Study: Virginia Tops Charts with ‘Sanctuary’ Cities, Counties

ICE Arrest

Immigration policy think tank the Center for Immigration Studies released its updated map of American sanctuary locations on Thursday, revealing a surge in Virginia localities adopting sanctuary status.

The center added 36 Virginia localities to its map for a total of 84.

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Virginia Democrat Who Sparked First Trump Impeachment Faces FEC Complaint over Response to ‘Stolen Valor’ Question

Eugene Vindman

Retired Army Col. Yevegny “Eugene” Vindman, the Democrat nominee for Virginia’s 7th Congressional district, on Thursday was confirmed to be the recipient of a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint over an alleged improper contribution from a political organization that supports his candidacy.

Vindman’s twin brother Alexander is the man who overheard the phone call between former President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that led to the first attempt to impeach Trump. Vindman reportedly took the information about the call from his brother and made a report to White House lawyers.

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Ex-Gov. Terry McAuliffe Disputes Virginia Poll Showing Trump Tied with Harris, Argues Federal Employee Turnout Pivotal

Terry McAuliffe

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe on Thursday disputed the results of a Virginia poll that showed former President Donald Trump statistically tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the commonwealth, raising allegations about the pollster’s credibility and claims its data was skewed, before arguing federal workers would turnout in sufficient numbers to propel the Harris-Walz ticket to victory.

McAuliffe claimed the pollster who released the Tuesday survey showing Trump and Harris statistically tied, with the Democrat leading the former president by just 3 percent, “has never had a poll that’s been correct in their life,” according to The Washington Times.

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Poll Says Harris and Trump in Statistical Dead Heat in Virginia

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

Virginia appears to be in play in the presidential election, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding a slight lead over former President Donald Trump in the commonwealth, according to a poll released Tuesday morning.

The Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College shows Harris ahead of Trump by three percentage points (47%-44%) in a head-to-head matchup. When other candidates were included, Harris still leads by three points (45%-42%). When factoring in the poll’s 4.5% margin of error, Harris and Trump are in a statistical dead heat.

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Dominion Ups Investments in Offshore Wind Energy as Virginia Industry Surges Forward

Offshore Wind Farm

As President Joe Biden’s presidential term comes to a close, the administration is bearing down on its goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2035.

As of 2021, the administration had approved two commercial-scale offshore wind projects, and seven have been approved within the past year.

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Virginia’s Open Records Laws Show Room for Improvement in Key Areas, Says Expert

Megan Rhyne

The Freedom of Information Act exists to promote governmental transparency, although it doesn’t always accomplish that end, according to the Executive Director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, Megan Rhyne.

And though Virginia’s not unique in that regard, it’s difficult to compare states’ open records laws because they can differ by many variables, according to Rhyne. 

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Embattled Lynchburg Mayor Faces More Allegations of Bullying, Verbally Abusing Constituents

After a story published Sunday by Just The News accusing Lynchburg Mayor Stephanie Reed of bullying constituents whom she believes have wronged her, well as employing the same tactics against members of the Lynchburg City Council, The Virginia Star has received similar allegations from more Lynchburg residents.

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Lynchburg Mayor Shuts Down Critics, Exerts ‘Chilling Effect on Free Speech’ amid Controversy

The Republican mayor of Lynchburg, Va., has allegedly repeatedly attempted to silence her critics during her two-year term, according to residents, which has had a “chilling effect on free speech.”

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Virginia Revitalization Commission to Pilot Workforce Housing Development

Building Home

The Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission recently approved a pilot workforce housing program to make the region more attractive to new businesses and job seekers.

The commission was founded to foster economic growth and opportunity in 34 counties and six independent cities comprising Southwest and Southern Virginia –  a region where tobacco farming was once integral to the economy. It’s funded entirely by proceeds from a major 1990s tobacco lawsuit settlement.

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Virginia U.S. Senate Nominee Hung Cao Slams VP Nominee Tim Walz over ‘Disqualifying’ Stolen Valor Allegations

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hung Cao, himself a decorated veteran of the U.S. Navy, on Wednesday said the allegations of stolen valor levied at Democratic vice presidential nominee Governor Tim Walz are “disqualifying” and reveal “hypocrisy” on behalf of the media.

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Youngkin Issues Executive Order Codifying Election Security Measures

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R, signed an executive order Wednesday, codifying election security measures and listing procedures to prevent non-citizens from voting in elections.

The executive order directs the Commissioner of the Department of Elections to annually certify that election security measures are in place regarding ballot security, testing and certification of ballot counting machines, triple-checking the accuracy of election results, and daily updating of voter rolls.

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Miyares Joins 20 Other AGs in Support of Federal TikTok Ban

Jason Miyares

Republican attorneys general from 21 states, led by the attorneys general of Montana and Virginia, submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia defending the federal law banning TikTok in the U.S.

President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in April due to concerns that through Chinese-owned parent company Bytedance, the Chinese Communist Party might be able to gain access to users’ private data or influence American youth toward communism. The law threatens to prohibit the app in the U.S. if Bytedance does not sell its shares in the social media company by Jan. 19, 2025.

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Virginia Military Institute Alumni File Lawsuit Against Institute’s Official Alumni Association

A frustrated group of Virginia Military Institute alumni, some of whom have previously spoken out against the institution’s growing embrace of DEI, have taken on a new battle.

The disgruntled alumni have filed a civil rights lawsuit against VMI Alumni Agencies, arguing the relationship between the official alma mater organization and the institute itself is inappropriate, that school leaders have too much control over it.

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Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Demands Answers from Democrat Fundraising Platform ActBlue over Fraud Allegations

Jason Miyares and Act Blue

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares on Friday sent a letter to ActBlue, the top fundraising platform for Democrats and liberal issues, demanding answers over the money laundering and fraud allegations levied by journalist James O’Keefe and his O’Keefe Media Group.

Miyares posted his letter to the social media platform X, confirming his office questioned ActBlue over allegations of “fraudulent, deceptive, and/or otherwise illegal acts,” including “hundreds of thousands of dollars of contributions through individual donors” in Virginia who purportedly donated “in volumes that are facially implausible and appear suspicious.”

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Virginia County Supervisor Calls for End of Sanctuary Policies In Wake of Illegal Migrant Arrests for Murder

Pat Herrity

A county supervisor in Virginia on Monday called for an end to sanctuary laws for illegal migrants after two murder suspects were confirmed to be living in the U.S. illegally, 7News reported.

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, the one-and-only Republican supervisor in the deep blue jurisdiction, is demanding county officials put an end to laws that protect illegal migrant criminals in the county, according to 7News. Herrity’s public comments follow a brutal murder earlier this month along a popular hiking trail in Oakton, Virginia, with accusations that at least one of the illegal migrant suspects benefited from sanctuary laws before the murder.

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Virginia School Boards Respond to Gov Youngkin’s Executive Order on Cellphone Use During Classes

Student with Cell Phone

Virginia school boards are issuing cellphone free mandates in their local communities, after Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered schools to draft plans for cell phone-free education in K-12 public schools. 

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Virginia Police Clear Anti-Israel Encampment Outside Antony Blinken’s House After Six Months

Anti-Israel protesters outside of Anthony Blinken's home

Virginia State Police cleared the anti-Israel encampment constructed near the home of Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday after it subsisted for over six months.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) worked with the Virginia State Police to clear the encampment previously constructed on the shoulder of Chain Bridge Road near Blinken’s home on Saturday, with VDOT stating to WTOP the encampment was “unsafe for motorists, bikers and pedestrians and blocks access to emergency vehicles and personnel.”

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Miyares Supports Local School Policy Segregating Sports by Biological Sex

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief Thursday on behalf of the Hanover County School Board, which barred a middle school male student identifying as a transgender girl from playing on the girls’ tennis team.

“Neither the federal Constitution nor any federal statute require Virginia school boards to allow biological males to play on a girls sports team,” Miyares said in a statement. “Rather, civil rights law is meant to protect female equity in athletics. I urge the court to ensure that women’s rights and opportunities remain protected in Virginia.”

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Reckoning at Hampton VA Hospital After ‘Widespread Failures and Deficiencies’

The executive director, chief of staff and chief of surgery at the Hampton VA Medical Center are all leaving after investigations revealed substandard care and potentially willful negligence.

Their exodus stems from congressional investigations and a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report. The OIG began its latest probe into the hospital (there have been others) after learning of six instances of substandard care by the hospital’s assistant chief of surgery and spotting implications of a lack of internal reporting, oversight and accountability.

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Virginia Democratic Delegates Unanimously Vote to Support Vice President Kamala Harris at August Convention

Kamala Harris

The Democratic Party of Virginia (DPVA) confirmed on Tuesday that its delegates to the Democratic National Convention voted unanimously on Monday to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s nominee for the president during its convention next month.

In a statement posted to the social media platform X, the Virginia Democrats confirmed the delegates “met virtually” and “unanimously voted to join President Joe Biden in endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 Democratic nomination for President of the United States.”

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Vance Rallies in Virginia, Focuses on Manufacturing and Energy

Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance drew on his Appalachian upbringing to connect with supporters at a rally in Virginia on Monday night, focusing on the region’s depleted manufacturing industry, fentanyl and surging immigration crisis.

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JD Vance to Headline Rally in Virginia After VP Nod

JD Vance

Ohio GOP Sen. JD Vance will headline a rally in Radford, Va., on Monday as the campaign hopes to flip the Old Dominion into the Republican camp for the first time in 20 years.

Former President Donald Trump announced Vance as his running mate this week amid the Republican National Convention. Though formerly a Trump critic, Vance has emerged as one of his most stalwart supporters in the upper chamber.

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Virginia Lawsuits Challenging Year-Old Model Policies in Full Swing

Transgender Protest

One year after the Virginia Department of Education rolled out new model policies for the treatment of transgender students, the ACLU has undertaken several lawsuits on behalf of students identifying as transgender, saying the policies violate state and federal law. 

One lawsuit was dismissed Monday, and the other two will be heard on Aug. 6 and 20, one in federal court and the other in state circuit court. 

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Trump Ticks Ahead in Virginia in RCP Polling Average

Trump and Biden Virginia

Former President Donald Trump has inched ahead of President Joe Biden in Virginia, a state no Republican has won at the presidential level since 2004.

The RealClearPolitics polling average currently shows Trump with 43.8% support to Biden’s 43.4%. The average includes five surveys from Emerson, VCU, NY Times/Siena, Fox News, and Roanoke College.

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New Pre-Shooting Poll Shows Narrow Lead for Biden in Virginia

Joe Biden and Donald Trump

The New York Times/Siena College poll just released results from a voter survey taken before the Trump rally shooting, showing President Joe Biden leading former President Donald Trump by just a few percentage points.

The results are causing more chatter about the role Virginia could play in the upcoming election since Biden won Virginia by 10% in 2020. Prior to a May poll by Roanoke College that showed the presidential candidates tied 42%-42%, Virginia was considered reliably blue for Biden – due to his previous performance and to the fact that George W. Bush was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the commonwealth in 2004.

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Youngkin Orders U.S. and Virginia Flags ‘Flown at Half-Staff’ in Remembrance of Corey Comperatore

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., ordered the U.S. and state flags to be “flown at half-staff'” on Monday in remembrance of Corey Comperatore, a volunteer fireman, was killed at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa. where Trump survived an assassination attempt.

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Virginia Named Best State for Business in Annual CNBC Ranking

Virginia Businesses

Virginia has again ranked first in CNBC’s annual America’s Top States for Business index, its sixth time topping the chart since CNBC started the survey in 2007. 

States are ranked on 128 metrics in 10 “broad categories of competitiveness” selected through consultation with business and policy specialists and the states.

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Ignoring Parents’ Objections, Virginia County’s School Board Unanimously OKs Gender Ideology Lessons

A Northern Virginia school district will teach kindergartners about gay parents and middle schoolers about transgenderism in the wake of a unanimous vote late last month—despite significant parental opposition.

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Sen. Tim Kaine Claims Debate Created ‘Excitement and Interest’ for Biden Campaign, Calls Push to Step Aside ‘Not Helpful’

Tim Kaine and Joe Biden

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) maintained his support for President Joe Biden on Monday, claiming the first presidential debate on CNN generated “excitement and interest” among Democratic voters despite resulting in a “tough stretch” for Democrats.

After reports surfaced that Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) was organizing senators to convince Biden to step aside, Kaine told members of the press that Biden’s debate performance increased Democratic voters’ energy.

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Virginia House and Senate Reach Deal on Military Education Program

Virginia Military Bill

Monday ended with another disappointment for those unhappy with recent changes to a state education assistance program for military families, but by Tuesday night, things had turned around.

Tuesday evening, the Senate of Virginia issued a press release stating that the House of Delegates and Senate finance chairs had finally reached an agreement on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program after a month and a half of upheaval surrounding changes made to the program in the latest state budget.

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Virginia Democrat Reportedly Compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ in Fundraising Pitch

Don Beyer

U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) reportedly compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ during a Tuesday fundraising event in McLean, Virginia, drawing similarities between the suffering Jesus experienced when crucified to the various political and personal tragedies of the president’s life.

Beyer apparently “invoked the crucifixion of Jesus” during the fundraising event, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

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Leaked Post-Debate Poll Claims Biden Tied in Virginia, Down Seven in Pennsylvania as Nearly Half of 2020 Voters Want Him Replaced

Joe Biden and Donald Trump

A leaked memo published on Tuesday claims internal polling data shows President Joe Biden was down by more than 7 percent in Pennsylvania, and at risk of losing Virginia and other swing states, following his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week.

The memo, which claims to contain the contents of a poll completed within 72-hours of the presidential debate, was leaked to Puck News, which reported it was distributed by OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit that conducts “polling and message-testing” for Democratic groups including a nonprofit associated with “the preferred Super PAC for Biden’s reelection campaign.”

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Sen. Tim Kaine Defends President Joe Biden After Abysmal Debate as Opponent Hung Cao Promises to ‘Flip Virginia Red’

Virginia Senate Race

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) at a campaign stop on Monday defended President Joe Biden after his poor debate performance provoked calls for the 81-year-old president to end his reelection campaign and allow a younger candidate to face former President Donald Trump in November.

Kaine confirmed he continues to support the 81-year-old president after Petersburg Vice Mayor Darrin Hill called for Democrats to “turn down the noise” about Biden’s candidacy, reported USA Today.

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Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Teases Run for Governor at Trump Rally Where Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was Not Invited

Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hinted he may announce his run for governor following the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election. Miyares made the remarks while attending former President Donald Trump’s rally in Chesapeake, Virginia on Friday.

Miyares made the comments after National Review asked the attorney general whether he was considering a run to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is unable to seek another term.

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Trump Takes Post-Debate Victory Lap in Virginia in Bid to Flip the Commonwealth to ‘Red’

Donald Trump at Rally

Former President Donald Trump on Friday seized on his post-debate momentum to bolster his efforts in Virginia, appearing alongside the Old Dominion’s GOP heavyweight Gov. Glenn Youngkin at a rally in Chesapeake.

Formerly regarded as a prospective presidential candidate himself, Youngkin opted against such a campaign and has instead been floated as a potential vice presidential candidate.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin Declares ‘Virginia Is in Play’ After Poor Debate Performance by President Joe Biden

Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin declared in an interview that “Virginia is in play” for former President Donald Trump, following President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance on Thursday.

Youngkin said of the Thursday debate during his Friday morning “Fox & Friends” appearance, “America saw, it was on display, strength versus weakness.”

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin Congratulates Sen. John McGuire on Apparent Victory, Acknowledges Rep. Bob Good’s ‘Right’ to Recount in Call for Unity

John McGuire, Bob Good, Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday night congratulated State Senator John McGuire (R-Goochland) on his apparent victory over Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) in the close Republican primary race in Virginia’s 5th Congressional district.

Noting the candidates are separated by less than 400 votes, or about 0.6 percent of the more than 62,000 ballots cast, Youngkin stated he will respect Good’s “right tor request a recount,” but concluded his message with a call for Republican unity.

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Trump Expands Push in Blue States as Virginia Appears Competitive

Donald Trump in Philadelphia

Former President Donald Trump appears poised to invest heavily in Virginia in the 2024 election as new polling data suggests the Old Dominion could be competitive for Republicans for the first time in 20 years.

The state has not backed a Republican for president since George W. Bush in 2004 and trended increasingly Democratic over the years until GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s upset win in 2021 reignited Republican hopes in the commonwealth. The GOP struggled, however, in the 2023 legislative elections, with many analysts pinning the blame on the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which forced Republicans to play defense on the issue of abortion during that cycle. The party lost control of the House of Delegates and failed to seize control of the state Senate in those elections.

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Youngkin: America’s Foundations Crumbling Under Biden, Progressives

Governor Glenn Youngkin

The Founders built America on a rock, but today, because of the Left, the rock is crumbling, and the country must assert moral clarity on several fronts to fix it, said Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who fired up the crowd at the Road to Majority Conference Saturday.

“They built it on rock. They unleashed a wave of freedom across the world with the prosperity of seeing a shining sea, the greatest nation ever built,” Youngkin said. “Yet today, we can feel the great American house shaking. Across our college campuses, echoes of extermination speech, while chaos roars across our borders.”

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Virginia Congressional Primary Race Could Take ‘Weeks’ to ‘Complete’

John McGuire and Bob Good

Tuesday’s Republican primary race for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District between state Sen. John McGuire and incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good is still too close to call.

McGuire holds a razor-thin lead of 313 votes, according to the latest numbers from the Virginia Department of Elections. Good, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, is holding on to hope that lingering votes will save his seat.

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Virginia Set to Benefit from New Defense Budget

Fort Belvoir Military Base

The latest defense budget passed Friday authorizes over $920 billion in spending and contains significant investments in Virginia.

The commonwealth has one of the biggest military populations in the U.S., and the defense industry comprises a large portion of its economy. 

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Virginia Lawsuit Filed to Halt Prosecution of Speed Camera Violations by Citing Constitution

Speed Camera

A former Virginia delegate has filed an injunction against the city of Chesapeake for its prosecutions of speed camera violations in a case that could have implications for the whole state.

Virginia law allows the city to prosecute cases in a way that may violate the Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution, according to attorney and former delegate for Hampton Roads District 83 Tim Anderson.

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Virginia Task Force Hears from Angered Military Families on Education Program Changes

Veteran Cemetery

The first meeting of the task force Preserving Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program was held Monday, with many of its members and those in attendance raising their voices or holding back tears as they spoke. 

“I thought VMSDEP was a formal thank you to the families of veterans, the Gold Star families,” said one attendee, the wife of a retired marine. “I am so sorry that we cost you too much,” she said, choking back tears.

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