Good morning from The Mercury.
“Her first duty should have been looking out for her constituents before herself. But the charges listed in the indictment reflect the alleged behavior of a public servant who put her own financial interests before the people she was elected to serve.” — U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche about the federal indictment of Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas
Virginia Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, speaks with the press in the Capitol Rotunda in June. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
By Markus Schmidt
State Sen. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, one of Virginia’s most powerful Democrats, was indicted on federal racketeering, marijuana distribution and money laundering conspiracy charges, with prosecutors alleging she used her legislative influence to protect and enrich a cannabis business she co-owns.
Lucas, 82, surrendered to authorities, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said during a news conference in Norfolk Thursday. Six others, including family members and close associates, were also in custody in connection with the alleged scheme.
Mold spore growth along the doorframe of Lauren Stephenson's apartment. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
By Charlotte Rene Woods
Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, wants to strengthen tenant protection laws for renters whose living conditions include mold.
Price pitched a bill to do so in 2025, and it is due to be deliberated again in the upcoming 2027 legislative session.
The Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act already requires landlords to try to prevent mold formation in their units and promptly remedy it when it is brought to their attention.
More than 100 acres of Chickahominy Tribal lands on the James River in Charles City County. (Photo by Evan Visconti/ For the Virginia Mercury)
COMMENTARY
By Dana Adkins
Clean water is not simply a resource. It is the foundation of our health, our culture and our identity.
For the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Virginia’s rivers, wetlands and landscapes are living connections to our ancestors and to the generations who will come after us. They sustain fish and wildlife, support our traditions and remind us of a responsibility that has endured for centuries: to care for the lands and waters of Tsenacommacah, our ancestral homelands.
That is why the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality should not approve a stormwater permit for Richmond International Airport that allows PFAS pollution to continue without enforceable limits.
By Jennifer Shutt
The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF.
The cost of individual health insurance plans rose to $9,804 on average, while family coverage reached $28,303. Both represented a 5% increase over the last year.
Employees paid about $1,672 for individual coverage, while employers contributed $8,132. People with health insurance for a family of four paid $7,471, with employers providing $20,833.
NEWS TO KNOW
Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere.
Thanks for reading Virginia Mercury. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.