Governor Youngkin

Alexandria tourism programs receive $35,000 in state marketing grants

Published October 17, 2025 at 4:45PM

Old Town Alexandria - 100 block of King Street - pedestrian zone (Credit Chris Cruz)

Two Alexandria tourism organizations will receive a combined $35,000 in state matching grants as part of a statewide initiative to boost off-season travel, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.

The grants, distributed through the Virginia Tourism Corporation, are among 104 awards totaling more than $627,000 given to local tourism programs across the Commonwealth. Local partners committed an additional $729,992 in matching funds, generating more than $1.3 million in new marketing initiatives that will benefit 624 tourism partners statewide.

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Gov. Youngkin declares statewide ‘Day of Play’ to combat youth screen time, promote mental health

By Ryan Belmore

Published August 8, 2025 at 2:30PM

The Commonwealth Day of Play will take place on Saturday, August 9 (via Secretary of Health and Human Resources website)

Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared Saturday, Aug. 9, as the Commonwealth’s inaugural “Day of Play,” a statewide initiative designed to encourage families to step away from screens and engage in outdoor activities to support youth mental health.

The celebration is part of Youngkin’s broader “Reclaiming Childhood” initiative, launched through Executive Order 43 in November 2024 following a youth mental health summit. The initiative aims to reduce screen time among young people by 25% in 2025 and promote face-to-face social connections.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published June 27, 2025 at 2:30PM

National Science Foundation at 2415 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria's Carlyle neighborhood (via NSF)

It’s been another fast week in Alexandria! Here’s our recap of the most-read stories over the last several days.

Our Tuesday (June 24) story on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development taking over the National Science Foundation’s headquarters (2415 Eisenhower Avenue) garnered more than 125,000 views, making it the most-read story of the year. While bringing in more than 2,700 HUD workers, the move will also displace about 1,800 NSF employees over the next two years.

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Democrats fail to override Youngkin vetoes in largely symbolic showdown

By Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

Published April 2, 2025 at 7:40PM

The Virginia state Capitol in Richmond in the spring of 2025 (photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)

In a dramatic but ultimately symbolic show of defiance, Virginia House Democrats on Wednesday tried — and failed — to override 13 of Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s vetoes from this year’s legislative session, knowing full well the numbers were never in their favor.

Youngkin, a Republican, rejected 157 of the 915 measures sent to his desk by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly in February, flexing his veto pen more aggressively than any Virginia governor in decades.

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Governor unleashes veto storm to drown progressive legislation

By Charlotte Rene Woods, Nathaniel Cline and Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

Published March 25, 2025 at 4:30PM | Updated March 25, 2025 at 6:18PM

Ahead of his Monday night deadline to act on bills from the 2025 General Assembly session, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced his budget amendments at a press conference in Richmond Monday morning. (Photo by Markus Schmidt/Virginia Mercury)

In the final year of his tenure, Gov. Glenn Youngkin carried out his duty to sign, veto and amend hundreds of bills handed to him by the Democratic-controlled legislature for the last time Monday, rejecting a proposal to raise the minimum wage incrementally to $15 per hour, a multiple-year attempt to establish a Prescription Drug Affordability Board and several voter registration and election measures.

Youngkin also signed into law a bill that classifies fusion as a clean energy source, one that expands maternal health care access and a bill banning the personal use of political campaign funds, the most significant campaign finance reform measure the state has passed in years.