Author: Amanda Watford

CDC’s latest youth behavior report offers a narrower look at teen health
For more than 35 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has surveyed American high school students every two years about their health and behavior. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, established in 1991, draws a nationally representative sample of students in grades 9 through 12 at public and

Dominion unveils route changes for Valley Link Transmission line
One of the proposed routes of the controversial Valley Link Transmission line, which will stretch 765 kilovolt lines 115-miles across Virginia from Lynchburg to Culpeper, has been altered by developers, as Dominion Energy, Transource and FirstEnergy narrow down which path they’d prefer to present to the State Corporation Commission. Dominion

Virginia Democrats warn more healthcare strains loom after November election
Christina Rivera kept her health insurance this year because she needed major back surgery. But maintaining coverage meant absorbing a monthly premium that rose from $235 in 2025 to $1,336 in 2026 — with a higher deductible. “That’s just not reasonable for anybody who is relying on the ACA for

Virginia man released after 25 years in disputed murder case
(The Center Square) – A Virginia man who once faced the death penalty was released Monday after about 25 years in prison under an agreement resolving a murder case that spent decades moving through state and federal courts. Justin Wolfe pleaded guilty to distribution of marijuana and entered an Alford, or no-contest, plea to criminal…

News orgs banned from White House accuse Trump of First Amendment violation
WASHINGTON — The three news organizations that President Donald Trump barred from entering the White House grounds earlier this month have asked a federal judge to ensure their reporters continue to have access after a temporary restraining order expires in early October. Attorneys for CNN, MS Now and Politico filed

Virginia education board approves new rules for local student assessments
The Virginia Board of Education has approved new rules for assessing student learning in subjects without statewide Standards of Learning tests, giving schools another way to measure whether students have mastered the required material. Last year, state lawmakers overhauled the state’s testing system to improve how SOL tests are administered

Homebuilders say ICE enforcement is slowing Virginia construction and more headlines
• “Homebuilders say ICE enforcement is slowing Virginia construction.” — Axios • “Virginia gas prices sit above $4.20 amid rising crude oil costs.” — WAVY • “What Virginia’s data-center backlash shows about how Americans feel right now — and it’s not just anger.” — Fortune • “Two years after Hurricane

Want to weigh in on the Dominion-NextEra merger? Here’s where public hearings will be held.
The State Corporation Commission will hold three in-person hearings to collect public testimony on the proposed $67 billion merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, in addition to three anticipated days of testimony by phone. If approved by multiple state and federal agencies, the merger would create the largest regulated

The signs offer quick cash for homes. But states want more oversight.
WE BUY HOUSES. CASH 4 HOMES. FA$T CA$H. The signs, text messages and mailers promise cash, quick sales and a seamless means of unloading unwanted homes. But advocates say the business of buying homes for cash can confuse vulnerable homeowners and rob them of home equity. And now, many states

Trump administration revokes $810M approved by Congress for refugee aid and more
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has, once again, infuriated lawmakers from both political parties by using a controversial maneuver to cancel funding previously approved by Congress. The $810 million in the “pocket rescission” would have gone to refugee assistance programs at the Department of Health and Human Services, a Treasury










