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Planned Parenthood says Trump’s megabill targets thousands of Virginians’ health care
Thousands of Virginians use Medicaid at Planned Parenthood health centers across the state for reproductive health care services every year. But a provision in President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” could cut off those people from accessing services using federal support. The organization serves roughly 25,000 people per year in the commonwealth, according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia spokesperson RaeAnn Pickett. That includes nearly 800 people who use Medicaid for Planned Parenthood services in Virginia every month. With the potential cuts, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia Executive Director Jamie Lockhart said that’s subject to change.
Spanberger extends financial advantage over Earle-Sears
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, raised almost twice as much money in her campaign for governor in the last quarter as Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, her Republican opponent, and had $15.2 million in hand with less than four months to election day. Spanberger raised $10.7 million in the past three months, including almost $4.3 million between June 5 and the end of June. Earle-Sears raised $5.9 million, including $2.4 million since the last campaign finance reporting deadline, and finished June with $4.5 million in the bank.
Owner of former Virginia Intermont campus pays $605,000 in back taxes day after Bristol sought to take over property
Bristol City Manager Randy Eads said Tuesday that he’s tired of playing games with U.S. Magis, the company based in China that owns the blighted and burned-out property that was once Virginia Intermont College. One day after the city filed a lawsuit July 10 in circuit court to gain control of the 37-acre downtown property — trying to take advantage of a new law Eads successfully sought from the General Assembly — a lawyer for Magis paid off all the current and back taxes owed to the city. Eads then requested that the court nonsuit the lawsuit, which dismisses the action, he said.
Kiggans: ‘One big beautiful bill’ invests in our families, military and future
Coastal Virginians know that leadership isn’t about always getting everything you want — it’s about standing firm in your values and delivering real results for the people you serve. That’s what I have tried to do every day in Congress, and it’s why I supported final passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While it isn’t perfect, I believe this bill will ultimately make Virginians safer and more prosperous. Not even the biggest critics can deny that the outcomes of this bill are substantial. This bill provides the largest tax cut in American history. Without action, the 2017 Trump tax cuts were set to expire, costing middle-class families in my district an average of $2,028 per year.
Subramanyam Warns of Federal Budget Impacts in Town Hall
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) on Thursday warned constituents of the coming impacts of the recently signed federal budget bill during a town hall at John Champe High School. The legislation has been touted by Republicans and the White House as the “largest tax cut in history for middle- and working-class Americans” including no taxes on tips, overtime and social security. The bill is also expected to fund the completion of a wall along the southern border, the hiring of thousands more Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border patrol officers and modernize air traffic control systems across the country.
Remains of former ‘Spirit of Norfolk’ vessel now an artificial reef in Florida
The Spirit of Norfolk now rests beneath the waves off the coast of Florida, transformed into an artificial reef nearly three years after a fire ended its time on the Elizabeth River. The cruise vessel had been sitting at Colonna’s Shipyard in Norfolk since June 2022, when it caught fire during a lunch cruise with 108 passengers and crew on board. All were safely evacuated. The fire, which started in an operating port generator, took several days to extinguish and caused an estimated $5 million in damage, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Gilbert sworn in as interim U.S. Attorney
Del. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, resigned his seat in the Virginia House of Delegates early Monday morning and was sworn in at 11 a.m. as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, following his formal nomination by President Donald Trump.
Virginia Retirement System investments lag benchmark but expect ‘comparable’ rates
The Virginia Retirement System expects to adopt comparable rates for state agencies and school divisions to pay for their employees' long-term pension benefits in the next two-year state budget, even though the system's investment returns were lagging its benchmark target through March 31. The retirement system, with more than 380,000 active employees and almost 250,000 retirees, has not released its rate of return on investments in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, but those investments were earning a return of 6.3% in the first nine months of the fiscal year - below its benchmark of 7.9% and the annual targeted return of 6.75%.
After Hopewell water plant released raw sewage, state officials outline health, environmental impact
Public officials are advising locals to avoid the James River in Hopewell and Richmond, after a weekend water treatment plant malfunction released raw sewage into the waterway. They also said the region’s recent heavy rains play a part in pollution in the river but don’t expect long-term effects. ... The Department of Environmental Quality is investigating the incident. They visited the facility on Saturday and will be working with the plant to find solutions to ensure another leak won’t happen again.
Hopewell facility fully operational after Friday’s million-gallon sewage spill
A spill that caused more than a million gallons of untreated sewage to affect waterways in Hopewell has been contained. The city of Hopewell released a statement saying that the Hopewell Water Renewal facility on 231 Hummel Ross Road was back to full operational capacity as of Saturday afternoon. Around 11:50 p.m. Friday, HWR experienced a power failure due to faulty wiring, resulting in sewage overflow. HWR staff responded immediately and brought in contractors to restore the affected systems.