Archive for August, 2024

What’s with Virginia’s quit rate?

Fewer people are quitting their jobs in Virginia.

Michael Pope has the story behind the numbers.

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Pope & Schapiro: Campaigns and election preps pick up speed

As campaigns kick into high gear this Labor Day weekend, so are efforts to finalize voting procedures in Virginia.

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

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A look back at the Lady Bird Express

Lady Bird Johnson appears on a whistlestop tour through the South shortly after her husband, President Lyndon Johnson, signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964.  (Credit: Library of Congress)

This weekend, the spouses of the Democratic candidates for president and vice president will be barnstorming Virginia.

Michael Pope has this bit of historical perspective.

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Virginia Democrats applaud housing proposals from Harris-Walz campaign

Democrats in Virginia are hoping the Harris-Walz policy proposals on housing will be a benefit in the election this year. Michael Pope reports.

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Board of Ed passes controversial new school standards

The Virginia Board of Education meets on August 28th, 2024 at the Library of Virginia. (Credit: VDOE livestream)

Governor Glenn Youngkin ran and won on a promise to address COVID-era learning loss. But with Standards of Learning test results staying relatively flat, the state Board of Education is looking to rewrite how Virginia grades schools. Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

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Virginia Republicans seeking more poll watching volunteers

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley speaks to a group of Republicans in Arlington. (Credit: Michael Pope)

Republicans are ramping up efforts to keep an eye on voting this year. Michael Pope has a preview.

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Virginia students face varying levels of funding

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

As students head back to school, they’ll be walking into classrooms that receive different levels of funding based on where they are located. Michael Pope explains.

You can find the VPAP analysis of state data here.

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Students analyze what types of microplastics are in the Chesapeake Bay

Students documented what they observed and compared notes, as they collected sediment from a marsh in the Chesapeake Bay. (Credit: Spencer Coppage / Virginia Tech)

Less than 10% of all plastics get recycled, and much of the rest ends up in rivers and oceans, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A group of Virginia Tech students spent the summer analyzing how much and what kinds of microplastics are in the Chesapeake Bay. Roxy Todd spoke with them about what they discovered.

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Pope & Schapiro: Historical moments when Virginia was in the convention spotlight

The political conventions are now over and the major party field is set for November’s election.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael recap some of the historical moments when Virginia was in the convention spotlight.

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Legislators open study into university land grabs that exploited Black Virginians

A screen grab from journalist Brandi Kellam’s presentation to the Commission to Study the History of the Uprooting of Black Communities by Public Institutions of Higher Education (Credit: Brandi Kellam / Virginia Senate Live Session Video Stream)

Virginia’s universities are recognized among the best in the nation. But their expansion has often displaced adjacent communities. 

Now, a legislative committee is looking into what impact state universities had on their neighboring Black communities. Brad Kutner has more from the committee’s first meeting. 

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How artificial intelligence could improve doctor visits

Dr. Joshua Greenhoe with Sentara Health is among the first to use artificial intelligence to create medical records. (Credit: Sandy Hausman / Radio IQ)

Doctors spend, on average, two hours a day documenting their exams and consultations with patients. Many use a laptop to make notes, looking at a screen and not at the people in their care. Now, however, artificial intelligence may be changing that situation, as Sandy Hausman reports.

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Youngkin celebrates modest increases in Virginia’s SOL scores

Governor Glenn Youngkin meets with school superintendents, including Brunswick County Superintendent Kristy Somerville-Midgette, after announcing modest SOL score increases for the 2023-24 school year. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Governor Glenn Youngkin said he was pleased with Virginia’s 2023-24 SOL results at a press event Tuesday. And, as Brad Kutner found out, numbers show slight increases in test scores in most school divisions.

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Pell Grants are available to thousands of Virginia inmates, many aren’t taking advantage

People who are incarcerated across Virginia are about to start getting access to college classes. Michael Pope reports.

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New poll: Harris has a small lead over Trump in Virginia

Credit: NPR

A new poll from Roanoke College is the first from the school since Vice President Kamala Harris secured the top of the Democratic ticket. Nick Gilmore has details.

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Some Virginia schools have already been ahead of new state cell phone free learning push

Inett Dabney, principal at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, holds up the Yonder pouches used to seal away student’s cell phones. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Virginia’s Department of Education released a draft policy Thursday that aims to make schools cell phone free for nearly the whole school day. Brad Kutner has more from one school in Richmond that got ahead of the curve and limited cell phone use in schools earlier this year. 

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Pope & Schapiro: Senate debates, Stoney on the offensive, and a big budget surplus

The candidates for one of Virginia’s U.S. Senate seats will meet face-to-face.

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

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Youngkin announces new prisoner reentry initiative

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announces his reentry initiative. (Credit: Brad Kutner)

Noting that one in five people released from state prison will be back behind bars within three years, Governor Glenn Youngkin is asking state agencies to do more. 

As Sandy Hausman reports, he hopes to ensure former prisoners have what they need to succeed.

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New data shows a mixed bag in Virginia when it comes to job growth

Virginia’s job growth is going strong, according to the latest data from the federal government. But, as Michael Pope tells us, it’s a mixed picture for different parts of the Commonwealth.

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Virginia’s solar industry continues to draw mixed reactions

Solar power may offer a bright future of Virginia. Although, as Michael Pope tells us, some people are throwing shade on the industry.

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Gold medalist Cole Hocker talks about living in New River Valley and competing in Olympics

Credit: Team USA Facebook page

One of the athletes who won a gold medal in this summer’s Olympics lives in Blacksburg. Roxy Todd spoke with him about the race that shocked running fans across the world.

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New format shows nearly half of Virginia students live in poverty

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Recent years have seen a dramatic rise in the number of students considered “at-risk” by the Virginia Department of Education. Michael Pope explains that’s because state officials now have better data.

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Three Notched Trail could eventually link Charlottesville, Shenandoah Valley and beyond

While work on the 43-mile, multi-use path known as the Fall Line Trail continues in the Richmond region, another trail in Charlottesville is also in the works.  

It’s one of many car-free trails that could eventually connect to others around Virginia. 

Ian Stewart reports. 

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Virginia has a long tradition of crossover endorsements

Credit: NPR

Some Republicans in Virginia are crossing party lines to support Vice President Kamala Harris in the election. Michael Pope tells us this is part of a long tradition in Virginia politics.

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Virginia Senator, Congolese refugee push ban on slave labor-linked procurement

African children receive donations from Aid To The Cry Of The Oppressed In Africa in 2023. (Credit: Aid To The Cry Of The Oppressed In Africa / Facebook)

Concerns about the use of slave labor and subhuman working conditions were the subject of a recent Virginia Procurement workgroup meeting. The committee heard about the subject after a senator offered a bill banning the state’s purchase of materials made in such conditions. Brad Kutner has more from Richmond.

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FOIA fight over data center emails

Public bodies that do public business are supposed to make most documents available to the public.

But Michael Pope reports on an example in Northern Virginia where a town government is trying to shield documents related to a data center.

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Northern Virginia project to test battery storage for data centers

Virginia is about to get a windfall from the Infrastructure Act.

Michael Pope has details about one of the projects it will support.

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Pope & Schapiro: Election security, Project 2025, and the passing of a Virginia First Lady

Issues around the presidential campaigns are driving some of the political headlines this week.

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

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State Senator behind skill games lawsuit targets Virginia’s anti-saloon law next

State Senator Bill Stanley is no stranger to a courtroom. He successfully fought the state’s skill games ban, only to have it reinstated months later.

That suit is ongoing.  And as Brad Kutner found out, Stanley’s put a target on the state’s anti-saloon laws next.   

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Former Republican congressmen endorse Harris

Former Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman (R) hosted Harris Campaign Co-Chair Mitch Landrieu at his distillery on Afton Mountain. (Credit: Sandy Hausman)

Former Republican Congressman Denver Riggleman is calling Donald Trump “crazy” and is urging voters to support Democrat Kamala Harris for president. 

Sandy Hausman was on hand when he explained his reasons to a crowd of about 50 people. 

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Report: As Southern states ban abortion, Virginia sees increase of out-of-state patients seeking services

Virginia’s abortion clinics saw increased in-person and virtual visits in the first quarter of 2024. That’s according to a new report from the Society of Family Planning. Brad Kutner has more. 

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Youngkin declines to remove controversial GMU board member

The speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates is calling on the governor to remove a member of the Board of Visitors at one of the largest universities in the state. Michael Pope reports.

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The prison warden with a surprising side hustle

Streaming services like Netflix and Prime have created new opportunities for stand-up comedians, and it seems like more people than ever are giving it a try. 

A visit to one club in Charlottesville featured performances by an elementary school teacher, a park ranger and an MBA student from UVA. But one of the most surprising comedians in Virginia recently showed his stuff at a state prison. 

Sandy Hausman has that story.

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New survey: AI struggles to understand some Virginia accents

Credit: Guide2Fluency

Virginia has many different regional accents, which can sometimes create a problem with new technology. Michael Pope reports that artificial intelligence has a hard time understanding some Virginia pronunciations.

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Mutts with a Mission

VMI Chaplain John Casper with his special counseling assistant, CAVU (Credit: Sandy Hausman / Radio IQ)

As college students prepare to leave for school, mental health professionals are gearing up to support those who find it hard to adjust to life away from home.  

The challenge may be especially great at schools like the Virginia Military Institute where campus culture supports strength and self-discipline. This year, VMI will have a new approach to helping cadets, as Sandy Hausman reports.

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COVID-19 virus detected in six wild animal species

Raccoons are one of six animals researchers detected the virus that causes COVID-19. (Credit: Joseph Hoyt / Virginia Tech)

Researchers have discovered the virus that causes COVID-19 is present in several wild animal species in Virginia. Roxy Todd reports the study has implications for how the virus may mutate, and jump between species in the future.

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Meet Virginia: Dr. Norma Jones-Ives

Dr. Norma Jones-Ives in an operating room at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News. (Credit: Christine Kueter)

Christine Kueter has been traveling the Commonwealth this year for our Meet Virginia series.

This month she introduces us to a doctor in Newport News who is using her own experience with trauma to transform new doctors and medical care for women.

And just a note about the content of this story—it does discuss childhood trauma and abuse.

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Youngkin says there’d be plenty of jobs in Virginia if Trump fires federal employees

Governor Glenn Youngkin meets with State Senators Creigh Deeds, Louise Lucas and House Speaker Don Scott at the July 2024 Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, or GACRE, meeting. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Governor Glenn Youngkin says Virginia’s over 140,000 civilian federal employees have little to fear if former President Donald Trump’s promise to fire many of them comes true. Youngkin offered that reassurance after a recent state economic forecasting meeting where he spoke with Brad Kutner.

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Pope & Schapiro: Virginia lawmakers hit the campaign trail

The 2024 presidential election is in full swing – with Virginia lawmakers stumping for the presumptive candidates this week. Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro – political columnist with the Richmond Times-Dispatch – discuss that and the week that was in state government and politics.

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Election officials report a drama-free recount in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District

A ballot drop box sits out front of the Powhatan County’s Registrar’s office. (Credit: Brad Kutner / Radio IQ)

Election officials across Virginia’s 5th Congressional district were busy Thursday. Brad Kutner spoke to some as the recount in the June Republican primary matchup between incumbent Congressman Bob Good and state Senator John McGuire unfolded. 

A winner is expected to be declared Thursday evening.

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Some Virginia police believe skill games are being operated illegally

After months of debate, state lawmakers didn’t legalize slot-machine style machines at convenience stores and truck stops earlier this year. And as Michael Pope reports, some law enforcement officials are worried that some machines may be currently in operation.

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