Virginia Headlines 

Columbia University threatens to expel student protesters occupying an administration building

Standoffs between pro-Palestinian protesters and U.S. college administrators appear to be coming to a head.

Life sentence for gang member who turned northern Virginia into 'hunting ground'

A leader in the MS-13 street gang whose orders set off a wave of killings five years ago in northern Virginia has been sentenced to life in prison.

Military veteran charged with attempting to make ricin to remain jailed

A judge has ordered a Marine Corps veteran and former militia member to remain jailed pending trial on charges he attempted to make ricin, a biological toxin ricin.

Former Virginia hospital medical director acquitted of sexually abusing ex-patients

The former medical director of a Virginia hospital that treats vulnerable children and young adults has been acquitted of sexually abusing two teenage patients during physical exams.

Jury in Abu Ghraib trial says it is deadlocked; judge orders deliberations to resume

A judge ordered jurors Friday to keep deliberating after they said they were deadlocked in a lawsuit alleging a Virginia-based military contractor is liable for abuses suffered by inmates at the Abu Ghraib prion in Iraq two decades ago.

Trump downplays deadly Charlottesville rally by comparing it to campus protests over Gaza war

Donald Trump on Thursday claimed a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia was “nothing” compared to the college campus protests that have sparked around the country over the Israel-Hamas war.

Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge US to prosecute the company

Boeing has reported a $355 million loss for the first quarter.

Hazing concerns prompt University of Virginia to expel 1 fraternity and suspend 3 others

The University of Virginia says concerns about hazing have prompted the school to terminate one local fraternity and suspend three others on its Charlottesville campus.

Jury sides with school system in suit accusing it of ignoring middle-schooler's sex assault claims

A jury has rejected a woman’s lawsuit seeking tens of millions of dollars against Virginia’s largest school system after she allged she was raped multiple times as a middle schooler.

Youngkin will visit Europe for his third international trade mission as Virginia governor

Glenn Youngkin will visit Germany, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland next week for his third international trade mission as Virginia governor.

North Carolina man sentenced to six years in prison for attacking police with pole at Capitol

A North Carolina man who became a fugitive after a federal jury convicted him of assaulting police officers during the U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Richmond Mayor Stoney drops Virginia governor bid, he will run for lieutenant governor instead

Democratic Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney says he's dropping his bid for Virginia governor in 2025 and will instead run for lieutenant governor.

New federal rule bars transgender school bathroom bans, but it likely isn't the final word

A new federal rule seeks to clarify that a law against sex discrimination at schools includes gender identity, too.

Trial opens for former Virginia hospital medical director accused of sexual abuse of ex-patients

A Virginia prosecutor says a former longtime medical director of a Virginia hospital that serves vulnerable children used physical examinations as a “ruse” to sexually abuse two teenage patients.

Lawmakers criticize CIA's handling of sexual misconduct but offer few specifics

A congressional committee is criticizing the CIA’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations in its ranks, saying victims have been deterred from coming forward and were aware of “little to no accountability or punishment for the perpetrators of the assaults.”.

Jury deliberating in Iraq Abu Ghraib prison abuse civil case; contractor casts blame on Army

A lawyer for a military contractor being sued by three survivors of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq says the plaintiffs are suing the wrong people.

Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal solar power grants

President Joe Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants to provide residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities.

Nebraska's governor says he'll call lawmakers back to address tax relief

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen says he'll keep his promise to call a special legislative session this summer to push lawmakers to find a fix for soaring property taxes.

FAA investigating after it says a flight told to cross a runway where another was starting takeoff

The Federal Aviation Administration says it will investigate after a flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was instructed to cross a runway where another flight was starting its takeoff.

Virginia school bus hits DMV building, injures driver and two students, officials say

Officials in Virginia say a school bus struck a Department of Motor Vehicles building after swerving to avoid hitting a car, injuring two students and the bus driver.

First major attempts to regulate AI face headwinds from all sides

A group of lawmakers from six states have worked on the first major proposals to reign in AI discrimination.

Woman dies after riding on car's hood and falling off, police say

Virginia State Police say that a woman has died after she rode on the hood of a moving car and fell off of it.

Civilian interrogator defends work at Abu Ghraib, tells jury he was promoted

A civilian interrogator who worked 20 years ago at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told jurors in Virginia that he never abused detainees and was actually promoted for doing a good job.

Convenience store chain where Biden bought snacks while campaigning hit with discrimination lawsuit

A convenience store chain where President Joe Biden stopped for snacks this week while campaigning in Pennsylvania has been hit with a lawsuit by federal officials.

Virginia law allows the state’s colleges and universities to directly pay athletes through NIL deals

Virginia’s governor has signed a law that allows the state’s colleges and universities to directly pay athletes through name, image and likeness deals.

Two shootings, two different responses — Maine restricts guns while Iowa arms teachers

State lawmakers are taking very different approaches to public safety following high-profile shootings.

Abu Ghraib military contractor warned bosses of abuses 2 weeks after arriving, testimony reveals

A civilian contractor sent to work as an interrogator at Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison resigned within two weeks of his arrival and told his corporate bosses that mistreatment of detainees was likely to continue.

Things to know as courts and legislatures act on transgender kids’ rights

Several U.S. courts have ruled this week on state laws restricting the rights of transgender young people.

Virginia lawmakers set to take up Youngkin's proposed amendments, vetoes in reconvened session

Gambling regulations, school construction and the state budget are on the agenda as Virginia lawmakers return to Richmond to consider Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s proposed amendments to legislation and his record number of vetoes.

Boeing in the spotlight as Congress calls a whistleblower to testify about defects in planes

Boeing will be in the spotlight on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Retired general's testimony links private contractor to Abu Ghraib abuses

An Army general who investigated the abuse of prisoners 20 years ago at Iraq’s infamous Abu Ghraib prison has testified that a civilian contractor instructed prison guards to “soften up” detainees for interrogations.

Coal miners getting new protections from silica dust linked to black lung disease

The Labor Department issued a new rule Tuesday intended to protect coal miners from poisonous silica dust that has contributed to the premature deaths of thousands of mine workers from a respiratory ailment commonly known as “black lung” disease.

Supreme Court gives some military veterans more generous educational benefits

The Supreme Court has sided with a decorated veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in a protracted fight with the government over 12 months of G.

'Civil War' might be the year's most explosive movie. Alex Garland thinks it's just reporting

The new film “Civil War” is an ominous attempt to turn widely held American anxieties into a violent, unsettling big-screen reality.