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Greene County policy barring staff from speaking to press 'unconstitutional,' experts say
Greene County staff say they have been forbidden from speaking directly to the press about county business. And while county officials — elected and appointed — say there is no formal written policy in place, free speech experts say even an unwritten policy blocking public information is a violation of the First Amendment. Such unwritten policies are not rare, Seth Stern, a First Amendment lawyer and director of advocacy for the New York-based Freedom of the Press Foundation, told The Daily Progress, but that doesn’t make them any less illegal. “These policies are relatively common and, in most cases, unconstitutional,” Stern said via email.
UVA student-led groups urging General Assembly to reject BOV appointee Cuccinelli
Eighteen different student groups at UVA sent a joint letter to every member of the General Assembly on Wednesday, calling for them to block the confirmation of an appointed Board of Visitors member, Ken Cuccinelli. After Gov. Glenn Youngkin fired Bert Ellis from the board, he appointed Cuccinelli, a former Virginia attorney general, to take that spot. Many UVA students were frustrated with the governor's decision, claiming Cuccinelli has previously undermined the safety and security of students across the commonwealth.
Williams: Children at risk: Transforming Virginia’s child welfare system
As Commissioner of Social Services and inspired by Gov. Youngkin’s unwavering commitment to Virginia’s families, I want to speak directly to the challenges and opportunities before us in protecting our commonwealth’s children. Virginia is at a crossroads. Gov. Youngkin has made it clear: the well-being of our children is not just a priority, it is a moral imperative and a measure of our success as a commonwealth. Yet, the data tells us we are falling short. In 2024, the Department of Social Services received nearly 95,000 reports of alleged child abuse and neglect — a 27% increase since 2020. Even more troubling, in 2023, 38 children died as a direct result of abuse or neglect, and in 71% of those cases, there was active or prior child welfare involvement. This is unacceptable and demands urgent, collective action.
State lawmakers chew on possible food safety updates for Virginia in wake of federal cuts
Since taking his post in President Donald Trump’s cabinet, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spearheaded a national movement to “make America healthy again,” including a plan to phase out synthetic dyes from foods, which have been linked to adverse effects in children. Virginia lawmakers also worked on a law to ban synthetic dyes from foods in public schools that Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed this spring. But cuts to the federal agencies responsible for food regulation are alarming, state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, and Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, said on a call Wednesday, and work against the food safety and the public health goals Kennedy has professed.
Virginia consumers remain pessimistic about tariff policy
Virginia consumers don’t know whether to buy now or hold off purchases because of shifting tariff policies and President Donald Trump‘s threats, according to a new survey by Roanoke College. Consumer sentiment continued to fall in Virginia, though not as steeply as nationally, according to the latest quarterly survey that the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research released on Wednesday.
Strawberry season cut short: Virginia farmers face new fungal foe
Late May is normally the heart of strawberry season at Messick’s Farm Market in Bealeton, which for almost a decade has used pick-your-own fields as the main attraction to its annual strawberry festival. But this year, strawberry season has been cut short at farms across the mid-Atlantic. The culprit: An emerging fungal disease called Neopestalotiopsis — better known as Neo-P. “They’re not producing like they normally would. It's pretty concerning,” Jimmy Messick said of his 5 acres of Chandler and Sweet Charlie strawberry plants.
Harrison Tyler, preservationist and grandson of 10th president, dies at 96
Harrison Ruffin Tyler, a successful chemical engineer and preservationist who dedicated half his life to restoring and maintaining the colonial-era home of his grandfather President John Tyler as well as a Civil War fort nearby, died Sunday at 96, according to Annique Dunning, the executive director of Sherwood Forest, a national landmark that served as the residence for Mr. Tyler and his family. The cause of death was not immediately known. Mr. Tyler’s life was intertwined with those of his famous ancestors. His grandfather, the 10th president of the United States, was born in 1790, when George Washington was serving his first term as president, and served himself from 1841 to 1845. Mr. Tyler was also related to President William Henry Harrison, Pocahontas and Edmund Ruffin, a pro-slavery secessionist who fought in the Civil War.
VPAP Visual Measures of Legislator Wealth: 2025
Annual reports filed by members of the Virginia General Assembly are meant to disclose possible conflicts of interest, but they also provide a look at the wealth of elected officials. See how Republican and Democratic legislators compare across four different measures from the latest reports.
From VPAP Sample Ballot for June 17 Elections
Our easy-to-use tool provides a complete list of candidates on Virginia ballots for the June 17 primary elections. Enter your address to see the candidates seeking a party's nomination for statewide office, the Virginia House of Delegates, and local offices, along with your polling location.