Connect with us

Virginia

DOJ sues Virginia for allegedly purging noncitizens from voting rolls too close to election

Published

on

DOJ sues Virginia for allegedly purging noncitizens from voting rolls too close to election


The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Virginia, alleging that the commonwealth removed noncitizens from its voter rolls too close to Election Day.

The complaint alleges that the state Board of Elections and Virginia Commissioner of Elections Susan Beals violated the federal National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), which mandates that states must complete their maintenance program no later than 90 days before an election under a clause known as the Quiet Period Provision.

The agency alleges that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin violated the NVRA when announcing and subsequently carrying out an executive order which required the election commissioner to regularly update the state’s voter lists to remove individuals who have been “identified as noncitizens,” and had not responded to a request to verify their citizenship in 14 days. 

Under Youngkin’s executive order, Virginia has removed 6,303 individuals.

Advertisement

“The Executive Order formalized the Program and announced that 6,303 individuals had been removed from the rolls pursuant to the same process between January 2022 and July 2024,” the complaint said.

DOJ SUES ALABAMA, STATE’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL FOR ALLEGEDLY PURGING NONCITIZEN VOTERS TOO CLOSE TO ELECTION

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, July 15. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The complaint notes that voters were identified as possible noncitizens if they responded “no” to questions about their citizenship status on certain forms submitted to the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

“This systematic voter removal program, which the State is conducting within 90 days of the upcoming federal election, violates the Quiet Period Provision,” the DOJ said.

Advertisement

In a statement, Yougkin pushed back on the Justice Department’s lawsuit, saying the lawsuit was “politically motivated.”

“With less than 30 days until the election, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice is filing an unprecedented lawsuit against me and the Commonwealth of Virginia, for appropriately enforcing a 2006 law signed by Democrat Tim Kaine that requires Virginia to remove noncitizens from the voter rolls – a process that starts with someone declaring themselves a non-citizen and then registering to vote,” Youngkins said.

“Virginians – and Americans – will see this for exactly what it is: a desperate attempt to attack the legitimacy of the elections in the Commonwealth, the very crucible of American Democracy,” he said.

Younkin vowed to “defend these commonsense steps” and promised that the state’s election would be “secure and fair.”

YOUNGKIN MANDATES ALL PAPER BALLOTS FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN VIRGINIA

Advertisement

“With the support of our Attorney General, we will defend these commonsense steps, that we are legally required to take, with every resource available to us,” he said. “Virginia’s election will be secure and fair, and I will not stand idly by as this politically motivated action tries to interfere in our elections, period.”

A volunteer holds a sticker to give to a voter at a polling place on Election Day in Stamford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote on X that the DOJ lawsuit is “election interference.”

THOUSANDS OF NONCITIZENS REMOVED FROM VOTER ROLLS, DOZENS OF LAWMAKERS WANT ANSWERS FROM GARLANDc

“The Biden-Harris administration is engaging in election interference,” he wrote. “They’re harassing states that are trying to make sure that noncitizens can’t vote. This is a lawless abuse of power.”

Advertisement

The Justice Department lawsuit against Virginia comes after the agency sued Alabama and its Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen over the state’s voter purge program that targeted noncitizen voters. 

The Justice Department has also sued Alabama and its Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen over the state’s voter purge program.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The Justice Department seeks injunctive relief that “would restore the ability of impacted eligible voters to vote unimpeded on Election Day,” and “would prohibit future quiet period violations,” the DOJ said in a statement.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“The department also seeks remedial mailings to educate eligible voters concerning the restoration of their rights and adequate training of local officials and poll workers to address confusion and distrust among eligible voters accused of being noncitizens,” the agency said.

Advertisement

Fox News Digital has reached out to Youngkin for comment.





Source link

Advertisement

Virginia

Birdball Prepares to Host Virginia Tech – Boston College Athletics

Published

on

Birdball Prepares to Host Virginia Tech – Boston College Athletics


CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — No. 23 Boston College Baseball will host Virginia Tech in a three-game series from April 10-12. On Friday and Sunday, the two teams will compete at Harrington Athletics Village with first pitch at 3:00 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively, and both games will be streamed on ACCNX. On Saturday, the game will be played at Fenway Park for the 14th annual ALS Awareness Game. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. and broadcast on ACC Network.

The 2026 ALS Awareness Game

The 14th annual Boston College ALS Awareness Game is coming to Fenway Park on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m., when the Eagles will face Virginia Tech in the second of a three-game series. The game has been played annually in honor of former BC baseball captain Pete Frates since his ALS diagnosis in 2012. This year marks the seventh time it has been played at Fenway Park. Frates passed away in 2019 at the age of 34.

Record vs Virginia Tech

Boston College is 26-35 all-time against Virginia Tech, including a 14-13 record at home. The Eagles were swept when the two teams last met in 2024. Six current players saw action in that series, with Nick Wang, Kyle Wolff, and Owen DeShazo seeing at-bats. Wolff was a combined 4-11 with five RBI, a home run, two doubles, and a triple in the series. Kyle Kipp, A.J. Colarusso, and Tyler Mudd all pitched, with Colarusso starting and going six innings with six strikeouts. 

Scouting the Hokies

Virginia Tech is 15-16 this season and 6-9 in conference so far. The Hokies dropped their lone midweek contest, 11-4, to Liberty and lost two of three over the weekend to Miami. They won the finale against the Hurricanes, 6-3. Virginia Tech is hitting .256 as a team this season, but has three hitters above .300, led by Ethan Ball at .310. Ball leads the Hokies in hits and home runs with 35 and six, respectively. Hudson Lutterman is the team RBI leader with 23. The Virginia Tech pitching staff has four arms with over 20 innings, including Griffin Stieg, who has thrown 37 innings with 33 strikeouts. Brett Renfrow is the Hokies’ strikeout leader with 49 so far this season. The staff has an ERA of 7.68, but two arms with sub-5.00 ERAs: Luke Craytor and Chase Swift, with 3.77 and 4.24 ERAs, respectively.

Advertisement

The Matchups

The first game of the series will feature A.J. Colarusso against Logan Eisenreich. Colarusso is 3-1 on the year with a 2.88 ERA in 40.2 innings of work to go with 37 strikeouts. In his last outing, Colarusso went six innings against No. 6 North Carolina, allowing just one unearned run while matching his season high of seven strikeouts. Eisenreich is 0-1 this season with a 6.60 ERA in 15 innings of work to go with 18 strikeouts. His last appearance was three innings in relief against Miami, where he allowed an earned run while striking out two. 

On Saturday, Brady Miller and Brett Renfrow will face off. Miller has yet to earn a decision this season in 27 innings of work. He has posted a 2.33 ERA to go with 27 strikeouts. His last outing saw him throw five innings against No. 6 North Carolina, where he gave up five earned runs with two strikeouts. Renfrow is 1-4 this season in 34.1 innings with 49 strikeouts and a 6.82 ERA. His last start came against Miami, where he allowed seven earned runs in five innings of work while striking out six. 

Sunday’s starters are still to be determined. 

Last Time Out

Boston College won both of its midweek contests, defeating UMass 11-1 in the Beanpot semifinals before beating Dartmouth 13-3. Against the Minutemen, Cesar Gonzalez, Luke Gallo, and Carter Hendrickson all had two RBI, while four guys had two hits each. On Wednesday, Wang paced the offense with three RBI. Julio Solier, Ty Mainolfi, and Jack Toomey all had three hits in the win. Jacob Burnham earned the win against UMass, while Peter Schaefer won against Dartmouth. 

Up Next

The Eagles will host two midweeks next week, beginning on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. with the championship game against Northeastern, followed by UConn at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. They will then host Duke for an ACC series. 

Advertisement

 



Source link

Continue Reading

Virginia

Randolph-Macon College offers free stargazing through one of Virginia’s largest telescopes

Published

on

Randolph-Macon College offers free stargazing through one of Virginia’s largest telescopes


ASHLAND, Va. — Eighth-grade students from Richmond Public Schools are getting a hands-on look at the stars at the Keeble Observatory at Randolph-Macon College.

The observatory, located on the campus in Ashland, is a research, outreach, and teaching telescope for the college’s Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astrophysics.

WTVR

It is the largest telescope of its kind between Washington, D.C., and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Advertisement

Earth Science teacher Chloe Tremper brought her class from Boushall Middle School to the observatory to learn about celestial objects.

“I think more people should know about it, especially when they have public nights on Thursdays. I’ll definitely be coming back with some folks,” Tremper said.

Randolph-Macon engineering and astrophysics students Brielle Baughman and Kamaya Wilson helped guide the middle schoolers during their visit.

“It never gets old. It’s beautiful looking at it every time. And then seeing others see how beautiful it is, and their reactions, it’s amazing,” Baughman said.

“We usually have something already up. Something cool, shocking. Typically, a planet. We can look at Saturn. That’s a really popular one. I personally think Saturn’s my favorite,” Wilson said.

Advertisement
Randolph-Macon engineering and astrophysics students Brielle Baughman and Kamaya Wilson.jpg

WTVR

Randolph-Macon engineering and astrophysics students Brielle Baughman and Kamaya Wilson

The telescope and lab provide hands-on learning for students of all ages.

The campus hosts weekly public stargazing sessions on Thursdays during the academic semester, weather permitting.

Visitors can even play a form of cosmic bingo, marking off cards with everything they see.

Physics professor Michael Rodruck knows not all the middle school students will become astrophysicists, but he hopes they all find an interest in discovering new things.

Advertisement

“I hope they just get amazed by the night sky. Usually when kids look through that telescope, it’s always ‘Wow, that’s so cool!’ And seeing that spark of curiosity. Seeing that spark of interest, that really is making it worth it,” Rodruck said.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

📲: CONNECT WITH US

Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Virginia

Gov. Spanberger address ICE, misinformation, and her Virginia poll numbers

Published

on

Gov. Spanberger address ICE, misinformation, and her Virginia poll numbers


RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger defended her administration’s policies and approach Wednesday during a question-and-answer session at Capital Square. She addressed Virginia’s budget negotiations, immigration enforcement and her approval ratings.

Legislative Action and Special Session

Spanberger said she has signed hundreds of bills in recent days, with many new laws addressing student and school safety as well as the high cost of housing, healthcare and utilities.

She has called a special session for April 23 to finalize the commonwealth’s budget.

Advertisement

The governor reiterated her support for public sector collective bargaining, saying it would give public employees the same choice to join or not join a union that private employees have.

‘Bumpy’ Budget Process

Gov. Abigail Spanberger addresses Virginia’s ‘bumpy’ budget impasse

Advertisement

Spanberger described ongoing budget negotiations between House and Senate Democrats as challenging but progressing toward the April 23 special session deadline.

“It’s a bumpy road, certainly, but in speaking with the chairwoman of the Senate Finance Committee [Sen. Louise Lucas] today, she assures me that we are on path towards getting that budget to me on the 23rd,” Spanberger said.

A key point of contention involves data center tax policy.

The Senate version of the budget eliminates the current sales and use tax exemption that data centers enjoy, which costs Virginia $1.6 billion in lost revenue annually even as the state has become the data center capital of the world. The House version keeps the exemption, creating a significant gap that must be resolved.

The governor said she maintains regular contact with House Appropriations Chair Del. Luke Torian and Sen. Lucas while respecting the legislative process.

Advertisement

“I am endeavoring to be very engaged. But I still need them to a conclusion of the bill that they want to send to my desk,” she said. “They both know where I stand on a variety of issues and certainly what my priorities are.”

Immigration Clarification

Gov. Abigail Spanberger on immigration: ‘Virginia is not a sanctuary state’

Advertisement

Spanberger pushed back against characterizations of Virginia as a “sanctuary state.” She said her executive orders on immigration enforcement maintain levels of cooperation between Virginia State Police and federal immigration officials.

“Virginia is not a sanctuary state. Full stop,” she said. “My executive orders [are that] Virginia state agencies would no longer and principally state police, as the largest of the state law enforcement agencies, would no longer put their police officers, their troopers, under the supervision and direction of ICE agents.”

The governor said Virginia State Police continue coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on warrant-related activities.

“If ICE comes to [Virginia State Police] and says, ‘Here’s a warrant. We need your support on something.’ Yes, they’re going to support them,” she said.

Polling and Cost-of-Living Concerns

Advertisement

Gov. Abigail Spanberger addresses recent approval poll numbers in Virginia

Addressing a recent Washington Post poll showing her 47% approval rating trailing the average Virginia governor’s approval by 13 points, Spanberger emphasized her 2025 election victory margin.

“When I was elected, really, frankly, that’s the only poll that mattered. My election, a 17-point swing,” she said.

Advertisement

On cost-of-living issues, Spanberger said the many bills that will address the high cost of housing, healthcare and utilities will become law and take effect on July 1. She also blamed federal policies for rising gas prices above $4 per gallon, criticizing what the Trump administration’s war against Iran.

CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.

📲: CONNECT WITH US

Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending