Virginia Public Radio

Members of the Virginia National Guard have received special training as part of a “reaction force” that’s expected to quickly respond to civil unrest or natural disasters.

Dave Cantor has more.

Virginia is about to get a bit older, according to the latest demographic projections.

Michael Pope has the numbers.

Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger and the Commonwealths’ two senators are split on a deal working its way through Congress to reopen the government.

Brad Kutner has this story.

A nonpartisan state report issued today/Monday said people who participated in education programs run by the Virginia Department of Corrections were less likely to be rearrested after release.

They also were more likely to find employment and earn a higher wage than those who weren’t enrolled in classes.

Dave Cantor has more.

Speaker of the House of Delegates Don Scott is about to have 64-seat majority.

Michael Pope tells us about the last time Democrats had a majority that large.

Now that the election is over, what lies ahead for Abigail Spanberger and Glenn Youngkin?

Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap an eventful week in politics and state government.

It’s been about a year and half since a fire consumed a building at the Twin Oaks Community that housed its decades-old hammock business.

The destruction of one of the intentional community’s main revenue generators means the Louisa County commune’s been trying to figure out what’s next.

Dave Cantor has more.

On Saturday, more than 800,000 Virginians began to lose out on benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — a byproduct of the federal government shutdown.

Complicating the issue is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture this spring cut funding and canceled delivery of millions of pounds of food to food banks across the country — including to Virginia.

Dave Cantor explains.

There’s been no shortage of news coming from the capitol in the last few days.

Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

With the federal government shut down nearing the one-month mark, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, runs out of money this Saturday. That’s several days before state emergency funds are poised to fill the gap.

At a Louisa County food bank, there’s no pause in traffic from residents seeking help to put food on the table.

Christine Kueter reports.

Leadership in Virginia’s House of Delegates offered competing versions of the future if Virginia goes forward with a redistricting plan to counter President Donald Trump’s pressure on other states.

Brad Kutner has this report.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Democrats revealed their proposed language to allow Virginia to change its Congressional boundaries.

The proposed change could only be used if other states redistrict outside the normal process that follows every census.  It would also expire in 2030, presumably turning the process back over to the bipartisan redistricting commission.

Meanwhile, partisan finger-pointing was the order of the day in the state senate, as Michael Pope reports.

Virginia Democrats released the language of the proposed constitutional amendment Tuesday.

It could allow the legislature to redraw the Commonwealth’s congressional districts ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Brad Kutner has this report.

There have been plenty of October Surprises in this campaign season.   Now the latest surprise is about redistricting.

Politics analyst Jeff Schapiro and Michael Pope recap the week in politics and state government.

Staffing in Virginia’s two U. S. Attorney offices has seen noticeable changes since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term in office. 

Some of that’s to be expected when a new administration begins, though some legal observers say what’s happening is very different.

Dave Cantor has more.

As the government shutdown enters a fourth week, hunger is a growing concern as grocery bills remain high and federal assistance programs run out of money.

Michael Pope reports.

Virginia began legalizing casinos in 2020 with the first wager cast in 2022.

Now, years later, there are three fully functioning casino sites in Bristol, Danville and Portsmouth, and more on the way.

And while recent gambling revenue numbers have dipped across the state, elected officials are holding judgement as more casinos are expected to be considered.

Brad Kutner has this report.

Economists are expecting Virginia’s unemployment to increase.

Michael Pope has the numbers.

The Virginia House of Delegates’ money committee met Monday morning.

While representatives from the governor painted a rosy picture of the Commonwealth’s financial future, uncertainty continues to plague economic forecasts.

Brad Kutner has this report. 

Candidates for attorney general were on stage together Thursday night for a debate in Richmond. Michael Pope reports.

Virginia was among the states that recently lost federal grant funding for a renewable energy program called Solar for All.

The state’s Clean Energy Advisory Board met this week to discuss alternative sources of income for similar projects.

Dave Cantor has more.