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Shushok: In Virginia, private colleges are the new front line for access
This summer marks three years since I became president of Roanoke College. When I arrived in 2022 after 30 years serving at large research universities, including nearby Virginia Tech, I brought what some on campus jokingly (and not-so-subtly) called “big school energy.” I had a lot to learn about leading a small private college. ... Over the past two decades, many public land-grant universities in the U.S., including our own Virginia Tech, have boomed in popularity, prestige, resources and selectivity. At the same time, Virginia’s independent, nonprofit colleges and universities, like Roanoke College, have stepped up to become the front line for college access — a striking role reversal in the higher education ecosystem.
Norfolk firefighter who lost his job over medical marijuana use challenges firing after change in Virginia law
For as long as he can remember, Brandon Beltaine wanted to be a firefighter. He grew up watching the 1991 film “Backdraft” and took pride in people who worked hard. ... Beltaine attained that dream, completing the fire academy and started working as a Norfolk firefighter in 2018. But Beltaine’s career is now in jeopardy. He was fired in 2023 for medical marijuana use off the job — a dismissal that would now be illegal under changes made to Virginia law last year.
After Jamestown lost federal funding, Virginia grants millions to protect against rising waters
Despite losing some federal funding, Jamestown will potentially receive even larger support from the state. President Trump’s administration recently rescinded a $300,000 grant awarded to Preservation Virginia last summer for its efforts to protect Historic Jamestowne from the effects of climate change. But now, the group stands to get $8 million from the state toward flooding mitigation at the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. All it should take now is a little bit of housekeeping among the state, James City County and Preservation Virginia.
Earle-Sears’ silence on Medicaid cuts ‘speaks volumes,’ Charlottesville Dems say
The Trump-endorsed One Big Beautiful Bill approved by House lawmakers late last month would slash $600 billion from Medicaid and threatens to strip health insurance from hundreds of thousands of Virginia’s poorest residents — and Winsome Earle-Sears isn’t talking. The Republican lieutenant governor running for governor has kept mum about the GOP budget bill which has moved to the Senate for consideration. Her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, has denounced the bill as a threat to rural hospitals, small businesses and working families. But Earle-Sears’ campaign has declined multiple interview requests on the subject from multiple news outlets, and the campaign did not immediately respond to a Daily Progress inquiry.
From VPAP Now Live: PACs’ Pre-Primary Campaign Finance Reports
VPAP has posted pre-primary disclosures from Virginia PACs. See which state PACs have raised the most money and have the most cash on hand for the covered time period. If you are interested in a specific committee, you can drill down for a sortable list of donations reported from April 1 to May 25.
Rep. Jennifer McClellan warns of harm from Medicaid cuts
The US Senate is set to take up a budget bill that’s become the legislative focus of President Donald Trump’s agenda this week after Congress returns from a Memorial Day recess. Before leaving, the US House of Representatives voted 215–214 to pass its version of a tax and spending bill. The legislation put restrictions on who will be eligible for Medicaid coverage. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D–4th) voted against the bill. She said it would put a heavy burden on some of the most vulnerable people in the state.
Kaine, Warner condemn closure of Old Dominion Job Corps Center
Virginia’s two Democratic senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released a joint statement Friday blasting the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to shut down contractor-run Job Corps centers across the country, including the Old Dominion Job Corps in Amherst County. The decision will “abruptly eliminate crucial job training for thousands of young Americans and cut nearly 13,000 jobs across the program’s 99 centers,” the senators’ news release condemning the measure said.
Subramanyam Relaunches Federal Agritourism Caucus
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA-10) and farmers from around the region celebrated the reformation of the Congressional Agritourism Caucus at Great Country Farms in Bluemont on Thursday afternoon. Subramanyam also discussed his introduction of the AGRITOURISM Act and addressed a variety of problems that farmers in Loudoun and surrounding counties said they are facing. ... “I basically want champions on Capitol Hill to come together for agritourism and evangelize it in Congress,” he said.
Rep. Subramanyam launches congressional Agritourism Caucus at Loudoun County event
Against the backdrop of a small pond, with geese fluttering and lawn mowers humming nearby, Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va.-10th District, held up a white paper packet. The document, a newly-minted agritourism resource manual from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is set to serve as a guiding reference for Subramanyam’s Agritourism Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he is set to co-chair alongside Rep. David Rouzer, R-N.C.
List of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ removed from US government website following criticism
A widely anticipated list of “ sanctuary jurisdictions” no longer appears on the Department of Homeland Security’s website after receiving widespread criticism for including localities that have actively supported the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration policies. The department last week published the list of the jurisdictions. It said each one would receive formal notification the government deemed them uncooperative with federal immigration enforcement and whether they’re believed to be in violation of any federal criminal statutes.