Category: The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Virginia is getting $122 million in federal funding for rural health care as hospitals across rural parts of the Commonwealth continue to struggle with staffing shortages, rising costs and financial pressure. The Trump administration announced the funding Friday through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program. The money will go toward expanding…

(The Center Square) – Virginia students posted slight gains in reading and math on Standards of Learning tests this year, while history improved more and some middle school math grades slipped. Statewide reading and math pass rates each increased 0.4 percentage points during the 2025-26 school year, according to the Virginia Department of Education. The…

(The Center Square) – Virginia localities are reconsidering automated license plate readers as communities weigh their crime-fighting benefits against concerns over privacy, data sharing and compliance with a new state law. Lynchburg last week temporarily shut off all 15 of its fixed Flock Safety cameras while the Police Department and city staff arrange an independent…

(The Center Square) – Republican U.S. Rep. Ben Cline and Democratic challenger Beth Macy are publicly disputing plans for debates in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District, leaving the candidates without an agreed-upon schedule ahead of the November election. Cline announced Monday that he accepted invitations to three events with Macy: Sept. 3 at West Oaks Farmers…

(The Center Square) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led a lawsuit Wednesday to block a new federal rule governing mail-in ballots. But a former U.S. Department of Justice lawyer who’s now working at a think tank says the suit is unnecessary. Prompted by President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14399, the U.S. Postal Service rule…

(The Center Square) – Democratic attorneys general from California, 22 other states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S. Postal Service over its rule on mail-in ballots. The suit follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday to allow, for now, President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots. The order…

(The Center Square) – Child-safety measures for children and $353 million from a $17.1 billion settlement are coming to Virginia from Meta, owner of the Facebook and Instagram platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg was spared a spot on the stand to tell jurors his side in a California federal court. Thirty-two states sued in October 2023.…

(The Center Square) – Virginia agencies are being told to make it easier for eligible residents to stay enrolled in Medicaid and food assistance as new federal requirements take effect. Executive Order 20, issued Tuesday, creates a “Keep Virginia Covered” policy for carrying out changes in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known…