Latest news with #MarkWarner
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Warner hears about challenges to Oceanfront economy
VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) listened Friday morning to the challenges facing restaurants, hotels and attractions that make up the local tourism economy as part of a roundtable discussion on the stage of the city's newest attraction, The Dome. Previously: Virginia Beach tourism fuels $3.8 billion into local economy, report finds The head of the Virginia Beach Hotel Association, John Zirkle, reminded Warner about a successful Memorial Day weekend, with on tap this weekend, and the the following weekend. It highlighted a subsegment of Oceanfront tourism — sports tourism. 'This whole notion of sports tourism didn't exist 20 years ago,' Warner told the panel and about 100 invited guests. Mike Mauch, head of the , made his pitch to Warner. 'If there's any possible way to find funding mechanisms to help us to provide an even more broad spectrum of sports tourism, that would benefit the entire city,' Mauch said. Zirkle cited 2023 figures, the latest available, about tourism overall: 14.1 million visitors to Virginia Beach with an economic impact of $3.8 billion. However, he said tariffs are making towels, sheets and blankets more and more expensive. 'We need some help with getting the tariffs under control,' Zirkle said. 'The back and forth is causing huge delays in shipping. It's causing huge price increases.' And then there's an 80% funding cut for what's known as , the marketing of destinations in the U.S. to international tourists. 'As we look at international travel declining, whether it's Canadian or other countries that are off, it's really important that we get that [funding] back,' said Eric Terry, head of the . North End native and landscape architect Billy Almond of the Resort Advisory Commission talked about resiliency. 'In my lifetime, I have seen the beach change dramatically,' he said. 'All the sand that we put at the south end is on 89th Street. We have a huge resource that needs to be studied and protected.' 'That's something I can take on,' Warner told reporters afterward. 'Unfortunately, there are efforts in Washington right now to cut out all resiliency funds. That makes no sense. If the beach erodes away, then a lot of this economy is going to be in real trouble.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The best holidays to book for July 2025, from Suffolk staycations to Indian rail adventures
School holidays don't start till quite late in July this year, leaving time to explore parts of Europe before prices shoot up and the crowds descend. Check out one of the most attractive resorts along Turkey 's Izmir coast and plunge into the clear waters of the Aegean Sea. Southern Italy also beckons, with the hilltop towns and long sandy beaches of Puglia. If you're looking for a grand adventure, let an escorted rail tour of India take you into its summertime hill stations and astounding mountain scenery. Once the school holidays kick in, take the family to one of Atlantic France's most appealing coastal villages. Stay closer to home in a cosy cottage in Suffolk, or indulge in a foodie break on the Scottish island of Islay. Whichever holiday you're thinking about taking in July, have a look at these ideas. Soak up the sunshine and sophisticated vibe of Mark Warner Phokaia Beach Resort near Foça in Izmir, where you can be as active or as lazy as you like. Take advantage of the huge range of activities – tennis, pickleball, watersports and fitness, among many others – plus four pools and a fabulous stretch of beach right in front of the hotel. Travel on 1 July when prices start at £1,199pp, including flights, transfers, five days' full-board and two days' half-board accommodation. India If Race Across the World has inspired you to travel to India, do it in comfort and style with this Royal Indian Odyssey escorted journey with Mercury Holidays. Over 15 days, you'll travel by rail and coach between Delhi and Mumbai to see such classic sights as Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mehrangarh Fort and lake-filled Udaipur. Prices for a 16 July departure start at £2,099pp, saving £200, and include flights, transfers, entrance fees, 13 excursions and 39 meals. Italy Bask in views of one of Puglia's most delightful hilltop towns from your own hilly perch at Hotel Monte Sarago. Its outdoor pool overlooking Ostuni's old town is the place for laid-back afternoons after you've spent the day exploring Puglia's beaches, historic towns, cute white trulli buildings and tranquil coastal nature reserves. Citalia has five nights at Hotel Monte Sarago from 4 July from £950pp, including flights, transfers and breakfast. Hole up in the pretty Suffolk village of Yoxford when you stay at Coach House Cottage, whose extensive gardens roll down towards the River Yox. This characterful two-bedroom cottage has plenty of places to relax and dine indoors and out, and also includes a barbecue. There's a pub within staggering distance, and the nearest beach is six miles away. Booked through Suffolk Secrets, it's available from 6 July for £607 for five nights' self-catering. France 'Camping in France ' is the usual failsafe idea that pops up during the school holidays when you want to take the children away and not spend a fortune. But at Siblu's Les Viviers, you'll be in one of France's loveliest places to stay, Cap Ferret, on its wild Atlantic coast. Stay in a two-bedroom mobile home from 29 July for seven nights from £1,033 for a family of four, and you'll have a week of swimming in the site's lake and private beach and more activities than the kids will have time for. And you can visit the oyster villages running along the peninsula, take a boat to Arcachon and even pop down to the massive Dune du Pilat, Europe's highest sand dune. Scotland Get away from it all on a weekend break at Another Place The Machrie on Islay, one of the most enchanting islands in Scotland – not to mention among the booziest thanks to its nine whisky distilleries. Book a room at The Machrie and enjoy long walks along the seven-mile sandy beach, or play a round of golf. Prices for a three-night break from Friday to Monday or Saturday to Tuesday cost from £928 per room, including breakfast, one dinner and one Sunday lunch, plus discounts on golf and spa treatments.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
U.S. Dept. of Education says special education funds untouched in reduction process
The Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building in Washington, D.C., pictured on Nov. 25, 2024. (Photo by Shauneen Miranda/States Newsroom) Before a federal judge temporarily halted the dissolution of the agency Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education ensured 'uninterrupted services' to children and youth with disabilities, in response to probing questions by U.S. Senators from Virginia and other states about the future of special education. The questions, spearheaded by Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware in a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, came after President Donald Trump and his administration launched efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. A key point of concern for the lawmakers was the one-month freeze on investigations into discrimination complaints that left a backlog of 12,000 complaints, 'half of which involve students with disabilities,' Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia and 20 of their colleagues wrote. The agency's plans are of particular significance for Virginia, where a federal investigation found that the Virginia Department of Education failed to meet federal requirements to help resolve disputes involving students with disabilities beginning in 2019. In December 2024, the investigation ended after the Office of Special Education Programs wrote in a letter that all of its findings and required actions for the agency were closed. Virginia was responsible for nearly 186,000 students with disabilities this past school year, an increase of almost 5,000 students from the 2023-24 academic period. As federal law requires, Virginia must provide all students with disabilities a 'free and appropriate public education' through personalized plans under the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Facing special ed teacher shortage, Va. education board votes to expand educator pipeline Sarah Ursprung, acting assistant secretary for legislation and congressional affairs for the federal department, wrote to lawmakers in April that no formula funding to states, including Title I and IDEA, was cut, and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) continues its enforcement work with a reduced workforce and the same commitment to vigorous vindication of students' civil rights. 'The department remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted services to meet the needs and develop the potential of children and youth with disabilities pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),' Ursprung wrote in a letter provided to the Mercury. The senators' letter also highlighted their reservations about limited staff at the agency. U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine from Virginia signed Rochester's letter in April that said the cuts would have 'immense harm' to all students. 'While we appreciate receiving a response from the Department of Education, we still have serious concerns about how the department can ensure services for students with disabilities aren't interrupted when Secretary McMahon has already reduced staff by nearly 50% and said she intends to close the department,' the senators wrote. Ursprung said that no employees in the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration or the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) were subject to the staff cuts on March 11. Employees involved in policy and administrative functions, whose duties the agency said can be reassigned or eliminated, were the ones subject to firing. NCSER-supported research continues with obligated funds, according to Ursprung. The research center helps experts understand more about children who have or may have disabilities by studying them from infancy through college. The trajectory of the federal education department, and the fallout in Virginia, remains uncertain, after the Massachusetts federal judge paused its dismantling and ordered the Trump administration to reinstate over 1,300 employees. The department is expected to appeal the decision. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Washington Post
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- Washington Post
The Indianapolis 500 can run just fine without a tax break
Dominic Pino is the Thomas L. Rhodes Journalism Fellow at National Review Institute and host of the American Institute for Economic Research podcast 'Econception.' In most circumstances, 'it's the month of May' is an anodyne statement about the time of year. For fans of auto racing, however, it's one of the most exciting sentences you can hear. The 'month of May' refers to the weeks of preparation for the Indianapolis 500, which always takes place the Sunday before Memorial Day. Drivers combine to run thousands of practice laps throughout May and compete in a regular season race on the infield road course before multiple stages of qualifying, with a pole speed of around 230 mph. Congress moves a lot slower than that, but the Indianapolis 500 has put tax policy on the minds of some lawmakers. The Indianapolis Star reported that Sen. Todd Young (R-Indiana) is pushing a bill with Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia) called the Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act, which would provide a tax break for investments in motorsports facilities. I'm the biggest fan there is when it comes to racing, but Congress should let this bill crash and burn. Politicians have a habit of channeling their constituents' fandom into taxpayer-funded goodies — just look at the current talks over a new football stadium in D.C. The bipartisanship of motorsports favors extends beyond Young and Warner's bill. North Carolina, under Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, used money from Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act to help refurbish North Wilkesboro Speedway. A law supposedly about covid recovery was used to fund improvements to a track that had been vacant since 1996, for the use of NASCAR, which has plenty of money of its own. Some reasons to oppose this latest racing bill are specific to the sport. Most racetracks are small operations that don't generate extraordinary amounts of economic activity, and the large tracks that do host premier racing series only create significant economic impact one or two weekends per year. Eleven out of 12 months are not 'the month of May,' and aside from one weekend hosting NASCAR, Indianapolis Motor Speedway is little more than a museum, gift shop and landmark for most of the year. It's an enchanting place to race fans like me (a photo of the Yard of Bricks at the finish line that I took on a tour of the track is my phone background), but federal taxpayers shouldn't be asked to give special privileges to our interests. In an administration where personal connections matter a lot in policymaking, it's also hard to ignore that the speedway's owner, Roger Penske, is a billionaire friend of Donald Trump. But the larger reason to oppose the bill is in the title itself: A bill with 'fairness' in the name should not give a special tax preference to motorsports facilities. Instead, Congress should help businesses around the country with some related tweaks that benefit them all. The co-sponsors of this latest bill do have a point on policy. It's not a story about racing, though, but about Congress taking a smart, pro-growth tax idea, trying to do it on the cheap, and opening itself up to these kinds of industry-specific shenanigans in the process. The Motorsports Fairness and Permanency Act concerns depreciation schedules under the tax code, meaning the pace at which businesses can write off their investment costs over time. Many of the investments that motorsports facilities make have long depreciation schedules that could stretch out over 29 years. Beginning in 2004, Congress made a temporary carveout for motorsports facilities that reduced that to seven years. This is good for racetracks because it allows them to write off their investments faster. Congress has extended that provision since then. But what's good for motorsports is also good for everyone else. So in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made the shortened period of seven years largely irrelevant by allowing businesses to write off 100 percent of the cost of many investments immediately, including many of those made by motorsports facilities. The problem is that doing this reduces federal revenue, and Senate Republicans agreed at the outset of their 2017 tax negotiations to only increase deficits by so much. So to ease passage of the bill, this new 'bonus depreciation' began to phase out in 2023. The percentage of an investment expense that is allowed to be deducted immediately has declined by 20 points per year, so it currently sits at 40 percent and will be gone entirely by 2027. Which brings us to our current proposal from Young and Warner. If Congress wants to encourage businesses to make capital investments, they have an opportunity to do it right now in the One Big Beautiful Bill Trump is trying to get across the finish line. As of now, they only want to extend bonus depreciation through 2029, setting up yet another cliff. It may take shuffling around some priorities, but a permanent and fair code beats a line of rent-seeking industries trying to sneak their own side deals through every year.
Axios
20-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Senate overcomes key hurdle to pass crypto bill
With bipartisan support, the Senate took an important step forward on legislation that seeks to regulate stablecoin cryptocurrencies. Why it matters: The procedural vote is a win for GENIUS Act backers after partisan fights and ethics concerns about the Trump family's crypto ventures derailed a vote earlier this month. The final vote to start debate on the bill was 65 to 32. Democratic Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and others voted to move forward. What to watch: Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters Monday that he did not think that there would be an agreement to expedite the process toward passing the bill this week. Expect there to be continued floor speeches and fights over potential amendment votes in the coming days and weeks. Between the lines: The Trump family's stablecoin ventures — especially the recent $2 billion crypto deal with Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund — sparked outrage among Democrats and complicated what had been bipartisan support for the bill. Warner argued in a statement that despite "concerns about the Trump family's use of crypto technologies to evade oversight, hide shady financial dealings, and personally profit," senators "cannot allow that corruption to blind us to the broader reality: blockchain technology is here to stay."
