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Rep. Subramanyam launches congressional Agritourism Caucus at Loudoun County event
Against the backdrop of a small pond, with geese fluttering and lawn mowers humming nearby, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va.-10th District, held up a white paper packet. The document, a newly-minted agritourism resource manual from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is set to serve as a guiding reference for Subramanyam’s Agritourism Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he is set to co-chair alongside Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C.
Jerrauld Jones, pioneering legislator and judge from Norfolk, dies
Jerrauld Jones of Norfolk, a judge, former state legislator and state department head who set multiple civil rights milestones during his career, died Saturday at age 70, according to a statement from his family. His son, Jay Jones, also a former Norfolk state legislator, is currently seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general. The Jones family has a long history of pioneering civil rights work as lawyers.
Va. House Republicans choose Kilgore as their new leader
House Republicans elected Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, as their new caucus leader Sunday, following Del. Todd Gilbert’s offer to step down amid his pursuit of a federal appointment. The leadership shake-up drew interest from multiple House Republicans. Delegates Joe McNamara, R-Roanoke County; Kilgore; and Michael Webert, R-Fauquier, were all lobbying for support. McNamara never officially threw his name into the race, however. Only Kilgore and Webert made their case in speeches to the caucus before the vote took place. House Republicans ultimately selected Kilgore.
Subramanyam Relaunches Federal Agritourism Caucus
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and farmers from around the region celebrated the reformation of the Congressional Agritourism Caucus at Great Country Farms in Bluemont on Thursday afternoon. Subramanyam also discussed his introduction of the AGRITOURISM Act and addressed a variety of problems that farmers in Loudoun and surrounding counties said they are facing. ... “I basically want champions on Capitol Hill to come together for agritourism and evangelize it in Congress,” he said.
Kaine, Warner condemn closure of Old Dominion Job Corps Center
Virginia’s two Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released a joint statement Friday blasting the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to shut down contractor-run Job Corps centers across the country, including the Old Dominion Job Corps in Amherst County. The decision will “abruptly eliminate crucial job training for thousands of young Americans and cut nearly 13,000 jobs across the program’s 99 centers,” the senators’ news release condemning the measure said.
‘No MAGA left behind’: The trouble with Trump’s pardons
A jury convicted Scott Jenkins, the disgraced ex-sheriff of Culpeper County in Virginia, of taking more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for deputizing rich businessmen so they could get out of speeding tickets and carry guns without permits. Two undercover FBI agents who gave him envelopes of cash after he gave them badges testified at his trial. Luckily for Jenkins, he has long been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. On Monday, the day before he was due to report for his 10-year prison sentence, Trump pardoned him.
Feds list localities in Southwest, Southside as ‘sanctuary jurisdictions.’ These Trump-voting places are baffled.
Nearly one dozen Southwest and Southside localities were included on a list published Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security deemed to be “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Many of those localities are considered Republican strongholds that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. That list included Amherst, Augusta, Brunswick, Charlotte, Halifax and Tazewell counties, along with the cities of Lynchburg and Martinsville — which was erroneously listed twice, as a county and a city — and the towns of Abingdon, Duffield and Tazewell. Abingdon, Tazewell and Duffield — a town with a population of 73 people — were also erroneously identified as “cities.” About 33 localities from across Virginia were included in that list. Update: As of Sunday morning, the list had been removed from the DHS site.
White: U.S. security at sea depends on NOAA
A recent executive order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance,” seeks to “promote national security and economic prosperity” by revamping U.S. shipbuilding capacity and rebuilding domestic maritime industries. It’s worthwhile indeed to have modern vessels and efficient maritime supply chains. But I cannot reconcile this push for robust ocean commerce with the Trump administration’s gutting of our ocean expertise. The U.S. has long had an exceptional understanding of the world ocean — operating on, under and above it with impunity. What is happening at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is devastating.
Chesley: Virginia sheriff’s stance on illegal immigration colors landscape on searches of Latino motorists
Traffic stops and searches of Latino motorists in Loudoun County have increased dramatically the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2024, sparking complaints from activists and some residents. The Sheriff’s Office asserts that deputies are simply patrolling more vigorously where serious crimes, historically, have occurred in the county. “We are not stopping vehicles nor doing searches on the basis of ethnicity,” Tom Julia, spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, said flatly, rejecting allegations of racial profiling. “We completely disagree that it’s targeting of any group.” Julia made convincing arguments.
Virginia probe into Black communities’ displacement surges forward with infusion of funds
As more states reckon with the history of Black land loss, the Virginia General Assembly has been taking a rare, state-sanctioned approach: formally examining how the creation or expansion of public university campuses has displaced Black communities. A 19-member legislative commission met last month, its first convening since a mandatory hiatus during the 2025 legislative session was lifted. Enacted last year, the commission received an additional $200,000 in the state budget signed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in May, a major bump from the $28,760 it was initially allocated. As it prepares to enter its second year, the group is poised to deliver Virginia’s only known comprehensive statewide examination to date of how public universities displaced Black communities — and what forms of redress may be appropriate.