Polls across the Commonwealth are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for a dual-party primary that sets nominees for the U.S. Senate and a slate of competitive U.S. House districts, per Virginia Mercury. This is the third statewide election Virginians have faced in nine months — an off-cycle August date pushed here by this year's redistricting fight — and Democrats are picking challengers in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 8th, seats both parties view as pivotal to control of Congress. Same-day registration is available via provisional ballot, ID is required, and absentee ballots must be postmarked today and received by noon Aug. 7. Watch the 2nd District results tonight: it's rated a near-coin-flip for November, and whoever emerges takes on the most vulnerable Republican in Virginia's delegation.

Analysts are bracing for thin turnout, warning that an August primary during peak vacation season means many Virginians are choosing between the shore and the polling place, per WTOP. That matters because the winners aren't ceremonial: the GOP Senate nominee — chosen from Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa, and David Williams — advances to face Sen. Mark Warner on Nov. 3, and Democratic House nominees will define the fall map. When turnout collapses, the most motivated slice of each party's base picks the candidate the broader electorate then has to accept. The observable signal is tonight's raw vote totals — if they're microscopic, expect a debate over whether August primaries should ever happen again.

Loudoun County — home to more than 250 data centers and a dominant share of global internet traffic — is weighing a pause on all new project applications, with the Board of Supervisors set to take up the motion at its September 15 meeting, per Virginia Mercury. Supervisor Juli Briskman said "the community has basically been begging us to do something about the unchecked growth," and has asked staff to draft what a pause would actually entail. Suffolk is reviewing its own rules and has temporarily paused new applications, meaning the question is spreading beyond Northern Virginia. If Loudoun's staff returns an enforceable plan by September 15, every data center county in Virginia inherits a legal template for hitting pause — and the ones without one stay exposed to resident revolt.

In the Regency — a 143-home subdivision off Waxpool Road already flanked on two sides by data centers — homeowners could cash out for a reported $4 million each to clear the way for a new facility, per WUSA9. It's a vivid marker of how the buildout now displaces residential neighborhoods, not just farmland. But even unanimous seller buy-in wouldn't seal it: Loudoun supervisors would still have to approve rezoning, and Prince William's collapsed Digital Gateway this summer proved that approval is anything but guaranteed. Watch whether this deal reaches a rezoning vote at all — if it stalls, the "everybody sells" model developers are betting on takes a public hit.

A widely shared clip of a Virginia power bill leaping from about $100 to $281 is circulating alongside survey data showing nearly three-quarters of voters now pin rising electricity costs on data centers, with a cited Bloomberg analysis finding wholesale prices near data center clusters up 267% over five years. Ratepayer anger is now explicitly attached to the corridor in Loudoun, Prince William, and Fairfax — and to emerging sites in Pittsylvania, Mecklenburg, and Caroline. That sharpens the stakes for upcoming State Corporation Commission decisions on Dominion and Appalachian Power rates and riders. Expect organized citizen interventions tied directly to data center load at this summer and fall's SCC hearings — the fight has moved from zoning maps to the bottom line of your bill.

Republican legislators have asked Gov. Abigail Spanberger to call a special session to extend the State Corporation Commission's review window for the proposed $66.8 billion Dominion Energy–NextEra merger beyond its current six-month limit, per Virginia Business — and the governor hasn't committed either way. Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi argues "six months is simply not enough time to evaluate a $67 billion merger that would reshape Virginia's electric utility landscape." Spanberger has flagged her own concern for the nearly 10,000 Dominion employees statewide, from headquarters to line workers. The signal to watch: whether Spanberger calls the session at all — if she does, one of the largest utility mergers in the country slows to a public crawl right as ratepayers are already furious.

A Northern Virginia court awarded more than $1 million in combined damages to teacher Liz Hall and parent Jeff Rigby, who sued over false, reputation-harming social media posts, in a case analyzed by Virginia Mercury. The ruling shows how Virginia's updated anti-SLAPP statute — designed to shield people from malicious online speech — is now producing real financial consequences. For teachers, parents, and anyone targeted by viral falsehoods in Virginia's school-community feuds, the case marks a concrete new lever. Watch whether it prompts copycat suits across other divisions where online accusations have run ahead of facts.

• Murder suspect arrested after Woodbridge domestic shooting. Prince William County police arrested a murder suspect following a domestic shooting in Woodbridge, a densely populated Northern Virginia community. Potomac Local

• FAA clears major environmental hurdle for commercial service at Washington Manassas Airport. Federal aviation regulators have approved a key environmental step that could bring commercial passenger service to Washington Manassas Airport, a significant development for transportation and economic growth in Prince William County. Potomac Local

• Fairfax City officials give mostly positive reception to revised Courthouse Plaza redevelopment plan. City leaders offered an upbeat response to a revised proposal for redeveloping Courthouse Plaza, a project that would reshape Fairfax City's downtown commercial core. FFXnow

• Old Town Alexandria boutiques to cover shoppers' sales tax this weekend. Seventeen Old Town merchants are absorbing the full sales tax for customers this weekend in a limited promotion aimed at driving retail traffic to downtown Alexandria. ALXnow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Become a Community Farmer in 2026 - Help grow fruits and vegetables for your community. Piedmont Environmental Council. Piedmont Environmental Council in Aldie is seeking volunteers for 2026 to grow fruits and vegetables for the community.

• Suspect sought after stealing Virginia State Police firearm and fleeing pursuit. A suspect allegedly stole a Virginia State Police firearm and fled a car pursuit, prompting an active search in the Richmond area. WRIC

• Family remembers wife and son lost in Chesterfield drowning. A family member is speaking out about the loss of his wife and son in a Chesterfield County drowning, offering a personal account of the tragedy and its aftermath. WRIC

• New ADA-compliant playground opens in Petersburg. Petersburg has unveiled a new accessible playground, expanding recreational options for families and children with disabilities in the Tri-Cities area. WRIC

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: End Alzheimer’s – Become a “Do What You Love to End ALZ” Volunteer Alzheimer's Association. Richmond volunteers can support the Alzheimer's Association through the “Do What You Love to End ALZ” service opportunity.

• One killed, two injured in overnight Portsmouth shooting on Victory Boulevard. Portsmouth Police are investigating an overnight shooting on Victory Boulevard that left one person dead and two others injured, and are asking the public for information. WAVY

• One dead, one injured in separate crashes on I-64 near Granby Street in Norfolk. Virginia State Police report that two separate crashes near the Granby Street exit on I-64 left one person dead and another injured, disrupting traffic and prompting ongoing investigations. WAVY

• Staffing challenges driving delays at Norfolk International Airport. Passengers at Norfolk International Airport have faced longer waits at gates and baggage claim, with airport officials citing staffing and operational issues as they work to reduce delays. WAVY

• Virginia Beach man convicted on multiple child sexual abuse counts. A Virginia Beach man was found guilty in circuit court on multiple child sexual abuse charges, with sentencing scheduled for a forthcoming hearing. WAVY

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Volunteer: Juneteenth Celebration at the Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library Norfolk Public Library ✨ Assist with event a. Volunteer at Norfolk Public Library’s Juneteenth Celebration at the Richard A. Tucker Memorial Library in Hampton Roads.

• Charlottesville selects "Rooted" baobab tree sculpture to replace melted Lee statue. Charlottesville City Council has chosen a proposal to recast the bronze from the removed Robert E. Lee statue into a baobab tree sculpture for Market Street Park, marking a major milestone in the city's effort to reimagine its Confederate memorial legacy. Cville Tomorrow

• Greene County residents prepare to address Board of Supervisors on ICE partnership. Residents concerned about the Greene County Sheriff's Office's agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are organizing to speak at an upcoming Board of Supervisors meeting, as a local explainer outlines the board's legal authority over the arrangement. Cville Tomorrow

• Charlottesville advocates launch summer homelessness count to improve shelter planning. Local advocates are conducting a new summer point-in-time count of people experiencing homelessness in Charlottesville, aiming to capture needs missed by winter-only tallies and better plan for shelter beds and housing. Cville Tomorrow

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Habitat for Humanity - Volunteer with Us Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville, VA. This reads as a broad community-service option around Charlottesville, not just another calendar event.

• FBI affidavit accuses former Stafford County Sheriff's Office sergeant of purchasing child sexual abuse material. A former Stafford County Sheriff's Office sergeant is accused in a federal affidavit of paying for and receiving child sexual abuse material depicting children as young as 8 and an infant, raising serious questions about oversight within local law enforcement. Potomac Local

• Stafford County continues Accokeek Creek advisory following July sewer spill. Stafford County officials are maintaining a public advisory warning residents to avoid contact with Accokeek Creek water while remediation and monitoring continue after a July sewer spill. Potomac Local

• Five candidates vie for vacant Fredericksburg School Board seat. Five Fredericksburg residents have applied for the interim at-large School Board seat vacated by Jarvis Bailey, with the board expected to make an appointment on August 17 to serve through the end of 2026. Fredericksburg Advance

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Administrative Assistance Community Touch, Inc.. Community Touch, Inc. offers administrative assistance services in the Fredericksburg region.

• MSolar Manufacturing to invest $23.78 million and create 150 jobs in Shenandoah County. MSolar Manufacturing announced plans to open a solar equipment production facility in Shenandoah County, a project county officials are calling a major economic development win for the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Virginia Business

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Volunteer at Harrisonburg Gift and Thrift Gift and Thrift, Inc. ✨ Sort, clean, repair, price, and display items.. Harrisonburg Gift and Thrift seeks volunteers in the Shenandoah Valley to sort, clean, repair, price, and display donated items.

• $43 million in Southwest Virginia flood relief remains largely unspent as damaged homes wait. Cardinal News reports that a $43 million federal flood-relief allocation for hard-hit Southwest Virginia localities has not reached most affected homeowners, leaving low-income residents in damaged houses while local officials navigate complex program requirements. Cardinal News

• Austrian company RINGANA to establish first U.S. headquarters in Roanoke, bringing 435 jobs. Life sciences firm RINGANA announced it will invest approximately $85 million over five years to open its first American headquarters in Roanoke, a significant economic development announcement for the Roanoke Valley. City of Roanoke

• Roanoke police report notable drop in city crime. Roanoke Police Department officials are highlighting declines across several crime categories, crediting targeted enforcement and community-policing strategies for the improvement. Cardinal News

• Worth doing / ways to get involved: Admin/Office Volunteer Needed flexible days and hours. Affinity Care of Virginia is seeking an administrative and office volunteer in Roanoke with flexible days and hours.

• Northern Virginia: Become a Community Farmer in 2026 - Help grow fruits and vegetables for your community. Piedmont Environmental Council. Piedmont Environmental Council in Aldie is seeking volunteers for 2026 to grow fruits and vegetables for the community.

• Roanoke: Admin/Office Volunteer Needed flexible days and hours. Affinity Care of Virginia is seeking an administrative and office volunteer in Roanoke with flexible days and hours.