Supreme Court won’t say if trans teen can pick bathroom

The Supreme Court is leaving the issue of transgender rights in schools to lower courts for now after backing out of a high-profile case Monday of a Virginia high school student who sued to be able to use the boys’ bathroom. The court’s order in the case of teenager Gavin Grimm means that attention now will turn to lower courts around the country that are grappling with rights of transgender students to use school bathrooms that correspond to their chosen gender, not the one assigned at birth.

Advocate group rallies to City Council for sanctuary status in Richmond

For the second time in two weeks, a group of people gathered on Broad Street to once again ask Richmond to declare itself a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, Muslims and African Americans. Among their requests, they want Richmond Sheriff CT Woody to not let Immigration and Customs Enforcement into the jail without a warrant signed by a judge.

Virginia set to execute man convicted in family’s slaying

This undated photo provided by the Virginia Department of Corrections shows convicted murderer Ricky Gray who is scheduled to be executed Wednesday evening, Jan. 18, 2017, at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Va. Gray is scheduled to be put to death for the murders of 9-year-old Stella Harvey and 4-year-old sister, Ruby, as well as their parents Bryan and Kathryn Harvey in 2006.

Absentee voting extended to 2 p.m. Monday in special election for McEachin’s seat

Because of Saturday’s snowstorm, the commissioner of Virginia’s Department of Elections has extended until 2 p.m. Monday the deadline to vote absentee in person in Tuesday’s three special elections. The elections, coming a day before the General Assembly session begins, will fill the seats of three former legislators who were sworn in last week as members of Congress – Reps.