Wildfires have been burning across Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee, resulting in parts of the Appalachian Trail being shut down, according to officials.
Read MoreWildfires Rage Across Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina
Category: The South
Report: Virginia’s Court-Appointed Attorneys and Public Defenders Need More Support
Everyone is entitled to a defense, but those willing to serve as court-appointed lawyers in Virginia are growing scarce, and public defenders need more staff to serve their clients properly.
Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission presented a report to members of the General Assembly showing that state caps on court-appointed attorney fees are “embarrassingly low,” according to one judge, and there are neither enough public defenders to meet demand nor enough support staff.
Read MoreUniversity of Virginia Hosted Lecture Teaching Med Students How to Open Gender Clinics
The University of Virginia (UVA) Medical School hosted an educational session on April 13, 2022, about starting a “gender-affirming” health program and offered a continuing education credit to healthcare professionals who participated, according to a video recording obtained through a public records request by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The session, “Starting a Gender Affirming Surgery Program,” was presented by the UVA School of Medicine Center for Health Humanities and Ethics and featured a lecture from “gender-affirming” surgeon, Dr. Rachel Bluebond-Langner. In the lecture, Bluebond-Langner described principles that led to the rapid growth of the transgender surgery program at NYU Langone Health and articulated the need for more gender health programs, saying that “more centers are needed to meet the demand.”
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Virginia State Senator-Elect Challenging Rep. Bob Good Once Described as Governor’s ‘Prominent Surrogate’
Virginia State Senator-elect John McGuire, who announced on Wednesday he is launching a primary challenge against against Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05), was described as a “prominent surrogate” for Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) in 2021.
McGuire, a former U.S. Navy SEAL who is currently finishing his term as a Delegate in the Virginia House before he moves to the Virginia Senate, was described by The Washington Post as “a prominent surrogate for Youngkin” who “often” introduced him at campaign events when Youngkin was campaigning in 2021.
Read MoreVirginia Mosque Comes Out in Support of Hamas
The Manassas Mosque, a mosque in the Washington, DC area, explicitly declared its support for the Hamas terrorist organization in a recent newsletter. The mosque’s support for the Iranian regime has raised the concern of several congressmen.
The newsletter, which was first noticed by the Capital Research Center in collaboration with Focus on Western Islamism, states:
We stand firmly with the Palestinian Resistance (Hamas) and the courageous people of Palestine. With the help of Allah (swt), they will bring liberation and justice to Palestine and to the rest of the world. The Israeli regime is weak and afraid of all the calls for the freedom of Palestine taking place all over the globe. The regime’s days are numbered.
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Governor’s Allies Retain Virginia House Leadership Positions Despite GOP Losses
The Republican members of the Virginia House of Delegates chose legislators considered allies of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) for party leadership last Sunday, including one who spent over $500,000 to win a district considered safe for Republicans after Virginia’s 2021 redistricting.
Virginia Republicans chose House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) to become the party’s new Minority Leader in the House of Delegates, and Delegate Amanda Batten (R-York) will retain her position as the Republican Caucus Chair.
Read MoreSoros-Backed Virginia Prosecutor Who Jailed Parent of Bathroom Assault Victim Loses Reelection by Just 300 Votes
Election officials determined on Tuesday that embattled Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj (D) narrowly lost her re-election. Biberaj fell short in her bid for a third term to challenger Bob Anderson, a Republican who served in the position from 1996 through 2003, by exactly 300 votes. Anderson received 68,068 votes – or 49.92 percent of the total – compared to Biberaj, who received 67,768 votes – or 49.7 percent of the total. A total of 518 voters wrote in a candidate for their ballots.
Read MoreMiyares’ PAC Targets 2024 Prosecutor Races Across the Country
A PAC founded by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares supported some winning prosecutorial candidates in the most recent elections, and plans to keep building momentum throughout 2024.
The mission of the Protecting Americans Action Fund is to help conservative, “enforce-the-law” prosecutors defeat liberal, “social justice” prosecutors – often backed by billionaire and Democratic financier George Soros – in elections to state offices across the country.
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Democrat Memo Claims Party Won Virginia Because of Focus on Governor’s ‘Presidential Ambitions’
A memo released by the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) on Monday credited Virginia Democrats’ recent electoral victories to the party’s commitment to state issues that impact voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia, primarily abortion, as well as the media’s simultaneous focus on the “presidential ambitions” of Governor Glenn Youngkin (R).
In the memo, DLCC Interim President Heather Williams wrote, “while national pundits focused on Governor Youngkin and his presidential ambitions,” Democrats sought to make the election “about state power and the future” of abortion.
Read MoreAfter a Decade of Deliberation, Federal Government Chooses Maryland over Virginia as New FBI HQ
The federal government has selected Greenbelt, Maryland, as the location for its new FBI headquarters concluding a search process that began more than 10 years ago.
Congress authorized the General Services Administration to start looking for a new site for the FBI headquarters in 2012 after a decade of complaints about the security, technological capabilities, “deteriorating infrastructure” and other issues with the current facility, located in Washington, D.C. The GSA narrowed its search to Greenbelt and Landover, Maryland, and Springfield, Virginia, in 2014, and state lawmakers and officials from both states have actively pursued the selection of their state throughout.
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Democrat Speaker Nominee Wants Relationship ‘Reset’ as Governor Promises Bipartisan Legislation
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) appeared to receive an olive branch from Delegate Don Scott Jr. (D-Portsmouth), who the Virginia Democrats elected as their Speaker-designee for the Virginia House of Delegates following Republican losses in last week’s elections, after Scott stated he wants “a reset” between the men during a Friday interview.
In Friday remarks to The Washington Post, the Speaker-designee described himself as a “pragmatic progressive” who is ready for “a reset” with Youngkin. The outlet reported Scott believes Democrats and Youngkin “can find common ground on areas such as education, mental health funding and creating good jobs,” and the publication noted Youngkin made similar promises in a press conference shortly after the electoral defeats of November 7.
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Virginia Republicans Reportedly Sought to Punish Governor’s House Ally over GOP Losses
Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates reportedly sought to strip the leadership position of Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandowoah) on Sunday for his failure to caution Governor Glenn Youngkin against fiercely campaigning on abortion, and for demanding Virginia legislators appear at political events they reportedly said were part of a last minute presidential bid for the governor.
At least three Republican delegates anonymously told The Washington Post they planned to punish Gilbert, who was described as a “key ally” of Youngkin in 2022, for pushing legislators to comply with Youngkin’s demands”to appear at Youngkin-led rallies and other events,” which the legislators told the Post “were primarily meant to promote his last-minute bid for president.”
Read MoreVirginia Democrats May Lose Control of State Senate as Member’s Residency Under Question
Virginia Democrats may be facing issues retaining control of the state Senate as a senator who won her election last week is now under question for potentially misrepresenting her residency.
Read MoreVirginia Senator Calls for IG Probe of FBI Headquarters Selection: ‘Clear Political Interference’
Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner on Thursday blasted the Biden administration’s handling of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) headquarters selection process and called for an General Services Administration (GSA) Inspector General probe of the matter.
FBI Director Chris Wray also said on Thursday that he has “concerns about fairness and transparency in the process and GSA’s failure to adhere to its own site selection plan.”
Read MoreYoungkinWatch: Where There is No Vision the GOP Perishes
After running as the GOP nominee in deep-blue Newport News, Virginia, and losing by a 17 point margin, I can confidently tell you that— “Not all is lost.”
Read MoreFederal Government Chooses Maryland over Virginia as New Headquarters for FBI
The federal government has finally selected Greenbelt, Maryland, as the location for its new FBI headquarters, concluding a search process that began more than 10 years ago.
Congress authorized the General Services Administration to start looking for a new site for the FBI headquarters in 2012 after a decade of complaints about the security, technological capabilities, “deteriorating infrastructure,” and other issues with the current facility in Washington, D.C. The GSA narrowed its search to Greenbelt and Landover, Maryland, and Springfield, Virginia, in 2014, and state lawmakers and officials from both states have actively pursued the selection of their state throughout.
Read MoreCommentary: Virginia Again Ranked Among Top States in National Scorecard on Hospital Patient Safety
Virginia’s run as one of the top states in the nation for hospital safety scores continues. The Commonwealth is second overall among states in the Fall 2023 Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade state rankings that are based on the share of hospitals in each state that earn “A” grades.
“Providing high-quality, compassionate care focused on patient dignity and safety is central to the mission of hospitals across Virginia,” said Ballad Health Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Deaton, the Chair of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA) Board of Directors. “The latest Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade scores showing strong performance on patient safety illustrates the priority Virginia hospitals place on caring for patients.”
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: Youngkin Falls Short as Democrats Take Both Chambers
Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin failed in his epic attempt to put both legislative chambers of the General Assembly under GOP control, closing out November 7, Election Day, one of the boldest campaigns in the modern history of the Old Dominion’s off-cycle elections.
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: ‘War Room’ Regular Rebukes Bannon’s Youngkin Taunt
A local GOP leader criticized “War Room” host Stephen K. Bannon for his throwing water on the Virginia Republican governor’s all-out effort to lead his party to win control of both chambers of the General Assembly.
Read MoreIn Battle for Control of Virginia Legislature, Republicans Test New Commitment to Early Voting
Early voting has become a central issue in the Virginia legislature election, which is set to conclude on Tuesday and determine whether Gov. Glenn Youngkin will have a Republican majority to pass legislation.
The state Senate is currently controlled by Democrats, 22-18, with the state House controlled by Republicans, after winning 52 seats in 2021 to Democrats’ 48, according to Ballotpedia. Republicans gained control of the state House in 2021, when Youngkin won the governorship, Winsome Earle-Sears won the election for lieutenant governor, and Jason Miyares won the attorney general race.
Read MoreVirginia Rep. Introduces Bill That Prevents Federal Funds from Going to Biden’s Top Climate Programs
Republican Rep. Bob Good of Virginia introduced a bill on Friday that would prevent the use of federal funds on two of President Joe Biden’s top climate programs, according to a copy of the bill obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The No American Climate Corps Act would prohibit the Biden administration from deploying federal funds to bankroll the American Climate Corps program and the Justice40 Initiative; both programs are signature elements of Biden’s sweeping climate agenda. The American Climate Corps is a green jobs training program, while the Justice40 Initiative fuses principles of social justice into the administration’s massive green spending, establishing an administration-wide goal to have 40% of the overall benefits of climate spending flow to “disadvantaged communities.”
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: Youngkin, Obama Struggle for Control of Old Dominion
The future of the Commonwealth of Virginia hangs in the balance as Democrats, backed by former President Barack Obama, are desperate to stop Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin from winning the state government trifecta, control of both chambers of the General Assembly in addition to governor’s office—all coming to a head on the November 7 Election Day.
“I’m calling to remind you that today is Election Day in Virginia. The people we elect in the State Senate and House of Delegates will make decisions that affect your everyday life. Now’s the time to make our voices heard,” said Obama in one of the robocalls he recorded for Virginia Democrats to target some 100,000 Democratic voters.
Read MoreAbortion Looms Large in Virginia’s General Election
The issue of abortion has loomed large in this year’s General Assembly general election, as Virginia is the only state in the South not to impose additional restrictions on abortion after the release of the Dobbs decision.
As Virginia has a chance of a Republican trifecta after Nov. 7, Democrats this election season have captured national attention as they fight to preserve abortion freedoms in the state.
Read MoreTrump: Iowa Governor Began ‘Retirement Tour Early’ amid Reports She’s Endorsing DeSantis
Former President Donald Trump slammed Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds on Sunday amid reports that she is going to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Read MoreBattle for Virginia: Youngkin Touts GOP Early Voting Success
Virginia’s Republican governor touted how the commonwealth’s Republican voters are shattering records set in 2021 and 2023 in early voting before the commonwealth’s November 7 Election Day, when all 140 seats in both chambers of the General Assembly are up for grabs.
“There was a lot of people who voted early and across the state. We’ve seen an uptick in early voting and absentee ballot, and particularly in our battleground districts, we’ve seen a really good movement,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin, speaking to Fox News Digital on Friday.
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: Obama Robocalls 100,000 Voters in Fight to Control Old Dominion
Former President Barack H. Obama Jr. jumped into the battle for Virginia with robocalls raising the stakes in the campaign that all comes to a head on November 7, as all 140 seats in the General Assembly are up for grabs, and Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin leads GOP efforts to hold onto the House of Delegates and gain control of the State Senate.
“Hi, it’s President Barack Obama with the National Democratic Redistricting Committee,” said the 44th president, speaking in an audio file obtained by Germon owned-Politico on behalf of the PAC he runs with the man who served as his attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr. NDRC is the left’s leading organization dedicated to challenging House districts as drawn by state legislatures, and forcing them to be redrawn to benefit Democrats.
Read MoreVirginia Students Walk Out over Continuing Policy of Allowing Biological Males in Girl’s Bathrooms
High school students in a northern Virginia County on Wednesday protested a school policy that allows biological males in girl’s locker rooms and restrooms.
The protest occurred in Loudoun County, which in recent years has become a focal point over school policies regarding transgender students and the transparency of those policies.
Read MoreYoungkin ‘Fires’ Eventbrite After App Cancels Riley Gaines, Promotes Hamas
The Republican governor of Virginia directed his political organization and official staff to stop using the Eventbrite app after the company dumped a speaking engagement by superstar swimmer and feminist Riley Gaines — all the while, they promoted events supporting Hamas and its October 7 attacks on the Jewish State.
Read MoreYoungkin ‘Fires’ Eventbrite After App Cancels Riley Gaines, Promotes Hamas
The Republican governor of Virginia directed his political organization and official staff to stop using the Eventbrite app after the company dumped a speaking engagement by superstar swimmer and feminist Riley Gaines—all the while, they promoted events supporting Hamas and its October 7 attacks on the Jewish State.
“As governor, I have told our political committee that we will no longer use Eventbrite. The governor’s office is no longer using Eventbrite,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin on the October 30 edition of the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.
Read MoreCeasefire Protesters Repeatedly Interrupt Blinken’s Senate Testimony
About a dozen pro-ceasefire protesters were arrested Tuesday after repeatedly interrupting Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee with chants such as “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go!”
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: Youngkin Blasts Pro-Hamas College Students
The Republican governor of Virginia told the host of “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo” he wants answers regarding why someone is teaching college students to support Hamas—not Israel—after the October 7 attacks on the Jewish State.
“The bottom line is I question what’s being taught on these college campuses. If we have students that don’t fully understand the brutality of a terrorist group,” said Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is limited to one term.
Read MoreCourt Rules in Favor of Virginia AG Against Get-Out-the-Vote Group
A Virginia court has ruled in favor of Attorney General Jason Miyares against Look Ahead America, who had filed a lawsuit and a motion for an injunction and temporary restraining order against Miyares, alleging interference with the group’s First Amendment rights.
The group, a get-out-the-vote organization, has been active in the weeks leading up to the General Assembly general election and received a cease-and-desist order from the attorney general’s office on Oct. 10 about some materials it had distributed as part of its efforts.
Read MoreThe Battle for Virginia: PAC Spends $1.5 Million Backing Pro-Life Candidates
A pro-life political action affiliated with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is pouring $1.5 million into Virginia legislative races in the last days before the November 7 election, which will decide what party controls the commonwealth’s General Assembly.
SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said she backed the effort by Women Speak Out Virginia, which supports House of Delegates and State Senate candidates aligned with Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposed ban on abortions after 15 weeks—the point when unborn children feel pain.
Read MoreVirginia Saw Net Out-Migration in 2022
Virginia was the eighth-most popular state to move to in the U.S. – and the sixth-most popular to leave – in 2022.
The commonwealth was not alone in this trend. Almost all of the top 10 states that gained the most new residents last year are among the most populous, while eight of those lost the most residents.
Read MoreBattle for Virginia: Early GOP Ballots Outpace 2021, 2022 Rates
Republicans, who have generally preferred so-called “Game Day” voting on Election Day, have begun to embrace early voting either in-person or by mail—and they are outpacing where they were in 2022 and 2021, according to analysis by the Virginia Public Access Project.
Sixteen days before the November 7 Election Day, Republicans were responsible for 39 percent of early voting ballots and 26 percent of mail-in ballots.
Read MoreSouthern Virginia County’s Revitalization Efforts Are Being Realized
The 1990s and early 2000s weren’t particularly kind to Southside Virginia’s Pittsylvania County, but some sustained, concerted efforts to turn things around may be paying off.
For much of those decades, the county’s unemployment rate exceeded the nation and Virginia. But in recent years, that has changed. Now, Pittsylvania County’s unemployment rate of 3.1% is significantly better than the national average, though it still lags the state (Virginia has the eighth-lowest rate in the country).
Read MoreVirginia Poll: 57 Percent Percent Approve of Youngkin; Generic Ballot Has Democrats, Republicans Tied at 50 Percent
With less than two weeks before Virginia’s November 7 legislative elections, Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin continues to get high marks from commonwealth voters, as the voters are split evenly between Republicans and Democrats on a generic legislative ballot.
Respondents were asked: “Do you approve or disapprove of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s job performance?” Fifty-seven percent approve of the commonwealth’s helmsman, with 43 percent disapproving, according to a poll conducted by Founders Insight with 969 likely voters October 14 through October 17. The poll carries a 3.91 percentage point margin of error.
Read MoreVideo: Young Man at Virginia Commonwealth University Tore Down Flyers Depicting Israelis Hamas Kidnapped
StopAntiSemitism.org activists confronted a young man after the man tore down flyers the activists had posted around the campus depicting the names and pictures of Israelis held hostage by Hamas after their October 7 raid on the Jewish State.
Read MoreVivek Ramaswamy Joins Elon Musk, David Sacks on X Spaces in Discussing How the Israel-Hamas Conflict Could Lead to WWIII
GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, X owner Elon Musk, and venture capitalist David Sacks hosted a discussion on X Spaces surrounding the current conflict in Israel and if the world is marching towards WWIII. Kicking off the conversation, Musk, citing his close ties to the intelligence department, said U.S. officials are saying the conflict in the Middle East continues “getting worse, not better.”
Read MoreVirginia Voters Split: General Assembly Battle Poll Shows Democrats, Republicans in Virtual Tie
Control of the commonwealth’s General Assembly is up for grabs, with 42 percent of voters choosing Democrats, 41 percent choosing Republicans, according to a poll conducted by the Wason Center for Civic Leadership September 28 through October 11 of 800 likely voters.
The poll carries a 4-percentage point margin of error, putting the battle for the state house at a virtual tie.
Read MoreVirginia’s Economic Development Agency Eyeing Quantum Computing
Recent advances in quantum computing have caused industry experts to believe it’s becoming viable, and Virginia wants in on the action, according to the latest edition of the Virginia Economic Review.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the state’s economic development authority, used the most recent issue of its quarterly magazine to dive into the field of quantum computing – what it is and potential ways to bring it to Virginia.
Read More‘What a Scam!’ Elon Musk Calls for Self-Described ‘Media Watchdog’ NewsGuard to Be Disbanded
On Thursday, Twitter CEO and entrepreneur Elon Musk called for NewsGuard—a for-profit entity dedicated to countering what it calls misinformation—to be “disbanded.”
Read MoreMiyares and Other Attorneys General Side with Parental Rights over School Board
Leading a group of 23 attorneys general, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief on Wednesday on behalf of the plaintiffs in Mahmoud v. McKnight, a lawsuit involving Maryland parents and the Montgomery County School Board.
Along with over 30 other states, Maryland law includes an opt-out provision that allows parents to excuse their children from sex education courses or lectures. About half the states require parents to be notified when their children will receive sex education, including Maryland.
Read MoreVirginia Sheriff Departments Asked to Contribute Excess Gear to Israel
Attorney General Jason Miyares has enlisted the help of the commonwealth’s 123 sheriff’s departments by asking for expired or surplus gear that can be donated to the Israeli military.
“I am shocked and grieved by the senseless terrorist attacks on Israel by the Hamas terrorist organization. The loss of innocent life and disregard for human rights is painfully tragic to see,” Miyares wrote in the letter.
Read MoreReport Shows Self-Sufficiency, Virginia Child Care Assistance Programs Fall Short
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission published an October study that shows Virginia’s self-sufficiency programs largely aren’t producing the desired results and existing child care programs aren’t meeting the needs of many Virginians in more ways than one.
“Self-sufficiency,” as it pertains to the studied programs, is defined as achieving a standard of living for which basic living expenses are provided.
Read MoreNational Democrats Raise $200K for Final Weeks of Battle for Virginia’s General Assembly
The Washington-based Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), the Democratic Party’s political operation focused on state legislative races, announced Monday a new six-figure investment in Virginia’s off-cycle state house contests—part of the DLCC’s attempt to nationalize the Old Dominion hustings.
“Republican dysfunction has become a hallmark of national politics,” said DLCC Campaign Communications Director Abhi Rahman. “Their refusal to do the basic requirements of government, including choosing a speaker, shows us that this is all a game to them and they don’t care about the people they were elected to represent.
Read MoreBack Off: Goochland CA Caudill Tells The Virginia Star He Won’t Kiss Sheriff’s Ring
The Republican Goochland County commonwealth’s attorney running for another four-year term told The Virginia Star his feud with Sheriff Steven N. Creasey has political significance but has not hindered his ability to prosecute crimes in the county.
The trouble started in the 2019 election, said D. Michael Caudill, who faces Creasey’s endorsed candidate, attorney John Lumpkins, in the general election.
Read MoreCommentary: Troubling Ballot Chicanery in Virginia Elections Requires Immediate Action
In a chilling reminder that the integrity of our voting process is under constant attack, there is a serious violation of electoral law under way right now in the Elections Office of Fairfax County, Virginia. The Fairfax County Registrar, Eric Spicer, has allowed a candidate for school board to appear on the ballot although she failed to submit proper petitions with sufficient signatures. Immediate action is required by the county Electoral Board to disqualify her.
Read MoreObama-Appointed Judge Partially Grants Biden DOJ’s Proposed Gag Order On Trump
A federal judge limited the scope of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) proposed gag order for former President Donald Trump after raising concerns during a hearing Monday..
Read MoreVirginia Legislator Wants to Expand Universal License Recognition
Universal license recognition became law in Virginia on July 1 for 85 different occupations, but some legislators believe ULR should be expanded to apply to more professions in the commonwealth.
ULR helps licensed professionals in approved occupations who are moving to Virginia or live near the border and want to pursue work in the commonwealth. Now, barbers, estheticians and home inspectors, for example, who have held their license for at least three years and are in good standing can easily find work in Virginia without becoming relicensed and potentially going without work for the duration of that process.
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