From here, here, here, and here.

The party nomination elections have completed. Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day. We have entered The Dog Days of Summer (almanac.com), that slow less hectic time when we take it easy, watch things grow, enjoy our summer vacations, and welcome cooling thunderstorms.

Still, the candidates lurk about, seek attention, and strive to energize their campaigns. So here is what is in the news.

• Conservative African American Candidates Contend in State, Local Elections (11 Jul, stream.org)
• Republicans’ quick end to special session on guns draws ire of Prince William Democrats (11 Jul, princewilliamtimes.com): Democrats will apparently try to make gun control an issue in the upcoming elections.
• Virginia Lawmakers Pass On Red Flag Law, Despite GOP Support In Other States (10 Jul, ideastations.org): Includes a discussion of Red Flag Laws. Basic problem with such laws is an assumption of guilt and the lack of due process. Scary if the courts call this sort of thing constitutional.
• Former U.S. Rep. Scott Taylor announces bid to unseat Sen. Mark Warner (9 Jul, starexponent.com): This is for the election in 2020, of course.
• Prince William schools hires first ombudsman (2 Jul, insidenova.com): Prince William schools created another position in the bureaucracy. Necessary?
• Muslim-American Virginia state Senate candidate Qasim Rashid says he’s not scared by ‘lynching’ threat (2 Jul, abcnews.go.com): The threat appears to have backfired and secured Rashid a relatively huge amount of free publicity.
• Supervisors approve pared-down, $396 million bond referendum after a contentious debate (1 Jul, princewilliamtimes.com): More details on the bond referendum.
• Adele Jackson Announces her Candidacy to Be Brentsville School Board Member (1 Jul, bristowbeat.com): Another candidate has entered the races.
• Va. lawmakers debate which projects are worth funding (26 Jun, wtop.com): The outgoing Board of Supervisors has seen to it that we will see a couple of complicated bond referendum on an already complex ballot. There are two obvious issues with road bonds. The state of Virginia is responsible for road construction, but is slow to spend money. Is the need for these projects great enough to justify increasing the county’s debt? Are the roads for developers or people already in the county?
• Coonman Strikes Back: Northam Funds Push-Poll Against African American GOP Candidate (26 Jun, therepublicanstandard.com):  Our governor seems to have survived calls for his resignation.
• 5 years after its Rural Preservation Study was completed, Prince William County moves forward (25 Jun, localdvm.com): Because lots of money is involved, this tends to be a highly contentious issue.
• Supervisors’ split on LGBTQ Pride Month reveals political divisions (19 Jun, princewilliamtimes.com): Here is an example of the government getting into issues where it is not needed. Why does the Board of Supervisors need to approve perverse sexual practices?
• Prince William County Proclaims June 2019 LGBTQM Month (19 Jun, bristowbeat.com): Another example of a news media that pushes this nonsense. How many of you know with the Q and the M stand for? Before they voted for this resolution last year, the supervisor submitting the resolution didn’t know.
• I’m Running Against An Anti-LGBTQI+Zealot (19 Jun, dailykos.com): Here voters will have to decide who is a zealot and who is not.
• Prince William supervisors recognize Pride Month (18 Jun, insidenova.com): The Board of Supervisors once again showed its approval of demonstrably unhealthy and unethical behavior. Why? Supposedly, because of some of them care?
• Fresh faces flood ballot for supervisor in Prince William County (13 Jun, insidenova.com): This article makes the point that we are going to see lots of people we have never heard of before on the ballot.