Search
VPM school initiative ’on pause’ as Trump targets public media
A hands-on initiative for Richmond and Petersburg public preschool students is on the local front line of President Donald Trump's multiple-front national assault on public broadcasting. VPM Media Corp., a Richmond-based nonprofit that provides public television and radio for two million people in a wide swath of Virginia, recently learned that the U.S. Department of Education had terminated a $23 million national grant to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for "Ready to Learn," a 30-year-old initiative that produces a variety of educational programming for PBS Kids.
Third prison employee sentenced for FCI Petersburg death in custody
A third employee with the Bureau of Prisons was sentenced Thursday for making false statements to federal investigators who were reviewing the death in custody of Wade Walters. Walters was a federal prisoner at FCI Petersburg who died in a suicide watch cell in 2021. He was serving a 25-year sentence stemming from a child porn and sexual exploitation case. Tonya Farley was a nurse at the prison. She was on duty the day before Walters died.
Feds renege on deal to give Federal Executive Institute to Charlottesville Schools
Less than two weeks after the deal was struck, the U.S. Department of Education has reneged on its promise to bequeath the Trump-shuttered Federal Executive Institute to the Charlottesville school division. Instead, the agency has recommended the property be given to the University of Virginia. Both Charlottesville City Schools and UVa expressed shock Friday over the “completely unexpected” development. “The rescinding of this opportunity is an enormous setback to our City and to our students,” Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders and Schools Superintendent Royal Gurley said in a statement announcing the news of the reversal at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
VCU withholding degrees of three pro-Palestine student protesters
Virginia Commonwealth University is withholding the degrees of three students who helped organize a gathering in support of Palestine on campus last month that ended in a student’s arrest. The three students [were] able to participate in graduation events [this past] weekend, but the university will not officially confer their degrees until it has resolved the disciplinary process.
Meet the six Democrats running for Va. lieutenant governor
Six Democrats are competing for the party's nomination for lieutenant governor to join gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger on the Democratic ticket this fall. The crowded field in the June 17 primary features two state senators, a school board chairman, a former mayor, a former federal prosecutor and a longtime labor leader. Virginia's lieutenant governor has two constitutionally mandated duties — presiding over the state Senate and being first in the line of succession to governor. The lieutenant governor breaks ties on most issues in the Senate, where Democrats hold a 21-19 edge.
Youngkin to UVA Wise grads: Find purpose
Almost 300 UVA Wise students marched Saturday to receive bachelor’s and master’s degrees and Army commissions. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin avoided mentioning policy or national politics as he gave the commencement keynote address to the college’s class of 2025. Saturday’s graduates included approximately 270 bachelor’s candidates, 24 master’s recipients and nine Army ROTC cadets receiving commissions as second lieutenants Saturday or later in the summer.
From VPAP New Episode: The Virginia Press Room Podcast
In the latest episode of the podcast from VaNews and VPM, Michael Pope is joined by Kate Seltzer of The Virginian-Pilot, Greg Schneider of The Washington Post, and Dean Mirshahi of VPM News. They discuss the week's top headlines: Virginia Beach Republican Party Chair ousted amidst turmoil, state officials and the Nansemond Indian Nation trade accusations of Medicaid fraud, and cuts to AmeriCorps end community service grants. Tune in for insights and analysis on Virginia politics. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
State Democrats start to pick sides early in race to choose Rep. Connolly’s successor
Voters won’t cast their ballots in the Democratic primary election for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District for another year, but that hasn’t stopped early candidates from sprinting out of the gates. Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, who was the first Democrat to enter the race to replace retiring Rep. Gerry Connolly, has already garnered support from the incumbent congressman and former 10th Congressional District representative Jennifer Wexton. But three new endorsements come from the Virginia General Assembly — the “backyard” of rival state Sen. Stella Pekarsky, who also announced her candidacy this week.
Virginia governor’s rights restoration authority debated at federal appeals court
Virginia’s system of voting rights restoration gives the governor sole discretion to choose when to restore a former felon’s rights… or not. An effort to nix that authority was shot down in a Richmond federal court last year, but voting rights advocates returned to Richmond Friday to appeal. Critics point to Governor Glenn Youngkin replacing an automatic rights restoration system embraced by previous Democratic governors with a more rigid “responsible citizen” test which has led to a decrease in re-enfranchisement.
Their school can censor the student press. These Alexandria teens are trying to change that.
It was past midnight and James Libresco, 17, had not yet started his homework. Instead, the Alexandria City High School senior spent his evening fielding questions about a campaign to give student journalists such as himself more independence to do their work. “Please continue putting the pressure on,” Libresco said on a call with more than 40 attendees. “It’s great, but we need to keep building. We can’t let up.” Libresco is co-editor of Theogony, the high school’s newspaper, where he and fellow student journalists have been lobbying the school board to change a policy that allows their principal to review and edit stories before publication.