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Healthcare providers say AI helps them focus on patients. But it also raises questions about privacy, security and the role of humans in medicine
Four out of five doctors report using artificial intelligence in the workplace for tasks such as note-taking, communicating with patients and conducting research.
Politics
Spanberger will veto collective bargaining bill, future of cannabis legislation uncertain
Gov. Abigail Spanberger has 10 days left to act on bills sent back to her after the April 22 reconvene session.
Local
Roanoke budget approved by 5-2 vote — the second consecutive year of significant cuts
Mayor Joe Cobb said a third year of cuts is not out of the question.
Culture
American Aquarium, Rhonda Vincent among headliners for this year’s Floyd Small Town Summer series
Local acts Hoppie Vaughan & the Ministers of Soul and JStop Latin Soul also will be featured, along with family-friendly movies on some nights.
education
Hiring new Virginia Tech president likely to take 6 to 8 months, search firm says
When longtime President Tim Sands announced that he would step down a month ago, board of visitors Rector John Rocovich said he believed the hiring could be done by July 1.
eCONOMY
Comcast, Appalachian Power continue wrangling over broadband expansion
Comcast claims that Appalachian Power is not abiding by an FCC ruling about how much it can charge to replace power poles necessary for broadband deployment. The utility says that Comcast’s cost proposal will hurt electric customers.
OPinion
Martinsville and Purcellville cases highlight how Virginia’s law to remove elected officials can be applied quite differently. Is that good or bad?
Here are some questions about how the law is being applied. What, if anything, should be changed?
Health Care
The Pulse: Free lung cancer screenings, discoveries in cardiovascular disease and federal grants for local research
Catch up on this week’s health news.
news briefs
Headlines from across the state: New cameras on I-81 will fine speeders in Roanoke, Botetourt counties; more …
From elsewhere: Central Virginia nonprofit granted 60 acres in Henrico where BIPOC farmers can live and work. Virginia one step closer to requiring diaper-changing stations in new buildings’ public bathrooms. Virginia GOP lawmaker criticized after racist on‑air remark.
Sports
‘Martinsville Missile’ sets a new land speed record for a stock car
With a Henry County driver behind the wheel, the car designed and built in Martinsville broke the record of 244.9 mph with a top speed of 253 mph.
WEATHER
El Niño could be our drought buster, but might turn into too much of a good thing
All signs point to warming equatorial Pacific waters, which often portends much wetter weather than Virginia has experienced in the past few months.
Cardinal 250
One of Virginia’s most eccentric patriots was John Sinclair, a government-sanctioned pirate
Privateers were an important component of the American war effort. They were something akin to government-sanctioned pirates — armed vessels that chased down and confiscated the cargo of civilian enemy merchant ships. The techniques privateers employed wouldn’t pass muster today. They’d often approach a ship under a false flag and captain and crew would get…
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