Even as rioting damages large sections of Richmond and the Virginia General Assembly convenes in a special session, Mayor Levar Stoney wants lawmakers to take action — not on fighting lawlessness, but to help people get stoned.
Stoney used his bully pulpit to call for the Assembly to legalize marijuana.
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Gov. Ralph Northam is asking the Virginia Supreme Court to extend a ban on evictions until Sept. 7 amid thousands of pending cases, but some critics worry about the economic impact.
The ban was first implemented earlier this year to prevent Virginians from losing their homes because of the economic hardships caused by the shutdown over COVID-19. With hardships continuing statewide and the governor pulling back on the reopening of Hampton Roads, he has requested an extension.
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Establishment media news outlets insist that Republicans and President Donald Trump falsely emphasize Democratic support for infanticide, but the discussion of infanticide originated with the sitting governor of Virginia — and continues through 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s recent appearance on “The View.”
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U.S. Rep. Dr. Green (R-TN-07) announced Tuesday he would sign the petition to force a floor vote on the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The act was filed by House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA-01) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO-02) and would require medical care to children born alive after surviving a botched abortion. “Now, more than ever, the American people need clarification – where exactly does the Democratic party stand on the issue of abortion? Are they really comfortable letting already born infants die? This is not a trifling matter. I urge my colleagues in Congress to break party lines and protect these vulnerable and innocent children from this demise,” Green said in a statement. A simple majority (218) of signatures are needed for a discharge petition to be successful, Green said. That means 21 Democrats must join Republicans. At the end of Tuesday, the measure had 191 signatures, Politico said. Only one of three Democratic cosponsors – U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) – added his name to the petition. Freshman U.S. Rep. Ben McAdams (D-UT), who is not a cosponsor, also signed. According to Politico: Still, the GOP plans to use the petition as a cudgel against Democrats,…
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The attack against Southerners appearing in old photos has now ensnared District Attorney General Glenn Funk, who revealed his photo appearance in an attempt to get ahead of the story, multiple media outlets report. WKRN reports that Funk, of the 20th Judicial District in Nashville, appeared in a 1982 Wake Forest University yearbook photo with the Kappa Alpha Order, who were posing with the Confederate flag. Funk issued this statement: Last week, I read media reports that Governor Bill Lee was a KA at Auburn in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Given the attention given to this fact, I feel compelled to disclose that when I was in college at Wake Forest 37 years ago, I was also a member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity. I went back and looked through my college annuals. In 1982, my picture appeared in a group photo in the yearbook with the Confederate flag prominently displayed. I was wrong to participate in divisive and hurtful behavior. I apologize for the hurt caused then and now. Last week Gannett dug up a 39-year-old university fraternity yearbook photo showing Gov. Bill Lee dressed in a Confederate uniform with other members of Kappa Alpha Order who were…
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The backlash that prompted Amazon to discard its New York HQ2 headquarters plans like a rotten apple has emboldened critics of the tax deals being offered for the Virginia headquarters site. Amazon’s New York announcement, ironically made on Valentine’s Day, showed there was no love lost between the e-retailer and politicians and activists who bemoaned nearly $3 billion in tax incentives for the firm, The Tennessee Star reported. Amazon promised 25,000 jobs and $2.5 billion investment in offices. Amazon said it still planned to build an operations center in Nashville. The company was promised $15 million from the City of Nashville and up to $102 million from the state for 5,000 jobs. Now some in Virginia are setting their sights on what they say is not a Prime deal. Roshan Abraham, with Our Revolution Arlington, one of several anti-tax-incentive groups in Virginia, said the Arlington County government should vote down the $23 million tax deal being offered to the world’s largest e-retailer, according to a story by Washington Business Journal. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has signed a deal to give Amazon up to $550 million to create 25,000 jobs or $750 million for 37,850 jobs, the Journal said. Virginia critics also…
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Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Sunday he has no intention of resigning, despite widespread calls for him to quit because of a racist picture on his personal page in a 1984 medical school yearbook and his use of black face to depict a pop music star. “I have thought about resigning, but I’ve also thought about what Virginia needs right now,” Northam told CBS News. “And I really think that I’m in a position where I can take Virginia to the next level. Virginia also needs someone who is strong, who has empathy, who has courage and who has a moral compass. And that’s why I’m not going anywhere.” Northam, a trained physician, added, “I’ve been in some very difficult situations. Life and death situations taking care of sick children. And right now Virginia needs someone that can heal. There’s no better person to do that than a doctor.” Northam is one of three officials, all Democrats, at the top of the government in Virginia, an Atlantic coastal state, currently engulfed in controversy. Two women have accused the state’s No. 2 official, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, of sexually assaulting them more than a decade ago, allegations he rejects, while the…
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by George Rasley No one can be sure when the first white man “blackened up” to play an African American on stage; however, Thomas Dartmouth “Daddy” Rice developed the first popularly known blackface minstrel character called “Jim Crow” in 1830.* Rice’s imitation of a black man and perpetuation of stereotypes was extremely popular with whites in both the North and South. Minstrel music was often inspired by Anglo-Celtic songs, but the performance, singing, and speech mimicked and mocked African American vernacular. Some white performers even augmented their noses and other features when performing to look more stereotypically “black.”* Judging by the revelations of the past week, it appears Mr. Rice’s theatrical descendants are governing the Commonwealth of Virginia, as both Democrat Governor Ralph Northam and Democrat Attorney General Mark Herring have been exposed appearing in blackface during the 1980s. And let’s be clear about what was going on in their appearances: Neither Northam nor Herring were appearing in “make-up” to play the African character in Shakespeare’s Othello or as a traditionally African character like “Zwarte Piet” in old Dutch Christmas pageants. They were blacked-up in the worst tradition of minstrelsy to mock and belittle African-Americans. When the website Big…
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by Peter Hasson The uncorroborated sexual assault allegation against Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, has drawn comparisons to the uncorroborated allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Fairfax issued a statement early Monday morning disputing a report by the right-wing blog Big League Politics, which linked Fairfax to an accusation of sexual assault at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Fairfax said at a press conference Monday that he had a consensual encounter with the woman, but denied that he sexually assaulted her. Fairfax is poised to succeed embattled Gov. Ralph Northam if the Virginia Democrat resigns over a racist photo on his yearbook page that showed a man wearing blackface and another wearing a Klu Klux Klan robe. Northam first admitted to being one of the people in the photo, before backtracking and saying he wore blackface on a different occasion, but not in the photo. The Washington Post reported on Monday that it had been aware of the allegation against Fairfax for over a year, but was unable to corroborate it. Fairfax “incorrectly” claimed the Post declined to publish the claim because it found “red flags” regarding the woman’s story, according to the paper. “Fairfax and…
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Calls are mounting for Virginia’s governor to step down from office after the emergence of a racist photo in which he appeared in his medical school yearbook more than 30 years ago. Ralph Northam apologized Friday for the “racist and offensive” costume seen on his 1984 medical school yearbook page. In a video statement, Northam said the photo does not reflect the person he is today. “I cannot change the decisions I made, nor can I undo the harm my behavior caused then and today,” he added. “But I accept responsibility for my past actions, and I am ready to do the hard work of regaining your trust.” The page features a photograph of a person in blackface and another in full Ku Klux Klan garb. The governor has indicated he is one of the people in the photograph but has not said which one. The Congressional Black Caucus and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus have urged him to step down. “Ralph Northam has had three decades to know better but only now does he acknowledge this racist act,” the Congressional Black Caucus posted on Twitter. “An apology now isn’t enough. He must resign.” The Virginia Legislative Black Caucus posted…
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by Chuck Ross A top aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was reportedly quietly forced to resign in November 2018 over improper sexual relationships with junior staffers that made some of his colleagues uncomfortable. Matt House announced in November 2018 he was leaving Schumer’s office, where he had served as communications director for the past six years. Prior to that, he worked for Joe Biden’s 2008 presidential campaign. Speculation swirled about why House left his prestigious role, especially given that he did not transfer into another high-profile gig. But according to The Huffington Post, House was forced out because of inappropriate sexual relationships with Schumer staffers. HuffPo reported the story Friday night, while all eyes were on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who admitted to wearing blackface or a KKK robe in a 1984 yearbook photo. “Upon learning that he had inappropriate encounters within the office and that it was making some staff uncomfortable, he was asked to leave,” a spokesperson for Schumer told HuffPo. House also acknowledged he behaved inappropriately, attributing his problems to excessive drinking. “I deeply regret the mistakes I made on the number of occasions when I had too much to drink, and…
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by Luke Rosiak Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Monday announced proposed legislation to repeal the state’s requirement that voters show photo ID. “Participation makes our democracy strong—we should encourage every eligible voter to exercise this fundamental right, rather than creating unnecessary barriers that make getting to the ballot box difficult,” Northam, a Democrat, said in a statement. Delegate Kaye Kory, a sponsor of the measure, said in a statement, “The photo ID requirement prevents the most vulnerable Virginians from voting and silences the voices of those who most need to be heard.” The proposal would also allow people to vote absentee without providing a reason why they could not make it to the polls. Democrat Terry McAuliffe beat Republican Ken Cuccinelli for the Virginia governorship in 2013 by only 56,000 votes. In 2014, Democrat Mark Warner squeaked by against Republican Ed Gillespie in a Senate race decided by less than a percentage point, or 18,000 votes. The attorney general’s race came down to a mere 165 votes. Then, just before the 2016 election, McAuliffe restored the right to vote for 60,000 felons using an unorthodox procedure. McAuliffe had sought to allow all of Virginia’s estimated 200,000 felons to vote, but state courts said…
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