Wikimedia Commons

It’s been less than a year since the United States Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages will be recognized nationally. Now the Virginia Supreme Court is getting into the act. The commonwealth’s highest court is making a move toward divorce equality.  Matt Laslo reports.

Photo: Taber Andrew Bain, Creative Commons

Virginia’s car-title lending industry has exploded in the six years since the General Assembly crafted regulations legalizing loans that have more than 200 percent interest rates. But Virginia is not alone. States across the country are struggling to deal with payday loans and Internet loans and open-ended credit loans – a set of financial products critics call “predatory lending.” As Michael Pope reports, that’s why lawmakers in Washington are hoping to create new rules to crack down on the industry.

In Washington, Virginia’s two senators are joining forces along with half a dozen other senators to help encourage states to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. As Michael Pope reports, the law is aimed at extending a deadline that’s already passed.

James Earhart scaling a tree, photo by Pamela D’Angelo

You may not know it but climbing trees is a competitive sport among certified arborists and three of Virginia’s top professional tree climbers headed to Texas this past weekend to the International Tree Climbing Championship. One, defending his title as world champion. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Mar 27, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Syracuse Orange guard Trevor Cooney (10) shoots between Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) and forward Anthony Gill (13) during the first half in the championship game of the midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Cavaliers, the No. 1 seed in the Midwest  Regional, were trying to clinch their first appearance in the Final Four since 1984.  But tenth-seeded Syracuse prevented  that from happening as Greg Echlin reports.

There are isolationist sentiments sweeping the nation right now, and Virginia lawmakers are feeling the pressure to oppose new trade deals. Matt Laslo has more.

In the past year, officials in New Orleans, Birmingham, and Baltimore have all voted to remove some of the Confederate monuments in their locales. Now, a couple of city councilors in Charlottesville are mobilizing to have their city join that list. Tony Field reports.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is out with its second annual assessment of trends on campus.  Sandy Hausman reports on what the Chronicle found in studying colleges and universities in 2016.

The western shores of the Chesapeake Bay have a deep history of slavery. One black community is memorializing its past and engaging its white community in moving forward. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is out with its second annual assessment of trends on campus.  Sandy Hausman reports on what the Chronicle found in studying colleges and universities in 2016. Sandy Hausman reports.

Achmed Osman, Sudanese refugee
teaches computer classes at Arlington Mill Center, off Columbia Pike, Arlington VA
Columbia Pike Documentary Project

During the current presidential campaign, the nation seems more divided than ever, but a team of photographers from Virginia has set out to show how one community – home to dozens of different ethnic groups – is making diversity work.  Sandy Hausman reports.

The Black Lives Matter movement has revived discussion of a problem that has persisted in this nation’s history since the time of slavery – the unequal treatment of African-Americans by police and the justice system. It’s a subject that distresses Ross Howell, author of a new book about a black teenager who was executed in Virginia more than a hundred years ago. Sandy Hausman has details.

Super Tuesday IS a big deal, but it’s not necessarily the be-all-end-all for presidential contenders. While this may explain why some candidates have not dropped out of the race, determining how delegates are tallied is complex—with 595 delegates at stake for Republicans and 1,004 for Democrats in a single day.    And as Tommie McNeil reports, the Super Tuesday states and territory include Virginia—for both political parties. 

Tuesday is an election day — Virginians’ turn to get their say in who should be the Republican or Democratic nominee for President. For those who still have basic questions, Mallory Noe-Payne lays out how to vote.

http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com

Virginia has a state bird… a state tree… but what about a state snake? Lawmakers this year have made a bit of a surprising pick — the Eastern Garter Snake.  As Mallory Noe-Payne reports the choice might have more to do with the snake’s main proponent, than the animal itself.

 

Creative Commons/Den Smith

A yearly consensus is about to begin in waterways leading to the Chesapeake Bay.. a count of nesting bald eagle pairs. There was a time when their very survival in Virginia was in doubt, but as Evan Jones reports, their numbers now may be nearing the saturation point.

The day after Virginia was battered by at least three confirmed tornadoes, Governor Terry McAuliffe visited the hardest-hit regions of the state to assess the damage.

The governor visited Appomattox—where one of the state’s four tornado deaths was recorded as a funnel cloud left an 8-to-10 mile path of debris, and injured seven. About 100 structures were damaged– 20 severely– including some that were flattened.

Governor McAuliffe also visited Waverly, where three people were killed as a confirmed tornado carved a five mile path of destruction there. And he toured the damage in Essex County, where at least 15 structures were destroyed and 25 people were injured, in a confirmed tornado.

The National Weather Service continues surveying several areas to confirm whether tornadoes touched down. Crews are fanning out in the Richmond area, Southside, and the Northern Neck, looking for signs of tornadoes.

Oyster restoration efforts around the Chesapeake Bay come with a variety of concerns including one that returns every spring with the annual migration of the cownose ray. A new Florida State University report published by Nature is using new data to refute claims that cownose rays are responsible for the collapse of the oyster industry. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Even before the fight erupted over whether to replace deceased Justice Antonin Scalia, President Obama and Republicans in Congress were squaring off on the nation’s spending priorities. Republicans from the region are proving a thorn in the president’s side on the final budget he sent to Congress, as our correspondent, Matt Laslo, reports from Washington.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge was hit hard by last week’s winter storm. Wind gusts of up to 85 miles per hour created a pounding surf that carried away parts of the beach and parking lot. This is normal for a barrier island, but it’s a huge problem for the nearby town of Chincoteague. Like many of Virginia’s coastal towns and islands, money is the only thing that can save them.  Pamela D’Angelo reports.

For seventeen years in a row, Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control board has had record-breaking sales and profits, with some revenue coming from fines it imposes on restaurants that serve too much liquor and too little food.  In a bid to keep Virginia free of bars, the state insists establishments that serve alcohol get at least 45% of their revenue from the sale of food.  Now, there’s a move to change the rule, allowing restaurants to make as little as 25% of their money from meals.  Sandy Hausman explains why lawmakers in Richmond are reviewing the rule.

Image: Creative Commons

President Obama started the New Year off by refocusing Washington and the nation on gun control. Matt Laslo reports from Washington that he may have inadvertently broadened the gulf between him and Republicans who control Capitol Hill.

Secretary Jones with the Northern Neck team.

Five economically distressed  regions of Virginia are receiving grants to stimulate job growth.  Maurice Jones, Virginia’s Secretary of Commerce, traveled to the Northern Neck Friday to personally hand over a $70,000 check for a new center to help bring technology jobs back to the U.S. Pamela D’Angelo reports.

Creative Commons

This holiday season turned many consumers into bargain sleuths, trying to figure out the best deals, the best time to buy…. more decisions to make than ever before. But researchers say, it’s becoming clear that there’s also more to a great deal than price alone. Robbie Harris reports.

Credit: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Recent record highs this winter may have you seeing green in your garden long before you should. Reporter Mallory Noe-Payne visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, to see what’s blooming.

Photo: Creative Commons

It’s the time of year when people may be feeling they are maxed out on their credit cards. So is it time to go ‘cash only?’  Researchers at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin School of Business warn, there’s a subtle catch to using cash. It may lead you to splurge even more.  Robbie Harris reports.

Christopher Brooks in his office on the VCU campus.

Virginia Commonwealth University is one of the state’s most diverse four-year colleges. But if you’re a student there you may not see that diversity in who’s teaching you. While 15% of VCU students are African-American, only 5% of full-time faculty are. Students are demanding that VCU fix that problem– and fast. Mallory Noe-Payne reports.