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The Unexpected Trump Target: As the University of Virginia’s president is forced out, the campus is reeling.
On Saturday, scores of students, faculty and staff members, and local residents joined James E. Ryan, president of the University of Virginia, for what could be the very last “Run With Jim.” Only this time, it was branded as a “Run for Jim.” Ryan, whose compelled resignation under pressure from the Department of Justice startled the higher-ed sector last week, had made recurring group jogs around campus his trademark. They helped cement his reputation among some as a president-of-the-people after taking office in 2018. Nearly seven years later, at the abrupt and emotional end of his presidency, Ryan addressed some of those people.
Faculty members express deep concern over President Ryan’s resignation
Faculty members across the University expressed their shock and concern after the resignation of University President Jim Ryan last Friday, pressured by Trump’s Department of Justice. At the time of publication, around 160 faculty members have signed an open letter condemning political interference and urging the Board of Visitors, the University’s highest governing body, to resist pressure from the federal government. “The forced installation of a new president under these circumstances would impede the exchange of ideas, set a dangerous precedent for the destruction of academic freedom, and cast a shadow on the integrity of the research and teaching conducted at the university,” the faculty wrote.
McLean government IT contractor hiring almost 900
McLean, Virginia-based 22nd Century Technologies is investing $1 million to expand its headquarters and will hire an additional 880 workers. At a time when many big D.C.-area government contractors are scaling back expansion, minority-owned 22nd Century continues to grow operations in Fairfax County and across the U.S. The company relocated its headquarters from New Jersey to McLean in 2008. Fairfax County competed with sites in Texas, Florida and West Virginia for the company’s expansion.
Virginia Tech researchers study link between large solar installations, property values
A new study from a Virginia Tech-led team of researchers explores how large-scale solar power plants affect the value of agricultural and residential properties. Researchers analyzed millions of real estate transactions around thousands of utility-scale solar facilities nationwide. They found that the construction of a solar facility increased the value of nearby agricultural and vacant land by 19% on average, while the value of nearby residential properties saw an approximately 5% temporary decrease.
Virginia faces Medicaid cuts after US Senate passes Trump budget bill
On Tuesday, the US Senate passed its version of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” by a narrow 51–50 margin, with Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote after three Republicans — Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — joined Democrats in voting against the bill. The bill will cut roughly $1 trillion from Medicaid, according to a preliminary review done by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The legislation will now head back to the House of Representatives, where at least two Republican members of Virginia’s congressional delegation have said they opposed it.
With four new appointees, entire Board of Visitors now Youngkin-appointed
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced the appointment of four new members to the Board of Visitors June 20 — James Donovan, Class of 1982 alumnus John F. Harris, Class of 1972 and 1974 alumnus H. Eugene Lockhart and Class of 1990 alumna Calvert Saunders Moore. The appointees began their terms Tuesday, officially marking the beginning of an entirely Youngkin-appointed Board. These four appointees enter the Board following University President Jim Ryan’s resignation and will be part of the Board which selects an interim president and conducts a national search for a new president.
Senate version of Trump's bill poses test for Va. Republicans in U.S. House
Former state Sen. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, was a leader of Virginia’s long political battle to expand eligibility for its Medicaid program, so he hopes Virginia Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will stand their ground this week to block legislation by the U.S. Senate that he said would undermine the program’s expansion and other parts of the state’s health care safety net.
Martinsville city manager responds to civil rights lawsuit
In a recently filed response, Martinsville City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides disputes the majority of claims in a civil rights lawsuit stemming from City Councilor Aaron Rawls’ ejection from a public meeting. Ferrell-Benavides’ answer was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Danville. Ferrell-Benavides is a defendant in the case, along with Deputy Reva Keen of the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office. As of Monday, the city manager’s response is the only one that has been filed.
Former Va. superintendent Lisa Coons to receive over $100,000 in severance
Former Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons, who resigned in March, is receiving more than $100,000 in severance payments from the state, according to information obtained from the governor’s office through a public records request. Before Coons resigned as chief executive of the Virginia Department of Education on March 14, the department had violated state procurement laws, failed to publish teaching materials for the new history standards that the department promised to teachers last year, and hemorrhaged longtime staffers since Coons’ arrival two years ago.
Trump nominates Gilbert for U.S. attorney post
President Donald Trump has nominated former House Speaker Todd Gilbert of Shenandoah County to be the next U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia — the top federal prosecutor for the western half of the state. Gilbert had been one of two attorneys recommended to the president by Virginia’s two Democratic U.S. senators, which is the standard procedure for such positions.