Virginia Public Radio

Biotech is big business.  And Virginia is trying to strengthen its position and bring more research and manufacturing back onshore.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Weekend Edition host Craig Wright have more on how that plan is coming together.

A plan by Norfolk police to use drones as first as responders is drawing some objections. And elk are thriving again in Virginia.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

The General Assembly was supposed to deal with vacancies when it met Wednesday.  But some big ones remain.

Jeff Schapiro of the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Michael Pope discuss the week in politics and state government.

Nikki Giovanni is known around the world for her writing and activism. Her writing touches on social issues, like race and gender.

She recently retired from teaching at Virginia Tech after 35 years.

Giovanni sat down with reporter Roxy Todd, who asked about her advice to students.

Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing underwater robots, to be able to map the ocean and study the impacts of microplastics in the water.

They recently tested one beneath the surface of Claytor Lake, in the New River Valley.

Roxy Todd joined them and filed this story.

The fall campaign season is about to kick into high gear, here in Virginia and in other states.

Jeff Schapiro, of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Michael Pope talk about that that means for the candidates and the governor.

The Afghan Girls’ Robotics Team has been internationally recognized. They’ve won numerous awards for their skills in engineering and robotics.

Now, a year has passed since the Taliban took over the country. And because most education for girls has stopped, so has the robotics team.

Many of the former team members have dispersed to other countries to pursue their education, including one incoming freshman at Virginia Tech. Roxy Todd has her story.

It’s never been easy to be successful in the restaurant business.  But it’s been even harder during the last few years.

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright talk about the challenges.

Virginia’s juvenile justice system is about to get a makeover.

Michael Pope explains.

The names Lewis and Clark are famous in U. S. history. But only a few people have heard the name of one of their most important companions.  And invasive plant species are serious problems in Virginia, especially where they’re being locally sold.

Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s Va. News link.

More now from Fred Echols and Edie Gross.

Virginia is flush with cash, which means you might be getting a check in the mail.

Michael Pope explains why. 

Abortion is becoming a prime topic in two Virginia Congressional races.

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

Across Virginia, schools are struggling to find enough teachers for the upcoming fall semester.

Michael Pope explains why.

Student performance on Virginia Standards of Learning tests rebounded in the last school year.

But it’s still well-behind the performance logged before the pandemic.

David Seidel has a snapshot of the result.

When the Virginia Department of Transportation started work on the Hampton Bridge and Tunnel Project, construction equipment displaced sea birds that had been nesting there for years. 

The situation alarmed bird lovers who lobbied the state to create a new place for terns and gulls. Experts identified a piece of land nearby and turned it into suitable habitat – removing trees and adding sand. 

The birds returned from their winter homes and happily settled in, but there’s a problem with the new arrangement as Sandy Hausman reports.

After covering the nation’s opioid crisis in the book and streaming series ‘Dopesick,’ Roanoke journalist and author Beth Macy has checked in with a second book on the issue. 

‘Raising Lazarus’ updates efforts to treat people struggling with addiction rather than send them to jail, and seek justice against drug manufacturers.

Macy talked with Jeff Bossert.

We’ve all felt the sting of high inflation over the past few months.  So can federal legislation slow the climb of consumer prices?

Roben Farzad, host of the Full Disclosure podcast, and Craig Wright have more on one recent effort.

Until last summer, nearly 5 million Virginians lacked dental insurance.

Expansions to Medicaid in the past year have helped, but as Roxy Todd reports, there’s still a shortage of dentists in parts of the Commonwealth who are willing to accept low-income patients.

Five years after neo-Nazis and other white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, the city is still reflecting on what happened.

Several residents shared their stories and their conclusions with Sandy Hausman.