Search
National Democrats to send $1.5 million for Virginia races
The Democratic National Committee is pledging $1.5 million to the party in Virginia to boost Democratic candidates in elections this year — from races for statewide offices to every seat in the House of Delegates. The national committee called the pledge “one of the largest and earliest initial investments the DNC has ever made to the Virginia Democratic Coordinated Campaign in an off-year election cycle.”
New recovery programs in Southwest Virginia will help mothers stay with their children during addiction treatment
Two new residential addiction treatment facilities for pregnant and parenting women are coming to Southwest Virginia, addressing a critical gap in care in a region hard-hit by the opioid crisis. Strong Futures, which will be located in Norton, and Four Truths, in Roanoke, received funding from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to launch and expand residential treatment options that allow women to keep their children with them in the facility while they go through treatment for substance use disorder.
JLARC says some school districts are incorrectly citing a 2022 law when removing books from libraries
The Joint Legislative and Audit Review Commission (JLARC) presented a report to members of the General Assembly on Monday about books that are being removed from school libraries across Virginia. The report found that school divisions have the authority to select and remove books from libraries, but some are misinterpreting a 2022 law to justify removing titles. The state has no authority over which books school libraries carry, and current law offers no guidance to divisions on how to manage library collections, according to JLARC. The Board of Education requires each school to maintain a library with materials that support instruction, research, inquiry and general student interest.
Arlington unemployment rate reaches highest point since the pandemic
Arlington’s unemployment rate has risen to its highest point in nearly four years. A total of 5,061 Arlington residents were counted as seeking jobs in May, according to new figures from the Virginia Employment Commission. That’s the highest total since the 5,523 recorded in July 2021, when the nation was still in the grip of Covid.
Report: Virginia school divisions incorrectly cited state law in book removals
Virginia school divisions are removing books from library shelves with minimal state guidance — in some cases, while incorrectly citing state law — according to a report issued by the General Assembly’s research arm Monday. Thirty-two school districts removed 223 books from libraries a combined 344 times between July 2020 and March 2025, according to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission report. While 72% of school divisions responded, representing about 84% of Virginia’s K-12 students, the report and its presentation noted a number of inconsistencies across the state due to a lack of state guidance.
Virginia unemployment claims continue to pace ahead of last year
Unemployment claims are up 33% compared to this time last year, according to the latest numbers from Virginia's workforce development agency. Terry Clower at George Mason University says the Virginia economy is about to come to a fork in the road. "And then we have this what most of us are thinking will be a surge of new claims come in the fall as those folks who chose to take the early retirement or the separation packages," Clower says.
As international threats mount, Norfolk’s NATO commands play a key role
NATO’s footprint in Hampton Roads is expected to expand in the coming years, despite President Donald Trump’s criticism of member nations' military spending levels. The two major NATO commands in Norfolk – Supreme Allied Commander Transformation and the more recently established Joint Force Command – have played a key role in bolstering the alliance’s strength against Russian aggression. The Joint Force Command in Norfolk, established in 2019, has grown from 100 to 250 personnel this year and could double its force tomorrow if its building at the Norfolk Naval Station had the space, Vice Adm. James Morley told VCIJ.
Greene County staff permitted to speak to press after pushback from First Amendment groups
Greene County leaders now say staff are free to talk to the press after multiple county employees said they were previously gagged under county "policy." Those leaders, who have denied there ever was such a policy, were prompted to speak after First Amendment lawyers and advocates sent a letter to the county supervisors last month demanding they rescind the policy. "It remains a mystery how Greene County employees came to believe they were strictly prohibited from speaking to the press if no such thing was ever communicated to them,” Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the New York-based Freedom of the Press Foundation and one of the letter's signatories, told The Daily Progress in an email.
Leffel: When it comes to crypto, Virginia needs CLARITY
Virginia has been a quiet leader in the blockchain and cryptocurrency revolution. From Shenandoah Valley vineyards using blockchain for weather tracking to family owned farms in Highland County accepting crypto to coworking clubs like mine in downtown Richmond selling memberships via Bitcoin, there are many local innovative businesses using this multipurpose technology. However, the legal clarity that would allow these local businesses to thrive has not always been there. Despite legislative efforts in the past, there are still questions on how to classify or separate these businesses and use cases.
FBI mum, but all signs point toward exit of well-regarded Richmond FBI executive
The FBI won’t say it, but others will: Stanley Meador, who headed up the Richmond FBI operations for four years, appears to have been quietly sidelined from his prominent position as top cop of the bureau’s Richmond field office. ... other signs confirm an exit that was first reported by The New York Times in June. The New York Times credited anonymous sources, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch has not been able to independently confirm their report. Meador is said to have upset conservatives with a 2023 memo issued by the Richmond field office. The so-called “Richmond Memo” discussed the threat of domestic terrorism from “radical-traditionalist” Catholics and was inspired by a case investigated in Henrico County.