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Baltimore cruises to reroute; Carnival will move some operations to Norfolk

By HANNAH SAMPSON, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

Cruise lines are scrambling to make alternative plans and avoid the Port of Baltimore while officials suspend vessel traffic amid cleanup and rescue efforts around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Three major cruise lines sail from Baltimore, though no ships were in port Tuesday morning. The next cruise was scheduled to depart Sunday, but its operator confirmed late Tuesday afternoon that the voyage would instead head out from Norfolk.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Pharrell movie filming in Richmond

By COLLEEN CURRAN, Richmond Times-Dispatch (Metered Paywall - 7 articles a month)

A musical based on Pharrell Williams’ childhood is set to begin filming in Richmond. Details are scarce at the moment, but here’s what we know: “(T)he film is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments,” Deadline reported. Michel Gondry, director of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” has signed on to direct the Universal project.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Southwest Virginia landowners again appeal Mountain Valley Pipeline case to U.S. Supreme Court

By MATT BUSSE, Cardinal News

Six Southwest Virginia landowners are once again asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear their case related to the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Since 2020, the six have argued that Congress violated the constitutional separation of powers when it delegated the legislative power of eminent domain to the executive branch by way of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which regulates interstate pipeline construction. In 2017, FERC authorized developers to take property from the six landowners for the 303-mile natural gas project.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Virginians react to news that Monumental Sports won’t be moving to Potomac Yard

By KATIE LUSSO, WUSA-TV

It’s official. Northern Virginia will not be home to the Washington Capitals or Wizards anytime soon. At a news conference Wednesday night, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Monumental Owner Ted Leonsis announced that Monumental Sports had reached an agreement to keep the teams at Capital One Arena in D.C. until 2050. Their announcement, just three hours after an announcement from the City of Alexandria, that they had “ended negotiations related to the Potomac Yard Entertainment District opportunity and the proposal will not move forward.” Outside of Wednesday’s news conference, members of the Coalition to Stop the Arena at Potomac Yard celebrated.

VaNews March 28, 2024


NHL’s Capitals and NBA’s Wizards are staying in Washington after Virginia arena deal collapses

By SARAH RANKIN, MATTHEW BARAKAT AND STEPHEN WHYNO, Associated Press

When Ted Leonsis told District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser late last year that the NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals he owns would probably be leaving Washington for Virginia, she told him no, they would not. Ultimately, she proved to be right. The teams are staying in the District for the long term after Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s plan to lure them to Virginia imploded and the city and ownership reached an agreement on a $515 million, publicly funded arena project.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Caps, Wizards will stay in D.C. under deal announced by Bowser, Leonsis

By JONATHAN O'CONNELL, TEO ARMUS, GREGORY S. SCHNEIDER, MICHAEL BRICE-SADDLER AND MEAGAN FLYNN, Washington Post (Metered Paywall - 3 articles a month)

D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and Ted Leonsis, owner of the Wizards and Capitals, signed a deal Wednesday that — if approved by the D.C. Council — would keep the teams in downtown D.C. until 2050, abruptly ending the owner’s planned move to Virginia. Under the terms of the deal, D.C. will spend $515 million over three years to help Leonsis modernize the arena, and Leonsis will sign a new lease keeping the teams in D.C. for 25 more years.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Lawmakers tour the state, offering contrasting budget visions

By JAHD KHALIL, VPM

Democrats in the Virginia General Assembly wrapped up a tour across the state Wednesday, as they promote the budget proposal Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been campaigning against. State Sen. Louise Lucas (D–Portsmouth) and Del. Luke Torian (D–Prince William) made a final stop at a hospital in Southwest Virginia. It comes after events in Hampton Roads, Richmond and Northern Virginia. The tours mark opposing sides taking their arguments to stops around the commonwealth — rather than expressing their views during press conferences at the Capitol and in letters to one another.

VaNews March 28, 2024


Lawmakers Pass Bill Allowing Digital News Sites to Post Public Notices

By OLIVIA DILEO, VCU Capital News Service

Lawmakers passed bills during the 2024 General Assembly session that impact the press, including online public notices, FOIA costs and government transparency. The session was more promising for the press than some past sessions, according to Mechelle Hankerson, president of the Society of Professional Journalists Virginia Pro Chapter. ... Local governments are currently required by state law to advertise certain public notices in newspapers. ... Del. Patrick Hope, D-Arlington, introduced House Bill 264 to allow online-only publications to also post the public notices – and generate revenue from them ...

VaNews March 28, 2024


A look at who Youngkin pardoned in 2023

By RYAN NADEAU, WRIC-TV

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) pardoned nearly 100 people between Jan. 16, 2023 and Jan. 16 of this year. This is Youngkin’s second year issuing pardons as the Governor of Virginia. In his first year, Youngkin granted substantially fewer pardons — 30 in total. In his four years serving as Governor of Virginia, former governor Ralph Northam (D) granted over 1,200 pardons. Of Youngkin’s total 98 pardons, the vast majority of them were simple pardons — which the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia describes as a “statement of official forgiveness.”

VaNews March 28, 2024


How the equity fund could help more people cultivate and sell cannabis—if Youngkin signs the bill

By MICHAEL CHUN, VCU Capital News Service

Virginia’s plan for a recreational cannabis market includes a way to help micro businesses, formerly known as the social equity license, get involved with what is anticipated to be a multimillion dollar business — if the plan survives the governor’s desk. The Virginia Cannabis Equity Loan Fund will provide grants, low-interest and zero-interest loans to qualified micro business licensees, according to legislation passed by the General Assembly.

VaNews March 28, 2024