Much of the legacy media has downplayed the explosive scandal plaguing Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee in Virginia’s attorney general race. 

Last week, text messages sent by Jones in 2022 to a fellow lawmaker surfaced showing him fantasizing about giving then-Republican House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert “two bullets to the head,” even suggesting that if Gilbert witnessed the murder of his own children that it would encourage him to pivot on policy. Jones has since apologized. 

Other controversies have emerged, including allegations that Jones had said if more police were killed it would reduce the shootings of civilians, which he denied. And after a reckless driving conviction in 2022, Jones served 500 hours of “community service” to his own Political Action Committee. 

It remains to be seen whether Jones, who remains in the race for AG, will impact Virginia’s gubernatorial race as his Democratic ballot running mate Abigail Spanberger maintains a lead in the polls against her Republican rival, incumbent Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. However, the media’s scarce coverage is aiding the Democratic ticket. 

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The New York Times, the leading political newspaper in the country, has dedicated zero ink to Jones since the controversy emerged last week, according to its website’s search results. 

The Times did, however, run multiple articles in 2014 about a Republican congressional aide who was forced to resign after facing backlash for a Facebook post insulting Sasha and Malia Obama. 

There was virtually no coverage on the three major broadcast networks. None of ABC, NBC and CBS’ morning and evening newscasts drew attention to the brewing scandal in the Commonwealth. There was a passing reference made on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday by Republican panelist Marc Short, prompting anchor Kristen Welker to concede it was “going to be a big story” in the coming days, which otherwise would not have been discussed on her program if it weren’t for Short. It has yet to be addressed on ABC’s “The View.” The three networks only acknowledged the controversy on their websites. 

YOUNGKIN SAYS DEMOCRAT AG CANDIDATE JAY JONES MUST ‘STEP AWAY IN DISGRACE’ OVER TEXTS ABOUT FORMER GOP LEADER

The New York Times has yet to cover the growing scandal in Virginia’s attorney general race, according to search results on its website.  (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)

Other outlets like The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, NPR and PBS have yet to report on Jones, according to search results on their websites. 

The Associated Press has only published two stories on the controversy so far, one of them with the headline, “Trump’s GOP seizes on violent rhetoric from Virginia AG candidate as high-stakes elections loom.”

CNN and MSNBC have offered minimal coverage on a handful of programs, but none of it during their primetime programming, which draws the most viewers. MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough made headlines when he called for Jones to withdraw from the AG race. By Tuesday, however, both networks had moved on from the scandal.  

VIRGINIA LAWMAKER CLAIMS JAY JONES SAID THAT IF MORE POLICE WERE KILLED IT WOULD REDUCE SHOOTINGS OF CIVILIANS

Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones was convicted of reckless driving in 2022. ( Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images)

The Washington Post editorial board didn’t go nearly as far as while condemning Jones’ texts.

“The commonwealth has a proud tradition of elevating sensible politicians from both parties. Gentility is the Virginia Way. His texts were the opposite of that. Jones has a month to convince voters that his hateful rhetoric does not reflect how he’d behave if elected as attorney general,” The Post editorial board wrote Friday. 

Spanberger and other Democrats have spoken out against Jones’ comments, but none have called for him to step aside, hoping he can ride out the scandal. Early voting in Virginia has already begun and the commonwealth’s deadline to remove a name from the ballot has already passed. 

South Carolina authorities are stepping back from arson as a potential cause for the fire at the waterfront home of a longtime judge and her Vietnam War hero husband after a preliminary investigation — but questions remain about the cause of the blaze that leveled their million-dollar home in Edisto Beach.

Judge Diane Schafer Goodstein, 69, was out walking her dogs when the house went up in flames Saturday, according to the Post and Courier. Her husband, 81-year-old former state lawmaker Arnold Goodstein, reportedly suffered broken legs after jumping out a window to escape the heat. Their son and grandson were also injured.

“At this time, there is no evidence to indicate the fire was intentionally set,” Mark Keel, chief of South Carolina’s State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), said Monday night. “SLED agents have preliminarily found there is no evidence to support a pre-fire explosion.”

Investigators were still looking into the cause of the fire, however.

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“Upon the conclusion of the investigation, SLED will issue a follow-up statement with additional information,” Keel added. “I urge our citizens, elected officials and members of the press to exercise good judgment and not share information that has not been verified.”

The following questions remain unanswered as the probe continues:

What caused the fire?

Despite early reports that an explosion preceded the house fire, authorities ruled that out. Without evidence that it was intentionally set, the cause is still unknown.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, which operates under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the vast majority of house fires are caused by mishaps involving cooking equipment. Less often, they can be sparked by electrical problems, heating equipment or “unintentional, careless” behavior. 

JUDGE’S WATERFRONT MANSION BURNS IN POSSIBLE ARSON AS FIRST RESPONDERS USE KAYAKS FOR DRAMATIC RESCUE

Flames engulfed the waterfront home on Edisto Island Saturday. (St. Paul Fire District)

Did prior threats play a role?

Judge Goodstein had ruled against the Trump administration last month in a case regarding voter registration, but her decision has already been overruled by a higher court.

Still, New York Democratic Rep. Daniel Goldman claimed “MAGA-world” and White House officials, including President Donald Trump and Stephen Miller, have “been doxxing and threatening judges,” on X over the weekend.

STEPHEN MILLER TRASHES DEM WHO BLAMED ‘EXTREME RIGHT’ FOR FIRE AT SOUTH CAROLINA JUDGE’S HOME: ‘YOU ARE VILE’

Circuit Judge Diane Goodstein presides over a trial in a lawsuit between the Diocese of South Carolina and the national Episcopal church on July 8, 2014, in St. George, S.C.  (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, File)

“Today, someone committed arson on the Judge’s home, severely injuring her husband and son,” he wrote on Sunday. “Will Trump speak out against the extreme right that did this??”

Goldman was a key part of the first impeachment proceedings against Trump during his first time in office. He could not immediately be reached for comment.

Miller called the X post “demented smears” and “libelous madness,” while Keel doused the allegation Monday night, when he said there was no indication that the fire had been set intentionally.

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A spokesperson for SLED did not immediately respond to questions about whether investigators had confirmed the Goodsteins were receiving threats. 

Keel said separately there was no evidence that the fire had been set off by an explosion as if it were linked to a bombing.

A portrait of Judge Diane Goodstein from the South Carolina Courts website. (SC Courts)

What is the extent of the victims’ injuries?

Firefighters said they raced to the isolated home in kayaks to help victims, at least one of whom needed an airlift to the hospital. But details of the rescue beyond that remain unclear.

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Three people were hospitalized, and Arnold Goodstein reportedly broke both legs after jumping out of a backyard window. Details about the injuries of two more victims, believed to be other family members, remain unclear.

According to Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., the blaze also killed the family’s pets.

What evidence has been collected?

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Fire marshals have likely already evaluated what remains of the burned-out structure as they searched for signs of its origin and potential accelerants, according to Fire Administration guidelines. The full investigation, which may include forensic testing of materials recovered from the scene, could take up to several months.

Bystanders also took video from the air and water nearby, which may or may not have evidentiary value.

A “highly unusual” wooden canoe that was unearthed in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian is still puzzling experts three years later.

The canoe was discovered in Fort Myers, Florida, in fall 2022, according to state officials. 

The Florida Division of Historical Resources (FDHR) announced on Sept. 12 that the canoe’s conservation is now complete, yet the mystery of where it came from and how old it is remains.

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“The canoe’s form is highly unusual in Florida and research is still ongoing to determine its origin,” the FDHR’s Facebook post said. “Comparisons to similar vessels in the Caribbean suggest that it may have connections to that region.”

“If this is proven, then this canoe may be considered a cayuco, a term used in Hispanic countries to distinguish a small dugout canoe typically for riverine or coastal navigation.”

The Sept. 12 post inspired a flurry of questions about what type of wood the canoe was made from – and a week later, Florida officials returned with their answer.

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“Many people asked what kind of wood the canoe was made of,” the FDHR’s Sept. 18 post read.

“Researchers think this may be the first record of a canoe in Florida being constructed of mahogany!”

“After investigation by a respected wood anatomist, it seems that the canoe is made of mahogany!”

The mahogany either came from South Florida or the Caribbean, still leaving the origin a mystery. 

The species is native to the northern Keys and the Everglades.

Researchers say the canoe could be a cayuco, a dugout boat used for river and coastal travel. (Florida Division of Historical Resources)

“Researchers think this may be the first record of a canoe in Florida being constructed of mahogany!” officials added.

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Florida was home to the first permanent European settlement in the continental U.S. It’s full of history, and archaeological discoveries continue to unravel there.

Officials said researchers are still investigating whether the mahogany was sourced from South Florida or the Caribbean. (Florida Division of Historical Resources)

This summer, a Florida man stumbled on a wrecked vessel while fishing with his grandson – possibly a 19th-century ship designed to carry rum.

Earlier this year, officials uncovered remnants of British structures in St. Augustine, shedding light on the city’s 18th-century history.