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.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of the federal law that banned sex discrimination in education; Data from the University of Virginia shows that roughly 10% of people charged with assaulting a police officer have a history of mental illness; The Hanover County School Board narrowly voted to keep the book “A Place Inside of Me: A Poem to Heal the Heart” on elementary library shelves following a parent complaint; and other local news stories.

Republicans in two closely watched Virginia Congressional districts are making their final pitch to voters ahead of the June 21st primary; This weekend is Juneteenth, the anniversary of when the last enslaved people were freed after the Civil War, but some are upset about Norfolk's plans to mark the holiday; Richmond will offer a gun buyback program later this year; and other local news stories.

State lawmakers want Virginia’s economy to become more innovative, but a state report released yesterday says incentives designed to push the change aren’t working; Researchers with the nonprofit Climate Central found that Virginia could lose up to 42 percent of its tidal wetlands by 2100 due to sea level rise; Big local cities do a lot of work on flood resilience, but it’s even harder for smaller localities in coastal Virginia that have fewer resources; and other local news stories.

2022 is a special time for the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond as it celebrates its centennial anniversary. This also marks 10 years after the discovery of its infamous black cat sibling duo, Edgar and Pluto.

A top state lawmaker says the Virginia General Assembly won’t vote this month on a plan to give the Washington Commanders tax breaks to build a stadium; A part of the state budget proposal excludes private colleges and universities from funding for lab schools; A proposal to create a fund for victims of mass violence didn’t make it into the budget this year; and other local news stories.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine wants to bring gun control legislation passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 to a national level; Authorities have been investigating the possible drownings of two women, who went missing during a float trip down the James River on Memorial Day weekend; The state is investigating the City of Petersburg’s fire department after allegations were raised by the local firefighter’s union; and other local news stories.

The Richmond school board has approved an emergency procurement route to award a contract for the design of a new Fox Elementary; The Chesapeake Bay watershed received a C+ on its latest report card; Former Representative Denver Riggleman says he’s no longer a Republican; and other local news stories.

A virtual committee meeting of the Virginia LGBTQ+ Advisory board in May was interrupted by a flood of racist and homophobic messages from anonymous accounts; This month marks 50 years since Title IX was signed into federal law; The Richmond Fire Department has recovered the body of a woman in the James River who they believe went missing on Memorial Day; and other local news stories.

A federal judge issued a restraining order last month against the dog breeding facility Envigo in Cumberland County for repeated violations of the Animal Welfare Act, and the deaths of hundreds of beagle puppies.