Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026

News

‘A real second chance’ Restoration of voting rights on the ballot for formerly incarcerated people

September 2, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor “It makes you still feel like you have a scarlet letter in your head, like I’m less than, or that I’m not a full citizen,” Sam Harris, a Suffolk resident, said about previously losing his voting rights. Harris was granted his right to vote back by Gov. Abigail Spanberger last month, along with over 66,000 other people who were previously convicted of a felony, in her time in office. Under the Virginia Constitution, no person convicted of a felony is qualified to vote unless their civil rights are restored by the governor. The immediate reenfranchisement for over a quarter million people will be on the ballot this November in Virginia, the first time in 44 years. Reenfranchisement is the granting of rights back to people who had them taken away, according to Oxford Dictionary. Harris reflected on not voting in the 1993 gubernatorial election and former Gov. George Allen signing a bill abolishing parole. “That was in the 90s, and imagine me going to prison in 99, 2000 and being affected by something that the government came in and did,” Harris said.  Harris mentioned he regretted not voting prior to his incarceration, and would vote if

The ‘Love Island USA’ fandom has repopularized digital blackface

September 2, 2026

Maritza Baptiste, Staff Writer This past summer, many of us tuned in to the reality television series “Love Island USA.” In this show, contestants are taken to a villa in Fiji to hopefully find love and win the $100,000 cash prize.  The show not only draws fans in with its heightened drama, but draws a second following on social media with viewers and non-viewers reposting clips, sharing memes and posting opinion commentary on the dynamics between contestants.  “Love Island USA” has grown far beyond just a summertime reality TV spectacle — its cultural relevance and unique perspective on modern dating make it a case study on our generation in all of its provocative and problematic glory.  The most recent season of “Love Island USA” was the first to feature a cast of all Black female finalists. This season’s representation meant a lot for the show’s Black fanbase and that support was shown through the cultivation of fan accounts and fandom spaces, mainly on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.  Fan accounts would feature a profile picture with the face of their favored contestant and the owner(s) would post content featuring said Islander. These accounts built communities around Black female

Code Refresh Reshapes Richmond as VCU Students Struggle to Find Housing

September 2, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Contributing Writer  Maddy Thurber, Contributing Writer  Richmond’s new proposed zoning code could expand development opportunities and reshape how much housing is available to VCU students in Richmond’s competitive market.  The city released the third and final draft of the zoning code on Aug. 17 which includes community insight from the Richmond Civic League meeting on July 21. Replacing a 50 year old zoning code, the overhaul alters lot restrictions, increases density along rapid transit lines and restricts non-conforming structures in efforts to expand housing. The code also imposes a complete ban on data center construction within the city. Lot changes will increase both the number and type of structures allowed per lot, providing opportunity for an accessory dwelling unit in addition to a primary home. Plans promote more compact lots by decreasing setbacks, which determine how far a building must be placed from a property line or street.  Changes in zoning aim to protect green space in addition to concentrating construction near transportation hubs to improve walkability. Development restrictions limit structure size and height in aim to promote better uniformity.  “The updated comprehensive plan covers future growth in the next 30 years of housing, transportation and urban life,”

Trans youth should not have to wait

September 2, 2026

Tori Baker, Contributing Writer First things first: this is not a tirade about passing or people who choose not to take hormone replacement therapy or just didn’t find out early that they were trans.  I do not have malice towards those who transitioned later than me.  Self discovery happens at varied rates and I find the concept of endlessly circling the drain about “trutrans” to be insufferable and worse, often bigoted. This is a conversation about attitude. I was a trans kid. I transitioned socially at 14 and medically at 15 and it changed my life, as taking cross-sex hormones tends to do for anyone.  Taking HRT as a minor gave me an option that I still have not reckoned with on a personal level. I can choose to go stealth and never think about being someone’s “trans friend” ever again.  However, I have not taken that option because I believe it is more important to be politically active and by presenting as trans, I am given more opportunities to help other trans people.  But I have the option. This is an option I would not have had if I had waited three years. I would have had to sit

Unionized workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden vote to prolong strike

September 1, 2026

Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor Union workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden voted to go on an Unfair Labor Practice strike on Tuesday, Sept. 1 after 80% of union members voted in favor. The strike vote comes after “two one-day strikes, a call for a boycott and increased public support as workers hold their ground for meaningful wage increases from the Garden,” LGBG Workers United stated in an Instagram post.   The union has raised $11,569 for their strike fund since the union’s GoFundMe creation on July 30. A petition supporting fair wages for the workers at LGBG has collected 1,153 signatures. Workers said that they want a first contract that makes LGBG a sustainable career rather than a job that the employees cannot afford to keep. The union remains ready to reach a fair agreement as they wait for a fair proposal from LGBG, according to the post.  Workers at the garden announced they rejected their employer’s “last, best and final offer” on Aug. 12 after nearly two years of unionizing for increased wages and benefits, according to a previous report from the Commonwealth Times.  The workers voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union in Nov.

VCU implements measures to address past cybersecurity threats

August 26, 2026

Olivia Rine, Contributing Writer VCU students raised concerns with campus online safety, following recent cyber attacks to VCU online systems.  Over 7,000 VCU students were sent phishing emails earlier this month from cybercriminals attempting to compromise their email accounts, according to VCU News. The scammers posed as “VCU IT Department,” threatening to remove students from their courses if they did not provide their login information. In late April, VCU students were met with ransom notes upon opening Canvas, according to ABC 8 News. The attack was a part of a national breach from hacking group ShinyHunters. After the initial Canvas hack, the platform faced another hack on the afternoon of May 7, where ransom notes appeared on the login pages of many universities, including VCU.  VCU’s chief information officer, Dan Han, acknowledged that as the use of technology rises, risks are predicted to rise as well. “Not only are we seeing a significant shortening of time between the disclosure of a vulnerability and the exploitation of such vulnerability, but the advancement of these adversarial technologies is also breaking down language barriers and allowing threat actors to rapidly create and deploy increasingly convincing scams intended to target our community,” Han stated

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Receive $2.7 Million Grant, Among Other Changes

August 26, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor  The VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer center underwent several recent changes, including a A $2.7 million grant, new leadership and a new workspace.  The Worta McCaskill-Stevens Grant is meant to facilitate the “training of clinical scientists in community cancer prevention, screening, intervention, control, and treatment research,” specifically clinical scientists whose focus includes enhancing care for minorities, according to the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Monica Baskin, the center’s new director, said she intends to make the care Massey provides accessible to all Virginians, particularly those in rural communities.  “When someone receives that news of ‘you have cancer,’ I want Massey to be among those top cancer centers that immediately come to mind, ” Baskin said.  Baskin explained that Massey’s “community-to-bench model” allows the center to perform research that is relevant to surrounding communities, from Fredericksburg and Virginia Beach to the Northern Neck. “By performing robust research that is driven by the needs of our catchment area, enhancing our Community Outreach and Engagement efforts, and recruiting and retaining an unparalleled bench of cancer researchers and providers who will lead future clinical breakthroughs, I know we will get there,” Baskin said.  Baskin previously served as interim director but was

700 pedestrian focused installations announced for high risk intersections

August 26, 2026

Mad Biondi, Contributing Writer The Richmond Department of Transportation via press release announced a two-phase plan with 700 quick-build improvements targeting intersections identified as statistically dangerous for pedestrians. The installations include high-visibility crosswalks and the introduction of scramble intersections, allowing pedestrians from all sides to cross.  Speed tables, centerline hardening and turn hardening installations ensure more controlled turning and speed. Richmond announced 244 different locations for these solutions. Each phase consists of 350 installations, with Phase 1occurring in Fall 2026. Phase 2 is estimated to be completed in Fall 2027.  Pedestrian safety was the top concern in the 2026 VCU Perception of Safety Survey at 57%.  Richmonders boast some of the most daily driving in the city, with 2 million cars passing through campus per month.  “This is an open campus,” VCU Police Lt. Greer said, “This isn’t a campus where it’s enclosed, you’re going from class to class. You’re in the middle — the heart of the city. We doubled our traffic division because of that need.”  Lt. Greer said the number of contributors when planning, involving the city, VCU planners, RPD, VCUPD, and the DMV.  The RDOT uses data from the High Injury Network (HIN), an identification of

‘A real second chance’ Restoration of voting rights on the ballot for formerly incarcerated people

September 2, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor “It makes you still feel like you have a scarlet letter in your head, like I’m less than, or that I’m not a full citizen,” Sam Harris, a Suffolk resident, said about previously losing his voting rights. Harris was granted his right to vote back by Gov. Abigail Spanberger last month, along with over 66,000 other people who were previously convicted of a felony, in her time in office. Under the Virginia Constitution, no person convicted of a felony is qualified to vote unless their civil rights are restored by the governor. The immediate reenfranchisement for over a quarter million people will be on the ballot this November in Virginia, the first time in 44 years. Reenfranchisement is the granting of rights back to people who had them taken away, according to Oxford Dictionary. Harris reflected on not voting in the 1993 gubernatorial election and former Gov. George Allen signing a bill abolishing parole. “That was in the 90s, and imagine me going to prison in 99, 2000 and being affected by something that the government came in and did,” Harris said.  Harris mentioned he regretted not voting prior to his incarceration, and would vote if he was ever given the opportunity. Harris was grateful for his pardon by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but felt it was contradictory that he was not also reenfranchised. Youngkin restored the rights of 9,563 people in his time as governor. King v. Youngkin was a class action lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia against the state for stripping the voting rights of every Virginian with a felony conviction. The decision reenfranchised Virginians whose voting rights were taken away for felony convictions that were common law felonies in 1870. “When you are denied things or saying you can’t do anything, it makes people see you in the worst light,” Harris said. Harris is the co-founder of Reentry and Recovery Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing reentry-focused support, according to their website. Sergio Hayes, a Newport News resident, said reenfranchising people empowers them and the current law is a relic of a “very ugly” past. He regained his voting rights last year. “I had to jump through 1,000 hoops to get my rights restored,” Hayes said. “Others who went through the same thing as me, they had to jump through 1,000 hoops. Wouldn’t it be great when

The ‘Love Island USA’ fandom has repopularized digital blackface

September 2, 2026

Maritza Baptiste, Staff Writer This past summer, many of us tuned in to the reality television series “Love Island USA.” In this show, contestants are taken to a villa in Fiji to hopefully find love and win the $100,000 cash prize.  The show not only draws fans in with its heightened drama, but draws a second following on social media with viewers and non-viewers reposting clips, sharing memes and posting opinion commentary on the dynamics between contestants.  “Love Island USA” has grown far beyond just a summertime reality TV spectacle — its cultural relevance and unique perspective on modern dating make it a case study on our generation in all of its provocative and problematic glory.  The most recent season of “Love Island USA” was the first to feature a cast of all Black female finalists. This season’s representation meant a lot for the show’s Black fanbase and that support was shown through the cultivation of fan accounts and fandom spaces, mainly on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter.  Fan accounts would feature a profile picture with the face of their favored contestant and the owner(s) would post content featuring said Islander. These accounts built communities around Black female

Code Refresh Reshapes Richmond as VCU Students Struggle to Find Housing

September 2, 2026

Madeleine Biondi, Contributing Writer  Maddy Thurber, Contributing Writer  Richmond’s new proposed zoning code could expand development opportunities and reshape how much housing is available to VCU students in Richmond’s competitive market.  The city released the third and final draft of the zoning code on Aug. 17 which includes community insight from the Richmond Civic League meeting on July 21. Replacing a 50 year old zoning code, the overhaul alters lot restrictions, increases density along rapid transit lines and restricts non-conforming structures in efforts to expand housing. The code also imposes a complete ban on data center construction within the city. Lot changes will increase both the number and type of structures allowed per lot, providing opportunity for an accessory dwelling unit in addition to a primary home. Plans promote more compact lots by decreasing setbacks, which determine how far a building must be placed from a property line or street.  Changes in zoning aim to protect green space in addition to concentrating construction near transportation hubs to improve walkability. Development restrictions limit structure size and height in aim to promote better uniformity.  “The updated comprehensive plan covers future growth in the next 30 years of housing, transportation and urban life,”

Trans youth should not have to wait

September 2, 2026

Tori Baker, Contributing Writer First things first: this is not a tirade about passing or people who choose not to take hormone replacement therapy or just didn’t find out early that they were trans.  I do not have malice towards those who transitioned later than me.  Self discovery happens at varied rates and I find the concept of endlessly circling the drain about “trutrans” to be insufferable and worse, often bigoted. This is a conversation about attitude. I was a trans kid. I transitioned socially at 14 and medically at 15 and it changed my life, as taking cross-sex hormones tends to do for anyone.  Taking HRT as a minor gave me an option that I still have not reckoned with on a personal level. I can choose to go stealth and never think about being someone’s “trans friend” ever again.  However, I have not taken that option because I believe it is more important to be politically active and by presenting as trans, I am given more opportunities to help other trans people.  But I have the option. This is an option I would not have had if I had waited three years. I would have had to sit

Unionized workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden vote to prolong strike

September 1, 2026

Ellie Waltman, Managing Editor Union workers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden voted to go on an Unfair Labor Practice strike on Tuesday, Sept. 1 after 80% of union members voted in favor. The strike vote comes after “two one-day strikes, a call for a boycott and increased public support as workers hold their ground for meaningful wage increases from the Garden,” LGBG Workers United stated in an Instagram post.   The union has raised $11,569 for their strike fund since the union’s GoFundMe creation on July 30. A petition supporting fair wages for the workers at LGBG has collected 1,153 signatures. Workers said that they want a first contract that makes LGBG a sustainable career rather than a job that the employees cannot afford to keep. The union remains ready to reach a fair agreement as they wait for a fair proposal from LGBG, according to the post.  Workers at the garden announced they rejected their employer’s “last, best and final offer” on Aug. 12 after nearly two years of unionizing for increased wages and benefits, according to a previous report from the Commonwealth Times.  The workers voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union in Nov.

VCU implements measures to address past cybersecurity threats

August 26, 2026

Olivia Rine, Contributing Writer VCU students raised concerns with campus online safety, following recent cyber attacks to VCU online systems.  Over 7,000 VCU students were sent phishing emails earlier this month from cybercriminals attempting to compromise their email accounts, according to VCU News. The scammers posed as “VCU IT Department,” threatening to remove students from their courses if they did not provide their login information. In late April, VCU students were met with ransom notes upon opening Canvas, according to ABC 8 News. The attack was a part of a national breach from hacking group ShinyHunters. After the initial Canvas hack, the platform faced another hack on the afternoon of May 7, where ransom notes appeared on the login pages of many universities, including VCU.  VCU’s chief information officer, Dan Han, acknowledged that as the use of technology rises, risks are predicted to rise as well. “Not only are we seeing a significant shortening of time between the disclosure of a vulnerability and the exploitation of such vulnerability, but the advancement of these adversarial technologies is also breaking down language barriers and allowing threat actors to rapidly create and deploy increasingly convincing scams intended to target our community,” Han stated

Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Receive $2.7 Million Grant, Among Other Changes

August 26, 2026

Kayla Muñecas, Assistant News Editor  The VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer center underwent several recent changes, including a A $2.7 million grant, new leadership and a new workspace.  The Worta McCaskill-Stevens Grant is meant to facilitate the “training of clinical scientists in community cancer prevention, screening, intervention, control, and treatment research,” specifically clinical scientists whose focus includes enhancing care for minorities, according to the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Monica Baskin, the center’s new director, said she intends to make the care Massey provides accessible to all Virginians, particularly those in rural communities.  “When someone receives that news of ‘you have cancer,’ I want Massey to be among those top cancer centers that immediately come to mind, ” Baskin said.  Baskin explained that Massey’s “community-to-bench model” allows the center to perform research that is relevant to surrounding communities, from Fredericksburg and Virginia Beach to the Northern Neck. “By performing robust research that is driven by the needs of our catchment area, enhancing our Community Outreach and Engagement efforts, and recruiting and retaining an unparalleled bench of cancer researchers and providers who will lead future clinical breakthroughs, I know we will get there,” Baskin said.  Baskin previously served as interim director but was

What not to wear & how to impress

October 4, 2007

Students who attended Wednesday’s fashion show at the University Student Commons had more than couture on their minds – they were looking for ways to dress for success. Joseph Lyons, assistant director of the Career Center, told students to repeat, “I need to dress as if I want the job.

Child Soldier Awareness Week provokes thought, involvement

October 4, 2007

Visit vcuinvisiblechildren.com or s4s.invisiblechildren.com/schools for information about VCU’s chapter of Invisible Children. Group meetings are held bimonthly on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 5:30 p.m. Green T-shirts and film viewings help mark this week’s Child Soldier Awareness Week at VCU, sponsored by VCU’s chapter of Invisible Children, a group dedicated to raising awareness and providing aid to children abused in northern Uganda.

WORLD

October 4, 2007

BAGHDAD – The Polish ambassador to Iraq was slightly wounded and two civilians, including a bodyguard, were killed in a roadside bomb attack Wednesday in downtown Baghdad, according to Polish government officials. Gen. Edward Pietrzyk was being treated for minor burns covering 20 percent of his body and ‘”is going to be fine,” said Deputy Ambassador Waldemar Figaj, who spoke to The Associated Press from a hospital in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

NATION

October 4, 2007

WASHINGTON – Hillary Rodham Clinton defied the usual slow flow of summer money, tapping 100,000 new donors and outpacing all other presidential candidates in the chase for campaign cash over the past three months. The New York senator raised $27 million in the quarter – $22 million for the primaries and $5 million for the general election – while other candidates fell victim to the traditional third-quarter dip in fundraising.

LOCAL

October 4, 2007

SUSSEX – A Surry County judge will set a trial date for Michael Vick and three co-defendants on state dogfighting charges on Nov. 27. The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback and the others are not expected to be present at the hearing, Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G.

WORLD

October 1, 2007

HASKANITA, Sudan – Rebel forces stormed a small African Union base in northern Darfur and killed 10- peacekeepers in an unprecedented attack on the beleaguered mission that threatened key peace talks set for October. Several others were wounded and dozens were missing after about 1,000 rebels from the Sudan Liberation Army attacked the base in Haskanita late Saturday and eventually stormed it early Sunday, AU peacekeepers told The Associated Press in Haskanita.