Tag Archives: Virginia

Virginia Judge Cites Slavery Law: Embryos Are Property

The Associated Press reports: Frozen human embryos can legally be considered property, or “chattel,” a Virginia judge has ruled, basing his decision in part on a 19th century law governing the treatment of slaves. The preliminary opinion by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner – delivered in a long-running dispute between a divorced husband and wife – is being …

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Pastor Gets Four Life Sentences On Child Sex Charges

Johnson City’s ABC affiliate reports: A former pastor from Southwest Virginia was sentenced to four life sentences after he pleaded guilty to multiple child sex crimes. A release from the office of Washington County Commonwealth’s Attorney Josh Cumbow states that Terry Frank Compton was sentenced in Washington County Circuit Court. Compton was sentenced to 240 years in addition to the …

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VA GOP Rep Charged In Felony Road Rage Incident

Cardinal News reports: Del. Matt Fariss, R-Campbell County, has been arrested on two felony charges following what Virginia State Police describe as a hit-and-run that injured a pedestrian and led to the woman obtaining a protective order against him. Farriss, 54, is charged with one count of malicious wounding, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to 20 years in …

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Cheney Takes Teaching Gig At University Of Virginia

USA Today reports: Former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney is joining the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics following her ouster from Congress by a Trump-backed candidate last year. Cheney will serve as a professor of practice for UVA in an inaugural appointment. She will teach through the fall 2023 semester, according to a press release. Her duties include holding …

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2024 Watch: Youngkin To Meet With Top Donors In NYC

The New York Times reports: On Wednesday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is scheduled to meet with donors and other influential figures in the city. Among them will be John Catsimatidis, a grocery store magnate who has historically been a politically ambidextrous donor, but who had a long history with Mr. Trump. People familiar with his thinking had said he …

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Virginia Gov Orders Review Of AP Black History Course

ABC News reports: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is reviewing College Board’s Advanced Placement African American studies course, following nationwide debate over the curriculum that erupted after the course was rejected by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “After numerous reports about draft course content, the governor asked the Education Secretariat to review the College Board’s proposed AP African American Studies course as …

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Dem Trounces Cultist For Open Virginia US House Seat

The Associated Press reports: Virginia state Sen. Jennifer McClellan overwhelmingly won a Tuesday special election for a vacant Richmond-based congressional district, making her the state’s first Black woman elected to Congress. McClellan led 68 percent to 32 percent over Republican Leon Benjamin when the Associated Press called the race with 32 percent of precincts reporting in the heavily Democratic area. …

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TODAY: Special Election For Virginia US House Seat

NPR reports: Voters in Richmond and Southside Virginia are heading to the polls Tuesday to select a new congressional representative in a race that could narrow Republicans’ control of the U.S. House of Representatives to only nine seats. State Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D–Richmond) is the heavy favorite against the Rev. Leon Benjamin Sr. in Virginia’s blue-leaning 4th Congressional District. The …

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Virginia Republicans Fail To Pass All 12 Anti-Trans Bills

The Virginian-Pilot reports: Virginia Senate Democrats defeated two bills Thursday that would have restricted transgender students’ participation in school athletics and required officials to notify parents if their child identifies as trans in school, measures that faced strenuous objections from LGBTQ advocacy groups. Their defeat in a committee Thursday, according to several groups tracking such measures, means that no legislation …

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Virginia GOP Blocks Attempt To Repeal Same-Sex Marriage Ban After Testimony From Hate Group Spox

The Virginia Mercury reports: A scaled-back proposal to repeal Virginia’s antiquated constitutional ban on same-sex marriage was blocked Friday by the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, despite supporters’ attempts to win bipartisan votes by stripping out any language overtly backing LGBTQ equality. Just prior to Friday’s vote in a House Rules subcommittee set up to hear proposals for constitutional amendments, a …

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VA Gov Makes New Chilling Move On Abortion Rights

The Guardian reports: The Republican governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, appears to have thwarted an attempt to stop law enforcement obtaining menstrual histories of women in the state. A bill passed in the Democratic-led state senate, and supported by half the chamber’s Republicans, would have banned search warrants for menstrual data stored in tracking apps on mobile phones or other …

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Virginia Democrats Defeat Youngkin’s Abortion Ban Bill

The Associated Press reports: Virginia Senate Democrats defeated several bills Thursday that would have restricted abortion access in the state, including a proposed 15-week ban with exceptions that was a priority for Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. The Senate Committee on Education and Health voted the measures down on a party-line basis without debate after a subcommittee had previously recommended that …

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Superintendent Fired After Shooting By 6-Year-Old

NBC News reports: The Newport News School Board on Wednesday voted to replace its embattled superintendent amid the continuing fallout from a 6-year-old boy shooting his first-grade teacher this month. The board voted 5-1 to remove George Parker III as the head of the district of about 26,500 students. His separation is effective Feb. 1, School Board Chair Lisa Surles-Law …

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VA Senate Codifies Same-Sex Marriage In State Law

Richmond’s ABC affiliate reports: A bill adding language in the state code legalizing same-sex marriage passed in the Virginia Senate with a bipartisan vote. The bill introduced by state Sens. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Jennifer Boysko (D-Loudoun) would give religious organizations and clergy members the right to refuse to perform any marriage. The 40-member chamber voted 25-12 to pass the …

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Teacher Shot By Six-Year-Old To Sue School District

The Associated Press reports: A Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student during class will sue the school district, the teacher’s attorney announced Wednesday. Diane Toscano, a lawyer for Abigail Zwerner, said Wednesday that on the day of the shooting, concerned teachers and employees warned administrators three times that the boy had a gun on him and was …

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VA Youth Pastor Sentenced To 20 Years For Child Porn

Richmond’s ABC affiliate reports: A former pastor from Hopewell living in Richmond was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison Tuesday on charges of distributing child pornography while he was still on the sex offender registry for a previous offense. Deric Wallace Peacock, 39, served as youth pastor of a church in Hopewell until 2014, when he was convicted of …

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VA School Ignored Warnings About 6-Year-Old Shooter

The Washington Post reports: The Virginia teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student repeatedly asked administrators for help with the boy but officials downplayed educators’ warnings about his behavior, including dismissing his threat to light a teacher on fire and watch her die, according to messages from teachers obtained by The Washington Post. The previously unreported incidents raise fresh …

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Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine Says He’ll Run For Reelection

The Hill reports: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said on Friday that he will run for reelection in 2024, delivering some much-needed relief to Democrats seeking to defend their majority next year. “I am happy to announce that I will seek reelection in 2024 to keep delivering results for Virginia,” Kaine told reporters. Kaine’s decision not only likely prevents a crowded …

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Special Prosecutor Assigned In Case Of VA Megachurch Pastor Arrested In 2021 Underage Prostitution Sting

Richmond’s NBC affiliate reports: During a brief press conference on Thursday morning, Chesterfield’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Stacey Davenport said a case involving a Virginia pastor and a child sex crimes sting might move forward after charges were dismissed. John Blanchard was the lead pastor at Rock Church in Virginia Beach. In October 2021, he was one of 17 people arrested in …

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Virginia Gov Halts Ford Plant Over “Chinese Influence”

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports: Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s decision to halt plans for a $3.5 billion Ford Motor Co. battery plant over his concerns about Chinese influence cost one of the poorest areas of Virginia a reported 2,500 jobs with potential for more. If Ford finalized the project, the plant would have gone in the Southern Virginia Mega Site at Berry …

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