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Youngkin signs law expanding school transportation options
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was in Botetourt County Thursday, to sign a bill into law. The signing okays a pilot program allowing small school divisions to use forms of student transportation other than buses, such as passenger vans. This comes during a shortage of CDL-trained bus drivers.
Kaine: Attacking Iran needs congressional approval
From the start of his time in the U.S. Senate, Tim Kaine has tried to convince presidents that it’s up to Congress to declare war. Now, he’s trying again, hoping to remind President Donald Trump that he needs to go to Congress before attacking Iran. Before last week’s attack, Kaine filed a resolution saying “Congress hereby directs the President to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran or any part of its government or military, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran.”
Warner demands cost analysis for HUD move to Alexandria, concerned about displaced National Science Foundation
Senator Mark Warner is demanding a full cost-benefit analysis of the federal government’s decision to relocate the Department of Housing and Urban Development to Alexandria, expressing skepticism about claimed taxpayer savings and concern for displaced National Science Foundation employees. The Virginia Democrat, speaking during a media availability Thursday (June 26), said he has not seen any cost evaluation for the move that will displace approximately 1,800 NSF employees from their headquarters at 2415 Eisenhower Ave.
Editor-in-chief position eliminated for The Virginian-Pilot, Daily Press
Virginia Media recently changed the leadership of its newsroom operations. Tribune Publishing, owned by Alden Global Capital since 2021, eliminated the editor-in-chief position held by Kris Worrell since August 2019. As executive editor, she oversaw The Virginian-Pilot, Daily Press, The Virginia Gazette and Tidewater Review and was dedicated to serving readers and the communities with engaging, informative and meaningful stories.
Trump Justice Department Pressuring University of Virginia President to Resign
The Trump administration has privately demanded that the University of Virginia oust its president to help resolve a Justice Department investigation into the school’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, according to three people briefed on the matter. The extraordinary condition the Justice Department has put on the school demonstrates that President Trump’s bid to shift the ideological tilt of the higher education system, which he views as hostile to conservatives, is more far-reaching than previously understood.
Spanberger pushes back against Mamdani comparisons
Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee in Virginia’s gubernatorial race, pushed back against attacks from the state GOP linking her to Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s probable Democratic candidate for mayor. “That’s a pretty ridiculous linkage, but I’ll say that I don’t begin to pretend like I know anything about New York politics,” Spanberger told reporters after a full day stumping in northern Virginia on Thursday. “Because I’m a Virginian and I’m focused on Virginia, and so I’ve been traveling across the commonwealth talking to voters about the issues that matter.”
A guide to the Democratic primary in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District
If you were already tired of elections in Virginia, buckle up: There is a set of special primaries this week to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D). Connolly’s death in May after his esophageal cancer returned has opened up a deep-blue seat representing much of Fairfax County — and unleashed a crowded, high-velocity set of primaries on both sides of the aisle, with 10 Democrats and seven Republicans seeking their respective party’s nomination in just a matter of weeks. The Democrats’ race will test voters’ appetite for breaking from the establishment at a time when their party is caught in a tailspin over questions of age and experience.
VCU lobbying for additional state support for military tuition waivers
Virginia Commonwealth University is continuing to lobby for more state funding to help pay for the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program as more students are expected to enroll in the tuition waiver program for qualifying veteran dependents and spouses this fall. VCU officials said during Wednesday’s board of visitors meeting that they expect around 1,500 students to enroll in the program for the upcoming fall semester, up from 1,006 students in the 2023–24 school year. This reflects a statewide trend of continued program growth, according to Lee Andes, finance director with the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. He said that’s likely due to a number of factors, including increased program awareness.
Same-sex marriage in Virginia would be banned without Obergefell
Virginia is one of 32 states where same-sex marriage would immediately be banned if the Supreme Court overturned the federal ruling that legalized it a decade ago. The state is in the middle of a multiyear process to repeal its own ban through a constitutional amendment. If passed, it would cement marriage equality in Virginia regardless of future Supreme Court decisions. Obergefell v. Hodges, the federal ruling that makes Virginia's constitutional ban unenforceable, marked its 10-year anniversary Thursday. But access to marriage equality faces increasing opposition.
Friday Read Hampton Roads citizen scientist makes ‘significant’ astronomical find
Most people might not seek out an empty soccer field in the dead of night, but that’s often where you can find Van Ruckman, a James City County resident who made a significant astronomical discovery earlier this year. Ruckman, 78, lives in Kingsmill on the James and contributes to a global network of citizen scientists who provide near-continuous monitoring of outer space. In January, Ruckman made a remarkable discovery on Kingsmill’s soccer field when he observed a distant asteroid and its moon, a feat that electrified the worldwide astronomical community.