Virginia Public Radio

Public school enrollment is expected to decline in the next decade. Michael Pope has the story. Here’s the link to the latest data from the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Also, as a note of disclosure, the Virginia Education Association is the primary funding source for Virginia Public Radio.

Democrats are saying Republican candidate for governor Winsome Earle-Sears is in violation of disclosure laws. Michael Pope has details.

Governor Glenn Youngkin has signed an executive order to strengthen oversight of Virginia nursing homes. The announcement comes after the state's health commissioner said there is a backlog of more than 1,000 complaints against nursing homes here. Sandy Hausman has that story.

A long-running dispute over Virginia's disenfranchisement of felons continues – with a possible court hearing in the case coming this fall. Brad Kutner has this report on what the state argues is a misunderstanding of language from the civil rights group suing over the matter. 

All 100 seats of the Virginia House of Delegates are on the ballot this year, and candidates are talking about everything from environmental policy to immigration. One issue that has become important in districts with colleges and universities is higher ed. Michael Pope reports.

Tuesday, August 12th is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, a day when Americans offer up their services to their local polling precincts ahead of election season. Virginia's 45 days of early voting requires a lot of manpower, but as Brad Kutner found out, those involved say it's a unique chance to serve your community and […]

Redistricting is back in the news, just a few years after Virginia completed the process. Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

The cost of health care is likely to increase next year for people who get their health insurance through the marketplace created by Obamacare. Michael Pope reports.

Weather forecasts are key to a good emergency response, but a team at the University of Virginia says planners need something more to protect the public. Sandy Hausman reports on how they're helping first responders and communities to be more resilient.

Virginia made it easier to vote a few years back, including expanded options for early and absentee voting. Republicans nationally have been slow to embrace early voting, and it's given Democrats in the Commonwealth an edge every November. Brad Kutner has this report from Virginia Republicans who hope to change that. 

Over the past weekend, the Rappahannock Indian Tribe gathered with the community of donors, volunteers, federal agencies, conservationists and local people who helped them obtain nearly a thousand acres of ancestral lands high above the river that shares their name. Pamela D'Angelo reports.

Virginia will elect its first female governor this year, but many other women are also on the ballot this fall. Michael Pope reports.

The rise of data centers is becoming one of the hottest issues on the campaign trail this year in the election for the House of Delegates. Michael Pope reports.

President Donald Trump and Democrats across the country are calling on states to redraw congressional lines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. As Brad Kutner found out, Virginia Democrats in leadership are open to the idea of a mid-decade redistricting effort.

Virginia Commonwealth University's health system will no longer offer gender-affirming care for minors, according to a recent announcement from the school. And while other Virginia health care providers may move to restrict care in the future, research shows controversial surgical procedures among trans youth are rare. Brad Kutner has more.

Will President Trump make an endorsement in Virginia’s race for governor? Michael Pope reports.

If you're planning to get out on your bike this summer, or if your kids are signed up to play football this fall, do you have the safest helmet? The Virginia Tech Helmet lab recently released new ratings that rank how well hundreds of bike and football helmets protect against concussions. Roxy Todd has the […]

Affordable housing is on the ballot in Virginia this year, as candidates in battleground districts are taking a variety of approaches. Michael Pope reports.

Debates are a staple of every election cycle. But Michael Pope tells us that candidates are increasingly saying thanks but no thanks.

A judge made his decision, but that doesn't mean the state's college leadership controversy is going away anytime soon. Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

The Trump administration’s cuts budget cuts are trickling down to communities in rural Virginia. In Floyd, the June Bug Center provides afterschool and summer programs for rural kids. But it faces an uncertain future, as Mason Adams reports.

Members of the Chesapeake Bay Commission met Wednesday morning to learn more about managing agricultural land— and how to balance economic and environmental outcomes.  Dave Cantor has more.

An advisory committee aiming to help Virginia handle gambling addiction is taking lessons from other states as the Commonwealth rapidly embraces the once-taboo practice. Brad Kutner has this report. 

The future of the Virginia Clean Economy Act is on the ballot this fall. And Michael Pope tells us it’s the top issue in several battleground districts.

Senate Democrats scored a victory over Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s controversial appointments to boards that oversee some of Virginia’s flagship universities. Michael Pope reports.

An Eastern Shore multi-use trail project broke ground this spring. And a pair of proposals aim to create more outdoor recreational opportunities across Virginia. Dave Cantor has more.

Campaign finance disclosures show this year’s race for governor is not attracting the kind of money that other recent elections have. Michael Pope has the numbers.

A star athlete from rural Western Virginia is now enshrined with a plaque at Cooperstown. And by next year, Baseball Hall of Fame relief pitcher Billy Wagner will also have a permanent marker in his hometown. Jeff Bossert talked with a couple people leading that effort.

Senate Democrats are taking their fight against controversial higher-ed appointments to court. Michael Pope was in a Fairfax County courtroom and has more on the arguments.

Change has been a theme in political news over the past few days. Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

The Republican campaign for governor is going through a shakeup this summer. As Michael Pope tells us, the candidate has a new campaign manager.

Democratic leaders in Virginia's legislature defended the state's colleges Thursday morning from what they called attacks by the Trump administration. The statements come ahead of a legal fight over Governor Glenn Youngkin's appointments to Boards of Visitors at those same schools. Brad Kutner has more. 

Trends come and go, and one that's taken the world by storm has made its way to Virginia. Labubus are designed loosely after mythical, Nordic monsters the Chinese-born creator embraced after moving to the Netherlands. But the unique sales method used to distribute as Labubus may be playing a part in their success. Brad Kutner has […]

Labor issues are on the ballot this year as voters select candidates for the statewide offices. Michael Pope reports.

All 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates are on the ballot this year. That includes some Republican candidates facing off against familiar Democratic opponents. Michael Pope explains.

The latest campaign finance numbers are showing how the candidates for governor are spending their campaign cash. Michael Pope has the numbers.

Two Virginia towns have voted to stop adding fluoride to their water supply, citing cost savings between $10,000 and $20,000 each year. Nationally, the Environmental Protection Agency said in April that it's begun a review of the practice's safety. Dave Cantor has more.

Virginia is a hot spot for Lyme disease – an infection spread by the deer tick, and residents of this state have also been diagnosed with other tick-borne illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichia.  Now, doctors report another condition spread by ticks, and they say it's important to be on the lookout. Sandy […]

Another Virginia university is in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. Michael Pope and Radio IQ Politics Analyst Jeff Schapiro discuss that and the week that was in state politics and government.

The latest campaign finance numbers show one statewide candidate has raised more money than anybody else. Michael Pope tells us it’s not a candidate for governor.

Data centers, the massive, power-hungry facilities that make the internet and AI work, continue to pop up across the Commonwealth. They bring billions in revenue for Virginia and its localities, but they can also bring neighborhood complaints, development concerns and drains on natural resources. Brad Kutner takes a look at the landscape and how Virginia's […]

Women are outperforming men in state legislatures across the country. Michael Pope has the latest.

All 100 seats of the Virginia House of Delegates will be on the ballot this year, although only a dozen or so are competitive. Michael Pope tells us three of the most competitive races are rematches between the same candidates that ran in the last election cycle.

Volunteers in Southwest Virginia celebrated the dedication of a new home for one of the survivors of Hurricane Helene. As Roxy Todd reports, it's the final of 91 homes that the group has rebuilt in the Damascus area in the past nine months.

Legislation introduced during the 2024 General Assembly session created an ombudsman position to oversee the Virginia Department of Corrections. Andrea Sapone took the role in September, and later promised to prioritize an investigation into Red Onion State Prison. Dave Cantor reports she held her first stakeholder meeting Tuesday to explain how the office works and […]

The question of what books should be in a school library has been a lightning rod for controversy recently. A report released Monday morning by a state watchdog agency revealed details on what's been removed and where it's happening. Brad Kutner has more.

Summertime is a great time to spy butterflies in your backyard or in meadows across Virginia. Unfortunately, their numbers are declining. The Mitchell's Satyr butterfly is federally listed as endangered. Scientists are working to preserve the few meadows where these elusive butterflies still exist. Roxy Todd tagged along with a surveyor in Floyd County to […]

Members of the General Assembly may be returning to the Capitol for a special session. Michael Pope explains why.

Healthcare providers in Virginia are still trying to determine the ramifications of President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, which he signed into law earlier this month. Mason Adams has more on the perspective of the state’s free and charitable clinics.

Unemployment claims in Virginia continue to pace ahead of last year. Michael Pope has the latest.

Trump administration policies are playing out on the other side of the Potomac and across Virginia. Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.