Youngkin won more of the evangelical vote than Trump and other Virginia headlines

NEWS TO KNOW
Our daily roundup of headlines from Virginia and elsewhere.

• Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin’s wins in congressional districts represented by three Democrats highlight the tough reelection bids the party will face. Youngkin beat McAuliffe by 11 percentage points in Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s Henrico-anchored district and by eight points in Rep. Elaine Luria’s Virginia Beach district.—Washington Post

• Youngkin won more of the evangelical vote than former president Trump, with one GOP strategist calling him “the most explicitly evangelical candidate in the modern Virginia party since World War II.”—Washington Post

• Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares’ push for new powers allowing him to override local prosecutors at the request of law enforcement has no chance of passing, said Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, who chairs the chamber’s courts committee. “Zero.”—WVTF

• A former Rocky Mount police officer charged with participating in the Jan. 6 insurrection asked a judge to release him from jail pending trial, arguing he’d learned his lesson after violating the terms of his bond by ordering firearms online. Prosecutors opposed the request, arguing it “makes a mockery of the badge he used to wear.”—Roanoke Times

• Chesapeake’s police chief fired four officers for lying during an internal investigation.—WAVY

• “A VPM News analysis of court records found that between April 2020 and April 2021 — during a global pandemic — the attorney general’s office sued to collect years-old tuition and fees from over 150 Virginia State University students.”—VPM

• Amtrak is planning to launch a second daily route between Roanoke and D.C.—Roanoke Times

• “State Sen. Joe Morrissey said Thursday morning he is drafting legislation that would open the process for Petersburg to possibly pick up the casino project that voters in Richmond rejected last week.”—Progress-Index

• Wildlife officials in Northern Virginia reported an alarming rise in reports of mangey black bears but aren’t sure what’s causing the increase in cases.—WTOP

• A man parked a truck loaded with a large “F— Biden” sign in full view of a crowd attending a Veterans Day ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial, prompting one Chesterfield veteran to leave the amphitheater and attempt to cover it with his jacket. Police detained the veteran and issued a summons for disorderly conduct to the truck driver.—WRIC