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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Tuesday, May 4, 2021:
Former members of the Charlottesville commission tasked with re-envisioning the city’s controversial Confederate monuments are asking the city council to immediately cover them pending their removal. The Charlottesville City Council launched the Blue Ribbon Commission in 2016. Most members recommended keeping the statues in place, but adding context to tell a fuller story. The city council ultimately voted in 2017 to relocate the Robert E. Lee statue. The deadly “Unite the Right” rally followed in August. Last month, the Supreme Court of Virginia sided with the city, clearing the way for the statue’s removal.
A task force working on creating a civilian review board in Richmond for police misconduct is looking for public input. The group plans to hold a series of town halls in the coming months.
Richmond Public Schools will be holding in-person graduations this spring, thanks to a drop in COVID-19 cases and an increase in vaccination rates. The ceremonies will be held outdoors in mid-June. Exact dates and venues are still being determined. Mask requirements, social distancing, temperature checks and other health precautions will be in place. A live broadcast will be available for families who prefer to celebrate remotely.
After months of marching on campus, adjunct professors at Virginia Commonwealth University formed a union last week. Days later, the university introduced a new policy for how workers are classified. Adjuncts say the change may lead to layoffs.
City of Richmond and state officials announced a partnership yesterday with Aditx Therapeutics. Gov. Ralph Northam spoke about the collaboration, which is set to start later this year. The technology Aditxt has developed can monitor individuals’ immune systems to find what people are susceptible to, including COVID-19. Today’s is the second biotech jobs announcement the city has made in as many weeks.
- Earlier this year, a federal judge granted the Trump administration’s request to dismiss Attorney General Mark Herring’s lawsuit to recognize the Equal Rights Amendment. On Monday, Herring, along with attorneys general in Nevada and Illinois announced they’re appealing that decision. ERA supporters say the amendment took effect in January 2020, when Virginia became the 38th and final state needed to ratify it. Opponents say the deadline to add the amendment to the U.S. Constitution has long passed.
