Latest news with #AxiosRichmond
Axios
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Exclusive: Warner, Kaine to introduce bill to unmask ICE agents
Federal immigration agents would be required to show their faces and be clearly identifiable when making arrests under a soon-to-be-introduced bill from Virginia Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. Why it matters: The proposal, shared exclusively with Axios Richmond, is partly in response to recent incidents in Chesterfield and Charlottesville, where media outlets have reported masked ICE officers in plainclothes detaining people. Driving the news: Under the legislation, any law enforcement officer conducting immigration enforcement operations — both federal and local — must: Visibly show their name and which law enforcement agency they're with. Not be masked, with exceptions for some operations and for health purposes. Zoom in: The Immigration Enforcement Identification Safety Act (IEIS, pronounced ICE) would also cover the costs of services to remove personal information from the internet that could be used to threaten officers or their families. Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, told Axios Richmond that ICE agents "always have credentials visible and clearly announce who they are" — which immigrant rights advocates have disputed. The big picture: Kaine and Warner's bill is the latest in a string of Democratic lawmakers, including in states and cities, seeking to ban ICE agents' masking. ICE agents are currently not required to provide badge numbers or identify themselves, reports Axios' Russell Contreras. They can cover their faces, arrive in unmarked cars and they don't need a warrant from a judge to detain someone. Nationwide, raids by ICE agents in plain clothes have sometimes led nearby residents to believe that people were being kidnapped. And there have been reports of ICE impersonators harassing people, creating more chaos and uncertainty in some communities — which McLaughlin said the agency condemns. Between the lines: Democratic U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan, who represents the Richmond area, is also pushing for more transparency around ICE arrests. McClellan met with local leaders at the Chesterfield courthouse this week to talk about concerns with ramped-up enforcement tactics. What we're watching: Whether Virginia's legislature follows New York and Massachusetts in introducing bills that would make ICE agents more identifiable.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Historic battlefields listed among endangered sites thanks to data centers and more headlines
The state Capitol. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) • '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 SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
21-03-2025
- General
- Axios
How to pronounce Richmond's trickiest names like a local
If you're newish to town and trying to find that just-opened Amazon returns store on Quioccasin in Henrico, Parham Road is likely your best bet to get there. Why it matters: Richmonders have their own way of speaking, and if you're one of the nearly 50,000 people who just moved here, you've likely been saying most of those words wrong. The big picture: Richmond is an old(ish) city that kept or incorporated some of the Powhatan tribe's Algonquin language into its place names as it grew. As a result, Richmonders — with our unique southern-but-not twang and our refusal to change — have likely created our own Richmond-proper pronunciations. Zoom in: Here's the Richmond-correct way to say some of our weirdest proper nouns. Henrico — Hen-rye-co, never Hen-reek-o. Henricus — Hen-rye-cuss, and yes it's in Chesterfield. Powhite — If you think there's no way locals would pronounce the toll road that runs through Chesterfield, which long ago was thought to be the poor man's version of Henrico, to sound like a mumbled "poor white" … incorrect! It's Po-white. Not Pow-white. Don't let officials tell you otherwise. Jahnke — Your GPS is wrong. It's Jank, not Jank-ee. Huguenot — We're not sure why folks keep mispronouncing this very common proper noun, but it's Hugh-guh-knot. Powhatan — Pow-a-tan, not Poe-hat-en. Matoaca — Ma-toe-a-ka, pronounced like the correct spelling of the proper noun from which it's derived, Matoaka, better known as Pocahontas. Parham — Pair-um. Every other way is just incorrect. Chamberlayne — Chamber-lin, never Chamber-lane. Semmes — Simms, not seems. Foushee — It's Foo-shay, not Fooshy. Quioccasin — TBH, Richmonders will allow a pass on this one because most of us aren't sure, but we at Axios Richmond say it, Kwee-acca-sin, rhyming it with moccasin. Forest Hill — This is a tricky one. It's pronounced like it sounds, Forest Hill, emphasis on the singular hill. Other noteworthy, Richmond-specific names: The bottom line: The way Richmonders say these words might be technically "wrong," but in RVA, they're just right.
Axios
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Axios
How to adjust your city of Richmond emergency alert settings
Richmond's newly launched emergency alert system seems to be off to an aggressive start. Why it matters: If you're looking to adjust your alert settings, we've got you covered. Catch up quick: Richmond launched its Richmond Ready Alerts on Feb. 3, just a few weeks after the city's week-long water crisis. The new system from third-party vendor Everbridge replaced CodeRed. It allows the city to send out alerts for more types of emergencies, like days-long utility outages and public safety incidents, in addition to severe weather. And the city seems to have embraced the new system, sending out 15 emergency alerts since launch ... 13 of which went out over the weekend, per the ones your Axios Richmond reporters received. Those weekend alerts included one for a storm in Massachusetts and two for Richmond's impending winter weather... at 3:27am on Tuesday. How it works: Weather alerts are automatically generated by the National Weather Service, city spokesperson Julian Walker tells Axios. Public assembly alerts are manually created by city staffers to "inform residents about potential disruptions or safety concerns related to gatherings." Richmond's sent one since launch. If social media is any indication, some locals (and Karri) misunderstood the signup form and accidentally opted-in to getting alerts via text, phone and email... so those 13 alerts came through in triplicate. That includes the two at 3:27am, which came through for some as two texts, two phone calls, and two voicemail alerts. At 3:27am. The fine print: You can edit your notification settings and add do not call/text times. To opt out of calls, texts or emails / or to just be notified one way, delete out all the ways you don't want alerts under "my profile." To add times you don't want to be alerted (like 3:27am!), edit the "my subscriptions" field and pick your do not contact times. Fun fact: More than 2,000 people signed up for the alerts during launch week, Walker says. What's next: If you want to get in on the Richmond Ready Alerts action, sign up by texting RVAREADY to 888-777 or online at Pro tip: Just add one way to contact you on the front end.
Axios
18-02-2025
- Axios
The clock is ticking to get your Real ID in North Carolina
No more delays this time: You need to have a Real ID by May 7 if you want to travel by air, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Why it matters: After that, Real IDs or valid passports will be required for domestic travel and entry into certain government facilities like military bases, our Axios Richmond colleagues reported recently. By the numbers: The North Carolina DMV has issued 4.7 million Real IDs since May 2017, spokesperson Marty Homan tells Axios. In January, the NCDMV issued 64,220 Real IDs. Between the lines: The IDs are required if you're flying from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and other domestic airports. But Real ID is technically optional in North Carolina, meaning it's not required to drive, vote, open a bank account or apply for or receive federal benefits. Real IDs have a star in a black circle in the top right corner, differentiating them from a regular license. [Go deeper: Everything you need to know about Real ID in North Carolina] Catch up quick: Real ID implementation was delayed due to " the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic." Congress passed the policy in 2005. The goal is to make driver's licenses harder to fake, Axios Ashley Mahoney reported. How it works: To get your Real ID, you must go to the DMV in person and bring documents proving U.S. citizenship, your social security number and North Carolina residency. Find a full list of acceptable documents here. Yes, but: Be sure to plan ahead, Ashley says. Many local DMVs are slammed and don't have much availability in the near term.
