Category: The Center Square

(The Center Square) – With artificial intelligence becoming a political flashpoint as midterm elections loom, congressional Republicans and Democrats are split over the best approach to AI policy. Some Republicans are following the lead of President Donald Trump, who on Monday berated the very idea of AI guardrails and dubbed nationwide backlash against data centers…

(The Center Square) – Virginia gas prices climbed again Monday, with regular gasoline averaging $4.14 a gallon as drivers continue to feel the effects of higher oil prices and global supply concerns. The statewide average was up nearly 18 cents from $3.97 a week ago, according to AAA. Regular gas averaged $3.79 a month ago…

(The Center Square) – In the words of Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, showed the worst of mankind, while bringing out the best in humanity, uniting the country and much of the world. In a matter of minutes, America…

(The Center Square) – Visitors moved among the 184 memorial benches at the Pentagon on Friday, leaving flowers and stopping at individual names as the nation marked 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks. Wreaths stood across the memorial grounds, while an American flag hung from the Pentagon overlooking the site. Near the entrance, the…

(The Center Square) – AARP Virginia has canceled an October debate between Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Warner and Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa after Warner’s campaign said he could not commit to participating. The People’s Debate had been scheduled for Oct. 7 at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond. Warner’s campaign cited “an…

(The Center Square) – Virginia regulators are adding two local public hearings to the review of the proposed merger of Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy. The State Corporation Commission ordered the additional hearings Wednesday, one day after a coalition of nine Virginia community organizations called for more in-person hearings across Dominion’s service territory. Locations and…

(The Center Square) – Voters across nearly 50 Virginia localities will decide this fall whether to give local governments additional taxing authority for school construction, but approval at the ballot box would be only the first step. Forty-seven localities have school construction sales tax questions on the Nov. 3 ballot, following a change in Virginia…

(The Center Square) – Virginia has substantially increased funding for a program that helps farmers reduce pollution, and a new legislative review found the program is largely working but could better control how the money is spent. Funding for the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program, known as VACS, has exceeded $200 million in…

(The Center Square) – Two Virginia universities made the national top 10 and seven schools from the commonwealth were included in the 2027 College Free Speech Rankings released Wednesday. The University of Virginia ranked ninth and George Mason University was 10th. Both received scores of 76 and letter grades of C. William & Mary ranked…

(The Center Square) – Virginia received a B for its public-sector labor laws for the second straight report as lawmakers continue pushing to expand collective bargaining for government workers. The Commonwealth Foundation’s fifth annual 50-State Labor Report gave Virginia the same grade it received in 2024, years after the Commonwealth dropped from an A+ as…