American democracy is in retreat. Or as Senator Mark Warner told me last week, “There is a shock and awe component to this, as soon as you mount an opposition to one area, they take a shot somewhere else.” He’s not wrong. The examples are becoming too numerous,...
The Attorneys General of Maryland and DC say President Trump has repeatedly violated the Constitution with his business dealings. And they're suing him for it. Flanked by U.S. flags, two attorneys general argued Tuesday that President Donald Trump is violating the constitutional ban against government officials accepting gifts or favors....
Virginia lawmakers have taken steps to address geographic disparities in broadband coverage, giving utility companies the green light to provide broadband internet to unserved areas. If you want internet service in the rural hamlet of Honaker, in far Southwest Virginia, Cable Plus is the only game in town. With internet speeds of 3 megabits per...
In Spotsylvania County, the Board of Supervisors is calling for Virginia to support a gathering of state governments to amend the Constitution. But legal scholars see serious problems with the idea. Interesting things are afoot in the municipal governments of central Virginia. Last month, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors passed a...
Neglected for decades, historic African-American cemeteries in Virginia are the focus of renewed restoration efforts, both on the state and federal levels. “Fifteen-hundred tires, and counting,” said Brian Palmer, referring to the illegally dumped trash in Richmond’s East End Cemetery. Palmer, a member of the Friends of East End Cemetery, is part...
Governor Ralph Northam may be trying to put his blackface scandal behind him. But we are just beginning to see the effects of his missteps, on state politics in general and on the Democratic Party in particular. Some of these effects extend beyond the Governor’s office. As was widely reported last week, VA First Lady Pam Northam got in hot water...
My grandmother was a Nazi. During the war she worked as a nurse and was betrothed to an SS officer. My mom always added the context that Hitler Youth was compulsory, but she'd also likely admit that her mother-in-law may have been one of the more enthusiastic participants. That’s not to say that I didn’t love her. Her willpower always inspired...
How did Gerry Baugh go from being a primary player in Central Virginia's hard-right political sphere to closing his body shop without notice, leaving customers in the lurch? RVA Mag does some digging. When I cut my engine in the parking lot of Baugh Auto Body and Truck Repair, the air was relatively still. There was some minor commotion at the...
When someone is charged with a crime, prosecutors and judges want to make sure the defendant shows up for court. So they usually require the person to put up cash bail -- money the defendants forfeit if they skip town. But now, many officials -- from local prosecutors to the state attorney general -- are rethinking that practice. They say that...
Guns will remain prohibited in Virginia churches this year, and at least one security expert is glad, calling the proposed law "chaos waiting to happen." While most people go to church to worship, security expert Chernoh Wurie goes to worship and protect. He leads security at Hill City Church in the Richmond area. A bill to allow weapons,...
