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: Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivered the final State of the Commonwealth address of his term Monday after a delayed start to the 2025 General Assembly session, urging the state legislature to “keep Virginia winning” with bills it passes this year.

The governor began his speech by recounting how his administration and the General Assembly have delivered on priorities and policies that have made Virginia stronger.

“In our three years together, we have built strong pillars that support a winning Virginia,” Youngkin said, listing record funding in education and learning loss recovery efforts, $5 billion in tax relief, streamlining “50,000 regulations” as some of their chief accomplishments.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine released a statement Dec.19 following a classified briefing at the Capitol from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice, and the FBI regarding the ongoing investigation into the unexplained drone sightings in Virginia.

While we appreciate the agencies taking the time to update us on the situation, this briefing was insufficient and unsatisfactory. It has been more than a year since these sightings over key military facilities in Virginia and the lack of answers about the nature, intent, and origin of these incidents is completely unacceptable. The safety of Virginians remains our top priority, and we are determined to continue pressing for additional details as well as greater coordination with state and local officials. We will be staying in close contact with the relevant federal and state agencies to ensure that these concerns are pursued vigorously.

In a virtual press conference on Dec. 18, held several hours before the classified briefing, Warner said he was frustrated by the lack of information flow, stating “I would love to say ‘don’t worry’- but it’s all classified.”

Kaine said he expected clear answers from the briefing, or he would “hold people accountable.”

Virginia State Police (VSP) reported the Virginia Fusion Center (VFC) had received over 150 tips about drone activity in the month of December. 

“We encourage anyone that witnesses a drone flying over critical infrastructure, such as energy installations, or military sites, to contact the VFC,” said VSP Special Agent D. Robinson. “This will enable us to work with our partners to determine exactly what is occurring, and how to move forward.”

Citizens can report suspicious drone activity to VFC by email.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires drones are to remain in sight of either the operator or a visual observer with a maximum allowable altitude of 400 feet unless waived by federal regulators.  Shooting at a drone is illegal.

Virginia state law prohibits flying drones within 50 feet of a residence without federal authority. VFC’s Shield Program has released an All Sectors Bulletin – UAV Assessment with more information on drones.  

On December 11, 2024, the Stafford County Sheriff’s Department received reportings of drone activities and is working with federal authorities to investigate further. No neighboring counties reported sightings that day. 

From July to September 2024, the FAA reported 405 drone sightings, including nine in Virginia. In a telephone press conference, representatives from several government agencies said drone sightings in New Jersey on November 18 prompted a tip line that received over 5,000 reports of which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said less than 100 were credible. Many of the reports overlapped with flight paths to major airports in New Jersey and New York and may have simply been manned aircraft. There are over 1 million unmanned aircraft devices in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed drones have been sighted over bases for “quite some time now.” Officials said there was no evidence or indication of any foreign actors, but added “I just got to simply tell you I don’t know.” The operators and origins of these drones remain unsupervised and have generally not been able to identify the operators or origin of these unmanned drones.

With the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on the horizon, Northern Virginia’s federal workforce and contractors brace for potential downsizing as the incoming administration targets redundancies and inefficiencies in government operations.

DOGE, a proposed federal agency designed to streamline government operations under incoming President-Elect Donald Trump, aims to enhance transparency and reduce bureaucratic inefficiencies. Specific focus areas include modernizing outdated IT systems, consolidating overlapping agency functions, and introducing advanced data analytics to improve decision-making processes.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) marked the grand opening of Prince William County’s second Red Cross Blood Donation Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, December 9, 2024. The new facility, located at 4375 Dale Blvd in Dale City, Center Plaza, expands local blood and platelet donation options, previously limited to driving to Fairfax or participating in mobile drives.

This new facility joins the Manassas-area donation center, which opened in September at 10360 Portsmouth Road, in offering donors the choice of whole blood or platelet donations.

The availability of platelet donations at both centers is particularly significant. Platelets, essential for blood clotting, are critical for cancer patients whose treatments often inhibit their body’s ability to produce them. Without donated platelets, minor injuries could lead to life-threatening complications. “25% of the nation’s blood supply goes to cancer patients,” said Dale Kunce, CEO of the Red Cross of the National Capital and Greater Chesapeake Region.

Having a dedicated platelet collection machine eliminates separate off-site processing allowing officials to regulate the nation’s blood supply better. “By processing platelets on site, means it can get to the patient that needs it faster,” said Bethany Patterson, the local Red Cross Communications Director.

Platelet donors can donate weekly, unlike whole blood donations, which require a 56-day recovery period. This frequent donation option helps address the need for platelets, which have a much shorter shelf life than whole blood.

According to Kunce, the American Red Cross supplies roughly 40% of the nation’s blood supply and delivers blood to 60 regional medical facilities in the Northern Virginia area. In July 2024, the Red Cross sent out an emergency request for blood donations after there was a 25% drop in donations attributed to drive cancellations caused by the summer heat wave. New facilities like these allow donation drives to happen regardless of the weather which regularly affect mobile donation sites.

Local leaders joined Governor Youngkin in celebrating the facility’s opening. Neabsco District Supervisor Victor Angry expressed enthusiasm about the new center, emphasizing its role in revitalizing the older shopping center in Dale City.

“I’m very excited to see this on the east end of the county because now both east and west Prince William County have local donation centers and no longer have to drive an hour to Fairfax just to donate blood,” Angry said. He also committed to donating platelets next week at the new center.

Delegate Brianna Sewell (D- VA 22) attended the grand opening event.

Youngkin, who celebrated his 57th birthday by giving blood at the center in Dale City, and he encourages Virginians to donate, especially during the holiday season, “[This season provides us with] a moment to reflect on the many blessings that we all have, and those that are in need, and so this is also an opportunity for us to not only recognize the amazing work that the Red Cross does, but the fact that we need donors, and this is our chance to encourage people, please come donate.”

Virginians wishing to donate can visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS.

The Prince William County School Board examined its cell phone policy on Wednesday, weighing options for a new approach to managing cell phone use in classrooms.

The conversation centered around the effects of an ongoing pilot program restricting phone use during instructional time. The board considered two potential paths: maintaining the current guidelines with limited phone access or adopting a stricter “bell-to-bell” policy.

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Derrick Anderson (R), who is running for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, held a rally in Spotsylvania with Governor Glenn Youngkin and Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.  The speakers focused on getting out to vote on Election Day, Nov. 5, and encouraging friends and family to ensure they also vote.

One volunteer, Marie, who reportedly wrote thousands of postcards supporting Anderson, fainted during the rally. According to other attendees, both Youngkin and Johnson hopped down from the stage to assist her.

Press release:

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From The Center Square:

Republican leaders are praising Wednesday’s 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision to allow Virginia to keep “noncitizens” off the voter rolls.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who led the appeal in the highest court, calls the ruling a “win for election integrity and the rule of law.” Although pleased with the outcome, he expressed concern with the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to “execute” his lawsuit.