by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
July 25, 2025

In a display of unity, former Democratic Gov. L. Douglas Wilder joined several Democratic leaders in Richmond on Thursday to oppose what they say are partisan attacks on Virginia’s education system and universities.

The event came on the heels of a group of George Mason University professors’ vote of no confidence in the school’s governing board amid a federal civil rights investigation, and weeks after the University of Virginia’s president resigned following federal pressure to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at the school. 

Democrats also announced they’re considering conducting an in-depth review of how the governor appoints members to governing boards including at Virginia’s colleges and universities, and reforming the process. The current process has come under intense scrutiny after Senate legislators rejected eight of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s appointees to college boards, and launched a lawsuit against the administration over the issue. 

“What we’re seeing today is not about policy differences. It’s about a pattern, a coordinated effort to silence, punish and erase,” said Wilder.

Wilder joined several House and Senate Democrats, who highlighted the academic successes of Virginia’s higher educational institutions, after President Donald Trump’s administration launched several investigations into Virginia’s universities, primarily the University of Virginia and George Mason University. 

CNBC ranked Virginia’s education system as the top system in the country for the second year in a row, despite the commonwealth dropping three spots to fourth overall as the best state to do business.

Within the past month, the Trump administration launched a fourth investigation at George Mason University, targeting the institution’s DEI initiatives, employees’ employment practices, and treatment of students. The list of investigations also included a separate query into alleged antisemitism on campus.

House Democratic Leader Charniele Herring, D-Alexandria, a graduate of George Mason, defended her alma mater and other institutions in the commonwealth.

“We believe in facts, we believe in freedom and we believe in the future of our students,” Herring said. “This generation of students deserves better than to be caught in the crosshairs of a partisan law affair. They deserve investment, not interference. They deserve opportunity, not obstruction, and they deserve degrees, not delusions.”

At UVA, former president Jim Ryan stepped down after the U.S. Department of Justice, under the direction of the Trump administration, put pressure on the institution following Title VI complaints and political scrutiny.

The U.S. Department of Justice also claimed that the institution failed to fully dismantle its DEI programs and merely rebranded its efforts.

In a statement from the governor’s office following the press briefing, Youngkin spokesman Peter Finocchio said that “there is no place for antisemitism” or “racial preferences driving admission or hiring decisions” in the commonwealth following the press briefing.

“We must follow the law as established by the Supreme Court and federal laws, including civil rights statutes,” Finocchio said. “Virginia’s world-class system of higher education will continue to be defined by our ability to graduate outstanding students who are fully prepared to succeed in the workforce.”

DEI initiatives are a lynchpin in the divide between Democrats and Republicans, and though their divergence of views on DEI originate before the start of the first Trump administration, the conflict has escalated during the president’s second term.

DEI efforts date back to the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, when the Freedmen’s Bureau was established to assist formerly enslaved Black Americans and give them a fairer chance at educational, financial and social success in American society. More recent, high-profile examples of racial injustice and unequal opportunity for people of color — such as the murder of Black Minnesota man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, and Supreme Court’s recission of affirmative action policies on college campuses in 2023 — resulted in public demand for corporate and institutional commitments to treating all Americans fairly. 

“Diversity, equity and inclusion are not threats. They are tools of fairness,” Wilder said. “They’re grounded in the constitutional values that shape this country and its commonwealth. What threatens us, what really threatens us, is unchecked power.”

However, Republicans argue that DEI initiatives present cultural, ideological and political problems. Chief among the concerns is the threat of placing a person’s identity over achievements when determining their qualifications, and “reverse discrimination,” which they say puts the majority at a disadvantage.

UVA’s governing board was the first in the commonwealth to dissolve its DEI initiatives, but it was not enough to avoid involvement from the Trump administration. 

Youngkin’s administration has also confronted DEI efforts by renaming the state Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion through an executive order — replacing “equity” with “opportunity,” contrary to state code — and eliminating DEI-driven education programs at the Virginia Department of Education through an executive order designed to remove “divisive concepts” in school curriculum.

Through their actions this year, Senate Democrats have tried to enforce the principles governing board members must follow, including understanding fiduciary duties, commitment to independent institutional governance, and a pledge to avoid excessive partisan inclinations.

This manifested on June 9, when the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee rejected several of Youngkin’s appointments to governing boards. Youngkin’s administration has challenged these, claiming that appointments can still serve until the entire General Assembly reconvenes.

The contention set the state for a lawsuit and court hearing on Friday to decide whether leaders at Virginia Military Institute, the University of Virginia, and George Mason University broke the rules by allowing rejected appointees to remain on their governing boards.

The legislators are asking the court to bar the contested board members from continuing to serve and declare that any board member who permits them to remain is violating their legal duties. Among the rejected appointments were GOP stalwarts, including former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, a former deputy secretary of Homeland Security with the first Trump administration, and former state commerce and trade secretary Caren Merrick.

On July 10, Senate Democratic leaders asked the Senate to sign a letter supporting Virginia’s higher education institutions and institutional independence. In response, Republicans refuted the letter’s intention.

“Today’s press conference was silent on the real issue: a formal federal Title VI investigation into George Mason’s handling of race-based complaints, including nearly forty reports tied to antisemitic harassment last fall,” said House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, in a statement to the Mercury. “This isn’t politics. It’s civil rights law asking: Were complaints processed, investigated, supported, or ignored? Fighting antisemitism isn’t a pretext. Oversight isn’t partisan. It’s accountability.”

In a July 11 statement, Senate Republican leaders also addressed the matter, expressing concern that Democrats are attempting to shield higher education institutions from any form of public accountability while simultaneously politicizing board appointments and weaponizing the courts against college leaders.

Republicans also emphasized that while academic freedom is a “core value,” state government oversight and accountability are not only appropriate but essential.

“We strongly support academic excellence and freedom of inquiry,” Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Mark Obenshain, R-Harrisonburg, said in a statement. “But there’s nothing improper about ensuring that our public universities reflect the values and priorities of the people of Virginia. That’s not interference—that’s representative government.”

“Our institutions deserve better than this performative double standard,” Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, said. “Virginia’s students and families are watching—and they know the difference between real leadership and political theater.”

Democratic leaders acknowledged that while they cannot control the federal government’s actions, they do have some options for the challenges facing Virginia’s higher education landscape, including reconsidering legislation to support governing boards that could help address the gubernatorial appointment process.

One idea is for the legislature to reconsider a proposal from last year’s session that Youngkin vetoed. The proposal would have redefined the authority of governing boards within public universities regarding their legal affairs. The proposal would have allowed the boards to manage independent legal counsel. It also clarified that the state attorney general’s involvement in legal matters would be limited to instances where their services are specifically requested.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said since Youngkin took office the administration’s plan has been to reform institutions and remake governing boards to align them with conservative ideals, pointing to Attorney General Jason Miyares firing the attorneys at UVA and George Mason.

“There’s been a deliberate coordinated effort to get this done at the very beginning,” Surovell said.

Lawmakers are also considering amendments to the state code that specifies gubernatorial appointments cannot take effect until they are confirmed by the General Assembly, typically in January. 

Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, said he is pondering proposing a study and forming a select joint committee to better understand the history of the governing boards.

“We have a responsibility, I think, as we move forward, to put in some guardrails,” Scott said. “I think to do that we need the public support (and) we need to let them know what’s happening now, so when we do make these changes, they’ll understand why we had to do it.”

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

The post Democrats, Wilder defend Va.’s top-ranked higher education system amid Trump investigations appeared first on virginiamercury.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

This content presents a perspective that largely supports Democratic viewpoints, emphasizing opposition to Republican-led investigations and actions against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Virginia’s higher education system. It highlights Democratic leaders criticizing the GOP and former Trump administration for politicizing academic institutions and portrays DEI efforts as rooted in fairness and constitutional values. While it includes some Republican responses, these are framed in opposition to the Democratic position, with the overall tone favoring Democratic critiques and policy proposals. Thus, the bias leans moderately left of center without veering into far-left rhetoric.

SUMMARY: Children’s National Hospital announced it will stop prescribing gender-affirming medications after August 30 due to escalating legal and regulatory risks. This decision follows pressure from the Trump administration and executive orders banning federal funds for services supporting gender transition in children. The hospital’s gender development program, active for 20 years, will continue offering mental health support but will phase out medication. Advocates say health providers face government overreach limiting care options. Organizations like Whitman-Walker and the Human Rights Campaign are working to support affected families, urging state and local protections to ensure continued access to gender-affirming care.

Children’s National Hospital said it will stop prescribing gender-affirming medications to its patients later this summer. News4’s …

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by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury
July 23, 2025

Dulles International Airport is preparing for major growth — laying the groundwork for a sweeping 25-year overhaul that includes new hotels, office and retail space, and a fifth runway that could bring more air traffic — and more noise — to nearby neighborhoods.

The runway plan is part of the newly updated Dulles International Airport Master Plan, though the concept itself isn’t new. The fifth runway has been in the airport’s designs since 1958 and was included in the previously adopted 1985 master plan.

On July 16, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) Board of Directors approved the updated plan, which is now under review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

Emily McGee, a MWAA spokeswoman, emphasized that the possibility of increased aircraft noise was no secret to local governments and developers, having been published “long before” homes were built in parts of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties.

“All airport master plans, including the 1985 and 2025 Dulles versions, as well as the 2005 (Environmental Impact Study) and the 2019 noise contour update, were created with input from the surrounding communities, including county leadership,” said McGee in a statement to The Mercury.

Expanding the number of runways has become a “necessity” as Dulles handles 560,000 aircrafts annually, according to MWAA. The fourth north-south runway opened in 2008. The proposed fifth runway — approximately 10,500 feet long and 150 feet wide — would run east-west, parallel to U.S. Route 50, west of Chantilly.

The FAA approved both the fourth and fifth runways in 2005, but construction of the fifth has not yet been scheduled. 

While the proposal has long been in the works, current and projected noise from flights on the fifth runway has prompted local leaders in Fairfax and Loudoun counties to raise awareness in surrounding communities.

“The airport has been here for a long time. They were here before the residents came, but now that the residents are here, I think it’s important to be a good neighbor, and I think it is important to have a dialogue with the community,” said Loudoun County Supervisor Laura Tekrony, who represents constituents in Lenah. 

Supervisor Matt Letourneau, who represents most of the area impacted, including Arcola — adjacent to the airport — told the Loudoun Times-Mirror regarding the expansion of runways in April 2023 that his main priority is to establish “a dialogue with the FAA about departure procedures, to include what may be possible and what the impacts of any changes would be, including on other runways and potentially impacted areas.”

Some communities, like Lenah and Arcola, fall within Loudoun’s designated “Airport Impact Overlay District,” where noise is expected at specified levels. In Fairfax County, a similar area is referred to as the “Airport Noise Overlay District.”

Loudoun implemented its district in the early 1990s to “mitigate impacts to prospective homebuyers in areas that could be affected by aircraft noise and to prevent residential development in areas where the highest noise impact to people on the ground is anticipated to occur,” according to Loudoun County. Fairfax’s overlay district was established in 2001.

In 2019, MWAA updated its noise exposure maps for Dulles Airport to reflect changes in the aviation environment over the past 30 years, as well as anticipated future shifts. Loudoun also amended its 2019 Comprehensive Plan and overlay district map, potentially affecting about 59,000 property owners around the airport.

The FAA uses the Day-Night Average Sound Level (DNL or Ldn) as a tool to calculate average noise levels over a 24-hour period. The measurement system divides areas into three noise tiers based on proximity to airports, which Loudoun uses to set specific development and home sale requirements.

In Loudoun, new development is not permitted in areas where the noise level is Ldn 65 or higher — the tier closest to the airport.

In areas where the noise level is Ldn 60-65, developers are required to notify homebuyers that the property is within the overlay district at the time of the initial sale. Residential construction in these zones must include acoustical treatments, and builders must obtain legal rights before construction to allow for aircraft overflight in the airspace above the property.

The one-mile buffer zone, the farthest tier from the airport, also requires that developers notify homebuyers at the initial sale that the property lies within the district.

Loudoun is also participating in a limited-scope initiative called the Runway 30 Aviation Noise Mitigation Project, which aims to better understand noise impacts west of the airport and identify potential solutions related to the fourth runway, currently used for departures.

“This truly is a process that we believe will be helpful for the relationship with the airport and the community, because if we can prove that this process can have a community consensus, and the potential to increase safety and maybe even improve efficiency, I think it’s a win-win for everybody,” said Carolyn McCulley, a team member with the project led by aviation consultant Vianair.

The FAA did not provide an estimated timeline for completing its review of the master plan before this article was published.

Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.

The post Fifth runway at Dulles draws attention as expansion plans take off appeared first on virginiamercury.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

The content presents a straightforward report on the proposed expansion of Dulles International Airport and its implications for local communities, emphasizing factual details such as planning history, regulatory approvals, community impact, and noise mitigation efforts. It includes perspectives from local officials, regulatory agencies, and community initiatives without endorsing a particular political stance. The balanced presentation of economic development alongside community concerns reflects a neutral viewpoint without evident ideological leanings.