I saw a link to a USA Today story entitled, “The First Real Thanksgiving.” I clicked on it, eagerly anticipating that a national publication would give credence to Virginia’s claim to having celebrated the first thanksgiving in North America. Finally, I thought, those pesky pilgrims would get their comeuppance. Indeed, they did. But the article…

Not much. At least the litter doesn’t ask for your vote. When I was driving through Northern Virginia a couple of months ago, I was astounded by the proliferation of electioneering placards along heavily traveled roads. Wooden sign posts and paper posters had transformed median strips and intersections into veritable chapparals of signage, stretching as…

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a conservative group associated with Lynne Cheney and committed to academic freedom on American campuses, has made an issue of the “Bias Incident Reporting System” at William & Mary. The system encourages members of the W&M community to report “biased behavior” to a special committee, asserts ACTA in…

You thought Virginians were tough when it comes to illegal immigration? New Zealanders are even tougher with would-be legal immigrants, especially those that might impose an extra burden on the social safety net. New Zealand has just nixed an immigration request by a Welsh woman on the grounds that she is too fat. Welchman Richie…

Here’s more evidence that General Assembly political dynamics will look very different in the post-Chichester era. Conservative Republicans in the state Senate are talking about challenging Sen. Walter Stosch, R-Henrico, for leadership of the GOP caucus. Writes Examiner.com: Two conservative Northern Virginia Republican lawmakers plan to challenge the GOP leadership in the General Assembly, saying…

In my last column, “Hidden Advantage,” I argued that flexible labor markets were one of Virginia’s hidden competitive strengths. But I noted one area of concern: Virginia’s propensity for regulating professional and occupational groups tend to tighten labor supply in their professions and drive up prices for their services. The current issue of Virginia Business…

After a series of bizarre confrontations with the Richmond school board, Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder has lost the P.R. battle to bring accountability to the city school system. For those not familiar with the ongoing saga, Wilder evicted the school administration from City Hall late this summer, only to have a circuit court judge…

JLARC has taken a crack at studying Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s proposal to expand pre-K in Virginia. A draft report released yesterday draws some conclusions that bear upon the debate: Research indicates that a quality preschool experience for “at-risk” four-year-olds helps prepare them for school and can have long-lasting benefits. Research suggests quality pre-K can…

What on earth does Emiliano Zapata, a leader of the 1917 Mexican Revolution, have to do with illegal immigration in the United States today? Alvaro Vargas Llosa has a fascinating take on the social forces driving poor Mexicans to the United States in search of work. He tells the tale through the eyes of Emiliano…

Step aside, Virginia Tech, there’s a new top dog in the Virginia supercomputing space: the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The “Jefferson Lab,” as it’s known for short, has issued a press release boasting that it now lays claim to the fastest supercomputer in Virginia — and the 95th fastest in the world. Several years…

I guess not. Here’s the latest: Citing the budget shortfall (yeah, right) Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has cut $275,000 in state matching funds for for abstinence-only sex education programs. Quotes the Washington Post: “The governor supports abstinence-based education, but the governor wants to see us funding programs that are evidenced-based,” said Skinner, who added that…

We Virginians haven’t been known as social trend-setters since the 1700s, so it is exciting to discover that we actually lead the nation in a cultural phenomenon — even one as humble and meaningless as personalized license plates. Virginia, it turns out, issues more personalized plates than any other state in the country, according to…

Gooze ViewsPeter Galuszka The devil is certainly in the details. One week ago, I wrote an opinion piece, questioning the figures used in a report by Chesterfield County trying to justify a claim that the county spent more than $2.1 million annually on illegal aliens. The report is a run-up to a hearing Nov. 14…

Once again, Virginia descends into intellectual anarchy as Bacon’s Rebellion roils the conventional wisdom and savages complacent assumptions. You can view the latest edition of the e-zine in its original format here and subscribe to the free e-mail here. Or, if you’re too timid — too devoted to the comfortable, unexamined truths that guide your…

Here is the flier that set emotions aflame at Mary Washington University, according to anonymous comments on my previous post on this topic, “More Racism on Campus. What Am I Missing Here?” The photograph captures a moment after the 2000 Michigan State University basketball team, showing a jubilant coach Tom Izzo embracing an emotional Mateen…