The political pundits will be keeping a watchful eye over this weekend’s events at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, where Democratic U.S. Senator Mark Warner and his GOP rival, Ed Gillespie, square off in a Virginia Bar Association-sponsored debate. But also watching from the outside is their Libertarian opponent, Robert Sarvis, who once again, was not invited to the dance. Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil examines the question asked by many: Why?

Steven Helber/AP Photo via NPR

The federal corruption trial of former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife, Maureen, begins on Monday. Federal prosecutors allege the former first couple performed official acts to promote Star Scientific’s products in exchange for roughly $165,000 in gifts and loans from its ex-CEO, Jonnie Williams—then failed to disclose most of those gifts. McDonnell says he never made such an agreement–and the company received NO quid pro quo. Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan takes a closer look.

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Lawmakers in the region are divided over how to deal with the president’s request for emergency money to deal with the flood of unaccompanied minors. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Photo Credit: Hawes Spencer

Police in Albemarle County are waiting for results from the state’s crime lab – hoping to learn whether remains found over the weekend are those of missing UVA student Hannah Graham. Sandy Hausman reports on the discovery and what it may mean for the only suspect in the case – Jesse Matthew, Jr.

House Republicans are trying to slash the size of the EPA while also limiting its ability to regulate, which they argue will help the economy in places like Virginia. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

The Virginia Education Association got its starts in the middle of the Civil War.  The story of the VEA’s last 150 years is told in a book set for release next month. Joe Staniunas reports.  

Most Virginia Democrats are pushing legislation to overturn last week’s Supreme Court decision allowing some companies to deny contraception to employees. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Now that immigration reform has essentially been pulled from the docket during this legislative session Virginia lawmakers are bracing for the impact on the state’s economy – as some lawmakers brace for what executive actions President Obama prepares to take. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the details.

A small, colonial-era town in Appalachia may not seem the most likely venue to watch cutting-edge contemporary theater. But every summer, since 1991, Shepherdstown, West Virginia has been a hot-bed of new American plays.  Rebecca Sheir checked in on rehearsals for the Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University, which opens July 11th.

Some laws are now in effect that impact Virginia motorists—and they’re not necessarily punitive. In fact, some were passed because drivers asked for them. In Part 4 of our series on new state laws, we have more from Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil.

The message from Virginia lawmakers to “patent trolls” is:  If they plan to make a claim of patent infringement, they had better be able to prove it—and answer to the Attorney General’s office if their claim is bogus. It’s one of the new state laws that Governor McAuliffe ceremonially signed.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the Governor believes such laws will inspire MORE innovation—and not suppress it.

National business correspondent Roben Farzad has launched a new radio podcast recorded in Richmond. The program is called Full Disclosure, and in the months ahead you’ll hear some content from the program, as we share his weekly effort to translate the language of finance and investing. The theme of this week’s program?  Bending, Not Breaking.

Farzad talks with Richmond entrepreneur Matt Paxton.  He’s best known for his business Clutter Cleaner, featured on the reality TV show Hoarders.  But it was a long climb to success for Paxton.  While working at the Federal Reserve after college, he fell into gambling.  In 1999 he was $40,000 dollars in debt to a bookie.  He was beaten up, and left in the ditch outside a casino.  He headed home to Virginia.

Paxton also cleaned out crime scenes and foreclosed homes for a decade to pay off maxed-out credit cards at a 22-percent interest rate… he considers it a form of indentured servitude.  But it all led to a successful national business and television show.

You can hear the full story of Paxton’s failure and redemption, on Roben Farzad’s Full Disclosure.

In just over a year, North America has seen a dozen serious accidents involving trains that derailed while carrying flammable crude oil.  One of those accidents, in Lynchburg, caused a massive fire and oil spill.  In most cases, fire departments didn’t know what they were dealing with, since railroads have kept that information secret, but the federal government is now requiring them to inform states when trains of 35 cars or more, carrying  oil from North Dakota or Montana, are coming through.  The public, however, is not entitled to know, and fire departments say they’re still in the dark, as Sandy Hausman reports.

Photo: City of Lynchburg

Within hours of a rail crash in Lynchburg on April 30, inspectors for the state and federal governments and CSX were on the scene – trying to figure out why 17 cars derailed and one ruptured – producing flames, smoke and a significant oil spill. Getting official answers could take 18 months, but there are clues that suggest a cause for the accident and a future course of action to improve rail safety. Sandy Hausman has that story.

Norfolk, VA
Photo: Wetlands Watch

Two Virginia Democrats are teaming up with two Virginia Republicans in a rare bipartisan hearing into how to combat sea level rise along the eastern shore. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the details on the field hearing.

For decades Americans have worried about our dependence on foreign oil and gas. By 2005 we were importing 60% of our energy, but in 2008 a new technology called horizontal hydrologic fracturing or “fracking” raised the promise of energy independence. U.S. crude production is up 50% and imports have fallen 35%. But getting oil from a massive shale deposit in North Dakota to refineries is raising serious concerns about public safety. Sandy Hausman has more on that story.

Each year officials investigate an average of ten derailments in Virginia alone. Most involve coal or grain – cargoes unlikely to cause trouble for nearby communities, but a growing number of trains now carry oil from the Bakken region of North Dakota. Because it contains high levels of gas, it’s more volatile than some other forms of crude, and transporting it by rail could be putting whole communities at risk. Sandy Hausman reports on one proposed solution to the problem.

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUANN HUNT, CITY OF LYNCHBURG VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS

It’s been nearly two months since a train derailed in Lynchburg, sending a fireball into the sky above that city’s downtown and spilling oil into the James River. Experts said the accident could have been far worse, and many communities along the state’s 3,200 miles of railroad face similar dangers. This week, Sandy Hausman begins a series on rail safety and why the risks have risen dramatically.

Credit: Virginia Cavaliers

It will be a winner-take-all at the College World Series tonight in Omaha. The Virginia Cavaliers forced the deciding game last night with a 7-2 victory over Vanderbilt.  Tonight’s game starts at 8PM and will be shown on ESPN. A Virginia victory tonight would be historic for the university and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Austin Young, 6/23/14
Photo: UVA Cavaliers Baseball

The University of Virginia baseball team has its back against the wall at the College World Series in Omaha.  Vanderbilt took Game One in the best-of-3 championship series, 9-8.  But as Greg Echlin reports, UVA’s trips to Omaha are drawing repeat visitors with hopes of seeing  the Cavaliers go all the way.

Virginia guns laws are despised by officials up and down the east coast who say the lo0se laws bleed guns onto their crime-ridden streets. But Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has this story on how a recent Supreme Court case could stop the bleeding a tad.

The federal pot of money that’s supposed to keep local roads, highways and bridges intact may soon be empty, yet lawmakers on Capitol Hill are miles apart from each other – and it remains unclear if they’ll be able to bridge the gulf. Reporter Matt Laslo has the details.

The recent trend toward e-cigarettes as a way to avoid the dangers of smoking may not be as safe as previously thought.  Scientists at Virginia Tech now say nicotine; even in non-smoke-able forms can,  cause cancer. We get details from Robbie Harris.

Photo: NPR/WBUR

Police routinely use certain techniques to get confessions from suspects, but a new study from the University of Virginia suggests those tactics should not be used with juveniles. Because their brains are not fully developed, social scientists say they will respond differently than adults, and as Sandy Hausman reports, confess to crimes they didn’t commit.

Some conservatives are asking for a delay in the race to replace Eric Cantor as House Majority Leader over disagreements on immigration reform. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor may have lost his Republican primary in Richmond, but he isn’t giving up his leadership post until the end of summer. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo looks at what the sea change means for the state.

Senior Republicans say after Eric Cantor’s primary loss in Richmond last evening he’s relinquishing his position as Majority Leader at the end of July. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story on the race underway for his replacement.

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

A political bombshell hit Virginia last night … as U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost his re-election bid to a political newcomer, Randolph-Macon Economics Professor David Brat.  Despite his huge campaign cash advantage, Cantor lost his 7th Congressional district Republican primary by a margin of 45%  to 55% of the vote.

Brat was backed by grassroots Tea Party activists, who were frustrated by what they called “establishment politics as usual” in Washington. Cantor was also hit hard by both the Right and the Left on immigration reform during the campaign … and Brat pummeled him on the issue of amnesty in the closing weeks of the campaign. In his post-election speech, Cantor urged his supporters to continue advancing their principles:

Cantor was elected to the U.S. House in 2000 and became Majority Leader in 2011.  He is the first U.S. House Majority Leader ever to lose a primary.  Brat will now face off against a newly minted Democratic opponent, Jack Trammel. Trammel is a fellow professor at Randolph-Macon College who was nominated by Democrats on Saturday.

In his post-primary speech to supporters, Brat called his election a “miracle.”  Brat said he did NOT run against Cantor—whom he called a good man—but instead, to return conservative principles to Washington. They include a commitment to free markets, equal treatment under the law for all people, and a strong national defense:

Steve Helber/AP

Although Cantor can serve for the duration of the year, the loss could well prompt a shake-up in the U.S. House leadership in the near future.

Meanwhile, in the 1st Congressional district primary, incumbent Republican Congressman Rob Wittman easily trounced his challenger, Anthony Riedel, by a vote of 76% to 23%.  Wittman was first elected to Congress in 2007 and serves on the House Armed Services and Natural Resources Committees.  Wittman’s Democratic opponent in the general election will be Norm Mosher.

Metals known as ‘rare earth elements” are in growing demand worldwide.  They’re vital for many of the high tech devices we all use.  China has been the major source for rare earth minerals, but recently cut its exports. This has geologists in the U.S. searching for domestic deposits.  As Robbie Harris tells us in part one of her report, they believe south eastern Virginia could be the place to look for the coveted elements.

The elements known as ‘rare earths,’ are a relatively new addition to the periodic table. And they have changed the world, ushering in the new age of technology because of their unique properties. They allow us to make smaller and more efficient devices for everything from smart phones to wind turbines. In part one of our report, we told you China, which been the largest provider of the exotic metals, has stopped exporting them, causing a worldwide shortage.  But scientists now think similarities between the geology in southern China and the South Eastern U.S. could make this region a new source for rare earths.  Robbie Harris has part 2.

The E-P-A’s new rule to drastically curb carbon pollution is now playing a key role in the Virginia Senate race.  Matt Laslo reports.

Proponents of comprehensive immigration reform blame two Virginia Republicans for inaction on the issue in the House. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

The derailment in Lynchburg of a CSX train carrying Bakken crude oil in April could have been much worse … and procedures and policies should be revised to mitigate future risk.  That’s the conclusion of a hearing in Richmond led by U.S. Senator Mark Warner… along with emergency responders, public agency heads, and corporate officials.  And as Virginia Public Radio’s Anne Marie Morgan reports, one focus was on the vulnerabilities of transporting oil—and how to prevent such accidents from ever occurring.

Virginia’s junior U.S. Senator is backing a federal dual-enrollment bill that would enable more students to attend high school while earning college credits. Senator Tim Kaine tells Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil that his family saved money through a dual enrollment program—and similar initiatives nationally could help put more students through college.

Greg Sanders, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsnortheast/6044721273)

Summer is just about here,  and in many of the nation’s national parks, that means forest fires.  Here in Virginia, it may also bring a different kind of blaze – one that threatens a vast wetland and wildlife refuge near Norfolk.

After losing thousands of acres in years past, experts have come up with a plan for saving the Great Dismal Swamp.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Governor McAuliffe marked the 60th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown versus Board of Education, with a visit to a Richmond high school.

African-American students from Virginia had joined that case in the 1950s after walking out of their racially segregated school in protest of its dilapidated conditions and inferior curriculum.

And as Virginia Public Radio’s Tommie McNeil reports, the governor provided a brief civics lesson—tying issues six decades ago to issues today.

As churches struggle to keep young Americans in the fold, some are moving their services to surprising places.  In Charlottesville, more than three dozen of the faithful assemble at a bar each month to drink beer and sing hymns.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

Republicans say a new Environmental Protection Agency rule will kill jobs in Virginia and they see it as a way to win November’s election. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Photo: Eric Shimelonis

It’s said the harmonica was invented by German instrument maker Christian Friedrich Ludwig Buschmann in 1821. Nearly 100 years later, a man was born who would take his passion for the harmonica to another level… and keep it there for nearly another 100 years.
Rebecca Sheir introduces us to Virginia resident Jack Hopkins who… at age 94… has had a longer love affair with the harmonica than most.

Kevin Quick Photo Courtesy: Virginia State Police

More charges today against nine defendants linked to the alleged kidnapping and murder of Waynesboro Reserve Police Captain Kevin Quick.
The charges and more than two dozen others are now unsealed, and link Quick’s death to  Bloods gang members and what’s known as the 99 Goon Syndikate.
In a 39-page indictment, charges linked to the group include robbery, larceny, burglary, obstruction of justice, kidnapping, carjacking, malicious wounding, drug trafficking, conspiracy and murder.
U.S. Attorney Timothy Heaphy held a news conference today in Charlottesville.

American Chestnut trees used make up 25% of the Appalachian forest. A blight, in the early 1900s changed that, and today they’re all but gone from the forests from Georgia to Maine. But the tree left us a way to resurrect it from the dead, and with it, a kind of message: Only with the help of human beings will the towering Chestnuts return. Robbie Harris prepared this report about people working to resurrect them.

Since the advent of smart phones, thousands of applications have come on the market.  You can buy one to help identify bird calls or constellations.  Another makes random sounds — a drum roll or a sad trombone for example.  I-steam fogs up the screen of your phone, allowing you to write things with your finger, and now Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is working on an app to make hunting and fishing simpler.  Hawes Spencer has that story.

Stock Photo/morguefile.com

This week embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is scheduled to face a Senate panel after veterans groups and some lawmakers have called for his resignation. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Every year V-DOT brings before the public a six year improvement program that includes new projects along with those that have been on the shelf for years, or even decades. But, this year’s prioritizing may come undone.  Tab O’Neal reports.

Phil Hollman/Wikimedia Commons

Shareholders hoping to push Dominion Power to go green are celebrating today, after four resolutions they proposed won about 20% support at the utility’s annual meeting.  Such resolutions are not binding, but they can be influential.  Sandy Hausman has more on that story.

Stan Brock, Remote Area Medical

A nonprofit organization that brings free medical care to underserved communities has announced the establishment of a state office and a permanent presence in Virginia. “Remote Area Medical” has been offering regular, mobile clinics in Southwest Virginia that have attracted thousands of patients needing care. RAM intends to expand operations—including to other regions of the Commonwealth.

The cost of health care has been rising faster than other sectors for decades, to the point where today, one of every five dollars is spent there.  But exactly why that is, has not been well understood, until now.  Robbie Harris has this report.

Photo: WSET

There have been a dozen toxic spills from railroad cars in North America over the last year and three cases of river pollution in this region over the past four months. Are these accidents happening more often?   Should this country have rail lines and toxic storage facilities so close to its waterways, and what’s being done to prevent future problems? We asked Sandy Hausman to find answers.

Next week the U-S Senate is expected to have a debate on a bill that would modernize the federal government’s use of energy, but it could get derailed by an oil pipeline in the Midwest. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Photo from LuAnn Hunt, City of Lynchburg

The National Transportation Safety Board has a team in place in Lynchburg, trying to determine the cause and the environmental impact of yesterday’s CSX train derailment downtown that plunged three oil-carrying tanker cars into the James River and the resulting massive fire.  Connie Stevens has more.