Archive for August, 2023

Virus season is here. Here’s how to protect against RSV, Flu and COVID

Virus season is here. Yes, already.

Health experts say we can expect to see a rise in cases of RSV, COVID-19, and the flu over the next few months. Getting shots is not among most people’s favorite experiences, but vaccination is still one of the best way to protect yourself, and your family from getting viruses. And there are new vaccines available. Roxy Todd has this explainer.

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Inviting new visitors to Shenandoah National Park

Shenandoah National Park gets plenty of visitors each year – up to 1.8 million, but it’s not a very diverse crowd.  That concerns the nonprofit that helps support the park.  Sandy Hausman tells why and explains what the trust is doing to build popularity with different ethnic groups.

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The future of RGGI in Virginia

By the end of this calendar year, a court may determine if Virginia will remain a member of a multi-state environmental compact. Michael Pope reports.

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Here’s what’s known about the bipartisan budget agreement so far

Credit: NPR

Lawmakers will finally return to Richmond next week to pass amendments to a two-year budget that are already two months late. Michael Pope has the latest.

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New poll: former President Donald Trump widely favored by Virginia Republicans despite indictments

The slew of indictments against former President Donald Trump has demanded a lot of media attention lately. And, as Nick Gilmore reports, new polling from Roanoke College shows those criminal charges are on the minds of Virginia voters. 

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Success in business can still come down to trial and error

It was only back in May that Avelo Airlines launched flights from Charlottesville to Orlando.  But, citing a lack of demand, they’ve announced those flights between those cities will cease on September 4th.

Roben Farzad, host of Public Radio’s Full Disclosure, and Craig Wright discuss one aspect of business that seems will always hold true: There are no guarantees.

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Virginia expecting large swath of federal funding for broadband expansion

The goal of universal broadband coverage across Virginia may be becoming a reality soon. Michael Pope reports.

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State lawmakers reach agreement on amendments to Virginia’s current budget

Members of the General Assembly are heading back to the Capitol to pass overdue budget amendments. Michael Pope has the latest.

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Trains are making a slow shift away from diesel. VT researcher is studying what it would take

An Amtrak passenger train backs into the Roanoke station. (Credit: David Seidel / Radio IQ)

Trains are, generally, more fuel efficient than cars or trucks. But in the United States, trains use diesel fuel. A researcher at Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute has been researching different types of energy that could move them. Roxy Todd reports.

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Pope & Schapiro: A potential budget deal, Miyares weighs in on transgender student guidance

State lawmakers may finally have a deal on budget agreements. And Virginia’s attorney general has issued a legal opinion on the state’s new model guidance for transgender students.

Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, recap the week in state government and politics.

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Many General Assembly hopefuls are running unopposed this year

Credit: NPR

All of the seats in the General Assembly will be on the ballot this year. But as Michael Pope tells us, that does not mean a contested election in every district.

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Could sound waves be used to treat cocaine addiction? A UVA study aims to find out

By stimulating a part of the brain linked to addiction, UVA scientists hope to eliminate cravings in cocaine addicts. (Credit: UVA)

Doctors can prescribe effective treatments for heroin and opioid addiction, but there’s no medication to help cocaine addicts quit. 

That’s why doctors at the University of Virginia are trying a whole new approach – stimulating part of the brain that’s linked to addiction.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

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Governor Youngkin urges General Assembly to send him budget amendments

House and Senate leaders may be a step closer to finally getting an agreement on budget amendments. Michael Pope has the latest.

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A Virginia airport is taking on a first-of-its-kind renewable energy project

Dominion Energy executives and elected officials from northern Virginia break ground on largest renewable energy project ever developed at a U.S. airport. (Credit: Michael Pope)

Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia is about to take a major step forward for renewable energy. Michael Pope has the story.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Are there indications that the economy is “coming due?”

Concerns about a recession have tempered in recent months. But the latest economic headlines are providing even more mixed messages about where things may be headed.  

Roben Farzad, host of Public Radio’s Full Disclosure, and Craig Wright ponder if the economy may be “coming due.” 

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Virginia’s budget and Youngkin’s presidential ambitions

Is the governor’s possible presidential campaign playing a role in the budget impasse? Michael Pope reports the answer isn’t so clear to political observers.

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The Virginia Senate is poised to look very different next year

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne

All 40 seats in the Virginia Senate are on the ballot this year. And as Michael Pope tells us, the next Senate will have a lot of new faces.

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Pope & Schapiro: Budget impasse, transgender students, and the latest Trump indictment

Local school divisions are starting to weigh in on new guidance from the Department of Education.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in state government and politics.

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Local governments hurt the most by budget impasse

Credit: NPR

Lawmakers are still at odds over amendments to the state budget. Michael Pope reports, that’s causing problems for local governments across Virginia.

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Why a UVA doctor volunteered in Ukraine

Dr. Connor Berlin (right) made new friends while volunteering to help fellow neurosurgeons like Rostislav Malyi (left) treat serious battle injuries. (Credit: Connor Berlin)

While his colleagues are talking about their summer vacations at the beach or in the mountains, one doctor at UVA Hospital is literally telling war stories.  Connor Berlin took his neurosurgical skills to a large hospital caring for Ukrainian soldiers wounded in battle.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

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A big General Assembly accomplishment is being held up by the budget impasse

The budget impasse seems to have no sign of letting up any time soon, and as Michael Pope reports, that’s holding up a workforce redevelopment effort.

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Spotsylvania County is the first in Virginia to adopt new transgender student guidance

School boards across Virginia are reevaluating their approach to transgender students. Michael Pope has the latest.

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Researchers hope to better understand how to reduce spread of chronic wasting disease in deer

Credit: Meghan Marchetti / Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources

Chronic wasting disease is fatal to deer, and it continues to spread in Virginia. Researchers are trying to learn why, and as Roxy Todd reports, they’re being aided by hunters.

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Are secret campaign recordings here to stay?

Credit: NPR

Increasingly, the campaign trail is a place where secretly recorded audio is becoming part of elections. Michael Pope reports.

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Prison inmate says she must sue for bathroom access

An inmate at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women is suing — claiming guards restrict bathroom access for women in need. (Credit: Radio IQ)

Seven years ago, the state settled a lawsuit filed by women at the Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women.  They complained of inadequate medical care and reported being denied access to bathrooms.  Cells at that prison do not contain toilets, so the state agreed to leave doors unlocked most of the time so prisoners could use the facilities.  

Now, an inmate at the Women’s Correctional Center in Goochland is suing for the same right. Sandy Hausman reports.

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Governor Youngkin and the exit strategy from multistate pacts

Virginia’s governor is working to remove the Commonwealth from multistate organizations. Michael Pope reports. 

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Pope & Schapiro: Virginia’s budget surplus and what to do with it

Virginia’s budget surplus, and what to do with it, has been in the spotlight.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

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Other states are having an impact on Virginia elections

The Virginia election may be looking to other states for inspiration. Michael Pope reports.

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How a long-standing labor law in Virginia could impact elections this year

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Labor issues have taken an increased role in politics in recent years now that employees of local governments have started unionizing. Michael Pope reports that labor issues are also taking a role on the campaign trail this year.

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Abortion is likely to be a top issue on the campaign trail this fall

Credit: NPR

Abortion rights are a top topic this year as voters head to the polls to select candidates for the Virginia General Assembly. Michael Pope reports on how Republicans are hoping to use the issue in one toss-up race.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Personal finance’s place in the classroom

There has been plenty of news on what’s taught in schools– and how it’s taught. But what about money, debt, and planning for the future?

Roben Farzad, host of Public Radio’s Full Disclosure, and Craig Wright talk about the basics of personal finance’s place in the classroom.

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Are bear encounters on the increase?

Black bears are accustomed to temperatures fluctuating in a Virginia winter and do not really hibernate. (Credit: Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources / Meghan Marchetti)

Social media posts featuring bears encroaching on neighborhoods and wandering through city streets, could lead one to conclude that these occurrences are on the uptick. But are they?

Craig Wright found an expert to lay out the “bear” facts.

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How will parental rights play into this year’s elections?

On the campaign trail, Republicans are hoping the issue of parents’ rights will help them win control of the Virginia General Assembly.  Michael Pope has more.

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A new tick is spreading through Virginia, threatening livestock, wildlife and maybe people

An Asian longhorned tick nymph is as big as a poppy seed and four times that size as an adult. (Credit: Kevin Lahmers, DVM, PhD / Virginia Tech)

A new kind of tick has been spreading across the United States.  It may have come from Australia or New Zealand, and it turned up in Virginia in 2018. 

Sandy Hausman reports on what makes the Asian longhorn especially scary and why a professor at Virginia Tech feels he was meant to help protect people and animals from the tiny brown biter.

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New poll: Men more likely to prefer Republican control, women Democratic in General Assembly

Voting in the election for the General Assembly starts later this month, and control of the House and Senate are at stake. Michael Pope reports on some new polling data on the election.

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Pope & Schapiro: Budget negotiations, campaign cash, and college admissions

Dollars continue to draw discussion in Virginia’s political circles.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

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New report: Virginia’s prison population is growing older

The population of people incarcerated in Virginia is getting older. Michael Pope is taking a look at the data.

You can find the report here.

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What an owl knows

Charlottesville author Jennifer Ackerman and friend (Credit: Sofia Runarsdotter / Jennifer Ackerman)

Virginia is home to eight different kinds of owls – secretive creatures that have fascinated humans for centuries. 

Like other wild things, they face an uncertain future, but a Charlottesville author says there are things you can do to save owls. 

Sandy Hausman spoke with her and filed this report.

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A study of mice suggests light therapy could be useful in treating Alzheimer’s disease

Dr. Heather Ferris at UVA’s School of Medicine reports mice with Alzheimer’s disease have more light-sensitive cells in their eyes, and that could disrupt their waking and sleeping cycles, taking a toll on mental function. (Credit: UVA)

Scientists at the University of Virginia report an intriguing discovery with regard to Alzheimer’s disease. Sensitivity to light may throw off patients’ natural waking and sleeping cycles, making it more difficult for the brain to function. Sandy Hausman has that story.

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An expensive primary season points to an expensive general election season

Credit: NPR

The primary election that happened earlier this summer was historic in many ways. Michael Pope reports that it broke campaign finance records.

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State lawmakers are running out of time for budget amendments

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Now that an amended state budget is more than a month late, negotiators are running out of time to cut a deal. Michael Pope reports.

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Full Disclosure Briefing: Savers’ Revenge

With the Federal Reserve continuing to bump up interest rates, and bank customers wondering if their money is safe in the wake of several notable bank failures – the climate for saving incentives is seeing a major shift.

Roben Farzad, host of Public Radio’s Full Disclosure, and Craig Wright talk about what some are calling “Savers’ Revenge.”

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