Historic battlefields listed among endangered sites thanks to data centers and more headlines
• 'For state police job, recruiters handed Youngkin a 'superstar' candidate. He hired an insider instead.' — Richmond Times-Dispatch
• 'Corporations pull sponsorships from Virginia's largest Pride event.' — Axios Richmond
• 'Virginia renters make modest gains from lawmakers in the General Assembly.' — Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
• 'Gov. Youngkin announces $16.9M investment in workforce housing, Harrisonburg, Winchester among recipients.' — WHSV
• 'Preservation Virginia lists historic battlefields among endangered sites thanks to data centers.' — Inside NoVa
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16 hours ago
Youngkin praises Virginia's economy, dismissing Democrats' concerns over Medicaid and job cuts
RICHMOND, Va. -- Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Thursday that Virginia's economy is thriving after ending its fiscal year with high revenues, a characterization Democrats criticized as rose-colored in light of budgetary decisions in neighboring Washington, D.C. In a presentation to the state's money committees, Youngkin and Virginia's secretary of finance said revenues for the fiscal year resulted in a $572 million surplus and a $4.7 billion rainy-day fund. Economic output in the state grew by about 1 percent higher than initially forecast, officials said. 'The strength and success we see today is no accident. It is the result of very intentional decisions made by all of us — intentional decisions to lift up opportunity in the Commonwealth of Virginia,' Youngkin said in his speech to lawmakers. 'And these decisions are yielding dividends. They're enabling us to compete and to win.' Democratic lawmakers were quick to push back, particularly in light of looming Medicaid work requirements for some adults after Congress passed a reconciliation bill last month. Youngkin repeatedly said Medicaid will not be taken away from Virginians, and Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings added that hospitals will be able to absorb any additional costs from federal cuts to Medicaid. Senate Democratic Majority Leader Scott Surovell cited an analysis from the Congressional Budget Office this year estimating that roughly 11 million Americans will lose access to Medicaid. 'The governor stood up here and said a million times, repeatedly, that nobody is coming to throw out Medicaid,' Surovell said. He added that the CBO, which 'America relies upon to tell us the answers to these things, tells us that millions of Americans are going to lose their Medicaid.' Democrats also said the governor is not fully acknowledging that the White House's reshaping of the federal workforce will continue to impact the state's economy. The job losses that factored into Youngkin's assessment did not include federal workers who took buyouts and are still receiving payments until later this year, Cummings said. But Republican House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore praised Youngkin's presentation, calling it 'the kind of news every Virginian should cheer.' 'It happened because Republicans have kept a steady hand on the wheel,' Kilgore said. ___
Newsweek
2 days ago
- Newsweek
Abigail Spanberger Wins Backing of Group That Endorsed Glenn Youngkin
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the endorsement of a police organization that backed GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin in his 2021 run, as polls suggest Spanberger has carved out a polling lead over her Republican rival, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. Newsweek reached out to the Spanberger and Earle-Sears campaigns for comment via email. Why It Matters Virginia voters will elect their next governor in November, as Youngkin cannot run again due to term limits. The party outside of the White House has historically performed well in the off-year elections in the former battleground that has shifted toward Democrats over the past few decades. But the race will be a key test for both parties. Democrats will be hoping to win back voters who shifted rightward and test their message ahead of the midterms. Republicans, meanwhile, will be aiming to hold onto those same voters, particularly Latino and Asian voters with whom President Donald Trump made inroads last year. What to Know Spanberger rolled out the endorsement of the Virginia Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on Wednesday, less than three months before Virginia voters cast their ballots in the race. Joe Woloszyn, president of the Virginia PBA, wrote in a statement that he believes Spanberger "understands the responsibility of putting on the badge" as a former federal law enforcement. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger attends a rally in Alexandria, Virginia on April 10, 2025. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger attends a rally in Alexandria, Virginia on April 10, 2025."As a Member of Congress, she repeatedly voted to increase funding for local police departments and sheriff's offices — and she was relentless in pushing her bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act across the finish line to secure the earned benefits of thousands of Virginia's retired police officers," he wrote. In 2021, the organization backed Youngkin for governor and Earle-Sears in the lieutenant governor race. Both went on to narrowly win their elections against Democratic candidates in November—Youngkin by 2 points and Earle-Sears by 1.5 points. At the time, Woloszyn wrote that Youngkin had an "in depth understanding of the complex issues currently facing law enforcement in the commonwealth. The endorsement came after the Democrats' 2021 nominee, former Governor Terry McAuliffe, declined to meet with the group. Virginia Governor Race: What Polls Show The latest polls of the Virginia governor race show Spanberger with a lead. A Virginia Commonwealth University poll released last month showed Spanberger leading by 12 points (49 percent to 37 percent). It surveyed 764 registered voters from June 19, 2025, to July 3, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.16 percentage points. A HarrisX poll from earlier this year showed a closer race, showing her up four points (52 percent to 48 percent). It surveyed 1,000 likely voters from May 9 to May 13, 2025. What People Are Saying Woloszyn wrote in the statement: "Abigail has a deep, expert-level knowledge of the unique challenges facing Virginia's law enforcement officers, and she is a leader who shares our goal of building trust across our communities and working towards a safer, stronger Commonwealth. The VAPBA Board of Directors is proud to publicly endorse Abigail Spanberger for Governor of Virginia." Spanberger wrote in a statement: "Virginians deserve a Governor who recognizes the tremendous sacrifice that comes with swearing an oath to protect and serve our neighbors. As Governor, I will always make sure our brave men and women in blue have the tools, resources, and training they need to do their jobs and keep us safe. I look forward to working directly with VAPBA and the communities they serve as Governor to have the backs of our fellow Virginians who go to work each day to put others first." Political scientist Larry Sabato wrote to X: "Interesting. I always look for endorsement flips. VA Police Benevolent Association--which backed all Rs in 2021-- just endorsed Spanberger (D). They stuck with Rs for Lt Gov (Reid) and AG (Miyares). In '21 the group backed Earle-Sears for Lt Gov." Journalist David Weigel wrote on X: "One of McAuliffe's 2021 fumbles was skipping the VPBA meeting; he had trouble navigating the post-George Floyd landscape where police unions didn't trust Dems, was annoyed that his record wasn't enough." What Happens Next The Virginia gubernatorial general election is scheduled for November 4, 2025.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
Abigail Spanberger, Democratic governor hopeful, unveils education overhaul plan as election nears
Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has vowed to overhaul the state's education system. The plan aims to strengthen Virginia's K-12 schools as the state faces a teacher shortage and low rankings on its post-COVID educational recovery. In addition to addressing the teacher shortage through recruitment and support plans, Spanberger aims to ensure academic rigor while "modernizing crumbling schools." Additionally, she's looking to reject efforts to take funding from public schools and diverting it to voucher programs. "Virginia's kids deserve strong schools that prepare them for success – regardless of their ZIP code," Spanberger is quoted as saying at the top of her plan. The Education Recovery Scorecard found Virginia ranked 41st in reading recovery between 2019 and 2024, while it ranked 51st – behind all states and D.C. – in math recovery. Additionally, the state ranked 46th in math improvement over the same period. "The federal pandemic relief dollars may be gone, but the pandemic's impact lingers in many Virginia schools. Even without federal relief dollars, states could be targeting continuing federal Title I dollars and state dollars to implement interventions which have been shown effective, such as tutoring and summer learning," the organization wrote in a press release announcing Virginia's rankings. Spanberger isn't just aiming to bring more teachers into the classroom, she's also advocating for higher salaries for Virginia educators, which she believes will help "keep our best and brightest in the classroom." Education was a hallmark issue of Virginia's last gubernatorial race with now-Gov. Glenn Youngkin and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe debating parents' involvement in the classroom. This came as controversy erupted over heated school board meetings in Virgina's Loudoun County. Many cited McAuliffe's remark that parents should not tell schools what to teach as their reason for voting for Youngkin, who championed parents' rights. In March, Spanberger slammed Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for Virginia governor as a Republican, when they proposed public school funding cuts. She called the proposal "misguided" and expressed hope that "Democrats in our General Assembly will take the necessary steps to protect these important investments." Spanberger also appeared to take a swipe at Youngkin in a June interview with Dogwood, seeming to accuse the governor of playing politics with education. "We have to stop trying to pit parents against teachers or parents against educators for political reasons," Spanberger told Dogwood. On her website and in her education plan, Spanberger emphasizes her personal interest in Virgina public education as her three daughters are all students in the system. "As a mom, I'm so grateful for the hardworking, dedicated Virginians who make sure our children have a safe, positive, and productive school day. As Governor, I'll make sure our educators get the support they need to continue providing a world-class education for our Commonwealth's kids," Spanberger wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. The Democratic gubernatorial hopeful's plan also includes efforts to strengthen child care and higher education in Virginia. For higher education, Spanberger is looking to both make it more affordable for students while also investing in Virginia's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The state is home to several higher education institutions, including Virginia Tech, University of Virginia and George Mason University, among others. Its HBCUs include Hampton University, Virginia State University and several others. In her plan, Spanberger also says she's looking to ensure that Virginia parents have access to "high-quality child care in their area." However, this push is about more than ensuring good child care, it's also about improving the state's worker retention by helping ease the burden on working parents. Fox News Digital reached out to Sears' campaign but did not receive a response in time for publication.
