Virginia is a hub for national security operations and home to more than two dozen military bases, increasing the influence of the defense industry as a heavy hitter among the nation’s policy priorities. state. Northern Virginia is home to the Pentagon, CIA and Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
Virginia has long been a Republican stronghold for presidential candidates, bolstered by predominantly white and conservative voters. But Northern Virginia’s continued population growth helped give Democrats a political edge. In 2008, Barack Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win the state in four decades. Since then, the party has flipped several GOP-controlled congressional seats in Northern Virginia and expanded its reach to outlying communities like Spotsylvania County.
What’s new
Warner, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the panel was “closely monitoring” an alleged cybersecurity breach after Chinese hackers penetrated the email networks of 25 organizations, including an unspecified one. number of government agencies, according to Microsoft, whose products are targeted.
Tuna throwback
In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner published a video tutorial preparing a tuna melt sandwich by tossing thick globs of mayonnaise on two pieces of white bread dipped in can-juice. The video went viral and prompted scathing observations from colleagues about the sandwich-to-mayo ratio and his deliberate move to not drain the can of tuna. “Mark, we need to talk,” tweeted former California Sen. Kamala Harris. “Call. Please.”
