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VPAP Visual Women on the Rise in House Primaries
The number of women running for, and winning, party nominations for the Virginia House of Delegates has steadily increased since 2009. A record high share of House candidates were women in last month's primary elections, and the share of women who won a nomination was second only to 2017.
Medicaid on the brink as Congress races toward budget deadline
With roughly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding at stake, Congress is racing to finalize a sweeping budget package, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill,” ahead of President Donald Trump’s July 4 deadline — but key decisions about cuts to the health care program remain up in the air. A preliminary review by the Congressional Budget Office has heightened concern, and a bipartisan chorus of lawmakers and hospital associations across several states is warning against adopting the Senate version of the bill, which they say could devastate Medicaid-dependent health systems. . . . A central dispute between the two chambers involves how the Senate version would restructure Medicaid funding, particularly in ways that could undercut Virginia’s hospitals and the state’s expanded Medicaid program.
Arlington Republicans introduce candidates for statehouse and County Board
Arlington Republicans introduced two candidates for the House of Delegates and one County Board challenger at a Monday meeting. The party acknowledges that, as always, November will be an uphill battle in Arlington. However, the goal is to put forward “candidates who are well-versed in what’s happening locally” as part of a five-year strategy, party chair Matthew Hurtt said.
Virginia’s statewide GOP candidates finally appear together — briefly
After more than two months of snubs and internal squabbling, the GOP candidates for Virginia’s statewide offices finally appeared in the same place at the same time Tuesday night — though they shared the stage at a packed firehouse in Vienna for just a moment after speaking separately to a raucous crowd. Gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears never mentioned lieutenant governor nominee John Reid, the first openly gay nominee for statewide office in Virginia, who some evangelicals in the GOP base have opposed. Earle-Sears praised state Attorney General Jason S. Miyares — who is seeking reelection — and urged the crowd to support Republicans running for Congress and the House of Delegates.
Youngkin: Arrests of immigrants in the country illegally make Virginia safer
Virginia’s cooperation with federal immigration officers has resulted in the arrests of 2,500 people who don’t have visas or other official permission to be in the United States, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday. He described them all as violent criminals, but when asked about an arrest at the Chesterfield County Court House of an individual who was there to deal with a traffic offense, he told reporters: “If you break the law and you’re here illegally then you should be arrested.”
‘Time is running short’: Letters show growing Justice Department ire at U-Va.
Over two months this spring, Justice Department officials sent seven letters to the University of Virginia, alleging possible racial discrimination in admissions and hiring, inaction to address antisemitism on campus, and a failure to remove diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the institution. The letters, obtained by The Washington Post through a records request, revealed the agency’s increasing frustration at U-Va. They warned that a failure by the university to take “immediate corrective action” could lead to punitive steps, including possible termination of federal funding.
Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ Includes Provision to Move the Space Shuttle Discovery to Texas
Texas lawmakers have added legislation to the One Big, Beautiful Bill that, if passed, would move the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center to Houston. But in documents sent to Congress (and shared with Northern Virginia Magazine), the Smithsonian says that “The case against relocating the orbiter Discovery is both philosophical and practical.” . . . The provision in the Great Big Beautiful Bill would authorize $85 million to transport the shuttle from Chantilly to the Houston Space Center. But estimates from the Smithsonian say that would cover only a fraction of the cost necessary for the move.
Chesapeake town hall highlights fears over 'Big, Beautiful Bill' including Medicaid cuts
Local Democratic lawmakers led a packed town hall meeting Tuesday night in Chesapeake to voice concerns about Trump's proposed mega bill. The town hall follows developments in Washington, where the spending and tax cuts bill, known as the "Big, Beautiful Bill," passed the Senate earlier in the day. Three Republicans joined Democrats in voting against it, with the vice president making the tie-breaking vote.
Virginia lawmakers flag Medicaid cuts as a problem in Trump’s tax bill
As Republican leaders in the House worked Wednesday to drum up the votes to pass President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy bill, which comes with substantial cuts to programs like Medicaid, two Virginians could be poised to play a pivotal role. Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Westmoreland, and Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, voted for the House bill in May, despite expressing reservations over some of the initial provisions.
How do you get 850 students to improve their attendance? In Norton, it’s all about relationships
Improving attendance at Norton public schools sometimes looks like tracking down one chronically absent student at a time. Sometimes, that entails going to find them at their part-time jobs. Sarah Davis, the attendance specialist at the small Southwest Virginia school division, recalled one student who was skipping afternoon classes so she could pick up extra shifts at a local fast-food chain. . . . Davis’s efforts, combined with those of school administrators and a nonprofit partner organization, have made significant progress to improve attendance in Norton. For the 2022-2023 school year, more than one-third of the 325 students at J.I. Burton High School were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 18 days of school for any reason. For the 2023-2024 school year, chronic absenteeism dropped from 37% to just 2%.