VPM Daily Newscast

Following court-ordered mediation, the Virginia Employment Commission will work to resolve a backlog of pandemic-related jobless claims by Labor Day; Lawyers for Dylann Roof asked a federal appeals court in Richmond yesterday to overturn his conviction; Yesterday, a U.S. Senate health committee approved the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council has approved a more than 770 million dollar budget for next fiscal year; Changes to Virginia’s medical cannabis program are coming this summer as recreational marijuana becomes legal; Multiple walk-up vaccination events at the Richmond Raceway this week will be open to children; and other local news stories.

A Virginia lawmaker was deposed earlier this month for his role in an alleged fraud scheme; On July 1st, adults in Virginia can legally use recreational marijuana, but there are still lots of rules to follow to stay on the right side of the law; Governor Ralph Northam is making changes to the state parole board; Richmond’s casino selection panel has narrowed the field down to one; and other local...

A majority of Virginia voters support efforts to reduce flooding, according to a new poll; Petersburg City Council has appointed Stuart Turille Junior as its new city manager; The Vice Chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia resigned in protest this week of the agency’s handling of the Virginia Military Institute investigation; and other local news stories

Governor Ralph Northam has issued an executive order directing the Virginia Employment Commission to hire more staff and nearly double the number of disputed claims they process each week; The 7-day average for new COVID-19 cases in Richmond is down to 10 per week; Several Hampton Roads cities have higher rates of poverty, unemployment and housing insecurity than Virginia on average according to n...

A group called “Power for Tomorrow” is blanketing Virginia with TV ads warning against changes to the commonwealth’s electrical grid; Settlement talks are underway between the Virginia Employment Commission and residents who sued over delays in their unemployment benefits; The Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates announced the body will return to in-person meetings; and other local news stor...

12 to 15 year olds are now approved to get the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; Virginia will receive more than 7-billion-dollars in COVID relief funds from the American Rescue Plan; Virginia officials hope the gasoline supply chain will be fully back to normal by this weekend or early next week; and other local news stories.

Chesterfield is trying to relocate over 500 people from the county currently incarcerated at Riverside Regional Jail; Several COVID-19 vaccine clinics are taking place in the Richmond area with no appointments needed; Virginia's anti-price gouging statute is in effect following the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency yesterday in response to the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline by a ransomware attack; Over 1.5 million children in Virginia will benefit from the expansion of the Child Tax Credit; Virginia Commonwealth University’s faculty senate voted this week in support of several demands being made by adjunct professors; and other local news stories.

In Virginia, Black women are three to four times more likely to experience maternal health problems. A Richmond-based program was recently launched to try to address this; The deadline for Virginians to file their state taxes is approaching; A repaving project in Richmond appears to be paying off; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam says all COVID-19 restrictions in Virginia could end in June if cases continue to decline; According to a new poll, about two-thirds of Virginia parents say they're likely to have their children vaccinated; The candidates for Attorney General met in debate; and other local news stories.

Richmond residents wanting to get vaccinated can do so today at the Islamic Center in Henrico; The COVID-19 crisis in India is impacting residents in Hampton Roads, A walk-up vaccination clinic opened Wednesday at George Wythe High School; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council is setting aside roughly $200,000 for a civilian review board for police misconduct; Virginia Military Institute will remove “Stonewall” Jackson’s name from campus buildings in the wake of allegations of racism; Eight women recently filed a lawsuit against a Virginia summer camp, claiming they were sexually abused by staff; and other local news stories.

Charlottesville's Blue Ribbon Commission have requested the city council to immediately cover the monuments in preparation for their removal; A task force working on creating a civilian review board in Richmond for police misconduct is looking for public input; Richmond Public Schools will be holding in-person graduations this Spring, thanks to a drop in COVID-19 cases and an increase in vaccinati...

Governor Ralph Northam eased some restrictions on outdoor gatherings yesterday following new CDC guidance for vaccinated individuals; Virginia’s minimum wage will rise to $9.50 an hour beginning tomorrow; Some voters recently received texts making homophobic comments towards Virginia Beach Delegate Glenn Davis; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Court of Appeals will consider the case of two Virginia men who are serving life in prison for the murder of a police officer despite a federal jury’s ‘not guilty’ verdict; Yesterday, Richmond Police arrested and charged three men they suspect were involved in a shooting that killed a woman and her 3-month-old daughter; Tonight residents can learn more about a major road improvement p...

More than 55,000 Virginians have signed up to be delegates for the May 8th GOP convention; The Virginia Department of Education has responded to confusion resulting from media reports that VDOE would be eliminating advanced math courses; The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have created a new web portal to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine; and other local news stories.

After years of campaigning, the Richmond Public Defender’s office could finally get the funding it’s been asking for; Prince William County Delegate Hala Ayala got a boost in her campaign to become the Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor yesterday; Virginia Republicans will allow observant Jews and other people with religious obligations to vote absentee in their upcoming nominating convent...

Governor Ralph Northam is loosening some of the restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus; Today marks 70 years since students at Moton High School in Farmville walked out of class to protest racial segregation in Prince Edward County public schools; The Henrico School Board selected Roscoe Cooper of the Fairfield District to serve as its new chairman yesterday; and other loc...

On Wednesday, Virginia became the first Southern state to legalize recreational marijuana. Governor Ralph Northam held a bill-signing ceremony, but one key group says they were left out; The State Board of Elections is requesting the commonwealth’s attorney investigate alleged misconduct by the Richmond Electoral Board; Four leading Republican contenders for governor gave mixed reactions after Tue...

State leaders reacted to the jury’s verdict that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is guilty on all counts in the murder of George Floyd; The city of Norfolk fired a police officer who donated money to the teenager accused of killing two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Governor Ralph Northam’s office announced yesterday that five new historical markers addressing African American h...

In leaked audio published on Sunday by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Governor Ralph Northam’s staff questions the Virginia Inspector General’s authority to investigate alleged violations at the parole board; Now that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to all residents over the age of 16, Virginia Senator Mark Warner encouraged residents to protect their communities by getting a shot; Attorney Genera...

Attorney General Mark Herring is using his authority, under a new state law, to probe the Windsor Police department’s overall policies and training; One of the survivors of the Virginia Tech mass shooting speaks about his experience 14 years later; Senator Tim Kaine is reintroducing legislation that aims to reduce gun violence; and other local news stories.

The police Chief in Windsor, Virginia says his officers initially handled the traffic stop of an Army Lieutenant relatively well. But things went downhill from there; As the 14 year anniversary of the Virginia Tech mass shooting approaches, the university is remembering the 32 lives lost; Virginia Senator Tim Kaine reintroduced a bipartisan bill earlier this week that helps train workers for futur...

While there’s a pause on using the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, Virginia’s leading vaccination official says the state remains on track to make other doses available to all adults by next week; Attorney General Mark Herring has directed his Office of Civil Rights to investigate the Windsor Police Department following the December traffic stop of an army officer; After the removal of Confederate mo...