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Virginia churchgoers re-file lawsuit against Governor over pandemic restrictions

Virginia churchgoers have re-filed a lawsuit saying that state pandemic requirements for churches discourage people from going to services.

A lawsuit against Virginia Governor Ralph Northam that was dismissed in September has been refiled by four churchgoers.

According to InsideNoVa.com, the previous lawsuit was dismissed when Northam made the wearing of face masks the lone requirement for church gatherings with less than 250 people.

In mid-November, this order was updated saying that church services with more than 25 people are allowed as long as they are 6 feet apart, the seating areas are marked for social distancing, items used to give out food and drink are only used once and all are wearing face coverings.

The lawsuit — filed in Madison County — argues that these requirements ignore the previously-reached agreement and discourage the religious gathering of large groups of people, according to the article.

It claims that the new requirements, “ultimately ignore the previously reached agreement and discourage the religious gathering of large groups of people.”

Northam’s press secretary Alena Yarmosky told the Culpeper Times that the office does not comment on pending litigation but added that, “Governor Northam will continue to base all decisions in science, public health, and the safety of Virginians.”

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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