The Virginia Mercury

6 days ago | virginiamercury.com | Nathaniel Cline

Virginia colleges and universities are feeling federal pressure to end diversity, equity and inclusion policies that promote representation from various backgrounds, and George Mason and Old Dominion Universities are the latest to make or propose changes that align with President Donald Trump’s Jan. 21 executive order to end DEI efforts within the public sector.

1 week ago | virginiamercury.com | Charlotte Woods

by Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury April 17, 2025 Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares and 38 other attorneys general want Congress to pass a bill to prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmacies, according to a letter Miyares co-signed Monday. Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, act as intermediaries between health plans, drug manufacturers and pharmacies.

1 week ago | virginiamercury.com | Nathaniel Cline

The Virginia Military Institute is once again navigating turbulent waters after the abrupt resignation of board president John Adams — and the installation of a high-profile political donor as his short-term replacement. Thomas Gottwald, chairman and CEO of NewMarket Corporation, was elected interim president of the VMI Board of Visitors on Wednesday, less than a week after Adams resigned without public explanation. The move was first reported by The Washington Post.

1 week ago | virginiamercury.com | Roger Chesley

Autumn Bushman’s age when she killed herself is unfathomable, gut-wrenching. The Roanoke County girl was just 10 years old, and her parents say she’d been bullied – citing that as a key factor in her death. Unfortunately, Autumn’s death reflects a troubling national trend: Children are taking their own lives more frequently. Her  March 21 suicide in her own home has caused immeasurable grief for her family, and it has stunned a Southwest Virginia community.

1 week ago | virginiamercury.com | Ryan Murphy

5:17 News Story Health It’s the first psychiatric emergency room on the south side of Hampton Roads, partially funded by a competitive $3.7 million state grant By Ryan Murphy/WHROPatients seeking psychiatric treatment sometimes had to wait days in Chesapeake Regional Medical Center’s emergency room for space at facilities across the state to open up, the hospital told the state in 2022. Now those patients will have their own space on-site dedicated to treating them quickly.