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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Aug. 15, 2025:
Virginia’s political leaders differ on state’s economic future
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and General Assembly Democrats painted divergent pictures of the future health of Virginia’s economy and finances at dueling presentations Thursday.
“I believe that we are positioned to see long-term economic opportunity that we may not have ever seen before in America, other than in [the] early days of the Industrial Revolution,” Youngkin told reporters after presenting an annual review of Virginia’s fiscal health.
(Between 1900 and 1920, per capita income growth in Virginia went up by about 15% per year. In fiscal year 2025, total personal income went up by 5.1%.)
Finance Secretary Steve Cummings went into more detail on the commonwealth’s finances and faced questions from the Democrats that control the General Assembly.
“While you might think the commonwealth is strong, there’s a whole lot of red flags on the horizon,” Sen. Majority Leader Scott Surovell told Cummings. Surovell (D–Fairfax) pointed to higher producer costs and increasing unemployment rates, particularly in Northern Virginia.
There may be some truth to both approaches.
Watchdog: VA hospitals are finding it harder to fill jobs
Reported by The Associated Press
Government-run medical centers serving the nation’s veterans have reported an increase in severe staffing shortages, with many hospitals having trouble filling jobs for doctors, nurses and psychologists, according to an independent watchdog for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
A report this week from the VA’s Office of Inspector General is based on surveys from late March and early April that were taken at 139 Veterans Health Administration facilities. Severe staffing shortages are not necessarily an indication of vacancies, but refer to particular occupations that are difficult to fill.
The surveys were taken just weeks after it was reported in early March that the VA had planned to cut 80,000 of 484,000 jobs through the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The VA later reduced the figure to nearly 30,000 jobs to be cut by this federal fiscal year’s end on Sept. 30.
News you might have missed from around the commonwealth:
- ‘It saves lives’: Virginia Job Corps centers face uncertain future in national pause (Virginia Mercury)
- Virginia AG Jason Miyares sues Trump’s Veterans Administration (The Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- Cats, Coffee and Cuddles: Vegan cat cafe, The Purrfect Bean, is now open on Lombardy Street. (Style Weekly)
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
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