WMRA Daily

Virginia notches more than 100 measles cases, largely due to an outbreak in Buckingham County… Prosecutors in Page County and elsewhere vow not to enforce a new ban on so-called “assault weapons”… The war in Iran, and the resulting shortages and rise in prices, presents new challenges for local farmers….

UVa researchers launch a program to discourage the consumption of sugary drinks… A court orders registrars to accept student voter applications from JMU and other state campuses… Governor Spanberger appoints dozens of new members to governing boards at Virginia's colleges and universities….

Shenandoah County takes one step closer to welcoming a data center, despite the opposition of some residents… Due to federal budget cuts, Bath Community Hospital is among more than a dozen rural hospitals in Virginia in danger of closing… We explore the growing trend of IV infusions to boost energy, and the risks….

Dominion representatives skip a state meeting on offshore wind, even as the company hopes for state approval for a big merger… Could the war in Iran be a good thing for jobs in Virginia?... A free fishing program is expanded across the state….

Measles, mostly among the unvaccinated, continues to spread in Virginia… A late freeze, drought and war mean lower crop yields this season for farmers in the Shenandoah Valley… Nexus again violates court orders… The Staunton community works to revive a historic downtown theater….

At an appearance in Virginia amid a measles outbreak, Health Secretary RFK, Jr. encourages people to get vaccinated… One man is in prison for killing Towan Cappell in 2022, but did others escape justice because of Harrisonburg Police incompetence?... We go on a quest through the forest for turtles….

The lead investigator on a 2022 Harrisonburg murder scene had never worked a violent crime before (part two in our series on the case of the killing of Towan Cappell)… Experts say with gas prices momentarily falling, now is the time to fill your tank… A new report paints a much rosier picture for Virginia state revenues over the next few years….

Police mishandling of a 2022 murder in Harrisonburg means those who may have been involved have not faced justice… As the June 30th deadline for the budget approaches, leaders in the General Assembly battle each other and the governor for leverage… We talk with local hemp businesses about how they process the crop, and the regulatory challenges they face….

Park rangers launch sobriety checkpoints for Skyline Drive visitors… Even with last month's heavy rain, much of our area is still under extreme drought… A court ends a lawsuit against the state corrections department over alleged abuses at Fluvanna Correctional Center, but how are conditions there now?

A June date is set for the General Assembly to reconvene and finalize the state's budget, with a deadline looming at the end of the month… Jeff Schapiro lends his insight on that and more in the week in Virginia politics… Two nonprofits team up to save Virginia's farmland from development….

The 5th congressional district is the only one with primary elections for both major parties this year… A new forecast suggests Virginia's economy is heading for a rough patch… An independent record label that got its start in Charlottesville reissues a 30th anniversary series, and we take a listen….

Residents and supporters of Harrisonburg's Northeast neighborhood gather to protest police treatment of three teens as suspects after a shooting… Governor Spanberger's veto totals approach those of her predecessor in his first year in office… Federal government pressure influenced the lack of limits on AI in this year's General Assembly….

Charlottesvile City Council is noncommittal on placing new public art crafted using melted bronze from the old Lee statue… Meanwhile, the city marks the 50th anniversary of its downtown mall… Virginia state health agencies raise awareness about postpartum depression….

The so-called Shopping Cart Killer will serve life in prison for his crimes… We continue to explore some of the flurry of vetoes Governor Spanberger issued last week… President Trump considers a health care bill introduced by the late Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly….

This weekend's rain will help, but drought conditions have worsened in Virginia… Childhood vaccination gaps contribute to a measles outbreak in Buckingham County… How are Virginians who got “DOGE'd” a year ago doing now?

The town of Broadway becomes the third in the Valley to stop fluoridating its drinking water… Democrat Ken Mitchell suspends his campaign for Congress, and throws his support behind Beth Macy in the 6th district… Virginia state revenues exceed expectations, but there are warning signs ahead for Virginia's economy….

Governor Spanberger's veto pen is busy, rejecting next year's state cannabis market and the latest effort to curb drug prices… Augusta County authorities step up the search for a man missing since early March… Union members urge a General Assembly committee to keep the tax breaks for data centers in the budget….

Dominion Energy will merge with a Florida company to become the largest regulated electric utility in the country… Shenandoah River water levels are near historic lows, as severe drought continues… Advocates kick off a campaign to educate voters about a reproductive health care amendment on the ballot this November….

The U.S. Supreme Court ends Virginia's mid-decade redistricting effort… Gun rights groups file legal challenges to the state's new ban on assault-style weapons… At UVa's commencement, former president Jim Ryan is the keynote speaker….

The state's health department declares a measles outbreak in Buckingham County… Governor Spanberger vetoes legislation that would have expanded collective bargaining rights for public employees… That's a blow to labor groups that supported her campaign, and Jeff Shapiro discusses that and more in the week in Virginia politics….

Police in Augusta County investigate bomb threats at a high school and at Augusta Health… In Charlottesville, Governor Spanberger signs legislation banning firearms on public college and university campuses… Meanwhile, the governor says she will veto a bill that would allow state and local employees to collectively bargain….

Fuel prices are up around 50% in the WMRA region since the war on Iran began… Changes are coming to regulations of electronic cigarettes… We revisit a Revolutionary War-era P.O.W. camp in Albemarle County….

Severe drought now covers more than 80 percent of Virginia… The Golden Pony, a popular music and food venue in Harrisonburg, will close next month… Virginia's attorney general appeals the defeat of Virginia's redistricting referendum to the U.S. Supreme Court….

Virginia Democrats ask the state Supreme Court to hold off on implementing its ruling against the redistricting referendum, and say they will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court… Virginia's health department confirms a case of measles in a child in the central health region… More students in Virginia gain access to free breakfast and lunch at school through a federal nutrition program….

Recent hikes in fast food prices have left many diners cold, but the average American still goes out to eat between five and six times a week. Where they're choosing to go, though, amid economic uncertainty, high gas and grocery prices, might surprise you.

The U.S. Forest Service says it's considering closing dozens of research facilities across the country, including one in Blacksburg ... Electricity bills are rising across Virginia—and for many residents, it's unclear why ... Virginia has had a ban on the open carry of some firearms in certain locations since the 90s, but that's about to change.

Governor Abigail Spanberger amended an effort to limit the prices for certain frequently prescribed drugs in Virginia… Governor Spanberger also vetoed slot-machine style "skill games”... and Virginia has joined 21 states in opposing a proposed U.S. Postal Service rule that would allow certain firearms to be sent through the mail.

Freezing temperatures damaged fruit crops across Virginia…Virginia legislators are still working on a budget, and it may contain some surprises.. Conservationists have concerns about water quality impacts with the planned renovation of a private golf club in Lexington and Rockbridge County.

The closure of Spirit Airlines is already being felt in Virginia... Governor Abigail Spanberger has signed legislation that would help plaintiffs in class action lawsuits... expensive upgrades are delaying energy to Virginia's power grid… and UVA Health announced a new wireless pacemaker…

New figures from the Deportation Data Project detail a steep rise in the number of immigration arrests in 2025 in Virginia… Multiple court cases could impact Virginia voters and their election districts… Many people gathered on the streets of Front Royal yesterday for a chance to see royalty.

Thanks to a grant from Augusta Health, the Waynesboro Family YMCA has installed new technology in their lower gym that combines virtual and physical play. And Virginia is about to get a handful of new laws to crack down on debt collectors.

A grassroots group in the Harrisonburg area, mostly led by retirees, has educated the public about climate change and advocated for solutions for 18 years. This spring, they decided to disband, and pass the environmental baton to other organizations that have sprouted up.

Local advocates are rallying this week in support of Haitian and Syrian immigrants as the U-S Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding Temporary Protected Status... Meanwhile, in Virginia, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a challenge to the congressional redistricting effort... Voter confusion could explain why Democrats underperformed in last week's referendum vote, despite winning… Governor Abigail Spanberger marked her first 100 days in office touting legislative victories… and a new cat café opens in Winchester…

The Supreme Court of Virginia will hear oral arguments today regarding last week's vote in favor of a constitutional amendment that would redraw the state's congressional districts... We'll have a preview of today's arguments and how a nearly century-old ruling could inform today's hearing... Meanwhile dozens of horses were quarantined after exposure to a disease at an event in Culpeper County… and fluctuating temperatures over the past week have impacted Virginia's wineries…

The General Assembly's special budget session ends without agreement on a budget… Jeff Schapiro weighs in on that, plus the vote in favor of redistricting, which is now up to the state Supreme Court… We talk with a former South Carolina governor and head of the World Food Programme about his visit to a JMU forum….

Elkton, without running water for part of last weekend, works to restore service to residents… Staunton releases the first draft of its flood resilience system… A silent disco fundraiser is coming to Charlottesville as part of the Tom Tom Festival….

Voters pass Virginia's redistricting referendum to redraw congressional maps in favor of Democrats… Data centers need more electricity, and residents and environmentalists in central Virginia are pushing back against new transmission lines… Community-based mediation centers, including the Fairfield Center in Harrisonburg, face increasing financial strain….

Those for and against Virginia's redistricting amendment have made their closing arguments, and today is the last day to vote… On Virginia's budget, Senate Democrats are at odds with their House counterparts, and with the Democrat in the governor's mansion… A Charlottesville pastor talks about how her faith informs her views on climate change….

A major health care provider in the Shenandoah Valley cuts back, citing Republican cuts in last year's federal spending bill… Immigration advocates hope state legislators will reject some of the amendments that Governor Spanberger made to bills addressing overreach by ICE… How accessible is information that is supposed to be “public”?

With two wildfires burning in Shenandoah National Park, the National Weather Service issues a red flag fire warning… Jeff Shapiro discusses the week in politics and state government, including the shocking murder-suicide of a once promising politician and his wife… We wrap up our series on the redistricting proposal with a Republican and a Democrat, both running in northern Virginia….

Governor Spanberger dedicates the new home of a Charlottesville agri-tech start-up… Some people with so-called “alpha-gal” syndrome find relief through acupuncture… In the next installment of our series on Virginia's redistricting referendum, we talk with central Virginia Democrats Tom Perriello and Salaam Bhatti….

Governor Spanberger visits the Harrisonburg area to highlight economic development and transportation initiatives… Our candidate conversations continue with a look at how the 7th congressional district would change if voters approve the redistricting referendum… A statewide summit at Blue Ridge Community College brings together people from agriculture and academia to discuss improving Virginia's food systems….

Governor Spanberger wants next year's legal cannabis market to begin in July, not January, one of the bills she amended before her signing deadline Monday… An early report shows that the early April cold snap severely damaged apple and peach crops in the Winchester area… We launch our four-part series on Virginia's redistricting vote, and conversations with some of the candidates affected….

With her deadline looming, Governor Spanberger signs a series of bills on gun safety and support for first responders… Other pending laws would give farm workers a minimum wage and open up a retail marijuana market next January… Opponents of Virginia's redistricting amendment target Black voters, claiming their voting power would be diluted….

The governor signs legislation that will raise Virginia's minimum wage to $15 an hour… Virginians will also soon have a right to contraception… Jeff Schapiro discusses that, plus the governor's first veto, and more in Virginia politics….

Senator Tim Kaine responds to news of a cease-fire with Iran… College professors call on Governor Spanberger to amend a bill on collective bargaining… The governor hits back at recent criticism from the Department of Homeland Security about Virginia's cooperation with immigration enforcement….

News deserts in Virginia grow as newspapers close or merge with other companies… We talk with JMU's new president as he prepares for his inauguration… In an emotional announcement, the Artemis II astronauts name a newly discovered moon crater after the mission commander's late wife, a JMU grad….

We pay a visit to a line of homeless encampments along the Rivanna in Charlottesville, and the debate over what to do about them… Governor Spanberger signs bills securing investments in pharmaceutical development in Albemarle and Goochland counties… A new poll shows the governor's popularity deeply split along party lines….

Charlottesville's school board declares it will not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement… A new study finds that Farmville's main hospital is among ten in Virginia at risk of closure due to last year's federal budget cuts… Meanwhile, data show that tens of thousands of Virginians are dropping health care coverage due to the end of ACA subsidies….

Now that a longstanding cooperation between Harrisonburg public schools and Massanutten Technical Center is ending, city schools sponsor a new program with Blue Ridge Community College… A lawyer for the Shenandoah County School Board, enmeshed in a lawsuit over Confederate school names, speaks out… As the governor signs a flurry of bills, Jeff Schapiro reviews the week in Virginia politics….

After a bizarre highway chase and crash in February, a man is indicted on federal weapons and drug charges… Virginia's attorney general defends mail-in voting against the Trump administration… We tag along with one large animal vet as she makes her rounds in a profession that is in short supply….