Health
- Virginia faces mental health provider shortages as Hampton Roads residents struggle to navigate care
By Yiqing Wang/WHRO A new national report found Virginia is facing “catastrophic” shortages in community mental health. Providers in Norfolk say many patients still struggle to know where to turn during a mental health crisis. The report from mental health policy group Inseparable found Virginians go out of network for mental health care six and a half […]
- Fairfax County Considers Affordable Housing Near Gas Stations Amid Health Discussions
Plans for affordable housing development in Fairfax County have drawn attention to the site’s location next to five gas stations. Community members have raised questions regarding possible health implications tied to emissions from these facilities. The discussion centers on benzene and other compounds associated with petroleum operations in the area. Visual materials include a map […]
- The bald eagle’s comeback and centuries as national symbol
The bald eagle became a national symbol in 1782, appearing on the U.S. seal and government documents. But despite representing the country for almost 250 years, the raptor did not officially become the nation’s bird until 2024, when Congress passed legislation declaring it so and then-President Joe Biden signed it into law. Virginia lawmakers, conservationists […]
- Fairfax County Spotlights Historical Women Leaders in Science and Social Change
Katherine Johnson, born in 1918 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, demonstrated exceptional mathematical ability from a young age. Her parents emphasized education, enabling her to complete high school by age 13 and attend West Virginia State College, where she exhausted the available mathematics curriculum. After teaching, Johnson joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics […]
- Fairfax County Counselor Addresses Concerns Over Excessive Screen Time for Young Children
Specifically, the counselor recounted experiences on a bus ride from the airport, while waiting in airport locations, and on planes, where every such child appeared to have a tablet in hand. ‘Stop handing tablets to kids everywhere,’ she urged, framing this as evidence of an unintended trend toward screen dependency from an early age. The […]
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs wetlands, PFAS and flooding bills
Gov. Abigail Spanberger signs an environmental bill into law in Stafford, VA on May 6, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) On the banks of Aquia Creek in Stafford, Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Wednesday signed a slew of bills designed to protect Virginia’s clean water from harmful forever chemicals and aid communities as sea levels […]
- Abigail Spanberger vetoes cannabis bill, stalling legal sales again
Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have created Virginia’s long-delayed adult-use cannabis retail market, halting an effort lawmakers spent months negotiating five years after the commonwealth legalized marijuana possession. The veto came after the General Assembly last month rejected Spanberger’s substitute proposal, which would have substantially rewritten the legis
- Virginia farmers talk meat production, fertilizer costs with USDA officials
United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy traveled to Doswell Wednesday to meet with Virginia farmers and meat producers and discuss the challenges they face – and what the federal government can do to help. Limited access to local meat processors is a persistent challenge […]
- New law will enhance emergency response for people with disabilities
Two things inspired Del. Leslie Mehta, D-Chesterfield, the most when she sought public office: her now-deceased eldest daughter Brooke and her passion for healthcare policy. Both converged in the first piece of Mehta’s legislation to be signed into law by Gov. Abigail Spanberger. House Bill 1370, she said, is about “making sure that those with […]
- Fairfax County Master Gardeners Observe 50th Anniversary of Local Horticulture Programs
Fairfax County Master Gardeners have reached the milestone of fifty years of activity centered on horticulture, education, and efforts related to hunger. The group operates under the framework of Virginia Cooperative Extension and provides structured opportunities for residents to learn and apply gardening techniques. Educational components include programs designed for fourth grade students. Thes
- Legislation to Incorporate Inflation in Virginia Real Property Tax Assessments
In the ongoing efforts to refine local government financing in Virginia, Delegate Joseph McNamara has introduced House Bill 68 during the 2026 Regular Session of the House of Delegates. This legislation focuses on amending provisions in the Code of Virginia related to how counties and cities handle tax rate adjustments following real property assessments. The […]
- SELC appeals to state supreme court over SCC approval of Dominion’s Chesterfield gas plant
The Southern Environmental Law Center, representing the Chesterfield County branch of the NAACP, Appalachian Voices, and Mothers Out Front, on Wednesday filed an appeal with the Supreme Court of Virginia over state regulators’ approval of Dominion Energy’s Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC), a gas peaker plant fiercely opposed by the groups and residents that’s slated […]
- Virginia revenues surge despite job losses amid budget standoff
Virginia’s economy is showing increasing signs of strain from slower job growth, rising inflation and weakening consumer confidence, even as state revenues continue exceeding expectations and giving lawmakers more room to negotiate a stalled state budget, Virginia Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles said Tuesday. Presenting the administration’s latest economic and revenue update to the Senate […]
- Abigail Spanberger vetoes bills allowing public employees to collectively bargain working condition, wages
Gov. Abigail Spanberger vetoed collective bargaining legislation Thursday, drawing major criticism from some of the state’s largest unions and labor advocate groups. The governor previously expressed support for the bills that would allow more Virginia public workers to organize in unions and negotiate their working conditions and pay rates. Spanberger first sought amendments to Senate […]
- 60 acres of Virginia Land Given for Free in Henrico for Black Virginians to Farm
Duron Chavis on land transferred to the Central Virginia Agrarian Community Land Trust. May 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) In a fallow field off the Virginia Capital Trail in Henrico County Tuesday morning, urban agriculture expert Duron Chavis walked through the grass alongside Parker Agelasto, a former Richmond City councilman who now leads the […]
- Virginia Marijuana retail plan in limbo after lawmakers reject Spanberger changes
In Virginia, the future of a legal, regulated market for adult-use marijuana remains in limbo years after possession was legalized. (Photo Illustration by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Five years after Virginia legalized simple adult possession of marijuana, lawmakers are at an impasse over how to finally stand up a legal retail market, after the General Assembly […]
- Virginia Legislation Seeks Modernization of Social Services Technology Systems
Virginia lawmakers are advancing legislation aimed at modernizing the technological infrastructure supporting the state’s administration of key federal benefit programs. House Bill 66, introduced in the 2026 session of the Virginia House of Delegates, directs the Department of Social Services and the Department of Medical Assistance Services to engage a third-party vendor to conduct a […]
- A new law will make it easier to build a tiny house in your back yard, starting next year
An ADU with alley access in Richmond’s Fan neighborhood. (Photo by Wyatt Gordon) Accessory dwelling units — which could be a tiny house on another home’s lot, a garage-turned-apartment, a carriage house, or an ‘in-law suite’ — will be easier to build beginning next year, following Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s signature of a new law this […]
- Concerns Mount Over Mold and HVAC Issues in Virginia Public Schools
A notable case cited involves schools in Chesterfield County’s Douglas District. There, significant delays in HVAC maintenance reportedly resulted in the release of Legionella bacteria, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially deadly pneumonia. Legionella proliferates in water droplets from cooling towers and ventilation systems when not regularly cleaned and disinfected. This i
- Conservation groups raise alarm as Potomac River named most endangered in the nation
A view of the U.S. Capitol from the Potomac River, March 30, 2026. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury) The Potomac River, otherwise known as “the nation’s river,” has been named the most endangered river in the country, following a massive sewage spill earlier this year and the ongoing buildout of thirsty data centers across the […]
- Hospitals are not closing down
This post was originally published on this site. The hospitals in the area say that they will continue to serve the region, despite possible cuts in Medicaid funding which were approved by Congress last year. Public Citizen, a report highlighted by Virginia U.S. Senators. Tim Kaine, Mark Warner and others stated that Sentara Halifax Regional […]
- Loudoun Education Foundation Bridges Meal Gap for LCPS Students During Snow Day Closures
LEF’s Fueled program supplies weekend meal bags, in-school food pantries, and snacks to 56 LCPS schools. By mid-school year, the program had distributed more than 30,000 weekend meal bags, helping students maintain focus on learning. The foundation coordinates with volunteers, including LCPS staff, high school students, and retired educators, to pack and distribute these resources […]
- Marijuana testing challenges persist as Virginia retail market nears
Photo of Virginia Cannabis Control Authority graphic with campaign material on their website. (Photo courtesy Virginia Cannabis Control Authority) By Stef Anderson/VCU Capital News Service RICHMOND, Va. –THC breathalyzers are often discussed as a way to detect drivers under the influence, especially as Virginia closes in on a retail cannabis market, but questions remain about […]
- Virginia sees 33,000 ACA enrollment drop since subsidies expired, more likely on the way
(Photo by Getty Images) What might be pocket change to some can be a breaking point for others — forcing tough choices between health insurance and everyday essentials. As Virginians, and Americans nationwide, face premium spikes in the Affordable Care Act marketplace after Congress failed to renew subsidies, many are weighing the cost of coverage […]
- Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces AstraZeneca Selects Albemarle County for $4.5 Billion Investment
International pharmaceutical leader will make its largest single investment in a facility to date, creating 600 direct jobs RICHMOND, VA — Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that AstraZeneca will invest $4.5 billion to establish two new manufacturing facilities in Albemarle County.
- Glenn Youngkin Signature Sets Stage for Virginia Health Insurance to Cover in vitro fertilization Treatment
A bill that can help people start and grow their families through fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization will become law, after Gov.
- Fluoride spike at Richmond water plant reignites calls for regional management
A spike in fluoride levels during a pump install at Richmond’s water treatment plant last week went unreported for days and has prompted neighboring counties to repeat calls for a cooperative approach to water service in the region.
- Pat Herrity withdraws from the race for lieutenant governor citing health concerns
He announced Monday that he was withdrawing from the race for health reasons. Pat Herrity had been considered the frontrunner in the Republican Party’s nomination of lieutenant governor.
- Gov. Youngkin: Intervene to protect Virginians from predatory debt collection practices
Here is the reality: Most Americans with cancer who report struggling to pay for medical expenses or navigating medical debt are insured.
- Virginia Bans Artificial Dyes from our Food, Governor Glenn Youngkin
Governor Glenn Youngkin participates in a bill signing ceremony at the Patrick Henry Building,
- Virginia Parents Protect their Children from Addictive Social Media
Reclaiming Childhood Task Force established to address youth mental health crisis RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today issued
- Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces, “Keep Virginia Winning” Budget to Deliver on Critical Investments and Expand Tax Relief for Hardworking Virginians
- Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Blue Catfish Processing Grant Award to Hampton Seafood Processor
Grant will increase Amory Seafood’s purchasing, processing, and sales of local wild-caught blue catfish RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that Amory Seafood has been awarded $247,000 through the Governor’s Blue Catfish Processing, Flash Freezing, and Infrastructure Grant Program.
- Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces August Economic Indicators Signal Continued Labor Market Strength
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced an increase of just over 7,300 more employed Virginians in August, bringing the total to 226,954 more Virginians employed since January 2022.
- Virginia General Fund Revenues Complete Fiscal Year with $5.1 Billion in Excess Resources
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced that Virginia’s general fund revenues ended fiscal year 2023 $3.0 billion over the official revenue forecast, generating $5.1 billion in excess resources for the year.