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Ex-Richmond worker spent over $2M at businesses registered to his and friend's homes
A former city employee spent more than $2 million of city funds at three businesses — one registered to his own home and two others registered to the Prince William County home of a woman he met while serving in the U.S. Navy. Officials are investigating all three businesses, which are associated with Reginald Thomas, a former management analyst with the city’s fire department.
Chesapeake Bay’s blue crab population falls to ‘distressing low’
Blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay have dropped to a “distressing low” number, experts say, marking several years of repeated declines and raising concern about their long-term health. The estimated number of crabs was 238 million, the second-lowest point since an annual blue crab dredge survey to measure their population started in the 1990s and coming shortly after 2022’s record low of 226 million crabs, according to experts. The survey found that the decline hit all of the crustaceans, regardless of maturity or gender.
Feds release delayed infrastructure grants, sending $8.6 million to Virginia
After years of bureaucratic limbo, Virginia is set to receive $8.6 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support a slate of infrastructure projects that were first announced three years ago. The funding comes as part of a national effort by the administration of former President Joe Biden to clear a backlog of 3,200 unobligated grants that had stalled “critical investments” in communities nationwide, according to the agency. The department said Tuesday it has now cleared 1,065 of those projects but did not explain why the grants were delayed in the first place.
States are picking sides as competing election integrity efforts move ahead
Two events last week offered a glimpse of the growing weight of politics in the nation’s elections process. Alabama’s secretary of state, Wes Allen, announced that Virginia had become the tenth state to join his voter integrity database, called AVID, an increasingly popular alternative to a larger bipartisan voter integrity coalition used by half of the nation’s state governments. And the New York State Assembly approved legislation permitting the state to join the more popular bipartisan system, called the Electronic Registration Information Center. With 26 members, ERIC is still the most popular way for states of all political persuasions to verify the accuracy of their voter rolls, but the Alabama Voter Integrity Database is proving an enticing, if less sophisticated, option for some secretaries of state ...
Tribal leaders discuss land loss, environmental challenges in coastal Virginia
Indigenous communities have navigated Virginia’s land and waters for thousands of years, weathering countless wars, storms and growing development. Local tribal leaders say they’re now facing several environmental challenges, such as flooding and shoreline erosion, that threaten some of the land and resources they’ve worked hard to protect.
Democratic AG candidates support review of Virginians pardoned by Trump
The Democratic candidates for Virginia Attorney General say they're open to reviewing criminal charges for Virginians pardoned by President Donald Trump. According to Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney and Democratic Attorney General candidate Shannon Taylor, presidential pardons are supposed to be reserved for those who’ve shown remorse, been rehabilitated or have evidence proving actual innocence. But she hasn’t seen either from those pardoned by President Donald Trump. ... A former Assistant Attorney General and Norfolk-area lawmaker, Jay Jones is the other Democratic candidate for AG. He said Trump’s use of pardons undermines the will of Virginians ...
‘Restore a sense of discipline’: Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. candidate floats school uniforms
With five months to go before the general election, Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee John Reid is already laying out policy goals and staking out ground on several hot-button issues that could shape Virginia’s political landscape in November. In a sit-down interview hosted by 7News, Reid — unopposed in the GOP primary — said he’s already spent time “working behind the scenes, talking to people about where we can cut and where we can recalibrate.”
Lieutenant governor candidate Alex Bastani says Democrats are ‘trying to out-Republican Republicans’
Alex Bastani is a labor and employment attorney who describes himself as a “lifelong union member.” The Northern Virginia Democrat is a member of the American Federation of Government Employees and fought for workers’ rights as the leader of his local union for more than a decade. Now, he’s hoping to use his experience to become Virginia’s next lieutenant governor. He is one of six candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in the June 17 primary. The winner will face Republican John Reid for the office currently occupied by Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears.
Kilgore, Va. House GOP members slam Spanberger’s newly unveiled energy plan
After Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger released her energy plan for the state this week, Virginia House GOP members wasted no time bashing it. Her plan emphasizes fair cost share, efficiency projects, and supporting a pilot program to handle peak energy consumption times. “Her plan leans heavily on demand-side management: programmable thermostats, weatherization programs, utility subsidies, and incentives to reduce consumption during peak hours. That might sound reasonable in theory, but here’s the problem: managing scarcity isn’t a solution — it’s a symptom of failure,” an op-ed penned by House GOP leaders and members read.
Strategy or slow start? Some in Virginia GOP question Earle-Sears campaign.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger reported a massive fundraising lead over Republican gubernatorial rival Winsome Earle-Sears this week, with her $14.3 million in campaign cash more than quadruple the $3 million on hand for Earle-Sears — aggravating concerns among some in the GOP that the campaign is off to a troubled start. Republican critics cited another number to explain their fears: zero, the number of times Earle-Sears has campaigned in public with the full GOP ticket of John Reid for lieutenant governor and Attorney General Jason S. Miyares seeking reelection. With Democrats awaiting June 17 primary elections to determine the rest of their ticket beyond Spanberger, Republicans had a clear opportunity for a head start.