New efforts to tackle gun violence in limbo as Virginia lawmakers negotiate state budget; Parents, teachers concerned about increased police at Richmond schools; Medical examiner, police take stand in first day of Etute trial; and other local news stories.

Law banning 'gay panic' defense tested as former Tech football player goes to trial in slaying; Charlottesville Library considers name change; Equitable transportation guidelines adopted by Richmond City Council; and other local news stories

Lawmakers are heading back to Richmond next week. The clerk of the state Senate told VPM News that they’re set to take up a new two-year budget on June 1st.; Several Democratic lawmakers from the Richmond area want Gov. Youngkin to hold off on implementing his new telework policy until after Labor Day; Employees at a Newport News Starbucks say they’ve become the first unionized location in Hampton Roads; and other local news stories

The issue of abortion wasn’t always as politically polarizing as it is today. VPM News reporter Megan Pauly spoke with University of West Georgia professor Daniel Williams 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.

A new report from Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office is filled with statistics that state education officials say paint a “sobering picture” about public education in Virginia; Attorney General Jason Miyares is asking the Virginia Supreme Court for access to sealed records related to the suspension of a controversial judge and former parole board chair; Local pediatricians are warning parents and guardians not to take drastic measures as a national shortage of baby formula worsens; and other local news stories.

As infections continue to rise in Virginia, local health officials say they’re preparing for a likely surge in COVID-19 cases; Kids and teens will have to be home an hour earlier under new curfew rules in Petersburg; In the last year, 10 sailors on the carrier U.S.S. George Washington have died, at least 5 by suicide; and other local news stories.

The issue of abortion today is politically polarized. But it wasn’t always that way, including in Virginia; State officials say more than 4,500 people housed in Virginia prisons are scheduled to be released early this summer; State regulators are reviewing Dominion Energy’s proposal for its long-touted Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project; and other local news stories.

Next month, taxes on personal property are due in Virginia. That includes used cars, a tax that normally decreases as a vehicle ages. That’s not the case this year; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney is calling on Governor Glenn Youngkin to declare a state of emergency in the commonwealth to help families struggling to access baby formula; Governor Youngkin is creating a new task force to fight violent crime in Virginia; and other local news stories.

VPM’s Morning Edition Host Phil Liles spoke with entomologist and host of “What’s Buggin’ You?,” Dr. Art Evans, to find out what pollinators are native to Virginia – and what we can do to attract them in our gardens.

Experts say recent events in Virginia show the commonwealth still struggles to address hate crimes against Muslims; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is adding religious concepts to its mandatory diversity training for state employees; Virginians will have a difficult time challenging any new state laws that would restrict abortion, if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to overturn Roe v. Wade; and other local news stories.

Senator Joe Morrissey could be the deciding vote on any new proposals to restrict abortion access in the state; A sailor at Fort Story in Virginia Beach has died after a helicopter experienced a “hard landing” during training exercises last week; The housing market in Hampton Roads is breaking records as prices continue to surge; and other local news stories.

Virginia Capitol Police is increasing patrols around the capitol complex, after a bullet pierced the window of the Attorney General’s office in Richmond Monday night; Electric bills are rising across the country, including here in Virginia; The search begins again for a new head of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles after reports that the incoming commissioner was accused of inappropriate behavior at his previous job; and other local news stories.

Democrat Danica Roem is aiming for a new post in Virginia’s closely divided Senate next year; Over the past two years, 23 Virginia public school districts have taken at least one book off their shelves due to content reasons; The City of Norfolk is looking to get rid of library late fees; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council is reviewing two proposals that would give city employees the right to collectively bargain; Fox Elementary teachers moved their things into Clark Springs Elementary school last week, where students will finish out the academic year; It’s unclear when the Virginia Appeals Court will decide whether a man convicted of murdering a Waverly Police officer nearly 25 years ago will be exonerated; and other local news stories.

Today, the Virginia Court of Appeals will consider exonerating a Virginia man convicted of murdering a Waverly police officer nearly 25 years ago; Arlington will now be home to Boeing’s global headquarters; The Jamestown settlement is becoming more and more threatened by climate change; and other local news stories.

The long-awaited Office of the Children’s Ombudsman is now up and running; Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says a U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade would threaten longstanding law on privacy and equal protection; Two pieces of land in King William County have been put into a trust to benefit the Upper Mattaponi Tribe; and other local news stories.

A leaked draft of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe versus Wade has supercharged a debate over abortion access in Virginia, which will likely have an effect on the mid-term elections; As the struggle to complete the state budget continues, negotiators say there are no plans to hold public meetings for the foreseeable future; Completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline has been delayed again to the second half of 2023, and the estimated price tag for the project has risen to about 6-point-6 billion dollars; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s top education official says state schools are not producing good outcomes; V-DOT is hosting the first of two meetings tonight to gather community input on the Fall Line Trail; Some employees at a Newport News Starbucks announced they will try to unionize; and other local news stories.

This week starts an awareness week for children’s mental health. To share insights on ways adults can help children who are struggling -- VPM News Morning Edition anchor Phil Liles spoke with Dr. Karen Kochel, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Richmond.

Environmental advocates are concerned that Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney's budget proposal isn't keeping up with previous commitments to make the city more resilient to climate change; Richmond public safety officials report more coyote sightings in the area this spring; Petersburg leaders are looking for ways to respond to a recent increase in gun violence; and other local news stories.

Fairfax Delegate Eileen Filler-Corn was voted out of a leadership role by her Democratic colleagues in the House of Delegates yesterday; A Virginia Senate panel has rejected Governor Glenn Youngkin’s proposal to temporarily suspend the gas tax; The Richmond and Henrico health districts have set up an email alert system to let community members know when there are spikes in opioid overdoses in their neighborhoods; and other local news stories.

Democrats in Virginia’s Senate are threatening to reject changes Governor Glenn Youngkin wants to make to cannabis laws; Lawmakers are heading back to the state Capitol today to consider Governor Glenn Youngkin’s vetoes and changes to legislation; The visitor’s center at the Virginia Capitol will be closing next week due to construction; and other local news stories.

A group of Hanover County students spent last Friday in silence as part of a national day of LGBTQ advocacy; Sen. Bernie Sanders came to Richmond this weekend to celebrate the recent unionization of seven Starbucks locations in Virginia; The top Democrat in Virginia’s House of Delegates is facing a challenge from within her own ranks; and other local news stories.

For almost 70 years, Virginia has been waging a crusade against litter through campaigns, roadway signs, and fines; The Scott Road Bridge in Henrico may soon be replaced with one that won’t allow cars; Next month, the Virginia Rent Relief Program will no longer accept new applications from community members in need of financial assistance; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Department of Education voluntarily handed over a file on Tuesday that it previously blocked from public release; A Charlottesville-based medical company has received emergency use authorization for a new rapid test for COVID-19; City officials released a draft plan this week on the methods Richmond wants to use to tackle climate change; and other local news stories.

More than 220 places of worship in Hampton Roads are at risk of serious damage from persistent flooding and sea level rise; The Virginia Court of Appeals has ruled that a man found guilty in 1994 of sexually abusing his children is innocent; Governor Glenn Youngkin is ordering a review of security and safety at Virginia’s state mental health hospitals; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 17 directs state officials to bring new recycling technology to Virginia, but not everyone is convinced the tech is as effective as advertised; Large-scale solar farms in Virginia will soon have stricter water quality standards; Regional transportation officials will soon decide how to spend nearly $280 million dollars on projects over the next four years; and other local news stories.

At Richmond's George Whythe High School a vigil was held for a 17-year-old gun shot victim; Russia issues sanctions against some members of U.S. House or Reps, including some in Va; The number of house fires in Chesterfield County is up compared to last year; and other local news.

Richmond’s two homeless shelters to close this month; Virginians can apply to state program to protect their ash trees; Water bills were recently paid off for Petersburg residents; and other local news stories

04/13/22 Gov. Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Target Sen. Ebbin; Gov. Youngkin signals support for facial recognition technology; Richmond City Council and School Board appear to come to agreement on George Wythe High School, and other local news stories.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin signs new legislation; Youngkin appoints former former Trump official to be Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Education; Richmond Mayor proposes new ordinance around George Whythe; and other local news stories.

A VPM News public records request shows a Richmond city official attempted to get an independent city auditor to update an audit on school construction costs over a year after it was published; Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a new executive order yesterday recognizing the value of recycling and waste reduction in Virginia; Fairfax County’s top prosecutor has launched a new program that aims to provide people accused of nonviolent crimes with programs and services instead of a criminal record; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has offered a slate of new appointees to fill vacancies on the Virginia Parole Board after Senate Democrats rejected his first picks; A permanent exhibit honoring the lives of the one and a half million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust is opening in Richmond; Three national civil rights organizations have teamed up to launch a new campaign in response to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s tip line to report so-called inherently divisive concepts; and other local news stories.

In Southwest Virginia, there’s a new store that needs no price tags. That’s because everything on the shelves is completely free; To-go cocktails and alcohol deliveries are here to stay in Virginia for two more years; A statewide campaign launched this week to raise awareness about safe driving practices for teens; and other local news stories.

The Virginia General Assembly reconvened yesterday to finish work on the state budget and almost fifty bills; State lawmakers are back to negotiating the thorny politics of seating two new justices to the Virginia Supreme Court; Two out of three judges on a federal appeals panel have agreed to allow a Fairfax County governor’s school to continue with its current admissions process, at least for the next incoming class of students; and other local news stories.

Most parts of Central Virginia were advised to find shelter yesterday afternoon; Some Richmonders say the mayor’s Civilian Review Board proposal threatens to weaken the board’s power and its independence from police; Regulations have yet to take effect that are aimed at “fast-tracking” the review process for new Civil War signage in Virginia; and other local news stories.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin met with stakeholders yesterday to talk about legislation he is deciding whether to sign into law; A federal court dismissed an appeal by Mountain Valley Pipeline in an Air Pollution Control Board case; Students at Atlee High School in Hanover County have been suspended for a school walkout a couple of weeks ago; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Education Association, an advocacy group and union, has announced plans to publish recently rescinded state education equity guidelines on their own website; A group called the Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, has been asked to review the equal opportunities policy for Hanover County Public Schools. But the Southern Poverty Law Center has deemed ADF an anti-LGBTQ hate group; The board who manages the historic Montpelier home of James Madison will no longer share authority with a group of people descended from Africans once enslaved there; and other local news stories.

A proposed natural gas project would double the size of a pipeline that runs through Hampton Roads; Six buildings on the University of Richmond campus will be renamed, including two that were the focus of student and faculty protests last year; It’s now optional to wear face masks in classrooms at the University of Virginia; and other local news stories.

For the first time in over 100 years, Mattaponi women will be able to vote for their next chief; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive order making masks in schools voluntary cannot be enforced in some school districts; The contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings this week have highlighted the lack of professional diversity on the nation’s highest court; and other local news stories.

Resources for Richmond families who need housing can’t keep up with pandemic spikes in homelessness; Virginia lawmakers will be called back to Richmond on April 4th to finish work on bills and the state budget; Lashrecse Aird plans to run for the state Senate seat in 2023; and other local news stories.

Hampton University is offering free room, board, and tuition for up to 100 students this summer whose education was disrupted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine; A federal district court in Richmond is weighing whether a lawsuit to force Virginia to hold another House of Delegates election can go forward; Federal legislation named after a physician from Charlottesville has been signed into law by President Joe Biden; and other local news stories.

Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears kicked off Virginia Women Veterans Week yesterday at the Virginia War Memorial; Yesterday, a state health panel revoked Virginia’s workplace standards on preventing the spread of COVID-19; The U.S. Naming Commission has released 90 options to rename Fort Lee and eight other military bases originally named after Confederate leaders; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin shared a report this week recommending Virginia leave the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; Roads around the state capitol are closed through next month due to construction; Virginia lawmakers want to deter and crack down on catalytic converter thefts; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin proposed a gas tax holiday to help deal with rising prices at the pump; Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says Congress will offer more military aid to Ukraine; A new round of solar energy projects is coming to Virginia; and other local news stories.

The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts started their emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic nearly two years ago to the day; A Richmond judge says VCU cannot be held liable for age-based discrimination; A bill heading to the governor’s desk will allow some smaller localities in Virginia to opt-out of the “MARCUS Alert” law; and other local news stories.

The Virginia General Assembly closed out the 2022 legislative session - but only temporarily; Virginia’s future in RGGI is still uncertain; Virginia State University will offer the state's first public all-online undergraduate degree program next fall; and other local news stories.

Virginia Democrats are calling on Governor Glenn Youngkin to issue a state of emergency because rising gas prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; A state law aimed at getting problem police officers off the streets has resulted in dozens of cops losing their badges in the last year; The General Assembly has passed legislation this year to require evidence-based literacy instruction in Virginia schools; and other local news stories.

Virginia education officials estimate it will cost around $25 billion to replace all school buildings that are over 50 years old; It may soon be easier for students and small businesses to participate in internship programs; Virginia lawmakers are working behind closed doors to finalize a bill that would restrict some criminal investigation files from public records requests; and other local news stories.

The General Assembly is set to vote on a slate of judges today; State and national bills are being proposed to increase funding for black cemeteries; The General Assembly is set to vote on a slate of judges today; Lawmakers are considriung a plan to restore freshwater mussel populations; and other local news stories.

As more than a million Ukrainians seek safety in countries bordering their own, the United States is helping more than 76,000 Afghan refugees to resettle here; Governor Glenn Youngkin says Virginia may see an uptick in defense spending, a major piece of the state’s economy; Advocates and local officials are concerned about the effects eliminating the state’s grocery tax may have on Northern Virginia roadways; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is blocking attempts to see who made public records requests and how they were handled; The Virginia Department of Education will have to draw up statewide guidance on heat-related illness this summer for coaches, student athletes and parents; A group of Virginia delegates killed a bill this week that would have changed the timeline for the City of Richmond to finish a major sewage and stormwater project; and other local news stories.

The General Assembly blocked a bill this week that would have changed a law barring people with a criminal history from becoming counselors; A House of Delegates committee led by Republicans spiked legislation yesterday that would set limits on using campaign money for personal expenses; A new survey released by Roanoke College shows a strong partisan divide among Virginians on how the Youngkin Administration is doing so far; and other local news stories.

Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction recently issued a report about several statewide equity-related initiatives that have been rescinded, but experts say the definition of “inherently divisive concepts” is flawed; Proposals to amend Virginia’s constitution are officially off the table this year; A Virginia Senate committee has interrupted Republican efforts to repeal the state’s recently adopted “red flag” gun law this week; and other local news stories.

Virginia continues to react to the invasion of Ukraine; Governor Glenn Youngkin seeks emergency funding to protect HBCUs, Marijuana reform fails in the General Assembly; and other local news stories.

The actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin are coming under the scrutiny of elected leaders across the country, including in Virginia; Lawmakers are hashing out the specifics of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s first budget; If a regular car is parked in a spot with an electric vehicle charging station, the driver could soon be fined in Virginia; and other local news stories.

State lawmakers want to set aside money in this year’s budget to hire more nurses to examine people who have been sexually assaulted; Governor Glenn Youngkin signed two election related bills into law yesterday; Richmond may be blocked from having a second chance at a casino, if part of the Senate’s budget proposal is passed; and other local news stories.

The GOP-controlled House of Delegates has failed to confirm 11 Northam appointees to various state boards, including 3 members of the State Board of Education; A bill now on Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk would bring back a requirement for principals to report low-level offenses that happen on school property to law enforcement; Some lawmakers support rolling back overtime protections they initially voted for; and other local news stories.

A new poll of registered Virginia voters finds the electorate is mixed on Governor Glenn Youngkin’s approach to taxes; The General Assembly’s finance committees are proposing big spending increases for public schools in the state budget, including a $2 billion dollar program to update schools; Virginia lawmakers made a major change to a bill aimed at combating hazing on college campuses; and other local news stories.

Community members are rallying around students, parents and staff at William Fox Elementary School to help ease their transition back online; A redevelopment project in Richmond’s Diamond District has attracted solicitations from over a dozen developers; One of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s campaign promises was boosting school choice. A legislative proposal to do that would create lab schools; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin signed legislation yesterday that would allow parents to opt their kids out of local mandates starting March 1st; Construction crews have unearthed a metal box at the former site of the Jefferson Davis monument in Richmond; Cyclists may have to adjust their riding style again after the state Senate approved changes to a law that’s barely a year old; and other local news stories.

Adults in Virginia will be able to buy cannabis in September under legislation passed by the state Senate yesterday; Governor Glenn Youngkin has made a few changes to a bill that would allow parents to opt their children out of wearing facemasks at school; The House of Delegates and state Senate have both accepted bills that would change how state pollution control boards operate; and other local news stories.

School construction is top-of-mind for school leaders after William Fox Elementary school caught fire this weekend; About 80 Richmond City Public School teachers may lose their jobs next year if the school district’s proposed budget is approved; The first bill signed into law by Virginia’s new governor aims to support dairy farmers; and other local news stories.

The Attorney General has decided the state will not support overturning the case of two men convicted of murdering a Waverly police officer in 1998; Virginia Commonwealth University Athletics is apologizing after a radio broadcaster from a competing school says he was prevented from working at a men’s basketball game this week; The new GOP majority in Virginia’s House of Delegates is trying to roll back voting access laws passed by Democrats over the last two years; and other local news stories.

More than 3,000 people, including Gov. Glenn Youngkin, attended Wednesday's memorial service honoring the officers killed at Bridgewater College last week; President Joe Biden will be visiting Culpeper today; The Virginia Senate is set to take up a bill that would require local registrars to sort absentee votes by precinct; and other local news stories.

House Republicans have put a stop to two proposed constitutional amendments that Democrats had been fighting for; In a party-line vote, the Virginia Senate rejected the nomination of Andrew Wheeler for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources; An Albemarle County parent filed a complaint with the attorney general, saying their school district’s COVID policies are discriminatory; and other local news stories.

The Supreme Court of Virginia dismissed a lawsuit from a group of Chesapeake parents trying to undo Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order on school mask mandates; Legislative proposals to make it easier for charter schools to open in the state are facing stiff opposition in the General Assembly; The Virginia Senate has rejected a bill that would eliminate every mandatory minimum criminal sentence; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin's office has been denying FOIA requests for emails from the new teacher tip line; Gov. Youngkin’s administration is joining a lawsuit filed by Loudoun County parents over the school district’s mask mandate; Virginia voters could opt-in to a new photo ID program under a bill that passed the House of Delegates yesterday; and other local news stories.

Large, destructive, semi-aquatic rodents called nutria are inching northward along Virginia’s coastal wetlands; Virginia will not make restaurants and bars liable for overserving alcohol to customers who cause injury or property damage while intoxicated; Capitol Police are investigating an incident involving state Senator Joe Morrissey and the president of the Petersburg NAACP; and other local news stories.

A male suspect has been taken into custody after authorities say he shot and killed who campus officers at Bridgewater College campus; Governor Glenn Youngkin’s pick for the state’s top environmental post was singled out yesterday; Several parents of students with disabilities have filed a federal lawsuit against Gov. Glenn Youngkin, and other state officials, over the governor’s executive order ending the mask mandate in schools; and other local news stories.

Republicans in the General Assembly are seeking to undo minimum wage increases put in place by Democrats; The General Assembly is also considering a bill that would allow people to sue bars and restaurants if they serve alcohol to an underage customer who goes on to cause an accident or injury; The City of Richmond is currently accepting applications for real estate tax relief for residents who are older or have a disability; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency ahead of a Nor’easter expected later today; The Attorney General’s office announced a change in policy this week that will reduce attorney fees the office charges for the collection of defaulted student debt; A survey from Old Dominion University sheds some light on why some workers have called it quits; and other local news stories.

Democrats in Virginia’s Senate have dealt a blow to a major campaign promise from Attorney General Jason Miyares; A bill is heading to the Senate floor that would give a state commission power to extend Virginia’s oyster harvesting season by a month; and other local news stories.

An education bill supported by Governor Glenn Youngkin that would undo recent efforts by Virginia Governor’s schools to increase student diversity is making its way through the General Assembly; The state Senate has approved a bill that would allow Charlottesville to seek a 1 percent tax increase to fund school construction projects; Andrew Wheeler, the nominee for Virginia’s top environmental and natural resources post, addressed a state senate committee yesterday; and other local news stories.

One of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s executive orders took effect yesterday that seeks to eliminate school district mandates for mask-wearing, but the legality of the directive is in question; Seven school boards from around the state want to stop Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s executive order on school mask mandates; Teachers union leaders from Chesterfield, Henrico and Richmond asked their school districts yesterday to step up support for students and staff; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency ahead of winter weather over the next few days; Some Virginia Republicans are attempting to repeal legislation that would combat the school-to-prison pipeline; Chesterfield County’s school board voted yesterday to maintain its masking mandate for students, staff and visitors; and other local news stories.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has chosen a staffer from the conservative Heritage Foundation to lead the state’s diversity efforts; Several Hampton Roads cities are asking the General Assembly to allow state funding to care for historic Black cemeteries; Employees at Virginia Commonwealth University are no longer required to be vaccinated or report their vaccination status to the university; and other local news stories.

Some lawmakers want to mandate that all public schools, including at the elementary level, have a police presence; Supply chain issues are affecting school lunches; Parents in Chesapeake are suing Governor Glenn Youngkin over his move to get rid of local mask mandates in schools; and other local news stories.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin addressed state lawmakers for the first time yesterday afternoon; Newly released campaign filings show that Dominion Energy and its executives spent more than a quarter of a million dollars funding a secretive political group that attacked Governor Glenn Youngkin during his campaign; Experts examine the pros and cons of the charter school model; and other local news stories.

Republican Winsome Sears will make history when she’s inaugurated as lieutenant governor on Saturday; Republican Jason Miyares promises to put victims before criminals as Virginia’s new Attorney General; An effort to end solitary confinement in Virginia’s prisons is getting a boost from a Republican state senator; and other local news stories.

The Virginia General Assembly kicked off its work yesterday; Governor Ralph Northam gave his final speech before lawmakers and Virginians; Democrat Jackie Glass won the special election for Norfolk’s 89th House District seat; and other local news stories.

Virginia lawmakers return to Richmond today to start working on new laws and the next two-year state budget; Education is one of the top issues facing lawmakers during the 2022 legislative session; Dominion Energy is asking permission to withdraw a proposed rate hike to customers that would cover enrollment in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam declared a limited state of emergency in his final COVID-19 response update yesterday; Orlando Carter pleaded guilty to two charges last week, bu his family says they are still seeking justice for his assault; Officials with Virginia’s court system asked a federal judge in Richmond to dismiss a lawsuit over the state’s limited public access to court records; and other local news stories.

VPM’s Whittney Evans chronicled her search to get a COVID test earlier this week; Nine new community testing centers are opening across the state to increase availability; Crews began treating major roadways overnight, as another winter storm hits parts of the commonwealth; and other local news stories.

Today is the one-year anniversary of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. U.S. Senator Tim Kaine reflected on the attack while speaking with reporters yesterday; A major gun rally won’t be returning to Richmond this year; Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin announced former Environmental Protection Agency head Andrew Wheeler as his pick for Secretary of Natural Resources yesterday; and other local news stories.

Transportation and safety officials in Virginia were still working last night to clear abandoned vehicles from a stretch of I-95 after hundreds of cars came to a standstill following a major chain reaction pileup Monday; Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has named several key positions in his cabinet; State Senator Amanda Chase has abandoned her bid for the 7th District; and other local news stories.

Starting this week, Virginia residents, including children, who are undocumented can apply for state-issued ID, A prominent Virginia lawyer is joining incoming governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration as an advisor; A proposed change to city law will be voted on later this week that could give Virginia Beach deputies greater police power; and other local news stories.

Politicians and voters in Virginia are pouring over the commonwealth’s new political maps approved by the state supreme court on Tuesday; Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority will lift the freeze on lease enforcements at the end of the month; Chesterfield County Public Library’s current location in Midlothian will officially close today; and other local news stories.

A Confederate time capsule found 20 feet under the pedestal that once held a statue of Robert E. Lee was opened yesterday; The Visual Arts Center of Richmond is filled with pieces of pottery that look like they just left a tattoo shop as part of the "Of Mud and Blood" exhibit; The state is spending more than 700 million dollars to bring broadband access to rural Chesapeake, Suffolk and other localities; and other local news stories.

Virginia’s legislative review agency – JLARC – recently released a comprehensive report on the state’s juvenile justice system; Workers at the former site of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond may have found the time capsule reported to have been installed in the statue’s base; Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has vowed to slash regulations and cut taxes to make Virginia more business-friendly; and other local news stories.

Historic preservationists with the state opened a time capsule discovered under the former site of the Robert E. Lee Monument yesterday; A former senator and Virginia Governor and his wife were injured by a massive house fire Tuesday night; Many local businesses are seeing an upswing in customers, but pandemic related issues are stifling some sales; and other local news stories.

The Chair of Virginia’s Parole Board forwarded a press release to media outlets yesterday with the subject line "setting the record straight"; Representative Abigail Spanberger is considering a run in the new 7th District if proposed legislative maps are approved; Within one week, Richmond health officials have seen a 38 percent increase of new COVID-19 cases in the city; and other local news stories.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has selected an education data consultant to serve as Virginia’s next Secretary of Education; Next month, a federal court in Richmond will hear arguments in a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Virginia over its policy of barring the public from obtaining civil court records remotely; The Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court plans to step down from the position at the end of the year; and other local news stories.

About 900 people living in properties run by the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority could face eviction if they don’t pay rent by the end of the month; Governor Ralph Northam presented a $158 billion budget proposal today as his term draws to a close, but Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin would like larger tax cuts; The last public hearing on the newly drawn redistricting maps is happening this afternoon; and other local news stories.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin will soon have authority to reshape the staff of Virginia’s election administration; State officials say there was a second ransomware attack affecting Virginia agencies; Virginia home care workers, immigrants, parents and business owners are calling on U.S. Senate leaders to pass the president’s Build Back Better spending plan; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam is calling for lawmakers to eliminate the state’s tax on groceries; Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC secured a key permit from the State Water Control Board yesterday; A Central Virginia group has been named a finalist in the one billion dollar Build Back Better challenge from the Economic Development Administration; and other local news stories.

Myotonic dystrophy, known as DM1, is the most common type of muscular dystrophy worldwide, and it has no effective treatment. But a Virginia college student recently became the first participant in a national trial for a drug that targets DM1 at the source; Fairfax County Public Schools has settled a lawsuit with parents and disability rights advocates over the district’s use of seclusion and restraint with students with disabilities; Virginia’s legislative agencies were forced to shut down computer systems and websites due to a ransomware attack; and other local news stories.

This week, the Supreme Court of Virginia shared drafts of what state and congressional voting districts could look like for a decade in the commonwealth. The proposals draw some current legislators out of their districts; Virginia’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities are set to receive nearly 300 million dollars in additional funding; Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin says he wants Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative; and other local news stories.

Virginia’s pandemic rent relief program could run out of funds as early as July of next year; The commanding officer of SEAL Team 8 died Tuesday at Norfolk Sentara General Hospital; Incoming Attorney General Jason Miyares has chosen the next Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia; Outdoor recreation projects may get a boost as Governor Ralph Northam leaves office; and other local news stories.

State and local law enforcement can look forward to a pay increase under Governor Ralph Northam’s outgoing two-year budget proposal; Richmond City Public Schools became the first district in Virginia to award its teachers and staff collective bargaining rights on Monday; The Virginia Department of Health says it lacks the quote “clear statutory authority” to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees; and other local news stories.