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Trump cancels $679M in funding for offshore wind projects

Summary

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Transportation Department on Friday canceled $679 million in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects, the latest attack by the Trump administration on the reeling U.S. offshore wind industry.

Funding for projects in 11 states was rescinded, including $435 million for a floating wind farm in Northern California and $47 million to boost an offshore wind project in Maryland that the Interior Department has pledged to cancel.

“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. “Thanks to Trump, we are prioritizing real infrastructure improvements over fantasy wind projects that cost much and offer little.”

It’s the latest step by the administration against sources

The Trump administration has stepped up its crusade against wind and other renewable energy sources in recent weeks, cutting federal funding and canceling projects approved by the Biden administration in a sustained attack on clean energy sources that scientists say are crucial to the fight against climate change.

President has vowed to restore U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market and has pushed to increase U.S. reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases.

California Rep. Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, called Duffy’s action “outrageous” and deeply disappointing.

Trump and his Cabinet “have a stubborn and mystifying hatred of clean energy,” Huffman said in an interview. “It’s so dogmatic. They are willing to eliminate thousands of jobs and an entire sector that can bring cheap, reliable power to American consumers.”

The canceled funding will be redirected to upgrade ports and other infrastructure in the U.S., where possible, the Transportation Department said.

Other wind projects are also being halted

Separately, Trump’s Energy Department said Friday it is withdrawing a $716 million loan guarantee approved by the Biden administration to upgrade and expand transmission infrastructure to accommodate a now-threatened offshore wind project in New Jersey.

The moves come as the administration abruptly halted construction last week of a nearly complete wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Interior Department said the government needs to review the $4 billion Revolution Wind project and address national security concerns. It did not specify what those concerns are.

Democratic governors, lawmakers and union workers in New England have called for Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to reverse course.

Trump has long expressed disdain for wind power, frequently calling it an ugly and expensive form of energy that “smart” countries don’t use.

Earlier this month, the Interior Department canceled a major wind farm in Idaho, a project approved late in former President Joe Biden’s term that had drawn criticism for its proximity to a historic site where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.

Trump blames renewable power for rising energy prices

Last week, with U.S. electricity prices rising at more than twice the rate of , Trump lashed out, falsely blaming renewable power for skyrocketing energy costs. He called wind and solar energy “THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!” in a social media post and vowed not to approve any wind or solar projects.

“We’re not allowing any windmills to go up unless there’s a legal situation where somebody committed to it a long time ago,” Trump said at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Energy analysts say renewable sources have little to do with recent price hikes, which are based on increased demand from and energy-hungry data centers, along with aging infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather events such as wildfires that are exacerbated by climate change.

Revolution Wind’s developer, Danish energy company Orsted, said it is evaluating the financial impact of stopping construction on the New England project and is considering legal proceedings.

Revolution Wind was expected to be Rhode Island and Connecticut’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, capable of powering more than 350,000 homes. In addition to hampering the states’ climate goals, losing out on all that renewable power could drive up electricity prices throughout the region, Democratic officials say.

Critics say climate and jobs are at risk

Trump has made sweeping strides to prioritize fossil fuels and hinder renewable energy projects. Those include reviewing wind and solar energy permits, canceling plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and stopping work on another offshore wind project for New York, although construction was later allowed to resume.

Some critics say the steps to cancel projects put Americans’ livelihoods at risk.

“It’s an attack on our jobs,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said of the move to stop construction of Revolution Wind. “It’s an attack on our energy. It’s an attack on our families and their ability to pay the bills.”

Patrick Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, said his union is “going to fight (Trump) every step of the way, no matter how long it takes.”

Under Biden, the U.S. held the first-ever auction of leases for floating wind farms in December 2022. Deep waters off the West Coast are better suited for floating projects than those that are anchored in the seabed, officials said.

Trump ends duty-free rule for imports under $800

Summary

  • Trump ends “de minimis” rule for under $800
  • Change took effect Friday at 12:01 a.m. ET
  • Over 30 countries’ postal services suspend U.S.-bound packages
  • Sellers and buyers face higher costs and potential delays
  • experts warn of global shipping disruptions

NEW YORK (AP) — Low-value imports lost their duty-free status in the United States on Friday as part of ‘s agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods and resetting global with .

An executive order eliminated a widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time, nearly two years earlier than the deadline set in the tax cuts and spending bill approved by Congress.

Saying they received too little time and information to start collecting duties on small parcels, the national postal services of more than 30 countries have temporarily suspended sending some or most U.S.-bound packages. They include the mail systems of Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Mexico, Thailand and almost every country in Europe.

Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will require vetting and be subject to their origin country’s applicable tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%. For the next six months, mail carriers can instead apply a flat duty of $80 to $200 to packages sent through the global postal network. After that, both mailed parcels and those handled by private courier services will be subject to the value-based tariff rate.

Although the president previously ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. In addition to bringing new costs, the withdrawal of duty-free treatment is likely to delay orders, according to logistics experts.

Exemption created in 1938 for $1 imports

The Trump administration says the exemption has become a loophole that foreign businesses exploit to evade tariffs and criminals use to get drugs, counterfeit products and other contraband into the U.S. Former President Joe Biden and members of Congress also discussed the issue.

Other countries have similar exemptions, but the threshold is usually lower. For example, 150 euros ($175) is the value limit in the 20 European Union countries that use the euro as their official currency. The U.K. allows foreign businesses to send parcels worth up to 135 pounds ($182) without incurring tariff charges.

In the U.S., the “de minimis” — Latin for lacking significance or importance — exemption started in 1938 as a way to save the federal government the time and expense of collecting duties on imported goods with a retail value of $1 or less. U.S. lawmakers eventually increased the eligibility cutoff to $5 in 1990, to $200 in 1993 and to $800 in 2015, according to the Congressional Service.

Since then, the number of shipments claiming de minimis treatment has exploded. A total of 1.36 billion packages with a combined value of $64.6 billion reached the U.S. last year, compared to 134 million packages sent under the exemption in 2015, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency reported.

About 60% of the 2024 shipments came from China and Hong Kong, according to an analysis logistics firm Flexport prepared based on U.S. government data. Multiple countries and regions accounted for the remainder, including Canada, Mexico, the European Union, India and Vietnam.

Boutique owner anticipates higher costs for European apparel

Proponents of limiting the exemption argue that it has served as a way for China-founded retail platforms like Temu and Shein to flood the U.S. with low-priced goods. The National Council of Textile Organizations said the move would help close a “backdoor pipeline for cheap, subsidized, and often illegal, toxic and unethical imports.” But some smaller American companies that rely on imported products and materials benefited from the exemption too.

Kristin Trainor is worried the end of de minimis will also mean the end of Diesel and Lulu’s, her 3-year-old boutique in Avon, Connecticut. Over 70% of the women’s clothes and accessories she stocks comes from small fashion houses in France, Italy and Spain. Trainor places small batch orders each week that fall under the $800 threshold.

“Our business model is to provide casual chic and unique clothes at affordable prices,” she said. “The added customs and duty charges that will go into effect on Aug. 29 will eliminate that affordability. ”

Trainor said she was looking to replace her European vendors with ones based in the U.S. But her bestselling product categories, such as apparel made of Italian linen, come from other countries. She estimates a simple linen sundress that cost $30 wholesale at the beginning of the year will rise to $43 next month.

After a corporate career, Trainor opened the store to have more time with her 9-year-old son and her 91-year old father. Raising the boutique’s prices to absorb part of the import charges would help offset higher shipping and logistics costs, but Trainor worries her customers will balk at higher prices.

“I have not made any official announcements to my customers just yet, although they have started to ask if I will stay open as they understand the economic impacts that are occurring,” she said. “At this point, I am leaning more and more towards closing the boutique, sadly.”

Trade agreement doesn’t shield products from Mexico and Canada

Ken Huening started CoverSeal, his business making and selling protective covers for cars, motorcycles, grills and patio furniture, in 2020. The company is based in Los Gatos, California, and the covers are manufactured in Mexico and China. When a customer places an order, it ships from Mexico.

Although a trade agreement that took effect in 2020 has made most goods from Mexico and Canada exempt from country-specific U.S. tariffs, the withdrawal of the applies to all countries.

Huening said he’ll either have to raise prices or end free shipping now that his products will be taxed when they are sent from Mexico to U.S. customers. He’s looked at setting up a U.S. production and logistics network but says domestic sewing facilities and textile manufacturers do not exist for the engineered fabric used in CoverSeal’s products.

“We are often asked why we don’t just establish a U.S. supply chain,” he said. “It is not possible in the short term. By the time the infrastructure is established, many companies and small businesses will be out of business.”

Shannen Knight imports hard-to-find sports goggles and glasses as the owner of A Sight For Sport Eyes, her online store and shop in West Linn, Oregon. She routinely received shipments from the U.K., the Netherlands and Italy that fell under the de minimis dollar cutoff.

Knight estimated that she would need to raise the retail price of the rugby goggles she gets from Italy by 50%. It took the International Rugby Board two years of testing to approve the Italian-made goggles, a specialty item without strong prospects for stateside production, she said.

“There are products that it just makes sense to be made internationally, where there is the stronger demand for them, but there still is some demand for in the U.S.,” Knight said.

Key US inflation gauge holds mostly steady though core inflation ticks higher

Summary

  • Fed’s preferred measure rose 2.6% in July vs. year ago
  • Core inflation showed an uptick despite steady headline rate
  • Inflation well below 7% peak but above Fed’s 2% target
  • Trump’s yet to drive major new price spikes
  • Fed officials hesitant to cut key interest rate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ‘s preferred inflation gauge mostly held steady last month despite ‘s broad-based tariffs, but a measure of underlying inflation increased.

Prices rose 2.6% in July compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Friday, the same annual increase as in June. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.9% from a year earlier, up from 2.8% in the previous month and the highest since February.

The figures illustrate why many officials at the Federal Reserve have been reluctant to cut their key interest rate. While inflation is much lower than the roughly 7% peak it reached three years ago, it is still running noticeably above the Fed’s 2% target.

At the same time, the report showed that consumer spending picked up last month and could boost economic growth, which weakened considerably in the first six months of the year.

On a monthly basis, rose 0.2% from June to July, down from 0.3% the previous month, while core prices increased 0.3% for the second month in a row.

The figures are similar to those reported earlier this month in the more widely-followed consumer price index, which has risen 2.7% from a year ago. The core CPI increased 3.1% in July compared with a year earlier.

Separately, the Friday report showed that consumer spending jumped 0.5% in July, the biggest increase since March and a sign that many Americans are still willing to open their wallets despite high and uncertainty surrounding the direction of the economy. Spending jumped sharply for long-lasting goods such as cars, appliances and furniture, many of which are imported.

Incomes rose 0.4% from June to July, boosted by a healthy gain in wages and salaries, the report showed.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said the central bank will likely cut its key rate at its meeting next month. But policymakers are expected to proceed cautiously and it’s not clear how many more rate cuts will happen this year.

When the Fed reduces its key rate, it often — though not always — lowers borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans, and business borrowing.

Trump has relentlessly pushed Powell and the Fed for lower interest rates since earlier this year, calling Powell “Too Late” and a “moron” and arguing that there is “no inflation.” On Monday he sought to fire Lisa Cook, a member of the Fed’s governing board in an effort to gain greater control over the central bank.

Stocks slip on Wall Street after record highs

Summary

  • fell 0.7% Friday but gained 1.8% in August
  • Dow down 172 points; dropped 1.2%
  • mixed; data shows steady prices
  • European markets mostly lower; Asia mixed
  • U.S. markets closed Monday for Labor Day

Stocks are losing ground on in afternoon trading Friday, pulling the market down from its latest all-time highs, after a closely watched measure of inflation showed prices mostly held steady last month.

The S&P 500 was down 0.7% a day after climbing to a record high. The benchmark index is set to end August up 1.8%, which would be its fourth straight month of gains.

The Industrial Average also came off its own record high, shedding 172 points, or 0.4%, as of 12:30 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite was 1.2% lower.

Losses in technology weighed on the market, offsetting gains in health care and other sectors.

Dell Technologies slid 7.9% for the biggest decline among S&P 500 stocks a day after the company reported second-quarter revenue that exceeded analysts’ expectations, but noted that margin pressures and weakness in PC revenue.

Among other tech companies in the red: Tech giant Nvidia fell 3.4%, Broadcom dropped 4.5% and Oracle was 6.6% lower.

The Commerce Department said prices rose 2.6% in July compared with a year ago, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures index. That’s the same annual increase as in June and in line with what economists expected.

Still, excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices rose 2.9% last month from a year earlier, up from 2.8% in June and the highest since February.

While inflation is much lower than the roughly 7% peak it reached three years ago, it is still running noticeably above the Fed’s 2% target.

Still, Chair Jerome Powell signaled last week that the central bank may cut its key interest rate at its meeting next month, amid signs of sluggishness in the job market.

The most recent government data suggests hiring has slowed sharply since this spring.

“Today’s in-line PCE Price Index will keep the focus on the jobs market,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. “For now, the odds still favor a September cut.”

Lower rates can boost investment prices and the economy by making it cheaper for U.S. households and businesses to borrow, but they risk worsening inflation.

Traders see a roughly 87% chance that the central bank will cut its benchmark interest rate next month by a quarter of a percentage point, according to data from CME Group.

Meanwhile, the latest reading in a survey of U.S. consumers by the University of Michigan showed sentiment soured this month. The final August reading is the lowest since May, reflecting heightened concerns about prices and the economy.

Treasury yields were mixed in the bond market. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.22% from 4.21% late Wednesday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for Federal Reserve action, slipped to 3.62% from 3.63%.

The Fed will get to review two more important inflation barometers before its next policy meeting, the producer price index and consumer price index. Unless those reports show a huge spike in inflation, the Fed is “almost guaranteed” to cut next month, said Chris Zaccarelli, chief investment officer for Northlight Asset Management.

Also weighing on the market Friday were Ulta Beauty and Marvell Technology.

Ulta fell 6.2% despite posting second-quarter earnings and revenue that topped analysts’ estimates, while Marvell slid 16.3% after its third-quarter guidance fell short of what Wall Street was expecting.

Among the stocks bucking the broader market slide were Petco Health & Wellness and Autodesk. Both companies were coming off better-than-expected quarterly results. Petco jumped 23.5% and Autodesk climbed 8.1%.

European markets were mostly lower and Asian markets closed mixed.

U.S. markets will be closed on Monday for the .

HII promotes exec to new maritime systems post

Newport News-based announced Thursday that it has promoted Eric Chewning to the newly created position of executive vice of maritime systems and corporate strategy.

Chewning was previously executive vice president of strategy and technology, but his new role expands his responsibilities to lead the company’s strategy around maritime and advanced technology development. He will work out of the company’s office.

says the new role is part of HII’s strategy to “bolster U.S. maritime supremacy” by strengthening shipbuilding and fielding new multidomain warfighting capabilities.

Chewning joined HII in January 2023 and has previous experience leading industrial base policy for the . HII credits him for spearheading efforts to expand the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base through acquisitions, as well as expansion of domestic and international partnerships.

“HII is firmly committed to increasing shipbuilding throughput for the U.S. Navy,” HII President and CEO Chris Kastner said in a statement. “We are doing that both by improving performance within our shipyards and expanding the industrial base. Eric’s unique experience and skill sets continue to support our mission of delivering the capabilities our defense customers urgently need.”

Chewning will work alongside shipyard presidents to lead the company’s strategy for maritime capabilities and fleet architecture. He will also be involved with developing hybrid manned/unmanned teaming strategies, identifying outsourcing partners to accelerate throughput and driving business pursuits for new maritime capabilities. He will also oversee enterprise strategy and the Dark Sea Labs advanced technology group.

In June, HII announced it had formed a partnership with C3 AI, the Enterprise AI application software company, to expand digital technologies and apply to accelerate shipbuilding throughput at HII’s Shipbuilding and Ingalls Shipbuilding divisions. HII intends to integrate AI solutions across its shipbuilding operations, including areas such as planning, operations, supply chain management and labor allocation. The company states that the partnership will provide opportunities for the production and sustainment of uncrewed vehicles.

Newport News-based HII is the nation’s largest military shipbuilder and the largest industrial employer in Virginia. The Fortune 500 company employs about 44,000 workers. It posted $11.5 billion in 2024 revenue.

Mary Baldwin University president resigns; new president named


SUMMARY:

  • resigned after two years; Todd Telemeco named successor
  • Reasons for Stein’s departure not given; he was praised for alumni engagement
  • Telemeco acknowledged financial challenges but ruled out closing the residential campus
  • He pledged transparency, collaboration, and focus on career readiness

Mary Baldwin University announced this week that president Jeff Stein has resigned, after only two years in the role.

Stein notified the -based private university’s board of trustees on Tuesday that he would , and the board accepted his resignation. With Stein’s departure, the board quickly confirmed Todd Telemeco as the 11th president of Mary Baldwin University, effective immediately.

The university did not provide the reasons for Stein’s resignation in its announcement.

“We thank Dr. Stein and his wife, Chrissy, for their two years of service to the University, and we wish them the best in their future endeavors,” the university said in a statement. “We are especially grateful for Dr. Stein’s ability to reinvigorate the connection between the university and our alumni, including his making numerous in-person visits to alumni chapters and hosting various meetings, celebrations and social gatherings in the President’s House. This renewed energy in alumni relations has also contributed to significantly higher alumni giving rates.”

The university highlighted the following aspects of his tenure: launching the strategic plan Elevate to guide the university’s direction, as well as creating a new structure and process to support its students’ academic and personal needs.

In a letter sent to the Mary Baldwin community, Telemeco alluded to financial difficulties the university has been facing. He said he accepted the role because he loves the institutions and believes “deeply in its future.” He described Stein as “a good man who cares about MBU.”

“Changes like this can be painful and unsettling, and I have heard that many of you are feeling surprised, sad, and uncertain about the future of MBU,” Telemeco said. “Your reactions are understandable and I respect them.

He said the board approached him to lead “at a time when he said the university is facing “significant pressures,” similar to many other small colleges. He said the “historic” campus is costly to maintain and that the university’s discount rate is high, both of which exert pressure on the school’s resources. He said while the university has good reasons for high discount rates and investing in maintaining the campus, “our choices come with consequences we must reconcile.”

However, he added “I would not have accepted this role had there been any mandate or intent to close our residential undergraduate campus. My charge — and my commitment — is to advance all three sectors of MBU: our historic undergraduate residential campus, our thriving health sciences programs, and our growing online offerings.”

Telemeco said the university must align its resources to prepare students for careers in key workforce areas and accelerate the university’s ability to prepare students for future careers. He also committed to “information sharing” by holding sessions with students, faculty, staff and alumni. He also plans to bring forward proposals to sharper the school’s academic focus and be more sustainable. He added that he values difference of opinion and welcomes feedback from faculty, staff and students to help his decision making.

“Acceleration is not a departure from who we are — it’s in keeping with MBU’s entrepreneurial history and our legacy of adapting to meet new challenges,” Telemeco said. “I bring a collaborative style and a CEO mindset: we will care for people and we will make decisions. Both are necessary.”

Telemeco has been vice president and dean of the university’s Murphy Deming College of Health Sciences since July 2023. He is a licensed physical therapist who holds two doctoral degrees. The university credits him for expanding the School of Nursing and strengthening ties between the undergraduate, residential campus in Staunton and the health sciences campus in Fishersville.

He has more than 20 years of experience as a professor and in leadership roles in higher education, including serving as the School of Health Sciences dean at Methodist University, founding dean for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s College of Health Sciences and vice president of academic affairs at the University of Mount Olive.

Virginia’s universities at risk if checks and balances fail

SUMMARY:

  • professor emeritus writes that state Supreme Court case will determine constitutional balance of power
  • Governors appoint university boards, but the General Assembly must confirm members
  • Nullifying Senate votes would harm the legislature and the citizens it serves, James Finkelstein writes

The will soon decide a case that goes to the heart of how we govern our public universities. The issue is whether the governor’s appointees to the at the , and George Mason University can continue serving despite the Senate Privileges and Elections Committee’s vote not to confirm them.

This is more than just a legal dispute over legislative process; it is a test of whether Virginia will maintain the constitutional balance of power that has guided the commonwealth for generations — or allow the executive branch to override the General Assembly and threaten the principle of checks and balances.

Virginia law clearly outlines the relationship between boards of visitors and the General Assembly. Virginia Code states that all appointments to governing boards are “subject to confirmation by the General Assembly.” For George Mason University, Virginia Code goes further, stating that the board “shall at all times be under the control of the General Assembly.”

Boards are therefore not responsible to the governor, but to the General Assembly on behalf of Virginia’s citizens. The confirmation process guarantees this accountability.

The Senate followed its rules. A resolution to confirm the appointees was introduced, referred to the Privileges and Elections Committee, and voted down. According to standard legislative practice — where many bills and resolutions “die in committee” — that was a rejection of confirmation. To argue otherwise is to say Senate votes do not matter.

Instead of respecting the Senate’s decision, the rectors of the three universities — supported by the Virginia attorney general — have asked the state Supreme Court to lift the circuit court’s injunction and allow the appointees to keep serving. Basically, they are asking the court to disregard the Senate’s vote.

That action is extraordinary and concerning. The rectors’ and visitors’ responsibilities are to their institutions, and by law, they only hold office when confirmed by the General Assembly. They are meant to protect university independence, not act as representatives of the governor. By going to court to bypass the Senate, they politicize governance and weaken the trust of students, faculty and the public.

Boards of visitors are not just ceremonial bodies. They manage multibillion-dollar budgets, determine tuition rates, approve major construction projects and appoint university presidents. Their decisions influence the lives of tens of thousands of Virginians.

Allowing boards unchecked power through executive appointments — without substantial legislative oversight — undermines accountability. The General Assembly’s role in confirmation is not a formality; it is a vital check against one-branch dominance, ensuring that universities serve the public interest rather than political agendas.

Virginia has long taken pride in its balanced approach. The governor appoints, but the General Assembly confirms. That partnership ensures that no single branch dominates and that universities remain connected to the commonwealth as a whole, rather than to the preferences of one officeholder.

The circuit court recognized what should be obvious: nullifying legislators’ votes causes irreparable harm. When senators voted against confirmation, they exercised a constitutional prerogative. Allowing the appointees to continue serving despite that vote renders it meaningless. You cannot “un-nullify” a vote.

This is not just an injury to a few senators; it harms the General Assembly as an institution and, by extension, the citizens it serves. The constitution does not permit gubernatorial appointees to serve indefinitely while their confirmation is delayed or denied.

The question facing the Supreme Court is clear: does the Senate’s vote have constitutional authority? If it doesn’t, Virginia’s balance of power dangerously favors the executive, risking political meddling in universities. If it does, checks and balances stay in place, and boards of visitors continue to be accountable to the General Assembly — as mandated by law.

The choice should be straightforward. To safeguard Virginia’s universities — and the constitutional order that has long shielded them — the Supreme Court must uphold the Senate’s authority. The future of higher education and the strength of Virginia’s democracy rely on this.

James Finkelstein is Professor Emeritus of Public Policy at George Mason University.

Alum donates $16M to Virginia Tech

SUMMARY:

  • received a $16M from alumnus David Kellogg to support its PPE program
  • The gift permanently names the David H. Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • The university launched its PPE program in 2015 (minor) and 2017 (major), and now has over 225 students in the field of study

Virginia Tech has received a $16 million commitment from alumnus David Kellogg to back the university’s philosophy, politics and economics program he began supporting five years ago.

After graduating from Virginia Tech with an electrical engineering degree in 1982, Kellogg worked for the CIA and then became an executive with Decision-Science Applications, a federal contractor focused on defense . In 1998, he founded IT firm Solers, which specialized in software and systems engineering. Reston-based federal contractor Peraton acquired Solers in 2019, and today, Kellogg leads proprietary trading firms he founded or cofounded.

Philosophy, politics and economics, or PPE, is an interdisciplinary field of study at Tech that examines how ethical principles, political institutions and economic systems intersect to shape societies and influence individual and collective decision-making. The university introduced a PPE minor in 2015 and a major in 2017, and today has more than 225 students enrolled in the programs.

Kellogg helped launch a research center in 2020 to support PPE, and his new gift permanently names it the David H. Kellogg Center for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics.

“The gift commitment will allow the center to maintain and strengthen its current personnel, programs, and activities,” Kellogg Center Professor and Director Michael Moehler said in a statement. “It will enable the center to work on increasing its footprint over time in alignment with college and University goals.”

The funding from Kellogg is an estate gift in the form of an endowment through which funds become available over time. Moehler noted that the gift provides a certain level of stability for the center’s operations but added it would be “premature” to say exactly how the center may extend its footprint.

In a statement, Kellogg said the staff and faculty in the electrical engineering department at Virginia Tech taught him “how to think, how to analyze, to be careful and deliberate and not take shortcuts — and that worked out.”

The Kellogg Center hosts annual public lectures featuring Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur Fellows, prominent legal scholars and moral, political and economic theorists.

“Democracy will not function without an informed public, and the public seems insufficiently informed at present,” Kellogg said. “We need people to think for themselves to become engaged and responsible citizens.”

The center supports research and is home to five core faculty members and more than 50 affiliated faculty. Moehler says the center conducts interdisciplinary research that is “socially relevant.”

“Our interdependent and globalized world faces a wide range of individual and collective decision-making problems that often cross the boundaries of academic disciplines,” he said. “Questions concerning market processes, government intervention, taxation, healthcare, sustainability, international relations, global , and justice involve both positive and normative elements, are multidimensional, and can be addressed adequately only through interdisciplinary analysis. The center provides such analysis.”

Moehler added that Virginia Tech PPE graduates have successfully pursued careers in management, marketing, consulting, industry, investment banking, finance, business administration, law, journalism, government, public administration, public policy, think tanks, healthcare, international affairs, international development and nonprofit organizations.

The center oversees two undergraduate degree programs in PPE, and its affiliated faculty conduct research in multiple fields.

Virginia Democrats reject more Youngkin university board appointees

SUMMARY:

  • Amid court case over legislative authority, Virginia Senate committee blocks 14 more appointees
  • George Mason now has only six confirmed board of visitors members
  • VMI and U.Va. board nominees also rejected

A committee rejected 14 more of ‘s university board appointees Thursday, and three high-ranking Senate Democrats have sent a letter to the governor asking him to suspend future board appointments until he discusses them with Senate leadership.

The letter, which was released following Thursday’s vote by the Senate Privileges & Elections committee, comes amid legal warfare between Democratic state lawmakers and Virginia’s Republican leadership over public universities’ leadership, while the Trump administration threatens to withhold if universities don’t rid themselves of diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs.

The committee voted 8-6 not to confirm Youngkin’s 14 nominees for , the and ‘s .

There was little discussion, although three Republican senators questioned the timing and motivation of the vote while the Supreme Court of Virginia considers an appeal by the state attorney general of a ruling in favor of nine Democratic senators over the rejection of earlier board appointees.

With Thursday’s vote, the Senate committee has now voted to reject 22 of Youngkin’s nominees for the three universities’ boards. Thursday’s rejected appointees include six people named to George Mason’s board, as well as four each named to U.Va. and VMI’s boards by the governor in August.

Gubernatorial board appointees are considered active members unless they fail to be confirmed by the state’s legislature, typically via committee vote.

The 14 gubernatorial nominees rejected by the Senate include:

  • George Mason: American Enterprise Institute senior fellow Preston Cooper; former Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Treasury official Jeffrey Dinwoodie; and former Northern Virginia Technology Council CEO Bobbie Kilberg;
  • U.Va.: Goldman Sachs Vice Chairman James H. Donovan, former MasterCard International CEO Eugene Lockhart; and former chief financial officer and partner at Carlyle Group John F. Harris;
  • VMI: Retired Army colonel and former state Del. Scott M. Lingamfelter; and Garrett Exner, a retired Marine who served as military legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and is a national defense expert at Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank.

Thursday’s vote leaves George Mason’s board of visitors with only six confirmed members at a critical juncture when the board and GMU Gregory Washington are under a 10-day deadline to voluntarily enter into a resolution agreement with the U.S. Department of Education over an investigation that found the university violated federal civil rights laws.

The DOE announced Aug. 22 that its Office of Civil Rights had found the university in violation of civil rights law by “illegally using race and other immutable characteristics in university practices and policies, including hiring and promotion” — although critics view this as an overreach by the Trump administration, along with three other federal investigations launched in July against George Mason, and the Department of Justice’s involvement in pushing out former U.Va. President Jim Ryan, who stepped down in June.

Democratic Sens. Scott A. Surovell, Louise Lucas and Mamie Locke, in their letter to the governor, refer to federal influences that have “created significant uncertainty and instability within our higher education system at a time when these institutions need steady, qualified leadership.

“Our universities face mounting challenges, including potential federal investigations and pressure from the new Trump administration’s Department of Justice, threats to our international student admissions, and dollars,” the letter reads. “There is now a vacancy [at] the presidency of the University of Virginia due to its board’s failure to defend the school. Rather than providing these institutions with the stable, experienced governance they desperately need to navigate these turbulent waters, your appointments have often introduced additional controversy and division and abdicated their responsibilities.”

In their letter to Youngkin, the three senators add that they “intend to propose significant reforms to how visitors are nominated and confirmed in the 2026 [General Assembly] regular session and further appointments to these boards in the interim would be unwise.

“We therefore respectfully request that you suspend further appointments to these boards pending meaningful consultation with Senate leadership,” the Democratic senators’ letter concludes. “We stand ready to work with you to identify qualified nominees who can earn broad support and provide the stable governance our universities deserve. Virginia’s higher education system is too important to become a casualty of political discord.”

In June, eight Democrats on the Senate Privileges & Elections committee rejected former state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s appointment to U.Va.’s board, with committee chairman Sen. Aaron Rouse calling Cuccinelli “a Trump crony who is simply too extreme to have a role in shaping one of our commonwealth’s flagship universities.” That vote — and the Youngkin administration’s response — ultimately led to a court dispute.

In July, a Fairfax County Circuit Court judge ruled in favor of nine Senate Democrats who sued the rectors of George Mason University, the University of Virginia and Virginia Military Institute to prevent them from recognizing eight earlier appointees rejected by the Democrat-controlled committee in an 8-4 party-line vote.

Republican state Attorney General Jason Miyares’ office has appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court of Virginia, while Republican state senators have filed an amicus brief supporting Miyares’ argument. This week, attorneys for the Democratic senators filed their response to Miyares’ appeal, arguing that the appeal should be rejected.

The basic argument is whether the Senate committee, which votes on all of the governor’s appointments to boards, commissions and task forces, can force appointees off boards by itself during a special session, or if a full vote by the General Assembly is required, as Youngkin and Miyares argue.

Following Thursday’s vote, Youngkin issued the following statement: “In my view, a single Senate committee does not have the legal authority to perform duties that the Constitution and Code [of Virginia] explicitly assign to the full General Assembly. This important constitutional question is now before the Supreme Court of Virginia, and I am confident in our position.

“Let’s be clear, these eight Senate Democrats are damaging Virginia’s great institutions of higher education. Removing these talented, experienced and dedicated volunteer board members is an unprecedented breach of public trust. Even more concerning, they refused to provide Virginians with any explanation for their decision. This is blatant partisanship that damages our great universities.”

The nine senators said they were forced to sue to block the eight rejected appointees because the governor and Miyares encouraged the three boards to recognize the eight rejected appointees as valid board members, an argument the circuit court judge agreed with in his ruling.

Republican Sen. Bill DeSteph, during Thursday’s committee meeting, asked, “Why wouldn’t we wait for the [state] Supreme Court to rule on this? It’s in front of them now.” He alleged that Senate Democrats were attempting to “usurp their authority, which again, we should not be allowed to do.”

Rouse responded, “We also have a job to do, and we will continue to do the job and the business of the people of the commonwealth.”

AstraZeneca to locate pharma plant in Albemarle

SUMMARY:

  • and Eli Lilly are planning facilities in Albemarle and Goochland counties.
  • Each manufacturing plant is eligible for more than $10 million in state incentives pending state legislative approval.
  • AstraZeneca previously announced a multibillion-dollar manufacturing facility in Virginia, producing chronic disease drugs and employing hundreds by 2030.

Pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and are planning to locate major manufacturing facilities in Albemarle and Goochland counties respectively, a state official has confirmed.

Last week, the state Major Employer Investment Project Approval Commission (MEI) unanimously voted to recommend that the General Assembly approve state incentives packages valued at more than $10 million apiece for AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly.

While the specifics were not discussed during open session, it was publicly stated that the incentives were for manufacturing projects that would bring jobs and capital investments to the state.

A state official confirmed to Virginia Business that AstraZeneca has proposed a project for and that Eli Lilly has proposed a site in . However, the source did not provide more specifics and stressed that the incentives packages still require approval from the General Assembly.

Gov. Glenn announced in July that AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceutical manufacturer and biotech company, was building a multibillion-dollar facility to produce pharmaceutical substances for AstraZeneca’s weight management and metabolic portfolio, including oral GLP-1, baxdrostat, oral PCSK9 and combination small molecule products.

Described as AstraZeneca’s largest single manufacturing investment globally, the Virginia plant is part of $50 billion in investments AztraZeneca plans to make in the United States by 2030 for manufacturing and and development.

At the time, AstraZeneca representatives said that the exact location and size of the Virginia facility hadn’t been determined, but that the plant would employ “hundreds” of workers, and is expected to be operational by 2030. No other specifics have been released.

“[I’m] just absolutely thrilled to see the news that AstraZeneca is coming here,” said former AstraZeneca executive Mark Esser, leader of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology at the . “Obviously, many friends and colleagues [work] there, so I look forward to welcoming them to Albemarle County and having them visit the University of Virginia.”

Meanwhile, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly & Co. announced in February that it plans to bolster production by building four new pharmaceutical manufacturing sites in the United States. The move brings the company’s total U.S. capital expansion commitments to more than $50 billion since 2020.

The company stated that three of the sites will focus on manufacturing active pharmaceutical ingredients and strengthening the supply chain. At the same time, the fourth will expand the company’s global parenteral manufacturing network for future injectable therapies. The company did not specify the locations of these four sites, but stated that the facilities would collectively create more than 3,000 jobs.

Eli Lilly would not confirm its choice to locate in Goochland, with a spokesperson issuing this statement: “Lilly is actively evaluating manufacturing site locations throughout the U.S. to expand capacity to meet the growing demand for our current and future pipeline medicines across multiple therapeutic areas. Any future decisions will be shared at the appropriate time.”

AstraZeneca and Albemarle and Goochland county officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

Esser said he didn’t have all the details as to why AstraZeneca chose Albemarle, adding that he first heard about the project’s location from news reports. However, likely factors in the site location decision, he said, were the county’s proximity to U.Va. and its researchers, engineers, and physicians.

“It has a strong scientific base here of talent from engineers and scientists and other biomedical researchers that are ideal for these sort of facilities,” he said. “I think commercially, it’s an entrepreneurial environment here. There’s a lot of growth. And I think support from the state is a huge part of it, too.”

He said he hopes to foster partnerships and research collaborations between the Manning Institute and AstraZeneca, and said AstraZeneca could provide learning and workforce development opportunities for U.Va. students. He views the company’s potential investment in Albemarle as a significant development for that will put the Charlottesville region “on the map” as a major pharma hub.

“I think there’s a strong talent pipeline here in Virginia that, in my opinion, has somewhat been untapped by the pharmaceutical industry,” he said.

Headquartered in Cambridge, England, AstraZeneca is an S&P Global 100 company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines in oncology, rare diseases and biopharmaceuticals, including cardiovascular, renal, metabolism, respiratory and immunology. Its largest market is the U.S., home to 19 of the company’s R&D, manufacturing and commercial sites. AstraZeneca employs about 90,000 workers worldwide, including more than 18,000 in the United States. It reported 2024 revenue of $54.073 billion.

An S&P 100 company, Eli Lilly has manufacturing plants in 9 countries and products marketed in approximately 95 countries. The company employs about 49,000 people worldwide and posted $45.04 billion in revenue last year.