WMRA Daily

Governor Spanberger delivers the Democrats' response to President Trump's State of the Union speech… Ahead of the address, Senator Tim Kaine, joined by a Harrisonburg dentist, warned of harm done by changes to Medicaid… Virginia's attorney general joins 23 other states in a lawsuit against the EPA over grant funding for solar power….

Workers at UVa gather to press for collective bargaining legislation… Meanwhile, UVa names a new rector and vice rector… A new poll casts doubt on whether the plan by Virginia Democrats for mid-decade redistricting has enough public support to pass….

Augusta County's sheriff's office investigates the shooting death of a high school student… Despite the federal government's increasingly anti-vaccine stance, the Virginia Department of Health encourages families to get their children vaccinated… The Democrats' effort to establish Virginia's first legal cannabis market also has some Republican support….

For the first time in its 80-year history, the N-A-A-C-P's Staunton Branch is offering a scholarship for local high school seniors and undergraduates ... Virginia's legislature is on its way to legalizing a retail weed market across the state.

Virginia continues to make headlines as Democrats in leadership look to gain an edge in Washington ... Members of the Virginia General Assembly are halfway through their legislative session ... The successful return of oysters to the Chesapeake Bay is something to celebrate.

Yesterday was crossover day for the General Assembly, we'll look at what bills survived, Governor Spanberger considers legislation that would create a system of paid family and medical leave, Dominion Energy announces plans to build a new transmission line that would transmit from the Ohio River valley to Culpeper, and lawmakers consider bills that could help address the high demand for homes in Virginia

Legislation is moving through the General Assembly to limit ICE operations in Virginia... Meanwhile state senators debate online gambling... The minimum wage in Virginia is set to increase… and a federal judge has ruled in favor of Flock Safety cameras…

Students from Harrisonburg City Public Schools staged a walkout in protest of immigration enforcement... A proposed ICE detention facility will not be advancing in Augusta County... The Supreme Court of Virginia has given the green light on voting for redistricting in the Commonwealth... calls for HIV prevention funding are growing in Richmond… and legislation to protect Virginians against debt collectors and wildlife against oncoming traffic are among the bills working their way through the General Assembly this past week…

Harrisonburg's permanent, low-barrier adult shelter has announced a new partnership to provide mental health services on-site ... Virginia's winters are usually mild, so local bears don't fully hibernate. But females do settle into dens before and after the birth of cubs ... and more.

A special WMRA investigation looks into recent turmoil at Mary Baldwin University, amid shifting leadership and academic and faculty cuts… A bill in the General Assembly to overhaul control of the Virginia Military Institute undergoes significant changes… Democrats advance legislation that would eliminate tax exempt status for Confederate groups….

Hundreds of JMU students protest ICE… School support staff in Charlottesville could soon get a pay raise… Wintergreen Resort welcomes wounded warriors for a weekend of snow sports and camaraderie….

A new director takes the helm of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County's joint emergency communications center… In the General Assembly, bills advance that would ban assault-style weapons, outlaw the herbicide paraquat, and change Virginia's participation in the Electoral College… We tour two businesses in the Valley that take very different approaches to processing reusables….

A court rules that a newly elected member of Shenandoah County's school board can keep his seat… Governor Spanberger signs her first bills, sending four constitutional amendments to voters… We talk with our February Books & Brews guest about his new novel, which explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, and other nonhuman forces….

A grand jury issues new animal cruelty and other charges against the former owners and workers at Natural Bridge Zoo… Charlottesville issues a symbolic statement against ICE… State Democrats release their proposed new congressional map, which could give them a 10-1 advantage in the state's delegation….

UVa cancer researchers discover a potential new treatment for the deadliest form of brain cancer… Governor Spanberger ends agreements between state law enforcement agencies and ICE… A new partnership between the Wildlife Center of Virginia and Bridgewater College gives turtles a place to stay for the winter, and students an opportunity to learn rehabilitation….

State Democrats want to expand a pilot program to bring restorative justice to more of Virginia's schools… Other bills would raise the minimum wage, restrict so-called “assault firearms,” and cut property tax exemptions for Confederate organizations… We talk with the head of a local theater company that has taken over operation of Harrisonburg's Court Square Theater….

Undocumented students in Virginia may not lose access to in-state college tuition after all, now that the new Democratic attorney general has taken office… Meanwhile, Democrats in the General Assembly want to give renters more time to pay rent that's overdue… We talk with a Harrisonburg housing official about the rescue of Court Square Theater from closure…

International student enrollment in grad programs in Virginia is significantly down, one result of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown… The Hanover property that ICE was eyeing is now off the market… The General Assembly advances bills to remove Confederate monuments from the Capitol, to fund April's referendum on redistricting, and to allow driverless taxies in Virginia….

Local shelters provide a place for residents to warm up as record-low temperatures persist… Harrisonburg's animal shelter announces a new in-house veterinary center… Governor Spanberger blocks a move by her predecessor to convert a closed prison in Augusta County into an ICE facility….

The accumulation of ice and snow has destroyed farm structures in Rockingham County, and officials have declared a local state of emergency... A new nonprofit provides support for refugee women who have settled in Charlottesville… In the General Assembly, bills advance that would crack down on gun violence, limit national guard actions in Virginia, and address a “benefits cliff” for child care subsidies….

Charges are dismissed against three protesters arrested last year in Shenandoah County… Legislation aimed at reshaping VMI's governance advances in the House of Delegates… A Tazewell County judge strikes down Democratic efforts to draw new congressional districts this year….

Virginia health officials urge awareness of the health effects of this week's bitterly cold weather… Fewer Virginians are signing up for health insurance under the state's marketplace… We update General Assembly activity, including bills on immigration, assault weapons, and collective bargaining….

Charlottesville protesters rally in solidarity with residents of Minneapolis against ICE… Forecasters warn of extreme cold Monday night, one day after snow and ice blankets the region… As child poverty rates increase in Virginia, proposals to provide free breakfast in public schools make their way through the General Assembly….

The governor declares a state of emergency in advance of a big winter storm… A nonprofit veterinary hospital in Harrisonburg stops providing spay and neuter services for the local animal shelter… At the end of the first full week of this year's General Assembly, Jeff Schapiro lends his perspective on Virginia politics….

Charlottesville remembers a prominent disability rights advocate who died this month… Two bills in the General Assembly take aim at VMI, and if passed could change the structure of governance at the state school… Environmentally friendly policies, including rejoining RGGI, are back in vogue in Richmond….

Forecasters say we will get our first big winter storm of the year this weekend… Some Democrats in the General Assembly want to crack down on ICE arrests in local courthouses… We explore why more women in Virginia are hunting, even as the number of men who hunt continues to decline….

Affordability is the theme in Governor Spanberger's first address to the General Assembly… State Senate Democrats want to prevent abortion rights opponents from blocking access to clinics… A new, younger generation of state lawmakers wants to loosen up the so-called “food to booze” ratio in restaurants….

Abigail Spanberger becomes Virginia's 75th, and first female, governor, and immediately exerts her influence over the boards of UVa and VMI… The new governor also repeals her predecessor's agreement to cooperate with ICE… We explore the personal journey of two Virginia lawmakers to repeal the state's ban on same-sex marriage….

Our area is still under moderate to severe drought… Advocates for a planned rail-to-trail project in the Shenandoah Valley express alarm at a sudden change in that plan to preserve the railroad… Virginia is experiencing a high number of hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses….

Harrisonburg's housing authority wants to keep Court Square Theater open… One Staunton family faces the likelihood they will have to leave the country after being denied asylum… The Trump administration's immigration crackdown costs Virginia thousands in lost tuition….

A court hears arguments in a challenge to the eligibility of a newly-elected school board member in Shenandoah County… State Senator Bryce Reeves withdraws his name from consideration for the Republican nomination to challenge Senator Mark Warner next year… How are lawmakers, and local school districts, handling the challenge of AI in classrooms?

The story of a formerly enslaved woman in Virginia who escaped to freedom is finally being told... A candidate drops his bid for the Republican nomination for the U-S senate race in 2026... and a bill aimed at helping renters is being prepared for when the General Assembly convenes next month...

Sentencing is delayed for a man convicted of killing two women in Harrisonburg… Virginia officials debate the fees paid by incarcerated people to make phone and video calls… We explore an unusual collection of historic clothing at UVa….

Workers at one Harrisonburg Starbucks vote overwhelmingly to unionize… A juvenile barn owl that fell from a grain silo in Augusta County is rescued by a farmer, with help from the Wildlife Center… Harrisonburg City Council member Laura Dent shares her experience at COP-30 in Brazil….

UVa goes in-house for its new president… Staunton is the latest city to end its experiment with Flock Safety cameras… Now that Republicans will be out of statewide office in Virginia, is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative back in vogue?

Harrisonburg's 27-year-old Court Square Theater will close at the end of the year… After a recount, incumbent Jackie Lohr is confirmed the winner of Rockingham County school board's District 1 seat… Jeff Schapiro reviews Governor Youngkin's final budget, and recaps the week in state government and politics….

Testimony concludes in the trial over Shenandoah County Confederate school names, but the parties will have to wait until next year for a verdict… Charlottesville removes the city's Flock safety cameras after ending a one-year pilot program… Governor Younkin proposes his final budget….

Two school board members take the stand in the fourth day of the trial over school names in Shenandoah County… Workers at one Starbucks in Harrisonburg are unionizing, following a national trend… Two non-profit organizations in Charlottesville work together to prevent conflict in the city….

The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County resumes, as plaintiffs focus on the negative health impacts of racism… Today, a new statue of Virginia civil rights hero Barbara Rose Johns is unveiled in the U.S. Capitol… Republican Delegate Tony Wilt speaks out against a new VDOT plan to open up a Shenandoah corridor to possible future rail service, rather than preserving it as just a recreational trail….

The second day of the trial involving Confederate school names in Shenandoah County is filled with emotional testimony and historical context… When you want to borrow a book, you go to a public library, but when you want to borrow a tool in Charlottesville, there's a library for that too… We meet Gabrielle Cerberville, otherwise known as “The Chaotic Forager,” our Books & Brews guest for December….

The trial over Confederate school names in Shenandoah County gets underway… Virginia will restrict residents on food assistance from using their benefits to buy soda… Analyst Jeff Schapiro takes a look at the governor-elect's nascent cabinet….

The governor-elect talks about how to work with President Trump, and names more choices for her administration… The fee-free schedule is changing at national parks… What do invasive species taste like?

A new Fishersville facility will provide immediate treatment for people experiencing a behavioral health crisis… We tour a state-regulated cannabis dispensary to find out how those products are made… Charlottesville-area Democrat Tom Periello says he wants his old 5th congressional district seat back….

A group of Mary Baldwin alumni send a statement of no confidence in the current president… We have an update on a Staunton man detained by immigration enforcement, and denied the right to stay in the U.S… The November election for the House of Delegates shows record-breaking numbers for campaign finance….

The November election of a school board member in Shenandoah County is being challenged by his opponent… After a Supreme Court ruling, Democrats say redistricting in Virginia is full speed ahead… Will the next General Assembly get rid of Virginia's Right-to-Work law?

Rockingham County officials say they want to terminate their participation in the emergency communications center with Harrisonburg City… Senator Mark Warner leads calls for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign… As the governor-elect's cabinet begins to take shape, Jeff Schapiro reviews the week in Virginia politics….

UVa says it's going ahead with a search for a new president, even though the governor-elect requested a pause… The next General Assembly will have paid family and medical leave on its agenda… Use of humidifiers increases in cold weather, but if not used properly they can spew toxic minerals….

Senator Mark Warner makes it official, and announces he's running for reelection… Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger announces her first Cabinet secretary pick… The end of Glenn Youngkin's term paves the way for the creation of a legal marijuana market….

The parties in a student lawsuit against the Shenandoah County School Board over school names argue over what evidence can be used… UVa's interim president answers questions before a state senate subcommittee in a tense hearing… Scientists are seeing an uptick in mange in Virginia's bear population….

A woman arrested in October by ICE agents in Rockingham County is formally charged with resisting arrest in federal court… The leaders of UVa and VMI appear before a state Senate subcommittee to answer questions about the leadership and finances of their institutions… A new poll shows that Virginians plan to dial back holiday spending this year….

Harrisonburg housing officials want to turn an iconic business that's closing down into more affordable housing… State regulators approve Dominion's request for higher rates… Virginia college campuses are working harder to provide for food insecure students, especially after disruptions to the SNAP program earlier this month….