Today's Sponsor:
VCU
VCU invention could end one of surgery’s painstaking challenges. VCU Health surgeon-researcher Jonathan Isaacs’ simple, suture-free solution for repairing severed nerves. Read more.
Republican Party delays chairman election by one week, citing base’s election security concerns
Virginia Republicans will have to wait one more week before finding out who will lead the state party as chairman. The Republican Party of Virginia on Saturday decided to delay for one week its election of a new chairman, citing concerns from their base over electronic voting. The three candidates for chairman of RPV are longtime Republican staffer Jeff Ryer, Chesapeake GOP Chair Nicholas Proffitt and former congressional candidate Mike Clancy. ... Several members said that while they had full faith in the committee to conduct a secure vote over a video call [because of winter weather conditions], many members of the local Republican base have concerns over electronic voting.
VPAP Visual U.S. Senate Fundraising: End of 2025
Campaign finance data from Virginia's U.S. Senate candidates provides a full picture of their fundraising through the end of 2025.
VPAP Visual U.S. House Fundraising: End of 2025
See last year's total amounts raised and cash on hand for candidates in Virginia's 11 U.S. House districts.
5 poems for troubled times, from Virginia’s new lieutenant governor
She rarely talks about it at length in public, but Virginia’s new Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi (D) holds a PhD in poetry. Hashmi, who previously served in the state Senate, has “a tiny little fan base” from her parodies of famous poems crafted during lulls in session that she posted on X. On the campaign trail last fall, she often spoke about the existential angst of Democrats by quoting a lyrical line in Abraham Lincoln’s 1862 message to Congress: “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.”
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FROM VPAP
From VPAP New Episode: The Virginia Press Room Podcast
In the latest episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by Brad Kutner of Radio IQ, covering Gov. Abigail Spanberger's reversal of former Gov. Glenn Youngkin's action for a would-be ICE facility; Dean Mirshahi of VPM News, covering plans for a cannabis retail market in Virginia; and Shannon Heckt of Virginia Mercury, covering efforts to remove barriers for solar farms. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Bill seeks to end $2.7M cap on malpractice damages for children outside the delivery room
Carson McRae still remembers being overwhelmed with worry and fears for his little boy. McRae spent weeks waiting at the hospital for ever-worsening word on how badly a nurse's overdose of Tylenol had harmed his 2-year-old son. He remembers how, in those few moments when the heartbreak eased a little bit, he wondered how on earth all the medication the little boy would need after a liver transplant, about the wheelchairs and other medical equipment needed and who would care for Artemis after McRae and his wife died, if the maximum award for medical malpractice was capped, at the time for about $2.6 million.
Virginia House debates noncompete ban for some doctors
Virginia’s House of Delegates is considering an effort to limit the use of non-compete employment contracts for medical professionals. There’s uncertainty on new limits, but a desire for improved healthcare access coming from both sides of the aisle. “By forcing nurses and doctors and other healthcare professionals to stay in their preexisting hospital systems we’re preventing growth that could lower costs and create better care,” said Democratic House Majority Leader Charniele Herring presenting at Thursday's House Labor subcommittee. She proposed what she called a solution to this problem: an end to noncompete agreements.
First-year delegate Justin Pence settles into minority role
Del. Justin Pence, R-Shenandoah, says the biggest surprise about serving in Virginia's General Assembly isn't walking the halls of a legislative body that traces its origins to 1619. It's watching how little difference a speech makes once the clerk calls the roll for a vote. “You can have the most passionate speech in the world, and then they open the rolls for the vote, and it’s party line. Period,” Pence said in a recent interview. “I mean, you’re not changing anybody’s mind.”
Trailblazing senator’s work on voting rights praised
Senator Yvonne Miller was a Democrat from Norfolk who spent years trying to get the General Assembly to approve a constitutional amendment expanding voting rights to people who served time in prison. She introduced proposals in 2007, 2008 and 2010. None of those were successful, but Senator Angelia Williams Graves of Norfolk says her persistence is now paying off. "She was planting the seed of a shade tree that she would never sit under," Williams Graves said. "And the senator from Hampton has taken on watering that seed to become the tree we see today."
David Toscano’s distinctly Virginian political style is hard to find in Virginia nowadays
David Toscano retired from politics in 2020 — kind of. After a 26-year career, in which he served as mayor of Charlottesville and later minority leader in the Virginia House of Delegates, Toscano is still as engaged as ever, albeit from the sidelines now. "I left the legislature in 2019 because I'd accomplished the things I wanted to do," Toscano, one of this year's Distinguished Dozen honorees, told The Daily Progress. "But I had to keep my fingers in the pie, and I do that by writing. And it keeps my mind engaged. It's both to help shape the debate, and frankly, it's personal, because I like to think about issues and think about them carefully."
FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Third Democrat enters 9th District race
A third Democrat has entered the race for the party’s nomination in the 9th Congressional District to oppose Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem. Douglas Crockett, a retired attorney and Methodist pastor who now leads a part-time estate law education ministry for churches, has declared his candidacy.
STATE GOVERNMENT
Millions of dollars in RGGI money have been appropriated for flood mitigation projects in Southwest Virginia
The 2024 flood that ripped through Damascus and caused widespread damage that ground the outdoor tourism hub to a halt that September mirrored one that devastated the town nearly half a century earlier. In 1977, a high-water event led to flooding and destruction along Beaverdam Creek on the west side of town. After the cleanup, homes were relocated, property owners were bought out and the space around the waterway was converted to a park in an effort to avoid future flooding. A berm was created along the edge of the creek to raise the bank, said Chris Bell, Damascus town manager. “Those were effective measures and after Helene, ultimately kept the water inside Beaverdam Creek,” Bell said. But Laurel Creek, which runs along the east side of the town, did not receive the same treatment as Beaverdam Creek.
No decision yet, but Virginia DMV may move out of Broad Street headquarters
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles is waiting on a new governor for direction as it decides whether to move out of its longtime headquarters on West Broad Street in Richmond, which also houses one of the agency's largest customer service centers in the state. DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey laid out the options for a Senate subcommittee Friday morning: replace critical mechanical systems that have lasted long past their expected life, buy land for a new building or look for an existing building, preferably one that can house a service center to replace the heavily used office in Richmond.
Virginia agency plans to demolish 31 buildings at former training center
The Virginia Department of General Services plans to demolish up to 31 buildings at the Central Virginia Training Center, a former state-run facility for people with disabilities in Amherst County that closed nearly six years ago. Banci Tewolde, director of the Department of General Services (DGS), spoke of plans at CVTC as part of an overall report on state projects before the Virginia Senate’s Capital Outlay & Transportation Subcommittee in Richmond.
CONGRESS
Data center concerns flare at Prince William County town hall hosted by Rep. Subramanyam
After data centers became a top issue for voters during the statewide elections in Virginia that saw Democrats win every state office, a town hall led by Democratic lawmakers in Prince William County over the weekend brought out strong emotions over the industry’s rapid growth — with many residents saying they feel ignored and overwhelmed. Hosted by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat who represents Virginia’s 10th District, the Saturday town hall focused on how the fast‑growing industry is affecting neighborhoods across the region.
ECONOMY/BUSINESS
Why data centers are seeking new sites beyond Loudoun County
For close to two decades, Loudoun County has dominated not just Virginia’s data center market but the world’s, with 200 data centers in operation and 117 more in the pipeline as of the end of 2025. Prince William County‘s 44 data centers and 15 under development also contribute to Northern Virginia’s dominance in the field. However, tighter local regulations and growing opposition to data centers — especially their energy demands — in the region have led developers to look elsewhere.
HIGHER EDUCATION
International enrollment in Virginia postgraduate programs falls by 13%
The number of international students enrolling in advanced-level courses at Virginia's four-year public colleges and universities declined this past fall. Higher ed institutions across the country have seen similar drops, as the federal government paused visa interviews for international students, among other policies targeting immigrants. Enrollment in graduate and Ph.D.-level courses fell by 13% between fall 2024 and fall 2025 — 10% in law, medicine, dentistry and some other programs, according to data from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.
LOCAL
Fairfax case alleging school-assisted abortions now in federal court
A legal challenge alleging that a Fairfax County Public Schools employee helped minors get abortions without their parents’ consent is now in federal court in a case that hinges on a First Amendment free speech claim. FCPS teacher Zenaida Perez, plaintiff in the case, is seeking to prove that school officials have defamed her and are in violation of the Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law. Perez alleged in 2025 that another FCPS staff member assisted minors with seeking abortions. FCPS’ internal probe refuted her claims.
Norfolk council members losing patience with community funder’s failures
More than three years after Norfolk’s City Council passed a resolution requiring Hampton Roads Ventures, a for-profit subsidiary of the city’s housing authority, to make its “best efforts” to invest in the city, its 2025 annual report reveals a $15 million investment in two projects in other states, but none in Norfolk. Some City Council members are losing patience. The report reveals HRV funded $8 million in tax credits for Biltwise Modular Structures, a Roswell, New Mexico, expansion of a South Carolina company, and invested $7 million in the Southeast Texas Food Bank and Resource Center in Jasper during 2024.
Newport News aims to capitalize on federal shipbuilding investments
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones’ pitch to maximize federal investment into the city’s shipyards leans on investments outside the front gate. Jones was one of roughly 200 mayors in Washington on Thursday who met with a range of Trump administration officials. He spoke with officials including Office of Management and Budget Shipbuilding Office Chief Jerry Hendrix and Navy Under Secretary Hung Cao, discussing ways that Newport News could play a role in achieving federal policy goals such as increasing shipbuilding production.
Today's Sponsor:
VCU
VCU invention could end one of surgery’s painstaking challenges. VCU Health surgeon-researcher Jonathan Isaacs’ simple, suture-free solution for repairing severed nerves. Read more.
EDITORIALS
An immigration detention warehouse has no place in Va.
Following the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, the United States arrested and forcibly relocated 120,000 people of Japanese descent to a series of internment camps, violating their civil and constitutional rights. Motivated by fear, it was an act of lasting national shame. The federal government is poised to repeat that inhumane cruelty by building a national network of detention centers to house the tens of thousands of people swept up in the Trump administration’s ongoing and increasingly brutal immigration campaign.
COLUMNISTS
Yancey: Macy and Perriello have more money than Cline and McGuire, but will new maps put them in same district?
Democratic challengers Beth Macy and Tom Perriello now have more campaign money than the two Republican incumbents they’d like to face, Ben Cline and John McGuire, a development that could complicate Democratic plans to redraw the state’s congressional districts. The latest campaign finance reports, released over the weekend, show that Perriello has more than twice what McGuire has on hand: $676,616 for Perriello, a former congressman from Albemarle County, compared to $314,375 for McGuire, a first-term House member from Goochland County. Macy, a best-selling Roanoke author making her first foray into politics, has $527,708 on hand compared to Cline’s $521,194.
Williams: Hey MAGA: Gun rights are optional, too
On a brutally cold January day six years ago, thousands of gun rights protesters converged at the Virginia state Capitol to oppose gun control legislation backed by then-Gov. Ralph Northam and a new Democratic majority in the General Assembly. Their ranks included 6,000 unarmed protesters who listened to speeches from elected officials and gun rights proponents inside Capitol Square and about 16,000 folks who opted to remain outside an established perimeter — many of them carrying pistols and rifles and wearing body armor.
Yancey: Buchanan Co. ponders whether $6M will save Appalachian School of Law. Some questions it should ask.
The Buchanan County Board of Supervisors holds a public hearing today on whether to spend up to $6 million on the Appalachian School of Law, a struggling, stand-alone private law school in Grundy that has been looking at a merger with Roanoke College in Salem as a way to survive. Passions have run high, and passion often clouds good judgment. Buchanan County officials naturally don’t want to lose the school, whose 47 employees and 184 students constitute an economic development presence in an economically stressed community. On the other hand, the danger is that Buchanan County spends $6 million on Appalachian and still loses the school.
OP-ED
Denton: VMI occupies an important place in Va. higher ed
For nearly two centuries, the Virginia Military Institute has served the commonwealth with a clarity of purpose that few public institutions can claim. Founded in 1839, VMI exists to produce educated citizens of character prepared for leadership, service and responsibility in civilian and military life. Its success is evident in outcomes: graduates who serve disproportionately in the state and federal armed forces, public office, medicine, law, business, education, public safety and charitable work throughout Virginia and the nation. Yet in recent years, VMI has increasingly been judged not by its results, but by selective critiques often detached from the institute’s full context.
Gates: A plea to protect the editorial independence of ‘Stars and Stripes’
The Department of Defense launched a sneak attack last month on one of the American military’s proudest legacies — the editorially independent news organization Stars and Stripes. The top leadership of the world’s strongest military is so afraid of Stripes’ long record of truthful reporting to service members that they are blowing up its historic free press mission and dictating what it can publish and not publish. The victims will be the American military community, especially overseas — service members, families, civilian Department of Defense employees, contractors and veterans who benefit from Stripes’ “local” coverage of their special world.
Aguilar: All Virginia residents deserve safeguards
During the first Trump administration, Liliana Cruz Mendez, an organized CASA member from Falls Church, attended a routine ICE check-in with her attorney and fully complied with all requirements. She never came home. Despite receiving a pardon from Gov. Terry McAuliffe for a years-old traffic conviction stemming from a broken tail-light stop, ICE detained and deported this mother of two U.S. citizen children to El Salvador in 2017. The message to immigrant communities was unmistakable. Compliance does not protect families from separation.
Gerber: U.Va. board should name Larry Sabato its new president
On June 13, 2017, I published an op-ed in the Charlottesville Daily Progress nominating professor Larry Sabato to be the ninth president of the University of Virginia. Jim Ryan was selected instead. The seemingly never-ending scandals that have unfolded at UVA in recent years demonstrate the Board of Visitors should have picked Sabato. Indeed, Sabato continues to make the university proud with his insightful political commentary, spectacular teaching, prize-winning research and generous financial gifts.