Petersburg Casino Groundbreaking; Trump’s Signs EO Abolishing Dept. of Ed; AG Miyares Announces $750,000 Verdict Against Racist Landlord
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81% Increase in Unemployment Claims as Compared to 2024
WAVY: Virginia’s Department of Workforce Development and Advancement reported that in the first full week of March, 4,036 new unemployment claims were filed in Virginia — a 40% increase over the previous week and an 81% increase over the same time last year. Of those 4,036 new claims, 566 were claims from federal workers through the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) program.
Rep. Scott, Waters React to Trump Executive Order Abolishing Department of Education
Today President Trump signed an executive order to abolish the Department of Education. Though only Congress can close the Department of Education, Trump has been acting as if he is the only branch of government since he was sworn in on January 20.
“Abolishing a federal agency requires an Act of Congress. President Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and ‘return education to the states’ will be challenged in the Courts. ED was founded in part to guarantee the enforcement of students’ civil rights. And champions of public school segregation objected, and campaigned for a return to ‘states’ rights.’ Moreover, during President Trump’s first term in office, he nominated dozens of judges who during their confirmation hearings refused to say whether they thought Brown v. Board was properly decided,” wrote Rep. Bobby Scott in a statement today. Scott is the ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee.
“President Trump’s executive order has little regard for the irreparable harm it will cause to students, educators, our future workforce, and parents, who are already struggling. Moreover, this move will force more dedicated civil servants with invaluable institutional knowledge out of the federal government. And they will be replaced with political appointees who answer only to President Trump, a man who has declared himself king, and an unelected billionaire, Elon Musk,” Scott added.
“Once again, Donald Trump has issued another reckless and appalling executive order. This time, it’s abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. As any high school student knows, Trump cannot singlehandedly abolish the Department of Education. This blatantly unconstitutional executive order is just another piece of evidence that Trump has absolutely no respect for the Constitution, which he took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend when he was sworn in as president,” Rep. Maxine Waters declared in a statement today.
Over 4,400 work for the Department of Education.
“We cannot allow Trump to ignore the Constitution, steal funds that belong to our schools, colleges, and universities, frighten students, confuse teachers and administrators, and threaten the very fabric of our nation’s educational system,” Waters added.
Petersburg Casino Groundbreaking
GROUNDBREAKING. Bruce Smith and Cordish broke ground yesterday in Petersburg on the new LIVE! Casino & Hotel Virginia. The project is expected to generate billions and create thousands of new jobs. The project will be the first resort destination to Petersburg. Several other casino projects in Virginia have thrived.
🎙️ On the Virginia Press Room podcast this week: Lauren Burke, Chris Saxman and Rich Meagher of the RVA's Got Issues podcast.
AG Miyares Announces $750,000 Verdict Against Racist Landlord
Attorney General Jason Miyares announced that his Office of Civil Rights won a historic $750,000 jury verdict against a Penhook, Virginia landlord who engaged in racial discrimination. A press release by the AG’s office informs that the land lord “evicted two families from her lakefront rental property after learning one of the family members was Black. This landmark finding marks the largest fair housing jury verdict obtained by the Office of the Attorney General to date.”
“Housing discrimination—and discrimination of any kind—will not be tolerated in Virginia,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “We are pleased by the jury’s verdict, and I’m immensely proud of my Civil Rights Unit. The people of Franklin County have spoken: Smith Mountain Lake is for everyone.”
AG Miyares’ Office: The defendant, Regina Turner, owner of Lazy Cove Campground on Smith Mountain Lake, had rented lots to families for decades. A couple had their camper on one of Turner’s lots and encouraged their friends—an interracial married couple with a young son—to lease a neighboring spot. The wife, who is white, successfully negotiated a lease with Turner. However, upon learning that the husband was black, Turner immediately took steps to evict both families, openly stating that she would not have rented to them had she known.
The jury took less than two hours to deliberate, ultimately awarding $100,000 to each couple for their losses, as well as the humiliation and emotional toll they endured. The jury awarded an additional $550,000 in punitive damages to punish Turner’s egregious actions and serve as a deterrent against future discrimination. Turner is now legally required to pay this judgment to the affected families.
Listen to Black Virginia News podcast 46: 🎙️ Advice for Federal Workers
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