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Youngkin vetoed bill to make Black history classes count toward graduation. What’s next?
A Northern Virginia faith leader and parent said she will continue asking state lawmakers to make two African-American history courses count toward the state’s graduation requirements for history, after the governor — who vetoed the measure and whose four-year term is sunsetting — leaves office. Pastor Michelle Thomas, president of the NAACP Loudoun Branch, and Robin Reaves Burke of the Loudoun Freedom Center proposed the concept to state Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, shortly after the commonwealth added African American History and AP African American Studies to the list of courses permitted to be taught in public high schools.
UVa vowed to crack down on criminal students after Yeardley Love’s murder. Did it?
Nearly 15 years ago, after one student-athlete beat another one to death, the University of Virginia intensified its reporting process for students to divulge their arrests and convictions. Had UVa administrators known that lacrosse player George Huguely V had a prior conviction for attacking a police officer, they might have intervened. ... But three more lives would be lost to violence in 2022, when another UVa student with an undisclosed criminal conviction shot five schoolmates.
Treacy, Agee, Martin and Stottlemyer: Is college worth it? Virginians certainly think so
People seem to disagree passionately about everything these days. But we found a big exception. In a newly released public opinion survey conducted for the Virginia Business Higher Education Council — a nonprofit, nonpartisan partnership that it’s our privilege to lead — more than 90% of Virginians agreed on this: “The most important investment our state can make is to ensure that every Virginia resident is able to achieve the highest level of education that suits their aspirations and abilities, whether that is a skilled trade certificate, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or a graduate or professional degree.”
Ennen: Virginia’s new textbook law leaves costs unaddressed
Textbooks weigh heavily on the wallet as much as the backpack, but they will soon become harder for K-12 schools to avoid. A newly signed law, House Bill 2777, requires Virginia schools to base their curriculum around state-approved textbook materials. If all goes as planned, this law will bring about consistent class pacing and make lessons easier to follow. However, it presents a fuzzy financial issue for school districts: the price tag that must be addressed soon. The law will take effect July 2026, leaving only a year for school boards to generate the necessary funds.
Regional library near Richmond undergoing big changes
The Pamunkey Regional Library system north of Richmond will serve only two counties come July. The regional library had been a stable community pillar since the 1940s. For decades, the regional library lent books to people in the counties of Hanover, Goochland, King William and King and Queen. As of July 1, only Hanover and Goochland will remain. The cooperation ended in 2023 when King and Queen County told the others it wanted to leave the library system for financial reasons. King William eventually followed suit in the aftermath.
Wittman and McClain: Congress steps up to protect children online
As a mother and a grandfather, we care deeply about the online safety of America’s children. Advancements in artificial intelligence hold immense potential, but sadly, children are being irreparably harmed online by deepfake exploitation with little to no legal consequences. Our nation has been addressing bullying for years now. But sharing deepfakes and exploiting nonconsensual intimate imagery goes far beyond bullying. This is criminal behavior that demands swift and decisive action. As the digital world constantly evolves, our laws must, too.
Legnini: That ‘big, beautiful bill’ will devastate Va. families
The U.S. Senate will soon vote on a bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives, which will determine the fate of programs that provide access to medical care and food to millions of Virginia households otherwise unable to afford them. The proposed bill is an outright attack on people in poverty, via cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.
Trump pardons former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking $75K in bribes
President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he will pardon a former Virginia sheriff convicted of taking more than $75,000 in bribes in exchange for appointing businessmen as auxiliary deputy sheriffs within his department. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Scott Howard Jenkins, 53, of Culpeper, Virginia, was supposed to report to jail Tuesday but "instead will have a wonderful and productive life." Jenkins, the former sheriff of Culpeper County, was convicted last year of one count of conspiracy, four counts of honest services fraud, and seven counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. He was sentenced in March to 10 years in prison.
National parks face ‘cloud of uncertainty’ in face of cuts
Visitors to Shenandoah National Park over the Memorial Day weekend could not use the parking area for Old Rag Mountain in Madison County because of damage from flash flooding after recent heavy rains. Entering the holiday weekend, three trails remained closed to hikers temporarily and three other trails and parking areas reopened just in time on Thursday. Those closures were casualties of nature, but keeping trails open for hikers also requires people. In Shenandoah, just two employees of the National Park Service have the task of overseeing 500 miles of trails in the 198,000-acre park straddling the Blue Ridge Mountains and parts of eight counties, said Jim Schaberl, a Page County resident who retired early last year after 35 years in the National Park Service ...
Youngkin honors fallen heroes, calls for renewed commitment to patriotism during Memorial Day address
Governor Glenn Youngkin emphasized the sacrifices of service members who defended freedom during the 2025 Commonwealth's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond. In his 17-minute address, Youngkin spoke directly to families who have lost loved ones in service to the country.