Tax-Free Weekend Returns

Virginia’s three-day sales tax holiday starts Friday, temporarily dropping the state sales tax on school supplies, clothing, and emergency-preparedness gear.

The break runs from 12:01 a.m. Aug. 7 through 11:59 p.m. Aug. 9 and can save shoppers 5.3% to 7% at the register.

Qualifying school supplies must be priced at $20 or less per item, while clothing and footwear qualify at $100 or less.

Stocking up for storm season counts too: portable generators up to $1,000, gas-powered chainsaws up to $350, and Energy Star or WaterSense products up to $2,500 are all tax-free.

Virginia Weighs Self-Driving Car Rules

A state work group has recommended Virginia permit only commercial self-driving vehicles at first, holding off on personal ones until the technology proves itself on public roads.

The panel of transportation officials, law enforcement, lawmakers, and industry experts will deliver a final report to the General Assembly by Nov. 1. Much of its July meeting centered on keeping one statewide rulebook instead of a patchwork of local ordinances. Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, warned against having “133 different” sets of jurisdictional rules.

Staff recommended the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles be able to deny, suspend, or revoke permits, and floated requiring up to $5 million in coverage for self-driving vehicles used for hire.

Backers say the technology could make transportation more affordable and accessible, though researchers are still weighing its safety, traffic, and labor effects.

Virginia Tech Lands $20M Chip Grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded a Virginia Tech-led team $20 million to build an AI-enabled, cloud-based semiconductor lab that scientists across the country could use remotely.

The Blacksburg group is one of 20 teams nationwide funded to create “nodes” for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, a federal effort to harness AI for scientific discovery.

Dubbed the Programmable Cloud Laboratory Node, the lab would use AI-guided workflows to make chip production faster and more predictable. Project lead Rose Hu, who heads VT’s electrical and computer engineering department, said the network should expand job opportunities.

Partners include Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and a number of industry partners, including NVIDIA and Amazon Web Services.

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➤ Statewide: Virginia is reviewing eight death penalty cases from 1986 to 1998—including a landmark DNA case—as part of a broader look at the work of late state forensic scientist Mary Jane Burton, five years after the Commonwealth abolished capital punishment. (More)

➤ Northern Virginia: Virginia health officials confirmed the state’s first locally acquired dengue fever case in a Northern Virginia resident who had not traveled abroad, likely contracted via a mosquito that bit an infected traveler. (More)

➤ Eastern Shore: Accomack Indian Nation Chief Lisa Renia Cypress received a 24-year suspended sentence and a $12,000 fine in Northampton Circuit Court for 24 counts of filing false property liens. Cypress, who claimed her tribe held patents to Eastern Shore parcels, plans to appeal. (More)

➤ Norfolk: A flash flood that forecasters called a once-in-60-year event swamped the city Tuesday evening, stranding drivers on flooded streets and snarling traffic across the area. (See Video)

➤ Wallops Island: NASA is seeking federal permission for a major shoreline-restoration project to shield its Wallops Island spaceflight facilities from storms and erosion. The Army Corps of Engineers’ Norfolk District is reviewing the request. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city’s new 686 area code is now live, joining the longtime 804 after it ran out of available numbers. Existing 804 numbers won’t change. (More)

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➤ Commanders cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was placed on the reserve/retired list this week, and Washington signed veteran Fabian Moreau to replace him. Moreau spent his first four NFL seasons with Washington after the franchise drafted him in the third round. (More)

➤ Jim Toman, who led Liberty baseball to two NCAA tournament appearances and a Big South championship during nine seasons as head coach, died this week of brain cancer. He was 64. (More)

➤ Virginians wagered nearly $590 million on sports in June according to the Virginia Lottery, up 23% from the same month last year. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis | Soccer | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ State regulators ordered Dominion Energy to develop a policy directly assigning the cost of high-voltage transmission lines to data centers and other large power users, to keep residential customers from subsidizing infrastructure built to serve data centers. (More)

➤ Virginia Steel and Fabrication in Bland County will invest $3.6 million to expand and add 52 jobs, more than tripling its workforce, with help from a $200,000 state grant. (More)

➤ State officials cleared internet provider ZiTel to finish broadband work in Patrick, Franklin, and Henry counties after removing RiverStreet Networks from the project with thousands of locations still unconnected. (More)

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➤ YouTuber MrBeast is granting wishes for 100 children with serious illnesses nationwide, including eight in Hampton Roads through Toby’s Dream Foundation, featuring surprises like meetings, trips, and World Series tickets. (More)

➤ University of Virginia researchers discovered that higher levels of “neural noise” in the brains of some autistic children and teens may explain why they struggle more with communication and speech processing. (See Report)

➤ Old Dominion University researchers are testing a Roomba-like robot dubbed the “TickBot” in a Chesapeake neighborhood to sweep up the pests. (Watch Video)

➤ The 90th Old Fiddlers’ Convention is underway in Galax, drawing old-time and bluegrass musicians from about 40 states and three countries to the Southwest Virginia town. (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:

➤ Do you think adult children owe their aging parents care? Tune in to hear both sides of the debate. (Hear Debate)

➤ German authorities scrambled a bomb disposal robot after an explosive-laden drone was found beside a Ukrainian cargo plane. (Hear Episode)

➤ Investigators are searching for answers after a famous influencer was shot and killed in public while livestreaming. (Listen Now)

Do you plan to shop during Virginia’s tax-free weekend?

1. Definitely
2. If I remember
3. Skipping it

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you let an “AI nurse” check your vitals? 

1. I’ll take a human: 46%
2. If it’s accurate: 30%
3. Only for the basics: 24%

What’s the most common tick-borne disease in Virginia?

Show me the answer