Author: Markus Schmidt

VA-01 Democrats escalate dispute with state party over primary neutrality
Six Democrats seeking their party’s nomination in Virginia’s 1st congressional district have escalated their dispute with the Democratic Party of Virginia, arguing newly disclosed federal campaign finance records undercut party leaders’ claims that they have remained neutral in the crowded primary field. In a new letter sent Monday to DPVA

ER visits by uninsured patients in Virginia hospitals spiked by 8% last year
Virginia’s emergency departments saw an 8% increase in uninsured patient visits last year compared to the previous year, according to new data from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Labeled as “self-pay,” this ER classification identifies people who lack insurance or did not prove they had it at the time

After taking off in Charlottesville, feds plan national electric aircraft charging network rollout
A nationwide charging system for electric and automated aircraft is underway, following the federal government’s launch of its first pilot flight in Charlottesville last week. The Thursday announcement came as the nation prepares to expand advanced air mobility, a shift that could improve air transportation while benefiting public health and

Why Maryland’s economy trails Virginia’s despite similar Trump federal job cuts, more headlines
• “Why Maryland’s economy trails Virginia’s despite similar Trump federal job cuts.” — The Baltimore Sun • “Why Northern Virginians will help pay for controversial rural transmission line project.” — WTOP News • “Virginia’s new anti-speeding device aims to curb dangerous driving habits.” — 13 News Now • “Experience this

ICE officers to wear body cameras at traffic stops, White House border czar says
WASHINGTON — In the wake of two fatal shootings in Texas and Maine, U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement officers will wear “at least one body camera” during traffic stops, Tom Homan, the president’s border czar, said over the weekend. Homan, who President Donald Trump has tasked with leading his mass

FDA: Taylor Farms iceberg lettuce sample produced a false positive for cyclospora
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Sunday that the Taylor Farms lettuce sample that tested positive for the parasite cyclospora was actually a false positive. The announcement comes after the FDA previously reported on Saturday that a sample of iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms in central Mexico

Supplier of gun used in attack at Old Dominion pleads guilty
(The Center Square) – The gun used at Old Dominion University by a convicted foreign terrorist supporter came from a Virginian who stole it and was dealing firearms without a license, according to his guilty plea. Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, faces 35 years in prison at his Dec. 18 sentencing in the U.S.…

Data centers want to build their own gas turbines. Would that skirt state renewable energy laws?
Virginia’s surging energy demands require more power generation infrastructure to be built, a slow process that’s delaying new data centers waiting to be connected to the grid. Dominion Energy, the state’s largest utility, has an estimated 70 gigawatts worth of projects in their queue that need more power sources online

Late on rent? New Virginia law gives tenants more time and protection from eviction
Tamiaka Bryant has rebuilt her life from scratch before. She doesn’t want to have to do it again. Originally from North Carolina, Bryant saw her hometown of New Bern pummeled by Hurricane Florence in 2018. Flooding and heavy winds caused an estimated $100 million in commercial and residential damage, prompting

Virginia schools gain spending flexibility under federal program
Virginia schools will have greater agency in administrative decisions and flexibility in how they spend federal funds heading into the upcoming school year, potentially affecting low-income student programs and teacher development. Over the past year, the U.S. Department of Education has loosened some rules on how federal Title program funds










