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Minimum wage earners in Virginia get a raise Saturday

Workers in Virginia who earn minimum wage will be taking home more money starting Saturday, as the minimum wage is set to increase.

Unlike D.C. and Maryland, which have both raised their individual minimum wages, Virginia has been using the federally-mandated wage of $7.25 per hour. That will rise to $9.50 per hour.

The Virginia General Assembly passed legislation last year allowing for the minimum wage hike, with a goal of gradually raising it to $12 in 2023.

After that, lawmakers plan to vote again on whether to raise the wage to $13.50 in 2025 and $15 in 2026.

The increase to $9.50 was originally set to take place in January, but Gov. Ralph Northam delayed it, citing economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Advocates for workers had urged the governor to sign the bill without delay.

Republicans and business groups had lobbied Northam to delay or veto the measure, saying it would strain employers further.

The last time Virginia saw an increase to its minimum wage was in 2009, when Congress raised the federally-mandated wage from $6.55 per hour to $7.25.

Meanwhile, the minimum wage is $11.75 per hour in Maryland and $15 per hour in the District.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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