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Trump nominates Gilbert for U.S. attorney job in Western Virginia
President Donald Trump on Tuesday nominated Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, a former state prosecutor and speaker and minority leader of Virginia’s House of Delegates, to become the next U.S. attorney for the western half of the state. Trump selected Gilbert to serve, subject to Senate confirmation, for the next four years.
Trump nominates Todd Gilbert as U.S. Attorney; Shenandoah County delegate to withdraw from House race
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to become U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, a move that ends his nearly two-decade tenure in the Virginia House of Delegates. In a statement Tuesday, Gilbert expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving the region. ... Gilbert confirmed he will formally withdraw his name from the November ballot for the 33rd House District and notify the local GOP committee to begin selecting a replacement candidate.
Grieving mother joins AG in challenging Virginia's early release policy
Virginia's enhanced earned sentence credits program is facing scrutiny as victims' families join Attorney General Jason Miyares in calling for reform, while supporters defend the initiative as an effective rehabilitation tool. Before 2020, offenders in Virginia were required to serve 85% of their sentences. However, a law passed by the General Assembly and signed by former Governor Ralph Northam changed this requirement, allowing inmates to earn up to 180 days off their sentence for each year served, effectively reducing their time to about 66% of the original sentence.
Virginia AG says enforcing Virginia’s ban on ‘ex-gay therapy’ for minors would violate religious freedoms
Virginia’s attorney general office says it won't enforce the state’s ban on so-called ‘ex-gay therapy’ for minors. The notice comes after a consent decree was announced between the state and a Front Royal County counselor who wanted to engage in the practice. “For five years, Virginia’s children struggling over gender confusion and sexuality have been left without professional help,” said Victoria Cobb with the Family Foundation of Virginia announcing a new agreement with the Virginia Attorney General’s office. It would block any enforcement of the Commonwealth’s five-year-old ban on so-called “ex-gay” therapy for minors.
Trump administration keeps FBI headquarters in D.C., upending planned move
The Trump administration announced plans Tuesday to move the FBI headquarters from the crumbling J. Edgar Hoover Building to the sprawling Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center three blocks west in D.C., reversing decades of planning to relocate the agency to the suburbs and leaving some regional leaders infuriated. . . . The decision heightens regional acrimony over how federal assets are divided among the city, Northern Virginia and Maryland, with D.C. leaders celebrating the FBI staying put and suburban leaders incredulous that President Donald Trump snatched away a long-sought economic development prize.
State’s first-ever audit of campaign finance report leaves many questions unanswered
Virginia’s inaugural audit of campaign finance reports raises almost as many questions about state oversight than it does in answering how accurately a group of seven randomly selected candidates listed their contributions and expenses. In a report to the General Assembly released Tuesday, the Department of Elections suggested changes to the audit law, providing more time to complete future reviewing and updating the agency’s computer systems. The document warns that the post-election review following statewide elections this November will be a far bigger — and much more expensive — undertaking.
Newman: Cuts to Medicaid will worsen health outcomes
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act being considered by Congress will cut the Medicaid budget substantially and cause millions to lose health insurance coverage. Without access to good primary care and preventive measures, many more people will present to overloaded emergency departments with health disasters such as heart attacks and strokes that are much more expensive to treat. The net effects are a greater cost to society and personal catastrophe for those affected. Data from the Commonwealth Fund show the United States has poor health outcomes by nearly every measure relative to 10 other wealthy nations; this is because we are the only country of these that does not insure all our citizens.
Hoos your daddy, Virginia? (Hint: It ain’t Youngkin)
If you look closely, you can see the tail tucked between Jim Ryan’s legs. During an impromptu rally on Friday in support of the University of Virginia’s emasculated president, a few hours after submitting his resignation at the behest of President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice, Ryan made his way to the front lawn of his on-campus residence to address the crowd that had gathered.
Relocating HUD from D.C. to Northern Virginia will come at a cost
It’s certainly possible that the relocation of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development personnel to Virginia could be a boon to the commonwealth. Gov. Glenn Youngkin argued as such in making the announcement last week that HUD staff would move across the water from the District of Columbia to offices in Alexandria. Absent in the governor’s announcement, however, was any mention that HUD’s new digs are occupied by the National Science Foundation, whose 1,800 personnel will be unceremoniously evicted from space they’ve used since 2017. As the Trump administration continues to undermine the United States’ advances in science, research and innovation, Virginia should work to ensure NSF remains headquartered in the commonwealth.
Samuels Public Library Opens New Chapter Without County Funding, But With Strong Community Support
Samuels Public Library began a new chapter today, one that library leaders call “unusual” but deeply meaningful. As of July 1, the library is operating without funding from Warren County for the first time in decades. Still, the halls were filled with smiling faces, coffee cups, and Apple House donuts as supporters streamed in for an open house celebrating community resilience and a commitment to keeping services alive. . . . Although the mood inside the library was cheerful, the backdrop to this event was serious. For over two years, Samuels Public Library has been at the center of a tense funding dispute with the Warren County Board of Supervisors, stemming from concerns over library content and operations.