UVA Reaches Deal with DOJ

The Justice Department finalized a deal with the University of Virginia to pause five civil rights investigations, which will be closed once the university completes planned reforms to eliminate DEI programs.

The agreement comes after months of pressure from the Trump administration, which launched the probes in April over alleged racial discrimination, biased hiring practices, and failure to address campus antisemitism.

DOJ officials described the agreement as a step toward protecting students and faculty from discrimination based on race, sex, or national origin.

Under the deal, UVA will report to the DOJ through 2028 but avoid fines or external oversight, unlike private universities that settled similar cases.

Candidate Debates AI Opponent

Republican John Reid, running for Virginia lieutenant governor, held a livestreamed debate against an AI-generated version of his Democratic rival, Ghazala Hashmi, after she declined to appear in person.

The 40-minute, one-take video featured Reid answering a recorded moderator live, while a robotic voice imitating Hashmi delivered her side based on public statements. (Watch the debate here.)

Reid called it a “fully cited and sourced” effort to offer voters a side-by-side contrast, saying, “Since my opponent won’t show up, I had to force the issue myself.” 

Democrats called the event a “shoddy gimmick,” accusing Reid of chasing stunts over substance.

Dr Pepper Day

Dr Pepper is usually associated with Texas, but it has strong roots in Roanoke. To honor that legacy, Dr Pepper Day begins this morning in Market Square.

The date is a nod to an ad campaign that advised people to “Drink a Bite to Eat at 10, 2 and 4,” meaning they would be sipping soda throughout the work day.

Roanoke was the site of Virginia’s first Dr Pepper bottling plant in 1963. The city’s residents have, in some years, consumed more Dr Pepper per capita than anywhere else.

Company lore suggests Dr. Charles T. Pepper of Virginia may be the namesake for the drink, whose name lost its period after “Dr.” for marketing reasons. Pepper may have given the soda’s inventor, Wade Morrison, his first job before Morrison moved to Waco and started selling the beverage.

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➤ Statewide: Democrats plan to redraw congressional maps to boost their advantage ahead of next year’s midterms, with the process beginning less than two weeks before the Nov. 4 elections. (See Details)

➤ Northern Virginia: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is launching a local affiliate to deliver free books to children under 5 starting next summer in Alexandria, with plans to expand into other local communities. (More)

➤ Stafford: A 64-year-old man was arrested for fatally shooting a 36-year-old mortgage company worker while the victim was working on a property. After deputies arrived, they detained the suspect following a short standoff inside the home. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: Gov. Glenn Youngkin declared a state of emergency Thursday, warning that SNAP benefits for over 850,000 Virginians could run out by November 1 if the federal government shutdown continues. (More)

➤ Roanoke: Official reports released about last month’s incident at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport say a United Express jet overran a runway after the captain twice ignored go-around calls during heavy rain, causing a hard landing but no injuries. (More)

➤ Arlington County leaders have begun exploring changes to the 93-year-old governance system and have established an advisory group that will begin discussions on possible district elections and board expansion by February 2026. (More)

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➤ Commanders Quarterback Jayden Daniels will not play against the Chiefs on Monday night as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury. (More)

➤ UVA women’s soccer was ranked No. 3 in the nation in this week’s most recent United Soccer Coaches Poll. (More)

➤ The Washington Wizards rookie Tre Johnson scored 16 points during his NBA debut on Wednesday night, including four three-pointers. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAF | Soccer | Golf | Tennis

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➤ The Charybdis arrived in Portsmouth to begin working on Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. The ship is the nation’s first Jones Act-compliant Wind Turbine Installation Vessel. (Details)

➤ Rutter’s, a convenience store chain, expanded into the Commonwealth by opening a location in Winchester. (More)

➤ The Virginia Workforce Housing Investment Program will help build more than 300 homes for working families in Washington County. Gov. Glenn Youngkin noted there are 2,000 jobs available within a half hour of the site. (Details)

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➤ The Virginia Natural History Museum was awarded a $10,000 grant to support an upcoming exhibit focusing on the last 250 years of natural history in the Commonwealth. (Details)

➤ Tom Thompson, executive director of the Global Agricultural Productivity Initiative at Virginia Tech, told an international conference that inflation may encourage farmers to implement more efficient practices. (More)

➤ Pet owners can now phone a vet for medical advice. Dr. Leslie Sheridan, owner of a veterinary practice in Central Virginia, has opened the state’s first private telehealth service for pets. (Details)

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What’s your favorite soda?

1. Dr Pepper
2. Coke
3. Pepsi
4. Mountain Dew
5. Other!

Thursday’s Results:

Will you carve a pumpkin this year? 

1. No: 44%
2. Yes: 29%
3. Too soon to say: 27%

What was Roanoke called before it changed its name in 1882?

Show me the answer