VPM Daily Newscast

Candidates for Mayor of Richmond met last night in a debate hosted by VPM and NBC12; In-person voting has already seen a huge turnout; JLARC issued a new report about the Virginia Department of Education; and other local news stories.

Members of the 'Proud Boys' attended a 2019 fundraiser held by Richmond City Council candidate Mike Dickinson; Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin is considering 18 sealed indictments involving police conduct in relation to protests over the summer; Postal inspectors are investigating reports of tampering with outdoor mailboxes at area post offices; and other local news stories.

Governor Ralph Northam continues to remain asymptomatic and working after his recent positive diagnosis for COVID-19, The State Corporation Commission declined to extend the moratorium on utility disconnections due to unpaid bills; A budget amendment that would have provided parents with money to support online learning failed to pass in the General Assembly; Gov. Northam joined 10 other state gov...

A handful of residents in Richmond and Henrico received duplicate ballots, but unique barcodes will prevent anyone from voting twice; Commonwealth's Attorneys want to stop a bill that would allow judges to impose sentences in criminal trials; COVID-19 cases are on the decline in Richmond; and how to spot misinformation ahead of the November election.

A new Wason poll shows likely Virginia voters trust Biden over Trump when it come to handling the pandemic; Richmond moves to establish a slavery museum in Shockoe Bottom; Activists accused Richmond police of making political arrests; and other local news stories.

The Virginia Supreme Court has approved a resumption of jury trials across the commonwealth; the Richmond 300 master plan looks ahead to 2037; VDH has added several new dashboards to its site to track the coronavirus; and other local news stories.

President Donald Trump is holding a rally tonight in Newport News as a new Wason Center poll shows Joe Biden with a 5-point lead among likely Virginia voters; Jill Biden joined Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney at an early voting location; Governor Northam expanded the rent relief program to landlords; and other local news stories.

COVID-19 has had a negative effect on the opioid epidemic, with non-fatal overdoses up 123% over last year; Senator Tim Kaine questioned health officials about the pandemic in committee; Richmond moves forward with plans to provide childcare to low-income families and frontline workers; and VADOC responds to CDC guidelines to manage COVID-19 outbreaks in detention centers.

A bill that would have reduced the punishment for assaulting a police officer failed to pass a House panel yesterday; GRTC is offering a shuttle service to the new registrar's office in Richmond; Governor Northam announces plan to restructure the debt of state colleges and universities; Mayor Stoney unveiled a plan to increase affordable housing in the city; and other local news stories.

A planned Black Live Matter mural on Grace Street has been called off following a proposed anti-abortion mural; Virginia remembers Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who passed away last week; Chesterfield County is reducing the number of locations for free meal pickups; Richmond is shortening their virtual school day over screen time concerns; and other local news stories.

The director of VCU's Massey Cancer Center said in a Congressional briefing this week that African Americans have the highest overall death rate in the US; A majority of Virginians think it is unsafe for kids to return to school in person according to a new poll; VUU and VCU celebrate the 30th anniversary of the inauguration of former Governor L. Douglas Wilder; and other local news stories.

Richmond Public Schools has established a new program to help students facing housing insecurity; A bill requiring utilities to offer an extended payment plan passed the Virginia Senate, which also killed a bill that would have required some employers to provide paid quarantine leave; The city of Richmond is planning to provide childcare for low-income and working parents; and other local news sto...

The State Corporation Commission has agreed to Governor Ralph Northam's request to freeze utility disconnections through October 5th; Southwest Virginia continues a spike in COVID-19 cases; Virginia ABC sales continue to rise; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney joins other mayors across the country to call on President Trump to condemn vigilantism; and other local news stories.

The state Senate has sent a significant police reform bill to the House of Delegates; Henrico gets a new police chief; Chesterfield moves to return students to in-person learning; Virginia localities prepare for November's election; and other local news stories.

Hampton Roads COVID-19 Restrictions Being Lifted; Legal Protections for Police Will Continue After Senate Defeats Proposal; After Major Outbreak, ICE Says COVID-19 is Under Control in Their Facility, Asks to Bring in More Detained People; and more local news stories.

Democrats Block a GOP Attempt to End Police Unions; Richmond Bans Firearms at Protests; Special Prosecutor Requested to Investigate $1.8M Confederate Monument Removal Contract; and more local news

Yasmine Jumaa fills in for Ben Dolle, who is on vacation. Virtual School Reopening Hit Technical Challenges; Richmond Bans Guns at Protests; Update on COVID-19 in Richmond Jails; a Hanover School is Closed Due to COVID-19, and more local news

School Resource Officers will be taking on new roles as many schools across the state reopen virtually; Richmond schools have announced plans to make sure students have access to meals during virtual classes; Governor Northam has signed a bill to make it easier to vote early; Disagreements arise over the CDC's ban on evictions; and other local news stories.

Kanye West will not appear on the ballots in the November election in Virginia after at least three voters say his campaign misled them; A proposal to provide two weeks of paid leave for workers exposed COVID-19 is heading to the House of Delegates; Richmond City officials toured one of three new schools opening this fall; and other local news stories.

The CDC has issued a ban on evictions through the end of the year for renters who lost thier jobs due to the pandemic; Kayne West's campaign is facing a lawsuit to remove the rapper from the Virginia ballot; Community activists are criticizing the police reponse to protests outside of the Richmond Jail earlier this week; A bill advanced that would allow for automatic expungement of some crimes aft...

Governor Ralph Northam is waiting to see for now if any restrictions are needed to help curb the spread of COVID-19 in Virginia; A potential new rapid treatment for COVID-19 is undergoing trials at VCU; Richmond Public Schools voted to allow 5 school buildings in the city to be used to provide emergency childcare; Mayor Levar Stoney officially kicked off his mayoral campaign with some key endorsem...

The Virginia Crime Commission recommended passage of a bill to expand expungement eligibility; IKEA donates $2 million to Virginia for eviction relief; School funding remains uncertain amid the COVID-19 pandemic; and other local news stories.

A new bill introduced by Delegate Sam Rasoul seeks to change how body cam footage is dealt with after shooting incidents; the state Senate is seeking to extend a moratorium on evictions; Dozens of inmates at Richmond City Jail are being monitored after testing positive for COVID-19; The Virginia Supreme Court clears the way for the removal of Richmond's last standing Confederate monument; and othe...

The Valentine Museum is in talks to acquire the Jefferson Davis monument toppled by protestors earlier this year; a federal appeals court once again rules in favor of Gavin Grimm, a transgender man who sued his high school for the right to use the boys restroom; Chesterfield County is looking to add two satellite voting locations; and other local news stories.

Judge W. Reilly Marchant dismissed two plaintiffs for lack of standing in a lawsuit preventing the removal of the Robert E. Lee monument, but the case will still go to trial in October with the remaining plaintiffs; Attorney General Herring has defended state restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in fifteen legal cases so far, even as one state senator tests positive for the virus; Reques...