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D.C.-area economy starts to show deep impacts of federal spending cuts
The D.C. region’s economy is teetering on the edge of a painful slump, experts warn, as the Trump administration’s spending cuts, including the elimination of thousands of federal jobs, take their toll on an area that was already struggling to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. ... In Fairfax County, Virginia, unemployment jumped from 2.2 percent in December to 3.2 percent in March. “And we haven’t seen the worst of it yet,” said Jeff McKay, chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, noting the lagging data. McKay said this economic crisis is probably the worst he has seen in 18 years on the board. “It’s neck and neck with covid,” he said. “I think it’s worse than covid because we’re not going to get any help.”
Spanberger condemns ‘shocking’ ICE raid in Charlottesville
Abigail Spanberger, Virginia's Democratic candidate for governor, is calling out federal immigration authorities after two men were detained during a raid on a courthouse in downtown Charlottesville last month. On April 22, three plainclothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — one masking his face with a balaclava — entered the Albemarle County Courthouse, arrested two men and whisked them away in unmarked vehicles to a detention center in Farmville. The incident has sparked pushback from Charlottesville residents and officials alike. Now Spanberger is pushing back.
Former Henrico NICU nurse now facing 20 charges
Eight new charges have been handed down to former Henrico Doctors’ Hospital nurse Erin Strotman, meaning the former health professional now faces a total of 20 charges in the ongoing investigation into the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The charges were issued by the Commonwealth, which also motioned in a court hearing on Wednesday, May 7 that Strotman’s current bond be revoked. Prosecutors argued they were in a different place in their investigation as of Wednesday, now that Strotman faces 18 more charges than she did at the time of her arrest in January.
New James Madison University president talks DEI, research funds in first interview
JMU’s soon-to-be President James “Jim” Schmidt will inherit a university still raw from uncertainty stemming from the federal level — including diversity, equity and inclusion cuts and changes to federal funding. Schmidt, who’s the current University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire chancellor, sat down with The Breeze to discuss JMU’s current state and the responsibilities he will take over with his title come July 1. When discussing JMU’s decision, Schmidt referenced the Feb. 14 “Dear Colleague” letter released by the Department of Education, which affirmed U.S. schools’ commitment to nondiscrimination based on race. Schmidt said this letter provided a framework for many public institutions’ decisions to dismantle their DEI divisions.
A Salacious Saga Engulfs the Virginia G.O.P. and Weakens Youngkin
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia found out that Republican research had linked the G.O.P.’s nominee for lieutenant governor to a blog featuring photos of naked men, he tried to save his party from an embarrassing situation. Mr. Youngkin called the candidate, John Reid, a longtime conservative talk radio host in Richmond, and told him he needed to abandon his campaign because the website was certain to be discovered and would tank the party’s entire ticket. ... Then a funny thing happened. Mr. Reid did not quit. Instead, he posted a five-minute video to social media noting that he is gay and explaining that he had watched pornography and had one-night stands in the past. The Republican base in Virginia quickly rallied around him.
Death of Virginia Beach Autistic Boy Renews Questions About the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Schools
The week before he died, Josh Sikes had problems at school. He overturned his desk and broke a teacher’s glasses on Halloween. Amid a long behavioral episode on Oct.31, he was restricted to a “safe” or “calming” area in a classroom overseen by Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs, a regional consortium serving eight communities in Hampton Roads. What happened in that area is now the subject of multiple investigations. Josh was 11, a fourth-grader on the autism spectrum, with ADHD and an intellectual disability. He attended Pembroke Elementary School in Virginia Beach, but he was a student within a SECEP classroom, taught by special education teachers and learning among other children.
Democrats reach historic goal: A full slate in Virginia House races
For the first time in recent memory, Virginia Democrats have candidates running in all 100 House of Delegates districts — a milestone party leaders and grassroots organizers say reflects rising momentum as President Donald Trump’s second term continues to galvanize opposition. Rocco DeBellis, a 57-year-old chef, Bronx native, and Cape Charles resident, filed this week to run in House District 100, making it the final district to be contested and completing the Democrats’ full slate.
Virginia High School League ratifies transgender student participation policy
The Virginia High School League ratified its transgender student participation policy Wednesday as its executive committee meeting. The league's executive committee voted Feb. 10 to change the policy in compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order to keep transgender women from playing on women’s high school sports teams. Since the policy had already been changed, there was no vote or discussion on the changes Wednesday by the VHSL's executive committee. The new policy only affects trans girls.
Pamunkey Reservation listed as one of the nation’s most endangered historic places
Some of the highest rates of sea level rise in the country are in the Chesapeake Bay region where it’s twice the average annual global rate. Wednesday, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s reservation, on a peninsula in King William County, among its eleven Most Endangered Historic Places in America.
Former VCU diversity staffers: ‘It’s hard to even process’
Trevon Straughter recounted the moment he found out his job was being eliminated. It was Friday, March 21. He was working from home and had just picked up some Southern Kitchen for lunch. Then he got the feeling that he should check his email quickly before returning to work. Straughter had been working as a program and event specialist in VCU’s Division of Inclusive Excellence, which focused on initiatives of diversity and inclusion. He saw an email from Alison Miller, Virginia Commonwealth University’s chief human resources officer, sent at 2:43 p.m. which said, “the university must follow federal and state laws regarding discrimination and perceived discrimination.”