Search
Wood: Public must act now to prevent drilling off Virginia’s coast
Monday is the deadline for the public to make their comments known in an effort to prevent offshore drilling in Virginia and elsewhere. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is required to propose a five-year schedule of oil and gas lease sales. Coastal communities are again vulnerable to offshore drilling. Thousands of square miles of ocean — out to 200 miles offshore of Virginia as well as beyond our coastline in either direction — remain at risk because a recent executive order from President Donald Trump attempts to undo previous protections of our federal waters.
Medicaid manager lays off 268 in Henrico after losing contract
Molina Healthcare Inc. will lay off 268 employees from its office on Gaskins Road in Henrico County after the company failed to win a new Medicaid contract with the state. Molina notified its employees in May and will close June 30, according to a notice filed with the state’s workforce department. The state’s Department of Medical Assistance Services opted not to award the California-based company a new contract starting July 1.
Shannon Taylor criticized for $650,000 Dominion Energy donations in attorney general race
Fourteen Virginia Democratic leaders have signed a letter calling for attorney general candidate Shannon Taylor to take action after ethical concerns were raised from her receiving more than half a million dollars in donations from Dominion Energy. The letter lists specific ways in which the alleged $650,000 worth of donations are an ethical dilemma that would create a conflict of interest in the event of her being elected.
As Energy Costs Surge, Eastern Governors, Including Youngkin, Blame a Grid Manager
For decades, a little-known nonprofit organization has played a central role in keeping the lights on for 65 million people in the Eastern United States. Even some governors and lawmakers acknowledge that they were not fully aware of how much influence the organization, PJM, has on the cost and reliability of energy in 13 states. The electrical grid it manages is the largest in the United States. But now some elected leaders have concluded that decisions made by PJM are one of the main reasons utility bills have soared in recent years. They said the organization had been slow to add new solar, wind and battery projects that could help lower the cost of electricity. And they say the grid manager is paying existing power plants too much to supply electricity to their states. ... The Republican governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, called on the organization to fire its chief executive in a letter obtained by The Times.
2 Republicans seek the nod from their party in the race to fill Del. Jed Arnold’s seat
Two Republican candidates are vying for their party’s nomination for the 46th District race, in a bid to represent the most conservative district out of the three open seats in this year’s House of Delegates election. Mitchell Cornett and Adam Tolbert, both Republicans, signaled their intention to run for the seat after Del. Jed Arnold, R-Smyth County, announced he would not seek reelection in March. He cited his wife’s struggle with long COVID and the need to support his family through her illness as the driving factor in his decision.
14 Democrats ask attorney general candidate Shannon Taylor to recuse herself from Dominion cases
A Virginia congressman and 11 current Democratic legislators are calling on attorney general candidate Shannon Taylor to address what they call “serious ethical concerns” over the roughly $650,000 her campaign has received from Dominion Energy. They warn that what they call “unprecedented contributions” from a regulated utility raise potential conflicts of interest and could undermine public trust in the office. All 14 signers of the letter — including a former congressman and a former delegate — have endorsed Taylor’s Democratic opponent, former Del. Jay Jones, D-Norfolk, in the June 17 primary for attorney general.
Alexandria becomes first in Virginia to ban gas leaf blowers
The City of Alexandria became the first jurisdiction in Virginia to approve a ban on gas-powered leaf blowers at City Council’s May 17 public hearing in a unanimous vote to go into effect starting July 1. Council decided to phase out the use of gas-powered leaf blowers after one year for the city and after 18 months for residents and businesses. Council previously discussed the issue at their May 13 legislative meeting, where they reduced the ban’s phase-in period to 18 months from two years. The ordinance will go into effect July 1, according to a May 13 city staff presentation.
Legislators call on Shannon Taylor to recuse herself from Dominion-related matters if she wins attorney general race
Multiple state legislators and a member of Congress have called on Democratic primary candidate Shannon Taylor to recuse herself from any matters related to Dominion Energy if she is elected attorney general. The attorney general’s office is tasked with regulatory oversight of Dominion, Virginia’s largest public utility company. “As elected officials, we write to express our serious concerns regarding the unprecedented campaign contributions you have received from Dominion Energy Virginia, totaling approximately $650,000 according to recent reports,” the letter begins, which is signed by 14 current and former elected officials. ... Taylor’s campaign pointed to several other powerful Democrats who receive Dominion’s money.
Detainees more than double at Farmville Detention Center since October of 2024
The number of people detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Farmville Detention Center in Prince Edward County has more than doubled since October of 2024, according to the agency’s data. According to data collected by ICE on May 27, 2025, there were reportedly 542 detainees at the Farmville Detention Center, located in Prince Edward County, which is more than double the number of detainees recorded by ICE on Oct. 7, 2024 — with that figure being 241.
Army to restore names of seven bases that lost Confederate-linked names in 2023, including three in Va.
Seven Army bases whose names were changed in 2023 because they honored Confederate leaders are all reverting back to their original names, the Army said Tuesday. The announcement came just hours after President Donald Trump previewed the decision, telling troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, that he was changing the names back. Fort Bragg, which was changed to Fort Liberty by the Biden administration, was the first to have its original name restored after the Army found another person with the same last name. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was with Trump at Fort Bragg, signed an order restoring the name in February.