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Northern Virginia has the world's largest concentration.

Jahed Khalil of VPM News reports the governor is announcing new rules.

Among the immediate actions that Governor Abigail Spanberger took were banning the state from entering into non-disclosure agreements regarding proposed data center development and telling regulators to start making new rules on things like zoning, environmental protections, and energy.

The regulations take time to be reviewed and written, and many of the policy goals that Spanberger laid out would need to be approved by the legislature.

Today is the first day of early voting in the 2026 midterms.

VPM News' Jad Khalil has some important dates to keep in mind.

Every Virginia voter will have choices for U.S.

Senator on their ballot and their member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Voters have until October 31st if they want to vote early, in person.

If you're voting by mail, you have to postmark your ballot by Election Day, November 3rd.

Jad Khalil, VPM News.

For more election coverage, visit vpm.org slash elections.

You're listening to the VPM Daily Newscast, the recap of today's top stories in Central Virginia.

From the VPM Newsroom in Richmond, I'm Megan Moore.

For a half century, Virginians convicted of a felony lost their right to vote.

VPM News' Demir Shahi reports on a big change in felon disenfranchisement.

Richmond public school leaders are asking the community to help prioritize future school construction, repairs, and modernization projects.

VPM News reporter Karis Manzanares has more.

Patrick Harrell, RPS's chief operating officer, briefed Richmond City Council leaders on the district's modernization plan Thursday.

The

Community engagement meetings are scheduled for each school district.

The district is expected to share a draft list of high-priority schools for modernization to the school board for approval later this year.

Kayris Manzanares, VPM News.

State regulators want the public to have a chance to weigh in on the proposed NextEra Dominion Energy merger.

Earlier this summer, Virginia lawmakers signed off on an additional $1.5 million in general funds for a teacher residency program at VCU.

As Megan Pauley with VPM News reports, the additional state funding comes after the federal government pulled a nearly $9 million grant for the program.

The Trump administration rescinded VCU's federal grant for the RTR teacher residency program last year amid a push to defund all efforts deemed part of DEI.

The program helps fill teacher positions in hard-to-staff schools.

The administration says all EBT cards should be mailed before the end of this year.

Chesterfield County residents are getting a look at newly proposed district maps that will shuffle which high school kids will attend in the western part of the county.

VPM News reporter Billy Shields explains.

West Ridge High School is slated to open for the next school year, and county leaders say when it does, it will eliminate the need for 26 trailers at Cosby, Emmet Luthien High Schools.

I'm Rich Marr.

Last week on our show, we talked to Karis Manzanares of VPM News about the latest draft of Code Refresh, the city's overhaul of its zoning code, the rules about what can be built in the city and where.

This is what Karis told us.

Code Refresh really was to align the city's zoning with the master plan, which calls for more equitable places to live, places that have sustainability, have green spaces, really kind of a more well-rounded neighborhood.

But I really think that we'll be better off as a city and the legislation will be stronger this way.

Yeah, I want to get at this Andrew Breton housing guy.

When you were running for office, I mean, you told VPM News, for example, that your top priority was to lower housing costs.

And I think you've even told this story like you were a finance bro back in the day during the financial crisis of 2008 and seeing the whole sort of foreclosure thing.

Lastly,

Goodwill is expanding in the Richmond area.

What's in store for the familiar secondhand outlet?

So Goodwill is up to a couple local projects here in western Henrico.

The thrift store chain is planning to relocate its existing retail store in the Fountain Square Shopping Center.

from its current location in an out parcel over to the center's closed big lot space.

That new larger location would also be home to Henrico County's first Goodwill outlet store, where clothing, accessories, housewares are sold by the pound.

And that outlet would co-locate with the retail spot that's relocating.

For more information, visit vpm.org. Virginians buying insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace are set to see another big increase in price.

VPM News' Jad Khalil reports state legislators are attempting to blunt the rising costs.

Insurers proposed an average increase of 16.7% for the plans, which are popularly known as Obamacare.

That would put an average monthly premium at about $675.

That will help a number of Virginians.

Virginians can estimate how much those 2027 insurance plans will cost in October.

Jad Khalil, VPM News.

A federal judge has temporarily blocked a new law that regulated how local law enforcement agencies participate with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.