VPM Daily Newscast

A December traffic stop in southeast Virginia of a uniformed Army officer has prompted Governor Ralph Northam to call for an investigation; Senator Mark Warner is using the incident to call for the passage of the Justice in Policing Act; Richmond City Council is moving forward with finding a new home for the city’s Confederate monuments after they were removed last year; and other local news stori...

As states move to address racial inequities in health care, clinicians explore what’s being done to address mental health in the Black community; Richmond will receive nearly 6 million dollars for homeless services as part of the latest federal coronavirus relief package; Governor Ralph Northam has endorsed his predecessor, former Governor Terry McAuliffe, in his run for governor; and other local...

The Virginia General Assembly weighed a number of Gov. Ralph Northam's proposed amendments to legislation that would legalize marijuana sooner as well as funding for an investigation into the state government watchdog agency. A leading health official in Central Virginia says the commonwealth now has about 350 cases of the UK variant of the coronavirus, which is now the dominant strain in the coun...

A pandemic policy to ensure out-of-work Virginians can receive unemployment is ending, Richmond is hammering out a process to find homes for removed Confederate monuments, and more. Correction: An earlier version of the newscast had the wrong story. It has been updated.

What Constitutes an "Open Container" of Marijuana? Will the closure of shelters leave people without places to sleep?

The death of VCU freshman Adam Oakes is still under investigation one month later, VPM reporter Alan Rodriguez Espinoza had the chance to speak with Adam’s friends and family about how they will remember him; The Virginia Supreme Court has sided with the city of Charlottesville in the fight over Confederate monuments; Governor Ralph Northam announced yesterday that all Virginians 16 and older will...

Governor Ralph Northam has signed a state-level Voting Rights Act; Legalization of marijuana in Virginia could happen as early as July, three years ahead of schedule; Provisions in the amended marijuana bill add protections for unions and workers; and other local news stories.

Virginia voters have plenty of options when they choose nominees for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general; Governor Ralph Northam and U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a new infrastructure project that will double Virginia's access to train services; Richmonders will soon see some green space taking up on-street parking. The city has approved five small “parklet...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an extension on the federal eviction moratorium yesterday; Three Richmond-based advocacy groups detailed local policy proposals to address the city’s housing and eviction crisis; According to the AARP, nearly 2-in-100 Virginia nursing home residents died from COVID-19 between mid-January and mid-February; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam is expected to ask lawmakers to speed up the timeline for legalizing marijuana in Virginia; An evaluation panel appointed by Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has chosen three finalist casino proposals; The City of Richmond is taking applications for its new Educator Task Force; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam has signed into a law a bill that officially ends the death penalty in Virginia; Former President Donald Trump is back on the air in Virginia ahead of the GOP nominating convention; Richmond and Henrico are getting a $600,000 grant from the federal E-P-A; and other local news stories.

As COVID-19 cases decline across the state, Governor Ralph Northam is easing some restrictions he put in place earlier in the pandemic; When the COVID-19 vaccine rollout began, public health officials raised concerns that Black Americans might be hesitant to get the shot. Now, those same officials say that concern has waned; Governor Northam responded to recent mass shootings in Atlanta and Boulde...

A new study from the American Society of Criminology finds U.S. counties that are more religious, more Republican, and have unstable economies are more likely to impose the death penalty; Governor Ralph Northam unveiled a new initiative yesterday to help Virginia students get access to financial aid for college; Richmond City Council is looking to rezone properties along Broad Street in the West E...

Virginia has received nearly 7 billion dollars from the American Rescue Plan, the new federal stimulus bill; The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have announced a partnership with G-R-T-C to help with vaccinations; Passenger traffic at Richmond International Airport was down 65 percent last year compared to 2019, but it's picking up as vaccinations increase; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam said Virginians have a responsibility to condemn racist acts and violence, following the killing of 8 people in Atlanta; The U.S. House of Representatives has, again, approved a resolution to lift the deadline for ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment; Governor Northam released preliminary guidelines yesterday for schools and universities holding in-person graduations this sp...

A year ago today, Governor Ralph Northam issued an executive order limiting gatherings and many businesses to 10 people. Ben Paviour spoke with Dr. Norm Oliver about what we're learned since then; The Virginia Department of Health announced yesterday that some regions are moving into the next phase of vaccinations this week; A community vaccination center serving Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Petersbur...

NPR recently reported on alleged ethics violations at Virginia’s largest law firm, McGuireWoods. The firm is accused of representing adversary clients; Governor Ralph Northam and First Lady Pamela Northam received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine yesterday; An annual mass healthcare event in Southwest Virginia has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and other local news stories.

A panel of federal appeals court judges in Richmond heard arguments yesterday in Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax’s defamation suit against CBS; Chesterfield County’s Fire and EMS department is bringing COVID-19 vaccines to homebound residents who have medical issues; All of the Democratic members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation voted to pass the American Rescue Plan, the latest federal coronavi...

A federal appeals court will reconsider Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax’s libel suit against CBS today; The Henrico County school board agreed Wednesday to participate in cultural sensitivity and implicit bias training; The Richmond-area housing market continues to get more expensive; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam struck a cautiously hopeful tone at his latest press conference on the state’s response to the coronavirus; As supply grows, the head of Virginia’s vaccine distribution says the state needs to focus on getting people to take the vaccine; The Governor’s Office says a lawsuit filed by an employee of Virginia’s government watchdog agency is a political ploy, riddled with false...

Thousands of middle and high school students return to in-person learning in Chesterfield today, although more are choosing to remain at home; Henrico and Richmond are expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine; The South African variant of the coronavirus has be confirmed in Central Virginia; and other local news stories.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine is pushing to include mental health protections for health care providers in the federal relief package under consideration; The Virginia Department of Health announced yesterday that the first child under the age of 10 has died due to COVID-19; The Mayor’s Homelessness Advisory Council has issued its final report; and other local news stories.

Virginia is expecting 69,000 does of the newly-approved Johnson and Johnson vaccine this week; Richmond and Henrico are aiming to vaccinate 12,000 older adults at clinics this week; Richmond Public Schools is projecting a significant decrease in drop outs this year; and other local news stories.

Virginia's General Assembly has passed a bill to study the effects of gold mining, after concerns about a proposal in Buckingham County’s Union Hill; Governor Ralph Northam is joining calls for an investigation into the state's parole board; a new pedestrian traffic signal goes up in the West End; and other local news stories.

Richmond City Council voted to sell the defunct Public Safety Building last night; A new website seeks to help workers facing wage theft and other workplace violations; Richmond Police are investigating the death of a 19-year-old VCU student in an alleged hazing incident; and other local news stories.