GOVERNMENT + POLITICS
Investigation launched into site selection process for new FBI headquarters
WASHINGTON — The watchdog for the General Services Administration will investigate the process that led the federal agency to choose a Maryland site over two others for the new FBI headquarters. Acting Inspector General Robert Erickson wrote in a letter released Thursday that the “objective will be to assess the agency’s process and procedures for […]
Why are U.S. politicians so old? And why do they want to stay in office?
When former President Bill Clinton showed up at the White House in early 2023, he was there to join President Joe Biden to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. It was hard to avoid the fact that it had been three decades since Clinton was in office – yet at 77, […]
All Virginia wildfires except Matt’s Creek contained, say officials
After an unusually active fall fire season that has seen responders struggle to get multiple blazes under control, all of Virginia’s wildfires except for the Matt’s Creek Fire in Bedford County have been contained. As of Monday night, the state had “no active wildfires” besides Matt’s Creek, said Virginia Department of Forestry spokesman Greg Bilyeu […]
For 346th year, Virginia tribes present governor with a tribute of game
Turkey may be the symbol of Thanksgiving in the U.S., but in Virginia, the first sign of the holiday is usually two deer laid before the steps of the Executive Mansion. For the 346th year, the Mattaponi and Pamunkey tribes presented the state’s governor with an annual tribute of game as part of a ceremony […]
The first bills of the 2024 Virginia General Assembly have dropped. Here’s what they would do.
Virginia’s next General Assembly won’t convene until Jan. 10, but senators and delegates have already begun penning legislation. (And by that, we mean the Virginia Division of Legislative Services is hard at work translating their goals into the high-flown tones of state code.) On Monday, the start of the 2024 session’s official prefiling period, lawmakers […]
Virginia members of Congress ask for investigation into site pick for new FBI headquarters
Eleven members of Virginia’s 13-member congressional delegation are asking the acting inspector general for the federal General Services Administration to launch an investigation into the agency’s site selection process for the new Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters. “There is overwhelming evidence suggesting that the General Services Administration (GSA) administered a site selection process fouled by […]
Who Virginia Dems and the GOP picked to lead them in the 2024 General Assembly
Ahead of the 2024 General Assembly session, Virginia Democrats and Republicans are picking their leadership. After winning narrow majorities in both the House of Delegates and the Senate, Democrats are poised to assume majority roles in the chambers, while the GOP will take up minority positions. Here’s who the parties have picked: Virginia Senate Majority […]
After 15-year gap and political pressure, Hampton Roads Ventures pledges Norfolk investment
A for-profit subsidiary of the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority that hasn’t invested in Norfolk for 15 years pledged last month to back a shopping center with a grocery store, potentially eliminating a food desert adjacent to two public housing communities. The $3.5 million investment by Hampton Roads Ventures would help finance the $10 million […]
A divided government is Virginia’s natural condition. Has been for 50 years.
Ever notice that neither party tends to stay in power very long in Virginia? It’s become our natural condition. Cable TV politicos tend to get all breathless from time to time and dye Virginia cardinal red or cobalt blue, depending on which way the pendulum swings from one election cycle to the next. The truth […]
Virginia voters gave Democrats control of the legislature. What will it mean for policy?
The two-year period before the arrival of Gov. Glenn Youngkin was the first time in decades that Democrats controlled both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly. Come January, they’ll be back in charge. That sets up a policymaking dynamic that hasn’t been seen in Virginia since the 1990s: A Republican governor working with a fully […]
New federal rule seeks to curb ‘deceptive practices’ in poultry production
Federal ag officials are poised to enact new disclosure requirements for the poultry industry to give chicken growers a better understanding of their potential profits. The changes are meant to address some long-standing complaints by farmers who are contracted by large companies to grow chickens for meat, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials said Wednesday. Most […]
FBI director slams selection process for a new HQ in Maryland while lawmakers squabble
WASHINGTON — The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday rebuked the site selection process for its new headquarters, while members of Congress from Maryland and Virginia sparred over whether politics unfairly tipped the scales. FBI Director Christopher Wray wrote in a message to employees that he and others have “concerns about the […]