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Yancey: How George Washington paved the way for the first American pope
When Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was announced as Pope Leo XIV, people went racing to find some connection to the first American pope. Chicago White Sox supporters found a fellow fan; photos have turned up showing the future pope at a World Series game in 2005. Villanova grads found one of the most impressive alumni notes of all time; some students in the 1970s shared classes with the math major who went on to become pope. There’s no clear Virginia connection that we know of, except for a philosophical and constitutional one: It was Virginians in the 1700s who embraced what was then the radical concept of religious liberty, which allowed the Catholic faith to flourish in a place that once banned its practice.
VCU withholds degrees of several students over Pro-Palestinian gathering
Several Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) students [participated] in commencement ceremonies but with degrees currently withheld pending an investigation. “I think these policy violations shouldn’t have happened in the first place, they shouldn’t have been given out to us,” said Sereen Haddad, a senior at VCU. According to VCU officials, the matter pertains to a gathering on the lawn of the Cabell Library on April 29, 2025 where about 40 students were gathered.
Feds undo Federal Executive Institute decision in Charlottesville
Just over a week after it awarded the former Federal Executive Institute campus to Charlottesville City Schools, the US Department of Education has reversed course and announced that it will instead transfer the property to the University of Virginia. In a letter sent Friday to CCS Superintendent Royal Gurley, USED management analyst Barbara L. Shawyer wrote the department believes “that UVA will meet Presidential Executive Orders and that the University best meets the Secretary’s priorities for property reuse.” It was not immediately clear what US Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s “priorities for property reuse” are.
U.S. Department of Education reverses course, awards Federal Executive Institute to U.Va.
The U.S. Department of Education reversed course, passing off the now-shuttered Federal Executive Institute to the University Friday. The Department previously awarded the institute to Charlottesville City Schools. In a statement to The Cavalier Daily, University Spokesperson Bethanie Glover said that the decision was “completely unexpected,” and that they received the notice Friday. “We are currently reviewing it and seeking additional information,” Glover said.
Virginia unemployment claims rise amid federal layoffs
A recent spike in Virginia unemployment claims can likely be traced to sweeping federal layoffs under the second Trump administration. For the week ending May 3, the number of individuals filing initial claims for unemployment was 2,720, according to a Thursday news release from the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement, which is also known as Virginia Works. That’s an 8.1% increase in claims over the previous week and an 8.9% increase over a comparable week in 2024.
Virginia overhauls SOL testing to boost student achievement
In a rare moment of bipartisan agreement on education policy, Virginia leaders have enacted sweeping changes to the state’s K-12 testing system, aiming to raise student performance and make the Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments more meaningful. Despite ongoing political clashes over broader education policy, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and state lawmakers united earlier this month behind a plan they hope will strengthen student outcomes.
Curran announces write-in bid for lieutenant governor
John Curran, who did not qualify for the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, announced Monday that he is launching a write-in campaign for the general election in November. "My decision is not to split the ticket but to save it," Curran said in a statement, apparently referring to the controversy over John Reid, the party's nominee for lieutenant governor. He added: "This decision is not about my opponent being gay."
Virginia Lt. Gov. race: Republican John Curran announces write-in campaign
John Curran, a business consultant from James City County, announced Monday that he intends to reenter Virginia’s lieutenant governor race as a write-in candidate. Curran initially ran for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor but did not turn in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot ahead of the April deadline. He alleges he had gathered 10,000 signatures but many of them were stolen by a former campaign staffer, a matter he says Virginia State Police are investigating. “I know that write-ins are historically a long shot,” he said.
Virginia House Speaker Scott joins national Democratic campaign board
Virginia House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, is joining the board of directors of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), the national party’s state-level strategy arm, just as Virginia enters one of its most consequential election years in recent memory. The DLCC will draw on Scott’s experience — alongside that of six other new board members from around the country — to help shape its plans to support state legislative races this year and beyond.
Citizens Warn of Data Center Impacts in Rural Virginia
What started as a community conversation quickly turned into a passionate call to action. On Saturday afternoon, May 10th, Warren County residents met at the Warren County Community Center to hear firsthand how data centers—the massive, windowless facilities that power cloud computing and artificial intelligence—are reshaping rural Virginia. For many in the room, it was the first time they had heard the full scope of the issue.