Adult Protective Services is investigating a Petersburg assisted living facility after residents reported never receiving federal stimulus money; Yesterday, the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts started vaccinating people at high risk of contracting monkeypox; According to the Virginia Department of Health, more than 96 percent of abortions in the state have taken place during the first trimester since 2016; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has now appointed majorities on the state boards regulating education and air pollution; State regulators signed off on Appalachian Power’s latest renewable energy plan, as well as a rate increase to help cover some of the costs; As summer temperatures are expected to settle in the high 90s through the rest of the week, local health officials want to remind residents of the dangers of heat-related illnesses; and other local news stories.

Flooding in Buchanan County last week destroyed 33 properties and caused major damage to 32 others; 36 people in Central Virginia have been arrested on charges-related to sex trafficking; Norfolk’s City Council will vote on a resolution today that aims to refocus Hampton Roads Ventures’ money back to Hampton Roads; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin caused a stir with some comments he recently made on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about same-sex marriage laws in Virginia. Politifact Virginia Editor Warren Fiske spoke with VPM News Legal Reporter Whittney Evans about the comments.

A new report shows exactly where people in Virginia prisons and jails come from; Attorney General Jason Miyares called the people who vandalized a pregnancy center in Lynchburg quote “cowards” who carried out an act of “political violence"; Last month was Norfolk International Airport’s busiest month in its 80 year history; and other local news stories.

Virginia was bumped from its coveted ranking as CNBC’s “Top State for Business” - a spot it's held since 2019; Home sales in Virginia are slowing, but experts told lawmakers yesterday they don’t expect things to get much cheaper; 4,000 beagles in Virginia are looking for new forever homes; and other local news stories.

A grand jury investigation into the Loudoun County School District’s handling of two sexual assaults is moving forward; Bomb threats prompted evacuations and police investigations at multiple college campuses around Hampton Roads yesterday; Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, which is the final resting place for thousands of Confederate soldiers and leaders, has banned the display of Confederate flags; and other local news stories.

More than two hundred families are facing eviction from an apartment complex in Henrico County next month; Another presumed case of monkeypox has been identified in Virginia, making the total number of cases in the state 27 as of yesterday; The second of two suspects police say were allegedly planning a mass shooting on July 4th in Richmond is being held in custody without bond; and other local news stories.

COVID-19 has been impacting people across the world for three summers. So, at what point will we call it an endemic — instead of a pandemic? VPM News Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with Chtaura Jackson, an epidemiologist with the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts about where we are now with COVID-19.

State officials said last week they plan on cracking down on the sale of hemp products that can get you high, like Delta-8 gummies; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s PAC broke a fundraising record, bringing in more than $1.5 million dollars between April 1st and June 30th; The Enrichmond Foundation, a nonprofit that's been overseeing the restoration of two historic Black cemeteries, is officially no more; and other local news stories.

Yesterday Richmond Police shared details of an alleged plot to carry out a mass shooting on July 4th; The Virginia DMV is launching a new way to save money for drivers who use less gas; Portsmouth Senator Louise Lucas was barraged with racist and homophobic tweets, after voicing support for abortion rights; and other local news stories.

An organization that owns two historic Black cemeteries in Richmond has apparently ceased to exist; Richmond Police announced there was no need to tear gas hundreds of people at the former Robert E. Lee Monument during protests in 2020; Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced four appointees to Virginia Military Institute’s Board of Visitors; and other local news stories.

The cause of a February fire that partially destroyed Richmond’s William Fox Elementary School has been deemed “undetermined,” according to a 31-page partially-redacted report; Virginia legislators have pushed back a statewide commitment to ban polystyrene foam to-go containers by five years; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is warning federal officials about the negative impacts of an offshore wind energy project; and other local news stories.

If you drive by the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, you’ll see 12,000 small American flags lining the property. The display is called the “Hill of Heroes,” and it honors the lives of members of the U.S. Armed Forces who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. The installation will be available for public viewings until July 8. VPM News Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with Dr. Clay Mountcastle, the director of the Virginia War Memorial, about how the project got started.

It’s been one week since the U.S. Supreme Court removed the constitutional protection for abortion, and Christian faith leaders are divided on the issue; After a contentious General Assembly session this year, a range of hard-fought new laws take effect in Virginia today; Yesterday, the Virginia Department of Health launched a new dashboard to track firearm injuries reported by hospital emergency departments statewide; and other local news stories.

As the holiday weekend approaches, inflation continues to drive prices; Norfolk’s Ohio Creek Watershed Project is nearing completion; Plans are in motion for the Shenandoah Rail Trail, but advocates and lawmakers say it will still be some time before the trail is open to the public; and other local news stories.

A number of bills introduced this year attempted to roll back protections for LGBTQ Virginians, but those measures won’t become law this week; A state lawmaker says he will propose a bill during next year’s legislative session that will quote “protect life at conception"; An abortion provider in Bristol, Tennesse is planning to move across the border to its sister city in Virginia; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s order requiring state employees to return to the office is adding to tensions at the Virginia Department of Health; Abortion is still legal in Virginia despite the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade last Friday; Researchers at UVA Health helped pen new guidelines to minimize the risk of Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome, also known as SIDS; and other local news stories.

In light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe V. Wade last week, we are revisiting a conversation VPM News reporter Megan Pauly had with Daniel Williams, a professor at the University of West Georgia. They spoke about what the abortion debate has historically looked like in Virginia. Williams is the author of two books: God’s Own Party: The Making of the Christian Right – and Defenders of the Unborn: The Pro-Life Movement before Roe v. Wade.

Virginia health commissioner Dr. Colin Greene was formally reprimanded by the State Board of Health yesterday; Goochland High School hosted a screening of a film promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen on Thursday night; U.S. Senator Tim Kaine says he’s hopeful the next vote he casts will make gun control a priority in America; and other local news stories.

A Regent Law School graduate is suing the U.S. Department of Education to end religious exemptions to Title IX; Two years after being toppled during protests, the statue of Jefferson Davis is now on display in the designer's museum; The Norfolk Botanical Garden is launching a major expansion, with an emphasis on so-called green building; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin once again condemned comments made by Virginia health commissioner Colin Greene; Governor Youngkin signed the two-year budget yesterday, which included $100 million towards funding new lab schools; Virginia State University has extended the contract of the school’s president until 2029; and other local news stories.

Republicans in Virginia are heading to the polls today; The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors is accepting applications through Thursday to fill a vacant seat; The state health commissioner is walking back dismissive comments he made about the role of structural racism in public health; and other local news stories.

Structural racism and sexism at Virginia Military Institute were heavily scrutinized in 2020 and 2021, leading to leadership changes at the school. In Sounds Like Hate, a podcast from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Jamila Paksima and Yvonne Latty explore how VMI’s confederate roots are felt by the students and graduates of today.

State Health Commissioner Colin Greene has been the subject of controversy after the Washington Post quoted him downplaying the role of racism in public health; The Virginia Department of Health is adjusting COVID-19 exposure guidelines;Governor Glenn Youngkin has proposed an amendment to the state budget that bars the use of taxpayer dollars for abortion-related services; and other local news stories.