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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Aug. 19, 2025:
Norfolk-based USS Iwo Jima now heading to Caribbean, South America
Reported by WHRO News’ Steve Walsh
Days after departing for the Sixth Fleet area of operation, which includes Europe and Africa, the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is now headed to the Caribbean and South America.
First reported by CNN, WHRO confirmed that the maneuver is part of a show of force by the President Donald Trump’s administration. The 4,500 sailors and Marines will be part of a drug interdiction mission run by the U.S. Southern Command.
Before leaving Norfolk on Thursday, Marine Corps Col. Tom Trimble, commander of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, said the Marines have trained to be flexible.
The Amphibious Ready Group includes USS Iwo Jima and two San Antonio–class amphibious transport dock ships, the USS San Antonio and the USS Fort Lauderdale. The ships carry troops from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit based at Camp Lejeune and a contingent of Harrier jump jets.
Students, faculty, lawmakers call for a more transparent board at UVA
Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly
Virginia state Sen. Creigh Deeds (D–Charlottesville) recently sent a detailed letter with nearly 50 questions to Rector Rachel Sheridan and Vice Rector Porter Wilkinson, including questions about the potential involvement of board members in pressuring Ryan to step down.
“I’m just trying to get some answers,” Deeds told VPM News in a recent interview. “Two of the big jobs of the Board of Visitors of any school are to protect the university and protect the president from outside pressure. And I don’t think that happened here.”
On Aug. 6, a coalition of staff, faculty and students held a press conference to draw attention to what they call a lack of transparency on the board’s part — and a lack of willingness to collaborate on the presidential search.
Adam Barnes, an executive committee member at UVA’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said the lack of transparency related to Ryan’s ouster “gives us pause as to what constraints – either real or perceived – fall upon the incoming president.”
News you might have missed from around the commonwealth:
- On one of America’s most diverse streets, documenting life for decades (The Washington Post)*
- Augusta Health assessment shows a community in need of healthier lifestyles (The Daily Progress)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
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