Hours after Mr. Herring’s disclosure, a woman who has accused Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexually assaulting her in 2004 issued a statement describing her accusation in detail. Mr. Fairfax has adamantly denied the allegations.

What’s next: Mr. Northam has withstood calls for his resignation, but if all three men were to step down without immediate replacements, Kirk Cox, the Republican House speaker, would become governor. Mr. Northam, Mr. Fairfax and Mr. Herring are all Democrats.

2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record

NASA scientists announced on Wednesday that the Earth’s average surface temperature last year was the fourth highest in nearly 140 years. The five warmest years in recorded history have been the last five.

Our science reporters explain: “While this planet has seen hotter days in prehistoric times, and colder ones in the modern era, what sets recent warming apart in the sweep of geologic time is the relatively sudden rise in temperatures and its clear correlation with increasing levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane produced by human activity.”