Virginia Approves $28.5 Billion Transportation Plan

Virginia will invest $28.5 billion in roads, bridges, rail, and public transportation over the next six years under a plan approved this week by the Commonwealth Transportation Board.

The plan takes effect July 1 and covers more than 4,300 projects statewide,  from highway improvements in Hampton Roads and western Virginia to $930 million for public transportation, including the Virginia Railway Express and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

The Virginia Department of Transportation expects to spend about $9 billion in fiscal year 2027, a 6.7% increase over the current budget.

DOJ Sues Virginia over ICE Cooperation Laws

The Trump administration’s Justice Department has filed suit against Virginia in federal court, challenging state laws that ban federal immigration officers from wearing masks and restrict agreements between ICE and local law enforcement.

The complaint targets two bills set to take effect July 1 that would prohibit 287(g) agreements between federal immigration enforcement and state and local agencies, laws that Gov. Abigail Spanberger had already directed state agencies to end in February. The Justice Department argues the face mask ban illegally attempts to regulate the federal government and exposes officers to being identified and harassed.

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, named as a defendant, said his office is reviewing the lawsuit.

New Details in Deadly I-95 Bus Crash

Federal investigators say the charter bus that killed five people on Interstate 95 in Stafford County on May 29 traveled nearly half a mile through backed-up traffic without slowing before impact, according to a preliminary report released Thursday.

The bus, carrying 24 passengers from New York City to Charlotte, struck two vehicles at the end of a work zone queue around 2:35 a.m., setting off a chain-reaction crash involving eight more vehicles and a fire that killed all four occupants of an Acura MDX. 

The bus driver, 48-year-old Jing Sheng Dong of Staten Island, faces five counts of involuntary manslaughter and is due back in court July 1. Read the report here. 

➤ Virginia Beach: Two people were wounded in a shooting Thursday afternoon on Gambrill Court, though police said the incident was isolated and posed no threat to the public. (More)

➤ Lincolnia: A man was struck and killed early Friday at Little River Turnpike and Southland Avenue by a driver who was later charged with DUI. (More)

➤ Fairfax County: County supervisors are weighing an expansion of the “Beyond the Bell” child care program to all school sites by 2029-30, following a successful pilot, though some parents have raised concerns about higher staff-to-child ratios. (More)

➤ Roanoke: Roanoke City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Verletta White announced she will retire effective June 27, 2027, after seven years leading the division and 35 years in public education, prompting the school board to begin a national search for her successor. (More)

➤ Norfolk: Norfolk’s Port of Virginia is now the deepest on the East Coast after completing a $450 million channel deepening project, clearing the way for the largest Atlantic cargo ships.(More)

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➤ The University of Virginia agreed to a home-and-home football series with SEC opponent Vanderbilt, with games scheduled for Nashville in 2028 and Charlottesville in 2031. The Cavaliers and Commodores haven’t played since 1975. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, UVA swimmer Aimee Canny set two South African national records at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, breaking her own mark in the 200-meter freestyle before setting the national record in the 200-meter individual medley. (More)

➤ The University of Richmond announced it will install a new FieldTurf playing surface at V. Earl Dickinson Field ahead of the fall season, marking the field’s first surface replacement since 2019. (More)

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

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying up land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor. 

EnergyX has acquired the rights to nearly 50K lithium-rich acres right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. 

Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. They just brought America’s largest lithium facility of its kind online. Now, with backing from the DoE, General Motors, and POSCO, they’re advancing America’s next major lithium supply. 

50K people have already invested. Join them as an EnergyX shareholder by the July 16 investment deadline.

➤ A Chesterfield couple, ages 65 and 58, walked across the Virginia Commonwealth University graduation stage hand in hand after nearly 10 years of study together, fulfilling a dream each had set decades ago. (More)

➤ Dozens of ships took to the water Friday for the 50th Annual Harborfest, as the Parade of Sail kicked off a weekend of festivities along the waterfront celebrating both Juneteenth and America’s 250th anniversary. (See Pictures)

➤ Virginia agriculture officials are urging livestock producers and pet owners to inspect their animals regularly for New World screwworm following confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico, though the state says Virginia is not at risk for a long-term infestation due to its colder temperatures.(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, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The government quietly changed three retirement rules this past year, and a single Social Security check is the first thing affected. (Hear More)

➤ Authorities say a Mexican mayor staged her own kidnapping to embezzle roughly $2 million in government funds. (Listen Now)

➤ A Michigan plumbing crew on an emergency call found an engagement ring that had been missing for more than a decade. (Podcast Available)

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