More than half of all college graduates in Virginia will be affected by the White House's announcement to forgive between 10 to 20-thousand dollars-worth of federal student loans. Mechelle Hankerson, from partner station WHRO, spoke with Scott Kemp, the Student Loan Advocate from the State Council of Higher Education, about the plan.

Parents attending a backpack giveaway hosted by Attorney General Jason Miyares yesterday say school safety remains a top concern in the aftermath of school shootings; After filing a public information request, VPM News has obtained more details from the City of Richmond about the gun buyback event last weekend; The Virginia Department of Health is expanding eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine; and other local news stories.

In May, Governor Glenn Youngkin quietly offered a controversial conservative a post in his administration, and is downplaying talk that he’s interested in running for president in 2024; City officials say Richmond’s latest gun buyback event was a success; The number of naloxone kits, also known by the brand name Narcan, are being rationed by the Virginia Department of Health due to a funding shortage; and other local news stories.

NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton has played a big role in the development of the Artemis 1 rocket, which is the first step in sending Americans back to the moon; The city of Petersburg began demolishing the Ramada Inn along Interstate-95 this week; Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC has requested federal approval for a pipe stabilization plan in the Jefferson National Forest; and other local news stories.

A new freshman class at the Maggie Walker Governor’s School is the first class admitted under a new admission policy; When middle and high school students return to class in Chesterfield County this week, they’ll find a book on library shelves that was almost removed by the school district; A sixth former member of the Delta Chi fraternity at Virginia Commonwealth University pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges connected to the death of student Adam Oakes; and other local news stories.

Democrats' newly enacted Inflation Reduction Act includes about $80 billion dollars for the Internal Revenue service. Some Republicans are criticizing the new money as a tool for the Biden administration to target small businesses and the middle class. PolitiFact Virginia Editor Warren Fiske spoke with VPM News Legal Reporter Whittney Evans about how one Virginia Congressman is adopting that theory.

While Virginia students made gains in most topics this year, standardized test results remain below pre-pandemic levels; NASA will soon launch the Artemis 1 rocket into space; The State Board of Education delayed taking up new history and social science standards for K through 12 students this week; and other local news stories.

The city of Richmond has backed out of a proposed casino referendum, at least until next year; Higher education institutions can soon begin applying for $5 million in state funding to prepare applications for laboratory schools; Family members say the cyclist who sustained life-threatening injuries in a crash that killed her friend is recovering; Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith spoke at length about the alleged mass shooting plot at the Dogwood Dell July Fourth celebration; and other local news stories.

One of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s top education officials wants to push back a first review of new history and social science standards for K through 12 students; The ACLU of Virginia is suing to force the state to release a man from prison; A new report says the city of Hopewell, the Richmond-area and much of eastern Virginia will be dealing with even more scorching temperatures in the coming decades; and other local news stories.

Representative Donald McEachin says he’s declined invitations to debate his Republican opponent; Activists opposing the Mountain Valley Pipeline gathered less than a mile from its path over the weekend; Dulles International is set to join dozens of other airports across the country developing solar and battery capacity that could power 37,000 homes in Northern Virginia; and other local news stories.

08/15/22 Photojournalist Amos has a new exhibit "The story of us” features Charlottesville residents who were at the Unite the Right Rally and includes QR codes that link to short recordings of those featured in the pictures.

Five years after Unite the Right, Charlottesville grapples with its identity; Virginia Department of Education reviews standards for teaching history; VCU loses half a million dollars in email scam; and other local stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signals a desire to change a recently adopted statewide transgender model policy; VPM News Director speaks with Pulitzer prize winning photographer about Unite the Rite anniversary; Hanover School Board lays out policy around transgender bathroom use; and other local stories.

The Hanover County school board began discussing a new draft policy around transgender facility uses; Social justice protesters have been paid more than $1 million by the City of Richmond; Sixty-six patients died in state-operated behavioral health facilities during fiscal year 2021; and other local stories.

Richmond Police Chief shut down questions about an alleged July 4th mass shooting plot; Richmond names a new street sweeper after late Hip Hop artist; Virginia Beach high schooler wins who runs a tree-planting nonprofit wins national award; and other local stories.

Richmond muralist covers walls across the world

The first of three phases in a project to replace Creighton Court in Richmond concluded last month; VDOE is near finalizing model policy on explicit material; North Carolina Gov visits VA's wind turbines; and other local stories.

Prosecutors present no evidence of planned Dogwood Dell shooting, toss gun charges; Hanover schools removes controversial T-shirt; Update on traffic stop in the town of Windsor that made national headlines; and other local stories

Richmond judge decides today on trail around July 4th mass shooting plot; A Charlottesville city employee who attended the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol will remain on the payroll; Windsor police officer won't face criminal charges over controversial stop; and other local stories.

Richmond Public Schools has many unfilled vacancies as the new school starts soon; A House of Delegates redistricting lawsuit has been tossed; Youth Crimes are on the rise in Hampton Roads; and other local stories

After years of discussion with industry leaders, Old Dominion University has started a brand-new school to train people for the maritime industry. Elspeth McMahon, a long-time maritime educator and U.S. Navy Reserve officer, recently took the job to lead the new school. Ryan Murphy from partner station WHRO sat down with her to talk about the school's priorities

Richmond is researching what it would take to provide free preschool to all 3 and 4 year olds in the city; More than a dozen public figures and LGBTQ advocacy groups want the Virginia Supreme Court to uphold a decision that says requiring teachers to use a student’s preferred pronoun is not in violation of their rights; A new poll released on Thursday from VCU’s Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs shows that about 50% of Virginians are satisfied with current abortion laws and that they shouldn’t be changed; and other local news stories.

FEMA will help state officials determine the extent of flood damage in Buchanan County; This week, Virginia’s Attorney General joined a coalition of 21 other Republican attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture; A federal appeals court has sided with Virginia Beach in a case about how the city conducts local elections; and other local news stories.

Attorney General Jason Miyares says Virginia law enforcement agencies recognize the bungled response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and they’re taking notes; Former Virginia Tech Football player Isi Etute will be enrolling at Iowa Western Community College for the 2022 football season; A new discount airline is coming to the Newport News-Williamsburg Airport; and other local news stories.

The Richmond Police Department says they’ve compiled a list of about a hundred potential perpetrators of gun violence in the city; Deaths among teen drivers increased by more than 55 percent in Virginia last year; The public can now get a behind the scenes look at Richmond Police communications before officers teargassed protesters at the former Robert E. Lee monument during protests in 2020; and other local news stories.