VHSL on trans athletes, Dominion winter weather prep, ceasefire tension: Sunrise Brief

TOP STORIES: VHSL on trans athletes, Dominion storm prep, ceasefire tension

1. The Virginia High School League's executive committee voted to ban transgender athletes from participating in girl's sports. This is in compliance with President Trump's "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order.

   VHSL oversees sports and academic events in 318 schools across the commonwealth. The league will soon officially change their policies and language used regarding transgender athletes.

   "The VHSL is the governing body, and our member schools look to and rely on the VHSL for policy and guidance," said VHSL Executive Director Dr. John W. "Billy" Haun. "The compliance will provide membership clear and consistent direction."

   VHSL complies with Trump's executive order banning trans students in girl's sports

2. Dominion Energy said they have plans to prevent outages while ensuring safety ahead of the potential winter weather. Power lines can be a concern during turbulent weather, this is because heavy, wet snow can cause them to stiffen or even snap.

   “Dominion Energy crews are working around the clock, and we have staged equipment and materials across our service areas," said Dominion Energy spokesperson Cherise Newsome.

   Newsome explained that crews will be sent from Hampton Roads to help areas that will be hit more severely, such as the central and northern Virginia. Regarding outages, crews will work to restore power for "critical customers" first. This means hospitals, first responders, or pump stations. Then they would work their way into neighborhoods.

   Power lines a concern ahead of winter weather in Hampton Roads

3. Officials from Israel and Hamas have accused the other of violating the ceasefire agreement, throwing the hostage/prisoner exchange into jeopardy. Trump said if Hamas does not release the hostages by noon on Saturday, then "all hell is going to break loose."

   Before Trump's comment, Abu Obeida, a spokesperson for Hamas, said they will delay the next hostage release. Obeida accused Israel of continuing to target Palestinians with airstrikes and gunfire while obstructing the entry of humanitarian aid.

   Israel accused Hamas of murdering one of their 86-year-old hostages. They were also alarmed by the malnourished conditions of three other released hostages. It should be noted, the IDF was actively restricting the flow of food and aid into the Gaza Strip during their bombing campaign.

   This all comes amidst Trump's attempt to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in favor of U.S. occupation. Around half of the hostages have been released by Hamas so far. The future of the ceasefire deal will be decided after Trump's Saturday ultimatum.
   

This morning's weather: Not exactly a winter wonderland

Meteorologist Myles Henderson says a mixture of rain/sleet/snow showers will build in this morning. The mixture will change over to all rain this afternoon to evening. Some snow accumulation is possible with the best chances on the Eastern Shore and Middle Peninsula. Highs will try to reach 40 today.

Another chilly and soggy day on Wednesday. Expect cloudy skies with widespread heavy rain to start and end the day (scattered showers in the middle). Highs will reach the mid 40s.

For the latest weather updates, watch Myles live on News 3 This Morning here.

Traffic map:

Interactive Traffic Map

For the latest traffic updates, watch Conor live on News 3 This Morning here.

We Follow Through: VA State Treasurer to speak on unclaimed property bills

• Because of a News 3 investigation, the General Assembly has proposed two bills to change how claims are handled and how information is shared. Both bills passed the House and are gaining traction in the Senate.

  Lawmakers aim to reform the claims process and enhance information-sharing practices. One of the bills would allow the Department of Treasury to automatically send checks to individuals owed $5,000 or less, eliminating the need for them to file a claim online.

  An investigation revealed that many states, including North Carolina, are implementing this approach.

  News 3 uncovered that the Virginia Department of Treasury actually has $3.6 billion in unclaimed property compared to the $2 billion they had previously reported for years.

  On Monday, News 3's Margaret Kavanaugh was able to get a comment from the Virginia State Treasurer, who previously avoided questioning on the topic.

We have a crew covering this today. Watch the story on News 3 starting at 6 a.m. here.

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