WMRA Daily

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….

Parties in the lawsuit against Confederate school names in Shenandoah County make their final arguments… Charlottesville grapples with providing more affordable housing… Meanwhile, the governor signs her first bills addressing affordability….

United Way offers free tax filing help leading up to the federal deadline… Weapons law violations at Virginia colleges and universities are way up in recent years… Could a vaccine help prevent opioid addiction and overdoses?

Thousands of demonstrators take to the streets in Virginia for the third No Kings protests since Donald Trump began his second term… Virginia Republicans say Trump's war on Iran is worth the increase in gas prices, and they propose a suspension of the state's gas tax… Governor Spanberger is considering legislation that would protect workers against heat stress….

With rain in the forecast, much of the WMRA region is still experiencing drought… Former Nexus executives get more grand jury indictments… As the campaigns for and against Virginia's redistricting amendment move into high gear, Jeff Schapiro has a review of that and more in the week in politics….

Gas prices continue to climb in Virginia as Trump's war in Iran stretches on… Governor Spanberger orders Virginia's return to a multi-state voter partnership called ERIC… In the face of increasing federal restrictions on care for people in LGBTQ communities, we meet one Charlottesville-area physician who continues to specialize in their care….

A conservation group warns about the effects of data centers on natural resources… Hundreds of residents get free medical care at the latest RAM pop-up clinic in Fishersville… At Shenandoah University, the Virginia Forum celebrates 20 years of gathering historians….

The ROTC instructor killed by a gunman on ODU's campus is laid to rest… State officials roll out the new Vape Enforcement Act… Augusta County officials hold a cornerstone ceremony at the new courthouse….

The so-called Shopping Cart Killer will undergo more psychological testing before he is sentenced… Governor Spanberger blames President Trump for higher gas prices and says voting for redistricting will help rein him in… A book written by a Harrisonburg educator more than a century ago is brought to life on stage at the Virginia Festival of the Book….

Developers of a proposed new transmission line project east of Charlottesville hold a virtual information meeting… Virginia updates its Wildlife Action Plan… Governor Spanberger now has more than 1200 bills to consider from the General Assembly, and Jeff Schapiro has a review….

A new roundabout in Crozet aims for safer traffic, but not all residents are convinced… Power companies want to build a new transmission line in central Virginia, and neighbors are voicing concerns at public information meetings… One controversial bill before the governor would limit local restrictions on large solar farms….

The governor considers bills that would legalize pot sales, and slot-machine style games… Students at UVa gather for an interfaith breaking of fast… A shared-use commercial kitchen in Charlottesville provides space for culinary entrepreneurs….

VDOT sets dates for public meetings on a proposed walking and biking trail in the Shenandoah Valley… The General Assembly appoints former Valley Republican Delegate Todd Gilbert as district judge… Governor Spanberger considers legislation passed this session, including one bill that would expand collective bargaining for some government employees, but not all….

One day after a deadly shooting at ODU, several local colleges deal with campus threats… The General Assembly gavels out of session, and lawmakers plan to meet in April to finalize the budget… Virginia politicians react to the potential that President Trump is sending more U.S. troops into the Middle East….

The FBI is investigating a shooting at Old Dominion University that killed one victim as an act of terrorism… The public is invited to view presentations by the top contenders competing to recast the bronze from Charlottesville's removed Robert E. Lee statue… Harrisonburg's planning commission approves a controversial multi-story apartment complex planned for downtown….

Some residents and educators in Waynesboro voice opposition to a proposal that could change how the city funds its public schools… A new state report raises concerns about how localities are using license plate readers, and we explore the conflicts in our communities over the controversial camera systems… The General Assembly considers bills that could bring down the cost of some prescription drugs, and would prevent people from blocking access to abortion clinics….