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Republicans Fight Uphill in Virginia Race That Will Test Anger at Trump
The politics of Washington nearly always bleed across the Potomac River and into Virginia’s odd-year elections for governor, long seen as the first sign of how the country is feeling about its new president. This year in particular, that is a big advantage for Democrats. In Virginia, they have fully united behind a candidate they view as ideal to win a Trump-era election in purple Virginia: former Representative Abigail Spanberger, a onetime C.I.A. officer who has raised buckets of money and defined herself as a moderate willing to buck her party’s leadership. She is widely seen as the favorite against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a socially conservative Republican who has struggled to remain competitive financially in the early months of the race.
Coalitions in Virginia, 16 states challenge restrictions on federal grants for domestic violence victims
Amid new restrictions imposed on federal grants that aid victims of sexual or domestic violence, multiple groups from 17 states including Virginia signed onto a complaint challenging its legality. In a complaint filed this week against the U.S. Department of Justice and others, several victims’ service groups from multiple states are seeking an injunction on new restrictions that the federal government has placed on the grants. Plaintiffs include the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance along with entities from 16 other states. ... The new restrictions placed on the federal grants for sexual and domestic violence victims mean that organizations deemed to “promote gender ideology” or operate DEI programs could have funding blocked.
Six Democrats battle for Virginia Lieutenant Governor nomination
As Virginians head to the polls Tuesday, six Democratic candidates are competing for their party's nomination for lieutenant governor,. Whoever wins the nomination will go up against the only GOP candidate on the ticket, Republican John Reid in November's general election. The Democratic field includes current and former elected officials, attorneys, and advocates. They're all emphasizing a range of issues from healthcare and education to housing and labor rights.
Trump not on ballot but president influences Tuesday’s high-stakes primary
Virginia, one of only two states to hold gubernatorial elections this year, conducts high-profile primaries on Tuesday that may grab national attention. Voters in Virginia, a competitive state in American political elections, will cast Democrat and Republican primary ballots for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and for state lawmakers in the House of Delegates. And while President Donald Trump isn't on the ballot, his sweeping and controversial agenda has been a key part of the conversation on the Virginia campaign trail.
From VPAP June Primary Election Results
See results from yesterday's primary elections, including Democratic nomination contests for lieutenant governor and attorney general, and both Republican and Democratic primaries for the House of Delegates and local offices.
Robinson: Selling federal lands would betray future generations
In early May, Congress slipped a provision deep into its budget resolution that should alarm every American. Buried in the text was language authorizing the sale of nearly half a million acres of our federally managed public lands — mostly in Utah and Nevada. It would set a precedent that threatens every corner of this country. This isn’t simply a Western issue. What happens in the deserts outside Salt Lake City today could be replicated tomorrow in the forests of Virginia or the marshes of Delaware.
Can this tiny Appalachian town be a blueprint for the region’s rebirth?
Lou Wallace couldn’t bear to watch her hometown on the Wise-Russell county line continue to crumble. On a whim in the late 1990s, she called The Nature Conservancy’s Abingdon office, lamenting, “Our little town is dying. Can you help?” Instead of shunning her, a now-retired employee of the nonprofit tossed out a lifeline. He helped her secure a $10,000 grant. That was enough to hire a company that fashioned a strategic plan revolving around the Clinch River—the hiding-in-plain-sight biological jewel bisecting St. Paul that residents had long dismissed as a dirty and forlorn nuisance.
Southern Poverty Law Center report: Militia movement is ‘reformatting’
The Southern Poverty Law Center issues an annual report tracking far-right movements across the country. Its most recent findings, which were released at the end of May, include information on the militia movement and its connections to the Commonwealth. Since 2020, at least 20 localities in Virginia have had active militia groups, according to media reports, though SPLC researcher Rachel Goldwasser says that number’s a bit higher.
Pokharel and Tanyu: In race to develop AI, colleges overlook cybersecurity
Tomorrow’s data breaches are being written in today's classrooms. If we continue treating security as an afterthought, we risk graduating students who are ready to build the future — but unprepared to secure it. In an era where cyber threats evolve faster than textbooks, a staggering 43% of cyberattacks now target small- to medium-sized enterprises, many of which employ graduates unequipped with real-world cybersecurity skills. Arguably, our academic approach to cybersecurity is long overdue for a transformation.
Charlottesville City Council primary is city’s first to use ranked choice voting
In Tuesday’s City Council primary, Charlottesville is about to become the second locality in Virginia — after Arlington County — to use ranked choice voting, after a century of using a winner-take-all block system. In block voting, voters choose as many candidates as there are open seats for a certain office. With ranked choice voting, voters don’t just select their favorite candidates; instead, they rank as many of the candidates as they would like, in order of their preference.