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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.
In Hopewell, Youngkin signs bill banning cellphone use in schools
The week began with Memorial Day, but if Gov. Glenn Youngkin had his way, it would have ended with an “independence day” of sorts. “Freedom has been unleashed in the classrooms,” Youngkin proclaimed prior to signing legislation codifying his 2024 executive order prohibiting cellphone usage in public schools. He repeated the word “freedom” several times, noting that without the devices in their hands, students now have the freedom to learn from their teachers and interact with their peers while not being tethered to their phones.
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."
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.
UVa students, faculty demand lawmakers deny Cuccinelli seat on board
History repeats itself. As occurred with his predecessor Bert Ellis, Ken Cuccinelli now faces vocal opposition to his appointment to the University of Virginia’s governing Board of Visitors. On Wednesday, 17 student-led organizations, along with the executive committee of the American Association of University Professors at UVa, signed a letter addressed to the entire Virginia General Assembly saying Cuccinelli should not sit on the board given his “track record of undermining the rights and safety of marginalized groups.”
Trump student visa halt could hurt regional economy
About 5% of the approximately 1.1 million international college students studying abroad in the U.S. are doing so in D.C., Maryland or Virginia. The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and revoking visas for Chinese students amid a political pressure campaign against colleges and universities and a broader immigration crackdown. A big drop in international students could hurt college town economies, some of which are already struggling due to lower enrollment.
Warren County Sheriff Rejects DHS ‘Sanctuary’ Label
A recent report by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has sparked sharp criticism from local law enforcement after erroneously labeling Warren County, Virginia, as a “sanctuary jurisdiction”—a classification typically reserved for local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Sheriff Crystal Cline is at the center of the response, demanding an immediate correction and public retraction of what she calls a “baseless mischaracterization” of her county and her office’s policies. ... Responding to Sheriff Cline’s objections, Russell Hott, Field Office Director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Washington, issued a written apology, clarifying that the local ICE field office was not responsible for the inaccurate designation.
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.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan warns of harm from Medicaid cuts
The US Senate is set to take up a budget bill that’s become the legislative focus of President Donald Trump’s agenda this week after Congress returns from a Memorial Day recess. Before leaving, the US House of Representatives voted 215–214 to pass its version of a tax and spending bill. The legislation put restrictions on who will be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D–4th) voted against the bill. She said it would put a heavy burden on some of the most vulnerable people in the state.