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 April 16, 2025:
Federal cuts set to drive interest in Virginia’s 2025 Democratic primaries
Reported by VPM News’ Jahd Khalil
New policies affecting the federal bureaucracy and workforce are set to play a central role in Virginia’s 2025 Democratic primaries, observers told VPM News.
In 2021, almost two-thirds of the primary votes were cast in two areas with heavy concentrations of federal jobs and money: Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads. Almost 90% of Virginia’s Democrats are located in those two regions or Central Virginia.
Eric Claville, a political analyst with Norfolk State University, said Virginia’s off-year elections are a bellwether not just because they happen shortly after a new presidential term begins, but because Virginia feels the effect of federal policy more quickly than other states — unlike states like New Jersey which also have off-year elections.
“The newly sworn-in president has about 180 days to enact policy and to determine whether there is a high degree of popularity or disdain for those policies. Those numbers and those policies trickle down to the commonwealth of Virginia immediately,” said Claville.
The candidates are seemingly aware of Washington’s importance in the primary, too. State Sen. Aaron Rouse (D–Virginia Beach), a candidate for lieutenant governor, mentioned President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk — who has been overseeing many of the federal cuts — when he announced new fundraising figures. State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D–Chesterfield), also running for the state's No. 2 office, spoke at an anti-Trump protest earlier this month.
A ‘recycled’ Curious Commonwealth update
Reported by VPM News’ Whittney Evans
Recent headlines have cast the global recycling system as broken.
That’s left many worried about what happens after they toss their delivery boxes, pickle jars and milk jugs in the recycling bin.
VPM News’ Curious Commonwealth previously investigated how much of Richmond-area residents’ recycling is actually recycled. Since that piece was published, we’ve received more questions on the topic.
So, editor Whittney Evans dug deeper into what happens after the recycling gets picked up.
News you might have missed from around the commonwealth
- Officials weigh privatizing Richmond’s largest public housing development (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
- Henrico Schools proposes new ‘bell-to-bell’ cell phone ban (Henrico Citizen)
- A university confronts the dark history of a stolen heart in a vibrant way (The Washington Post)*
- A barrel-maker from Botetourt County became a spy who uncovered ‘a most horrid conspiracy’ among Virginia Loyalists (Cardinal News)
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
