By Sarah Roderick-Fitch

(The Center Square) – Virginia is the second state in as many days to ban the artificial intelligence app DeepSeek on state devices and state-run networks.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued Executive Order 46, citing security threats against Virginians.

“China’s DeepSeek AI poses a threat to the security and safety of the citizens of the commonwealth of Virginia,” said Youngkin. “We must continue to take steps to safeguard our operations and information from the Chinese Communist Party. This executive order is an important part of that undertaking.”

The order directs that no commonwealth employees shall download or use the DeepSeek app on any government-issued devices, which includes cellphones and laptops. In addition, it prohibits downloading or accessing the app on commonwealth networks.

Youngkin’s order states that the order is integral to safeguarding information technology that may contain vital data, including personally identifiable information, tax data, health records and intellectual property.

The governor’s latest action follows a December 2022 executive order that banned any applications developed by ByteDance Limited or Tencent Holdings Limited or any visit to the TikTok or the WeChat website on any government-issued devices.

DeepSeek, created by a research lab owned by a Chinese hedge fund, has raised concerns about ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Youngkin cited an analysis from security experts that say DeepSeek “lacks robust security measures making it susceptible to ‘jailbreaking’ attacks,’” which means users “can get around” security measures and “ethical guardrails in place on the chatbot.”

In tests, Cisco Systems said the model failed to block harmful prompts, which resulted in a 100% attack rate, making it vulnerable to exploitation, which can “generate malicious content.”

Youngkin’s executive action follows an order by Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul banning the app Monday, citing connections to the Chinese government’s surveillance and censorship programs that could be used to harvest sensitive data.

(The Center Square) – Changing the name of Dulles International Airport to Donald J. Trump International Airport has been proposed by freshman Congressman Addison McDowell, a Republican from North Carolina.

Rep. McDowell, 31, who represents the 6th Congressional District, introduced the bill alongside Reps. Brian Jack (R-Ga.), Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), Brandon Gill (R-Texas), and Guy Resand Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.).

“It is only right that the two airports servicing our nation’s capital are duly honored and respected by two of the best presidents to have the honor of serving our great nation,” McDowell said.

Dulles International and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport are the primary airports serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Dulles is named after John Foster Dulles, secretary of state under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. The airport, originally constructed for $108.3 million on 10,000 acres in Loudoun and Fairfax counties, was dedicated on November 17, 1962. An additional 830 acres were acquired 20 years ago. More than 26 million passengers used Dulles in the 12 months ending in November, according to the latest available statistics.

Jack, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, stated that the effort aims to counter what he described as attempts to “cancel” President Trump during his post-presidency. “This legislation will cement his status in our nation’s capital as our fearless commander-in-chief, extraordinary leader, and relentless champion for the American people,” added Reschenthaler in a release from McDowell’s office.

Reagan National Airport, smaller than Dulles with 58 gates compared to 113, is located on 860 acres in Virginia. It originally opened in 1941 as National Airport. In 1998, President Bill Clinton signed legislation authored by Sen. Paul Coverdell (R-Ga.) to rename the airport in honor of President Ronald Reagan. Reagan National also served over 26 million passengers in the same 12-month period ending in November. Together, Dulles and Reagan National airports handled a combined total of 53.1 million passengers during that time, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

By Sarah Roderick Fitch

(The Center Square) – Three amendments are one step closer to being enshrined in the Virginia Constitution after passing the Senate on Tuesday. These amendments address abortion rights, marriage equality, and the restoration of voting rights for formerly incarcerated felons.

The resolutions on abortion and voting rights passed along party lines, while the marriage equality resolution received bipartisan support with a 24-15 vote. Democrats currently hold a 21-19 majority in the Senate for the four-year terms through December 2027.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin cannot veto constitutional amendments. The process requires these amendments to be approved twice over two years, with a legislative election in between. If approved again, the proposed amendments will appear on the 2026 ballot for voters’ consideration.

The abortion amendment aims to protect reproductive freedom in Virginia. It ensures individuals have the right to make decisions about prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion, miscarriage management, and fertility care. Republicans proposed amendments to the resolution, including parental consent for minors and a clause guaranteeing a baby’s rights if born alive. These proposals failed.

The second amendment pertains to restoring voting rights for individuals convicted of felonies. According to the amendment, “A person who has been convicted of a felony shall not be entitled to vote during any period of incarceration for such felony conviction, but upon release from incarceration for that felony conviction and without further action required of him, such person shall be invested with all political rights, including the right to vote.” This represents a shift from the current system, which requires the governor or another authority to restore voting rights.

The third amendment would define marriage as a union between “two adult persons” and repeal the prohibition on same-sex marriage. The amendment further states, “The amendment prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from denying the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.” The resolution repeals outdated constitutional provisions invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision.

Senate Republicans criticized the votes and referenced comments made by former Gov. Ralph Northam in 2019 regarding infanticide. The Virginia Senate GOP stated in a post on X, “Today, EVERY SINGLE Democrat in the Virginia Senate voted to reject an amendment that would guarantee a baby’s rights to life if born ALIVE…It wasn’t a gaffe, it was the groundwork to where we are today.”

Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell, D-Mount Vernon, celebrated the passage of the resolutions, saying, “Senate Democrats ran on codifying Roe v. Wade, affirming marriage equality, and excising Jim Crow from the Constitution of Virginia, and today we delivered. This starts the process of giving Virginia voters a chance to affirm cherished rights.”