The first Monday in October  Associated Press | Thursday's extraordinary testimony in the Senate Judiciary Committee will resonate in Virginia long after senators ultimately reconcile Christine Blasey Ford's allegations of sexual misconduct and Judge Brett Kavanaugh's denials. Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination advanced to the Senate floor Friday on a party-line vote, but then his opponents got what amounts to a stay. President Donald Trump ordered a limited FBI investigation after senators who hold key swing votes said they want more information. Friday's flurry comes three days before the first Monday in October, which marks the beginning of the Supreme Court's new term. Items before the court include an appeal by Virginia House Republicans who are challenging a federal panel's ruling that threw out 11 legislative districts as racial gerrymanders. If the Supremes take up the appeal with their ninth seat in limbo, that could add even more uncertainty to Virginia's game of musical chairs. Will Virginia delegates seek re-election next year in their current districts or with new boundaries? As Michael Martz reports, Republicans in the House of Delegates this week advanced a GOP plan out of committee, but Gov. Ralph Northam doesn't seem inclined to embrace it. |
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Va. is one of just six states that don't collect data on teacher diversity  ALEXA WELCH EDLUND | Justin Mattingly reports that across the U.S., only two out of every 100 teachers are black men. About one in five public school teachers and half of students are non-white, according to the U.S. Department of Education, which expects the share of white students to drop below half by 2024. Research shows that having a teacher of color is helpful for students of color, but where - or how often - that's happening in Virginia is unclear. Despite having set a goal of boosting teacher diversity, Virginia is one of six states that don't track teachers' race and ethnicity. Some lawmakers say that is a glaring oversight in the state's efforts to address a nationwide challenge. READ MORE Above, Linda Estrada-Aval waits to go into her classroom on the first day of school at Cool Springs Elementary in Petersburg. |
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Warner reflects on groundbreaking DNA project that exonerated nine  P. KEVIN MORLEY | Frank Green speaks with Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., who as governor ordered Virginia's groundbreaking effort to use DNA to hunt for people who were wrongfully convicted. Sample testing of biological evidence in 31 old sexual assault cases led to the exoneration of two men who had been wrongfully convicted of rape, setting off alarm bells across the country. The sample run morphed into Virginia's Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program and Notification Project, which is set to finally wrap up in the next few months. Almost 13 years and $6 million later, nine men have been exonerated of serious crimes. They include Thomas Haynesworth of Richmond who spent 27 years in prison for sexual assaults another man had committed. In the photo above, Haynesworth embraced his mother, Delores, after he was released from the Greensville Correctional Center in 2011. Warner said he was impressed by the lack of bitterness among those who were exonerated. "To me it was kind of a remarkable display of human resilience and human spirit," he said. "If I had spent x-number of my years of my life incarcerated for something I hadn't done, I'm not sure I could have carried it off with the same grace." READ MORE |
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Wittman's opponent has $200k in student loan debt from for-profit colleges  Photo by Tom Rothenberg | Patrick Wilson reports that Vangie Williams, the Democratic nominee in the 1st House District, said she has $200,000 in student-loan debt from taking classes through for-profit colleges. Williams, 50, of King George County, disclosed the amount at a candidate forum Sept. 19 at Virginia Union University. In an interview, she said she has three degrees and is working toward a doctorate in business administration through Walden University, "and the debt is going to continue until I graduate next year." Williams is challenging GOP Rep. Rob Wittman in a district that includes Hanover County in the Richmond area. READ MORE |
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Will third Kaine-Stewart debate be the charm? (Doubtful)  The Washington Post | Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. and Republican challenger Corey Stewart meet in their third and final debate Tuesday evening in Chesterfield County at the studios of WCVE. It will be televised in markets around the state. Patrick Wilson reports that in the candidates' second debate, Wednesday in Fairfax County, Stewart stayed on the attack, calling Kaine a bitter partisan who gets nothing done and opposes President Donald Trump at every turn. Kaine noted his support for increased military spending, medical research and money to fight opioid addiction, and said he thinks Virginians will support his positive message. Along with the story, don't miss the video version of our latest Capitol Chat podcast in which political columnist Jeff Schapiro and Wilson dissect what Schapiro calls "the knockdown in NOVA." READ MORE In an analysis on the McLean debate, Schapiro writes that Stewart is trying to overtake Kaine by tearing him down. READ MORE |
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IN OTHER NEWS • Political columnist Jeff Schapiro says Democrat Abigail Spanberger has little reason to mention President Donald Trump in her campaign against Rep. Dave Brat, R-7th, because Trump's already a big problem for Republicans in Virginia's population centers. READ MORE • Ali Rockett reports that a National Guardsman accused of taking an armored vehicle from Fort Pickett on a 65-mile joyride that ended in Richmond has been deemed competent to stand trial. READ MORE • Justin Mattingly reports that 92 percent of Virginia schools are accredited under a new system that officials trumpet as a better way to judge schools, up from 86 percent last year. READ MORE • The Associated Press reports that Del. Matthew James, D-Portsmouth, has apologized following his arrest Saturday on a charge of driving under the influence. READ MORE • Michael Martz reports that the chief judge of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Roger L. Gregory, took aim Friday at what he called the shifting position of the U.S. Forest Service in protecting national forest lands on steep mountain slopes in the path of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. READ MORE • The Governor's Capitol Classic show, postponed once because of Hurricane Florence, is back on this Saturday afternoon. That means attendees will get to glimpse Gov. Ralph Northam's 50s-era Olds, a "Rocket 88" in car-buff lingo. After a long week, that's a good excuse to enjoy another 50s classic - Jackie Brentson's "Rocket 88." |
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Shot of the week  JOE MAHONEY | Veteran Washington Post reporter and author Bob Woodward speaks Tuesday at Virginia Commonwealth University. Woodward, whose book "Fear: Trump in the White House" came out Sept. 11, told a capacity crowd of students, faculty and community members that "there is a war on truth," Justin Mattingly reports. READ MORE |
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| "I'm working with Chris Jones on getting this done. It should be the General Assembly's job to fix this, not the court." - Sen. Lionell Spruill Sr., D-Chesapeake, on the redistricting plan introduced by Del. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk |
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