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‘Podunk’: GOP hopeful for U.S. Senate denigrates small town paper rather than answering questions about Super PAC

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‘Podunk’: GOP hopeful for U.S. Senate denigrates small town paper rather than answering questions about Super PAC


Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Hung Cao again failed to address critical questions about spending by the Unleash America super PAC when asked by a conservative talk show host on Tuesday, May 21.

But he did continue his attacks on the story that prompted critiques from members of his own party.

Instead of explaining why the money raised by the super PAC did not go to Virginia Republican candidates for state office in 2023, Cao again called the report that prompted the allegations a “hit job”  and referred to the Staunton News Leader, which reported the story, as a “podunk local newspaper” on an episode of the Alec Lace show Tuesday.

The story was published in USA Today as well as The News Leader. The reporter is part of the USA Today Network’s Elections team, covering Virginia elections for the network’s two commonwealth papers, The News Leader in Staunton and The Progress-Index in Petersburg. The story was published in nine other Gannett newspapers across the country.

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Skipped out on a local candidate forum, misremembered dates and promises

Cao did not attend a Senate candidate forum last Friday morning, which took take place in Augusta County just outside of Staunton, home of the Staunton News Leader. Staunton is in the Shenandoah Valley, a reliably red part of the commonwealth for Republican legislators in both state and federal offices.

Cao repeated an earlier stated falsehood on the Alec Lace Show, that he was out of the super PAC by May of 2023. In fact, a memo from his Senate campaign legal counsel said that Cao resigned from the PAC on June 15, 2023.

Cao told Lace that he didn’t promise to donate money raised by Unleash America to Republican candidates in Virginia’s 2023 elections. Multiple recordings available online show Cao saying otherwise on conservative talk shows and in newspapers in early 2023.

Cao also told Lace that federal super PACs, such as Unleash America, cannot donate to state-level candidates. In fact, Virginia has no limits on campaign contributions. 

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A different interview, and a different story

When Cao launched Unleash America in February 2023, the super PAC had one stated goal: To get Republicans elected during Virginia’s 2023 statehouse contests to support Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s agenda, as reported by the Staunton News Leader and USA Today.

The PAC raised $103,489 in individual contributions from around the country, which Cao called a “minimal amount” in an earlier interview with John Fredericks, another conservative talkshow host. Cao’s principal U.S. Senate campaign committee, Hung Cao for Virginia, contributed $45,000 to the super PAC, for a total of $148,489 raised by Unleash America between January and December 2023.  

After Republicans lost the House of Delegates in Virginia and failed to flip the Senate, analysis of Unleash America’s expenditures showed no support of any kind, in-kind or otherwise, for Virginia’s Republican candidates.

In that earlier interview with Fredericks, Cao said “a lot of the money was reimbursed.” However, according to Federal Election Commission filings, money raised by Unleash America was paid to people who worked on Cao’s failed 2022 Congressional campaign as well as his current bid for the U.S. Senate.

“Start up costs a lot, you have to have lawyers, you have to have compliance people, you have to have start up fees, so a lot of the money was moved over from the old campaign to keep it alive,” Cao told Fredericks, apparently referring to the cost to launch his bid for the U.S. Senate.

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Where did the money go?

About $12,500 of the money donated to Unleash America was spent on legal fees, according to FEC filings.

Another $37,514 from the super PAC was paid to John Ryan O’Rourke. O’Rourke is Cao’s 2024 Senate campaign manager and was his campaign manager during his 2022 bid for Congress. In the same year that O’Rourke received payment from Unleash America, he also received $96,168 from Hung Cao for Virginia, Cao’s Senate campaign committee.

Another $22,867 of Unleash America’s money went to K2 & Co., a communications firm Cao had employed during his 2022 Congressional campaign and also during his 2024 Senate campaign. K2 & Co. was paid $15,000 by Cao’s Senate campaign on October 3, 2023.

The super PAC also paid $29,403 for list rentals, $18,576 for digital fundraising, $6,398 in meeting and lodging expenses as well as bank fees and $3,904 in earmark fees to WinRed, a fundraising arm of the Republican Party.

Federal Election Commission filings show that Unleash America did not contribute any of the $148,489 it raised to Virginia’s Republican candidates in 2023.

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After years of vetoes, Virginia poised to launch adult-use cannabis market

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After years of vetoes, Virginia poised to launch adult-use cannabis market


After four years of stalled efforts and repeated vetoes from outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia lawmakers now see a clear path to finally standing up a legal adult-use cannabis market. During her campaign, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, elected governor two weeks ago, pledged to sign legislation establishing a regulated retail system — reversing the impasse that […]



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30 notes to remember from FSU football’s 34-14 victory against Virginia Tech

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30 notes to remember from FSU football’s 34-14 victory against Virginia Tech


The Florida State Seminoles recorded their second ACC victory of the season in the middle of November. On Saturday night, FSU took down Virginia Tech, 34-14.

The Seminoles outscored the Hokies 24-7 in the second half, overcoming a 7-3 deficit in the second quarter to win by 20 points.

READ MORE: FSU football ends home slate on high note with 34-14 win over Virginia Tech

Here are 30 notes surrounding various data-points from the game.

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Stats To Remember From FSU’s Win Over Virginia Tech

Duce Robinson

Nov 15, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles wide receiver Duce Robinson (0) catches a pass during the second half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images
  • Florida State won its 600th game in program history Saturday, beating Virginia Tech 34-14 in the home finale at Doak Campbell Stadium. Among schools with 600 all-time wins, FSU (79 seasons) and Appalachian State (96) are the only schools to play fewer than 100 seasons.
  • Head coach Mike Norvell improved to 27-9 in November as a head coach, including a 14-5 mark at home. FSU is now 22-2 under Norvell when allowing fewer than 20 points, with a 5-0 record in 2025. 
  • The Noles improved to 25-13-1 all-time against the Hokies, with a 15-6 mark at Doak. 
  • Wide receiver Duce Robinson led Florida State with 6 catches for 134 yards and a 50-yard touchdown. Robinson’s five 120-yard receiving games are tied for the national lead and are the most for a Seminole in a season since 2014 (Rashad Greene, five). 
  • Robinson’s 947 receiving yards rank 18th in FSU single-season history and are the most for a Nole since 2019. 
  • Robinson’s touchdown was Florida State’s seventh of the season of at least 50 yards.
  • Robinson’s catch was his third of at least 50 yards in 2025, 2nd-most in the ACC behind teammate Micahi Danzy’s four. Robinson leads the ACC with 10 30-yard catches. 
  • Robinson also broke up a pass on Virginia Tech’s hail mary to end the first half. He previously had an interception on a hail mary vs. Penn State while with Southern Cal in 2024. 
  • Florida State has had a 100-yard receiver in five consecutive games, the Noles longest streak since 2013-14 (five games). 
  • Quarterback Tommy Castellanos was 12-for-24 for 189 yards and three total touchdowns – one passing and two rushing. His touchdown pass to Robinson was his eighth pass of 50+ yards, most in the ACC and top-5 nationally. 
  • Castellanos’ eight rushing touchdowns are tied for the team lead and a new FSU’s singleseason record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (Jordan Travis had seven rushing touchdowns each season from 2020-23). 
  • Castellanos’ three total touchdowns tie his most in a game this season. 
  • Castellanos will enter the NC State game with 6,006 career passing yards. 
  • True freshman Mandrell Desir forced a fumble on a 4-yard sack in the third quarter, the first forced fumble of his career. Linebacker Blake Nichelson fell on the ball, his first career fumble recovery and FSU’s second of the season. 
  • Nichelson added a 3-yard tackle for loss on fourth down in the fourth quarter. 
  • Desir later teamed up with Omar Graham Jr. for a tackle on 4th down, forcing a turnover on downs. Desir finished with three tackles in the game, while Graham had five tackles and now has 102 for his career. 
  • Desir leads FSU with 5.0 sacks and 6.0 tackles for loss in 2025. His 5.0 sacks are the most for an FSU true freshman since current New York Giant Brian Burns had 9.5 in 2016; Desir’s 5.0 sacks are the 2nd-most for an FSU true freshman since 2005. 
  • Safety Ashlynd Barker had five tackles with 1.0 tackles for loss and ranks second on the team with 5.0 TFL for the year. 
  • Tight end Randy Pittman Jr. rushed for a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, his third rushing touchdown of the season. Pittman’s three rushing TDs in a season are the most for a tight end in 2025 and most for an ACC tight end since 2019. 
  • Pittman’s touchdown followed Nichelson’s fumble recovery; FSU has scored points after 11 of 14 takeaways in 2025, with eight touchdowns. 
  • Senior cornerback Jerry Wilson’s interception on Virginia Tech’s third play was his 3rd of the season and 8th of his career. 
  • Wilson’s interception was FSU’s 11th interception of the season and was FSU’s first takeaway on an opening drive since an interception vs. Boston College in 2022. 
  • Wilson added a 5-yard tackle for loss on 3rd-and-2 on the Hokies’ next drive, his first of the season. Wilson’s TFL forced a Virginia Tech field goal try from 54 yards that was missed short.
  • Earl Little Jr. had six tackles and one pass breakup, the second PBU of his career. 
  • Redshirt senior Stefon Thompson forced a fumble, the fifth of his career and his first since 2023.
  • Jaylin Lucas returned consecutive kickoffs for 37 and 39 yards in the second half, FSU’s two longest kickoff returns of the year and Lucas’ longest as a Seminole. Offensively, Lucas added 13 yards on two catches and 10 yards on two runs. 
  • Kicker Jake Weinberg connected on two field goals to tie a career high. He was 4-for-4 on point-after tries, extending FSU’s streak to 159 straight made PAT. 
  • Florida State did not punt, the Noles third game without a punt in 2025. Entering the season, FSU did not punt in only four games in school history. 
  • The three games without a punt are the most in the country this year and match the most in a season since 2007. 
  • In a pregame ceremony, Florida State recognized 18 seniors: LS Mason Arnold, WR Gavin Blackwell, DB Shyheim Brown, QB Tommy Castellanos, TE Markeston Douglas, OL Gunnar Hansen, LB Elijah Herring, RB Caziah Holmes, DL Darrell Jackson Jr, DL Jaden Jones, OL Richie Leonard IV, OL Adrian Medley, OL Luke Petitbon, OL Micah Pettus, LB Stefon Thompson, WR Squirrel White, RB Roydell Williams and DB Jerry Wilson.

READ MORE: Mike Norvell sickened by FSU football’s loss to Clemson: ‘that comes down to all of us’

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the 2025 season

Follow NoleGameday on and TwitterFacebook, Instagramand TikTok

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Final ACC availability report for FSU football vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

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Final ACC availability report for FSU football vs. Virginia Tech Hokies


Only two hours remain until the Florida State Seminoles kick off their tenth game of the 2025 season.

The Seminoles are back in Doak Campbell Stadium for the seventh time this year, hoping to end things off on a positive note in Tallahassee. Florida State is 4-2 at home but 0-3 on the road this fall.

READ MORE: FSU football navigating Tommy Castellanos’ potential return for 2026 season

Virginia Tech is hoping to spoil Florida State’s senior day. The Hokies had a week off to prepare for the road trip.

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The Seminoles and Hokies will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.

Quindarrius Jones

Oct 26, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Hurricanes wide receiver Isaiah Horton (2) runs with the football ahead of Florida State Seminoles defensive back Quindarrius Jones (16) during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Florida State announced DB Ja’Bril Rawls, DL Deamontae Diggs, DB Quindarrius Jones, DB Ricky Knight III, LB Caleb LaVallee, LB Ethan Pritchard, and DB Donny Hiebert would miss the game.

Rawls was injured in FSU’s loss to Clemson last Saturday.

In the first two ACC availability reports, Florida State listed two players as questionable (TE Chase Loftin, RB Samuel Singleton Jr.) and six others as probable (RB Roydell Williams, WR Lawayne McCoy, DE James Williams, WR Jayvan Boggs, OL Gunnar Hansen, WR Teriq Mallory).

James Williams

FSU Athletics

The ACC released its final availability report for the matchup two hours before kickoff, providing final updates from Florida State and Virginia Tech.

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On gameday, the statuses for players on the report are out, game-time decision, or available.

The total number of missing players is up to 23, 15 for Virginia Tech and eight for Florida State.

The Seminoles will get some much-needed reinforcements with redshirt junior defensive end James Williams and true freshman wide receiver Jayvan Boggs returning to the lineup.

Running back Samuel Singleton Jr. and left tackle Gunnar Hansen are game-time decisions. Tight end Chase Loftin has been ruled out.

Virginia Tech backup offensive lineman Tommy Ricard will play.

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Check out the full report below.

FLORIDA STATE:

OUT:

— DB Ja’Bril Rawls

— DL Deamontae Diggs

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— DB Quindarrius Jones

— DB Ricky Knight III

— TE Chase Loftin

— LB Caleb LaVallee

— LB Ethan Pritchard

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— DB Donny Hiebert

GAME-TIME DECISION:

— RB Samuel Singleton Jr.

— OL Gunnar Hansen

VIRGINIA TECH:

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OUT:

— S Quentin Reddish

— CB Joshua Clark

— WR Keylen Adams

— WR Chanz Wiggins

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— LB Gabe Williams

— CB Caleb Brown

— RB Braydon Bennett

— CB Jojo Crim

— DL Sherrod Henderson

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— DL James Jennette

— OL Montavious Cunningham

— OL Brody Meadows

— WR L.J. Booker

— WR Joseph Hobbs

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— DL Andrew Hanchuk

READ MORE: Mike Norvell sickened by FSU football’s loss to Clemson: ‘that comes down to all of us’

Stick with NoleGameday for more FREE coverage of Florida State Football throughout the 2025 season

Follow NoleGameday on and TwitterFacebook, Instagramand TikTok





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