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Sparks fly and Trump talk heats up after Virginia primary
Political fireworks erupted across the state after Virginia’s high-stakes Tuesday primaries, with top candidates wasting no time going on offense slamming their opponents, invoking President Donald Trump, and setting the tone for what’s expected to be a bruising general election. Democratic nominee for Attorney General Jay Jones lit the match Tuesday night, telling supporters that Trump is still pulling strings in Virginia politics.
Part 2: Straightforward reporting on protests set a paper apart — and caused problems for its publisher
The group of Danville City Council members, all white and all men, gathered in the municipal building meeting room, with its high ceilings and dark wooden columns and pew-like bench seating. Mayor Julian Stinson, a middle-aged man who wore a suit and had his dark, short hair slicked back, presided over the June 10, 1963, meeting, which began ordinarily enough. The council approved a budget appropriation for a capital improvement project and OK’d the continued operation of city kindergarten classes. It approved another project to acquire property that would allow for the widening of North Ridge Street, and deferred a few other items to a later date.
Styrofoam containers will soon be banned in Virginia
Your food and drink orders in Virginia may start to look a little different. Starting July 1, large food vendors across the state will no longer be allowed to use single-use expanded polystyrene, a plastic foam material commonly referred to by the brand name Styrofoam. That includes plates, cups, bowls, trays and hinged containers. State lawmakers passed the ban four years ago, following the lead of others such as Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C. Implementation was delayed. Gov. Glenn Youngkin tried unsuccessfully to push it further through a proposed budget amendment earlier this year.
Virginia workers rally for heat stress protections
The last thing Jason Parker remembers after working a shift removing compressor bearings for NASA in 90-degree heat is a chill down his spine. "My friend's wife found me lying on the floor of my house, and I have no memory of getting there," the Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council president said at a press conference Wednesday. "That's how insidious this thing is." Parker joined labor and climate change activists on a warm day in Virginia to urge the state to adopt standards for workers at risk of heat stress.
Virginia Democrats coalesce as primary election sets statewide ticket. Will Republicans?
Virginia Democrats solidified their statewide ticket Tuesday, voting for state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi as the nominee for lieutenant governor and former Del. Jay Jones as the nominee for attorney general in the state’s primary elections. Before the lieutenant governor’s primary had been called, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger issued her congratulations, calling Hashmi a “proven leader.” With the stage set for Virginia’s bellwether election, Spanberger, Hashmi and Jones put out a joint statement Wednesday emphasizing their unified campaign. ... That’s a markedly different strategy from Virginia Republicans, who have had a set statewide ticket since April but have thus far been going it alone.
Ohio-based hospital chain with facilities in Virginia said to profiteer from massive charity-care program
Cincinnati-based Bon Secours Mercy Health describes itself as a “ministry” that seeks to serve “the poor, dying and underserved.” However, it’s one of two Ohio “nonprofit” hospital systems to face scrutiny from Congress over the huge amounts it’s raking in from a federal program meant to subsidize care for the poor.
State Sen. Tara Durant announces her intention to run for Congress
State Sen. Tara Durant wants to trade Richmond for Washington. Durant, a Republican from Stafford County, on Wednesday announced her intention to run for Congress. If she were to get the GOP nomination, that would likely set up a contest next year versus Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman in Virginia’s 7th District, which includes the Fredericksburg area. Vindman, who lives in Dale City, won the seat in November in a close — and closely watched — race against Republican Derrick Anderson, who grew up in Spotsylvania County.
UVa alumni clash over President Jim Ryan's record
Over the past month, a conservative alumni group has called for the resignation of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, saying his “politicized and feckless leadership” has “severely damaged UVa's core values and reputation.” As it stands, Ryan, who arrived in Charlottesville in August 2018, has a contract that does not expire until July 31, 2028. The Jefferson Council, however, believes the state’s flagship university is in crisis now due to "seven critical leadership failures," ...
Kaine confronts Defense secretary over post names
Saying the names "should never have been changed in the first place," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump Administration's decision to restore the original names of Army posts, mostly in the South, that were changed from memorializing Confederate heroes to reflect diversity in the military. During a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting Wednesday, June 18, Hegseth and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, had a tense exchange as Kaine – an opponent of the reversion – accused Hegseth of not caring about erasing the legacies of the people whose names were on Forts Gregg-Adams, Barfoot and Walker from the history annals.
Haro-Perez: Abortion access in Virginia depends on the coming months
Virginia may feel like a safe haven for abortion access — but let’s be clear: Safe doesn’t mean secure. In the almost three years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Virginia has become a critical access point for people across the South seeking abortion care. We’ve seen the largest increase in abortions of any state post-Dobbs, not because people are suddenly having more abortions, but because we’re one of the last states in the region where it remains legal. But that reality is hanging by a thread.