Search
In Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races, Democrats reprise a 2018 roadmap for opposing Trump 2.0
Abigail Spanberger opened her general election bid for Virginia governor Wednesday using her high school alma mater near Richmond. “I grew up walking the halls of Tucker High School,” the former congresswoman says as she walks past a bank of lockers in her first ad since securing the Democratic nomination. Later, she notes her experience as a CIA case officer, then in the halls of Congress as a tough-minded, get-things-done lawmaker. The same kind of message is echoing in New Jersey from Rep. Mikie Sherrill, as she also makes a bid for governor. Both women are selling themselves as Democrats who can rise above the rancor of Donald Trump’s Washington.
Part 2: Straightforward reporting on protests set a paper apart — and caused problems for its publisher
The group of Danville City Council members, all white and all men, gathered in the municipal building meeting room, with its high ceilings and dark wooden columns and pew-like bench seating. Mayor Julian Stinson, a middle-aged man who wore a suit and had his dark, short hair slicked back, presided over the June 10, 1963, meeting, which began ordinarily enough. The council approved a budget appropriation for a capital improvement project and OK’d the continued operation of city kindergarten classes. It approved another project to acquire property that would allow for the widening of North Ridge Street, and deferred a few other items to a later date.
Youngkin administration touts Virginia economy as Senate Democrats, GOP spar over ‘Big, Beautiful’ budget cuts
Members of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration offered an optimistic view of the commonwealth’s finances Wednesday morning, but senators from both parties disputed what future cuts could lead to next year. Youngkin’s Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings told the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday [that] Virginia collected over $1.5 billion in additional revenues last month, a sign that the Commonwealth’s economy remains healthy. ... But Democratic Senator Barbara Favola expressed concerns about how state revenues could be impacted once President Donald Trump’s budget bill gets passed and cuts to assistance programs kick in.
Democrats, including Va. senators, raise war powers concerns as Trump mulls Iran strike
Senate Democrats are increasingly concerned that President Donald Trump is considering striking Iran without seeking authorization from Congress — or even filling them in on his plans. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) is mounting a last-ditch push to force a vote as soon as next week to restrain Trump from attacking Iran without Congress’s approval. Other Senate Democrats say the White House has not briefed them on its plans for a potential strike. And some are warning that the situation reminds them of President George W. Bush’s push to invade Iraq more than two decades ago. “If this president wants to completely ignore the intelligence community, we are playing [on] dangerous ground,” Sen. Mark R. Warner (Virginia), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told reporters. “This is exactly the way we got ourselves into Iraq.”
Styrofoam containers will soon be banned in Virginia
Your food and drink orders in Virginia may start to look a little different. Starting July 1, large food vendors across the state will no longer be allowed to use single-use expanded polystyrene, a plastic foam material commonly referred to by the brand name Styrofoam. That includes plates, cups, bowls, trays and hinged containers. State lawmakers passed the ban four years ago, following the lead of others such as Maryland, New York and Washington, D.C. Implementation was delayed. Gov. Glenn Youngkin tried unsuccessfully to push it further through a proposed budget amendment earlier this year.
Virginia workers rally for heat stress protections
The last thing Jason Parker remembers after working a shift removing compressor bearings for NASA in 90-degree heat is a chill down his spine. "My friend's wife found me lying on the floor of my house, and I have no memory of getting there," the Virginia State Building & Construction Trades Council president said at a press conference Wednesday. "That's how insidious this thing is." Parker joined labor and climate change activists on a warm day in Virginia to urge the state to adopt standards for workers at risk of heat stress.
Virginia Democrats coalesce as primary election sets statewide ticket. Will Republicans?
Virginia Democrats solidified their statewide ticket Tuesday, voting for state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi as the nominee for lieutenant governor and former Del. Jay Jones as the nominee for attorney general in the state’s primary elections. Before the lieutenant governor’s primary had been called, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger issued her congratulations, calling Hashmi a “proven leader.” With the stage set for Virginia’s bellwether election, Spanberger, Hashmi and Jones put out a joint statement Wednesday emphasizing their unified campaign. ... That’s a markedly different strategy from Virginia Republicans, who have had a set statewide ticket since April but have thus far been going it alone.
UVa alumni clash over President Jim Ryan's record
Over the past month, a conservative alumni group has called for the resignation of University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, saying his “politicized and feckless leadership” has “severely damaged UVa's core values and reputation.” As it stands, Ryan, who arrived in Charlottesville in August 2018, has a contract that does not expire until July 31, 2028. The Jefferson Council, however, believes the state’s flagship university is in crisis now due to "seven critical leadership failures," ...
Kaine confronts Defense secretary over post names
Saying the names "should never have been changed in the first place," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump Administration's decision to restore the original names of Army posts, mostly in the South, that were changed from memorializing Confederate heroes to reflect diversity in the military. During a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting Wednesday, June 18, Hegseth and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, had a tense exchange as Kaine – an opponent of the reversion – accused Hegseth of not caring about erasing the legacies of the people whose names were on Forts Gregg-Adams, Barfoot and Walker from the history annals.
Haro-Perez: Abortion access in Virginia depends on the coming months
Virginia may feel like a safe haven for abortion access — but let’s be clear: Safe doesn’t mean secure. In the almost three years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, Virginia has become a critical access point for people across the South seeking abortion care. We’ve seen the largest increase in abortions of any state post-Dobbs, not because people are suddenly having more abortions, but because we’re one of the last states in the region where it remains legal. But that reality is hanging by a thread.