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Virginia governor restores voting rights to over 22,000 felons

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam

Gov. Ralph Northam used his executive authority to restore voting rights for felons, noting that Virginia is among the states that permanently strips such rights after a felony conviction.

Zach Gibson/Getty Images

More than 22,000 Virginians with felony convictions have regained the right to vote thanks to executive actions taken by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam since he took office in January 2018, his office announced this week.

In a statement, Northam's office said he has so far restored the civil rights of 22,205 people who had been convicted of felonies and have since completed their sentences. Those civil rights include the right to vote as well as the right to serve on juries, run for public office and become a notary public.

Northam previously announced in February that nearly 11,000 convicted felons had their voting rights restored under his watch.


"Virginia remains one of the few states in the nation that permanently strip individuals of their civil rights after a felony conviction," Northam said in the statement. "I'm proud to use my executive clemency power to restore those rights to Virginians who have completed their sentences and returned to their communities seeking a second chance."

Northam's actions follow the lead set by his predecessor, Democratic Terry McAuliffe, who used his executive power to restore the voting rights of more than 200,000 convicted felons during his term.

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Pope Leo XIV’s Rebuke of U.S. Immigration Policy Is a Wake-Up Call

Pope Leo XIV says 'inhuman treatment of immigrants' in the U.S. isn't 'pro-life'

Credit: EWTN

Pope Leo XIV’s Rebuke of U.S. Immigration Policy Is a Wake-Up Call

When Pope Leo XIV spoke from Castel Gandolfo this week, he didn’t mince words. The first American-born pontiff condemned the “inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States,” challenging the moral consistency of Catholic politicians who claim to be pro-life while supporting harsh immigration policies.

“Someone who says ‘I’m against abortion’ but I’m in agreement with the inhuman treatment of immigrants in the United States, I don’t know if that’s pro-life,” Pope Leo said, in remarks that have since ricocheted across political and religious circles.

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The Roots of America’s Violence:
White Supremacy, Power, and the Struggle for Dignity
Ragiv:Charlie Kirk in Tampa July 2025 (cropped).jpg - Vükiped

The Roots of America’s Violence: White Supremacy, Power, and the Struggle for Dignity

In September 2025, activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a Utah campus event. His death was shocking — not only for its brutality, but because it showed that political violence is not just a relic of the past or a threat on the horizon. It is part of our national identity. Today’s surge in violence follows patterns we’ve seen before. Let’s take a look at that history.

When Pope Alexander VI issued the Doctrine of Discovery in 1493, he gave theological and legal cover for European conquest of lands already inhabited by indigenous people. These papal bulls declared non-Christian peoples “less than” and their lands open for seizure. This was more than a geopolitical maneuver — it embedded into the Western imagination a belief in the inherent supremacy of some over others.

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Just the Facts: $100,000 Visa Executive Order

"Just the Facts" on the new $100,000 H-1B visa fee, its impact on tech firms, startups, and healthcare, plus legal challenges and alternatives for skilled workers.

Getty Images, Popartic

Just the Facts: $100,000 Visa Executive Order

The Fulcrum strives to approach news stories with an open mind and skepticism, striving to present our readers with a broad spectrum of viewpoints through diligent research and critical thinking. As best we can, we remove personal bias from our reporting and seek a variety of perspectives in both our news gathering and selection of opinion pieces. However, before our readers can analyze varying viewpoints, they must have the facts.

What Is the $100,000 Visa Fee?

This is a new one-time $100,000 application fee for employers seeking to sponsor foreign workers under the H-1B visa program. The visa is designed for highly skilled professionals in fields like tech, medicine, and engineering.

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