GOVERNMENT + POLITICS

COMMENTARY

A divided government is Virginia’s natural condition. Has been for 50 years.

BY: - November 13, 2023

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?

BY: - November 13, 2023

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

BY: - November 13, 2023

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

BY: and - November 9, 2023

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 […]

Maryland confirmed as pick for new FBI headquarters over Virginia

BY: and - November 8, 2023

WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s new headquarters will be in Maryland, a significant victory for the state following years of jockeying against Virginia and debate throughout several presidencies about where best to locate the law enforcement agency. The General Services Administration picked the Greenbelt, Maryland, site Wednesday over the Springfield, Virginia, and Landover, […]

COMMENTARY

Governor’s mismanagement of voting process continues as Election Day looms

BY: - November 3, 2023

Officials in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration, including the de facto state Republican Party chief himself, can’t get voting right in Virginia. The latest piece of evidence is the purging of nearly 3,400 citizens who, as former felons, had had their voting rights restored. They were then incorrectly taken off the rolls because of probation violations […]

Some Va. lawmakers say it’s time to eliminate daylight saving time

BY: - November 3, 2023

The sense of dread that so often accompanies Mondays could feel slightly more bearable for some next week as Virginians gain another hour of sleep this Sunday from daylight saving time. (Of course, that extra rest comes at the cost of darker nights for the next four months.) If some lawmakers had their way, the […]

After opening probe of pro-Palestinian group, Virginia AG sends supplies to Israel

BY: - November 1, 2023

A crowd appeared outside the Virginia attorney general’s office on a chilly Wednesday morning to help load black duffel bags into a white truck that would handle the first leg of their journey to Israel. The bags and crates were filled with surplus vest, helmets and protective plates donated by Virginia law enforcement agencies at […]

COMMENTARY

One year in, what has Gov. Youngkin’s Partnership for Petersburg delivered?

BY: - November 1, 2023

When Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced last month that a new mobile supermarket would be setting up shop in the city as part of the one year anniversary festivities of his Partnership for Petersburg initiative, residents’ reactions ranged from celebratory to concern. Would the new tractor-trailer grocery help close a decades-old food desert or was the […]

Federal judge denies attempt to block Virginia’s toughened hemp law

BY: - October 31, 2023

A federal judge in Northern Virginia rejected an effort to block a new Virginia law imposing stricter limits on hemp products that contain intoxicating amounts of THC. The initial opinion issued Monday denied a group of hemp businesses’ request for an injunction that would have prevented state officials from enforcing the law, meaning the new […]

COMMENTARY

A Democratic conundrum as Spanberger aims at the Executive Mansion’s glass ceiling

BY: - October 31, 2023

Is it selfish for Democrats in Congress to want Abigail Spanberger to stay put in her hard-won seat representing Virginia’s notoriously purple 7th U.S. House district? Is it selfish for Democrats on Capitol Square to want her to leave Capitol Hill and proclaim her candidacy for governor in 2025? News reports say Spanberger has told […]

White House calls for stronger gun policy reforms after Maine shooting

BY: - October 30, 2023

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called on Congress on Thursday to strengthen gun safety laws in the wake of the mass shootings in Lewiston, Maine. Jean-Pierre opened Thursday’s press briefing with a statement on the shootings, saying President Joe Biden stepped out of a state dinner Wednesday night to receive an initial briefing on the […]