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Manouchehri: A smarter, more efficient defense budget starts in Virginia
Growing up in an Iranian-immigrant household shaped by service and sacrifice, we never took our opportunities for granted. My parents believed in hard work, giving back, and reminded me often: public service requires commitment and sacrifice. Today, I have the privilege of leading MetroStar, a Reston-based, venture-backed AI-enabled services company focused on digital modernization for the federal government — including the Department of Defense and intelligence community. Our work sits at the intersection of national security and innovation. It’s here, in Virginia, where we believe the future of cost-effective, software-defined defense begins.
Ejecting international students will diminish Va. schools
In its haste to drive out international students it deems hostile to the United States, the Trump administration is needlessly disrupting the lives of more than 21,000 students enrolled at Virginia colleges and universities and undermining academic freedom in a way that could do lasting damage to medical research, technology development, job growth, tuition costs and more.
Virginia Beach cleared 100 homeless encampments in the past year
Since spring of last year, a team of city departments have cleared 100 encampments where homeless people had set up makeshift shelters. Twenty individuals living in the encampments were connected to shelter and as many as 10 were placed in housing. Not all of the cleared camps were occupied, Ruth Hill, director of Virginia Beach Housing & Neighborhood Preservation, told the City Council last week.
Environmental groups slam federal plan to ship wetlands mitigation out of Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads environmental groups are alarmed over a proposed federal decision that they say could undermine decades of local tidal wetlands restoration and protection. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality are moving toward approval of a new wetland mitigation bank in Prince George County — 50 miles upstream from Hampton Roads — that would allow developers to purchase mitigation credits from outside the region. Wetland mitigation banks are designed to compensate for environmental damage caused by permitted development projects. Developers buy credits from these banks to offset the impacts, typically by funding the creation or restoration of similar wetlands nearby.
Virginia Democrats beat early primary voting record
Virginia Democrats beat their previous record for early primary voting over the weekend. According to the Virginia Department of Elections, nearly 134,000 Virginians voted early in statewide Democratic Party primaries for Attorney General and Lt. Governor since early voting opened in early May. The previous record, set in the summer of 2023, saw 129,000 early Democratic primary votes cast, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.
Democratic attorney general candidates vow to fight Trump administration
The Virginia primary election is just more than a week away, and the Republican ticket for statewide races is set. However, Democrats must choose a candidate in two races, including attorney general. Shannon Taylor and Jay Jones are vying to take on Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in November. Taylor has served as the Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney for more than a decade and hopes to leverage her experience as a prosecutor statewide. ... Jones, a Norfolk resident, previously served in the House of Delegates and was an assistant attorney general in Washington, D.C.
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Rouse campaigns in Richmond
Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Rouse made a campaign stop in Richmond on Monday. Rouse spoke alongside a group of black leaders to make his pitch to voters ahead of the June 17 primary. “I stand before you today to say, while I may not know everything, I know that if we do this together, we can get the changes that we seek,” Rouse said.
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi leans on legislative experience in lieutenant governor run
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi was an educator and an academic administrator before being elected in 2019 to represent Virginia’s 15th District, which covers much of Chesterfield County. Now, Hashmi is hoping to preside over the Senate as Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. She is the only woman of the six candidates in the June 17 Democratic primary for the statewide position. The winner will face Republican John Reid for the office currently occupied by Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears. VPM News state politics reporter Jahd Khalil recently spoke to Hashmi about her campaign, as part of a series of conversations with all six Democratic candidates for the state’s No. 2 job.
Danville area is rare part of Virginia with both Democratic and Republican House primaries in same district
Del. Danny Marshall’s seat has drawn a primary election on both sides of the aisle. Marshall announced in February his intention to not seek reelection to the House of Delegates 49th District, citing health concerns. Two Democrats and two Republicans qualified for primary elections in a district made up of the city of Danville and parts of Halifax and Pittsylvania counties. Only one other House district in Virginia — District 89 in Chesapeake and Suffolk — also has both a Democratic and Republican primary this year. It’s also a district where the incumbent is retiring; in that case Del. Baxter Ennis, R-Chesapeake.
Kaine discusses military housing improvements during Naval Weapons Station Yorktown tour
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.) toured the new barracks at Naval Weapons Station Yorktown on Monday and told 13News Now the issue surrounding housing for all military members remains a top concern. "These guys have missions that are tough enough; housing should not be an additional stressor, it should relieve stress," Kaine said. Kaine, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the trip as he plans fiscal priorities ahead of writing the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ... After meeting with several Hampton Roads Marines, Kaine said he plans to bring their message to the Senate floor.