Blue Virginia Weekly News Roundup (5/15/22)

Rep. Spanberger Says Buffalo Shooting "rooted in the deadly ideology of white supremacy"; "Bans Off Our Bodies" Rallies Across Va.; Larry Sabato Says US Democracy "still in crisis"

Below are the top Blue Virginia stories from the past week. To support our work at Blue Virginia, please click here. Thanks to everyone who has contributed! 

• Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07), a Former CIA Counterterrorism Officer, Says Buffalo Violence “is rooted in the deadly ideology of white supremacy and the conspiracy of ‘replacement’”

• Kellen Squire: Young White Men Like the Buffalo Terrorist Are Radicalized Online; We Need a Systemic Effort to Fix This

• Review of Former VA House Dem Leader David Toscano’s Book “Bellwether: Virginia’s Political Transformation, 2006-2020

• “What happened in Buffalo is not just about some isolated shooter, some deranged sociopath. He was fueled by an ideology of hate promoted by…an entire U.S. political party”

• Video, Photos: Large Crowds Attend “Bans Off Our Bodies” Rallies in Richmond, Elsewhere in Virginia (and Across the Country)

• Who Has the “Pedo Grifters” Nutjob Elise Stefanik (R), Who Spews the “Language of Civil War,” Endorsed in Virginia? (Jen Kiggans, Jeanine Lawson)

• Friday Night Update from the ER in Arlington, VA: “The ER is busy”; “Paxlovid is doing its job of preventing hospitalizations, but clearly the rebound of symptoms is not intended or desired”

• Video: VA06 Dem Candidate Jennifer Lewis Explains Why Right-Wing Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA06) Is Not Actually “Pro-Life” Since He Opposes Health Care Access, a Living Wage, Affordable Housing, etc, etc.

• Senators Warner, Kaine and Colleagues Push Infant Formula Manufacturers to Address Shortages and Get Formula on Shelves

• Virginia NAACP Expresses Opposition to Lt. Governor Sears’ Support of Ending Race-Based Admissions Requirement

• Virginia 10-Day New COVID-19 Cases Down 87% Compared to 1/19, But Creeping Up Steadily; Hospitalizations Down to 325 From ~4,000 in January, But Also Increasing

• Clean Virginia Joins with Fellow Advocacy Organizations in Support of Energy Efficiency

• Leading VA07 GOP Candidate to Take on Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) Campaigns with “Jefferson Lies” Author, Who Pushes the “Pseudohistory” that America “was founded as an explicitly Christian nation”

• Video: Sen. Mark Warner Says Competitiveness Package Needed “to maintain America and the West’s Leadership in Cutting-Edge Technologies

• Attorney James Abrenio FOIAs Virginia AG’s Office Over Jason Miyares’ Claims About Supposed “Threats” to Disrupt Catholic Churches on Mother’s Day

• Community Leader and Addiction Recovery Advocate Victor McKenzie, Jr. Launches Campaign for New HD82

• Fairfax County Board Chair: Youngkin’s Suggestion to Establish “Perimeter” Around Homes of SCOTUS Justices Would Violate Fourth Amendment, Possibly First Amendment as Well

• Must-Read Thread by Prof. Thomas Zimmer on the “Democratic establishment’s inability to reckon with the radicalizing Republican assault on democracy and civil rights”

• Is the Youngkin Administration Unraveling? Three State Agencies Implode in One Day

• Video: UVA Prof. Larry Sabato Warns – “This is a real danger. We’re still in crisis. And people act as though it was one day in January. They couldn’t be more wrong.”

• JEC Chairman Don Beyer on April CPI Data: “Democrats are fighting on behalf of U.S. workers and families to grow the economy and lower costs on the most expensive household essentials”

• Generation Ratify: >5,000 Virginia Students Participated in Monday’s “Student Day of Action for Abortion Access”; Now, It’s Going Nationwide on Wednesday, May 18th

• Coming Soon to Virginia: “The Glenn Youngkin Handmaid’s Tale”

• AG Jason Miyares Only Believes in the First Amendment When It’s Aligned with His Agenda

• VA Congressional Democrats Get Almost Unanimous “A” Grades on 2022 “Democracy Scorecard”; Republicans All Get “F”s

• Video, Photos From a Few of Today’s Walkouts at 45 High Schools Across Virginia in Support of Reproductive Rights and Justice

• Senators Warner, Kaine Applaud Biden Administration’s New Efforts to Lower Internet Costs

• “Tonight the Orange Co. School Board is considering a proposal that would require schools to notify parents of students’ “self-identification”

• Equality Loudoun Updates Community on Grand Jury Subpoenas; AG Miyares To Not Pursue Subpoena Request for Student Records

• Democratic Primary Shaping Up in HD84 Between Del. Nadarius Clark and Computer Scientist/Community Organizer Michele Joyce

• Youngkin’s Policy of Forcing State Employees to Return to the Office Will “certainly makes us less competitive with the private sector”

• Video: Del. Danica Roem (D-Prince William County) Announces Candidacy for State Senate; Endorsed by Senators George Barker, Scott Surovell, Jeremy McPike and John Bell