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‘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.
Corneliussen: Fort Monroe is a world landmark, not merely a ‘regional’ one
Even more than Monticello, Fort Monroe on Point Comfort (look right when nearing Hampton on the bridge tunnel) inherently commemorates the world’s first freedom nation’s founding. Thankfully, overdevelopment can’t threaten Monticello. But leaving aside sensible, recently reported plans to repurpose two existing buildings, outright new development — harming spirit of place — has often threatened Fort Monroe since the 2005 announcement of the Army’s 2011 departure. Like Monticello, Point Comfort with Fort Monroe could become a World Heritage Site.
Homeland Security removes ‘sanctuary jurisdiction’ list as Virginia cities and counties push back
The Department of Homeland Security's list of so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" has disappeared from the agency's website. The list included several localities from Central Virginia. The removal comes as communities pushed back, saying they were incorrectly included on the list. Visitors to the DHS Sanctuary Jurisdictions web page now see an error message stating the page may have been "moved, deleted, or is otherwise unavailable." The site published Thursday listed more than 500 localities as sanctuary jurisdictions, including the City of Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and Hanover counties. DHS defined these as places "obstructing immigration enforcement."
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.
Jerrauld Jones, Norfolk judge and former state delegate, dies at 70
Jerrauld C. Jones, a Norfolk judge, former state delegate and father of Democratic attorney general hopeful Jay Jones, has died at 70. His family, including Jay Jones, who previously held his father’s former seat in the House of Delegates, announced his death Saturday evening.
Va. House Republicans pick Del. Kilgore as new leader
Republicans in the House of Delegates on Sunday chose Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Gate City, as their new leader. The chamber's prior GOP leader, former Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, is a candidate to become the next U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia.
Jerrauld Jones—civil rights pioneer, judge and state delegate—dies at 70
Jerrauld C. Jones, a longtime judge and state delegate, has died at 70. Jones became one of the first African-American students to integrate Ingleside Elementary School in 1961 and later the Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg in 1967. ... He became the first African American law clerk to the Supreme Court of Virginia, served as a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates for 14 years, represented Norfolk’s 89th District and served as the long-time chair of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
Martinsville’s ‘sanctuary’ status disputed
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defined Martinsville as a city that is “deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities.” Martinsville Police Chief Rob Fincher says DHS got it all wrong. “The Department of Homeland Security incorrectly reports that Martinsville, Virginia, is a sanctuary city. The City of Martinsville has never made such a declaration,” Fincher said in a release.
Trailblazing civil rights leader, state delegate and longtime Norfolk judge Jerrauld Jones dies at 70
Jerrauld C. Jones, a longtime judge and state delegate who began making a name for himself when he was among the first Black students to integrate one of Norfolk’s elementary schools, died Saturday. He was 70. Jones’ son, Jay — also a former state delegate and a current Virginia attorney general candidate in this month’s Democratic primary — made the announcement on Facebook late Saturday. A cause of death wasn’t provided.
Williams: Asians beware. MAGA doesn’t care about racial justice
The prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — a Northern Virginia magnet school not to be confused with Richmond’s TJ — has become yet another Trump administration battleground in its war on diversity, equity and inclusion. At issue is an admissions process, adopted by the Fairfax County School Board in 2020, that a parents group argued was biased against Asian applicants. A lower court agreed, but the Richmond-based U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling in May 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the matter.