The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Nov. 23, 2023:
Hanover County school board presses forward with 70+ new book removals
Reported by VPM News’ Lyndon German
It’s been two weeks since voters struck down an Election Day referendum for an elected school board. The county will remain one of 12 out of 136 localities in Virginia where school board members are appointed.
And this week, that appointed board expanded its book ban to 72 more titles that will be removed from public school libraries.
Plus the 19 books it initially removed in June, three of which re-appeared on this week’s list, the county has banned upward of 91 nonfiction and fiction books, graphic novels, comics and more — many of which are autobiographical in nature — for being too sexually explicit.
Looking ahead to January: General Assembly bills start trickling in
Reported by VPM News’ Meghin Moore
This week, Virginia’s legislators began to pre-file bills and resolutions that they think are in the commonwealth's best interests.
Democrats' bills include building off their previous momentum to increase the state’s minimum wage, as well as separate first-year resolutions to enshrine two new rights in the Virginia Constitution: reproductive freedom and automatic civil rights restoration in Virginia.
Republicans’ bills revolve around hate crimes, environmental issues and support for STEM+C — Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Computing — education in public schools.
In other news:
- Wonton, Richmond's beloved bookstore cat, has died 'on his own terms' (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
In case you missed it:
- At FAA command center, round-the-clock work to keep holiday flights on track (Washington Post)*
- A town’s ‘melting pot’ cemetery honored miners from many cultures but fell into disrepair. Supporters want to give it new life. (Cardinal News)
- Virginia Del. Briana Sewell joins race for Spanberger seat in Congress (Washington Post)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.