Many people were dismayed when – during the last legislative session – state lawmakers failed to approve a system for the sale of recreational cannabis. 

They noted the loss of potential sales tax revenue.  But at one of the state’s three poison control centers, experts say there are even more compelling arguments for taxation and regulation, as Sandy Hausman reports.

Walk outside and you hear a world of sounds, everything from birds to traffic and construction. But have you ever stopped to really listen to what you’re hearing, and what it can tell us?

Two researchers at Virginia Tech are exploring what scientists can learn about the natural world, through soundscapes, as Roxy Todd reports. 

A new poll suggests Virginia might be in play in November’s presidential election, but will Thursday’s verdict have an impact?

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

The solar industry is starting to ramp up in parts of Virginia, and there’s a growing demand for trained workers.

Roxy Todd reports that at least eight colleges throughout the Commonwealth offer training for people wanting to learn how to install solar panels.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are flowing into Virginia to support a new drug manufacturing sector in and around Petersburg.

And Virginia Commonwealth University is hoping to provide a pipeline of new employees in those operations.

Brad Kutner has more. 

We’re moving closer to Virginia’s Congressional primaries.  And there’s new suspicion Glenn Youngkin might be angling for a new job.

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

This weekend, the country remembers our fallen servicemen and women. Nearly 1,500 Virginians were killed in the Vietnam War, and some 230,000 served in it.

During the past year, a group of Vietnam veterans, most in their 70’s, shared their stories and photos through an exhibit at the Virginia War Memorial.

As the exhibit ends at the War Memorial in Richmond, there are plans to bring it to more Virginians, as Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Hurricane Season begins June first, and emergency managers will be watching storms as they evolve. 

If forecasters think one will come ashore, officials will likely issue an evacuation order, but how much faith do people have in those orders?  How far in advance should they be issued and by whom? 

Those are questions the University of Virginia hoped to answer by analyzing tracking information from cell phones. 

Sandy Hausman has more on this first-of-a-kind project.

Virginia lawmakers settled their differences over the state budget.  And a new batch of endorsements might help settle some Congressional primaries.

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

This week marks the season’s reopening of several caves across Virginia.

If you’ve been curious about exploring a wild cave, but aren’t sure what you’ll expect, Roxy Todd suited up in a helmet and knee pads to bring us this preview.

Virginia’s unusually warm spring has meant a bumper crop of caterpillars attacking oaks and other trees in Shenandoah National Park.  

That’s why, for the first time since 2008, forest managers have launched an aerial attack.

Sandy Hausman has that story.

There’s news today that General Assembly budget negotiators and the governor have reached an agreement.

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

At the solitary stoplight in Boones Mill along Route 220 in Franklin County sits The Trump Store.

It’s practically impossible to miss. And, after years of driving past it, Craig Wright paid a visit – and uncovered a story that is a snapshot of America’s political landscape.

Protests roiled college campuses this past week, and stirred up Virginia politicians too.

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

With a new sports arena in the rear-view mirror and a legislature controlled by political opponents, Governor Glenn Youngkin’s largest impact on the state after he leaves office could be in the education space.

Brad Kutner reports on how that could come in the form of influence from board appointments and law changes. 

Reporter Christine Kueter has been crisscrossing the state this year, collecting real-life stories for our Meet Virginia series.

Today, she introduces us a retired teacher from the New River Valley who taught her students more than just facts and figures.

The EPA now requires water treatment plants to test for a group of contaminants known as forever chemicals. Used in products like non-stick coatings and waterproofing, these substances are water, grease and stain resistant, but they’re also hazardous to human health – linked to liver damage, cancer and birth defects.  

Getting them out of our water will be the next great challenge.

A lab here in Virginia is working on technology to achieve that goal as Sandy Hausman reports.

Primaries top the list of political topics in the news over the last few days.

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

Until recently, if you do a quick web search on the name Norvel Lee, you’d likely find some of his accomplishments as a boxer.

The Botetourt County native did earn an Olympic gold medal in the sport, becoming the first Black Virginian to receive that honor in the early 50’s. But a state historical marker and recent book about Lee’s life story now offer a much broader perspective on his impact.

Meanwhile, family members say they’re discovering an even greater connection with him, more than 30 years since his passing.

Jeff Bossert has more.

There’s still a lot of unfinished business from the General Assembly Session.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope talk about where we’re headed next.

Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned rules barring college athletes from getting paid for the use of their image, states, including Virginia, have been working to develop rules to accommodate the change.

Thursday morning Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill that would make such payments easier.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

Lawmakers were unable to overturn a veto from the governor on a bill that might have helped school construction.

Michael Pope has more on the debate.

Governor Glenn Youngkin tacked a lengthy list of amendments onto a bill that would legalize skill games. 

Now, impacted store owners are pushing back.

Brad Kutner spoke to one such owner south of Richmond. 

Innovative technologies produce gadgets meant to be helpful or simplify our lives. But sometimes, new products are used for unintended, illicit purposes.

Craig Wright has the story of a woman who wasn’t sure how to react to a disturbing alert she received on her phone about one such device.

The General Assembly is parsing through the governor’s many amendments and vetoes.

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

Senator Tim Kaine is out with a new book this week.

And as Michael Pope tells us, it’s not the standard Washington memoir.

Among Governor Glenn Youngkin’s education reforms was the development of a lab school program, linking colleges with local school systems to innovate new education models.

But as Democrats seek increased resources for the rest of the state’s public schools, they’re looking to reduce funding for that experiment in education.

Brad Kutner has more. 

Time is running out for the governor to act on bills from this year’s General Assembly session.

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

Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is setting new records for vetoing more bills than any other governor in recent years.

Michael Pope has details about one vetoed bill that would have encouraged teaching climate change in public schools.

After some justices of the U.S. Supreme Court suggested they should reconsider precedent protecting access to contraceptives, Virginia Democrats passed a law that would protect such access.

But the governor has yet to sign it, and advocates want him to act, as Brad Kutner reports from Richmond. 

Governor Glenn Youngkin Thursday morning signed a bill that increases punishments for those who manufacture pressed pills that include fentanyl.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

All this year, Christine Kueter has been crisscrossing Virginia to listen to the stories of the 8.5 million people who call the Commonwealth home.

Today, she introduces us to a horse trainer in Abingdon who creates bonds with trust and understanding.

An effort to rein in the Chinese-owned social media giant TikTok is a rare moment of bipartisanship in DC, but similar efforts stumbled during this recent Virginia legislative session.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

The General Assembly has passed its bills.  Now we wait to see what the governor signs and vetoes.

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

Governor Glenn Youngkin again railed against a multistate compact aimed at reducing the impact of climate change.

Brad Kutner has more from the governor’s appearance Thursday at a diner just south of Richmond.

City employees in Richmond are on the verge of becoming one of the first public workplaces in the state to form a union, negotiate a contract, and start seeing the benefits.

It’s a journey that became possible after state lawmakers reversed a decades-long ban on collective bargaining for local government employees back in 2020.

Mallory Noe-Payne explains how it happened. 

Legislators in Richmond spent Saturday approving a two-year budget for the state, the last step before the session ended shortly after.

Brad Kutner has this look from the capitol.

As the Virginia General Assembly draws to a close this weekend, lawmakers are putting the final touches on a budget agreement.

Michael Pope has this preview.

Friday is International Women’s Day, and some members of the General Assembly marked the occasion with an acrimonious debate about abortion.

Michael Pope reports.

The 2024 General Assembly session may be remembered for what was rejected, rather than what was passed.

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

Each month in 2024 we’re hearing the story of one of the more than eight million people who call Virginia home.

Christine Kueter introduces us to a former Afghan radio and television personality who now lives in Fredericksburg.

The end of the General Assembly session and Virginia’s presidential primary are rapidly approaching.

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

Senators, Delegates and the governor are all trying to figure out how to spend your tax dollars.  And they’re not all on the same page.

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

Both Republicans and Democrats are looking to increase funding for a scholarship fund that benefits the descendants of those impacted by the state’s fight against school integration. 

Brad Kutner spoke with those involved in what’s known as the Brown v. Board Scholarship. 

We’re closing in on the mid-point of this year’s legislative session at the state capitol.

Jeff Schapiro, political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope recap the week at the General Assembly.

If you’ve ever looked over the shoulder of your son or daughter as they scroll on their phones, you might have noticed how different their social media feeds are – and how hard it seems to pull them away from the screen.

One legislator is hoping to combat that, as Brad Kutner reports from Richmond. 

A pair of bills aiming to make it harder to get an abortion in Virginia were turned back by a House committee late Wednesday evening.

Brad Kutner has more from Richmond. 

There are 8.7 million Virginians.  Each one has a story.

This month in our Meet Virginia series, we’re introduced to Robbie Lawson.  He’s a former auto mechanic turned pipe organ builder who’s fashioned a love of working with his hands into an accidental career that’s lasted nearly 30 years.

Christine Kueter has his story.

One in three teenagers will be in an abusive dating relationship before they graduate high school, according to the American Psychological Association.

A tragic event in Blacksburg last year is leading school administrators, parents and other community members to ask, what are the early warning signs that a teen may be in danger? How, and when, should adults step in to help?

Roxy Todd reports.

The Virginia House of Delegates voted across party lines Monday to make it easier for localities to impound all-terrain-vehicles that are driven illegally on public streets.

Brad Kutner has more from the capitol.