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‘Good Trouble Lives On’ protests across Hampton Roads in honor of John Lewis

By LEILA COX, WVEC-TV

Thursday marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Congressman and Civil Rights Leader John Lewis. In his honor, across the nation, tens of thousands of people participated in what they are calling "Good Trouble Lives On" protests. "Good trouble is giving somebody a ride to the polls. Good trouble is registering a voter, talking to a young person about why it's important for them to have a voice in the government that is over them. That's good trouble," said Leslie Rinaldi, chairwoman of the Suffolk Democratic Committee.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Indivisible Lynchburg rallies with ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ protest for civil rights

By HAYDEN ROBERTSON, WSET-TV

Over a hundred passionate and concerned voters gathered at Lynchburg's Miller Park to march in protest against what they call an attack on civil and human rights from the Trump Administration. Indivisible Lynchburg hosted the 'Good Trouble Lives On' protest and march on Thursday night. According to the group, the Good Trouble Lives On movement pays homage to the late Congressman John Lewis, who fought for the protection of human and civil rights.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Spotsylvania’s recycled water supply at capacity for data center cooling

By TAFT COGHILL JR., Fredericksburg Free Press

Any data center developer without an application on file with the Spotsylvania County Planning and Zoning Department, may face water concerns in the future. Spotsylvania Director of Planning and Zoning Kimberly Pomatto said during a planning commission meeting Wednesday night that the county is at capacity for reusable water based on data center projects that are approved or awaiting approval from the county. Scott Phelps, who represents the Lee Hill District, said the county needs to inform developers that the capacity for reusable water reached its limit.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Chesapeake City Council reverses course, approves Virginia Natural Gas project

By NATALIE ANDERSON, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

After denying a natural gas compressor station project that had drawn the ire of many Chesapeake residents, city leaders reversed course Tuesday and approved it. On June 17, Chesapeake City Council denied a request from Virginia Natural Gas to push back a vote on its project, which was a rezoning request of 23 acres on South Military Highway to create a light industrial district for a new compressor station. ... It was on Tuesday’s agenda, and council members ultimately approved the project along partisan and racial lines.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Newport News’ sheriff says his office doesn’t honor ICE detainers

By DEVLIN EPDING, Virginian-Pilot (Metered Paywall - 2 articles a month)

The first time President Donald Trump took office, Gabe Morgan was a decade into his role as Newport News sheriff and leading the Virginia Sheriff’s Association. It was his job to help create a consensus on how 123 sheriffs across the commonwealth would handle a growing desire to crack down on illegal immigration. “Depending on where you may be the sheriff, politically, it was kind of like herding cats,” Morgan said.

VaNews July 18, 2025


2 western Va. counties chosen for flood warning systems

By SUSAN CAMERON, Cardinal News

As the death toll continues to climb and questions persist about whether there were adequate warnings of catastrophic flooding in Texas on July 4, pilot flooding emergency warning systems have been deployed in two flood-prone counties in western Virginia. Buchanan County, which is mountainous and has had three major flooding events over four years, and Botetourt County, which has dealt with flash flooding, were chosen for the projects.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Virginia hospitals receive $8.5 million in grants for violence intervention programming

By CHARLOTTE RENE WOODS, Virginia Mercury

Virginia hospitals that provide wraparound services and care for violently injured people will receive millions in grant funding for the next two years to support their programs, officials announced this week. Hospital-based violence intervention programs bring trauma-informed care and resources to patients in the hospital while they are recovering physically from violence-induced injuries. ... The $8.5 million dollar funding stems from Virginia’s Department of Criminal Justice Services.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Hashmi: For Va., drop in business rankings a wakeup call

By GHAZALA HASHMI, published in Richmond Times-Dispatch (Subscription Required)

CNBC’s latest “Top States for Business” report shows Virginia tumbling from the top spot to fourth place — our worst ranking since 2018. The primary culprit? Sharp federal workforce reductions that have hit the commonwealth disproportionately hard, and that will have long-term impacts on Virginia’s entire economy. With over 144,000 federal jobs in the commonwealth — and nearly 300,000 positions when federal contractors and commuters from D.C. and Maryland are included — Virginia feels every cut firsthand. Experts have warned that this federal downsizing could cost the state up to 32,000 jobs this year alone, dragging Virginia’s GDP and tax revenue into negative territory.

Sen. Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, was first elected to the Virginia Senate in 2019, the first Muslim and the first South Asian American to serve there. She chairs the Senate Education and Health Committee and is the Democratic candidate lieutenant governor.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Spanberger: ‘Don’t fret’ response to massive job losses in Virginia under Trump won’t cut it for me

By ABIGAIL SPANBERGER, published in Fox News

Virginians recently learned that our commonwealth has lost our spot as "America’s Top State for Business." One major factor was singled out as leading to the downgrade — the widespread economic impact of DOGE’s attacks on the jobs of thousands of Virginians. I’ve always supported responsible efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse — as well as corruption. In the U.S. House of Representatives, I even led the bipartisan push to ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks. I believe that our leaders have a responsibility to restore trust in our government, make sure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, and keep more money in people’s pockets.

Spanberger is a Democrat who represented Virginia’s 7th District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 to 2025. She is the Democratic nominee for Virginia governor.

VaNews July 18, 2025


Trump administration expands scrutiny of George Mason University

By KARINA ELWOOD, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

The U.S. Justice Department announced an investigation into the alleged use of race in hiring and promotions at George Mason University on Thursday, adding to a recent string of Trump administration probes into the institution. The investigation is the third launched by the administration in recent weeks into the policies and practices at the Northern Virginia university, and the first inquiry into the school led by the Justice Department. The escalating scrutiny follows a pattern that recently played out at the University of Virginia and comes amid the administration’s broader efforts to reshape American higher education.

VaNews July 18, 2025