From Virginia’s scandals to the State of the Union, it’s been a busy week in American politics. Here are some of the biggest stories you might have missed (and some links if you’d like to read further).



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Virginia’s leadership is under fire.

Virginia is in turmoil.

On Sunday, a racist photograph from Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook page was made public. Mr. Northam first apologized, then said he wasn’t in the photo, and he defied calls from his fellow Democrats to resign.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, another Democrat, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2004. The accuser, Vanessa Tyson, issued a statement on Wednesday describing her encounter with him, which she said began with kissing but turned into forced oral sex.

Mr. Fairfax emphatically denied Dr. Tyson’s accusation and suggested the governor’s allies had a hand in unearthing the sexual assault claim, to stop him from becoming governor should Mr. Northam resign. On Friday, a second woman, Meredith Watson, accused Mr. Fairfax of raping her while they were students at Duke University in 2000. Many Democrats are now calling for his resignation.