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Virginia Senate Dems claim in lawsuit Youngkin is trying to nullify BOV rejection vote


SUMMARY:

  • Nine Democrats have sued three university rectors
  • However, targets , whom plaintiffs say has tried to nullify a Senate committee vote to reject eight board appointees
  • Plaintiffs say they have brought suit to “protect and vindicate” Senate’s authority

Nine Virginia Democratic senators have sued the rectors of the , George Mason University and , claiming that Gov. Glenn Youngkin has “chosen nullification” of a Senate committee’s refusal to confirm eight people appointed to the universities’ boards.

“In so doing, Governor Younkin [sic] and the Executive Department have refused to recognize the rejection of those appointments by a coequal branch of government, in open defiance of the Constitution of Virginia and 50 years of tradition in the Commonwealth,” says the lawsuit filed Tuesday in the .

“The Executive Department’s actions leave the defendants here — who bear responsibility for determining whether to seat the now-rejected appointees — in an untenable position and eagerly in need of this Court’s guidance. Likewise, Plaintiffs have no choice but to bring this action to protect and vindicate the Virginia Senate’s constitutional and statutory authority, as well as to protect their own votes from gubernatorial nullification.”

The governor, speaking to reporters Tuesday, called the lawsuit “not only meritless, but it’s a waste of time. It’s a waste of money, and it’s a waste of people’s efforts.”

Youngkin added that his administration has been “working to combat illegal discrimination at our universities and our schools, and Democrats clearly want to work to promote that discrimination,” referring to alleged antisemitism at universities, a theme often repeated by and other Republicans in response to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, although university administrators, faculty members, students and others question the White House’s actual motivations.

“Illegal discrimination is what we are removing from college campuses,” Youngkin added. “And the Democrats want to reintroduce it and promote it. And that’s at the heart of what I think so much of this is about.”

Trump’s administration has accused Harvard, Columbia and other universities of violating Jewish students’ civil rights by allowing protests against the war in Gaza on campuses, although critics say that pulling federal grants and threatening universities with removal of accreditation punishes higher education institutions and is aimed at quashing academic freedom.

Youngkin has not gone as far as Trump, but he issued an executive order in May, directing the state Department of Education and the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV) to track antisemitism and anti-religious incidents in public schools and colleges.

The defendants in the senators’ lawsuit are U.Va. Rector Robert Hardie, George Mason Rector Charles “Cully” Stimson and Board President Teddy Gottwald. Hardie, however, is set to rotate off U.Va.’s board June 30, and Gottwald will no longer be VMI’s board president after June 30, although he remains on the board.

Earlier this month, the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections rejected the confirmations of eight Youngkin appointees to the boards of visitors at George Mason, U.Va. and VMI, including former Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli. It was an 8-4 vote, with all Democrats on the committee voting to reject the appointments Youngkin put forward for confirmation in May.

According to state law, the legislature must confirm all gubernatorial appointments for them to remain in effect, and if the General Assembly refuses to confirm an appointment, “no person … shall enter upon, or continue in, office after the General Assembly shall have refused to confirm his appointment, nor shall such person be eligible for reappointment during the recess of the General Assembly to fill the vacancy caused by such refusal to confirm.”

However, in a June 11 letter to the three rectors, who lead the universities’ boards of visitors and are tasked with recognizing (or not recognizing) appointments to the boards, Attorney General Jason Miyares wrote that the eight people do remain members “with the rights and responsibilities conferred upon a member of a .”

Speaking with reporters Tuesday, Miyares said that the eight rejected appointees “have been lawfully appointed,” and added, “I think it is very unfortunate to see certain individuals in the state Senate that want to try to politicize the governance of these boards and just somehow removing these people.”

Miyares has contended that the entire legislature must vote to deny confirmation of a gubernatorial appointment for it to take effect, but Democrats say that the Senate committee has that responsibility outside of the General Assembly’s regular session.

The eight Democrats who voted to reject the appointees and Sen. L. Louise Lucas, acting as the state Senate president pro tempore, are the nine plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In a statement, Lucas said, “This lawsuit is not about politics – it’s about preserving the constitutional balance of power that has served Virginia well for centuries. The Virginia Constitution clearly grants the General Assembly authority to confirm or reject gubernatorial appointments. When university rectors ignore our constitutional role at the behest of the governor and attorney general, they undermine the very foundation of our democratic institutions.”

Sen. Scott Surovell, who previously wrote to the state’s university rectors reminding them of the legislature’s authority in confirming or rejecting the governor’s appointments, issued a news release Tuesday saying that the lawsuit “specifically challenges the assertions by Gov. Youngkin, Attorney General Miyares and Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera, who have urged and advised university rectors to ignore the actions of the Senate of Virginia and seat the eight rejected members.”

Hardie and Stimson did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the lawsuit Tuesday. Lt. Col. Sherry L. Wallace, a VMI spokesperson, referred Virginia Business to a June 10 letter from Gottwald to Surovell, in response to a request for comment sent to Gottwald on Tuesday. Wallace said that since the matter is in active litigation, VMI “cannot make any additional comments on the matter.”

The state Senate Republican caucus issued a statement blasting the lawsuit Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle and Caucus Chair Mark Obenshain said, “This lawsuit is a blatant attempt by Senate Democrats to do in the courtroom what they failed to do through legitimate legislative processes. It rests on a fundamentally erroneous interpretation of the Virginia Constitution and ignores both procedural rules and historical precedent.”

Surovell and others, however, note that the committee has taken hundreds of votes confirming Youngkin appointees without a full legislature vote, as well as previous rejections recognized by the governor.

Who the rejected appointees are

The Democratic-controlled Senate committee, which is charged with confirming all board and commission appointments by the governor, met in a special session June 9 to vote on the three boards’ appointees. In addition to Cuccinelli’s appointment to the U.Va. board, the body rejected in a party-line vote the following people:

Charles J. Cooper, a Florida appellate attorney who represented former U.S. Attorneys General Jeff Sessions and John Ashcroft and served as a U.S. assistant attorney general under President Ronald Reagan, was among the rejected appointees to George Mason’s board, along with Caren Merrick, who served as the state’s immediate past commerce secretary under Youngkin. William Hansen, a former U.S. deputy secretary of  under President George W. Bush, and Maureen Ohlhausen, a former Federal Trade Commission chair, were also rejected by the Senate committee.

VMI appointees John Hartsock, deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ben Cline; Stephen Reardon, an attorney with Spotts Fain; and Florida businessman José J. Suárez — all three alumni — were also rejected.

According to Surovell, the Senate’s majority leader, and other Senate Democrats, they object to what they view as the governor’s attempt to exercise more power over the state’s public universities through his board nominees.

Hartsock and Reardon were appointed to VMI’s board in February, Surovell said, just after the General Assembly concluded its regular session and just before the military institute’s board voted not to renew the contract of VMI’s first Black superintendent, retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins, who was hired in late 2020 on an interim basis and then offered the permanent post in 2021. The timing of the appointment meant that the legislature did not have the opportunity to vote on their nomination, and the two unconfirmed appointees were part of the board when it voted to oust Wins.

Surovell went on to allege that Youngkin “inappropriately” tried to influence boards, including calling BOV members to tell them how to vote.

However, Gottwald said in his June 10 letter to Surovell that he was “not aware of any directive, binding or otherwise, that the Governor has given members of our BOV. I believe that any suggestion of that sort has no basis in fact.” Gottwald added that Hartsock, Reardon and Suárez, who was appointed in April, were “equally qualified” to serve on the board. The rector also noted that the Senate committee previously refused to confirm two earlier VMI appointees, Quintin Elliott and Clifford Foster, earlier in the year.

New board appointments

Coincidentally, Youngkin released his list of 65 BOV and other higher education organization appointees Friday, as the end of some board terms approach June 30.

The list, which includes appointments to U.Va., VMI and George Mason’s boards, does not specify whether appointees are replacing only people who are rotating off the board or if they are also named to replace the eight rejected appointees from June 9. However, Suárez appears on the new list of VMI appointees, seemingly in violation of the state code’s statement that a rejected appointee cannot be re-appointed “to fill the vacancy caused by such refusal to confirm.”

It’s unclear what action the Senate committee will take on the newest group of appointees amid the conflict over the rejected board appointments.

Among the appointees are:

  • Eric Cantor, former U.S. House of Representatives majority leader from Henrico County; William & Mary
  • Bobbie Kilberg, former president and CEO of Technology Council; George Mason
  • Robert M. “Bob” Tata, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth; Old Dominion University
  • James W. Dyke Jr., a senior adviser at McGuireWoods Consulting and former Virginia secretary of education; Richard Bland College
  • H. Eugene Lockhart, former CEO of Mastercard; U.Va.
  • Andy Florance, founder and CEO of CoStar Group, who is being re-appointed to Virginia Commonwealth University’s board
  • Charles W. King, interim president of James Madison University; State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

NTSB set to meet on door plug investigation of terrifying Alaska Airlines flight

Summary

  • to hold public meeting on door failure
  • Door plug blew out minutes after takeoff in January 2024
  • Investigation found bolts were not replaced after repair
  • NTSB set to approve safety recommendations for

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday will be focused on preventing another terrifying event like the one involving a panel that flew off a Boeing 737 Max midair in January of 2024.

The board will discuss what NTSB investigators have uncovered over the past 17 months, including their revelation that bolts securing what is known as the door plug panel were removed and never replaced during a repair. Board members were also expected to approve recommendations to keep something similar from ever happening again.

The blow out aboard Alaska Airlines occurred minutes after it took off from Portland, Oregon, and created a roaring air vacuum that sucked objects out of the cabin and scattered them on the ground below along with debris from the fuselage. Seven passengers and one flight attended received minor injuries, but no one was killed. Pilots were able to land the plane safely back at the airport.

Oxygen masks dropped and phones went flying

The accident occurred as the plane flew at 16,000 feet (4,800 meters). Oxygen masks dropped during the rapid decompression and a few cellphones and other objects were swept through the hole in the plane as 171 passengers contended with wind and roaring noise.

The first six minutes of the flight to Southern California’s Ontario International Airport were routine. The Boeing 737 Max 9 was about halfway to its cruising altitude and traveling at more than 400 mph (640 kph) when passengers described a loud “boom” and wind so strong it ripped the shirt off someone’s back.

“We knew something was wrong,” Kelly Bartlett told The Associated Press in the days following the flight. “We didn’t know what. We didn’t know how serious. We didn’t know if it meant we were going to crash.”

The 2-foot-by-4-foot (61-centimeter-by-122-centimeter) piece of fuselage covering an unoperational emergency exit behind the left wing had blown out. Only seven seats on the flight were unoccupied, including the two seats closest to the opening.

put the focus on Boeing’s manufacturing

The panel that blew off was made and installed by a supplier, Spirit AeroSystems. It was removed at a Boeing factory so workers could repair damaged rivets, but bolts that help secure the door plug weren’t replaced. It’s not clear who removed the panel.

The NTSB said in a preliminary report that four bolts were not replaced after a repair job in a Boeing factory, but the company has said the work was not documented.

Boeing factory workers told NTSB investigators that they felt pressured to work too fast and were asked to perform jobs that they weren’t qualified for, including opening and closing the door plug on the particular plane involved.

A Boeing door installer said he was never told to take any shortcuts, but everyone faced pressure to keep the assembly line moving.

“That’s how mistakes are made. People try to work too fast,” he told investigators. The installer and other workers were not named in documents about the probe.

Problems with the Boeing 737 Max

The Max version of Boeing’s bestselling 737 airplane has been the source of persistent troubles for the company since two of the jets crashed, one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, killing a combined 346 people.

Investigators determined those crashes were caused by a system that relied on a sensor providing faulty readings to push the nose down, leaving pilots unable to regain control. After the second crash, Max jets were grounded worldwide until the company redesigned the system.

Last month, the Justice Department reached a deal allowing Boeing to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading U.S. regulators about the Max before the two crashes.

But regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration have capped Boeing’s 737 Max production at 38 jets per month while investigators ensure the company has strengthened its safety practices.

Boeing hired a new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, last year and created a new position for a senior vice president of quality to help improve its manufacturing.

The company was back in the news earlier this month when a 787 flown by Air India crashed shortly after takeoff and killed at least 270 people. Investigators have not determined what caused that crash, but so far they have not found any flaws with the model, which has a strong safety record.

Americans’ take on the economy sours in June and, after a brief respite, continues to slide

Summary

  • index fell to 93 in June

  • Drop of 5.4 points reverses gains seen in May

  • fell to 69—well below recession threshold

  • Confidence remains near pandemic-era lows

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ view of the worsened in June, resuming a downward slide that had dragged consumer confidence to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.

The said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index slid to 93 in June, down 5.4 points from 98.4 last month, which represented a brief uptick.

The regression surprised economists, who had expected a small uptick this month.

In April, American consumers’ confidence in the economy sank to its lowest reading since May 2020, largely due to anxiety over the impact of ‘s tariffs.

A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the fell 4.6 points to 69. That’s well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead.

Consumers’ assessments of the present economic situation declined by 6.4 points to 129.1.

Tariffs and the impact they could have on personal finances remained at the top of respondents’ minds, the Conference Board said.

Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable policies — including massive import taxes — have clouded the outlook for the economy and the job market, raising fears that the American economy is headed toward a recession.

Consumers’ fears of a recession during the next 12 months rose slightly in June and remain elevated, according to the survey results.

The Conference Board said that the three components of the expectations Index — business conditions, job prospects, and future income — all weakened.

It was the sixth straight month that respondents’ views of the job market deteriorated, though the reading remains in positive territory as the U.S. labor market continues to churn out jobs.

The Labor Department earlier this month reported that U.S. employers slowed hiring in May, but still added a solid 139,000 jobs amid uncertainty over Trump’s tariffs. Unemployment remains historically low at 4.2%.

Though concerns about ticked down slightly in June, it remains a major concern among respondents, who frequently mentioned higher prices in tandem with tariffs.

A government report earlier this month showed that consumer prices ticked up in May to 2.4% from a 2.3% year-over-year increase in April. Core prices, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, rose 2.8% for the third straight month. Economists pay close attention to core prices because they generally provide a better indication of where inflation is headed.

The Board said respondents’ references to geopolitics and social unrest increased slightly from previous months, but are still significantly lower on the list of consumers’ concerns.

The deadline for survey responses was June 18, before the U.S. targeted Iranian nuclear sites but after Israel’s bombing of Tehran.

Powell signals patience on rate cuts despite Trump pressure

Summary

  • Powell says Fed will wait for more data before cutting rates

  • Economy “in a good position,” according to Fed chair

  • Trump continues to push for immediate rate reductions

  • Powell set for two days of testimony before Congress

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The will continue to wait and see how the economy evolves before deciding whether to reduce its key interest rate, Chair said Tuesday, a stance directly at odds with ‘s calls for immediate cuts.

“For the time being, we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell said in prepared remarks he will deliver Tuesday before the House Financial Services Committee.

Powell is facing two days of what could be tough grilling on Capitol Hill, as Trump has repeatedly urged the Fed to reduce . Powell has often received a positive reception before House and Senate committees that oversee the Fed, or at least muted criticism. Powell has also often cited his support in Congress as a bulwark against Trump’s attacks, but that support could wane under the president’s ongoing assaults.

Trump lashed out again early Tuesday, posting on his social media site: “I hope Congress really works this very dumb, hardheaded person, over. We will be paying for his incompetence for many years to come.”

In February, the last time Powell appeared before Congress, Rep. French Hill, the Arkansas Republican who chairs the financial services committee, urged Powell to ensure returned to the Fed’s target of 2%, which typically requires keeping rates elevated.

Powell said in his written testimony that “ increases in tariffs this year are likely to push up prices and weigh on economic activity.”

He said the bump to inflation from tariffs could be temporary, or it could lead to a more persistent bout of inflation.

The Fed’s “obligation,” Powell said, “is … to prevent a one-time increase in the price level from becoming an ongoing inflation problem.”

The Fed’s 19-member interest rate setting committee, led by the chair, decides whether to cut or raise borrowing costs. They typically increase rates to cool the economy to fight or prevent inflation, and lower rates when the economy is weak to boost borrowing and spending.

The Fed’s committee voted unanimously last week to keep its key rate unchanged, though the Fed also released forecasts of future that revealed emerging divisions among the policymakers. Seven projected no rate cuts at all this year, two just one, while 10 forecast at least two reductions.

At a news conference last week, Powell suggested the Fed would monitor how the economy evolves over the summer in response to Trump’s tariffs and other policies before deciding whether to cut rates. His comments suggested a rate reduction wouldn’t occur until September.

Yet two high-profile members of the Fed’s governing board, and , have since suggested the could cut its rate as early as its next meeting in July. Both officials were appointed by Trump during his first term and Waller is often mentioned as a potential replacement for Powell when his term ends next May. Powell was also appointed by Trump in late 2017.

Trump is urging the Fed to cut rates to save the U.S. government money on its interest payments affixed to the vast national debt. Yet the Fed has long resisted considering the government’s financing costs when making interest rate decisions, preferring instead to focus on the health of the economy and inflation.

Waller, in a television interview Friday, said that lowering the government’s borrowing costs is “not our job” and added that it was up to Congress and the White House to reduce the budget deficit.

Trump meanwhile, on social media Tuesday repeated his claim that the European Central Bank has cut its key rate ten times, while the Fed has not cut at all. In fact, in the last 12 months the ECB has reduced its rate eight times and the Fed has done so three times, all late last year.

The Fed’s cuts last year lowered its rate to about 4.3%. Yet since then it has put reductions on pause out of concern that Trump’s tariffs could push up inflation. The president has slapped a 10% duty on all imports, along with an additional 30% levy on goods from China, 50% on steel and aluminum, and 25% on autos.

Yet inflation has steadily cooled this year despite widespread concerns among economists about the impact of tariffs. The consumer price index ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, the government said last week, a sign that price pressures are muted.

Prices for some goods rose last month, but the cost for many services such as air fares and hotels fell, offsetting any tariff impact. Compared with a year ago, prices rose 2.4% in May, up from 2.3% in April.

Federal Reserve’s Bowman says rate cut should be on table in July

Summary

  • Fed Governor supports a potential July rate cut
  • also backed a cut in comments last Friday
  • Both officials were appointed to the Fed by Donald Trump
  • Fed faces internal divisions and criticism from the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — governor Michelle Bowman on Monday said the should consider cutting its key interest rate as soon as its next meeting in July, underscoring deep divisions among Fed officials as they endure sharp criticism from the White House.

Bowman said that ‘s tariffs have so far not caused the jump in that many economists feared, and any upcoming increase in prices would likely be just a one-time rise.

“It is likely that the impact of tariffs on inflation may take longer, be more delayed, and have a smaller effect than initially expected,” Bowman said in a speech Monday in Prague. “Should inflation pressures remain contained, I would support lowering the policy rate as soon as our next meeting,” which is scheduled for July 29-30.

Bowman, who was appointed to the Fed’s board of governors by Donald Trump in 2018, is the second high-profile official to express support for a potential July cut in as many days. On Friday, Christopher Waller, also a Trump appointee to the Fed’s board, said in a television interview that the Fed should consider cutting next month.

The blunt calls for by Waller and Bowman differ from Fed Chair ‘s suggestion in a news conference last week that the central bank would monitor the economy over the summer and see how inflation responded to tariffs before deciding whether to reduce borrowing costs.

The comments arrive as Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell for not cutting rates, calling the Fed chair a “numbskull” and a “fool” for not doing so, raising concerns about the Fed’s independence from politics. The president claims Fed cuts would reduce the government’s borrowing costs, though the rates the government pays are mostly set by market forces, not the Fed.

Bowman appeared particularly dismissive toward the threat of tariffs, which many economists say could slow growth, particularly if companies absorb the cost of the duties rather than passing them on to consumers. Doing so would cut their profit margins, which would reduce their ability to hire and invest in new business.

“Small and one-off price increases this year should translate only into a small drag on real activity,” Bowman said. “I also expect that less restrictive regulations, lower business taxes, and a more friendly business environment will likely boost supply and largely offset any negative effects on economic activity and prices.”

When the Fed lowers the short-term interest rate it controls, it often reduces borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and business loans. Yet sometimes financial markets keep longer-term rates higher: The Fed cut its rate a full percentage point last year, to about 4.3%, but mortgage rates only declined slighty.

On Friday, Waller told CNBC that with inflation remaining tame and the economy potentially slowing, the Fed should consider a rate cut next month. He pointed to rising unemployment among recent college graduates as a sign of possible weakening in the economy, and said it was better to cut before the labor market noticeably worsened.

“I’m all in favor of saying maybe we should start thinking about cutting the policy rate at the next meeting, because we don’t want to wait until the tanks before we start cutting,” Waller said.

Still, at last week’s Fed meeting, seven of the 19 officials who participate in the central bank’s interest-rate decisions supported keeping rates unchanged for the rest of this year, and two penciled in just one cut.

Inflation has steadily cooled this year despite widespread concerns among economists that Trump’s tariffs would boost prices. The consumer price index ticked up just 0.1% from April to May, the government said last week, a sign that price pressures are muted. Prices for some goods rose last month, but the cost for many services such as air fares and hotels fell, offsetting any tariff impact.

Compared with a year ago, prices rose 2.4% in May, up from 2.3% in April.

Trump has slapped a 10% duty on all imports, along with an additional 30% levy on goods from China, 50% on steel and aluminum, and 25% on autos.

Still, many economists say it is likely that tariffs could push inflation higher in the coming months. Fed Chair Jerome Powell suggested at a news conference last week that the central bank wants to closely monitor how inflation evolves over the next few months before deciding whether to cut rates.

Also Friday, Mary Daly, president of the Fed’s San Francisco branch, said on CNBC that she looked “more to the fall” as an appropriate time to cut rates.

Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s opens soon — here’s what to know


SUMMARY:

  • Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s opens June 30 at 6 a.m. in
  • The store spans 74,000 square feet and has 120 fuel stations
  • It’s creating more than 200 local jobs, with competitive pay and benefits

Wake up the kids and load up the car — Virginia is about to experience Buc-eesmania! Here’s what you need to know:

What’s happening?
Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s will open Monday, June 30, with doors opening bright and early at 6 a.m. Fans from as far as Alabama and Maine have posted on social media about plans to visit the new mega-travel center on opening day. (Take note: There’s a rumor no one will be allowed in the parking lot before 4 a.m.)

A display of Buc-ee's beaver dolls fills the bed of a pickup truck in a Buc-ee's store in Johnstown, Colorado. AP Photo by David Zalubowski
A display of Buc-ee’s beaver dolls fills the bed of a pickup truck in a Buc-ee’s store in Johnstown, Colorado. AP Photo by David Zalubowski

Where is Virginia’s first ?
In multiple Facebook groups devoted to Virginia’s and all things Buc-ee’s, members get prickly about folks referring to the newest location of the super-sized travel center chain as the Harrisonburg Buc-ee’s. It’s in Mount Crawford, thank you very much. Calling it the Buc-ee’s is also acceptable. The store is located at Exit 240 off Interstate 81.

Will there be other locations?
Yes, at least two other locations are in the works: one in New Kent County east of Richmond, at Exit 211 off Interstate 64, expected to open in 2027; and another in Stafford County, near Exit 140 off Interstate 95 that is still moving through zoning approvals.

Why the hubbub?
Asking that is sort of the equivalent of asking those afflicted with Beatlemania to put words to what they found compelling about John, Paul, George and Ringo back in 1964.

Buc-ee’s devotees frequently mention the mega-travel center chain’s clean restrooms, the cuteness of the Buc-ee’s mascot (a nod to Buc-ee’s founder Arch Aplin III’s childhood nickname of “Beaver”) and the delicious food — particularly Buc-ee’s brisket and beaver nuggets, which include 0% beaver and are instead a puffed corn snack. Shaq has said it’s one of his favorite stores.

Virginia’s first Buc-ee’s will occupy 74,000 square feet and offer 120 fueling positions.

Founded in 1982, Buc-ee’s started out as a phenomenon in Texas (where everything is bigger) until 2019 when the chain opened its first store outside the Lone Star State in Alabama. Counting the upcoming Rockingham County location, Buc-ee’s operates 53 stores across the United States. The chain has opened travel centers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Colorado and Mississippi.

The Rockingham County Buc-ee’s is creating more than 200 jobs for the region, according to the company. The pay is “well above minimum wage,” and workers get benefits, including three weeks of paid vacation and a 6% matching 401(k).

Buc-ee's co-founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III (center left) and Gov. Glenn Youngkin (center right) speak at the groundbreaking for Buc-ee's Rockingham County location on Jan. 30, 2024. Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin
Buc-ee’s co-founder and CEO Arch “Beaver” Aplin III (center left) and (center right) speak at the groundbreaking for Buc-ee’s Rockingham County location on Jan. 30, 2024. Official Photo by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin

Will there be a line of people waiting to get in on opening day?
Maybe.

If so, Beth Woodson from Covington will likely be among them. She plans to leave at 1 a.m. on June 30 to visit Virginia’s new Buc-ee’s with her friend Mindy Selleck and their 15-year-old daughters, who are also passionate Buc-ee’s devotees.

The quartet first visited a Buc-ee’s two summers ago while on vacation in Sevierville, Tennessee. Woodson, who also likes to shop at Cracker Barrel, enjoys browsing Buc-ee’s merchandise, which runs the gamut from beaver-bedecked swimsuits and toys to home décor items.

“You can just get a little bit of everything,” said Woodson, who runs a marketing business.

The 46-year-old is also a fan of the brisket at Buc-ee’s. She recently saw a photo of a Buc-ee’s billboard that read, “Risk it for the brisket,” and she’d like to own a T-shirt with the slogan.

Basically, everybody who knows Woodson knows not to pester her on June 30.

“I’ve rescheduled all my client meetings,” Woodson said. “I’ve completely blocked off my day.”

How can I visit before June 30?
Be a first responder. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, June 27, police, firefighters and EMTs can enjoy free food and drink at the Mount Crawford Buc-ee’s. First responders can RSVP in advance by calling (979) 236-3669.

What else should I know?
Drivers of 18-wheelers aren’t allowed to park at Buc-ee’s. This has left a sour taste in the mouths of some truck drivers, but others say it makes sense because the travel center’s parking lots are often packed.

RVers are welcome at Buc-ee’s, but they’re not allowed to spend the night.

A ribbon-cutting will be held at the new location at 10 a.m. June 30. Officials expected to attend include members of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors and County Administrator Casey Armstrong.

With its stock in sharp decline, Trump’s media company will buy $400 million of its own shares

NEW YORK (AP) — ‘s media company plans to buy back up to $400 million of its stock, which have lost 46% of their value this year.

and Technology Group, which operates the media platform, said Monday that the acquisition will improve its financial flexibility. It will retire the shares after they are purchased, meaning these particular shares can’t be reissued.

Companies can drive their stock higher by acquiring or removing the number of company shares outstanding. Trump is the largest stakeholder in Trump Media, with about 114 million shares.

Shares of Trump Media rose just over 2% Monday. But the shares appeared to peak about a month after the company went public in late March. Shares have been on a steady, downward trajectory since.

The company said early this year that it lost $400.9 million in 2024 and its annual revenue declined 12% to $3.6 million.

After winning the U.S. presidential election in November, Trump transferred all of his shares in the company — worth around $4 billion on paper — as a gift to the Donald J. . Trump’s shares amounted to more than half of the company’s stock.

The company said Monday that it will fund the buyback separately from its Bitcoin treasury strategy. Under that plan, institutional investors will buy $2.5 billion in the company’s stock with the proceeds going to build up a bitcoin reserve.

Trump Media joins other companies with similar cryptocurrency strategies, including cloud and mobile software developer , which is building a reserve containing billions worth of bitcoin.

Raft acquires N3bula Systems for undisclosed amount

McLean-based defense technology company announced last week it has acquired weapons technology developer as part of an effort to expand and data services for military systems.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed. N3bula Systems, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, is known for developing defense infrastructure that connects sensors, shooters and weapons systems across services and domains.

Raft says the acquisition will create a unified and data backbone “that transforms fragmented military systems into a seamless, machine-speed operational network.” The company says the partnership will enable faster decision making for military systems, due autonomous data fusion.

Raft Founder and CEO Shubhi Mishra described N3bula Systems as “one of the most impactful teams in defense technology.”

“We embed directly with warfighters as trusted edge nodes, scale proven AI across mission-critical operations, and deliver real solutions to real battlefield problems — faster than established players,” Mishra said in a statement. “This signals a fundamental shift toward edge-native defense innovation.”

Raft says the acquisition will support ‘s administration’s defense priorities, including the development of a proposed nationwide “Golden Dome” missile defense system.

“The decision came down to mission alignment and execution capability,” said Ryan Mize, founder and president of N3bula Systems, in a statement. “Raft demonstrates consistent delivery of what warfighters actually ask for. As a new prime, they represent the future of defense contracting — impact over bureaucracy, and we want to be part of that.”

The acquisition will increase Raft’s number of employees from more than 350 to almost 400. This is Raft’s first acquisition since receiving a $60 million investment from Washington Harbour Partners in May 2024.

Last week, Mishra was one of five Virginia business leaders who won Ernst & Young’s Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year Award for 2025.

Lockheed Martin to cut jobs at Greenville F-16 site

Summary

  •  to cut jobs after Air Force contract ends
  • F-16 sustainment contract awarded in 2020 will not be renewed
  • Greenville site continues to produce F-16s for U.S. allies
  • More than 100 next-gen F-16s remain in production backlog

Lockheed Martin is reducing its Greenville workforce following a U.S. Air Force decision not to extend its sustainment contract with the company.

The cuts could mean a reduction of as many as 180 jobs or 10% of the workforce, according to reports.

The Lockheed Martin site in Greenville’s South Carolina Technology & Aviation Center is better known now as the place where the company builds new F-16 fighter jets, but for decades was a sustainment center where aircraft were serviced and maintained.

That role was bolstered in December 2020 when the Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin the $900 million F-16 Continental United State (CONUS) Depot contract to provide “depot level maintenance and modernization support.” At the time the Air Force said it was the first U.S. based F-16 industry depot; two others were based in Europe and the Pacific.

It’s the end of that contract that will lead to layoffs in Greenville.

Members of the Slovakian military pose in front of the two-seater F-16 purchased by the NATO country and ceremonially delivered on Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo/Ross Norton)

Lockheed Martin said in a statement: “As a result of the Air Force’s decision not to extend the F-16 CONUS Depot contract, and to meet our customers’ needs for affordability in a cost-competitive environment, we made the difficult decision to conduct a limited reduction in force at our Greenville site. This decision was made with a great deal of consideration and careful evaluation, and we’re committed to supporting affected employees with outplacement services and career counseling.”

Customers for the new F-16s coming off the production line today do not include any branch of the U.S. military. However, even though the American military has moved on to different jets, the F-16 remains a part of the American fleet, making up 45% of the Air Force inventory when the contract was entered five years ago. The new customers are nations with military objectives that align with those of the United States, company and government officials have said since the first Greenville-made F-16 was made for the Kingdom of Bahrain and delivered in a ceremony at the site in March 2023.

“Lockheed Martin’s Greenville facility remains a cornerstone of South Carolina’s defense industry and a critical asset to our national security,” U.S. Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., said in a statement.  “While the Air Force’s decision not to extend a specific contract will result in a workforce adjustment, the long-term outlook for this site is strong.”

“With over 100 next generation F-16s currently in the production backlog for U.S. allies and continued global demand, Greenville is well-positioned for future growth,” Timmons said in the statement. “Lockheed Martin has reaffirmed its commitment to the region, and I will continue working with them and local leaders to ensure the Upstate remains a leader in defense innovation and job creation.”

The F-16 is currently operated by 27 countries, with six countries selecting the F-16 Block 70/72 version made in Greenville for their fleets.

Compass sues Zillow over off-market listings ban

Real estate brokerage company has filed a against over its policy to ban private .

In a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Compass claims that “Zillow has sought to rely on anticompetitive tactics to protect its monopoly and revenues in violation of the laws.”

Compass says that Zillow has implemented an exclusionary policy that says if a home seller and their real estate agent market their property off Zillow for more than one day, that Zillow and its allies, and , will ban that home from being listed on their search platforms.

“The Zillow Ban seeks to ensure that all home listings in this country are steered on to its dominant search platform so Zillow can monetize each home listing and protect its monopoly,” Compass said in the lawsuit.

Compass alleges that the ‘Zillow Ban’ was enacted to prevent rivals from competing against it and reduces homeowner choice.

“In a free and competitive market, competitors’ products and strategies should rise and fall on merit—not the whims of a monopolist gatekeeper like Zillow,” Compass said.

Compass wants an injunction that would prohibit Zillow from implementing and enforcing its ‘Zillow Ban’ and implementing and enforcing similar policies. The company also wants a trial by jury and an unspecified amount in damages.

A Zillow spokesperson said in a statement on Monday that the company believes the claims in the lawsuit are unfounded and that it will vigorously defend against them.

“Our focus remains on creating a level playing field that serves the best interests of everyone in the home buying and selling journey,” the spokesperson said.

The housing market is always competitive, but has become more fierce of late. Last month the National Association of Realtors reported that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in April, as elevated mortgage rates and rising prices discouraged prospective homebuyers during what’s traditionally the busiest time of the year for the housing market.

Existing home sales dropped 0.5% in April, from March, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4 million units, according to the National Association of Realtors. The sales decline marked the slowest sales pace for the month of April going back to 2009 in the wake of the U.S. housing crisis. March’s sales pace was also the slowest for that month going back to 2009.

Sales of existing homes barely moved in May, with existing home sales up 0.8% last month from April to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.03 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. Stubbornly high mortgage rates and rising prices made homebuying less affordable even as the inventory of properties on the market continued to increase.

There’s also been the issue of more sellers than homebuyers, with potential buyers skittish over high prices and mortgage rates. As of April, the U.S. housing market had nearly 34% more sellers than buyers shopping for a home, according to an analysis by Redfin.

Aside from April 2020, when the pandemic brought the economy and home sales activity to a standstill, there haven’t been this few buyers in the market for a home before, based on records that date back to 201