Yesterday was the first day of school for all K-12 students in Hopewell Public Schools. Hopewell is the first in Virginia to resume classes district-wide for the next school year; Governor Ralph Northam was in Hopewell to take part in the back-to-school activities. He used the opportunity to announce his intention to invest in public school ventilation systems; Education advocates are heading to Petersburg today as part of the Crumbling Schools tour; and other local news stories.
Jul 27, 2021•7 min•Ep. 218
A prisoner suing the Virginia Department of Corrections for refusing to allow him to take medication for his opioid dependency is asking a federal appeals court to hear his case. He claims the department’s policy violates the Americans with Disabilities Act; The Virginia State Board for Community Colleges approved changing the name of John Tyler Community College to Brightpoint Community College; As the fall semester approaches, universities in the area are mixed on whether they should require t...
Jul 23, 2021•7 min•Ep. 217
The Virginia Department of Health, along with the department of education, released new guidance for preK-12 schools yesterday as students prepare to resume in-person instruction; Virginia Commonwealth University is requiring all students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to return to the classroom in the fall; A State Inspector General report released last month found flaws in the state agency overseeing drinking water quality; and other local news stories.
Jul 22, 2021•6 min•Ep. 216
The Richmond school board approved a plan Monday to move forward with rebuilding George Wythe High School; The Virginians for Affordable Medicine is a brand new coalition of advocates, patients, and physicians advocating for affordable medications; Virginians have till the end of today to add artifacts to a new time capsule; and other local news stories.
Jul 21, 2021•6 min•Ep. 215
John Tyler Community College could become Brightpoint Community College; The commission tasked with redrawing Virginia’s Congressional districts will hold a public hearing today for Hampton Roads; Federal data show a rise in drug overdose deaths inside prisons and jails across the country in recent years. Virginia falls near the middle of the pack; and other local news stories.
Jul 20, 2021•6 min•Ep. 214
U.S. congressional races are more than a year away, but Democratic Representative Abigail Spanberger is already facing a challenge from the right; Virginia ended its fiscal year with $2.6 billion dollars more in tax revenue than it had expected; Students, scientists, citizens and more across Virginia took part yesterday in the country’s largest-ever heat mapping project; and other local news stories.
Jul 16, 2021•6 min•Ep. 213
A federal appeals court in Richmond struck down the federal government’s long-standing ban on selling handguns to people under the age of 21; Virginia Military Institute is implementing changes following an investigation ordered by Governor Ralph Northam into allegations of racism at the university; The Richmond community is expressing frustration about delays in construction of a new George Wythe High School; and other local news stories.
Jul 15, 2021•9 min•Ep. 212
Virginia is temporarily halting admissions to five of its eight state-run psychiatric hospitals, including one in Petersburg, because of staffing shortages; Republican Glenn Youngkin still hasn’t released specific policy proposals on most major issues since he announced his campaign for governor; Richmond is considering extending the target date for construction of a new casino by 9 months; and other local news stories.
Jul 14, 2021•5 min•Ep. 211
Yesterday, Governor Ralph Northam announced his latest plan for how he wants to spend some of the more than $4 billion in federal funds headed to the commonwealth; Virginia school districts are required to adopt policies about harassment-free treatment of transgender students ahead of the upcoming school year; The City of Charlottesville removed four statues over the weekend, including two Confederate statues that became a flashpoint for the deadly Unite the Right rally in 2017; and other local ...
Jul 13, 2021•6 min•Ep. 210
Twenty-four states, including Virginia, reached a resolution in legal fights against the makers of Oxycontin; Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin is defending comments he made about abortion in a video taken by a liberal activist; Since pandemic restrictions were lifted, many people are returning to doing things they missed out on last summer, like blueberry picking; and a look at delay in the construction of a new George Wythe High School amid tensions between the City ...
Jul 09, 2021•12 min•Ep. 209
A statue of former governor and segregationist Harry Byrd, Senior was removed from capitol square in Richmond yesterday; Homicides in Richmond and across the state are rising after hitting a low about a decade ago; The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board met yesterday amid controversy over its lack of public engagement regarding a Mountain Valley Pipeline permit application; and other local news stories.
Jul 08, 2021•7 min•Ep. 208
Candidates for Virginia’s House of Delegates could face the ballot box three years in a row under a lawsuit filed against Governor Ralph Northam and the Board of Elections last week; Virginia has seen a large increase in Medicaid enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic; The American Lung Association is offering new fact-based guides about COVID-19 in an effort to raise vaccination rates in Virginia; and other local news stories.
Jul 07, 2021•6 min•Ep. 207
While the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an eviction moratorium for non-payment of rent through the end of this month, it does not apply to tenants with expired leases who want to stay, but whose landlords want them out; The Virginia Air Pollution Control Board has postponed consideration of a permit for a Mountain Valley Pipeline compressor station in Chatham; President Joe Biden has nominated Virginia’s top trial lawyer to the federal bench; and other local news stories.
Jul 06, 2021•5 min•Ep. 206
Virginia Representative Elaine Luria was selected as a member of the committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol; Senator Mark Warner visited The Diamond to discuss new legislation to provide financial relief to minor league teams; Federal officials are launching a review of a new wind farm project off Virginia's coast; and other local news stories.
Jul 02, 2021•7 min•Ep. 205
Starting today, Virginians can legally possess up to an ounce of marijuana. But advocates fear confusion over the new law could result in Black people being disproportionately targeted by law enforcement; Another new law taking effect today requires Virginia schools to grant all middle and high school students one excused absence a year to participate in a civic event; and Whittney Evans explains the new marijuana and other laws taking effect today.
Jul 01, 2021•8 min•Ep. 204
The Virginia Department of Transportation announced it has completed cleanup efforts following February's ice storm; The city of Richmond held a press conference yesterday to provide a pandemic update; Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are pushing for more financial support to implement the Ashanti Alert system; and other local news stories.
Jun 30, 2021•5 min•Ep. 203
The Supreme Court yesterday indicated support of a lower court’s ruling in favor of Gavin Grimm, an advocate for the transgender community who sued his school district for not allowing him to use the boy’s restroom; Governor Ralph Northam signed four bills yesterday to make voting easier; Next week, GRTC is holding a public meeting to announce schedule changes coming to some of its routes this fall; and a memorial to the five Capital Gazette Newspaper employees shot by a gunman in 2018 is unveil...
Jun 29, 2021•6 min•Ep. 202
Richmond students on graduating during a "hectic" year; interfaith coalition gathers to denounce antisemitism; Andrew Freiden, Meteorologist, talks about climate change; and more
Jun 25, 2021•9 min•Ep. 201
Civilian Review Board Recommendations Coming; Unemployment Falls; Lt. Gov Fairfax's Lawsuit Dismissed; On Its 50th Anniversary, Virginia's Constitution Faces New Tests, and more
Jun 24, 2021•7 min•Ep. 200
Virginia Replacing 134-Year-Old Time Capsule With Confederate Memorabilia; Pro-Trump Politician Fights to Stay on Ballot After Paperwork Problems; and more
Jun 23, 2021•7 min•Ep. 199
City Plan endorsed a plan to remove a statue to Confederate A.P. Hill, but passed on proposals to remove pedestals which once held Stonewall Jackson, J.E.B. Stuart and other Confederates to City Council without an endorsement; Gov. Northam announced Virginia had met President Biden's July 4 goal for COVID-19 vaccinations; community members raised concerns about proposed 'green' infrastructure in their neighborhood; and other local news stories.
Jun 22, 2021•6 min•Ep. 198
As of today, Juneteenth is a national holiday celebrating the emancipation of African Americans. It also happens to be World Sickle Cell Awareness Day; Virginia children are less likely to meet school immunization requirements this year due to limited access to health services during the pandemic; Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney released a request for design proposals yesterday in a last-ditch effort to begin work on George Wythe High School as soon as possible; and other local news stories.
Jun 18, 2021•10 min•Ep. 197
The nonprofit Virginia Environmental Justice Collaborative released a map this week detailing the environmental vulnerability of state residents; Chesterfield teenagers have the opportunity to get vaccinated today; and Ian Stewart speaks with Michael Paul Williams from the Richmond Times Dispatch about his Pulitzer Prize for Journalism.
Jun 17, 2021•7 min•Ep. 196
Critical Race Theory has been used for decades to examine systemic racism. Politicians claim the theory is being taught in schools, but that’s really not the case; Virginia Senator Mark Warner says last week’s passage of the United States Innovation and Competition Act is intended to address current supply chain issues; Riding on GRTC will continue to be free for another year; and other local news stories.
Jun 16, 2021•6 min•Ep. 195
After more than a year of battling the spread of COVID-19, the Virginia Department of Corrections is reporting zero active coronavirus cases in state prisons; Virginia Senator Mark Warner is part of a bipartisan coalition that has put together an alternative to President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal; Tonight, Chesterfield residents will have the chance to comment on what the county should do with over $68 million in federal money; and other local news stories.
Jun 15, 2021•6 min•Ep. 194
At their meeting last week, the Chesterfield School Board approved a resolution recognizing June as LGBTQ+ month; Governor Ralph Northam signed into law a new reform to Virginia’s probation system; Virginia will receive over $15 million in federal funding to help residents obtain affordable housing; and other local news stories.
Jun 11, 2021•6 min•Ep. 193
About 8 percent of registered voters turned out for Tuesday’s primary, down about two points from 2017’s record; The primary race for Richmond’s top prosecutor was a sweeping victory for incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin; The F-B-I says it believes the gunman in the 2019 Virginia Beach mass shooting “was motivated by perceived workplace grievances."; and other local news stories.
Jun 10, 2021•6 min•Ep. 192
Democrats in Virginia have selected Terry McAuliffe as their nominee for governor; The Virginia Supreme Court heard challenges yesterday to the state’s plan to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond; Virginia has seen an overall decrease in violent crimes compared to 2019; and other local news stories.
Jun 09, 2021•5 min•Ep. 191
Five Democrats running for Virginia governor are making their final pitch to voters ahead of today’s primary; The Supreme Court of Virginia is slated to hear oral arguments today in the fight over taking down the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee; The City of Richmond is holding a mass vaccination event this week that will also serve as a community job fair; and other local news stories.
Jun 08, 2021•5 min•Ep. 190
Virginia Representative Abigail Spanberger is reintroducing a bill to increase transparency in prescription drug transactions; VCU has expelled Delta Chi fraternity for violations that allegedly led to the death of a student; Tomorrow is the last day to vote early in-person before the June Primary; and other local news stories.
Jun 04, 2021•10 min•Ep. 189
