A spokesperson for the University of Virginia says a member of the school’s board showed a“disappointing disregard” for faculty and staff in newly-released text messages; A special election is set for March 28th to fill Jennifer McClellan's seat in the Virginia Senate; A legislative proposal to establish a process for reviewing – and sometimes capping – certain prescription drug prices in Virginia failed to pass this year; and other local news stories.

Officials from Richmond Public Schools gave an update about the status of William Fox Elementary School’s rebuild Wednesday; The city of Richmond has appointed a new human resources director; Two Richmond city councilmembers want to explore acquiring a pair of historic Black cemeteries; and other local news stories.

Democrat Jennifer McClellan became the first Black woman elected to represent Virginia in Congress; Democratic Delegate Jeff Bourne, who has represented Richmond since 2017, says he will not be seeking reelection; The City Planning Commission heard about progress that’s been made on Richmond 300, the city’s master plan; and other local news stories.

General Assembly votes to compensate man wrongly imprisoned for 23 years; Democrats look to close U.S. House gap in Benjamin vs. McClellan matchup

There have been a few bills taking aim at China this General Assembly session. One would ban the country from buying land in Virginia. So Jahd Khalil from VPM News asked: How much land does China actually own in the state??

Governor Glenn Youngkin won’t commit to signing legislation during his term that would create a legal recreational marijuana marketplace for adults; A House of Delegates subcommittee killed a bill Tuesday that would’ve required the state to disclose who’s using credit cards paid off with state tax revenue; Richmond City workers just took a crucial step in unionizing; and other local news stories.

An attempt to divorce Virginia from California’s progressive vehicle emissions standards failed in the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources committee Tuesday; Earlier this week, it was announced that ASM Global would operate the planned 17,000-seat arena in Green City; Henrico County property owners could be getting a tax rebate for the second consecutive year; and other local news stories.

New legislation could require VMI to extend immunity to students who report a sexual assault; A bill proposed by Democratic Senator Jennifer Boysko that would have made phone calls and digital communications free for incarcerated people was spiked in committee this week; The General Assembly approved a measure Tuesday to ban the use of solitary confinement in Virginia prisons; and other local news stories.

02/14/23 Virginia schools are still struggling with teacher shortages; Green City Arena in Henrico lands manager; Some Virginia public schools may have to pay back leftover Covid-19 Pandemic funds; and other local news stories

Towing companies have become a major player in Virginia’s General Assembly, where lawmakers set the maximum fee towers can charge drivers. Now they’re looking to increase those rates, but it’s a tough sell from an unloved industry.

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine wants to end two wars that are still technically ongoing; Virginia’s economic development agency says it has about 1,700 emails and documents related to the scuttled Ford battery plant proposed for a Danville-area megasite, but it won’t share any of them under the state’s public records law; Advocates for legal recreational marijuana sales in Virginia are losing hope that lawmakers will take action this year; and other local news stories.

A House bill that would allow small breweries to sell their beer directly to restaurants and local retailers without going through distributors is headed to the Senate; Deadlines are approaching for voters in the 4th U.S. House District; Legislation aiming to create separate pathways to an advanced studies diploma — with and without a world language requirement — has cleared one chamber of the General Assembly; and other local news stories.

Sunday, committees in the House and Senate approved very different budgets. Those budgets hit legislators’ desks yesterday; The commonwealth’s 20.6% recidivism rate is the second lowest in the country, according to the Virginia Department of Corrections; Virginia’s General Assembly hit the half-way point in its regular session Tuesday with a flurry of votes on hundreds of bills; and other local news stories.

GOP lawmakers in GA kill bill regarding insurrectionists; Democrat lawmakers propose funding for state programs with no tax cuts; VSU offers free tax help; and other local news stories

Have Virginia tax revenues risen by 50 percent over the last four years, as Governor Glenn Youngkin says? PolitiFact Virginia Editor Warren Fiske spoke with VPM News reporter and editor Whittney Evans about his fact checks of the governor’s claim.

The General Assembly is considering a bill that would keep localities from banning natural gas connections in new buildings; The Virginia Board of Education voted to advance its latest history standards draft Thursday afternoon; Virginia law enforcement officers would no longer be able to make false statements while interrogating children under a bill from Democratic Delegate Jackie Glass; and other local news stories.

At least a thousand anti-abortion protesters marched in Richmond’s Capitol Square Wednesday; The U.S. Department of Transportation announced recipients of its $5-billion dollar Safe Streets and Roads grant program; Mayor Levar Stoney gave his state of the city speech; and other local news stories.

Virginia’s Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would ban the sale or possession of AR-15-style weapons manufactured after July 1st; An error by the Virginia Department of Education will result in local school districts receiving less funding than anticipated; As some school districts struggle to hire teachers, former and retired military personnel are being pointed to as potential recruits; and other local news stories.

As Virginia deals with the opioid addiction crisis, some state lawmakers want to increase penalties for distributing any controlled substance that contains fentanyl ; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is set to give the State of the City address tonight; The Virginia Board of Education will consider a new draft of state history standards on Wednesday; and other local news stories.

For one Henrico County woman, the recent attempt to ban abortion in Virginia after 15 weeks is personal. Martha terminated a pregnancy she desperately wanted, at 23 weeks. VPM News is only using her first name because she fears retaliation from her employer for speaking about her abortion.

The Republican-controlled US House of Representatives is demanding cuts to federal spending amid the debt ceiling debate; The James Beard Awards announced its 2023 semifinalists for best chef in the mid-Atlantic, and 2 Virginia chefs are competing for the title; A Democrat-controlled Virginia Senate committee struck down three GOP bills Thursday that would have restricted access to abortion; and other local news stories.

Republicans in the House of Delegates advanced legislation today that would undo Virginia’s connection to California’s vehicle emission standards; A Republican-sponsored bill that would remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was voted down Tuesday in a Senate committee; The nonprofit Homeward is recording the number of people in the Richmond area who are experiencing homelessnes; and other local news stories.

Earlier this week, City Council asked Richmond’s planning commission to consider significant changes to the city’s master plan; The next issue of the Chesterfield Observer will be its last; The Library of Virginia is opening a new exhibit, and other local news stories.

A school shooting involving a 6 year-old and his teacher earlier this month is reverberating in Virginia’s General Assembly; The Greyhound Bus Station along Arthur Ashe Boulevard, which was sold in January, is back on the market; Legislation to extend eligibility of the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship to include the descendants of those locked out of school during Massive Resistance advanced Monday; and other local news stories.

PolitiFact Editor Warrne Fiske looks at claims that President Biden is planning to send the IRS after middle-class Americans; US Secretary Pete Buttigieg spoke to VPM about plans to reduce traffic fatalities; Senator Tim Kaine finally announced his plans to run for a third term; and other local news stories.