors and working families.
Spanberger: Time to crack down on insurer practices that keep drug costs up
Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger wants to crack down on a range of insurer practices she says are keeping drug costs up, and hitting Virginians with abusive billing practices and scam coverage. Stopping Wednesday at a community pharmacy in Mechanicsville, Spanberger said holding down the cost of medication is a priority but she stopped short of backing the a prescription drug board to cap drug prices. Democratic legislators have pushed the concept for two years and Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed the measures.
Candidates for lieutenant governor, AG speak at Nelson Democrat forum
Five of the six Democratic candidates vying to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor and the party’s two contenders running for attorney general addressed Nelson County voters at a May 12 forum in Lovingston. Babur Lateef, Victor Salgado, Ghazala Hashmi, Alex Bastani and Levar Stoney, all running for lieutenant governor, each spoke during the Nelson Democratic Forum at the Nelson Center. Candidate Aaron Rouse did not attend.
In Virginia’s 100th House District, Democrats choose their fighter
Democrats in part of Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore were preparing for a firehouse primary this month to select a nominee to challenge Del. Rob Bloxom in November. But now, one candidate says he’s dropping out of the House District 100 race and endorsing the other, eliminating the need for the planned caucus vote on May 31. Rocco DeBellis, a New York native who serves as personal chef to Judge Judy, announced Tuesday he was stepping down from the race. If no other Democrats throw a hat in the ring by 5 p.m. Saturday, that would make Liz Richardson, of the Eastern Shore, the Democratic nominee.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Appalachian Power requests bill increases to recover costs
Appalachian Power is asking Virginia regulators for permission to charge customers to recover money it has spent on renewable energy projects and on complying with environmental laws. The average residential customer’s monthly bill would go up by $6.63, or about 3.8%, if the State Corporation Commission approves Appalachian’s requests, according to documents recently filed with the SCC. The increase would not occur before March 1, 2026.
Long waitlist for subsidized child care to continue into next fiscal year
Virginia’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year does not include funding requested by a coalition of lawmakers, business owners and advocates to fully fund slots for thousands of children currently waitlisted for subsidized child care programs in the commonwealth. State officials estimate about 4,000 children will be able to move off a waitlist for the Child Care Subsidy Program in the new fiscal year (which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026), but thousands of additional families will remain waitlisted.
VDH issues changes to harmful algal bloom reporting
The Virginia Department of Health has announced a change in how it will issue swim advisories due to harmful algal blooms, and a Smith Mountain Lake group is saying it may reduce protections for public health. This summer, advisories will be issued based solely on the toxin levels of the harmful algal blooms.
CONGRESS
Northern Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly dies at 75
Gerry Connolly, a longtime Democratic member of Congress from Northern Virginia known for his advocacy of the federal workforce, died Wednesday. He was 75 years old. The longtime lawmaker’s death was announced by his family via a statement from his congressional office. “We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion,” the family said in its statement. “His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations.” ... The former chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors represented a Virginia district that was heavy on government workers, and he never flagged in his support for them.
Gerry Connolly, congressman who protected federal workforce, dies at 75
Gerry Connolly, a Democratic congressman who played a large part in Northern Virginia’s transformation from a bedroom community into a thriving technology hub and who steadfastly defended federal workers’ rights in the face of Trump-era rollbacks, died May 21 at his home in Fairfax County. He was 75. His staff director, Jamie Smith, confirmed the death. Mr. Connolly announced in November that he had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, just days after winning reelection to his ninth term in the House of Representatives.
Tributes pour in for Connolly, ‘the epitome of a public servant’
Friends and colleagues mourned Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia) on Wednesday, remembering the 75-year-old Democrat as a steward of civic improvements in Fairfax County and a fiery champion of federal workers. ... Members held a moment of silence in the House Rules Committee on Wednesday and later renamed the Esophageal Cancer Awareness Act in his memory. In doing so, Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (Massachusetts), acting as the leading Democrat in Oversight, called Connolly “the epitome of a public servant” with more federal employees in his district than any other.
Rep. Gerry Connolly dies after renewed battle with cancer
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, a pugnacious defender of federal workers in his Northern Virginia congressional district, died on Wednesday morning after a renewed battle with esophageal cancer. Connolly, 75, who has represented the district since 2009, was first diagnosed with cancer shortly after winning his ninth term in Congress in November. He promised then to fight the disease “the only way I know how — with Irish fight and humor,” but he announced late last month that he would not seek re-election next year because the cancer had returned.
Gerald Connolly, 75, Top Democrat on House Oversight Committee, Is Dead
Representative Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia, a feisty Democrat who prided himself on getting things done, and who defeated Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to become his party’s top member of the powerful House Oversight Committee, died on Wednesday at his home in Fairfax County, Va. He was 75. His family announced the death. Mr. Connolly said late last year that he had esophageal cancer and would fight the disease. But in April, he told his constituents that the treatments had been unsuccessful and that he would not seek re-election in 2026.
Protesters gather outside Kiggans’ Town Center office to voice concerns about Trump’s spending bill
It was a soggy Wednesday, but that didn't keep protesters from gathering in the Town Center section of Virginia Beach with a message regarding President Trump's proposed spending bill, which he is dubbing a "big, beautiful" bill. About two dozen protesters carrying signs and umbrellas were sounding off in the rain. Amanda Pittman from the group Affordable Virginia organized this protest right outside Congresswoman Jen Kiggans' (R-Virginia) Town Center office.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Corporations pull sponsorships from Virginia's largest Pride event
Two corporate sponsors have pulled out of Pridefest, the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in Virginia, organizers tell Axios. It's part of a nationwide pivot for corporate America in which many companies that previously embraced Pride are walking back support following President Trump's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. "We're at a point now, if more pulled out, it's going to make a big difference," James Millner, the director of Virginia Pride, tells Axios. "This is the first time — and this is my 11th year doing this — where I really had this feeling of constant uncertainty about what was going to happen."
Spotsylvania data center project milestone hit, opening nears
Spotsylvania County’s first data center facility is set to go online soon, and progress on the work was celebrated Wednesday morning. Hundreds of workers filled several aisles of tables in the large lunch facility on the Cosner Tech Campus data center complex around 10:30 on the rainy morning. There was catered food and a band to mark a milestone for the tech-giant Amazon project.
TRANSPORTATION
Va. transportation board approves nearly $1 billion in funding for SMART SCALE projects
Virginia awarded $983.6 million to 53 applicants in the sixth iteration of the competitive SMART SCALE process to help improve transportation across the commonwealth. On Wednesday, the Commonwealth Transportation Board approved the transportation and infrastructure projects that were recommended for approval by staff, after weighing 270 applications and making significant changes to the program last year.
U.S. 58 reopens months after it was destroyed by floodwaters — and months ahead of schedule
A 1.5-mile section of U.S. 58 between Damascus and Konnarock that was decimated by flooding and high winds from Hurricane Helene last September will officially reopen Thursday afternoon — five months ahead of schedule. The cost of the project is expected to total about $7 million, according to a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Transportation.
LOCAL
Loudoun Community Raises Concerns Over Sheriff’s Office ICE Agreement
Community members gathered at the Board of Supervisors meeting last night to raise concerns over an agreement between the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agreement was formalized in March and has sheriff’s deputies inquiring with other agencies about detainers prior to releasing a person incarcerated at the Adult Detention Center. If ICE has a detainer, the Sheriff’s Office will hold the person to be picked up by federal agents for 48 hours.
Speakers attack, defend trans students after Loudoun County locker room incident
The right of Loudoun County Public Schools transgender students to choose which bathroom or locker room they use was both attacked and defended by public speakers at before the Loudoun County School Board on May 20. The often heated comments by about 40 speakers were in response to an incident March 21 in which a transgender student allegedly made video recordings of three male students without their consent in the locker room of Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn.
Fairfax County government workers vote to unionize in contentious election
A long-coming, sometimes bitter battle over the right to represent thousands of Fairfax County government workers ended in victory last week for one union, even as another cried foul over the election process and results. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local Virginia 512 announced last Friday (May 16) that county government workers have elected it as their exclusive bargaining unit for future contract negotiations after the largest organizing push among general government employees in Virginia history.
Data centers could soon be banned from Warrenton
Data centers could soon be banned from the Town of Warrenton. The Warrenton Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended that the town council remove data centers as an allowable use in industrial districts — effectively banning them from the town by eliminating the process by which they can be approved. The move comes about four years after the Warrenton Town Council approved a change to the zoning code to allow data centers in certain areas with a special exception permit, a process that requires a review of a project’s details to ensure it won’t negatively impact neighboring properties.
Charles City County: Proposed data center promises windfall, stirs opposition
Financially troubled Charles City County is considering a large data center campus with its promise of a multimillion-dollar tax windfall. On Tuesday, the county board of supervisors will consider rezoning a 515-acre tract of woods in the northwestern corner of the rural county, about 20 miles east of Richmond. The rezoning request from Kansas-based Diode Ventures said it expects data centers on the site would operate 24 hours a day, but it did not provide detail about how many buildings it plans or the size of its investment or expected electricity use, although its map of the site noted eight areas on the tract that it labeled as buildable areas.
Norfolk floodwall delayed 4 years as costs rise, city considers alignment changes
Norfolk’s downtown floodwall project will take an additional four years to finish, Army Corps of Engineers officials told Norfolk City Council on Tuesday. The update comes as city and elected officials push for several changes to the project, which also faces an uncertain financial future. “Just know that this is being watched very closely,” said City Council member Courtney Doyle. Complications such as rising costs after the pandemic and issues with the real estate certification process have pushed the end of construction for the entire $2.6 billion floodwall and coastal resiliency project until 2037, said Keith Lockwood, Norfolk district chief, Water Resources Division, of the Army Corps.
1 of 4 election fraud charges dismissed in Blacksburg case
One of four election fraud charges against Blacksburg Town Council member Liam Watson was dismissed by a Circuit Court judge Tuesday. The grand jury indictment in question alleged that Watson listed a false address on official paperwork that certified his qualifications as a candidate in the Nov. 7, 2023, election for a seat on the council.
EDITORIALS
Local PBS, NPR stations may endure Trump’s cuts. Others won’t be as lucky.
As the Trump administration pursues a policy of selective federal austerity, defunding public media represents a drop in a very large bucket. But that drop makes a big difference in the health of our democracy, the early development of our children and the civic awareness of the public. According to recent reporting, Hampton Roads’ National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting Service stations are confident they can endure a loss of federal support, even if they shouldn’t have to. Other communities, including many in Virginia, won’t be as lucky as these actions needlessly rob them of public media programming that challenges, entertains, informs and educates.
COLUMNISTS
Fisher: Connolly built the trail to post-Trump progress. Who will hike it?
The largest structure in downtown Washington is a huge government building named for Ronald Reagan, which would be a heck of a joke except that it’s true: The man who won the presidency by crusading against government bloat is memorialized with a hulking symbol of public largesse, a nearly billion-dollar pile of limestone housing a slew of government agencies. Gerry Connolly, the congressman from Northern Virginia who died Wednesday, lived long enough to see his name attached to a public project, too. It’s a hiking trail, more than 40 miles across Fairfax County, through rural, suburban and urban patches, and it’s as beloved as the Reagan Building is derided. The Gerry Connolly Cross County Trail couldn’t be a more apt recognition of its namesake.
Yancey: Natural Bridge Zoo legal saga escalates as two baby giraffes missing, state alleges threats, harassment
On the afternoon of April 7, three people showed up at the Natural Bridge Zoo to conduct a random inspection of the giraffes that the state had seized last year, but which remained at the zoo until they could be moved. There are many complications to moving a giraffe, but two of these three giraffes had a special one: They were pregnant, and moving a pregnant giraffe was deemed too dangerous. Even though a jury had ruled that the state could seize 71 animals from the zoo after it found the animals had been neglected and abused, it was agreed that pregnant giraffes should stay at the zoo until it was safe to move them. In the meantime, the court order directed the zoo to cooperate with the state and allow random inspections.
OP-ED
Gerber: UVA should set the standard for true equality in education
I received my Ph.D. and J.D. from the University of Virginia. I loved my time at UVA but I’m concerned the university has become an institution of indoctrination rather than education. On April 29, UVA’s Board of Visitors resolved to strengthen efforts to ensure that the university is an inclusive and welcoming community where everyone can freely express their ideas. In March the board had pledged to dismantle UVA’s diversity, equity and inclusion apparatus. History matters at Thomas Jefferson’s university, and UVA’s recent history is disturbing.