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Unreleased report cites millions in Richmond tax overpayments that weren’t refunded, ‘confusion’ in process
Three years after the Richmond Inspector General's Office began investigating a complaint regarding the finance department's handling of tax credits and refunds, no formal report on the matter has been published. However, CBS 6 obtained a draft report that outlined what investigators characterized as a confusing process for returning money to overpaying business owners and millions in excess taxes that were never credited back to taxpayers.
Virginia doesn’t have statewide data center regulations. Localities are making their own rules.
Virginia is home to over a third of the data centers worldwide. These energy hungry facilities have brought business to the commonwealth, but communities are seeing the impact of the electricity and water usage hit their utility bills. Now, many localities are debating how to balance the opportunities and challenges data centers present, and grappling with how to regulate them.
UVA professors ask university board to halt DEI dismantling
A group of University of Virginia professors is asking the school’s Board of Visitors to suspend any further actions to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programming until the legality of those programs is settled in federal or state court. As VPM News has previously reported, there’s nothing currently in federal law that explicitly prohibits DEI offices and initiatives. Regardless, Virginia’s public universities have been swift to do away with these initiatives in the wake of anti-DEI executive orders from President Donald Trump. The UVA chapter of the American Association of University Professors, an organization primarily dedicated to protecting academic freedom and shared governance in higher education, sent the request to the UVA board in a June 5 letter.
Democrats in Virginia have a hefty fundraising advantage heading into November general election
Democrats in Virginia have built up a hefty fundraising advantage for their effort to reclaim the governor’s mansion in a November election that is seen as a bellwether for the party in power in Washington ahead of the 2026 midterms. Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA spy turned congresswoman, has a more than 2-to-1 fundraising advantage over her GOP opponent for governor, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who has struggled to draw support from her fellow Republicans.
VPAP Visual Jones vs. Jones for Attorney General
Jay Jones secured the Democratic nomination for Attorney General in last Tuesday's primary election, after losing the primary in 2021 to incumbent Mark Herring. Jones won a larger share of the vote in 113 of Virginia's 133 localities compared to four years ago. See where Jones performed better, or worse, this year in Virginia's counties and cities.
Prince William Digital Gateway, county lawyers move to dismiss residents’ lawsuit
A lawsuit that could undo Prince William County’s approval of one of the largest data center developments in the world might end Friday if a judge dismisses the case as requested by lawyers representing the county and the two data center companies behind the Prince William Digital Gateway. During three days of trial, several of the plaintiffs, who include 11 residents who live near the Digital Gateway and the Oak Valley Homeowners’ Association, testified about how the projects’ 37 data centers will disrupt their lives if the development moves forward.
Gibson, Letiecq and Heinecke: Under Youngkin, Miyares, academic freedom is under assault
When the governing boards of the University of Virginia, the Virginia Military Institute and George Mason University next meet, Virginia could surpass Florida as the most dysfunctional public university system in the country — unless Attorney General Jason Miyares decides to set aside partisanship and follow the law. At the heart of the crisis is a power struggle between the Virginia General Assembly and Gov. Glenn Youngkin. When a Senate committee recently rejected a list of eight of the governor’s recent appointments to university boards, the General Assembly declared that these appointments failed and the appointees must step down immediately.
Andryszak and Hallam: A reliable power grid requires more pipelines
Over the past few weeks, alarms have sounded about potential grid reliability shortfalls and increased energy prices this summer. These warnings come as states across the U.S., particularly in the Northeast, face rapidly growing demand projections, making it clear: The integrity of our electric grids must be prioritized. ... At the center of this challenge is natural gas. The U.S. cannot reliably meet growing demand if we cannot expand our natural gas pipeline network to ensure the adequate energy resources needed to generate the reliable, affordable power American homes and businesses expect and deserve.
Howard: Republican budget has a few big winners, many losers
Government budgets are like box scores in basketball or baseball. If you study the numbers, you can tell who had a good day or bad day. The Republican budget that barely passed in the House will give millionaires a major victory. But millions of working families will be shut out. Republicans are being very selective in the budget numbers they highlight. They claim that almost all Americans will receive a tax cut. ... Under the House budget, the poorest 20% of Virginians, earning less than $31,000, would get an average tax cut of $100 next year. The middle 20% would get a tax cut of almost $2,000. But the richest 1% of Virginians, with incomes greater than $843,000, will benefit to the tune of $78,000 each.
How Black Lung Came Roaring Back to Coal Country
Denver Brock and his son Aundra used to spend early mornings hunting rabbits in the wooded highlands of Harlan County, Ky. But they don’t get out there much these days. They both get too breathless trying to follow the baying hounds. Instead, they tend a large garden alongside Denver Brock’s home. Even that can prove difficult, requiring them to work slowly and take frequent breaks. “You get so dizzy,” Denver Brock said, “you can’t hardly stand up.” The Brocks followed a long family tradition when they became Appalachian coal miners. For it, they both now have coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, a debilitating disease characterized by masses and scarred tissue in the chest, and better known by its colloquial name: black lung.