Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Good morning! On this day in 1865, Confederate forces attempted to break the siege of Petersburg with an attack on Fort Stedman. The attack failed. Union troops captured 1,900 Confederates, and Gen. Robert E. Lee abandoned Petersburg for good the following week.

Virginia Works reported that unemployment claims dropped last week but are still much higher than they were last spring. See details in Around Virginia.

We're sponsored today by the nonprofit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help people in need in the Congo.

Governor Issues Budget Amendments

Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled a package of 205 amendments and eight item vetoes in response to the spending proposals the state legislature sent to him last month.

Youngkin praised the bipartisan nature of the budget. He said the new budget will provide $1.1 billion in tax relief, fund "key priorities" above current budget levels, and create a larger rainy day fund to help Virginia deal with the effects of recent federal budget cuts.

Strong job growth and tax revenue contributed to a $3.2 billion surplus going into 2025, which created opportunities for additional spending and tax relief. Youngkin stated that he expects the budget will expand services without imposing expensive mandates on future policymakers.

Lawmakers will return to Richmond on April 2 to vote on Youngkin's changes.

State Bans Seven Food Dyes

Virginia has become the second state in the country to ban certain types of food dyes from student lunch menus.

The food reform measure prohibits public elementary and secondary schools from serving foods containing seven types of dyes. It was part of a slate of 185 bills Gov. Youngkin signed ahead of Monday's deadline.

"Every child in Virginia deserves to start the day with a nutritious meal that will fuel their academic success," said Republican state Sen. Emily Jordan, who sponsored the ban. "This momentous legislation was championed by parents across our state that want the healthiest options for their children."

The changes will take effect beginning with the 2027 school year.

Youngkin Supports Oak Hill Park Plan

The family that owns former President James Monroe's estate, Oak Hill, wants to convert the property into a public park but needs state support to make that happen.

"We talked through all of the numbers and all of the issues and quite frankly, the governor amazed me with his knowledge of this project," Republican Del. Geary Higgins said. Gov. Youngkin announced he will include the necessary funding in the package of amendments he sent to lawmakers yesterday.

Transforming the property into a state park would cost an estimated $52 million. So far, Loudoun County has allocated $22 million, while The Conservation Fund, a nonprofit, has raised nearly $32 million more.

Last month the state Senate failed to sign off on the acquisition, which had left the proposal up in the air.

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Crisis in DRC

A decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has gone from a simmer to a boil in recent months.

Last week, Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 ignored calls for a ceasefire, seizing a strategic town in Congo—one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world. M23 is one of nearly 100 armed groups that have been vying for control of the mineral-rich area, and the resulting conflict has caught civilians (including many Christians) in the middle, creating one of the world's most significant humanitarian crises.

Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Council launched an investigation into allegations of atrocities, such as mass killings of civilians, by multiple groups.

An estimated 7 million people have been displaced, and more than 25 million people—approximately one in four Congolese—face acute food insecurity.

➤ Statewide: Virginia Works reported that 3,141 people filed initial unemployment claims last week. That's down 22% from the previous week but is 65% higher than the same week last year. (Details)

➤ Northern Virginia: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it will conduct exercises over the D.C. region today. Coast Guard helicopters and Civil Air Patrol C-182 aircraft may be flying as low as 2,500 feet. (More)

➤ Richmond: The cybercriminal group that calls itself Cloak claimed it was behind last month's ransomware attack on the Virginia attorney general's office. The strike reportedly knocked out email, virtual private networks, internet connectivity, and the attorney general's website. (Details)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors will consider a resolution at today's meeting to scrap its Student Life Village Master Plan, originally created to provide housing on campus for about 5,000 students. (More)

➤ Charlottesville: Former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Friday. He was convicted last year of 12 counts of conspiracy, fraud, and bribery. (Details)

➤ Damascus: Repairs to a section of U.S. 58 damaged during Hurricane Helene are progressing ahead of schedule. VDOT says 80% of the work is finished, and the road should be repaired by May, six months earlier than initially planned. (More)

➤ Longwood promoted Ronnie Thomas from assistant to head men's basketball coach to replace Griff Aldrich, who left after seven years at the helm to become an assistant coach on Ryan Odom's new staff at UVA. (More)

➤ The Washington Capitals, sporting the NHL's best record, visit the Winnipeg Jets tonight. (Preview)

➤ UVA visits Lynchburg to face Liberty in baseball this afternoon. The Cavaliers dropped out of the national rankings after being swept by Duke over the weekend, while the Flames are 17-8. (Stats)

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➤ The average price of a gallon of gas in Virginia was $2.95 on Monday, according to AAA. That's up from $2.89 a week earlier but down from $3.45 last March. (Details)

➤ Beacon Roofing Supply of Herndon agreed to be acquired by Greenwich, Conn.-based QXO Inc. for $11 billion. (More)

➤ Bloom Market, a retail accelerator program in downtown Portsmouth, turned one year old. "We see this as an opportunity not just to help local entrepreneurs start their business but also to help our local economy and start filling some of the storefronts," the assistant director of Portsmouth Partnership said. (Details)

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Join us in partnering with World Concern to help the most vulnerable in the Congo and in countries around the world where World Concern serves by providing life-sustaining nutrition, clean water, medication, and more with the love of Jesus. Every $27 dollars provides someone with these emergency essentials.

➤ The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond snagged 11th place in a national survey of top American museums. (Details)

➤ The Teen Summit RVA brought students from across the Commonwealth together to learn more about the future of topics from agriculture and innovation to entrepreneurship and public safety. (More)

➤ The FastForward program at Virginia's Community Colleges saw a 17% jump in enrollments last year, setting a new record for the short-term workforce development program. (Details)

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