Virginia

Obama calls on voters to help Democrats’ Virginia redistricting ahead of midterm elections

Published

1 week ago

March 5, 2026

Obama calls on voters to help Democrats’ Virginia redistricting ahead of midterm elections

Former President Barack Obama is calling on voters in Virginia to support a ballot measure this spring that would change the commonwealth’s constitution and cause new congressional district boundaries benefiting Democrats to be used in this fall’s midterm elections.

In a video posted to social media on Thursday morning, Obama noted the surge of mid-decade redistricting started last year when Texas Republicans started work to shift five Democratic seats and make them more favorable to Republicans.

Since then, California Democrats were able to redraw the lines involving five GOP-held seats to try and offset Texas’ gerrymander. Republicans in North Carolina and Missouri last year also altered a Democratic-held seat in each of their respective states to try and help the GOP.

“In April, Virginians can respond by making sure your voting power is not diminished by what Republicans are doing in other states,” Obama, a Democrat, said in the video. “This amendment gives you the power to level the playing field in the midterms this fall.”

Republicans hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House and are contending with the prospect of losing control of the chamber this fall when every seat is on the ballot.

Virginia Democrats’ redistricting effort has proven to be a lengthy process, and legal concerns have surrounded much of the work and thrown some uncertainty into the outcome. The commonwealth’s map in place at the moment resulted in six House seats for Democrats in the 2024 election and five for Republicans. Plans offered by elected Democratic leaders this year would try and shift those lines in a way that could result in sending 10 Democrats back to the House and just one Republican.

“Democrats’ illegal gerrymandering power grab is an affront to democracy and rigs our maps to turn Virginia into a one-party state,” the Republican Party of Virginia said last month on social media, adding “It is an intentional effort to silence and disenfranchise half our Commonwealth.”

After the 2020 Census, both Democratic and Republican led states indulged in the well-worn practice of gerrymandering, drawing districts that favored their own parties and lessening the chances of competitive races.

But the series of mid-decade redraws impacting the 2026 midterms essentially represent a break from tradition and have put Democrats in the position of having to backtrack on some of their past messaging on the issue. “For too long, gerrymandering has contributed to stalled progress and warped our representative government,” Obama himself said on social media in 2020.

A statewide vote is set for April 21 on whether to change Virginia’s constitution and give the General Assembly the ability to change the maps just months before general election contests will be held. Early voting is set to start Friday.

Virginia is more of a purple state, and it’s unclear what will happen to the constitutional amendment in the April 21 special election. Republicans widely oppose the effort, and additional congressional redistricting in GOP-led Florida could lessen the impact of any changes made in Virginia.

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Virginia Senator Mark Warner attends black lung roundtable

Published

4 hours ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Senator Mark Warner attends black lung roundtable

Black lung is a devastating disease that has plagued Southwest Virginia for years.

Between 2020-2025 Stone Mountain Health Services says 14% of miners seen at the clinic were diagnosed with complicated black lung.

“Black lung are small opacities or smaller spots scattered out throughout the lungs,” said Black Lung Director for Stone Mountain Health Services, Bradley Johnson. “Complicated black lung is when those spots have come together and made a big mass at least the size of a quarter of 50 cent piece.”

Sen. Mark Warner sat down with United Mine Workers of America, healthcare workers and community members to talk about the effects of black lung as well as what lawmakers can do to help.

“End of the day it was coal miners and the energy that came from coal that built America in World War II and afterwards and I think we owe an obligation to honor those commitments,” Sen. Warner said.

Six years ago, Pam Stacy lost her husband to black lung. She says after he passed away, she was denied his benefits. Stacy tried to repeal during a 2023 hearing but hasn’t been contacted by the courts since.

“It’s hard, I struggle. With just me I only get social security and his little bit of retirement and that’s it,” Stacy said.

She now uses her story to advocate for what’s called the widow’s bill. Something Warner says he will continue to push.

“You hear these stories and they deserve better,” Sen. Warner said.

During the roundtable, it was also brought up that young people diagnosed with black lung do not qualify for disability on their social security.

“At least getting the designation on somebody’s social security form and if that would put an extra $3,000 a month in somebody disabled’s pocket because social security would recognize black lung in younger miners, that’s something tangible that we can work on,” Sen. Warner said.

Warner says the concerns discussed at the event will be taken back to Washington. He also made the promise to return to Southwest Virginia soon with an update.

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Gunman who injured 2 people at Old Dominion University in Virginia is dead, college says

Published

16 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

Gunman who injured 2 people at Old Dominion University in Virginia is dead, college says

A gunman is dead and two people are hurt after a shooting at Old Dominion University on Thursday morning, the Virginia school said.

ODU said a gunman opened fire in its business school building, injuring two people who were sent to the hospital. It wasn’t immediately clear how the shooter died.

READ MORE: Georgia high school shooting suspect’s father convicted of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter

The two people injured are in critical condition, said a spokesperson for Sentera Health, the health care system that oversees the hospital.

Within about an hour of the shooting, ODU declared that there was no longer a threat on the campus.

The public university in Norfolk canceled classes and suspended all operations on its main campus for the rest of Thursday and urged people to avoid the area in and around Constant Hall while emergency officials continued to work.

In a message to the university community, ODU President Brian Hemphill said the school faced a tragedy on campus. He expressed gratefulness for the swift emergency response and thoughts and prayers to those impacted.

“The safety of our campus community is my top priority,” Hemphill wrote. “We are deeply committed to safeguarding all Monarchs and ensuring a secure learning, living, and working environment at all times.”

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on the social platform X that it had agents on scene supporting the response.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in social media posts that she was monitoring the situation and that “state support is being mobilized” to help ODU. She didn’t provide specifics.

Located in coastal Norfolk, Old Dominion University has about 24,000 students, 17,500 of them undergraduates. The school has around 240 degree programs, and is known for its research spending and doctoral programs. Nearly 30% of its students are military-affiliated, according to the university website. The area is also home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval station in the world.

Associated Press journalist Allen G. Breed in Wake Forest, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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BYU uses stingy defense and another big game from AJ Dybantsa to rout West Virginia 68-48 in a Big 12 tournament second-round game Wednesday in Kansas City

Published

1 day ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

BYU uses stingy defense and another big game from AJ Dybantsa to rout West Virginia 68-48 in a Big 12 tournament second-round game Wednesday in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY — Eleven days ago, the then-ranked BYU Cougars were “punked,” in the words of coach Kevin Young, in a puzzling loss at West Virginia.

Coming on the heels of a blowout loss at home to UCF, it felt like the 2025-26 season had hit rock bottom for Young’s crew. But it hadn’t. Three days later, BYU lost by 22 points at Cincinnati, and prospects for a decent postseason run looked dim.

But the Cougars have suddenly rattled off three straight wins, most recently Wednesday night’s 68-48 romp over that same WVU team that beat them 79-71 in Morgantown by simply out-hustling the favored Cougars at Hope Coliseum.

“It feels like we are a completely different team,” center Keba Keita said after AJ Dybantsa turned in another magnificent outing — 27 points, seven rebounds and three assists — and the Cougars held the Mountaineers to their lowest scoring output of the season.

Forty-eight points is also the fewest scored against BYU this year.

Welcome to the new-look Cougars, who a night ago scored a season-high 105 points in a free-wheeling 14-point win over Kansas State. Just like Dybantsa has many ways to make buckets, BYU has found new ways to win in March, when it matters the most.

“We just played them 10 days ago, we felt like we left a lot to be desired in that game,” Young said. “I thought our guys came out with a 40-minute effort and had a will to win that was kind of unmatched.”

It was reminiscent of that game that turned it all around last Saturday, the 82-76 conquest of No. 10 Texas Tech in which BYU simply imposed its will on an overmatched team playing without its star, JT Toppin.

What has gotten into these guys?

“We took that loss at their place personal, and we came out tonight and just overpowered them,” said Keita, who blocked a couple of shots and had seven rebounds and four points.