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Democrats to launch ‘Worst of Winsome’ tour in Charlottesville
If being behind in the polls and fundraising weren't bad enough for Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears' campaign for governor, a new "Worst of Winsome" tour launches this Friday and will be criss-crossing the commonwealth for days. The Virginia Democratic Party will be launching the tour Friday in Charlottesville. A coinciding website, www.worstofwinsome.com, has already gone live. ... The tour is not directly connected to the campaign of Earle-Sears' Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th. Amjad said the project is a product of the state Democratic Party.
Youngkin administration touts Virginia economy as Senate Democrats, GOP spar over ‘Big, Beautiful’ budget cuts
Members of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration offered an optimistic view of the commonwealth’s finances Wednesday morning, but senators from both parties disputed what future cuts could lead to next year. Youngkin’s Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings told the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday [that] Virginia collected over $1.5 billion in additional revenues last month, a sign that the Commonwealth’s economy remains healthy. ... But Democratic Senator Barbara Favola expressed concerns about how state revenues could be impacted once President Donald Trump’s budget bill gets passed and cuts to assistance programs kick in.
Democrats, including Va. senators, raise war powers concerns as Trump mulls Iran strike
Senate Democrats are increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump is considering striking Iran without seeking authorization from Congress — or even filling them in on his plans. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is mounting a last-ditch push to force a vote as soon as next week to restrain Trump from attacking Iran without Congress’s approval. Other Senate Democrats say the White House has not briefed them on its plans for a potential strike. And some are warning that the situation reminds them of President George W. Bush’s push to invade Iraq more than two decades ago. “If this president wants to completely ignore the intelligence community, we are playing [on] dangerous ground,” Sen. Mark R. Warner (Virginia), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters. “This is exactly the way we got ourselves into Iraq.”
Lynchburg School Board rescinds public comment ban of advocate
The Lynchburg City School Board voted unanimously to rescind its previous motion to ban Danny McCain, a longtime LCS advocate, from speaking at future school board meetings after he agreed not to disrupt future meetings. The motion passed 8-0 at Tuesday’s school board work session; ... The school board previously voted to ban McCain at its June 3 meeting when he went over his allotted time, saying he would only sit down after the school board agreed to meet with him to discuss the achievement gap between Black and white students in Lynchburg.
Lynchburg City School Board lifts ban on outspoken advocate
The Lynchburg School Board has reversed its decision to ban Danny McCain from speaking at its meetings, following an incident on June 3 where McCain continued speaking past his allotted time, prompting board members to consider calling the police. The board had initially banned McCain for violating their rules, but a recent unanimous vote, on Tuesday, has overturned that decision. During Tuesday's meeting, McCain apologized for his actions, saying, "I'm sorry I stayed over the 5 minutes."
Isle of Wight School Board to outsource policy updates to School Board Member Alliance
Isle of Wight County’s School Board voted 4-1 on June 12 to outsource the periodic review of its more than 400 written policies to the School Board Member Alliance, which formed three years ago as a rival to the Virginia School Boards Association. The vote comes just under a year since Isle of Wight disaffiliated from the VSBA over objections to the association’s annual lobbying of the Virginia General Assembly.
Kaine confronts Defense secretary over post names
Saying the names "should never have been changed in the first place," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump Administration's decision to restore the original names of Army posts, mostly in the South, that were changed from memorializing Confederate heroes to reflect diversity in the military. During a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting Wednesday, June 18, Hegseth and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, had a tense exchange as Kaine – an opponent of the reversion – accused Hegseth of not caring about erasing the legacies of the people whose names were on Forts Gregg-Adams, Barfoot and Walker from the history annals.
UVa alumni clash over President Jim Ryan's record
Over the past month, a conservative alumni group has called for the resignation of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, saying his “politicized and feckless leadership” has “severely damaged UVa's core values and reputation.” As it stands, Ryan, who arrived in Charlottesville in August 2018, has a contract that does not expire until July 31, 2028. The Jefferson Council, however, believes the state’s flagship university is in crisis now due to "seven critical leadership failures," ...
Rebuilding one of the nation’s oldest Black churches to begin at Juneteenth ceremony
A ceremonial groundbreaking will be held Thursday for the rebuilding of one of the nation’s oldest Black churches, whose congregants first gathered outdoors in secret before constructing a wooden meetinghouse in Virginia. The First Baptist Church of Williamsburg officially established itself in 1776, although parishioners met before then in fields and under trees in defiance of laws that prevented African Americans from congregating. Free and enslaved members erected the original church house around 1805, laying the foundation with recycled bricks.
Archaeologists unearth foundation of 1760s schoolhouse for Black children in Virginia
Archaeologists in Virginia have unearthed the foundation of a building from the 1700s that once supported the nation’s oldest surviving schoolhouse for Black children, William & Mary announced Wednesday. The university in Williamsburg said the foundation is nearly completely intact. Archaeologists also uncovered a cellar that is layered with centuries of artifacts, including slate pencil fragments and jewelry. The schoolhouse was later used as a dormitory, housing some of the first generations of women to attend college in the U.S.