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 March 21, 2025:
Virginians respond to Trump EO dismantling US Education Department
Reported by Megan Pauly, Chris Suarez and VPM News Staff
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that would largely dismantle the US Department of Education.
It comes roughly one week after the president moved to halve the agency’s workforce in a mass layoff, though the administration has telegraphed its intentions for months.
Trump has frequently accused schools of "indoctrinating" students with "radical, anti-American ideologies." In a separate January order, he threatened to withhold federal funds from any K–12 school or school division that engages in "the instruction, advancement, or promotion of gender ideology or discriminatory equity ideology."
As VPM News reported earlier this week, the complete elimination of federal funding would leave Virginia schools with a collective $2.4 billion funding gap: That means localities and the commonwealth would need to cover costs for instructors in high-poverty schools, food programs for low-income students and teacher training programs designed to improve student achievement.
Virginia colleges and universities also receive a wide variety of grants from the federal department of education — though it’s unclear which could immediately be in jeopardy as a result of this new executive order.
Senate finance chair says Youngkin set to make 200+ budget amendments
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
Gov. Glenn Youngkin has made at least 200 budget amendments already, state Sen. L. Louise Lucas told a town hall in Portsmouth Wednesday.
Youngkin can make line item vetoes or amendments on a compromise budget the House and Senate agreed to, known as the conference committee report, by Monday.
Last year, Youngkin made a similarly unprecedented number of budget amendments, in addition to what the Virginia Public Access Project said was a record amount of vetoes. The amendments led to a monthslong standoff where the prospect of a state government shutdown was raised.
This year, since Virginia runs on a two-year budget, a shutdown is not possible. But the state had billions in new money to spend.
The General Assembly’s budget does not include Youngkin’s proposals to cut the car tax and eliminate taxes on tips, instead sending rebates of $200 or $400 to single or joint tax filers. Education and health care also saw some large-dollar proposals from the General Assembly.
News you might have missed from around the commonwealth
- ‘Every aspect of DEI is to be ripped out,' UVa official says (The Daily Progress)*
- U.S. Attorney requests 15 year-sentence in ex-sheriff's corruption case (Culpeper Star-Exponent)*
- Jury awards $750,000 to families evicted over race at Smith Mountain Lake (Virginia Mercury)
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
