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From VPAP Now Live: PACs’ Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Reports
VPAP has posted pre-primary disclosures from Virginia PACs. See which state PACs have raised the most money and have the most cash on hand for the covered time period. If you are interested in a specific committee, you can drill down for a sortable list of donations reported from April 1 to May 25.
Wall Street Is All In on A.I. Data Centers. But Are They the Next Bubble?
Artificial intelligence still seemed the stuff of science fiction when a real estate developer named Chad Williams bought a plot of land, roughly half the size of a football field, in Overland Park, Kan. Mr. Williams, who had taken over his family’s business of car lots and office furniture suppliers, used the land in 2003 to build his first data center, a big, boxy warehouse housing powerful computers. More than two decades later, the company Mr. Williams built, Quality Technology Services, is at the heart of one of Wall Street’s biggest gambits: the race to profit from artificial intelligence.
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, 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.
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.
Virginia free health clinics strategize survival after state, federal funding cuts
Amid federal and state funding cuts, freezes and delayed payments, the outlook is grim for free clinics in Virginia that have had to trim or halt some services, but there is hope, Health Brigade executive director Karen Legato said Thursday evening. “Care is resistance,” she reiterated during a speech outside of the clinic’s Thompson Street location in Richmond. Having first opened in 1970 as the Fan Free Clinic, what is now known as Health Brigade was the first free clinic established in Virginia. It is one of about 70 free clinics currently in the state that provide care to uninsured or underinsured people.
‘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.
Dice and Bray: Student teachers in Virginia need more paid internships
As we navigate the challenges of ensuring high-quality education for our children, a critical aspect that remains overlooked is the financial burden on students preparing to become teachers. Completing a licensure-required internship is mandatory for students seeking a teaching degree at higher education institutions. However, these internships are typically unpaid, creating a significant financial barrier for many. Virginia has the opportunity to join the growing number of states that compensate student teachers for their undergraduate internship experiences. Supporting future teachers during their internships provides an opportunity for Virginia to address its alarming teacher shortage.
Spanberger is poised to win big in Virginia. But national Democrats could drag her down.
Six months out from November, Virginia Democrats believe the governor’s race is Abigail Spanberger’s to lose. There’s a risk the former member of Congress could get bogged down by national malaise toward the Democratic Party, and her margins could end up being tight because of the negative Democratic brand. But Democrats are hopeful that Spanberger can overcome that national dynamic. She flipped a competitive district in 2018 that stretches into rural south central Virginia and she benefits from the unpopular actions of President Donald Trump. ... Spanberger enjoys strong name recognition and is far out-fundraising her opponent, a candidate who even some fellow Republicans are wincing about.
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.