Author: Markus Schmidt
Virginia AG launches voter protection unit ahead of midterm elections
Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones on Tuesday announced a new Voter Protection Section, creating a team of dedicated lawyers to investigate voting rights violations and enforce state election laws three weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The section will investigate improper voter registration cancellations, absentee ballot denials, voter intimidation
Virginia report tracks where state tax dollars go
(The Center Square) – Southwest and southern Virginia receive more general fund spending per dollar paid in state taxes than northern Virginia and the Richmond region, a legislative report found. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission presented the findings Tuesday in a new analysis included in its annual state spending report. The analysis examined…
Virginia creates voter protection section ahead of election
(The Center Square) – With Election Day three weeks away, Virginia’s attorney general’s office has created a section to investigate voter intimidation, improper registration removals and other barriers to voting. Attorney General Jay Jones announced the Voter Protection Section on Tuesday. It will enforce existing election laws and review proposed election changes that could affect…
Study provides a remedy for coal dust in Newport News. Good luck getting terminal operators to pay.
Coal dust, a decades-long scourge for thousands of residents of Hampton Roads cities where mammoth coal terminals operate, could be less of a menace in Newport News if local officials and businesses follow the recommendations in a new study. But getting funding from the wealthy terminal operators? Don’t hold your
What happens to Virginia abortion laws if amendment passes and more headlines
• “If Virginia passes the proposed amendment on reproductive health, what happens to the state’s laws on abortion? Here’s what legal experts say.” — Cardinal News • “Virginia releases statewide environmental literacy plan.” — Bay Journal • “Virginia gun owners want assault-style firearm sales ban overturned.” — WDBJ 7 •
US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal
The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Following an Oct. 9 call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. Treasury
Data center backlash set to sway midterm elections
In the course of a single election cycle, the backlash against data centers has grown from an issue at local planning commission and city council meetings to become a flashpoint in state and federal races across the country. Candidates who once touted data centers as an economic boon have backtracked, and voters
Commission limits access to memo in Dominion merger review
(The Center Square) – A Virginia hearing examiner has restricted access to a disputed NextEra Energy memorandum as regulators review the company’s proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy. State Corporation Commission Chief Hearing Examiner D. Mathias Roussy Jr. ruled Thursday that parties covered by confidentiality agreements may review the document in person at the companies’ attorneys’…
Virginia teachers balance AI innovation with student creativity amid rising academic pressure
Students face pressure to do well from family expectations, peer competition, college admissions, and a broader achievement-focused culture. Some Virginia education experts say it is leading them to rely on artificial intelligence, at the expense of strengthening their own creative and critical thinking skills. “They want to do well, and
Measles cases reach 4,080 for the year — the highest in decades
Measles cases for the calendar year surpassed 4,000 for the first time in decades, with as many as five deaths in Pennsylvania, as the federal government steps in with financial help for states but also fans vaccination fears and skepticism. A weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and
