Helene: Youngkin Requests $4.4 Billion in Federal Relief

Glenn Youngkin

In the wake of the devastation impacting southwestern Virginia following Hurricane Helene, Gov. Glenn Youngkin is requesting additional federal assistance to support recovery efforts.

Youngkin submitted a request for $4.4 billion in federal support on Friday to President Joe Biden, President-elect Donald Trump and congressional appropriators. The governor said the aid would support recovery efforts, which damaged farms, homes, businesses, “critical” infrastructure and tourism assets.

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Youngkin, Miyares Vow to Appeal for Virginia’s Right to Remove Illegal Voters ‘All the Way to the Supreme Court’

Jason Miyares and Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares on Friday vowed to appeal after a federal judge ordered Virginia to restore about 1,500 noncitizens to the commonwealth’s voter rolls.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Trolliver Giles, an appointee of President Joe Biden, announced her decision after the Biden-Harris Department of Justice (DOJ) sued to force Virginia to restore the noncitizen voters, alleging the commonwealth violated the National Voter Registration Act by removing them so close to an election.

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Youngkin Issues Executive Order to Combat Gang Violence

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued his 41st executive order Thursday establishing a statewide gang and community violence prevention partnership and enforcement strategy to confront gang violence.

In addition to combating gang violence, the order will target drug and human trafficking and violence committed with firearms. The action also aims to provide support to communities and victims.

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Several Virginia Locations Under Consideration for Shore-Based Nuclear Power Sites

Naval Air Station

Four of seven locations the Navy is considering for potential shore-based nuclear power sites are in Virginia, according to information recently released by the department.

Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Naval Support Activity South Potomac in Dahlgren, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Marine Corps Base Quantico are the sites under consideration. Installations in Maryland and North Carolina are also being considered.

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Lawsuit: More than 6,000 Noncitizens on Virginia Voter Rolls in the Balance

Person Voting

Over 6,000 “noncitizens” could be added back to Virginia’s voter rolls if the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of groups advocating on behalf of immigrants prevail in their lawsuits against the commonwealth.

A pair of lawsuits filed against the state target Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 35, which aims to increase election security. However, the cases are focused on the commonwealth’s ongoing efforts to clean voter roll logs, specifically “noncitizens” registered to vote.

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Climate Activists Disrupt Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin Speech on September 11 Remembrance

Glenn Youngkin

Climate activists crashed Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s lunch keynote at a Federalist Society education event in downtown Washington, D.C., on Thursday, interrupting his remarks about remembering the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Republican, who sailed into office on the strength of parental demands to control their children’s education amid COVID-19 restrictions, was discussing how he just came from Arlington National Cemetery when a small mob of activists approached the stage and started chanting.

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Youngkin Declares ‘Virginia Is Competitive’ for Trump Campaign Despite Biden-Harris Swap

Glenn Youngkin, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump

Governor Glenn Youngkin said on Wednesday that Virginia remains competitive for former President Donald Trump and Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) despite President Joe Biden dropping out of the race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, who has been credited with making up ground lost under Biden.

Youngkin made the remarks during an appearance on The Brian Kilmeade Show, initially acknowledging the recent poll results that showed Harris narrowly leading Trump within the survey’s margin of error.

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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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RNC Chair Declares Virginia ‘Competitive’ for Trump Campaign, Evidenced by ‘Trailblazer’ Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin

The chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) confirmed the party considers Virginia “competitive” for former President Donald Trump in his campaign to retake the White House in November, pointing toward the 2021 victory by Governor Glenn Youngkin as evidence conservatives can still win statewide elections in the commonwealth.

RNC Chair Michael Whatley told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday that Virginia will be competitive for the Trump campaign after Youngkin showed “how a Republican can win Virginia” with his 2021 victory.

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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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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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Governor Glenn Youngkin Says Virginia will Ignore California Emissions Rules

Glenn Youngkin

On Wednesday, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-Va.) announced that, as of the end of 2024, the commonwealth will no longer attempt to enforce the vehicle emissions rules demanded by the state of California.

As reported by ABC News, Youngkin’s announcement comes after Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-Va.) released his opinion on Tuesday declaring that Virginia is not legally required to follow the orders of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The new CARB regulations are set to take effect on January 1st, 2025.

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Youngkin Signs Legislation Strengthening Laws to Protect Children

Glenn Youngkin

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin gathered with legislators Wednesday for a ceremonial signing of bills passed unanimously by the General Assembly designed to prevent and counter child exploitation in the commonwealth.

Senate Bill 731, patroned by Sen. Tara Durant, R-Fredericksburg, criminalizes the use of artificially generated depictions of children in child pornography. Durant said the bill modernizes Virginia law so it’s no longer trailing criminal activity.

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Teachers Union Worked with Feds to Neutralize Parents with Concerns About CRT

American Federation of Teachers

Republican nominee Glenn Youngkin’s gubernatorial victory in Virginia in November 2021, widely credited to his promise to restore parental rights in public schools in the Democratic-leaning state, set off panic in the national education establishment.

Newly disclosed records reveal the American Federation of Teachers hired a prominent Democratic pollster the following month to survey parents and devise messaging to shore up AFT’s weaknesses – particularly by tarring dissenting parents as racists – and shared it with a senior Department of Education official.

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Youngkin Casts Doubt on Building Small Nuclear Reactor in Southwest Virginia

Glenn Youngkin

After months of research and investigation into what it would look like to build a small modular nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin revealed the region may not be selected for Virginia’s first SMR after all.

“There may be other places around Virginia that may be better suited for the first one,” Youngkin said. “We’re looking at places across the commonwealth. I do firmly believe that Virginia will be the first state to have a small modular reactor in a commercial fashion.”

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Virginia Arena Deal Nixed from the State Budget

Youngkin Speaking

Despite Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s best efforts to promote the $2 billion entertainment district deal he announced in December, the General Assembly isn’t buying it.

The House of Delegates and state Senate released their negotiated proposed budget on Thursday, and it didn’t include funding for the “Glenn Dome.”

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Virginia Police Benevolent Association Urges State Lawmakers to Oppose Legalization of Skill Games

Rich Goszka, a staff representative with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, sent a letter to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and members of the Virginia General Assembly urging the opposition of any attempts that aim to legalize skill games.

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Shenandoah Civil War Park Potential New Home for Confederate Memorial

Confederate Monument

A Confederate memorial was removed this week from Arlington National Cemetery and could be relocated to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park in the Shenandoah Valley if Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin gets his way.

The park is operated by the Virginia Museum of the Civil War, which is run by the Virginia Military Institute, one of the commonwealth’s 15 public universities and the oldest state-supported military college in the U.S.

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Commentary: Forget the Media Doomsaying — the GOP Will Be Ok

Congress Building

If you follow politics and didn’t know that voters in Charleston, South Carolina, elected the city’s first Republican mayor in almost a century and a half, you can be forgiven. A lot of people missed it because, while it was covered, the legacy media failed, unsurprisingly, to recognize it for the landmark it is.

The scant attention paid to the outcome of that race compared to, say, the GOP’s failure to take over the Virginia Legislature is a discordant note that throws off an otherwise harmonious national narrative that has the Republican Party hopelessly divided and unable to win elections now that Bidenomics is working.

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No Current Republican Frontrunners for 2025’s Virginia Gubernatorial Contest

With an early declaration from Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger that she will be running for governor in 2025 and Virginia’s one-term policy preventing Gov. Glenn Youngkin from running consecutively, Republicans can only speculate who their candidates will be.

Spanberger has said she declared early due to next year’s congressional races in which her seat will be reelected. She wanted to give interested parties time to prepare a strong campaign to keep District 7 blue.

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The 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.

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Battle 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.

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Youngkin ‘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.

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Youngkin ‘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.

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The 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.

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The 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.

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Virginia 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.

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Virginia 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.

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National 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.

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Back 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.

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin Makes Closing Argument on Abortion with $1.4 Million Ad Buy

The Spirit of Virginia political action committee run by Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin kicked off a $1.4 million ad buy defending the Republican position on abortion—marking the first serious effort to counter Democrats by any Republican politician since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned both the 1973 Roe v. Wade and the 1992 Casey decisions the created the so-called right to an abortion.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch captured the reluctance of Republicans to mention abortion in its article about the ad.

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Virginia School Board Adopts GOP Gov’s Parental Rights Policy After Parents Slap It with Lawsuit

The Virginia Beach School Board approved Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s gender transition notification policy Tuesday after being hit with a lawsuit from parents, according to The Virginia Pilot.

In August, the board voted on the policy but was deadlocked with five votes in favor and five against, effectively stalling the proposal, which prompted several parents to file a lawsuit in September demanding the district protect parental rights. The board took up the issue again this week, however, and voted 9 to 1 in favor of adopting Youngkin’s policy, with one member abstaining, according to The Virginia Pilot.

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin Makes Closing Argument on Abortion with $1.4 Million Ad Buy

The Spirit of Virginia political action committee run by Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin kicked off a $1.4 million ad buy defending the Republican position on abortion — marking the first serious effort to counter Democrats by any Republican politician since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, which overturned both the 1973 Roe v. Wade and the 1992 Casey decisions that created the so-called right to an abortion.

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Virginia Democrats’ Mega-Donor, Wife Back Cam-Girl Delegate Hopeful with $310K

When the votes are counted in Virginia after the November 7 off-cycle legislative elections, in a big way, it is a referendum on the political effectiveness of a mega-wealthy money manager who has devoted himself to Old Dominion politics—and who is not Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Instead, that man is Micheal Bills, who has given more than $15 million in direct contributions to Democratic candidates.

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Shock Poll Shows Virginia in Play: Trump, Biden Tied at 37 Percent

Nearly a year before the 2024 presidential election, former President Donald J. Trump is running neck-and-neck with the man who replaced him in the White House, Joseph R. Biden Jr., with each with the support of 37 percent of Virginians, according to a poll by the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies of 1,000 of the commonwealth’s adults conducted September 5 through September 11.

“Virginia looks a lot like America as a whole in this survey,” said Professor Stephen J. Farnsworth, the center’s director.

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Purple Commonwealth: Virginia Poll Shows 42 Percent to 42 Percent Split Between Republicans, Democrats

Old Dominion residents go into the commonwealth’s Nov. 7 legislative elections equally split between Democrats and Republicans, with 42 percent of voters telling the University of Mary Washington’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies poll of 1,000 Virginia adults conducted Sept. 5 through Sept. 11.

“Virginia has rapidly returned to its purple state status,” said Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, and the center’s director. The poll included 833 registered voters, 771 likely voters, and carries a 3-percentage point margin of error.

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Virginia GOP State Senate Hopeful Emily Brewer Tells John Fredericks Her Adoption Story Blunts Left’s Abortion Narrative

The Republican House Delegate running to represent the State Senate’s 17th District told radio host John Fredericks she counters the Democrats’ pro-abortion messaging with her own adoption story during her Thursday “The John Fredericks Show” appearance.

“I was adopted. It’s something that ever since I’ve been in the House of Delegates in the past six years, I’ve worked on adoption and foster care reform because that’s not just the issue,” said Delegate Emily Brewer, who currently represents the chamber’s 64th District.

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November Elections Will Determine Control of Virginia House

Republicans currently hold a 49-46 majority in the Virginia House, and the Nov. 7, 2023, election will determine control of the state legislature and Virginia’s trifecta status. Virginia’s trifecta status changed from Democratic to divided as a result of the 2021 elections. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) was elected to succeed term-limited incumbent Ralph Northam (D). Democrats also lost control of the Virginia House. If Republicans maintain control of the House and win the Senate, Virginia would become a Republican trifecta. If Democrats win control of the House or maintain control of the Senate, Virginia would remain a divided government.

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Bannon Blasts McConnell, GOP Donors Teeing Up 47-Day CR for Virginia Gov. Youngkin’s Trump Challenge

The host of “War Room” blasted Senate Republicans for going along with a 47-day continuing resolution that will fund the federal government until November 17 because he said it was part of a behind-the-scenes plot to foist Virginia’s Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin upon voters as the establishment alternative to former President Donald J. Trump.

“I told you this 47 days in the Senate is McConnell and the big money donors exactly linked to Youngkin’s bid to flip the Senate in the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Stephen K. Bannon to his audience.

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Governors Have ‘Limited Effect’ on State Economy, Says Virginia Economist

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has recently touted rising employment rates and general fund surpluses, causing some to wonder how much influence governors have over a state’s economy.

A regional economist from the University of Virginia argues that governors have less impact than people might think. 

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Virginia Gov. Youngkin Seeks to Ready Virginia for AI Adoption

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued an Executive Directive requiring the state’s Office of Regulatory Management to develop protocol and guidance for the use of artificial intelligence in the commonwealth, both by the state government and educational institutions.

While lawmakers nationwide are eager to understand AI and respond with appropriate legislation governing its use, Youngkin wants Virginia to move faster.

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Retreat: Youngkin Moves Confederate Memorial Statue from Arlington to VMI

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin executed an orderly retreat in his battle to preserve Arlington National Cemetery’s Confederate Memorial, dedicated by President T. Woodrow Wilson in 1914, and the final resting place of nearly 500 Confederate veterans and their loved ones.

The Washington Post reported that the governor found a home for the bronze statue:

The Board of Visitors at VMI unanimously approved a motion Wednesday to accept the statue for placement at the Virginia Museum of the Civil War at New Market Battlefield State Historical Park — owned and operated by the college — north of VMI’s campus in Lexington. The battlefield is a focal point of the school’s history — it was there in 1864 that its cadets joined Confederate forces to successfully push back Union troops. An enormous mural mounted inside the college’s chapel depicts the VMI corps of cadets’ charge across the New Market battlefield.

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Virginia State Senator Chase Quits Write-In Campaign Despite Tying Primary Loss to 346 Illegal Votes

The Republican state senator, who calls herself “Trump in heels” and lost the June 20 primary for Virginia’s 12th Senate District, told The Virginia Star her reasons for not launching a write-in campaign in the general election.

“Many of you have asked if I’m organizing a write-in campaign this year in Senate District 12. I’m currently not organizing a write-in campaign,” said State Senator Amanda Chase (R-Chesterfield County), whose district changed since her reelection in 2019. Chase lost to former State Senator Glen Sturtevant.

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Rogue Write-in Campaign Risks Youngkin’s Agenda, Ambitions

A one-time ally of Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, and unsuccessful state senate hopeful, told The Virginia Star he is still seething from dirty tricks during the primary campaign, and he is running a write-in campaign against the GOP nominee that threatens to block the governor and GOP’s chance to with control of Old Dominion’s Senate.

“Governor Youngkin can do a lot of things today via his executive authority like Democrats do when they’re in the executive office, but he doesn’t, and he doesn’t because he does not want to rock the boat,” said Republican Matt Strickland, who served as an Army combat medic with multiple kinetic tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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Virginia Governor Announces New Education Initiative After Pandemic Learning Loss

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced his ALL IN VA plan, intended to help Virginia students recover from COVID-19 learning loss and return to higher academic standards, on the heels of the announcement of the Virginia Assessment Results for the 2022-23 school year.

The plan is the latest in a long string of interventions and reforms the governor has made in education during his tenure. 

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Virginia Legislators Pass Budget in Special Session

The Virginia General Assembly met Wednesday in Richmond and voted to finalize the overdue budget deal recently reached by the House and Senate finance committees – but not without a few impassioned speeches from the floor, many over the unique resolution lawmakers were asked to pass.

The assembly passes amendments to the state’s two-year budget every odd year, but this year, the House and Senate continued debating the budget past the July 1 deadline, the start of the fiscal year. Finally, the committees reached a deal, and Gov. Glenn Youngkin called a special session for legislators to codify it. 

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