Dogwood Daily: Virginia braces for trade war

Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all the Virginia news that’s been happening coming right up. And if you’re a fan, please forward to three friends who need to know what’s going on in the Commonwealth and tell them to subscribe here. 

But First…

Did you know that one out of every four farms in Virginia is run by a woman?

It’s true, and the surge in female farmers is part of a larger shift across the country: In the last five years, there’s been a 70% increase nationally in the number of women who are the principal operators of a farm.

5 Things you need to know today…

1. Virginia’s LGBTQ residents still lack housing protections — Virginia has no laws protecting LGBTQ residents from facing discrimination from residential housing agents or public employers. Virginia Democrats have championed bills to extend discrimination protections to LGBTQ residents for twenty years, but Republicans continue to block their efforts. This year alone, Republicans defeated nearly a dozen bills that would have provided discrimination protections to LGBTQ residents. What is the tangible impact of not having these protections? We spoke to one woman to find out.
    
2. Rep. Don Beyer calls for impeachment inquiry into Trump — Democratic Rep. Don Beyer is the first member of Virginia’s congressional delegation to call for impeachment proceedings to begin against President Trump. Beyer cited Trump’s “obstruction of justice” and potential tax fraud in explaining his call for an impeachment inquiry, and now joins two dozen other Democrats who support an impeachment inquiry.
    
3. Trump expected to pick former Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli for top immigration job — President Trump is expected to select former Virginia Attorney General and immigration hardliner Ken Cuccinelli to spearhead his administration’s immigration policies, according to a new report in the New York Times. Cuccinelli served as Virginia Attorney General from 2010 to 2014 and mounted a failed run for governor in 2013. During his time in office Cuccinelli worked to restrict abortion access and dismantle the Affordable Care Act. He has also been a vocal anti-immigration conservative who once compared immigration policy to rat extermination.
    
4. State lawmakers warned to act now in case Trump’s trade war continues to hurt Virginia — Virginia Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne warned lawmakers that President Trump’s trade war with China could have a significant effect on Virginia’s port. Layne said the port was doing well at the moment, but that things could change if the trade war continues to escalate. She advised lawmakers to think ahead and prepare for possible disruptions now, while the state has money.
    
5. Investigation unable to determine if Northam appeared in racist photo — After a three month investigation into whether Gov. Ralph Northam appeared in a racist photograph on his 1984 medical school yearbook page, the public is still no closer to having a conclusive answer. The investigation, commissioned by Eastern Virginia Medical School, was unable to determine if Northam appeared in the photo.