History was made in Richmond Wednesday when one of the country’s largest Confederate monuments, a 21-foot-tall bronze statue of Robert E. Lee on a horse, was taken down on the city’s famous Monument Avenue more than 130 years after it was erected in the former capital of the Confederacy. View …
Read More »Virginia Gov. Northam grants posthumous pardons to ‘Martinsville Seven’
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Tuesday granted posthumous pardons to seven Black men who were executed in 1951 for the alleged rape of a White woman. He said he granted the pardons because the men were tried by an all-White jury, without due process and executed because they were Black, …
Read More »Charlottesville Removes Statues Of Confederate Leaders
Charlottesville’s statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson were removed within a span of eight hours Saturday — capping a years-long effort by many to rid the city of the monuments. The statue’s removal came more than five years after racial justice activists had renewed a …
Read More »House Voting To Eliminate Three Trump-Era Rules
House Democrats are preparing to vote to eliminate three Trump-era rules. The lawmakers will use the Congressional Review Act to take aim at rules governing methane regulations, lending practices, and employment discrimination cases. The first Trump-era rule Democrats are looking to eliminate got rid of methane emissions standards for the oil …
Read More »Virginia Governor Northam Signs Probation Reform Bill
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed a bill on Thursday that limits the amount of active incarceration a court can impose over probation violations. Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill joined the governor. “I’ll make sure I’ll be able to deliver and close every bridge I can to help fix the system because …
Read More »Terry McAuliffe Wins Democratic Nomination For Virginia Governor
Terry McAuliffe, the exuberant former Virginia governor and longtime fixture of Democratic politics, won the party’s nomination Tuesday in his quest for a second term in office. McAuliffe won every county in the commonwealth. McAuliffe will go on to face GOP nominee and political newcomer Glenn Youngkin in the November …
Read More »Women Of Color Are Eyeing Mayoral, Gubernatorial, And Senate Positions Nationwide
Women of color are pushing boundaries and making history all over the United States. Kim Janey is the first woman and the first Black person to be elected mayor in Boston, Massachusetts. It’s the first time in 199 years that a woman — a Black woman — is leading Boston. …
Read More »25 States, Plus Washington D.C., Have Fully Vaccinated At Least Half Of Their Adult Population
According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 50% of adults are fully vaccinated in 25 states, including Washington D.C. “Across the country, cases of COVID-19, serious illness, and loss of life are all down dramatically,” Andy Slavitt, White House senior COVID-19 adviser, said. …
Read More »Glenn Youngkin Wins Virginia’s GOP Nomination For Governor
Virginia businessman Glenn Youngkin has won the Republican nomination for governor after six rounds of counting ballots cast at Saturday’s drive-through unassembled convention. I am prepared to lead, excited to serve and profoundly humbled by the trust the people have placed in me. Virginians have made it clear that they are …
Read More »Armed Intruder Shot Outside CIA Headquarters In Virginia
Law enforcement officers shot and injured an armed man Monday evening outside of the CIA headquarters in Virginia, authorities said. The FBI Washington Field Office tweeted the person “involved in a security incident” outside the facility in McLean exited his vehicle with a weapon at about 6 p.m. and was …
Read More »Proud Boys Refusal To Respond to Metropolitan AME Church Lawsuit May End In Default Victory
Metropolitan AME Church in Washington D.C. filed a lawsuit against the Proud Boys after the group burned and destroyed Black Lives Matter signs in December. The group has not responded to the lawsuit and experts say their lack of response may lead to a default victory for the historical church. …
Read More »Democratic-Led States Expand Voting Rights In Contrast To GOP Led States
Virginia and New Jersey has joined other Democratic-led states to pass new laws to expand voting access. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, 843 bills expanding voting access have been introduced in 47 states. “Your access to the ballot depends a lot on where you live,” Jon Greenbaum, Chief …
Read More »Virginia Governor Northam Signs State Voting Rights Act
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam today announced he has approved the landmark Voting Rights Act of Virginia. Virginia is the first state in the nation to enact its own version of a voting rights act. The legislation provides comprehensive protections against voter suppression, discrimination, or intimidation. The bill, sponsored by Jennifer McClellan in …
Read More »Virginia Governor Signs Legislation Ending Death Penalty
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed historic legislation abolishing the death penalty in Virginia. Northam scheduled a tour Wednesday of the death chamber at the Greensville Correction Center and signed the landmark legislation outside the facility. This makes Virginia the 23rd state and the first in the South to end …
Read More »Virginia Gov. Northam Restores Voting Rights To Former Felons
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Tuesday that thousands of former inmates in the state would have their voting rights restored. Right now, convicted felons in Virginia can ask the governor’s office to restore their rights after they complete probation. Moving forward, Northam said former inmates will be able to …
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