Virginia

Obama rallies for Democratic governor candidates in New Jersey, Virginia

Published

5 months ago

November 1, 2025

Obama rallies for Democratic governor candidates in New Jersey, Virginia

Former President Barack Obama spoke in Virginia and New Jersey on Nov. 1 in support of fellow Democrats Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill as both battle to become governor of their respective states.

Obama rallied for Spanberger at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia, praising her for her experience in law enforcement and the CIA. The former president supported Sherrill in Newark, New Jersey, at Essex County College, saying she would be a “governor who thinks for herself” and would “bring people together and not divide them.”

Spanberger is challenging Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the gubernatorial race. Current Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, is nearing the end of his first four years leading the Commonwealth, and under a unique state law preventing governors from serving back-to-back terms, is barred from running in this year’s election.

Regardless of whether Spanberger or Earle-Sears wins on Nov. 4, Virginia will have elected its first female governor.

“The stakes are now clear,” Obama said during the rally in Virginia. “We don’t need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. We don’t need to ask ourselves how much more coarse and mean our culture can become. Elections matter, and they matter to you.”

Who is Abigail Spanberger?

Spanberger, 46, previously served as the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District from 2019 to 2025, according to her bio on her campaign website. She also worked at the CIA as an operations officer, gathering intelligence on nuclear proliferation and terrorism from 2006 to 2014, before then-Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe appointed Spanberger to the Virginia Fair Housing Board in 2017, USA TODAY previously reported.

After defeating Republican incumbent and Tea Party member Dave Brat by just over 6,600 votes, Spanberger became the first Democrat to represent the district since 1970, according to her bio on her campaign website.

Spanberger then narrowly defeated Nick Frietas, a Republican member of the House of Delegates, in 2020 to be re-elected.

Who is Mikie Sherrill?

Sherrill, who previously served as a naval officer and as a federal prosecutor, represents a federal congressional district near Newark, New Jersey, according to her bio on the U.S. House of Representatives website.

The 53-year-old congresswoman grew up in Reston, Virginia, and after high school, she earned an undergraduate degree from the U.S. Naval Academy, her bio on the House’s History, Art and Archives website says. She was a Navy helicopter pilot, campaigning on her experience. In the video announcing her campaign for governor, she sported her Navy flight jacket.

After 10 years in the Navy, she earned a law degree from Georgetown University, went to work in litigation in New York City and became a federal prosecutor in New Jersey, according to her bio.

Sherrill, in 2018, won a once-solidly Republican congressional seat, beating Jay Webber. She won a closer 2020 re-election race, defeating Republican Rosemary Becchi with 53.3% of the vote to 46.7%.

Polls show likely voters favoring Spanberger

According to a Suffolk University poll of likely voters released on Oct. 23, Spanberger garnered 52% of the vote among survey respondents, followed by Earl-Sears’ 43%. Another 3% said they were undecided.

The poll, conducted between Oct. 19 and 22, surveyed 500 likely voters across Virginia. Spanberger has led the race in every major poll for months, including by as much as 10% in an Emerson College poll conducted in September.

Virginia has been heralded as a national indicator when it comes to its gubernatorial elections, held only a year into a presidential term. Since 1977, except for in 2013, the Commonwealth has elected a governor from the opposite party as the sitting U.S. President, USA TODAY previously reported.

November poll of likely voters shows slight lead for Sherrill

According to an AtlasIntel poll released Nov. 1, Sherrill had a slight lead over Ciattarelli. Specifically, the poll, which recorded responses from more than 1,600 likely voters in New Jersey from Oct. 25 to Oct. 30, showed Sherrill receiving 50.2% of the vote compared to opponent Jack Ciattarelli’s 49.3%, with a 2% margin of error.

Ciattarelli is a former member of the state legislative assembly who lost to current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in a closer-than-expected 51.2% to 48% governor’s race in 2021. Murphy could not run again due to New Jersey’s two-term cap on consecutive stints as governor.

Although President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Ciattarelli, hasn’t joined him in person on the campaign trail, he did support the Republican candidate during a telephone rally on Oct. 24.

In a recent debate, Ciattarelli graded Trump an “A” for his performance so far in his second term, while Sherrill gave the president an “F.”

Contributing: Aysha Bagchi, Kathryn Palmer, Jennifer Borresen, Karissa Waddick, Phillip M. Bailey &Katie Sobko/ USA TODAY

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Virginia

How to buy Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

Published

7 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

How to buy Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

The Virginia Cavaliers continue to thrill as they’re moving on to the Sweet 16 of the women’s NCAA Tournament!

UVA is the first double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16 in the women’s bracket since 2022, and it’s the Cavaliers’ first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2000.

After a fourth quarter surge to push overtime, the No. 10 Cavaliers took over in double overtime, stunning No. 2 Iowa with a 83-75 win. It was a group effort on the floor, but the Cavs were led by Kymora Johnson with 28 points.

SHOP: Virginia women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

After advancing to the Sweet 16, the Cavaliers will face No. 3 TCU in Sacramento, Calif. on Saturday, March 28.

Knowing that matchup is set, here is everything you need to know to buy Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 March Madness tickets.

Shop Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 tickets

Virginia vs. TCU March Madness Sweet 16 tickets

Virginia women’s March Madness Sweet 16 opponent

Virginia reached the Sweet 16 after upsetting No. 2 Iowa on Monday afternoon. Now, they’ll play No. 3 TCU in the Sweet 16.

Virginia vs. TCU women’s March Madness Sweet 16 schedule

Virginia will take on the TCU Horned Frogs after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday afternoon. The game will be played on either Friday, March 27 or Saturday, March 28. Shop Virginia vs. TCU Sweet 16 tickets now.

More March Madness: Everything fans need to know about the 2026 NCAA Tournament

Virginia vs. TCU women’s basketball Sweet 16 tickets

Limited UVA vs. TCU women’s Sweet 16 tickets are still available. Get your Virginia vs. TCU March Madness Sweet 16 tickets now starting at $39.

Shop UVA Sweet 16 tickets

UVA women’s basketball Sweet 16 game locations

Virginia will play its Sweet 16 game at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., against TCU on Saturday, March 28. Shop your Virginia NCAA Tournament tickets now.

When is March Madness 2026?

The First Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament tipped off the 2026 March Madness tournament on Wednesday, March 18. The two rounds run between Friday, March 20 and Monday, March 23. The tournament concludes with the Final Four on Friday, April 3 and the National Championship game on Sunday, April 5.

Shop ALL March Madness tickets

March Madness 2026 full schedule for the women’s tournament

March 20-21: First round
March 22-23: Second round
March 27-28: Sweet 16
March 29-30: Elite 8
April 3: Final Four
April 5: National Championship

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Virginia

How Tennessee used regular season blunders to fuel March Madness win vs Virginia

Published

19 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

How Tennessee used regular season blunders to fuel March Madness win vs Virginia

PHILADELPHIA − Maybe all those blown leads in the regular season were good for Tennessee basketball?

While it didn’t surrender a double-digit big lead, Tennessee fans certainly felt pangs of anxiety when Virginia pulled ahead late at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

This time, though, instead of collapsing, the No. 6 Vols (24-11) banded together and pulled off the 79-72 victory over No. 3 Virginia (30-6) in the Men’s NCAA Tournament on March 22.

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes guided the program to its fourth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. The road gets tougher for the Vols against No. 2 Iowa State (29-7) at the United Center in Chicago on March 27 (10:10 p.m. ET, TBS).

How did Tennessee avoid a meltdown? Well, Barnes isn’t really sure.

He just knows they won.

“We found a way,” he said. “We found a way to get it done. These guys, they’ve worked hard for us all year and worked hard competing against each other every day.”

Tennessee believe it needed regular season heartbreak

Tennessee largely bottled up Virginia’s leading scorer Thijs De Ridder through much of the game. However, the 23-year-old freshman from Belgium found his rhythm late in the game and drilled a 3-pointer to give the Cavaliers a 71-70 lead with 2:03 remaining.

In the huddle, Tennessee sophomore guard Bishop Boswell knew they’d be fine. He cited increased “poise” gained from months of SEC trials.

“We have been in these situations time in and time out, and I’ve seen us come out on top, so I know how tough we are,” he said. “Being in those situations helps you for times like this. The SEC is so tough, its such a tough league, you’re going to be in a bunch of close games. We were able to come out with some wins, and we were able to come out with some losses that we were able to learn from.

“We’ve been battled-tested.”

Forward J.P. Estrella believes those tests were necessary.

“I don’t think so,” he said if Tennessee would’ve won this game a month ago. “I feel like these past couple months have been huge for us playing some tough games, playing in the SEC Tournament, playing the game the other night. These games are crucial for us. When we keep playing basketball with each other it builds confidence and we keep winning.

“The momentum keeps going and I feel like it’s going to keep on rolling into Chicago.”

Tennessee’s defense papers over late mistakes

The Vols were anything but mistake-free in the closing minutes of the game.

Freshman Nate Ament ran the baseline after a missed shot. Senior point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie threw an inbounds pass into the second row. A defensive breakdown left Virginia’s Jacari White wide-open for a 3-pointer with seconds remaining.

It was the defense, though, that kept Tennessee afloat. The Vols kept one of the ACC’s top offenses under its 80.4 points per game average. Their frontcourt physicality bothered Virginia all game.

“I thought we played great,” Estrella said about Tennessee’s frontcourt. “We’re all just some dogs on offense and defense. We got stops when we needed them. I feel like we could’ve gotten a couple rebounds − me in particular, I could’ve grabbed a couple with two hands − but other than that, we were just some dogs tonight and I feel like we need to be that every single night.”

The Cavaliers had 26 points in the paint, but they shot under 50% on layups. Tennessee 6-foot-11 center Felix Okpara registered four blocks and often deterred Virginia players from entering his domain.

“Felix Okpara, that’s the best five-man in the country,” junior Jaylen Carey said about his teammate. “Best shot blocker in the country.”

Okpara credited the entire frontcourt for the standout defensive performance.

“That’s our identity right there,” he said. “That’s Tennessee basketball right there.”

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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Virginia

Obituary for Virginia (Haines) James | Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

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Obituary for Virginia (Haines) James | Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home

Virginia Haines James, age 85, of Vidalia, who’s sunrise was October 13, 1940 and sunset was Friday, March 20, 2026, at Appling Healthcare in Baxley after an extended illness. She as a native of Montgomery County, growing up in Mt. Vernon and was a 1958 graduate of Montgomery County High School. She married her married her husband in 1958, he was in the Army, and as a military family they lived in several places, including Okinawa, Japan, France, and Germany. Upon his retirement, they moved to Vidalia where she lived the rest of her life. She joined the Mt. Vernon Methodist Church on December 14, 1951 and later was a member of the First Baptist Church of Vidalia and where she sang in the choir. She was Bethany Home Administrator for more than twenty years. She enjoyed sewing, the outdoors, yard work, gospel music, singing, collecting ladybugs, genealogy, and traveling to cemeteries all over south Georgia. She loved buying Bibles and giving them to her family and friends.

She is preceded in death by the love of her life, Roscoe James; parents, William Elijah Haines and Mary Elizabeth Byrd Haines; one brother, William Haines; and two sisters, Sarah Haines Bishop and Ann Haines.

She is survived by two children, Roscoe David James and wife Lorie of Baxley, and Virginia Beth James Smith of Wilmington Island; four grandchildren, Jessica James and Drew James of the Center Community, Levi James (USN) of Charleston, South Carolina, and Connor Smith and wife Hannah of Rincon; one brother, James “Jimmy” Haines and wife Daisy of Treutlen County; one sister, Naomi Jean Haines Duckworth and husband Bruce of Mt. Vernon; and several nieces and nephews.

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 25th, 2026, at 3:00 in the chapel of Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home with her nephew, Pastor Daniel Caraway officiating. Interment will follow at the Long Pond Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 until just prior to the service.

Flowers are accepted, or those desiring can help continue her legacy by donating to The Gideons International, PO Box 156, Vidalia, GA 30475.

The family would like to express their appreciation and gratitude to the nurses and staff of Appling Nursing and Rehab Pavilion for their loving care and support.

Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia is in charge of arrangements.

To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Virginia (Haines) James, please visit our floral store.

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