Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1824, Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was born in Clarksburg, which is now in West Virginia. Jackson excelled in battle and earned his nickname at First Manassas. He was wounded at Chancellorsville in 1863 and died days later.

Be sure to scroll all the way down to our trivia section for more about "Stonewall" Jackson. In Sports, we cover an injury that could weaken the Commanders' offensive line in the playoffs this weekend.

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The Second Trump Presidency Begins

Gov. Glenn Youngkin was a featured speaker at President Trump's inaugural ceremony yesterday. "In Virginia, we know that taxes have to be low, jobs have to be plentiful, and it's your money—not the government's," he said.

Republican Rep. Rob Wittman attended and noted the need for cooperation under the new president. "I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do what the people elected us to do: get the work of the nation done," he said.

Some of the 8,000 military and police officers on hand to protect the event came from the Commonwealth. Many Virginia roads were closed throughout the day to reduce traffic into the city.

The National Capital Region Coordination Center allowed the airspace around Leesburg to remain open this year, even though it has traditionally been shut down for inaugurations. Residents can expect heavy executive jet traffic today as VIPs head home from D.C.

Virginia's Role in TikTok's Future

President Donald Trump said he would delay enforcing a federal law banning Chinese-owned TikTok "so that we can make a deal to protect our national security."

Virginia has been active in the fight against TikTok. Attorney General Jason Miyares filed a lawsuit last week against the app and its parent company ByteDance, saying that "TikTok continues to misrepresent the potential for the Chinese government to access and exploit Virginians' data."

The Commonwealth led a 21-state coalition last year urging federal courts to uphold the congressional ban, which received near-unanimous support from Virginia's congressional delegation when it passed last year.

TikTok claimed that almost 150,000 businesses and 3.3 million people in Virginia use the app. That includes an influencer from Hampton Roads, who said she is prepared to turn to other sites if TikTok shuts down.

Auto Insurance Premiums Climb

A new state law took effect this month that increased the minimum amount of insurance coverage Virginia drivers must carry. This will raise policyholders' premiums when their policies are renewed.

The state now requires at least $50,000 of bodily injury coverage for each person, $100,000 of bodily injury coverage for each accident, and $25,000 of coverage for property damage.

The law previously required $30,000, $60,000, and $20,000 in coverage for those events. As of last July, all drivers are required to have insurance.

Last year, the average Virginia driver paid $568 less per year in premiums than the national average of $1,975.

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➤ Washington, D.C.: Former President Joe Biden, in one of his final acts in office, pardoned Virginia House Speaker Don Scott for a 30-year-old drug offense. "I am deeply humbled to share that I have received a Presidential Pardon from President Joe Biden for a mistake I made in 1994," Scott said. (Details)

➤ Richmond: Police Chief Rick Edwards commended one of his officers who pulled him over for driving 61 mph in a 35 mph zone. The chief will be charged with reckless driving. (More)

➤ Loudoun County: Attorney General Jason Miyares dropped all charges against former school superintendent Scott Ziegler. Ziegler had been accused of firing a teacher when she complained about being touched inappropriately by her special needs students. (Details)

➤ Virginia Beach: The school district is planning to build a regional recovery high school to serve students dealing with substance abuse issues. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: The Board of Supervisors has authorized staff to apply for federal grants of nearly $91 million to fund eight regional transportation projects. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The state Art and Architectural Review Board signed off on a $261 million expansion plan proposed by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Groundbreaking is expected later this year. (Details)

➤ The Washington Commanders will be missing a key blocker in Sunday's NFC Championship game at Philadelphia. Right guard Sam Cosmi tore an ACL in the win over Detroit and is out until next year. (Details)

➤ UVA junior Jeremiah Nubble set an ACC indoor record in weight throw at the Virginia Tech Invitational. The indoor track and field season continues Friday with a meet at VMI. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech’s men’s tennis team won at VCU 4-3. Freshman Victor Kimpel clinched the victory when he prevailed in three sets. The Hokies play at Penn on Friday. (Details)

➤ The future of college athletics will be shaped by name, image, and likeness policies. NIL Wire can keep you up to date on the changes. Sign up here with one click!

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➤ Gas prices soared more than 13 cents per gallon in the Commonwealth over the past week. GasBuddy reported that the average price is now $3.07 per gallon, up 19.7 cents from a month ago and 10.9 cents from a year ago. (Details)

➤ The AEP Accountability Act, introduced by state Sen. Travis Hackworth, would allow Appalachian Electric Power customers with hefty bills to switch to a different provider. (More)

➤ Joann Fabric and Crafts could shutter all 20 of its Virginia locations after the chain filed for bankruptcy for the second time in a year. (Details)

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➤ Federal officials are seeking public input on how to repair and restore a 17-mile stretch of the Virginia Creeper Trail damaged by Hurricane Helene. The comment period is open until the end of the month. (Details)

➤ Seven black bear cubs at the Wildlife Center of Virginia turned 1 year old last week. "We're starting to now think about saying goodbye in this spring, once they go back to the wild," the facility's senior vice president said. (More)

➤ Filmmaker Ken Burns will be in Richmond on March 23 to preview his latest documentary, The American Revolution. Following the debut, historians featured in the film will answer audience questions. (Details)

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