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…
Virginia was the first colony in the United States, and if the latest crazy news from D.C. is true, Greenland might be the next? The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that President Trump has long desired to purchase Greenland, a massive, ice-covered island and autonomous Danish territory.
“If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad,” foreign affairs spokesman for the Danish People’s Party, Soren Espersen, told broadcaster DR. “The thought of Denmark selling 50,000 citizens to the United States is completely ridiculous,” he said.
5 Things you need to know today
- Human Rights Campaign endorsements jolt prospects for equal rights in Virginia – The nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy group is making a “six-figure” investment into the 2019 Virginia General Assembly elections and endorsing a record number of state Senate and House candidates. At a press conference in Richmond, Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David and his colleagues, along with about a dozen candidates that earned the group’s endorsement, took turns on the podium to drill home this message: The only way to ensure equal rights for all Virginians is to vote Republicans out of power. – The Dogwood
- Virginia company accused of exploiting immigrants – Verona-based Libre by Nexus has been accused of swindling the separated immigrant families that it claims to help. In what prosecutors say is a violation of Virginia’s consumer protection laws, Libre allegedly charged immigrants “desperate” to be released from detention excessive fees and forced them to wear GPS trackers. – WTOP by the Associated Press
- Pets are dying from blue-green algae – Harmful algae that have poisoned and, in some cases, killed dogs across the southeast have been detected in lakes across Virginia. While the vast majority algae are non-toxic, “waters that are discolored or have scums that are green or blueish-green should be avoided.” Following the death of one pup in Albemarle County, some local veterinarians are urging dog owners to vaccinate their pets. – Daily Progress
- Virginia corrections officers are understaffed, underpaid – Dozens of corrections officers told Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security that state prisons are in disarray. The officers said they’ve been working overtime without pay, and that staffing shortages are creating a dangerous situation for prison workers and the public. “The only way we are honestly getting this job done right now is we are cutting corners,” one officer said. – ABC8
- NAACP sues Hanover County over two schools commemorating Confederacy – The NAACP filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the names of two Virginia public schools: Lee-Davis High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School. The group said the names violate the rights of African American students by forcing them “to champion a legacy of segregation and oppression in order to participate in school activities.” – Richmond Times-Dispatch
From the Gram
Correction: In yesterday’s edition of The Dogwood Daily, we incorrectly identified Rob Wittman (R-Va.). He is a representative in the U.S. House, not in the Virginia state house.
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