Welcome to today’s edition of the Dogwood Daily. We’ve got a round-up of all of today’s Virginia news 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…
Evidence continues to accumulate that Amazon’s HQ2 will throw the Arlington housing market into chaos, and a new report indicates that the Latinx community will be disproportionately affected, with around 10,000 Latinx residents at risk of displacement.
5 Things you need to know today
- Trump administration launches another attack on reproductive rights – The Trump administration announced this week that family planning clinics that receive taxpayer funding under the Title X program must stop referring women for abortions immediately. Title X provides affordable reproductive health care to about 4 million low-income and uninsured Americans, including more than 50,000 Virginians. The administration’s so-called “gag rule” is being challenged in federal court, but the administration said there was no legal restriction on enforcing the rule. Should the rule be upheld in court, many providers would be forced to withdraw from Title X, which Planned Parenthood says “would cause major gaps in access to care, harm public health, and produce significant, unnecessary cost.” – The Dogwood
- Virginia Beach hires independent firm to investigate mass shooting – Virginia Beach has hired Hillard Heintze, a Chicago-based consultant, to conduct the independent investigation into the May 31 mass shooting in a city municipal building. City Auditor Lyndon Remias selected the firm and said the company’s investigation will likely begin by early next week. City documents indicate that the company “will have unrestricted access to all employees, reports, documents, and other records necessary to complete the independent review.” – The Virginian-Pilot
- Three people die in a virus outbreak at Northern Virginia retirement community – The Fairfax County Health Department reported that a third person has died a virus outbreak at the Greenspring Retirement Community in Springfield. The virus has now affected 63 out of 263 residents and 19 employees. The outbreak began on June 30 and those affected display symptoms such as coughs, fevers and pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have conducted tests, but the results are still pending. – Associated Press
- Family of prisoner who died sues jails in Hampton Roads – The family of a woman who died of a bowel rupture and infection while being jailed in Norfolk’s city jail and the Hampton Roads Regional Jail is suing the facilities, claiming deputies ignored her pleas for help, despite the fact that they saw her throwing up blood. Regina Marie Honeycutt died nearly two weeks after first asking for help. She was 32. – The Virginian-Pilot
- Spotsylvania teacher works four jobs to survive – Kristal Ellsworth, a teacher in Spotsylvania, loves her teaching job, but is forced to work three other jobs on top of it to support herself. With over $100,000 in student loan debt and $1,200 a month of rent, Ellsworth’s $47,000 per year salary is not enough for her to survive. Ellsworth’s story is not as uncommon as you might think: Virginia teachers are among the most underpaid in the nation. – The Free Lance-Star
From the Gram
This story has been updated with the correct link to an Axios story about Amazon’s HQ2 putting the Northern Virginia Latinx community at risk of displacement.
