VA Finalizes Budget with Data Center Tax

Virginia lawmakers finalized a two-year state budget on Monday, ending months of partisan negotiations and averting a potential state government shutdown.

The plan, incorporating Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s amendments, appropriates $75 billion in general fund resources and $207 billion in total expenditures. It includes teacher pay raises, state employee salary increases, and investments in education and housing.

A centerpiece is the state’s first energy consumption tax on data centers at $0.011 per kilowatt-hour, projected to generate up to $1.2 billion over the biennium. While preserving the industry’s sales tax exemption, the budget directs the Department of Environmental Quality to study water-use impacts and develop noise standards by 2030.

Lawmakers hailed the deal as balancing fiscal responsibility with accountability for the booming data center industry, Virginia’s largest energy user. A work group will study further reforms for the 2027 session.

VP Vance to Speak at Oceana Today

Vice President JD Vance will visit Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach today, where he is set to address service members and mark the nation’s 250th anniversary.

The White House says the stop will highlight the Trump administration’s support for military members and veterans, tied to the country’s Semiquincentennial.

It follows President Trump’s visit to nearby Naval Station Norfolk last October for the Navy’s 250th birthday, where he spoke to a crowd the Navy estimated at 10,000 alongside Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Oceana is the Navy’s East Coast master jet base, and Hampton Roads remains one of the most military- and veteran-heavy regions in the country.

Colleges Compete to Keep Students

Virginia’s colleges and universities are working harder to hold on to students as more weigh studying out of state or overseas, with recruiters from other states and countries increasingly courting Virginia graduates.

More than 10,300 Virginia students studied abroad during the 2023-24 school year, up 3.1% over the prior year, while the commonwealth drew nearly 23,600 international students. Northern Virginia counselor Eli Clarke said he sees more students considering foreign schools, though he estimates that 50% to 60% enroll in-state.

Virginia institutions have leaned into the competition by planting campuses abroad, including George Mason University Korea, the University of Virginia in China, and Virginia Tech in Switzerland.

Virginia’s percentage of students studying abroad is still around half the national rate. During the 2023-24 academic year, the number increased by 6% to 298,180 students studying abroad.

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➤ Statewide: Background checks for the private sale of firearms resumed today, after a Lynchburg judge dissolved an injunction that had halted them off and on since October. The ruling enacts a new law raising the minimum age to buy handguns and certain rifles to 21. (More)

➤ Eastern Shore: Gov. Abigail Spanberger appointed three Eastern Shore farmers to state agriculture boards, including Logan Holland of W.T. Holland and Sons to the Virginia Corn Board. (See Details)

➤ Fairfax County: The local NAACP chapter is pressing Fairfax County Public Schools for faster, more transparent handling of bias and discrimination complaints, citing reports of anti-black harassment. The district said it values the partnership and is engaging directly with families. (See Details)

➤ Richmond: A person was fatally shot late Monday near Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus, in the 100 block of South Pine Street. The suspect fled on foot, and police have not released a description or made an arrest. (More)

➤ Loudoun County: The private owners of the Dulles Greenway are asking state regulators to raise tolls, with one option pushing the peak rate to $7.25. A county supervisor and the local chamber of commerce oppose the hike, arguing it would drive traffic onto local roads. (See Details)

➤ Dinwiddie County: Two 21-year-old men were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after their single-engine plane crashed in a wooded area off I-85 on Monday evening. The flight had left Richmond bound for Petersburg. (More)

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➤ Virginia Tech announced its 2026 Sports Hall of Fame class, a seven-member group headlined by former football star Logan Thomas. (More)

➤ Virginia basketball landed a commitment from Nolan Adekunle, a 24-year-old German wing who averaged over 8 points a game in Germany’s top basketball league last season. (More)

➤ Commanders season-ticket holders will have to buy personal seat licenses before they can purchase tickets, which works out to roughly $15,000 per seat on average. (More) 

➤ NBA free agency kicked off last night, meaning a frenzy of signings have already taken place for the Wizards and other teams around the league. Contract negotiations and trades will continue throughout today. (See Deals) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA

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➤ D.R. Horton filed its third proposal for the Genito Crossing townhome project on Chesterfield’s former Genito Cinema 9 church site, adding more parks, landscaping, buffers, and amenities while reducing units to 105. (More)

➤ Amthor International, North America’s largest tank-truck manufacturer, opened a 33,000-square-foot expansion in Gretna’s Industrial Park, adding 50 to 75 new jobs to Pittsylvania County. (More)

➤ Newport News: A city-commissioned disparity study found small, minority-, woman-, and veteran-owned businesses won fewer contracts than expected, and recommends more outreach and mentorship to widen access to city work. (More)

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➤ After a nine-month stay at Virginia Tech’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital for severe laminitis and metabolic disease, beloved 18-year-old Lipizzaner Glinda returned home to fanfare, sporting a sash and bow, thanks to dedicated veterinary and farrier care. (More)

➤ UVA is retiring Google accounts for alumni and former students on June 30, after which Gmail and Drive data tied to those accounts will be deleted. The school cites security and cost concerns and is offering an email-forwarding option. (More)

➤ Rehabilitated sea turtles were released back into the surf at Virginia Beach’s North End, drawing applause from a crowd of onlookers gathered on the sand. (See Photos)

➤ Legendary folk singer Judy Collins will launch her Sweet Judy Blue Eyes Farewell Tour on July 4 at Colonial Williamsburg as part of America’s 250th anniversary celebrations, with a second Williamsburg show on July 5 at William & Mary’s Music Arts Center. (More)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ These six science-backed tricks are supposed to help fussy children finally eat their vegetables. (Hear Details)

➤ The pope is pleading with a breakaway traditionalist group to abandon what he calls a sin of extreme gravity. (Hear Story)

➤ Experts have a clear pick for the best long-term investment, but Americans keep choosing something else entirely. (Listen Now)

What’s your favorite Judy Collins hit?

1. Both Sides Now
2. Send in the Clowns
3. Chelsea Morning
4. Amazing Grace
5. Other (reply to share)
6. Who’s Judy Collins?

Yesterday’s Results:

When did you last play a game of pinball? 

1. Not since I was a kid: 42%
2. During the last decade: 26%
3. Never: 18%
4. This year: 14%

What is the primary aircraft type stationed at Naval Air Station Oceana?

Show me the answer