Virginia: Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones unveiled a monumental investment in youth initiatives this week. The Youth T.H.R.I.V.E program leverages funds from the city and regional businesses to partners to develop new initiatives to create supportive, safe spaces for promoting physical and mental well-being, fostering workforce skills, and reducing rates of teen violence. Two headlining programs are the Mayor’s Night Nets Basketball League – a free basketball league that offers teens and young adults the opportunity to make friends and get active in a controlled setting – and the city’s summer employment program, which connects young people with area employers to learn on-the-job skills while earning a wage of $15 an hour.