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Democratic lieutenant governor candidates discuss taking on Trump, federal cuts
A field of six candidates is competing to be the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia’s June 17 primary election. It’s a job that, at first blush, doesn’t appear to have as many responsibilities as other elected offices. The lieutenant governor is first in the line of succession for the governor, and shall assume the position if the governor is not able to complete his or her job duties, according to the Constitution of Virginia.
Study recommends no change in oversight of Virginia’s juvenile justice agency
Who should oversee Virginia's Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), which is responsible for serving more than 3,000 court-involved youth every day? That was the question at the center of the latest study from the General Assembly's research arm, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC). Currently, DJJ falls under the purview of the public safety secretary, but advocates have argued that transferring DJJ to the health and human resources secretariat would improve access to services since behavioral health is a big focus of the rehabilitative process.
Ahead of schedule, Kalahari welcomes a beaming Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin was technically the keynote speaker for the Kalahari Resorts’ ceremonial “steel beam signing” event Wednesday afternoon, but it was founder and CEO Todd Nelson who delivered an answer to the question many are wondering. When is the $900 million Thornburg indoor waterpark going to open? The answer: Nov. 12, 2026. “We’re ahead of schedule,” Nelson said. “Everything is going really, really quite well.” More than 150 people attended the ceremony held on the 1.38 million-square-foot resort’s future grounds, which will also include a 150,000-square-foot convention center and 900 guest rooms.
Youngkin boasts 150,000-square-foot Kalahari Resort waterpark in Spotsylvania County
Signing a steel beam at the unfinished site of a $900 million indoor waterpark, hotel and convention center in Spotsylvania County, Gov. Glenn Youngkin boasted the upcoming Kalahari Resort as an example of capital investment in Virginia. "I do humbly want to suggest that they did choose the very best state in America to do business," Youngkin said. "... It is tangible proof that when businesses survey, they continue to time and time again choose the commonwealth of Virginia."
Virginia’s federal lawmakers want to make childbirth free
Childbirth can cost thousands of dollars, with certain conditions also posing extra costs for parents-to-be who have private health insurance. New legislation proposed by Virginia’s Capitol Hill lawmakers and their colleagues could prevent cost-sharing for prenatal, childbirth, neonatal, perinatal and postpartum care, keeping families from being saddled with big bills after birth. U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, remembers the stress and fear of dealing with placenta previa, a life-threatening maternal condition, when carrying her second child, Samantha.
Lansdowne Conservancy to appeal Loudoun power line decision
The Lansdowne Conservancy plans to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Virginia over Dominion Energy’s Aspen to Golden 500-230 kV Electric Transmission Project, according to the organization's attorney. Attorney Bryan S. Turner made the announcement during the June 3 meeting of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
From trash to takeoff: Virginia eyes sustainable fuel future for aviation
As President Donald Trump’s administration scales back national climate initiatives, local leaders in the Washington Metropolitan region are stepping up to push for cleaner skies — with jet fuel made from trash, crops and forest waste. At the heart of the push is Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, a biofuel derived from sources like corn grain, municipal solid waste, wet waste, and agricultural residues. Though not yet widely used, SAF is gaining traction thanks to its lower emissions and growing interest from regional policymakers.
Youngkin administration has missed deadline to set AI rules for state police
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration and state Attorney General Jason Miyares are seven months behind a deadline set by the governor to outline standards for Virginia State Police’s use of artificial intelligence. Youngkin signed an executive order in January 2024 implementing AI guidelines for state agencies, including standards “for the ethical use of AI” and a mandatory approval process to use the technology. The order directed Miyares and Terry Cole, Virginia’s public safety and homeland security secretary, to develop rules for AI use “applicable to all executive branch law enforcement agencies and personnel” within nine months. That deadline passed on Oct. 18, 2024, and specific rules for law enforcement are still not in place.
NASA Langley workforce slashed by 40% in Trump budget plan
NASA Langley Research Center will lose funding for several projects and cut its workforce by 672 civil servants under the Trump administration’s proposal to slash about $163 billion in federal spending next fiscal year. The White House budget proposal is a starting point, and ultimately Congress must approve it. But the technical supplement to the proposed budget released Friday includes new details about how the administration would seek to reduce federal spending levels.
Spotsylvania water park to open sooner than expected
In the 16 months since work started on the former Thornburg farmland between U.S. 1 and Interstate 95 the landscape has been gradually morphing into what will eventually be the Kalahari Resorts & Conventions water park. The 135-acre Spotsylvania County site is now a complex with roadways, heavy equipment, cement silos, trailers, along with rising buildings and cranes that dominate the skyline. ... On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the family owners of Kalahari resorts gathered on a stage at the site with a large under-construction building as the backdrop.