| Dear friends and citizens, And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Book 42, Luke 2:08-14 Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah from the Board of The Virginia Council. Sincerely,  Will McGurn Interim President, The Virginia Council  Buffet dinner begins at 5:30 PM. Can’t make dinner? Join us for the speakers and book signing at 6:15 PM. Space is limited—please RSVP to save your seat. Optional buffet dinner includes an appetizer, 3 entrees, rolls, dessert and soft drink for $32.50 which includes tax and gratuity. Please RSVP here Virginia Government updates: Youngkin pitches final budget, touts strong revenues as he prepares to leave office • Virginia Mercury By Markus Schmidt Youngkin Budget Proposes Partial State Deduction for Tips, OT | Bacon's Rebellion - By Steve Haner Gov.-elect Spanberger outlines energy priorities with focus on efficiency, battery storage • Virginia Mercury By Shannon Heckt Spanberger wants more electricity generation; former Gov. McAuliffe says natural gas is a short-term fix By Brad Kutner Exclusive: Former Virginia Dem Finance Chair Charged with Distributing Child Porn | National Review By Audrey Fahlberg Wittman, Spanberger clash over redistricting in Va. delegation meeting By John Bresnahan & Ally Mutnick Affordability is an easy campaign slogan. It's harder to accomplish. Here's why. - Cardinal News By Dwayne Yancey Youngkin unveils Safe Kids, Strong Families roadmap to reform Virginia child welfare By Heather Olinger Virginia unemployment drops but workforce also shrinks - Axios Richmond By Karri Peifer Virginia's right-to-work laws challenged by state senator's new bill By Nick Minock Virginia Democrats aim to reenter elections data-sharing partnership known as ERIC By Dave Cantor America First Legal Stands with the Trump Administration, Continues Fight to End Unlawful Bathroom and Locker Room Policies in Northern Virginia - America First Legal Virginia is changing the way it rates K-12 schools, at Youngkin's direction. Most will be failing as a result - Axios Richmond By Karri Peifer Amendment Battle Briefing The Family Foundation with Victoria Cobb discuss Gerrymandering, Marriage, & Abortion amendments 5 implications of the cannabis bill taking shape in Virginia, one for each leaf on the plant - Cardinal News By Dwayne Yancey Yes, Virginia. You elected Santa Claus. By Joe Thomas  Articles, News, & Quotes: Nine localities account for more than half of Virginia’s gun-related homicides: report | WRIC ABC 8News By Tyler Englander Illegal El Salvadoran immigrant arrested after man found shot to death in Reston home By Jessica James & Tom Roussey A Soros-Backed DA Just Let a Violent Illegal Walk Free – Hours Later, There's a Murder Investigation – RedState By Teri Cristoph (3) Tim Anderson on X: "If reports are true that Abigail Spanberger is considering the Fairfax County Sheriff for a senior state-police role, that alone should alarm every Virginian. Under Sheriff Kincaid’s leadership, Fairfax’s sanctuary policies resulted in the release of a repeat violent offender — https://t.co/qD0pjO54rN" / X Democrats Tim Kaine and Mark Warner broke America's Healthcare System. Republicans are fixing it - Red Virginia News - The Greatest Republican Leaning Newspaper in Virginia By RVN Staff University of Virginia names Scott C. Beardsley as the University’s 10th president By Brian Coy University of Virginia faces backlash over race agreement By Scott Douglas Gerber THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE COORDINATED EFFORT TO DELEGITIMIZE AND INTIMIDATE THE UVA BOARD OF VISITORS — The Jefferson Council Trump changes to student loans, demographic cliff to impact Virginia college enrollment | WVTF By Brad Kutner Prosecutors drop charges against Virginia Beach assistant principal, brother in alleged ICE plot | 13newsnow.com By Taylor Brokesh, Kathleen Lundy, Leila Cox, Christopher Collette (15) Steve Guest on X: "THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD. "It’s no coincidence that most of the states with the highest prices also have the most ambitious decarbonization mandates." "Symbolic climate gestures please activists, but they become a political liability when the bills come due." https://t.co/rzTKbVpId6" / X Isle of Wight man sentenced to 8 years after FBI seize historic stockpile of explosives | 13newsnow.com By Christopher Collette & Tracy Cooper Fewer Amtrak trains means future progress as a bevy of projects get underway in Virginia By Benton Graham History & Tradition  America 250 – The White House Under the President’s leadership, the Salute to America 250 Task Force (“Task Force 250”) has commenced the planning of a full year of festivities to officially launch on Memorial Day, 2025 and continue through July 4th, 2026. Trump Announces How America Will Celebrate 250th Birthday By Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell Will Amtrak Let The American Freedom Train Roll? By Jeffrey H. Anderson No, the “Appeal to Heaven” Flag is Not a “Christian Nationalist Flag” – JONATHAN TURLEY Rail With Trail — Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District Sign the Statement of Support to Preserve the Manassas Gap Railroad! Amid lawmaker concerns, Va. transportation board to consider rail and trail plan in January • Virginia Mercury By Markus Schmidt Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation positioned to lead Shenandoah rail-trail under new state proposal | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com By Ryan Fitzmaurice HHS Moves To Defund Hospitals Pushing 'Gender Transition' By Breccan F. Thies Norfolk was burned, the only American city destroyed during the revolution; 250 years later, controversy remains over who ordered its destruction - Cardinal News By Randy Walker VMHC Monthly Events Template 2026 Marshall Scholar Lecture Pursuit of Liberty: How Hamilton vs. Jefferson Ignited the Lasting Battle Over Power in America Wednesday, January 21, at 5:30 PM Colonel Henry Knox to George Washington, 17 December 1775 Henry Knox writes to report he has successfully moved the captured Ticonderoga artillery across Lake Champlain. He has prepared 42 sleds and secured 80 yoke of oxen. If the snow holds, Knox believes he can present Washington with a “noble train of artillery” within weeks. The Story of America: The Culper Spy Ring – The White House The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Liberty  Removal Roadmap: How States Can Fuel Immigration Enforcement | State Model Policy | Homeland Security By Cooper Smith & Tony H. Pham The Left Doesn't Believe in the Constitutional Order By David Harsanyi "Offensive To Decency": Supreme Court Won't Hear Free Speech Case Over Vanity Plate | ZeroHedge By Matthew Vadum Will the use of license plate readers in Virginia expand in 2026? | WVTF By Michael Pope Wisconsin Supreme Court backs Catholic Charities' tax exemption By Jessie Opoien Court Upholds Prof's Right To Make Fun Of Land Acknowledgments By Breccan F. Thies Citizens vs. Foreigners: A Saint's Perspective By Imperator Are Religious Charter Schools Constitutional? By Ilya Shapiro Twisted History  The Left's Crusade Against Statues Is About Destroying America By Hayden Daniel U.S. Capitol unveils Barbara Rose Johns statue, replacing Robert E. Lee - UPI.com By Darryl Coote Help us to stop the further destruction and degradation of our historic past today! Help us fight for an honest, legal process to determine the fate of these historic pieces of art from Richmond. Decisions made by the mob are not a democratic process, but tyrannical. There have been some victories, but Virginia's monuments and history are still at risk of being erased. PLEASE DONATE HERE Announcing The Virginia Council membership reward program. Sign up today on our website for the various levels of support!" Freedom Member level: Simple membership is free when you sign up for our email newsletter or attend a monthly meeting. Liberty level: For an annual contribution of $100 you get the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings and a commemorative Virginia Council lapel pin. Patriot level: When you step up to make an annual contribution of $250 you receive first access to tickets to our annual Christmas and Patriot Parties, the commemorative Virginia Council pin, and the newsletter and monthly meeting access. President's Council level: For a commitment of $1000 you receive the newsletter, access to our monthly meetings, 2 lapel pins, 2 invitations to both of our annual parties, and 2 VIP tickets to one Virginia Forum lecture of your choice. We hope you'll find these rewards an added incentive to help fund our efforts to restore a full view of Virginia's history, monuments & role that government plays in our lives. We appreciate all your support and encouragement and look forward to bringing you more compelling voices of liberty, freedom, and conscience over the next year. To become a Liberty, Patriot, or President's Council member, please make a contribution here. To volunteer, click here. The Executive Board of the Virginia Council If you are interested in donating appreciated securities, we now have an account to make it easy for you (see the information below). Contact us HERE for more details.  The Virginia Council Preserving Virginia’s history and creating a more prosperous future for all Virginians. Stay Hopeful. Stay Connected. P. O. Box 5 Manakin-Sabot, VA 23103, United States |
