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VPM Daily Newscast: Medicaid, ADUs and minimum wage proposals

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VPM Daily Newscast

VPM Daily Newscast: Medicaid, ADUs and minimum wage proposals

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. 31, 2025:

Virginia lawmakers look to fund solutions to campus food insecurity

Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly

Food insecurity on college campuses is a growing national problem. Surveys and studies have found that 30–50% of students on campuses across the country either have to skip meals because they can’t afford them, or can’t afford a well-balanced diet.

Research has found similar percentages at Virginia colleges like Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and Virginia’s Community Colleges, where patchwork systems of on-campus food pantries are often ill-equipped to help students deal with this issue.

That’s why some Virginia lawmakers are trying to do something about the issue during the General Assembly session — by establishing legislation and funding for these pantries. The Hunger-Free Campus Act would allow Virginia colleges and universities to seek state grant funding to support on-campus food pantries.

“For too many of our students, critical elements of their college experience are threatened by food insecurity, including their ability to focus in class,” said Del. Rae Cousins (D–Richmond), who introduced the bill in the House of Delegates. Sen. Danica Roem (D–Prince William) sponsored the legislation in the Senate.

All 67 presumed dead after mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport

Reported by The Associated Press

A midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight killed all 67 people aboard the two aircraft, officials said Thursday, as they scrutinized the actions of the military pilot and reported that control tower staffing was "not normal" at the time of the crash.

At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter apparently flew into the path of the jet late Wednesday while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport, just across the river from Washington, D.C. officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew. Three soldiers were aboard the helicopter.

One air traffic controller was doing work normally assigned to two people in the tower at Reagan National when the collision happened, according to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration obtained by The Associated Press.

There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas, with U.S. and Russian figure skaters and others aboard.

News you might have missed from around the commonwealth

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VPM News is the staff byline for articles and podcasts written and produced by multiple reporters and editors.