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“Democrats have tried pushing these debunked attacks for years, and Virginia voters have rejected them every single time.” — Calvin Moore, campaign spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach

U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, faces scrutiny over financial industry PAC contributions and her votes to roll back consumer protections. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

By Markus Schmidt

U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans is facing renewed scrutiny over her votes to roll back consumer financial oversight after receiving tens of thousands of dollars from political committees tied to the financial services industry, including a Republican group that has received substantial funding from payday and title lenders. 

The Virginia Beach Republican supported repealing federal rules governing major payment apps and bank overdraft fees in 2025, five years after opposing Virginia’s overhaul of payday and car title lending. 

A sign outside a clinic that provides abortions in Richmond. (Photo by Sarah Vogelsong/Virginia Mercury)

By Charlotte Rene Woods

Abortion is on the ballot this fall, with Virginia voters slated to select their next slate of congressional representatives after federal protections for the procedure ended in 2022. 

Voters will also decide on Election Day whether a reproductive rights amendment should be cemented into the state’s constitution, reflecting the weight abortion and reproductive healthcare access are levying in both state and federal elections this year. 

(Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

By Alex Brown

Over the past year and a half, a dozen states have embraced a new vision for solar power: small, cheap panels that can be hung from a balcony or porch, be plugged into a standard wall outlet and take a dent out of residents’ utility bills. 

These systems, known as balcony solar or plug-in solar, are attractive because they can be installed without permits, contractors or large investments. They can allow renters to tap into clean electricity. 

By Jonathan Shorman

President Donald Trump is tapping $20 million in Homeland Security funding to pay for TV ads that heavily feature him ahead of the midterm elections, Democrats said Tuesday as the promos critics call propaganda come under bipartisan attack.

The Trump administration recently moved the funds into a U.S. Customs and Border Protection budget line intended for “commemorative events” related to border security, according to federal records. Congressional Democrats said the dollars appear to be funding the ad campaign.

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