Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1778, future president James Madison was sworn in as a member of the Virginia Council of State.

The college football transfer portal is open for business, and Virginia's D-1 schools are losing and adding new players every day. The Virginia Flyover has more on that in Sports.

Each university is allowed to share $20.5 million per year with athletes, an amount that doesn't include name, image, and likeness (NIL) revenue. In some states, big NIL payments are celebrated. In Virginia, state schools are refusing to publish information about spending on players.

What do you think? Is secrecy important, or should taxpayers be informed about how fees are being invested in athletic programs? Hit reply to share your take.

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General Assembly Gathers

Both houses of Virginia's legislature return to Richmond today. The first order of business is expected to be an attempt to pass four proposed constitutional amendments, including a high-profile measure to redistrict ahead of this year's congressional elections.

Lawmakers will also consider changing some laws, including several that were vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who will be replaced by Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger on Saturday.

Democrats increased their majority in the House of Delegates from 51 to 64 seats in November's elections.

A key development for Democrats was the success of female candidates. Ten of the 13 House seats that changed parties last year were flipped by women. A total of 56 women will serve in the General Assembly this term.

Wind Farm Hearing Scheduled

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is scheduled to be back in court on Friday. The project was set to begin delivering electricity later this year with a plan to eventually provide enough energy to power 660,000 households.

The Trump administration halted construction on all offshore wind projects last month, citing undisclosed national security concerns. Owner Dominion Energy noted that "the project's two pilot turbines have been operating for five years without causing any impacts to national security."

Electricity rates for Dominion Energy customers rose this year after a rate increase took effect. Another increase is planned for 2027, and the current delay on the wind farm project costs Dominion $5 million each day.

In a separate but similar case, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction this week to allow Revolution Wind, off the coast of New England, to resume construction.

Virginia Ranked 14th Healthiest

The Commonwealth is uncommonly healthy, according to a survey from the United Health Foundation. Virginia finished 14th in its ranking of healthiest states.

Virginia earned higher marks because it ranked low in illegal drug use and air pollution, and it maintains a strong economic status.

Some drawbacks for the state included the number of low birthweight infants, people suffering chronic health conditions, and a higher number of adults reporting behavior that could expose them to HIV.

To rank the states, the foundation studied nearly 100 measures of health and well-being, which were reviewed to create "a comprehensive portrait of health."

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➤ Statewide: The Virginia Chamber of Commerce Foundation warned that as many as 1.5 million jobs in the Commonwealth, roughly a third of Virginia's workforce, are "especially exposed" to the effects of artificial intelligence. (Details)

➤ Alexandria: The Justice Department fired Robert McBride, the number two federal attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, over his reported "unwillingness" to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey. (More)

➤ Richmond: Virginia's Employment Commission announced it has implemented policies to improve the speed and accuracy of claims processing, adjudication, and customer service. The group's 2022 backlog of 701,178 items has been entirely cleared. (Details)

➤ Bristol: City Manager Randall Eads departs today after almost nine years to accept a position as general counsel in the office of incoming Attorney General Jay Jones. (More)

➤ Tazewell County: Paula Saunders Daniel was charged with attempting to smuggle more than $96,000 worth of drugs into Pocahontas State Correctional Center this month. (More)

➤ Statewide: The State Council of Higher Education projected smaller class sizes in the years ahead as the Commonwealth's declining birth rate leads to fewer students. The decline is set to begin next year, after the "peak births" cohort graduates this spring. (Details)

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➤ Randolph-Macon men's basketball, ranked No. 5 in Division III, hosts Bridgewater tonight. (Score)

➤ UVA will bring in former Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula to replace Chandler Morris, who has used up his eligibility. Pribula threw for 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns in eight starts with the Tigers last season. (More)

➤ The Washington Commanders interviewed former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon this week for their open defensive coordinator position. (Details)

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➤ The Port of Virginia plans to complete a $450 million dredging project next month that will give it the deepest shipping channels on the East Coast and allow it to welcome the largest ships on the Atlantic Ocean. (Details)

➤ TowneBank, headquartered in Portsmouth, completed its purchase of Dogwood State Bank this week. (More)

➤ Bob Sweeney is leaving after three years as CEO of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce. He said he will pursue a new global business opportunity. (Details)

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➤ Kyla Leggette of Newport News and Ella Yarhouse of Moseley will take part in the United States Senate Youth Program. Both students will represent Virginia at Washington Week from March 7 to 14. (Details)

➤ The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia is accepting applications for scholarships. Awards of up to $5,000 will be available. (More)

➤ The Virginia Beach Polar Plunge returns on Feb. 6 and 7. Proceeds will benefit Special Olympics Virginia. (Details)

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➤ Scientists recently uncovered a surprising solution to one of astronauts' biggest health risks: toenail fungus. Long stretches without changing socks create the perfect breeding ground, making infections dangerous—even in space. That same "deep-space" antifungal breakthrough is now available on Earth, helping eliminate fungus and restore clear, healthy nails. Watch the short video to learn more. You can watch this short video to find out all about it!