WMRA Daily

Thousands of residents across Virginia join nationwide “No Kings” rallies… The Trump administration's attacks on LGBTQ and immigrant communities leads to cancelled events… Democrats hope to capitalize on sentiment against Trump in the statewide election this year….

As dozens of VMI cadets join in President Trump's military parade in D.C. Saturday, citizens will gather around the country, and in Virginia, for “No Kings” protests… Virginia's Republican attorney general and the state Senate's top Democrat send dueling letters to universities over the governor's board appointees… PETA alleges a Harrisonburg processor engages in inhumane treatment of chickens, and mislabels products….

Wildlife officials shorten firearm bear hunting season in western Virginia to protect populations threatened by mange... Trump restores the Confederate names of military bases, including three in Virginia... The two major-party candidates for governor share their ideas about improving childcare....

Shenandoah County's sheriff's office is among more than a dozen in Virginia that have signed cooperation agreements with ICE… Virginia may have lost its battle against the spotted lanternfly… How is Trump's trade war affecting businesses in the commonwealth?

Democrats on a state Senate panel reject Ken Cuccinelli for UVa's board, and several of the governor's nominees for VMI's board… “No tax on tips” becomes a topic of conversation on the campaign trail for governor this year… A rare tick-borne disease spreads into the Mid-Atlantic from its traditional hold in the Northeast….

Virginia's third official measles case this year is confirmed, and it's the second one in Charlottesville… One analysis shows that Virginia is one of five states where efforts to arrest and remove unauthorized immigrants appear most aggressive… Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger proposes housing solutions….

Former Congressman Denver Riggleman returns from humanitarian work in Ukraine… A quarter-million Virginians could lose Medicaid coverage if President Trump's massive budget bill passes… Jeff Schapiro surveys the week in Virginia politics….

Residents say they witnessed an ICE detention near Harrisonburg, with the help of State Police and the FBI… The parent company of the Daily Progress reports the results of a February hack that affected the company for weeks… An unusual program in Nelson County deploys belly dancing to help seniors with neuro-degenerative conditions….

We go into the field (and stream) to learn how government and nonprofit agencies assess the health of our local waterways… Senator Creigh Deeds hopes that Virginia law will help provide hope for families threatened with separation by the Trump administration… Governor Youngkin selects September 9th for a special election to fill the seat of the late Representative Gerry Connolly….

Some residents in Louisa County are again under a boil-water notice after an electric outage… DMV says watch out for a new text messaging scam… Republican Terry Kilgore is the new minority leader in the House of Delegates….

Rockingham County's school board expresses its intention to follow Governor Youngkin's directive to do more against antisemitism... As we enter hurricane season, the governor says Virginia is prepared, despite Trump administration cuts to FEMA... After DHS named Trump-friendly Augusta County as one of many on its list of “sanctuary jurisdictions,” a national sheriff's association complains and the list is taken down….

Former Nexus executive Richard Moore fails to show up for sentencing… DHS claims that dozens of Virginia communities, including Charlottesville and Augusta County, are obstructing immigration enforcement… We examine the effect on the arts in Staunton of potential Trump administration cuts….

Some UVa students, workers and faculty are opposing Governor Youngkin's appointment of former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the school's governing board… Once at odds over a reservoir in Rockbridge County, Scouting America and local conservationists are now working together on a new management plan… Our series on cannabis in Virginia continues, with a look at how some medical cannabis patients are being protected in the workplace….

President Trump's pardon of former Culpeper County Sheriff Jenkins is not the first time a conviction for corruption has been set aside… Turnout is unusually high for early primary voting, especially on the Democratic side… Two Virginia men honor a forgotten part of Virginia's history with a special kind of river cruise….

Former Culpeper County Sheriff Scott Jenkins, convicted on bribery charges, may get a pardon from President Trump… Charlottesville City Schools transfers decades worth of historic records to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center… Virginia's Supreme Court strikes down a law meant to speed broadband deployment across railroad lines….

A second case of measles in Virginia is identified in someone who spent time in Charlottesville... A hiker from Virginia Beach dies after falling off the walking trail at Crabtree Falls in Nelson County... A former Augusta County deputy sues Sheriff Donald Smith for allegedly creating a hostile work environment....

Harrisonburg ends its mandatory water restrictions… Activists in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville protest the war in Gaza, and threats to the rule of law in the U.S…. Meanwhile, the Democratic-led General Assembly and the Republican governor are still at odds over how federal cuts will impact Virginia, and Jeff Schapiro has analysis….

Police in Shenandoah County say a swatting incident led to a school lockdown… In a stop in Harrisonburg, Governor Youngkin announces millions for investments in workforce housing… A new poll shows a majority of Virginians opposed to Trump's tariffs and DOGE cuts….

A harmful algal bloom means no swimming at a park in Albemarle County… Governor Youngkin recognizes Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month… Will new Trump administration rules on species protection affect the eastern hellbender?

Harrisonburg Public Works says the city's water conservation restrictions will likely continue through the week… On the 71st anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, students, educators, and civil rights leaders unveil a new historical marker in Harrisonburg… Food insecurity is on the rise in the Shenandoah Valley....

Officials report progress making repairs to Harrisonburg's water treatment plant, but water restrictions remain... Governor Youngkin ignores the House clerk's rejection of some of his vetoes... Will changes in Washington cause more people to leave Virginia than arrive?....

Charlottesville has a new city attorney… Virginia's House clerk rejects three of the governor's vetoes… Why is it so hard to find affordable housing in Virginia, and what might the candidates for governor do about it?....

The body of the boy swept away by floodwaters in Albemarle County is recovered… Harrisonburg and parts of Louisa County are under water restrictions… The Wildlife Center says if you stumble upon a fawn that you think has been abandoned, it's probably fine….

Floodwaters sweep away a 12-year-old boy in Albemarle County… Defense Department money will help fund the use of ultrasound technology at UVa to better target cancer treatments… The Weldon Cooper Center at UVa predicts job losses in Virginia this year, in part due to federal job cuts in Washington….

A Harrisonburg man is on a hunger strike to protest Israel's blocking of aid to Gaza… Leaders in Virginia's cattle and forestry sectors react to President Trump's trade war, and the pause in tariffs on Chinese goods… Virginia will revamp the state's standardized K through 12 testing system….

Federal Justice officials accuse UVa of stalling on its promise to eliminate DEI efforts… New unemployment claims in Virginia are up… Voting rights advocates try again to remove the governor's power to restore rights to convicted felons….

Legal concerns are raised over the detention of two men at the Albemarle County Courthouse last month by ICE officials... Virginia's senators renew efforts to protect wilderness areas along the Alleghenies... Political analyst Jeff Schapiro discusses Governor Youngkin's potential legacy and the week in Virginia politics....

The governing body for Virginia's student athletes approves new rules in line with the president's order against trans athletes... New state legislation affects the use of license plate readers... Faster-than-normal sea-level rise in the Chesapeake Bay threatens the Pamunkey Tribe....

A small earthquake jostles central Virginia... The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank is on track to provide a record amount of food aid, in the face of cuts to federal assistance... There are new restrictions on debt collectors who go after money owed to hospitals and doctors....

VMI's board of visitors selects new leadership... A graduate of UVa's class of 2019 is found dead on Grounds from a self-inflicted wound... Governor Youngkin again vetoes abortion-related legislation....

Waynesboro officials warn residents of phone scammers pretending to be from the police department... Governor Youngkin signs Virginia's budget, but vetoes dozens of proposed changes... Meanwhile, spending on public education in Virginia falls behind the rest of the country....

Today is the first day of early voting for statewide and local primaries, Charlottesville City Schools acquire the former Federal Executive Institute property at no cost, Controversy surrounding the Republican nominee to be Virginia's next lieutenant governor has been one of the top stories this week.

A pair of reports released this week show economic growth in Virginia is slowing down, Governor Youngkin is about to make a decision on legislation outlining parental rights and responsibilities, and Virginia Humanities has lost more than a million dollars in federal funding.

By law, Virginia's largest electric utility must stop emitting carbon by 2045. Community leaders and residents convened in Staunton on Saturday for an annual forum about recent federal policy changes. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is considering about a hundred bills that are on his desk right now, and his deadline to take action is at the end of the week.

Virginia's Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, John Reid, hit the campaign trail this weekend, despite calls from Governor Glenn Youngkin to bow out. Governor Glenn Youngkin is expected to make several key environmental decisions this week.

Firefighters often use water to put out a blaze, but in Augusta County a team of 11 men and women set a fire to ensure there's enough water for one of Virginia's natural features. Earlier this week, The American Association of Colleges and Universities posted an open letter condemning federal overreach into higher education. Labor issues may end up being a big campaign issue in the statewide elections this year.

Governor Glenn Youngkin is considering a bill that would expand African American Studies in Virginia public schools. Recent federal policy changes are aimed at increasing timber sales in our national forests. So-called “skill games” have been popping up around Virginia since their temporary legalization in 2020. Democratic candidates for Lieutenant Governor say they'd vote to repeal a legal hurdle facing labor unions in Virginia. Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government. And more ...

One local researcher has documented more than 11,000 graves in Highland County and the surrounding areas. Governor Glenn Youngkin's office recently announced that Virginia's immigration task force has arrested more than 500 migrants. In Charlottesville, protesters demonstrated Wednesday against an alleged federal immigration raid. A biologist with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources speaks about the release of seven orphaned bear cubs from the Wildlife Center of Virginia.

Governor Glenn Youngkin gave the thumbs up to President Donald Trump's tariff policies Tuesday. The sudden withdrawal of Pat Herrity from the Republican primary for lieutenant governor means the GOP will have no statewide primaries in June. In 1963, eight Black Hanover County students led the charge to integrate the county's schools. The City of Richmond is considering a ban on new tobacco and cannabis shops in most of the city.

Catholics around the world are mourning the passing of Pope Francis. Judge Harvie Wilkinson was a noted historian of a pivotal figure in Virginia history. Virginia had the largest decrease in employment figures of any state between February and March. Seven bear cubs are enjoying spring in the wild after growing up at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro.

Abandoned, crumbling, downtown buildings have become something of a stereotype for the struggles of communities. When storms hit, many of us brace, wondering if the power will remain on. Bon Air Juvenile Correctional Center, Virginia's last youth prison, is under scrutiny for its understaffing and dangerous conditions. The Democratic primary for attorney general might end up being an expensive fight between two big-money rivals. Last week, Hanover County supervisors reviewed a study to determine how well the county pays its boards and commissions in comparison to neighboring localities.

The Trump administration revokes the visas of two international UVa alumni, among around three dozen statewide… Recent federal policy changes could affect the management of our local national forests… Virginia Democrats, leaning into attacks on Elon Musk, outraise Republicans by millions, and Jeff Schapiro has analysis….

VMI's governing body has a new president… Virginia's governor considers legislation on medical debt… The Rappahannock River is one of the most endangered in the nation….

Residents in areas affected by Tropical Storm Helene get an IRS extension... One bill still under consideration by Governor Youngkin involves social media... A UVa student accidentally enlists in an Army program, and we take a look at how that's turning out....

Anti-competitive health care mergers could become more common in Virginia… The Waynesboro Symphony has a role to play in a movie filmed in the Grand Canyon… Virginia loves Canadian visitors, but do they still love us?

JMU closes its DEI office… The president of VMI's board of visitors resigns… Researchers at UVa explore new treatments for long COVID….

A free clinic in Harrisonburg is adding dental care… United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County will take over services in Augusta County… Tariffs, immigration and education make waves in Virginia, and Jeff Schapiro has analysis….

Four young people are charged in Tuesday's mass shooting near Fredericksburg… UVa joins the growing list of universities where international students have had their visas canceled… Lynchburg Republicans challenge a state election law they say violates their First Amendment rights….

At least three people are dead and others are injured in a mass shooting in Spotsylvania County… A jury trial is again delayed for the fifth time in a case involving the former leaders of NEXUS... Virginia economic leaders discuss the impact of President Trump's tariffs on the state's $70 billion in international trade….

Dozens of bills are back on Governor Glenn Youngkin's desk, including one that defines the relationship between tribes in Virginia and the Commonwealth… Democrat Abigail Spanberger has about three times as much cash to fund her run for governor as Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears… Voter registration records from more than 120 years ago are rediscovered in one small Rockingham County community….

Thousands of protesters in Virginia join the national “Hands Off” rallies... Virginia Republicans confirm that Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears will be the party's nominee for governor... Brian Noyes, our April Books & Brews author, joins us to talk about his bakery dreams and his writing....