I had a friend ask me about redistricting. He was trying to figure out how to vote and admitted he did not really understand what was happening. He leans left, so the fact that he was unsure says something about how this issue is being presented right now. Virginia...
How the Rise of an Oligarchy Threatens America's Future and What We Can Do About It The 2024 election marked a personal breaking point for me. The return of a felon, rapist, and racist (among many other labels) assuming the highest office in the world again – someone who incited a violent attack on our democracy – has forced me to confront...
Richmond’s own Randy Blythe, the voice of Lamb of God and an unfiltered force of nature, has always been known for speaking his mind. And in a fiery takedown, Blythe took aim at one of the most polarizing figures of our time: Elon Musk. The frontman spared no one’s feelings, calling Musk a “pure and unadulterated thoroughbred prick” after Musk's...
Donald J. Trump took the oath of office Monday to become the 47th President of the United States. The setting was indoors—practical, sure, but it also felt symbolic. Outside, the January air cut to the bone, and maybe, just maybe, that’s what this moment needed: a stage, some walls, and a controlled temperature. The man himself declared he’d been...
After a brief shutdown, TikTok has begun restoring its services in the United States following a pledge by former President Trump to facilitate its return. The shutdown, triggered by federal action under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), resulted in TikTok's removal from the Apple App Store and...
Richmond’s journey into participatory budgeting has reached an impressive milestone. Following up on our earlier coverage, where we explored how residents could influence the allocation of $3 million, the Richmond People’s Budget initiative has completed its first idea collection cycle—and the results are worth celebrating. A Record-Breaking...
As Richmond recovers from a harsh winter storm, the city finds itself at the center of a national conversation about equality. Richmond resident and Executive Director of VoteEqualityUS, Kati Hornung, has been leading a campaign urging President Joe Biden to formally enshrine the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as the 28th Amendment to the U.S....
In a world where the chaos of war often dominates headlines and conversations, finding quiet moments within that turmoil offers a powerful lens into humanity’s resilience. This is the approach of Virginia-based photographer Noah Stone, whose ongoing series, The Grey Zone, captures the juxtaposition of life and war in Ukraine. What began as a...
The start of every New Year often comes with people making resolutions to do more exercise, choose better eating habits, and make changes to improve one’s life. One of the newer traditions in recent years has been Dry January, which started in England but has spread worldwide and challenges people to spend the first 31 days of the year alcohol...
On Wednesday afternoon, Virginia Delegates Mike Jones and Holly Seibold addressed a crowd in freezing weather at a rally about the abuse at Red Onion Prison. This is an issue that The Virginia Defenders have been leading on, reporting about prisoners who are holding hunger strikes and intentionally burning themselves because of the abuse in the...
