Latest news with #virginiamedia.com
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Truman air wing returns home after long, eventful trip to Red Sea
VIRGINIA BEACH — A long, eventful deployment reached the finish line Friday as the F/A-18s from the carrier Harry S. Truman flew in formation over Virginia Beach, as the crews' loved ones waited eagerly near the runway. After 8 1/2 months, Carrier Air Wing returned to Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach on Friday. 'I'm just so happy to be home,' said Capt. Leslie Mintz. 'I'm so happy everyone is home and reunited with their families.' The aircraft carrier and its strike group spent more than five months defending merchant mariners and military vessels from Houthi drones and missiles in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It lost three F/A-18s during that time, but no crew members. One of the fighter jets was shot down accidentally by friendly fire. A second fell overboard as the carrier made an abrupt turn while the jet was being towed. A third crashed into the Red Sea after the aircraft failed to land on the carrier. .'] Even after the incidents encountered while deployed, Mintz said one word she would use to describe the air wing would be perseverance. 'It is a bond that will never be broken, what we have done together,' Mintz said. Kendall Warner,
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hampton Roads cities accused by Homeland Security of obstructing federal immigration officials
The Department of Homeland Security released a list of localities around the country that it alleges are obstructing enforcement of federal immigration law, including several in Hampton Roads. The list, which DHS says will be updated regularly, was put together as required by one of President Trump's executive orders. On the list in Hampton Roads are Virginia Beach, Hampton, Portsmouth, and Newport News, along with Gloucester County. In all, the list targets 33 Virginia localities, including Richmond as well as localities that voted heavily in favor of Trump in the 2024 election, including Middlesex County on the Middle Peninsula. It was not clear what criteria are used for compiling the list and it contains at least one error — it lists the city of Martinsville as a county. 'Sanctuary jurisdictions including cities, counties, and states that are deliberately and shamefully obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws endangering American communities,' reads the DHS release. 'Sanctuary cities protect dangerous criminal aliens from facing consequences and put law enforcement in peril.' DHS said each jurisdiction listed will receive formal notification of its noncompliance with federal statutes. 'DHS demands that these jurisdictions immediately review and revise their policies to align with Federal immigration laws and renew their obligation to protect American citizens, not dangerous illegal aliens,' the release reads. Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Youngkin signs budget bill with $900 million in cuts
RICHMOND — Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the budget bill Friday with 37 line-item vetoes, amounting to $900 million in cuts. He cited potential financial instability based on tariffs and workforce reductions at the federal level. 'We understand that as we head into fiscal year 2026, there are short-term risks to that projected surplus,' he said, referring to previous projections which calculated a $3.2 billion budget surplus over two years. 'We all know that as President Trump rightfully resets trade imbalances and restores fiscal responsibility in DC, there are short-term disruptions … (that) require us to be responsible and not spend 100% of this forecasted surplus.' The bulk of the cuts, totaling $691 million, will come from a package of 10 one-time capital projects appropriated for colleges and universities. Youngkin said the projects were overwhelmingly in the planning stages and had not yet begun construction. 'These projects are good projects,' he said. 'They should be funded. And we are providing the General Assembly the opportunity in January to pick them back up, and they will be able to use either cash resources or bonding to ensure these projects continue on their current timeline.' Senate majority leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, took issue with how those cuts were communicated. '(Youngkin) gave us zero heads up about what he was doing or why he was doing it,' Surovell said. 'None of this was discussed during session. It's not the way to run a commonwealth, and it's very disappointing and aggravating that we're going to have almost a billion dollars cut out of our budget.' Youngkin previously included an amendment to the budget that would put an additional $300 million beyond the required deposit into the Senate's rainy day fund. That amendment was not accepted by the Democrat-controlled state legislature. The $900 million in cuts won't go into the revenue reserve fund; rather, that portion of the budget surplus is simply unappropriated. Youngkin said other cuts would include things such as a private-public child care partnership and long-term water infrastructure investments. The governor said the former was not yet ready for prime time, and the latter had alternative funding. 'I just encouraged everyone to use existing appropriations in order to fund those things,' he said. 'There's other areas where there is already money existing, and it hasn't been used.' Youngkin said he would approve the other 135 items the legislature returned to him unchanged. Included in the budget would be $25 million for drinking water infrastructure and $12 million for maternal health investments. On the education front, Youngkin said there would be about $223 million to lift the support staff cap, $111 million for English language teachers, $53 million in additional funds for special education and an additional $134 million for teacher bonuses. Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881,
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Virginia Aquarium responded to record number of sea turtle hypothermia cases this season
A small crowd gathered Friday morning to watch Basset Hound scoot toward the shore north of the Virginia Beach resort area. Basset Hound, a young loggerhead sea turtle, had not touched the water in four months. On Jan. 5, members of the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center's stranding response team received the call that the turtle had been stranded in Portsmouth. Back at the Darden Marine Animal Conservation Center, staff found that the turtle's internal temperature was 41 degrees Fahrenheit, a concerning sign since a healthy temperature for the species is about 75 degrees. Basset Hound was cold-stunned. When the sea-water temperature drops to about 55 degrees, sea turtles can be 'cold-stunned,' a type of hypothermia, said research scientist Joanna Daniel, and for Basset Hound, pneumonia had already begun to set in. In other cases, it's common to see sepsis or other secondary infections. 'Their organs are shutting down,' Daniel said of the rescued turtles. 'Sometimes their heart rate can be, like, one beat in a few minutes. You may not be seeing them breathe at all, so they really look dead. They're totally limp.' This year, the team responded to 77 cold-stunned sea turtles from November 2024 to early 2025, a record-breaking year. Last year, the team responded to just 31 cold-stunned sea turtles stranded in the 2023-2024 season and 25 during the winter of 2022-2023. During stranding calls this winter, 27 live turtles were admitted for rehabilitation at the center, and each turtle received a name based on a theme picked at beginning of the season. This year's theme was dog breeds. Team members cared for 15 green sea turtles, six loggerhead sea turtles and six critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtles. Many of these turtles arrived non-responsive and in critical condition, according to the team. Eight did not respond to emergency intervention and died within the first few hours of being admitted to the rehabilitation facility. With Basset Hound back in the ocean, it's another success story for the team. It's the 18th turtle release of the season, with the others returning to the water in Florida and North Carolina. Now, there are only two turtles left at the center. 'It's been really rewarding, because we've gotten to release a lot of the turtles back into the water like (Basset Hound),' Daniel said. 'But it's certainly been a lot of work and resource load on our staff.' Daniel said beachgoers should always call the response team about stranded sea animals to give them the best chance for survival. The hotline, 757-385-7575, is monitored 24/7, and supporters can also donate to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center Foundation, which supports the team's staff and volunteers with donations. Eliza Noe,
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
John Reid says he will not quit race for lieutenant governor; threatens legal action
Neither Lt. Gov. candidate John Reid nor Gov. Glenn Youngkin appears prepared to back down from the budding fight that fractured the statewide Republican party. As initially reported by The Richmonder, Youngkin called Reid Friday morning to request he step down from his candidacy for lieutenant governor. That's after a Tumblr account surfaced that contained reposts of pictures of naked men, The Richmonder reported. The username of that account matches the name Reid uses on other personal social media platforms. Reid, the first openly gay politician on the statewide ballot, denies that the account is his. And, in a video over the weekend, he reiterated that he had no intention of stepping down. He also accused members of the governor's PAC of extortion, saying that they told representatives of his campaign that if he dropped out, the governor's team would 'purchase the opposition research and the lies and threats … would suddenly stop.' 'I have engaged legal counsel to pursue all options against these people,' Reid said in the video. 'I'm a conservative Trump supporter, and I'm gay, and everyone knows it because I've told you in person and in the media for decades. I've not broken any law.' Youngkin's campaign did not respond to a request for comment. Early voting for the June 17 primary begins Friday. Reid became the sole Republican candidate for lieutenant governor after his primary challenger, Pat Herrity, dropped out of the election earlier this month, citing health concerns. That's too late for anyone else to appear on the ballot, though the state Republican party could appoint someone else if Reid did step down. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, has not publicly spoken on the rift. Kate Seltzer, 757-713-7881,
