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Virginia sees spike in abortions due to influx of out-of-state patients
Virginia was among the states that saw a substantial increase last year in the number of abortions provided. That’s according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that advocates for access to reproductive care including abortion. The increase is likely due to an influx in patients from states with new or more restrictive abortion bans. Virginia saw 5,500 more clinician-provided abortions in 2024 than the year before, a 16% increase. That’s an outlier compared to the national trend, where there was just a 0.4% increase in states without total bans.
All six Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor support repealing right-to-work law
All six candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor say they want to repeal the state’s right-to-work law, which says workers cannot be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. At a forum for Democratic lieutenant governor candidates Wednesday night in Roanoke, all five attendees said they would work to repeal the law. The sixth candidate, longtime labor leader Alex Bastani, was absent from the forum because of sickness but said he also supports repealing the statute.
Loudoun schools won’t sign certification tied to DEI, federal funding
In a move that could lead to a loss of federal money, Loudoun County Public Schools is defying a U.S. Department of Education demand to sign an anti-discrimination certification related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The request came through the Virginia Department of Education. School divisions were required to certify by April 23 that they were in compliance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, a federal anti-discrimination law, or potentially lose federal money.
Gibson: Don’t let DOGE cuts destroy our Humanities
On April 3, I received a letter from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminating Virginia Humanities’ $1.37 million operating grant, a significant funding source that supports our work as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). For the last 50 years, Virginia Humanities has served as the state humanities council with the mission to connect people and ideas to explore the human experience. The public humanities are not a set of academic disciplines preached from an ivory tower. They are how we come to know ourselves and each other. They inspire curiosity and connection in an increasingly fragmented and disconnected world.
Spencer: Rep. Wittman is following, not leading for his district
To hear my congressman tell it, nothing extraordinary is happening in the United States these days. In a recent telephone town hall, Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman of Virginia assured those of us on the call that things are running smoothly in Washington and he is doing his job. “Telephone town hall” is an oxymoron dreamed up by spin doctors. The irony of Wittman’s refusal to face those he represents in a face-to-face forum with live questions did not seem to register with him. Instead, he worked to downplay the gravity of what is currently taking place.
Reid: Would you bet against Trump manipulating the stock market?
Imagine having direct access to national decision-makers whose words or actions can cause wild swings in the stock market. Now imagine you have millions — or even billions — in assets and well-connected, professional stockbrokers whose full-time job is to make you more money, whether the markets rise or fall. Next, imagine having flexible moral standards — believing “the ends justify the means” or “it’s only wrong if you get caught.” That describes the people in President Donald Trump’s inner circle — his official and unofficial advisers, White House staff and cabinet secretaries.
Schapiro: The Virginia judge who could trump Trump
Think of it as the revenge of the nerds. In prose distinguished by elegant certainty, a scholarly, 80-year-old federal judge in Virginia, Jay Wilkinson, is reminding President Donald Trump — a man who apparently believes he is the law — that ours remains a society of laws, not men. Writing for himself and two other judges, Wilkinson — a conservative Republican installed in 1984 on the Richmond-based U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals — framed as a danger to the liberties of all Americans Trump’s refusal to bring home, on an order from the U.S. Supreme Court, a Salvadoran migrant living legally in Maryland, Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly rounded up last month ...
Cardinal News wins FOIA battle for Flock footage in Roanoke Circuit Court
Roanoke City Circuit Court has ruled in favor of Cardinal News Executive Editor Jeff Schwaner in a declaratory judgment to be filed in Roanoke City Circuit Court. In an April 14 letter to attorneys previewing the ruling, Judge Leisa Ciaffone finds the city of Roanoke in violation of the Freedom of Information Act and requires them to fulfill a renewed request for Flock footage of Schwaner’s vehicle.
Hopewell councilor abruptly resigns his seat
Hopewell City Councilor Dominic Holloway, facing both political and legal backlash over GoFundMe account spending and questionable use of a city credit card, abruptly resigned his seat Tuesday night. ... Once the resignation is official, council may appoint someone to fill the seat on an interim basis. That person would serve until the next scheduled election for the seat in November 2026. Holloway had not attended several recent council meetings.
Suffolk School Board votes to suspend DEI policies
The Suffolk School Board voted 4-3 to suspend DEI initiatives on Thursday night, despite a pause on the Department of Education mandate made by two federal judges earlier in the day. The vote was supposed to be held at a special meeting on Wednesday night, but was postponed until the regular school board meeting on Thursday.