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TikTok law’s ramifications are international — and local
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a legislative ultimatum to social media giant TikTok: sell or be banned in the United States. In Virginia, one very prominent voice was glad to see it happen. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat and chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, is certain that TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, is beholden to its country of origin, China. That poses multiple problems, including reaping U.S. citizens’ data and influencing them with propaganda, Warner said in a recent interview.
New College Institute, philanthropic board move toward mediation, board committee indicates
The New College Institute in Martinsville appears to be starting a mediation process with its estranged philanthropic arm, but the details remain unclear. In a meeting Wednesday, the state-run higher education center’s executive committee voted to name board vice chair Richard Hall as sole spokesperson for the board in mediation with its foundation. Adam Kane from the state attorney general’s office attended the meeting, including the closed session that preceded the vote. The office serves as legal counsel for NCI.
Hampton Roads terminals help with thousands of diverted shipments after Baltimore bridge collapse
Thousands of containers, dozens of construction vehicles and tons of coal are moving through Hampton Roads terminals as the port helps Baltimore with diverted shipments due to a recent bridge collapse. “To me, it’s an example of how our industry needs to be nimble and responsive to the situation at hand,” said David White, executive director of the Virginia Maritime Association. ... The Port of Virginia’s state-run terminals could process anywhere from 18,000 to 20,000 rerouted containers this month, Virginia Port Authority spokesperson Joe Harris said.
VPAP Visual 2024 Conflict of Interest Disclosures
General Assembly members are required each year to disclose personal financial holdings that could create a potential conflict of interest with their public duties. VPAP has created a quick, convenient way to access these documents, which include salaries paid, board seats held, debts, securities holdings and business interests.
Virginia sex offender registry displayed inaccurate data for months
There are nearly 1,800 registered sex offenders who live, work or go to school in the City of Richmond — but it still isn’t the community with the most registered sex offenders per capita in Central Virginia, according to new data from Virginia State Police. Following a recent report stating that the City of Richmond has the highest rate of registered sex offenders per capita among over 430 total major cities surveyed, 8News investigated more local cities and counties to learn how many registered sex offenders are in the Richmond region and some surrounding localities. As the 8News team looked into this topic, multiple issues were discovered in how Virginia’s sex offender registry returns information to users.
Latest petition to reduce Omega Protein’s menhaden catch limit is rejected
Another attempt to impose tighter regulations on the menhaden fishery in Virginia was defeated Tuesday and interested parties again called for the state to study the menhaden population. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted 5-3 to deny a petition from the Chesapeake Legal Alliance that sought to limit the catch of Omega Protein, the lone menhaden reduction fishery in the Chesapeake Bay. Recreational fishing groups and other supporters of a cap have argued that overfishing menhaden, a tiny, yet nutrient rich fish, is causing the decline of the Bay’s striped bass population.
VCU Health seeks to end $56 million payment to Richmond
Virginia Commonwealth University Health is seeking to terminate a deal that pays the city of Richmond $56 million, VCU president Michael Rao said Wednesday. The health system agreed to give the city a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, as part of a failed redevelopment project at the Public Safety Building downtown. State lawmakers have called for VCU Health to end the payments, but Mayor Levar Stoney objected, saying the health system should pay what it contractually owes.
Cordish wins Petersburg’s casino business, but council members’ reaction is muted
City Council unanimously chose a familiar face as its preferred casino vendor Wednesday night, but the choice took a back seat to what happened once the special meeting was adjourned. Instead of sticking around to talk about the economic potential of that decision or the next steps in the process of pushing the idea to Petersburg’s voters, councilors quickly dashed to their cars in the Petersburg Public Library parking lot. Some of them declined to comment while others walked stone-faced without saying a word as they approached reporters waiting outside for reaction.
Virginia Beach needs to improve building accessibility after settlement with DOJ
A U.S. Department of Justice evaluation of a dozen Virginia Beach facilities found that the city is not in compliance with the American Disabilities Act and will need to make changes to those buildings and others. It could cost millions of dollars and take several years for the city to reach compliance with its facilities, sidewalks, web-based services and emergency operation plans as part of a settlement agreement with the DOJ.
Justices’ $1 billion suit against Carter Bank transferred to Virginia court
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered that a $1 billion federal lawsuit filed by West Virginia’s governor, his family and their companies against a Martinsville-based bank and its board be transferred from a court in West Virginia to Virginia. Gov. Jim Justice; his wife, Cathy; their son, Jay; and more than a dozen of their family companies filed the suit in November. They allege that Carter Bank & Trust and its directors have violated banking laws and prevented the Justices from working with other lenders so that the bank can continue collecting interest on the family’s loan portfolio.