Latest news with #GlennYoungkin
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Miami Herald
New Seat Belt Law To Impact 7 Million Americans
Millions of people in Virginia will be mandated to wear seat belts no matter where they are sat in a vehicle from next month. The legislation, signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in March, requires everyone to wear a seat belts even if they are sat in the back seats of a motor vehicle from July 1. Virginia previously only required passengers in the front two seats and children to buckle up. Newsweek contacted Youngkin's office for comment by email outside of regular working hours. Virginia ranked last for seat belt usage among U.S. states in a 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Only 73.2 percent of people in Virginia used seat belts in 2023, which was the state's lowest recorded percentage since 2016. The new legislation states that any driver or passenger at least 18 years of age will have to wear the "appropriate safety belt system at all times while the motor vehicle is in motion on any public highway." The law affects around 6.9 million people in the state. A few exemptions exist, including when a licensed physician determines that the use of a seat belt for a patient would be "impractical by reason of such person's physical condition or other medical reason." Law-enforcement officers who are transporting people in custody or "traveling in circumstances which render the wearing of such safety belt system impractical" will also be exempt. Rural mail carriers for the U.S. Postal Service will also be exempt when carrying out deliveries, as will taxi passengers. Any person who violates the law will have to pay a fine of 25 dollars. The new legislation, also known as the "Christopher King Seat Belt Law," was championed by Christy King, whose son was killed in a car crash shortly after graduating high school. The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website: "Effective July 1, 2025, Virginia law requires all occupants of motor vehicles to be restrained by a seat belt, regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. Children under age 8 must be secured in a property child safety seat, and rear-facing child seats must still be placed in the back seat of a vehicle." Christy King wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "We are proud of our hard work in fighting for change and to see this law become a reality! The Christopher King Seat Belt Law will take effect on July 1, 2025. We love you, Christopher. Your memory & impact will live on through this important law. Buckle Up." The law comes into force on July 1, and all adults over the age of 18 bar of few exceptions will be required to wear seat belts or risk facing penalty charges. Related Articles America's Second Largest Homebuilder Sees House Prices PlungeFlorida Tax Changes Explained As $115-Billion Budget PassedTexas Man Gets First US Robotic Heart Transplant 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Automotive
- Newsweek
New Seat Belt Law To Impact 7 Million Americans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Millions of people in Virginia will be mandated to wear seat belts no matter where they are sat in a vehicle from next month. The legislation, signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in March, requires everyone to wear a seat belts even if they are sat in the back seats of a motor vehicle from July 1. Virginia previously only required passengers in the front two seats and children to buckle up. Newsweek contacted Youngkin's office for comment by email outside of regular working hours. File photo. Millions of people in Virginia will be mandated to wear seat belts no matter where they are sat in a vehicle from next month. File photo. Millions of people in Virginia will be mandated to wear seat belts no matter where they are sat in a vehicle from next month. Haydn West/Press Association via AP Why It Matters Virginia ranked last for seat belt usage among U.S. states in a 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Only 73.2 percent of people in Virginia used seat belts in 2023, which was the state's lowest recorded percentage since 2016. What To Know The new legislation states that any driver or passenger at least 18 years of age will have to wear the "appropriate safety belt system at all times while the motor vehicle is in motion on any public highway." The law affects around 6.9 million people in the state. A few exemptions exist, including when a licensed physician determines that the use of a seat belt for a patient would be "impractical by reason of such person's physical condition or other medical reason." Law-enforcement officers who are transporting people in custody or "traveling in circumstances which render the wearing of such safety belt system impractical" will also be exempt. Rural mail carriers for the U.S. Postal Service will also be exempt when carrying out deliveries, as will taxi passengers. Any person who violates the law will have to pay a fine of 25 dollars. The new legislation, also known as the "Christopher King Seat Belt Law," was championed by Christy King, whose son was killed in a car crash shortly after graduating high school. What People Are Saying The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website: "Effective July 1, 2025, Virginia law requires all occupants of motor vehicles to be restrained by a seat belt, regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. Children under age 8 must be secured in a property child safety seat, and rear-facing child seats must still be placed in the back seat of a vehicle." Christy King wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "We are proud of our hard work in fighting for change and to see this law become a reality! The Christopher King Seat Belt Law will take effect on July 1, 2025. We love you, Christopher. Your memory & impact will live on through this important law. Buckle Up." What Happens Next The law comes into force on July 1, and all adults over the age of 18 bar of few exceptions will be required to wear seat belts or risk facing penalty charges.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
ROBERT HARDMAN: Gleaming George is back in Trafalgar Square... and still standing on U.S. soil
Standing alongside the British and American flags, as the Band of the Grenadier Guards played a faultless Star-Spangled Banner, a US President received the warmest of welcomes back to a sweltering London yesterday afternoon – with not a single protester to be seen or heard. A few months short of the expected state visit of President Donald Trump, VIPs from both sides of the Atlantic had assembled in Trafalgar Square for the first warm-up event – the return of President George Washington to the plinth where he was originally erected in 1921. He is now back again, opposite Lord Nelson's column and looking spotless, too, after extensive restoration work. Unchanged, however, are the foundations beneath the statue. Since Washington had allegedly vowed never to set foot on British soil (and never did), his plinth was originally planted on a bed of imported soil from his native Virginia – and that is how he remains. Even during recent repair work, he rested on a pallet to keep him off British ground. While the rededication of the statue was certainly timely, given Mr Trump's impending arrival, the catalyst for the restoration had actually been next year's 250th anniversary of American independence. As Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin reflected at a National Gallery ceremony ahead of yesterday's unveiling, this moment was a tribute to 'the birth of our nation and the foundation of our friendship'. The phrase 'special relationship' was liberally peppered across speeches from speakers including former prime minister Baroness May and Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. The new US ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, explained: 'As George Washington reminds us, the special relationship was birthed in conflict but quickly became a beacon of light and peace.' His counterpart, Lord Mandelson, warned American visitors not to be offended if they find that their national hero does not stay looking spotless for long: 'Just remember, the pigeons only drop on the very best.' George Washington has now stood in Trafalgar Square for more than a century following the gift of the statue in 1914 – though it could not be properly erected until after the First World War. George V decided on a prime spot in Trafalgar Square, in front of the National Gallery. Back then, a huge crowd heard the welcome speech by the foreign secretary, Lord Curzon, who embraced Washington as an ancestral Brit – 'one of the greatest Englishmen who ever lived because though he fought us and vanquished us, he was fighting for ideals and principles which were as sacred to us as they were to the American people.' A century on, a number of concerned Americans, led by Virginian businessman John Gerber, had noticed that Washington was looking rather forlorn. The mundane words on his Portland Stone plinth – 'Presented To The People Of Great Britain And Ireland By The Commonwealth Of Virginia 1921' – were barely legible. Passers-by had no idea who he was. Moved by Curzon's words, the Friends of the Washington Statue set to work and, yesterday, the great man reappeared from beneath a huge velvet drape, complete with new inscriptions around the base: 'Rededicated In Honour Of Enduring Friendship 2025'; 'To Our Common Ideals And Principles'; and 'To Our Common Sacrifices'. As for Washington's alleged allergy to British soil, Mr Gerber acknowledged that 'it was probably never said, but it's a good story'. Nonetheless, Governor Youngkin and his wife, Suzanne, had flown in with some unusual luggage – a cannister of fresh Virginian soil to sprinkle around the base.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Ditching Aukus would harm US, close ally tells Trump
A close ally of Donald Trump has urged the US president not to ditch the Aukus programme after the Pentagon said it was reviewing collaboration on submarines with the UK and Australia. Glenn Youngkin, the Republican governor of Virginia, said he hoped shipbuilders in his state would 'have a chance' to continue to 'build for our allies' and played down the chance of the project being scrapped. The Pentagon is currently reviewing Aukus, a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the UK and the US, involving collaboration on submarines, AI and quantum technology that is worth £176 billion over 30 years. The programme was previously considered a pillar of Washington security policy, but came under review shortly after Mr Trump took office in January. The US government was examining it as 'part of ensuring that this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the president's 'America first' agenda', a Pentagon official confirmed last week. But Sir Keir Starmer said at the G7 summit in Canada earlier this week that he did not have 'any doubt' that Aukus would 'progress'. Mr Youngkin, who visited London on Wednesday for a ceremony to unveil a restored statue of George Washington in Trafalgar Square, acknowledged that ending the programme would harm shipbuilders in his state. 'Our militaries have not only integrated and executed very well together over centuries, but I also believe that the sharing of technology has been really important,' he told The Telegraph. Newport News Shipbuilding, a company in Virginia, is involved in manufacturing submarines for the project, while Lockheed Martin, which builds the missiles used by the submarines, has a major site in the state's city of Manassas. 'We build a lot of submarines and, in fact, build a part of every submarine in the US military,' he said. 'We, of course, would like to be able to build more submarines, and so I hope we have a chance to do so.' He added that while 'long-standing policies occasionally have to be reviewed', the latest assessment of Aukus was 'just a matter of stepping back and looking at shipbuilding capacity'. Mr Youngkin, tipped as a future presidential contender, shocked political observers when he won the 2021 gubernatorial race in Virginia - a state Joe Biden won in the previous year's presidential election. In the 2024 presidential race, he acted as a surrogate for the Trump campaign in the state, although it was won by a 5.8 per cent margin by Kamala Harris. The Aukus programme has become a major part of the 'special relationship' between the UK and US since it was announced by Mr Biden and Boris Johnson in 2021. It is designed to boost Western power in the Indo-Pacific region and contains two 'pillars', the first of which is to help Australia obtain nuclear-powered attack submarines. The three countries announced in 2023 that a new nuclear-powered submarine class would be built in the UK and Australia, while the US will sell Australia three second-hand Virginia-class submarines in the early 2030s. The second pillar of the agreement allows for collaboration between the three countries on six technologies, including AI, quantum computing, hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare. However, the idea has previously been opposed by Elbridge Colby, a senior Pentagon official appointed by Mr Trump, who said that the US should not give away 'crown jewel assets' like nuclear submarines. Mr Colby is leading the review to ensure that all Pentagon-backed programmes are aligned with Mr Trump's 'America First' policy. Mr Youngkin also told The Telegraph that the UK's unwillingness to directly defend Israel from Iranian attacks would not damage its relationship with the US. 'There is a recognition that the actions that right now are resulting in real violence around the world need to be resolved, and the way they're going to be resolved is through strength,' he said. 'I'm hopeful that President Trump's urging of everyone coming to the table and settling this is clear, but also the fact that the UK…while it has taken a different tone, is still very much one of our closest allies.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Potential Youngkin successor focused on message in tough race to keep swing-state 'red'
EXCLUSIVE: Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was officially named the Republican Party's gubernatorial nominee on Tuesday evening, and during an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, she described herself as "not a very conventional candidate." She said her goal is to reach voters across the political spectrum while working to keep Virginia's historic state capitol – America's oldest – under Republican leadership. She also spoke about her personal story and policy platform, and why they both resonate with voters. Earle-Sears was asked about governing at a time when there is uncertainty and tension both at home and abroad. "When it comes to safety and security, is that not the first real role of the political leader?" she told Fox News Digital. "It is to ensure that everybody is safe [because] we can't talk about economic development, we can't talk about education, we cannot talk about energy, we can't talk about affordable housing, if you're not safe and secure." Virginia Republicans Pick Radio Host To Run Alongside Winsome Sears In Race To Replace Youngkin Read On The Fox News App "[I]f you want to protest, of course. You must exercise your right to protest. But you must do it safely, and you must not threaten others." During her speech at the Hippodrome Theater in Richmond's Jackson Ward, Earle-Sears said she is confident in her quest to keep Richmond in Republican hands. Part of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's successful strategy in 2021 was to run up votes in Republican-friendly areas in southwest Virginia, where people also identified with President Donald Trump's message of the "forgotten man and woman." Earle-Sears pointed out that in some parts of the region, residents live closer to as many as six other state capitals than their own – and often feel politicians show up during election season, then disappear. Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger Releases First Ad, Slams 'Political Nonsense' In that regard, Earle-Sears pledged her first act as governor would be to open a "second" governor's office in the Old Dominion's rural western expanse. That move, she said, is part of a larger message that needs to be spoken of more in politics. "Everybody wants to be heard," she said. "I made a promise that I would not be one of those kinds of politicians." Conversely, she said, people in blue areas like the Washington, D.C., suburbs also have the right to hear a conservative message and have leaders from all sides responsive to them. "I mean, I look like the kind of people who really do normally vote Democratic, and I'm not. And so I'm appealing to all voters. "My message is a common-sense message that no matter where you came from in life, no matter what color you are, no matter what country you came from, when you came to America and you tried and here you are succeeding, that's what we need." During her speech, she spoke of how her father brought her to the U.S. as a young girl, landing in New York with $1.75 to his name – and how then her father could likely never imagine his daughter in one generation would be primed for a state's highest office. "Here I stand, second-in-command in the former capital of the Confederacy," Earle-Sears said. "Don't tell me America hasn't changed." She also issued a warning to her Democratic opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va. The GOP nominee, currently behind Spanberger by low-single-digits, used the idiom of a car traveling down the road and the driver looking in their side mirror and reading the sticker: "Objects are closer than they appear." Spanberger held a separate event Monday at her high school alma mater in Henrico County, with a crowd of about 400, according to reports. Fox News Digital had reached out to the Spanberger campaign ahead of Election Day as well. At Tucker High School, Spanberger said being back reminded her "why this fight is worth fighting." "I was lucky to have amazing opportunities here. I was lucky to have educators who cared deeply about the future of their students. I was lucky. And now, I want to make sure that every student, every family, and every community in Virginia has those same opportunities…" Spanberger said. State Sen. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Short Pump, who also spoke, called Spanberger a "Henrico Hometown Hero."Original article source: Potential Youngkin successor focused on message in tough race to keep swing-state 'red'
