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Loudoun's congressional delegation rips Trump tax and spending bill
President Donald J. Trump says his transformative tax and spending cuts bill will increase Americans prosperity and security, but the members of Loudoun County’s congressional delegation say its effect will be ruinous. The Senate passed the bill July 1 in a 50-50 vote, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote. The House of Representatives, which passed an earlier version of the bill and sent it to the Senate, took it up again July 2. Trump had demanded passage by July 4. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, and Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Virginia both voted no. In a written statement July 1, they called the bill “disastrous legislation,” saying it slashes Medicaid and other social safety net programs to fund tax cuts for the rich.
The first Democrat to declare for a House seat from Virginia's fifth congressional district
A small crowd gathered in the shade of a picnic shelter at Crozet Park near Charlottesville to hear from a man who’d like to represent them in Congress – but from the moment he spoke it seemed people were not quite ready for that election. “Morning everybody!” the candidate called out. The crowd continued to chatter until someone finally insisted they quiet down. 58-year-old Paul Riley ran for a seat in the U.S. House two years ago but lost in the Democratic primary to Gloria Witt. Now he’s back, having learned an important political lesson.
Dempsey-Henofer: Charlottesville’s nervous system is telling us something
As a mental health therapist and small business owner in Charlottesville, I sit with people every day who are trying to make sense of the world — of their pasts, their relationships and the systems that shape how safe they feel in their own bodies. Many of my clients are LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent or navigating trauma rooted in institutions that demand they be quiet, compliant or “neutral.” And here’s something I’ve learned again and again: When neutrality is demanded in the face of harm, the body knows it is not safe. Charlottesville is feeling that now.
Glenn Youngkin wrote a GOP playbook for winning Virginia. Republicans hope Winsome Earle-Sears can follow it.
On a Tuesday evening in northern Virginia, Republicans on edge across the state finally got their wish: a campaign event featuring gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, backed by incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who beat a Democrat four years ago. A racially diverse crowd was packed into a firehouse waving signs that read “Axe the Tax,” a nod to an Earle-Sears campaign pledge to eliminate the state’s car tax. Youngkin lauded Earle-Sears’ biography and work as the state’s lieutenant governor. At the end, he appeared on stage with the entire GOP ticket, clapping along to the tune of the classic disco song “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.”
How do you get 850 students to improve their attendance? In Norton, it’s all about relationships
Improving attendance at Norton public schools sometimes looks like tracking down one chronically absent student at a time. Sometimes, that entails going to find them at their part-time jobs. Sarah Davis, the attendance specialist at the small Southwest Virginia school division, recalled one student who was skipping afternoon classes so she could pick up extra shifts at a local fast-food chain. . . . Davis’s efforts, combined with those of school administrators and a nonprofit partner organization, have made significant progress to improve attendance in Norton. For the 2022-2023 school year, more than one-third of the 325 students at J.I. Burton High School were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 18 days of school for any reason. For the 2023-2024 school year, chronic absenteeism dropped from 37% to just 2%.
Yancey: Attorney general opens criminal investigation into baby giraffes missing from the Natural Bridge Zoo
Attorney General Jason Miyares has opened a criminal investigation into the whereabouts of the two baby giraffes missing from the Natural Bridge Zoo, it was revealed in court Wednesday. That announcement came amid an all-day hearing on contempt of court charges against three people involved with the zoo: two members of the family that has run the Rockbridge County attraction and an animal property rights activist. They were charged with impeding court orders to cooperate with moving the four adult giraffes that had been awarded to the state after an animal cruelty trial.
Fed’s hidden immigration weapon – Virginia’s surveillance network
Hundreds of Flock Safety cameras capturing images of motorists across Virginia weren’t supposed to be used for immigration enforcement. But they were. At least five Virginia counties shared data collected by Flock Safety automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) with federal authorities for immigration enforcement, despite prohibitions against using the surveillance for such operations, according to law enforcement logs. About 50 immigration-related enforcement searches were conducted in Flock data in Fairfax, Chesterfield, Isle of Wight, Loudoun and Stafford counties between June 2024 and April 2025, according to an analysis of the logs. . . . The logs reveal how data from more than 1,000 cameras tracking Virginia motorists was shared widely between agencies, and potentially used beyond its original purpose for criminal investigations and locating missing persons.
UVa board meeting abruptly canceled after Ryan resignation
Several minutes after it was set to begin, a special meeting of the University of Virginia’s governing Board of Visitors over a "resignation faculty matter" was abruptly canceled “as it was no longer needed,” according to school officials. ... The virtual meeting scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday was called to “discuss a faculty resignation personnel matter,” as announced on the board’s website on Tuesday evening. At around 11:35 a.m. — with more than 300 people waiting online for the meeting’s livestream to begin — the link suddenly stopped functioning. The meeting was then listed as canceled on the board’s calendar.
Averett University cuts liberal arts programs amid financial crisis
Averett University is making significant changes to its academic offerings, cutting several liberal arts programs in an effort to stabilize its finances after a former chief financial officer allegedly mismanaged $18 million from the university's endowment. The university is now suing the former CFO and the investment firm involved. Dr. Thomas Powell, Averett University's president, said the decision to eliminate programs such as political science and communications, along with three minors, is part of a strategy to save the school without cutting jobs.
Hampton Roads needs clarity on proposed move affecting Fort Eustis
News in May that the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) headquarters will be moving from Fort Eustis in Newport News to Austin, Texas, came as an unwelcome surprise. There are still many unanswered questions about how this change will affect TRADOC operations and its military and civilian staff members, as well as what the implications will be for Fort Eustis and the military presence that is such an important part of Hampton Roads.