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“Everything I’ve done has been focused on solving issues. It was never about myself. It was always about ‘what can we do to solve these issues to accomplish the mission. That’s the same thing I’d bring to Congress. I am mission focused.” — Tony Sabio, the Republican nominee in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District
Republican Tony Sabio is vying to replace Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Beyer in Virginia's 8th Congressional District race. (Photo courtesy of campaign)
By Andrew Kerley
Tony Sabio — a security expert who served in the U.S. military, Secret Service and CIA — has an uphill objective this November: the Republican nominee is working to unseat a six-term Democratic incumbent and represent Virginia’s reliably blue 8th Congressional District.
Sabio is drawing on his extensive background in national security and geopolitics to challenge longtime U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Alexandria, in a region home to the Pentagon and the country’s largest defense contractors.
A federal judge has struck down Trump administration SNAP guidance that threatened penalties for Virginia and other states. (Photo by Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
By Markus Schmdt
Virginia and other states cannot be penalized under a Trump administration deadline that gave them too little time to put new federal food assistance rules into effect, a federal judge in Oregon has ruled.
The decision also rejects federal guidance that would have denied benefits to some lawful permanent residents, including people who previously entered the country as refugees or were granted asylum.
Tim Gibson, vice-president of the George Mason University chapter of the American Association of University Professors. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)
By Nathaniel Cline
Most faculty members from Virginia and Southern states say they would not recommend their state as a desirable place to work, citing concerns about political interference and academic freedom, according to a recent survey by state conferences of the American Association of University Professors.
The responses come from AAUP’s annual Faculty in the South survey, which asks professors in selected states about their jobs. In the survey, 59.4% of faculty members said they would not recommend their state as a desirable place to work for graduate students or other colleagues, up 5% from last year’s results.
By Sofia Resnick
More than half of women of reproductive age have seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful, and about 4 in 10 have been exposed to the false idea that hormones in contraceptives limit your ability to get pregnant in the future, according to a new survey.
The survey by KFF, a nonprofit health research organization, also found that about a third of women between the ages of 18 and 49 have seen or heard the inaccurate assertion that natural family planning methods are just as effective as hormonal birth control, and a similar percentage have been exposed to the erroneous idea that emergency contraceptive pills cause abortions.
By Virginia Mercury staff
Early voting is underway in Virginia for the 2026 midterm election, when the state's next slate of congressional representatives and local leaders will be elected.
If you're planning to vote, what are the top issues that will motivate you to cast a ballot? From rising energy prices and data centers, to unaffordable housing and fewer healthcare options, to costlier groceries and gas, we want to pinpoint the top-of-mind concerns Virginians are facing. This information will inform our reporting leading up to Election Day on Nov. 3, so please share your responses here.
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