Virginia’s attorney general has advised officials from the state’s retirement system against making investment decisions that prioritize environmental issues, social issues and corporate governance, according to a nonbinding legal analysis released Friday.

Jason Miyares, a Republican who serves as Virginia’s top prosecutor, said in an advisory opinion that the board of trustees for the Virginia Retirement System should instead make investments “based on securing the best financial results for VRS beneficiaries.” The retirement system’s members include state employees, public school teachers and employees of political subdivisions, such as counties, towns and cities.

“Investments must be driven by careful, calculated financial foresight, not clouded by unfounded ESG fads,” Miyares said in a statement. “This Opinion firmly reinforces the Virginia Retirement System’s responsibility and legal obligation to make objective investment decisions free from the sway of social or political agendas. Secure futures require sound economics.”

Miyares’ advisory opinion, written at the request of Republican Del. Nick Freitas, comes after some state pension programs have opted to prioritize environmental, social and corporate governance policies when making investments, also known as ESG investing.

Virginia Sowers, a retirement system spokesperson, said in an email that the retirement system does not have a policy to prioritize such investments.

“To meet its fiduciary duty, VRS carefully analyzes economic factors and assesses monetary risk to achieve the highest level of return for a given level of risk over the long term,” Sowers said. “This analysis does not include reviewing investments through a ‘social screen,’ nor does VRS deploy dedicated ESG funds in its retirement plans.”

States such as Illinois and Maryland are required to consider sustainability and climate risks in their asset-related decisions. In Maine, the state’s pension fund is required to divest from fossil fuels by 2026, according to a policy passed in 2021.

Other states such as Florida, Indiana and Kansas, among others, created legislation against ESG investing.

In Virginia, legislators considered a 2022 bill requiring the retirement system to divest from fossil fuels, though it did not become law. Another 2023 bill that would restrict investments based on environmental and political factors did not pass.

Friday’s release was Miyares’ 10th opinion memo in 2024. Opinions by the attorney general give legal advice but are not binding on the courts.

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Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

With the season coming closer, that means the first wave of bowl projections are starting to roll in for the 2024 season. While the College Football Playoff has expanded and now includes 12 teams, there are still a number of bowl games that are going to have meaning across the country and that teams will be looking to land in.

Virginia Tech is a team that is hoping to find themselves in the hunt for the ACC title and a playoff bid, bu they should be able to land in a good bowl if they don’t. The schedule is favorable and the Hokies should be able to win 8-10 games, which would land them in a pretty nice bowl game at the end of the year.

In the latest Bowl Projections from CBS Sports, college football analyst Jerry Palm has the Hokies going to the Gator Bowl to face Tennessee. The Volunteers are expected to be a contender for the 12-team playoff as well and are hoping that a rising star in freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a talented group of receivers, and a strong defensive line will have them competing for big prizes in the SEC. The two programs have met nine times and the Vols hold a 6-3 edge in the series. The last matchup came in Bristol, TN at Bristol Motor Speedway, a game that Tennessee won 45-24.

With the dynamic skill set that dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones showcased in the latter half of the year for the Hokies and how Virginia Tech finished its 2024 season, it is not a stretch to say that if Drones takes the next step and Virginia Tech lives up to its lofty expectations this season, Drones should be in the thick of the Heisman race this season.

One of the voices of college football, Josh Pate, agrees and had this to say on his latest episode of “Late Kick with Josh Pate”:

“Virginia Tech has an opportunity to be a playoff contender late in the year, they have a chance to be an ACC title contender late in the year, they have a chance to have a dynamite run game. Now, I don’t think Drones is going to have the passing numbers that some of these guys do, he is going to have to supplement it with his work with his legs, not that he is going to have triple option passing numbers, but last year, 17-3 touchdown to interception ratio, he ran for five, he needs to double that rushing touchdown number, his completion percentage needs to bump up from 58% and into the 60’s and it absolutely could, it absolutely could. They are going to have a really complementary style to help him and it is going to take voters watching him. Don’t be checkin box scores, which a lot of Heisman voters unfortunately do, but if that ground game is churning and as a voter, if we really care about playing in a manner that best equips your team to win football games and we understand that yards gained on the ground count just as much as yards gained through the air, if we understand that, then Kyron Drones should be in this thing as well.”

More Virginia-Class Submarines: The U.S. Navy’s latest Virginia-class submarine, the USS Idaho (SSN-799), was launched at General Dynamics Electric Boat facility in Rhode Island.

Big Deal: This milestone marks a significant step as the submarine prepares for final outfitting, testing, and crew certification.

History Made: Named after the Gem State, the USS Idaho honors Idaho’s naval history, including the Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment on Lake Pend Oreille. This is the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named for Idaho, continuing a legacy that dates back to the 19th century.

U.S. Navy Launched Latest Virginia-class Submarine: Meet the USS Idaho

The United States Navy’s shipbuilding efforts continue to run way behind schedule, but this month, the latest Virginia-class nuclear-powered cruise missile fast attack submarine was launched at the General Dynamics Electric Boat facility in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

The “float off” marked the latest “construction milestone” for the future USS Idaho (SSN-799), as it moved from Electric Boat’s construction facilities and into the water for the very first time. It will be followed by final outfitting, testing, and crew certification, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) announced.

“The launch is a testament to the strong collaboration the Navy has with its shipbuilding partners. Idaho will be a valuable national asset and source of pride for our sailors, the shipbuilders, and all Americans for years to come,” said Capt. Mike Hollenbach, Virginia Class Submarine program manager.

Construction began on the future USS Idaho, the 26th Virginia-class fast attack submarine, in 2017.

Waters From a Landlocked State

It was on March 16, 2024, that Stackley – the daughter of a U.S. Navy sailor and spouse of the former Naval officer Sean Stackley – christened the boat with water she has collected from several lakes in Idaho, including Lake Pend Oreille, Payette Lake, Henry’s Lake, and Redfish Lake.

“Though landlocked, the state of Idaho prides itself in its rich Naval history and continuing contributions to the fleet,” the Department of Defense explained. “The Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment on Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho’s largest and deepest body of water, is a state-of-the-art facility that supports research, development, testing, and evaluation of submarine acoustic stealth technology and propulsor design.”

At 1,150 feet in depth, Lake Pend Oreille is also the quietest body of water, providing an ideal environment for acoustic testing without the attendant problems and costs of open ocean operations. It has many acoustic properties that are similar to the open ocean but with far less background noise. Tests can also be conducted without fears that the tests can be monitored by foreign governments.

The U.S. Navy’s state-of-the-art facility supports the research, development, testing, and evaluation of submarine acoustic stealth technology and propulsor design, as well as the calibration of full-scale acoustic transducers.

Fifth Vessel Named for Idaho

SSN-799 is the fifth U.S. Navy ship named for the Gem State and the first in more than a century since the New Mexico-class battleship BB-42 was commissioned in 1919.

The first USS Idaho was a wooden steam sloop that was later converted to a full-rigged sailing ship. According to the USS Idaho Commissioning Committee, “At first, the Navy didn’t want the USS Idaho, claiming she wasn’t fast enough. However, when the ship’s sails were added, it changed her destiny. One passage in particular caught the U.S. Navy’s attention. It was on a voyage to Japan in 1868 when the USS Idaho reached speeds of more than eighteen knots, making her one of the fastest sailing ships at the time.” That vessel was damaged in a typhoon and was decommissioned in 1873.

The next vessel named for Idaho was BB-24, a pre-Dreadnought Mississippi-class battleship that was launched in 1905 and sold to Greece just before the outbreak of the First World War. Renamed Lemnos, she saw little service during World War I, but was employed in the Greco-Turkish War that followed – and was later converted to a barracks ship. The former Idaho was heavily damaged during the German invasion of Greece in the spring of 1941 and was broken up after the Second World War.

A third USS Idaho (SP-545) was a motor boat employed by the U.S. Navy during the First World War for patrol duties and returned to her civilian owners after the Armistice was signed in November 1918.

The 32,000-ton BB-42 was the last vessel before the Virginia-class fast attack submarine to be named for Idaho, and she saw action in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. BB-42 was among the U.S. Navy warships that were present in Tokyo Bay in September 1945 when Japan formally surrendered, ending World War II.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

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