Panel Won’t Combine VA Gun Cases

A three-judge panel in Charlottesville refused Monday to combine four lawsuits challenging Virginia’s new ban on certain semi-automatic rifles, so each case will proceed in the county where it was filed.

Attorney General Jay Jones had asked the Virginia Supreme Court to merge the cases to avoid conflicting rulings. The panel said it was too late, since judges had already ruled on injunctions in three of the four suits.

Signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger in May, the law bars selling or making semiautomatic weapons and magazines holding more than 15 rounds. Two judges have since blocked enforcement, a third declined, and one case is pending.

State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin, an attorney for plaintiffs in one of the cases, welcomed the ruling for keeping the cases in the courts Virginians chose.

VA Joins ICE Death-Reporting Push

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones joined a 22-state coalition this week urging the Trump administration to reverse a policy that ended public reporting of deaths occurring soon after immigrants leave Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.

The coalition, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, wants the Department of Homeland Security to restore a 2021 rule requiring ICE to notify Congress and investigate when detainees die within 30 days of release. ICE rescinded it in June.

The attorneys general say the change weakens oversight as detainee populations and deaths hit record highs. The 2021 rule was meant to keep ICE from releasing gravely ill detainees just before death to avoid logging them in custody.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has said tracking people after they leave custody “doesn’t make any sense.”

Task Force 1 Returns from Venezuela

Virginia Task Force 1, the Fairfax County rescue team, returned home Monday evening after more than a week pulling survivors from the rubble of the strongest earthquakes to hit Venezuela in over a century.

The 79-member team, deployed with six dogs by the U.S. Department of State, landed on June 26, two days after magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 quakes struck near the Caribbean coast west of Caracas. The quakes killed 2,645 and injured more than 12,500, according to July 3 reports.

Crews pulled multiple people from collapsed buildings, including a mother and her 9-month-old baby and, later, a father and son.

While the team was overseas, a fire believed to have caused more than $1 million in damage destroyed equipment at its training facility in Lorton, where six people were seen trespassing on surveillance video around the time the fire started.

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Prince William County: Supervisors took up one of the largest data center proposals in county history on Tuesday—the roughly 1,940-acre Dulles South Innovation Center near the Loudoun County line. County planning staff recommended denying the rezoning, citing strain on infrastructure, environmental impact, and the area’s rural character. (More)

➤ Richmond: U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine secured a $25 million federal BUILD grant to design and build the Richmond Layover Facility, an overnight train-storage and servicing site. It was part of $76 million awarded Monday for four Virginia transportation projects. (More)

➤ Roanoke is removing all gunshot-detection sensors after the City Council voted Monday to repeal the program following privacy objections and the discovery that 30 of 41 installed Raven devices had been placed at the wrong locations. (More)

➤ Lynchburg landed a $24.5 million federal grant to redesign the busy intersection of U.S. 501 and U.S. 221. The plan splits traffic into one-way pairs and adds a bridge over Old Forest Road. (More)

➤ Norfolk won’t demolish the shuttered MacArthur Center until at least late 2027, pushing back a teardown once slated to start by the end of this year. The downtown mall, which closed in late June, is set to become a mixed-use district with housing and a hotel. (More)

➤ Danville: Copper thieves in Danville damaged a substation transformer by stealing grounding wires on July 4, causing widespread power outages. Danville Police are investigating the theft from the Hereford Lane site. (More)

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend! ✈️

➤ Alex Ovechkin said the Capitals’ offseason moves made it easy to come back for a 22nd season, calling Washington “one of the best teams” on paper after adding Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch, and Boone Jenner. He said the contract took about 10 minutes to negotiate. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Ovechkin declined to say whether this will be his final season, noting that his wife told him “maybe two years.” The NHL’s all-time leading scorer (929 goals) led the Capitals in goals and points last season at age 40. (More)

➤ Former Liberty Flames basketball player JJ Harper will play for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2026 NBA Summer League. (More)

➤ Virginia Tech men’s basketball announced they’ll host Wofford in Blacksburg for an exhibition game this October. (More)

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

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Wake up feeling more rested with the KneNest Pillow. Designed to fit comfortably between your knees, it helps promote proper spinal alignment, relieve pressure on your hips and lower back, and reduce nighttime discomfort. Enjoy deeper, more comfortable sleep and wake up ready to take on the day. (LEARN MORE)

➤ Times Fiber Communications will permanently close its Chatham plant between Aug. 31 and Oct. 31, laying off 79 workers, including craft employees, engineers, and managers. The Pittsylvania County facility, a subsidiary of Amphenol, has operated since 1973. (More)

➤ Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is urging the State Corporation Commission to set a thorough review framework for the pending merger of Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy before the formal review clock starts. (More)

➤ Ayers Variety and Hardware in Arlington’s Westover Village neighborhood will close at the end of July after 78 years, as its lease is expiring and the sibling owners who inherited it plan to retire, with no family successor. (More)

➤ Fire destroyed the pool house at SwimRVA-North off Wilkinson Road in Henrico County early Tuesday—the same facility where a 9-year-old drowned at a summer swim camp in June. The cause is under investigation. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Pay Introductory $0 In Interest Until Nearly 2028 And Earn Up to a $200 bonus.  You could be paying $0 in interest on your credit card until nearly 2028. This top 0% intro APR card also comes with a huge bonus of up to $200,  5% cash back on everyday spending, and no annual fee — and our experts just picked the top ones worth checking out. Click here to see which cards made the cut.

Flying together with our sponsor

Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance—they can carry diseases that put your family at risk. Protect your backyard with the Zap Zone Defender, a powerful device that silently eliminates up to 15,000 mosquitoes in a single night without chemicals, helping you enjoy safer, more comfortable evenings outdoors.  (LEARN MORE)

➤ Mechanicsville businessmen Dan Farmer and Matt Sanders launched BoxRaise, a web-based fundraising platform that allows nonprofits and sports groups to collect donations while local businesses offer digital coupons. It has drawn nearly $30,000 and more than 1,000 users. (More)

➤ Lady Macdeath, Norfolk Botanical Garden’s rare corpse flower that was seen by thousands during its days-long, foul-smelling bloom, is fading and isn’t expected to flower again for two to 10 years. Crews began dissecting it on Tuesday. (See Photos)

➤ Alexandria Colonial Tours has launched a new pirate-themed ghost tour through the historic waterfront district, mixing the area’s maritime past with its ghost-story lore. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Give your feet the support they deserve with Liftly Insoles. Designed to cushion every step, they help improve comfort, reduce foot fatigue, and provide lasting support whether you’re walking, working, or standing all day. Slip them into your favorite shoes and enjoy more comfortable movement from morning to night.  (LEARN MORE)

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:

➤ Iran has resumed missile strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. officials say, threatening the peace deal. (Hear Details)

➤ Ukrainian forces have struck deep into Siberia, putting Russia’s largest refineries within reach for the first time. (Hear Episode)

➤ Discarded items found behind a Georgia Cracker Barrel have helped authorities crack a man’s 1985 killing in Ohio. (Listen Now)

Have you ever been on a ghost tour?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Not that I’m aware of

Yesterday’s Results:

The Roanoke Valley’s beloved cheese slaw mixes Swiss cheese, banana peppers, jalapeños, and green onions. Are you in? 

1. I’d try it: 44%
2. Hard pass: 41%
3. Love it: 15%

What country is the rare corpse flower native to?

Show me the answer