Category: Virginia Mercury

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Treasury’s recent proposed regulation to limit refunds for certain tax credits based on immigration status is the latest move by the Trump administration to restrict noncitizens’ access to federal benefits. In President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, he has employed a governmentwide

Virginians can now carry their state-issued driver’s license or identification card on their iPhone or Apple Watch, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday in Richmond. The update comes as Virginians increasingly turn to smart devices for everyday activities, including shopping and entertainment events. In 2017, state lawmakers tasked

PJM, the regional grid operator for most of the East Coast, is asking federal regulators to approve a rule requiring new large-load customers, namely data centers, to bring their own power supply to the grid.  With Virginia among the 13 states served by PJM, the proposal filed with the Federal

• “In a small Virginia town, distrust of Big Tech hampers Trump’s AI push.” — South China Morning Post • “In Virginia’s Navy country, the Iran war tests a GOP incumbent.” — The New York Times • “Virginia Beach Schools enters partnership with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to educators.” —

Democrat-led states and voting rights groups re-filed lawsuits Wednesday to block the Trump administration from executing a new regulation to restrict mail-in voting, while a federal judge lifted a nationwide pause on the policy in line with this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that handed the administration a procedural win.

Virginia is set to receive at least $353 million from Meta Platforms Inc. under a major multistate settlement that would also require the parent company of Facebook and Instagram to adopt new safeguards aimed at protecting children from addictive features and harmful content.  The agreement, announced Wednesday, could reach more

• “SpaceX Starlink launch seen across Central Virginia.” — WSET • “More than 1,300 people arrested by ICE in Virginia and Maryland.” — Al Jazeera • “Gov. Spanberger warns beef imports will harm Virginia cattle farmers.” — WAVY • “Rural Virginia communities face real and lingering consequences from labor and

Amazon Web Services is changing course on how a King George data center project will get its water after an application to renew a groundwater permit allowing withdrawals of up to 6.4 million gallons annually from the Potomac aquifer raised concerns. The tech giant is set to construct a major

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a procedural victory to President Donald Trump on an executive order to curb mail-in voting, but the administration is still fighting a separate ruling that limits a portion of the order and remains in effect — complicating the administration’s temporary win.  In light of

Virginia students continued to make progress in reading and math last school year, posting gains that moved them closer to pre-pandemic performance levels, the Virginia Department of Education announced Tuesday. Across the commonwealth, students’ proficiency in math and reading increased by 0.4% from the prior school year. Over the past