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Williams: The J6 shame to fame tour – next stop, Monument Avenue?
Given historical precedent, it’s not beyond the realm that a monument to the Jan. 6 insurrectionists would be built near the White House in the former Black Lives Matter Plaza. The individuals who sought to overturn a presidential election are on a journey from ignominy to unearned redemption since President Donald Trump returned to power and gifted them with a mass pardon. The headline of a recent story in The Washington Post says it all: “They stormed the Capitol. Now they’re selling merch.”
Yancey: How Spain’s electrical blackout could factor into Virginia elections this fall
At 12:33 p.m. on April 28, something happened in Spain that you’ll likely hear about in Virginia this fall. The electric grid across Spain — and then Portugal and a small part of France — suddenly shut down. The details of what happened are not in dispute: Some strange oscillations in the power grid began at 12:03 p.m., went away, then came back, then went away again. At 12:32:57, to be precise, the power supply suddenly started dropping. Just 27 seconds later, at 12:33:24, the grid collapsed and two counties (and part of a third) were blacked out. It took until 4 p.m. before power was restored.
New mayor, same old City Hall? A little patience, RVA
Don’t give up on RVA — not yet. Granted, this new administration isn’t making things any easier. Mayor Danny Avula’s first budget was a bungled mess, and despite the managerial acumen, his political instincts are clearly lacking (seriously, who sends their highest-paid employees to argue for pay raises?). . . . Toss in the sudden dismissal of the very person hired to root out that fraud, waste and abuse — James Osuna, the now-former inspector general whom City Council dismissed Monday with no explanation — and it’s tempting to unfurl those little white flags. But not yet. Give this City Hall, and Avula, a little more time.
Charlottesville names new city attorney — a year after the last one was put on leave
Charlottesville is set to once again have a city attorney after a little more than a year of the office sitting empty — a vacancy that has been shrouded in mystery. Jacob Stroman, the former city attorney was placed on leave in April of last year after an undisclosed complaint was lodged against him. Although an investigation into the matter cleared him of wrongdoing, Stroman nevertheless decided to retire in September.
It’s past time to prohibit personal enrichment by office holders
So many Americans seem to reflexively believe their elected officials are corrupt — at least two-thirds of adults, according to a recent poll by YouGov — it sometimes seems as if such suspicions are a requirement of citizenship. It certainly doesn’t help, though, when the president and lawmakers do less and less to avoid the appearance of wrongdoing or commit acts that, by any reasonable standard, defy the responsibilities of holding elected office. One of the most egregious examples of potential corruption lately is President Donald Trump’s direct involvement in peddling a meme coin called $Trump.
Virginia revenues still strong, with warning signs ahead
Virginia remains more than $200 million ahead of its forecast for tax revenues to meet its budget obligations with two months left in the fiscal year, but state policymakers remain concerned over the potential economic fallout from shifting federal government policies on spending and tariffs. State tax collections through April were $1.5 billion ahead of the same 10-month period a year ago, but the margin shrank to $211.1 million when compared to the revenue projections that Gov. Glenn Youngkin used to assemble a revised two-year budget that he introduced in December and signed earlier this month.
Logistics company laying off more than 50 people at Richmond warehouse
A logistics company is cutting dozens of jobs at one of its two local warehouses. Saddle Creek Logistics Services is planning to lay off 54 employees at its facility at 4701 Commerce Road, according to state records. The Florida-based firm, which offers fulfillment, warehousing and transportation services, operates two local sites – one is the 460,000-square-foot warehouse on Commerce Road in South Richmond and the other is a 43,000-square-foot facility at 540 HP Way in Chester.
Virginia Coal Country Courts New Business With Old Mining Money
When Clyde Stacy bought the Bristol Mall in 2018, both the mall and the surrounding coal country of Southwest Virginia were in trouble. The mall, once the marquee shopping destination in the region, had become vacant, weeds punching up through its parking lot. And the city of Bristol, the self-described birthplace of country music, was buckling under the weight of more than $100 million in debt, forcing budget cuts to its schools. Nearby, mining counties across Virginia’s slice of Appalachia were reeling after decades of job loss. Mr. Stacy and his friend Jim McGlothlin, both former coal magnates, seized on what they called a “moonshot” solution: turning the mall into a casino, in a state where gambling was not yet legal.
Data Centers’ Hunger for Energy Could Raise All Electric Bills
Individuals and small business have been paying more for power in recent years, and their electricity rates may climb higher still. That’s because the cost of the power plants, transmission lines and other equipment that utilities need to serve data centers, factories and other large users of electricity is likely to be spread to everybody who uses electricity, according to a new report. The report by Wood MacKenzie, an energy research firm, examined 20 large power users. In almost all of those cases, the firm found, the money that large energy users paid to electric utilities would not be enough to cover the cost of the equipment needed to serve them. The rest of the costs would be borne by other utility customers or the utility itself.
State Sen. Favola receiving treatment for uterine cancer
State Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, announced Monday that she has been diagnosed with uterine cancer and underwent a hysterectomy on Friday. "The operation was successful and my care team at Virginia Hospital Center was wonderful," Favola said. Favola said a series of chemotherapy treatments is likely to follow, but she expects to continue her Senate duties between these sessions.