Alexandria leaders will participate in an anti-Trump protest in front of City Hall at Market Square (301 King Street) on Saturday.
Confirmed speakers at the event, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m., include U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8), Virginia House majority leader Charniele Herring (D-4), Sen. Adam Ebbin (D-39), and Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter. Mayor Alyia Gaskins is tentatively scheduled to speak.
What a week we just had in Alexandria!
Here’s our recap of everything worth talking and reading about over the past week in the Port City. This week, Alexandria was named a Sanctuary Jurisdiction by the Trump administration, a distinction Mayor Alyia Gaskins said “wrongly targets and mischaracterizes Alexandria and dismisses core principles that make up the foundation of our democracy.”
What a busy week it’s been in Alexandria.
Our top story was on big changes planned for 400 King Street in Old Town. The building takes over an entire city block and is currently home to The Alexandrian Old Town Hotel at 480 King Street and Southern restaurant King & Rye.
The Alexandria Democratic Committee isn’t happy that Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner recently voted for a number of President Donald Trump’s new cabinet secretaries.
At its March meeting last week, the ADC passed a resolution asking the Democratic lawmakers to withhold future support in all forms.
Alexandria Congressman Don Beyer (D-8th) is sounding the alarm about proposed Medicaid cuts that could have devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of Virginians who rely on the program for healthcare.
Beyer hosted a roundtable at his Alexandria office Friday with elected leaders, healthcare providers, advocates, and affected Virginians to discuss the potential impact of nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts proposed in a budget resolution passed by House Republicans last week.
Alexandria nonprofits can breathe a sigh of relief after the White House today rescinded a controversial order by President Trump’s administration to withhold all federal grants and loans.
The Trump administration ordered a halt to all federal and grant programs on Monday (Jan. 27), and it was soon after temporarily blocked from going into effect until Monday, Feb. 3. The block was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Loren L. AliKhan and the White House rescinded the order on Wednesday (Jan. 29).
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins says that recent immigration enforcement raids in nearby jurisdictions have resulted in “fear, confusion, and concern,” and that the city won’t assist federal investigators.
In a statement posted on the city website today, the Democrat mayor said that Alexandria will always be a welcoming community where “all residents are supported, respected, and valued.”
Last night the Trump administration announced a halt on federal grants and loans, a move 8th district Rep. Don Beyer called “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional.”
The White House clarified that the new order would “clamp down on foreign aid and funding for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Washington Post reported that states have had issues accessing Medicaid and Head Start funding.
Update 1/29: A memo rescinding telework and remote work specifically notes that it does not apply to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
A new executive order mandating federal employees end telework and return to offices could be a boon to the local markets, though a local expert warned not to expect a return to the pre-Covid office market.
Virginia Theological Seminary is defending one of its former students, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington Marianne Budde, for recently confronting President Donald Trump at Washington National Cathedral.
In a sermon on Tuesday, Budde asked Trump to have mercy on “gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.” She also called on Trump to have mercy on communities “whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.”
“The President’s Own” United States Marine Band has a full schedule for inauguration day on Monday (Jan. 20), and they’re getting ready for the big day in Alexandria.
The band spent two days rehearsing for their 57th inauguration day at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center. Their schedule includes the swearing in of President-elect Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol, the parade on Pennsylvania Avenue and the inaugural balls.
