WMRA Daily

A man is in custody after an hours-long standoff with Harrisonburg police near EMU... State officials scramble to figure out how to keep the most vulnerable among us fed... What might Virginia Republicans do to slow down the Democrats' efforts to redraw the state's congressional districts?

Governor Youngkin declares a state of emergency in response to the federal shutdown... In a surprise announcement, Democrats reconvene the General Assembly over redistricting... Jeff Schapiro has thoughts about that and more in Virginia politics....

The Justice Department and UVa strike a deal to end federal investigations into the school's admissions practices... Federal food assistance benefits for nearly 800,000 Virginians may start running out in November... Our series of candidate conversations continues with Jena Crisler, the Democratic challenger in the Valley's 35th district....

JMU suspends a fan who heckled the lieutenant governor at last weekend's home football game... We follow up in our reporting on the candidates for the District Three seat on Rockingham County's school board, currently held by Matt Cross... Our candidate conversations series continues with Republican incumbent Delegate Chris Runion, in Virginia's 35th House district....

Merck breaks ground on a $3 billion facility in Elkton expected to create 500 jobs... A Harrisonburg food pantry expands its offerings... Opposition to Rockingham County school board member Matt Cross intensifies....

UVa says it will not agree to demands in a “compact” with the Trump administration…Saturday's “No Kings” rallies across Virginia include a continuation of previous protests in Woodstock…As power bills rise, the politics of energy take center stage in the race for governor….

The candidates for attorney general meet in a much-anticipated debate...An appeals court rules that Nexus owes $811 million in restitution and penalties...The Blue Ridge Free Clinic expands its care to mental health services....

UVa faculty respond to the Trump administration's demand that the school sign a “compact” to get access to federal funding...We explore how the candidates for governor approach 2nd Amendment rights... Meanwhile, Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is lacking one important endorsement – that of the president....

Court cases get underway involving several bridge protesters in Shenandoah County...Virginia airports refuse to air a controversial, and probably illegal, video featuring Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem...School board candidates in Albemarle County attend a forum, but some board races elsewhere in Virginia don't have any candidates on the ballot....

Local school officials condemn Rockingham County school board member Matt Cross for posting a video of a student fight in a Harrisonburg public school...We visit one Valley vineyard enlisting the help of patrons to fight the spotted lanternfly invasion...The Virginia Department of Health takes the lead from the CDC in its controversial new vaccine advice....

The candidates in Virginia's gubernatorial election clashed in a debate last Thursday night, while nuclear power appears to be a shared interest between Democrats and Republicans in the commonwealth... The federal shutdown has halted flood insurance in Virginia... the state may soon lift restrictions on harvesting blue catfish... journalist David Poole talks about his new book ahead of his appearance for WMRA's Books and Brews...

Last night the candidates for governor debated in Norfolk. It was the only debate between republican Winsome Earle-Sears and Democrat Abigail Spanberger ... Virginia is celebrating today over the announcement that a multi-national drug company plans to build two new manufacturing facilities in Albemarle County ... Democrats are outraising Republicans in key races for the House of Delegates.

A former Nexus executive is now in custody, awaiting sentencing…State senate Democrats warn UVa not to accept President Trump's political demands…Our series of candidate conversations continues, with Democrat Makayla Venable, running in Virginia's 36th House district….

Charlottesville residents revive a federal lawsuit against Sentara Health for alleged price gouging…Enrollment is down at Virginia's community colleges, perhaps one result of a stronger economy…We profile the Blue Ridge Abortion Fund and its mission of providing care, increasingly, to women from states that have restricted abortion since the Dobbs decision….

WMRA explores the latest arrest data from ICE…Republicans call for Democrat Jay Jones to withdraw from the race for attorney general after controversial texts he sent come to light…Elected officials in Richmond grapple with a coming drop-off in college enrollment….

Virginia's ACLU sues ICE for allegedly detaining young people unlawfully at Farmville's detention center and elsewhere...Meanwhile, Albemarle County's Circuit Court Clerk says recent detentions at the courthouse by ICE agents have a chilling effect on court attendance...The Roanoke Times and Richmond Times-Dispatch will eliminate their Monday print editions....

An investigation clears the Augusta County sheriff's office in the May death of a man who was in custody…Shenandoah National Park remains open despite the government shutdown, but advocates warn visitors about limited staffing…Jeff Schapiro weighs in on whether the shutdown might affect this year's elections in Virginia….

The man who murdered a Wintergreen police officer will spend nearly 50 years in prison…Our candidate conversation series continues with Cathy Rec, the Democrat running for Virginia's 33rd House district seat…How will a federal government shutdown impact Virginians, and the state's economy?

Now that Virginia's “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphones in public schools is in effect, we check in with educators and students…Virginia's Wildlife Action Plan is updated…We take a look at the latest trend in direct mail political persuasion during this year's campaigns….

Shenandoah National Park remains a major engine for the local economy…A whitetail deer is found with Chronic Wasting Disease in Page County…The Republican decision to cut federal energy assistance could mean life or death for many Virginians….

19 people are injured after rushing the field at Scott Stadium following Friday's UVa win over Florida State...A state commission looks into the historic role that public universities, including Longwood, have played in the uprooting of Black communities...We preview this year's Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville....

Sixth District Representative Ben Cline holds a rare town hall meeting in Lexington...Our candidate conversations continue with Andrew Payton, the Democrat challenging Del. Tony Wilt...Jeff Schapiro surveys the week in Virginia politics....

A judge orders the manager of Natural Bridge Zoo to turn over two missing baby giraffes or face jail time...State Senator Bryce Reeves says he will run against U.S. Senator Mark Warner...We launch our candidate conversations series with Harrisonburg-area delegate and Republican incumbent Tony Wilt....

Housing affordability, especially high rent, is one of the top issues in this year's Virginia elections...Republican districts lead the way in early voting...The Love Forward Foundation provides a creative haven in Staunton to help families of the incarcerated heal and grow....

Protesters confront Rockingham County Republicans at an event for the Earle-Sears gubernatorial campaign...We speak with a local prosecutor and a retired state police officer about whether due process was followed in the arrests of two bridge protesters...The Wildlife Center in Waynesboro is working to save bald eagles that have ingested lead from carcasses....

A case of measles identified in eastern Virginia triggers a massive and expensive effort to track down those exposed...What precincts are more likely than others to have early voters?...The Silk Moth stage in Dayton offers its latest play, “The Wanting Forest”....

Hundreds gather in Winchester to memorialize Charlie Kirk...Early voting in Virginia starts today, and we have analysis from Jeff Schapiro...We meet the writers of a new play that explores the legacy of American eugenics at Staunton's Western State Hospital....

The murder conviction of Anthony Eugene Robinson is upheld, and sentencing is set for December...Albemarle County debates how to manage the growth of data centers...In addition to squashing them, we might also fight spotted lanternflies with dogs that sniff out their eggs....

Virginia's superintendent of public instruction joins the right-wing effort to silence people who comment on the murder of Charlie Kirk...Democrat Abigail Spanberger has more than twice as much cash as her opponent in the governor's race...Senator Tim Kaine leads an effort to end some of President Trump's tariffs....

Many of the Mennonites arrested for protesting the war in Gaza on Capitol Hill last week are from Harrisonburg...The candidates for governor spar over the effects of massive federal spending cuts on health care for Virginians...Early voting begins Friday....

Virginia legislators face a dilemma in paying for SNAP food benefits…Virginia spends significantly more than average for Medicaid than other states, driven largely by drug prices…A former Harrisonburg registrar will serve as interim director of elections for Albemarle County, where the former registrar is under investigation….

Some Virginians say despite new state guidance, it's still hard to get a COVID vaccine...Virginia legislators discuss signs of trouble from federal budget cuts...Jeff Schapiro talks about statewide reaction to the murder of far right activist Charlie Kirk, and the week in Virginia politics....

A judge agrees with students in Shenandoah County who say their civil rights were violated when the school board renamed the high school after Stonewall Jackson…Dozens of Mennonite activists from the Harrisonburg area and beyond are arrested during a protest for Gaza outside Senator Mark Warner's office…Drug overdose-related deaths finally decrease across Virginia….

Mary Baldwin University faculty vote no confidence in the board of trustees over the resignation of Jeff Stein as president…Two anti-Trump protesters arrested for a bridge demonstration in Shenandoah County share their story…Three musicians create a digital map of the history of clawhammer banjo players in Southwest Virginia….

Much of our area is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, one step below moderate drought…Augusta Medical Group closes three facilities, partly in anticipation of looming federal health funding cuts…Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares tries to remove news media from a public campaign stop near Charlottesville….

Tuesday is Hunger Action Day, and research shows a growing number of Virginians must choose between feeding their families or paying bills…Some students around Virginia stage a walkout to protest gun violence…Our September Books & Brews guests discovered unexpected adventures and surprising moments of beauty when they bought an old farm….

While some for-profit health clinics consolidate in the face of federal spending cuts, one Valley nonprofit is expanding its mental health services…Democrats and Republicans – candidates and voters – face off in Buena Vista in a storied Labor Day tradition…Jeff Schapiro discusses the role that national issues are playing in this year's Virginia elections….

Sentencing is delayed for the so-called Shopping Cart Killer in Harrisonburg…Democratic leaders criticize some Virginia hospitals for not speaking out about the effects of federal health spending cuts…As students return to public schools across Virginia, some teachers are struggling to make ends meet….

State regulators begin evaluating Dominion's request for a big rate hike…The increased hunger for power, especially from data centers, fuels the push for nuclear energy…We profile Harrisonburg's new Rocktown House of Music….

Virginia may be one of the states hardest hit by canceled federal contracts and the slow housing market… Albemarle County's former registrar faces an investigation… A Valley brain injury nonprofit is getting the word out about the signs of a stroke….

Sen. Warner meets with Kilmar Abrego Garcia and other immigrants being held at the Farmville Detention Center… It's Labor Day, the traditional kick-off of the fall campaign season, and political ads on your TV… Protecting horses from skin cancer….

Much of our area is still waiting for a medical marijuana provider… State senate Democrats vote down another round of the governor's college board appointments… A new poll shows Virginians souring on the economy….

The president of Mary Baldwin University suddenly resigns after two years in the position… More than 350-thousand Virginians could lose their health insurance by 2034 due to federal cuts… We explore the effect of the loss of federal funding for a popular program that helps those in need cook healthy meals and use SNAP benefits, which are also being slashed, more efficiently….

The Trump administration may have pressured Todd Gilbert to resign his interim post as U.S. attorney… A judge in Charlottesville rules that a lawsuit over the city's new zoning code will proceed to trial… The invasive red-and-white spotted lanternfly has settled into much of the Piedmont and Shenandoah Valley….

Governor Youngkin calls up dozens of Virginia National Guard troops to support ICE… Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan warns about the effects of coming cuts to federal food assistance programs… Staunton's planners recommend allowing beekeeping in the city….

Nelson County supervisors take direct control of the Department of Social Services… More than 4,000 people in Virginia have been arrested by ICE agents this year… One Virginia Democrat wants to force more transparency for immigration officials….

Virginia's Head Start program faces headwinds in the wake of federal cuts… Local hospitals brace for big cuts in their funding… We explore the prospects for moving statewide elections to even years, like most other states….

Just over a month after being sworn in, former Valley Delegate Todd Gilbert resigns as U.S. attorney… We examine how local hospitals are adjusting to massive cuts in health care spending… Will 2025 be a wave election for Democrats?

A new report predicts job losses and a weaker economy in Virginia... A state science committee studies possible health effects of heavy use of chatbots... We search for dragonflies in Nelson County....

State police investigate a fatal shooting by a Shenandoah County sheriff's deputy… Virginia's attorney general sues Trump's Department of Veterans Affairs over failure to pay benefits... Virginia's Board of Health votes to go further in limiting transgender athletes' participation in women's sports….

VMI announces a new superintendent to replace the first Black leader, ousted by the board in February… Dozens of Virginia National Guardsmen begin training to provide support for federal ICE enforcement… An emergency House of Delegates committee meets to hear more about federal changes to government assistance programs….