Freedom Classic Festival at Virginia State; Are Dems Doing a TikTok Flip Flop?; Rouse Leads in Cash on Hand; Newport News Mayor on EPA Board
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Happy Birthday to Virginia’s 66th Governor, L. Douglas Wilder
Above: State Senator Aaron Rouse, Del. Jeion Ward and Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones
This Weekend: Freedom Classic Festival
The Freedom Classic Festival, which is Saturday, January 18th, 2025 at Virginia State, marks a milestone with its 30th annual celebration. The Freedom Classic began in 1996. The festival continues its tradition of celebrating HBCU culture, legacy, and excellence while honoring Civil Rights heroes.
The Freedom Classic will take place at Virginia State University’s (VSU) Multipurpose Center in Petersburg, VA. For more details CLICK HERE.
Are Dems Doing a TikTok Flip Flop?
Did lawmakers hear from their grandkids? Suddenly Democrats are having a change of heart on a TikTok ban days before it could go in to effect on Sunday — and three days before Donald Trump is sworn in to office.
Punchbowl: Top Hill Democrats are engineering an eleventh-hour push to stave off the looming shutdown of the popular social media platform, despite having largely backed the 2024 law that gave Chinese-owned ByteDance until Sunday to divest from TikTok. READ ENTIRE
The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule today on TikTok’s appeal. That decision is likely to go against ByteDance.
Latest 🎙️ Podcast: Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan on the fight ahead as Trump returns to office.
Also: Speaker Don Scott on the 2205 session of the Virginia General Assembly.
LG 2025: Senator Rouse Leads in Cash on Hand, Rep. Ro Khanna Endorses Sen. Ghazala Hashmi for Lt. Governor
State Senator Aaron Rouse leads the Lt. Governor’s race on cash on hand contributions. State Senator Ghazala Hashmi is second in cash-on-hand.
1) Rouse: $665,000
2) Hashmi: $546,000
3) Stoney: $513,000
4) Lateef: $280,000
Today, Senator Ghazala Hashmi announced that Rep. Ro Khanna is endorsing her for Virginia Lieutenant Governor. Khanna, one of the first Indian-American members of Congress, emphasized Hashmi’s fight for our shared values in his endorsement.
“I am excited to endorse State Senator Ghazala Hashmi for Lieutenant Governor, the future first Asian-American Lieutenant Governor in Virginia’s history. I know Ghazala and I know she will fight tirelessly for our shared values,” Rep. Khanna said in a Jan 17, statement.
$15 Minimum Wage Clears Hurdle in Virginia House Committee
By Nathaniel Cline for the Virginia Mercury. Virginia’s minimum wage could rise to $15 by 2027 under a proposal that cleared the House Labor and Commerce Committee on Thursday in a closely watched 11-9 vote. The bill now heads to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
The legislation, House Bill 1928 by Del. Jeion Ward, D-Hampton, would raise the state’s current minimum wage of $12.41 per hour to $13.50 per hour by January, 2026, and $15 by January 2027. Advocates argue the increase is overdue to keep up with the rising cost of living.
“Since 2020, prices in Virginia have shot up 22% — more than double what we expected — but wages haven’t kept pace,” said Sophie McGinley, labor policy analyst for the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis. “The math is simple. When a gallon of milk costs 22% more, but wages only went up 3.4%, working families fall behind.” READ ENTIRE
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones Selected for EPA Local Government Advisory Board
City of Newport News: Mayor Phillip Jones has been selected to serve a one-year term on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC). His term is effective immediately and will conclude on January 21, 2026. The committee, established in 1993, serves as a critical advisory body, providing the EPA with guidance and recommendations to strengthen its partnerships with local governments and support the development of effective environmental policies at the local level.
“I am deeply honored to accept this invitation to the Local Government Advisory Committee,” said Mayor Jones. “As a city, we are committed to implementing sustainable practices and ensuring that environmental policies are not only effective but also equitable for all our residents. I look forward to collaborating with other local leaders and the EPA to advocate for policies that will create a cleaner, healthier community for future generations.”
1- Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America Hardcover (1999)
2- Ida: A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching Paperback (2009)
3- Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (Oct. 2024)
4- Positive, Successful, Stylish Black People Coloring Book (2024)
5- When Mayor Doug Wilder Ruled Richmond: Strong-Arm Politics in Virginia's Capital City by Linwoood Norman (Aug. 2024)
6- Rumor, Repression, and Racial Politics: How the Harassment of Black Elected Officials Shaped Post-Civil Rights America (Since 1970: Histories of Contemporary America) by George Derek Musgrove
7- Son of Virginia, A Life in America's Political Arena (2015) by L. Douglas Wilder
8- The New Jim Crow (2010) by Michelle Alexander
9- Remaking Virginia Politics by Paul Goldman (Jan. 2022)
10- Burn the Page: A True Story of Torching Doubts, Blazing Trails, and Igniting Change (2022) by Danica Roem
11- Harbingers: What January 6 and Charlottesville Reveal About Rising Threats to American Democracy Hardcover (2024) by Timothy J. Heaphy
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