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In Richmond, competing ‘No Kings’ protests reveal divided leadership, complicated movement

April 1, 2026

Virginia lawmakers pass legislation to ban face coverings for law enforcement

April 1, 2026

Sal Orlando, Assistant News Editor Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Virginia’s legislature passed two bills this session prohibiting law enforcement from wearing facial coverings while engaged in official duties. Senate Bill 352, patroned by Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim, D-Fairfax, and House Bill 1482, patroned by Del. Charlie Schmidt, D-Richmond, subject violating officials to “disciplinary action, including dismissal, demotion, suspension, transfer, or decertification” and create a class 1 misdemeanor for violators. “If you have to commit certain things and you have to hide your identity, you know what you’re doing is wrong, and I think that’s what we’re gonna try to stop,” Salim said. The Senate version applies an exception to law enforcement officers under agencies who have adopted and established a written policy for the individual. Both bills exempt law-enforcement officers assigned to a special weapons and tactics team required to cover their faces while engaged in official duties, as well as sunglasses and facial coverings protecting against disease, infection and exposure to toxic substances. “Other localities came and said, ‘We have law enforcement who are on motorcycles who have to wear a helmet with a shield on. How do you wanna handle that?’ Well, we said they can still

VCU Police traffic safety operation reveals ‘dangerous behaviors’ by drivers

April 1, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Maeve Bauer, Spectrum Editor VCU issued nearly as many traffic summons from Jan. 12 – Mar. 24 as it did in the entirety of the 2024-25 academic year as it increased traffic enforcement through Operation Safer Streets. The increase has revealed “dangerous behaviors” from many drivers on the roads in and around campus, according to VCU Police spokesperson Jake Burns. He asked drivers to put away distractions like phones and slow down on the roadway. “When drivers attempt to cut time off of their commute, it can potentially have life altering consequences for other travelers,” Burns said. “VCU Police hope this operation serves as an educational opportunity for those who display unsafe driving practices.” A plurality of the citations VCU PD has issued since January have been for speeding violations. Many others have come from a failure to obey highway signs, red lights and seat belt laws. Despite a relative drop in traffic-related deaths over time, Richmond remained an area with riskier drivers than the national average as of last year, according to Axios. Nationally, car crashes are a leading cause of death, according to the CDC. Recent pedestrian deaths in Richmond match a national

VCU ties potential tuition increase to mandatory costs, lower funds than peers

April 1, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Members of the VCU Board of Visitors, the university’s highest governing body, have identified the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program and the university’s high rate of in-state students as key reasons to increase tuition for the 2026-27 academic year. The comments were part of a broader conversation about VCU’s finances at the board’s “Enrollment and Budget Workshop” on March 23 and 24. Board members saw a presentation that outlined potential tuition increases from 2.5% to 4.9%. The meeting’s discussion on budget, tuition and fees was led by VCU chief financial officer Meredith Weiss, who laid out the case as to why the university could have no choice but to continue raising tuition. “When you think about these four levers — you have enrollment and retention, you have efficiencies, you have state support and you have tuition,” Weiss said. “So if we’ve already been as efficient as we can be, we’re gonna be efficient, we put that in there. We’re working on growing enrollment. The state has given us what they’ve given us. The last thing left is tuition.” A presentation by the board laid out six potential percentages by which tuition could increase,

VCU Qatar goes remote after Iran threatens to strike college campuses

March 30, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCUarts Qatar has closed its campus in Doha and moved classes fully online after Iran threatened to strike American college campuses in the Middle East on Sunday. “Amid the ongoing regional situation the university has moved to remote operations and public access to its premises are not available,” a statement posted on the VCUarts Qatar website reads. “Information on scheduled activities will be communicated to individuals directly.” VCU did not respond to requests for further comment by The CT. The decision came after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps made a post on X stating all American universities in the region are now “legitimate targets,” warning students, faculty and staff to stay away for their own safety. The threats by the Iranian government were a response to reported strikes by the United States that damaged buildings belonging to Tehran’s University of Science and Technology and the Isfahan University of Technology. “The reckless rulers of the White House should know that from now on, all universities of the occupying regime and American universities in the West Asia region are legitimate targets for us until two universities are struck in retaliation for the Iranian

Natalie Bowen wins SGA Presidential election

March 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor VCU Student Government Association Press Secretary Natalie Bowen has won the race to become the body’s next president for the 2026-27 academic year. Bowen — a third-year history and mass communications student — won with 44%, or 634 votes, according to the SGA. They noted “record-breaking” participation with 1,441 total votes cast. Bowen promises more engagement with administration, other students Bowen stated in an email she has congratulated her fellow electeds for senators and other positions, and is grateful for the conversations she has had with students and her fellow student government members. “I’ve been in SGA for three years, and I have never felt so inspired by and proud of a group of senators, and I know we will make a really great team,” Bowen stated. “SGA is here to help in any way we can, and we have a huge team of hard-working and passionate Senators, so please never hesitate to connect with us.” During SGA’s Presidential debate on Monday, Bowen made a case for increasing efficiencies in the organization and engagement with VCU administration, according to a previous report by The CT. “A big part of the role of president is to

El sistema de alcantarillado de Richmond se enfrenta a un futuro incierto de financiación

March 26, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, Editor de Noticias El plan para fortalecer el sistema de aguas de Richmond podría recibir $50 millones de dólares en fondos estatales durante el siguiente año. Sin embargo, un aumento a las tasas de servicios en el plan de presupuesto del alcalde Danny Avula indica que se necesitan más fondos para las necesidades infraestructurales de la ciudad. Los fondos estatales se dirigirán a apoyar al proyecto para el control del desbordamiento de alcantarillado combinado de Richmond, y forma parte del siguiente presupuesto de Virgina que se finalizará durante una sesión especial legislativa que empieza el 23 de abril. El proyecto de alcantarillado que quieren financiar los legisladores es uno de varios mejoramientos al sistema de aguas en el plan pasado para mejoras de capital de la ciudad, el cual cubrió los años fiscales 2022 al 2026. Este se trata de construir estructuras para desviar el agua durante eventos de toma alta de aguas y de mejorar la capacidad de la planta para el tratamiento de aguas residuales — una instalación en el sur de la ciudad. La encargada de información pública del departamento de servicios públicos (DPU en inglés), Rhonda Johnson, dijo que los fondos estatales propuestos

Meal swipe donation proposal pushed to 2027

March 25, 2026

Kayla Munecas, Contributing Writer The bill that would allow Virginia university students to donate their unused meal plan credits did not pass the General Assembly this year. State lawmakers voted to continue debating the proposal in the 2027 session. The bill was introduced by Sen. Danica Roem, D-Manassas, and would have allowed students to voluntarily donate their unused meal swipes to be distributed for use by other students at campus dining halls or on-campus food pantries, such as the VCU Ram Pantry, according to a previous report by The CT. Roem was successful in establishing the “Hunger-Free Campus Food Pantry Grant Program” in 2025 to fund campus pantries and fight food insecurity. The new bill would have required universities to allow students to donate their swipes in order to remain in the program and receive grants. Roem told The CT one issue lawmakers took with that part of the proposal was a perceived unfairness of students donating swipes their parents had paid for. Roem feels that assertion assumes students have a traditional, nuclear family, middle-and-upper class path through college and ignores the many students who put themselves through college with grants and with alternative family structures. “Then the next part

In Richmond, competing ‘No Kings’ protests reveal divided leadership, complicated movement

April 1, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Richmond had not one, but two anti-Trump protests on Saturday, as ideological and strategic disagreements between organizers led them to hold separate demonstrations. In downtown Kanawha Plaza, 50501 Virginia held a diverse rally alongside a coalition of progressive community organizers that turned into a march through some of the city’s busiest streets. A mile away in Monroe Park, RVA Indivisible held a “No Kings Freedom Fest” with music, canvassing by local Democratic parties and high-profile speakers such as Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi. The different approaches by the two Richmond organizations, which previously worked together, revealed a rift that has been festering for months — reflecting national disagreements on how to best dissent against the unprecedented second Trump administration. Third ‘No Kings’ smaller than last Richmond protest A number of demonstrators said they were confused about which protest they were supposed to attend. The crowds at both Kanawha Plaza and Monroe Park — even if combined — were smaller than the first two major “No Kings” protests in Richmond. A June 2025 march attracted an estimated 10,000 people, and an October 2025 march reached 20,000. On Saturday, only 3,000 people showed up to Kanawha Plaza, and 5,500 to Monroe Park, according to organizers. On the national scale, organizers estimated the third major “No Kings” broke the record for the largest single-day, non-violent protest in modern American history. At least 8 million people filled streets at more than 3,300 events across all 50 states. Similar message, different styles The Kanawha Plaza rally opened with a speech from one of 50501 Virginia’s lead organizers Antoni Szachowicz, who demanded an end to President Donald Trump’s “war mongering” in Iran and activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — whom he referred to as “gestapo murderers.” Szachowicz mentioned protecting transgender people, who are seeing laws passed against them in some states — as well as preventing the Republican “Save Act,” which he warned would disenfranchise married women. “We’re not here for the joy of resistance,” Szachowicz told the crowd. “No, we are here to demand no king above us, no dictator telling us how we can live our lives.” Szachowicz emphasized the need to get rid of “oligarchs” in favor of policies that uplift the working class and not billionaires. He asked the crowd to support “true progressive candidates” and join the grassroots organizations present. The Virginia Defenders for Freedom, Justice