The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
Listeners can subscribe through NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Megaphone, Spotify and wherever you get your podcasts.
Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Jan. 14, 2024:
Workplace protection bill scrapped in Senate committee
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
A Senate committee on Monday killed a bill that would have established workplace protections for warehouse employees, including discipline for using the bathroom.
Two Democrats, state Sens. Dave Marsden (D–Fairfax) and Jeremy McPike (D–Prince William), sided with Republicans on the Commerce and Labor Committee to kill the bill for the second year in a row.
Sen. Jennifer Carroll-Foy (D–Prince William) sponsored the bill this year and in the 2024 legislative session.
“At the end of the day, we want everyone to be good stewards and operate in transparency, and do the right thing for their workers and all Virginians,” she said in an interview before the vote Monday.
Advocates call on Avula, Richmond City Council to seek evictions pause
Reported by VPM News’ Dean Mirshahi
A coalition of local advocacy groups is demanding that Mayor Danny Avula and the Richmond City Council seek a suspension of all Richmond evictions until April and direct emergency funds for rent relief following last week’s citywide water outage.
During the public comment period, a representative from the New Virginia Majority spoke on behalf of the Richmond Housing Justice Collective and asked Avula and councilors to call on the Richmond City General District Court’s chief judge to declare a state of emergency and temporarily suspend all “eviction related cases past the first quarter of 2025.”
The collective is made up of the Richmond chapter of Virginia Organizing, New Virginia Majority, Richmond chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the Richmond Tenants Union, the Legal Aid Justice Center and Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia Inc.
In other news:
Richmond offers billing extensions following water outage (VPM News)
Analysis: Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers 2025 State of the Commonwealth (VPM News)
- Henrico's new $280 million reservoir could be new regional water source (WTVR)
In case you missed it:
Federal judge strikes down Biden’s Title IX rules protecting LGBTQ+ students (VPM News)
Two more Trump defense lawyers in running for D.C., Va. U.S. attorney (The Washington Post)*
Could Richmond's type of water crisis happen in the Roanoke and New River valleys? (The Roanoke Times)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.