A Resignation, an Editorial, and Articulated Buses
Cheers RVA!
Today will be mostly cloudy and humid, with a high of 92 and a low of 77. Over the next couple days we’ll see a chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, with clearer skies expected by the end of the week.
the juice:
The city of Richmond’s Department of Finance has mailed all real estate tax rebate checks.
Residents who qualify do not need to take any action, and most recipients can expect to receive their checks by early July.
Rebate checks with payee names exceeding 35 characters “may require additional processing at some financial institutions.”
the pulp:
The president of the University of Virginia Jim Ryan resigned last Friday under pressure from the Department of Justice which alleged the school had failed to fully dismantle its DEI programs, according to the Mercury. Ryan had served as university president since 2017.
GRTC has unveiled four new articulated buses to accommodate increased ridership, via WTVR. Articulated buses are longer than traditional buses, and feature two rigid structures connected by a pivoting joint. The buses have a capacity of 122 riders and feature USB ports at every seat and free Wi-Fi. The transit company plans to add eight more of the buses by next year.
the dive:
The Richmond Times Dispatch editorial board offers an editorial on recent actions by ICE agents in Chesterfield, suggesting the aim to stoke fear for political gain had been achieved without actually helping to make the community safer.
Fourteen immigrants have been taken into Federal custody in the past two weeks after voluntarily showing up at the Chesterfield Courthouse for offenses ranging from misdemeanors to felonies.
Governor Youngkin has stated the actions are part of a statewide effort in coordination with the state police, FBI, ICE, and DEA, but the editorial states Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard has said the agents are with the Department of Homeland Security, not the state task force:
The game that Trump and Youngkin are running is pretty straightforward: Mislead the public about the severity of “immigrant crime” and then pretend to do something about it. They call up the TV cameras, send in Dr. Phil and go snatch some dangerous landscapers and farm workers, all in the name of making America safe again.
The problem is it doesn’t work. The ICE raids — whether at the courthouse, Home Depot or on the factory floor — only make our communities less safe. This is why most law enforcement agencies and sheriff’s departments in Virginia have declined to sign 287(g) agreements to work hand-in-cuff with federal immigration agents.
It’s why Leonard, a Republican sheriff, instructed his deputies not to assist in the courthouse raids, and asked federal officers to use side rooms instead of the main hallways to arrest and process detainees.
Read the full editorial here.
the vibe:
Have an effective day RVA!
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