Luca Powell

Portsmouth woman admits to stealing more than $1.5 million from state government’s charity drive Federal prosecutors say Linda Natelle Brown stole over $1.5 million from Virginia’s state employee charity campaign, using the funds for luxury expenses. She pleaded guilty and faces sentencing in Feb...

An insider stole at least $1.5 million from Virginia's Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, a state-run charity drive that collects donations from state employees.

She spent the money at a fish pedicures spa in Vegas and a $10,000 plastic surgery job.

richmond.com/news/state-r...

JUST IN: Chicago journalistsa re suing DHS and ICE over force used against reporters:

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Jane Goodall, ethologist and conservationist, has died. She was 91

The man, identified as "M.H," was released in September after two months incarceration at ICE's Farmville facility in central Virginia.

The case was argued by @legalaidnyc.bsky.social sky.social and the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights.

Judge orders release of Bangladeshi man detained in Farmville Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled ICE unlawfully detained a Bangladeshi asylum seeker, finding due process was violated and clarifying that noncriminal immigrants under supervision can be released on bond.

A federal judge found ICE violated the Fifth Amendment rights of a Bangladeshi artist and asylum seeker in Virginia by refusing to release him on bond.

Judge Leonie Brinkema ordered his release, calling ICE's arguments "an unequivocal violation of due process."

richmond.com/news/state-r...

Streamable? 🤞

BREAKING: Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, delivers the most scathing legal rebuke of the Trump era, ruling that Trump and his cabinet illegally targeted pro-Palestinian students for deportation to "strike fear" into First Amendment protesters. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Feels prescient for journalism

Richmond firefighter says his gear gave him cancer. Now he's taking companies to court. Richmond firefighter Jonathan Clarke is suing major chemical companies, alleging PFAS in his turnout gear caused leukemia. His case is one of many tying firefighting equipment to cancer.

Richmond firefighter Jonathan Clarke is suing America's biggest chemical companies, alleging that PFAS in the gear he wore for ~20 years caused his Leukemia.

PFAS made turnout gear waterproof and flame resistant, but have since been linked with cancer.

richmond.com/news/state-r...

Feds in military gear flood downtown Chicago; top border official says arrests based on 'how they look' The immigration agents were spotted making arrests in downtown Chicago and River North neighborhood early Sunday.

In which a top US Border Patrol official, incredibly, tells my tall and Anglo colleague @chipmitchell1.bsky.social that he's not the type they're looking for as they go about downtown Chicago arresting people based on "how they look"

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Incredible pairing of text and chart

BREAKING: The Federal Bureau of Prisons just terminated its union's collective bargaining agreement this afternoon, according to this letter posted online by the national union president:

Trump administration fires more immigration judges Nearly 20 immigration judges received emails this month informing them that they are being let go, NPR has learned, the largest single month of firings since the process began in February.

(NPR) - Nearly 20 immigration judges received emails this month informing them that they are being let go, NPR has learned, adding to the over 80 judges that have already been cut by President Trump so far this year.

@npr.org
www.npr.org/2025/09/23/n...

Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine?

Did a Brooklyn Couple Kill a Neighbor’s Trees for a Better View in Maine? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/u...

It's likely the Supreme Court will take up the case. Another appeals court, the 5th Circuit, came to an opposite conclusion in January.

The Supreme Court typically steps in when there are "circuit-splits," but it could take a while with all the Trump actions, experts said.

Richmond’s 4th Circuit upholds federal ban on handgun sales to young adults "Lawmakers remain free to take a different course,” wrote Judge Harvie Wilkinson.

Second Amendment activists have been trying to overturn a ban on handgun sales to 18-21 year olds.

Richmond's 4th Circuit ruled against them last week.

A lawyer for the activists says he'll appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

richmond.com/news/state-r...

The City of Richmond was labeled a "sanctuary jurisdiction" by Kristi Noem's DHS on Thursday evening. The list has more than 500 cities and counties across the country.

Trump has ordered every federal agency to look for ways to suspend or terminate federal money to cities on the list.

That's right, but the air traffic controller issue is DOT

National Airport, Pentagon hotline had been disconnected for three years Aviation officials learned of the issue after controllers at National had to order two flights to abandon landing attempts this month due to an Army helicopter heading to the Pentagon.

I think Pete Buttigieg will have to figure how to answer questions on the air traffic controller mess if he intends to run for president.

I don't think most voters will yearslong crisis and lay it at the feet of Trump and co.

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

In an unexpected move, the EPA says it will take on PFAS, the "forever chemicals" linked with cancer and found in water (including in Virginia).

The details aren't here yet, but the message is clear, and probably surprising to environmental orgs who thought Trump would deregulate/pollute more.

Warren Zevon's induction into the R&R Hall of Fame is OVERDUE

In March, Trump admin sent out a stop work order for lawyers representing unaccompanied minors.

Lawyers/advocates say this bizarre scene – a toddler before a judge and prosecutor – will be the norm if the administration is succesful.

Children struggle to find lawyers for Va. immigration court Each year, the United States pursues deportation against thousands of immigrant children, many of whom arrived as unaccompanied minors. The Times-Dispatch sat in juvenile immigration proceedings in An...

Our Sunday story on what it's like for kids facing deportation to go before immigration judges.

We sat in on juvenile immigration court in Fairfax County, where 7 year olds were in removal proceedings.

Trump is trying to cut money for their lawyers.
richmond.com/news/state-r...

A 3-year legal saga over an inmate's death has its final day in court NPR first reported on the case of Charles Givens, a disabled inmate at Virginia's Marion Correctional Treatment Center, in 2023. Four corrections officers were accused of beating him to death and a fi...

Five officers with the Virginia Department of Corrections were found not guilty in a civil murder trial.

They were accused of the murder of Charles Givens, found dead in his cell in 2022.

www.npr.org/2025/04/12/n...

“We no longer have lead experts,” said a person at the agency.

Utah Ex-Therapist Scott Owen Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing Patients Owen’s 15-year-to-life prison term follows a 2023 investigation by The Salt Lake Tribune and ProPublica that uncovered a range of sex abuse allegations against the ex-therapist, who claimed to be a sp...

NEW: Utah Ex-Therapist Scott Owen Sentenced to Prison for Sexually Abusing Patients. The police investigation only began after a @propublica.org and @sltrib.com article about Owen in 2023. @jessicamiller.bsky.social

Avula's first budget calls for utility rate increase, projects higher real estate assessments But despite anticipated revenue growth, the $3 billion financial plan recommends “strategic budget reductions” worth almost $11 million amid a backdrop of financial uncertainty both at home and abroad...

Richmond's new budget cuts 160 positions from the Richmond Police Department.

RPD hasn't been able to fill positions for years now, and the police chief has begun using more tech, and fewer actual officers, to police the city.

From @samuel-parker.bsky.social

richmond.com/news/local/g...

The UK has now issued a travel warning for the US: possible arrest or detention for failing to meet entry requirements.

Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning. Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up the massive deposit of postwar pesticides would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic pa...

Diplomats in Vietnam warned Washington that halting USAID’s efforts to clean up a massive deposit of dioxin would be a catastrophe for public health and relations with a key strategic partner in Asia. It halted anyway.

“Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Pax­ton Announces Arrest of Hous­ton-Area Abor­tion­ist and Crack­down on Clin­ics Pro­vid­ing Ille­gal Abortions”

Horrifying breaking news out of Texas:

www.oag.state.tx.us/news/release...