Virginia

Proposed TikTok ban for children fails in Virginia's Legislature

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

Proposed TikTok ban for children fails in Virginia's Legislature

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A GOP legislative effort to prevent Virginia children from using the popular video-sharing app TikTok — an idea backed by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin — died this week in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

The bill, sponsored by Republican Del. Jay Leftwich of Chesapeake, was left in a House of Delegates committee after concerns were raised about how the ban would be enforced. Lawmakers also questioned whether singling out just one company was the right approach in a time of rising concern from parents and lawmakers about the effect of social media on youth.

The bill’s lack of movement effectively killed the measure because of a procedural deadline Tuesday for most legislation to clear its chamber of origin. No comparable bill was introduced in the state Senate.

Youngkin framed his call for a ban on kids using the app, issued in a December speech, as a tool to help protect children’s mental health, part of a broader push by his administration on the issue.

Leftwich also said he brought the bill out of mental health and data privacy concerns for young people.

WATCH: Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in Senate hearing on child exploitation

“The whole platform, especially for minors, is to get them engaged and kind of hooked into watching these things. And it leads them down different rabbit holes and they sit there for hours and hours watching these things,” he said in a committee hearing.

Leftwich’s bill went through a hefty revision from the way it was first introduced. The most recent iteration said TikTok Inc. and ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns the app, “shall not provide access to TikTok to any child within the Commonwealth.”

The bill would have allowed a child’s parent or legal custodian to bring a lawsuit against TikTok if a child was provided access. And if a plaintiff prevailed, they could recover damages of $75,000 for “each discrete violation,” defined as each separate instance a child accessed the platform, along with other damages according to the text of the bill.

The bill received one hearing in a House committee that deals with technology bills. It advanced from there on a bipartisan 14-8 vote to a different committee where it was never heard.

Democrats on the committee raised a range of concerns, including questions about enforceability and whether the government — rather than parents — should be responsible for limiting children’s access to social media.

Leftwich responded that policymakers have banned children from having access to “harmful substances” like alcohol and cannabis, and that he saw his proposal in the same light.

Del. Holly Seibold, a Democrat from Fairfax County, thanked Leftwich for brining the bill, saying she was a parent of teenagers and agreed children are becoming addicted to social media apps and their cellphones in general.

“But I will not be supporting this bill because I think it’s unfair to single out TikTok,” she said.

A spokesperson for TikTok, Jamal Brown, said in a statement that the company works hard to support teens’ well-being on the app, with tools including an automatic 60-minute time limit for users under 18, restrictions on direct messaging and parental controls.

“We’ve long said bans, like the one proposed in this legislation, are not only the wrong approach, but also raise significant First Amendment concerns,” Brown said.

Macaulay Porter, deputy communications director for Youngkin, said in a statement that the governor “remains committed to empowering parents in Virginia and protecting youth in the Commonwealth from social media’s harmful impacts.”

Youngkin previously banned the use of TikTok on state government devices and wireless networks through a 2022 executive order, citing national security concerns.

Other states and the federal government have taken similar steps to limit the use of the app on government devices, and Montana in 2023 passed a complete ban, which was later put on hold before it could take effect by a federal judge who called it unconstitutional.

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Virginia

Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for June 2, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

June 3, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 Night results for June 2, 2026

The Virginia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 2, 2026, results for each game:

Mega Millions

Mega Millions drawings take place every week on Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m.

15-26-43-48-60, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 3

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 4-5-7, FB: 9

Day: 8-7-6, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 4

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 7-0-6-5, FB: 8

Day: 1-1-9-0, FB: 1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Pick 5

DAY drawing at 1:59 p.m. NIGHT drawing at 11 p.m. each day.

Night: 2-9-1-0-4, FB: 0

Day: 5-9-4-1-7, FB: 0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Cash Pop

Drawing times: Coffee Break 9 a.m.; Lunch Break 12 p.m.; Rush Hour 5 p.m.; Prime Time 9 p.m.; After Hours 11:59 p.m.

Coffee Break: 10

After Hours: 14

Prime Time: 04

Rush Hour: 13

Lunch Break: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Millionaire for Life

Drawing everyday at 11:15 p.m.

16-33-41-50-52, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Center for Community Journalism (CCJ) editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Virginia

First boat to Bermuda wins — Virginia man prepares for 753-mile voyage from Annapolis – WTOP News

Published

15 hours ago

June 2, 2026

Press Room

First boat to Bermuda wins — Virginia man prepares for 753-mile voyage from Annapolis – WTOP News

Kevin Sherwood’s boat is one of 21 in this year’s Annapolis to Bermuda Oceans Race, or A2B, which dates back to 1979.

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DC-area man hopes to race from Annapolis to Bermuda by boat

The boat that Kevin Sherwood of Springfield, Virginia, bought is still in dry dock as he makes final repairs and preparations ahead of the whole reason he bought the “Bay Retriever” in the first place.

If all goes as planned, he’ll get it in the water Wednesday, and starting at noon on Friday, he’ll be heading south down the Chesapeake Bay on a 753-mile voyage to Bermuda.

Sherwood’s boat is one of 21 in this year’s Annapolis to Bermuda Oceans Race, or A2B, which dates back to 1979. He’ll be joined by a crew of four others in a race he said is among the most challenging on the East Coast.

“I bought this boat in 2022 specifically for the Bermuda race,” Sherwood said. “Since I bought this, everything we’ve done has been prepping for it.

“Plenty of sailors never leave the Chesapeake. It’s very different when we’re dealing with ocean waves, ocean weather, all kinds of different conditions. So, the boat really needs to be set up for it.”

The bay, being both relatively shallow and surrounded by land, can make for ideal sailing; if something still goes wrong, help isn’t far away.

Heading out in the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean to an island more than 600 miles off the coast can present more difficult circumstances. Yet, if you go on the race’s website, you’ll see a long list of people hoping to get picked up by a boat to help take part.

“We’re out of rescue range for a portion of the trip. They’ll ask a passing freighter to come help you if you have a problem,” Sherwood said. “We are on our own out there.”

Some boats will have full galleys available to help cook meals for the crew. But Sherwood’s vessel, being smaller, has been stocking up on food and water from the grocery store.

He and the crew will take turns sailing and resting in the cabin down below. A “leak loss” — imagine a hammock, more or less — will catch anyone if the boat leans one way while they’re sleeping, lest they fall to the floor.

Of course, that assumes they’ll have strong winds and waves. Sherwood, who has done this race twice before, said that’s not always the case.

“My first Bermuda race, we had plenty of nothing going on,” he said. For two days, the winds were so calm Sherwood’s team was “barely making two knots.”

Two years ago, he saw more clouds than stars and sun, and waves were running 12-15 feet high.

“The last couple of races we haven’t seen many sunsets because of clouds, fog, rain, that sort of thing,” Sherwood said. “But when you are out there all alone and just the stars, it’s incredibly detached. There’s really nowhere left in the country to get this isolated.”

Of course, having access to Starlink means there is some connection out on the water — though, if you’re on duty, you’re too focused to care. If you’re not, you’re probably resting.

“There’s definitely parts I’m going to hate,” he said. “There’s parts I’m going to be asking myself, ‘Why am I doing this? Why am I here?’ But it’s just such an awesome team sport. When I go off watch, I’m trusting the other guys to keep sailing, keep racing, to keep us safe, to keep the boat moving fast. We get to detach from the world.”

Starting at noon on Friday, Kevin Sherwood will be sailing down the Chesapeake Bay on a 753-mile voyage to Bermuda.
(WTOP/John Domen)

WTOP/John Domen

a man in blue polo smiles at the camera from viewer's left of a sailboat. — Fairfax County resident Kevin Sherwood’s boat is one of 21 in this year’s Annapolis to Bermuda Oceans Race, or A2B.
(WTOP/John Domen)

a man in a blue polo stands beneath a large sailboat

For how long is anyone’s guess. Weather and winds will determine the time it takes to get there.

“If conditions are amazing, we’ll get in on Tuesday,” he said. “If conditions are great, Wednesday. If they’re average, Thursday, and if they’re terrible, Friday.”

Those following from home can track Sherwood and everyone else in the race online. Whenever he arrives, he said workers on the docks will have a “Dark n’ Stormy” — one of Bermuda’s national drinks — waiting for them.

He’ll also be hoping to be handed a trophy he can sail back with, but that’s not the most important thing right now.

“There’s a point of pride just for completing this; 753 miles of ocean sailing is a big deal,” he said.

“So, yeah, I mean, I want to do well, but my first goal is just to make it back here safely in two and a half weeks. My next goal is to make it to Bermuda safely. Then my third goal is to finish well and get a podium finish again.”

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