Capital of Virginia; independent city since 1871; population 226,610 (2020)
Prolonged heat across the continental U.S. has continued into August, with nighttime temperatures remaining unusually high. NOAA reports record-setting July temperatures and a hotter-than-average pattern linked to climate change and a strengthening El Niño. Experts warn that heat will persist and intensify, contributing to drought, fires, and health risks.
Flock Safety has announced mandatory changes to its national license-plate camera network after reporting dozens of US officers misused the system. The company has shortened default data retention from 30 days to seven, will require case codes for searches and will force all customers to enable an audit tool that can lock out flagged users.
Five people have been wounded in a shooting near the Quad Annexes at Virginia State University. Police are investigating multiple suspects; a 19-year-old suspect is in custody. The campus lockdown has been lifted as authorities continue to search for others involved.
The deal proposes Virginia benefits including a new co-headquarters tower, 600 new jobs, extended residential bill credits, and a boosted low-income aid program as regulators review the NextEra-Dominion merger.
The high court has intervened for a second time in CREW’s bid for access to DOGE records from the early Trump era. The court’s conservative majority has limited prior orders to produce documents, while CREW argues DOGE is a federal agency subject to FOIA. The dispute centers on transparency of a presidential advisory body and its broad authority.
Neil Young has filed a $10 million copyright-infringement lawsuit against the Trump 47 Committee for playing Rockin’ in the Free World at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio. The suit follows a 2020 action that the artist settled, promising not to use the song without a license. Multiple outlets report on the incident and the ongoing dispute.