Photo: NPR

The vision President Obama laid out in his state of the union address this week is being met with suspicion by Virginia Republicans. But Matt Laslo reports Democrats in the commonwealth say his agenda would spur job creation.

Photo: Washington & Lee University

Plenty of people spend at least part of their time at college sleeping through class, but at Washington and Lee University, students have the chance to enroll in a course where they’ll learn why.  Sandy Hausman reports on Clocks and Rhythms – a study of human biology and time.

Photo: NPR

In his State of the Union address President Obama said he’s prepared to bypass Congress when necessary, which made Virginia Republicans bristle. Matt Laslo has the story.

Credit: NPR

There was a lot in President Obama’s State of the Union address that would impact the commonwealth, but he’s already meeting resistance from Virginia Republicans.  Matt Laslo has the story.

The most recent figures indicate population growth in the state has slowed– but the Commonwealth still outpaces the nation.  Connie Stevens reports on the annual population estimate from the Weldon Cooper Center at the University of Virginia.

New enrollment data on the number of Virginians signing up on the federal health exchange is raising concerns the Affordable Care Act is unworkable – and the concerns aren’t just coming from Republicans. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Numerous state Republicans are turning to Governor Terry McAuliffe for help in defending Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban.

The request follows last week’s decision by Attorney General Mark Herring, not to defend the constitutional amendment, that makes same sex marriages illegal in the state.

32 delegates, including one Democrat, drafted and signed the letter delivered to McAuliffe’s office last Friday, although according to the Washington Post, the governor was not in his office and has yet to read the letter.

McAuliffe had been a supporter of same-sex unions during his campaign, but has yet to formally respond to Herring’s decision. A McAuliffe spokesman says the governor will continue “to uphold his responsibility to execute the laws on the books.”

In a separate attempt to fight Herring’s decision, Republicans in the House Courts of Justice Committee, approved a bill giving the General Assembly the right to intervene and hire counsel when the governor or attorney general declines to defend Virginia law.

According to the Post, it is unclear whether the proposal could become law quickly enough for lawmakers to hire counsel for the federal case.

That hearing is scheduled in a Norfolk Federal Court on January 30th.

Photo Credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images via NPR

Former Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen were released on their own recognizance in court today—and now await a July trial on federal corruption charges.

At today’s bond hearing, a federal magistrate ordered them not to leave the country, and not to try the case in the media.

They were indicted earlier this week on 14 counts, following an investigation of their relationship with wealthy businessman, Jonnie Williams.  Prosecutors allege the McDonnells accepted gifts and loans from Williams, and in return, helped him promote his company.

McDonnell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Tommie McNeil reports.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Sheir

If you’re tuned in to this station right now, we can probably assume you’re a fan of radio. Listening to radio, that is.
But for the 800 or so members of the Mid-Atlantic Antique Radio Club, or MAARC …when it comes to radios, it’s all about fixing them, cleaning them, restoring them, and collecting them.   Rebecca Sheir has the story.

Rebecca Sheir is the host of “Metro Connection” on WAMU 88-5 in Washington, D-C.

Just weeks after leaving the Governor’s mansion, former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and his wife Maureen have been indicted for illegally accepting gifts and loans during his tenure.

The 14-count, 43-page  federal indictment details how the couple accepted more than $135,000  in gifts, loans and trips from the former CEO of Star Scientific, Jonnie Williams, also a political donor.

In exchange, the indictment claims the Governor and his office were helping promote the company’s struggling dietary supplement business and attempted to conceal the scheme.

The indictment also asserts the McDonnells lied on loan applications about their debts.

In a statement, McDonnell maintains he did nothing illegal,  and returned gifts and loans to Williams.  McDonnell says he will use every available resource to  fight false allegations.

If the charges do result in convictions and maximum sentences, it could mean fines in excess of a million dollars, and decades behind bars.

McDonnell is the first governor in Virginia to face criminal charges.

The spending bill signed into law by the president last week has a lot in it for Virginia. Matt Laslo has this look at what the commonwealth stands to gain from the legislation. 

Republican Ed Gillespie – a former advisor to President George W. Bush – is challenging Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story.

Some job applications have a box that asks if you’ve been convicted of a crime.  Critics say that’s one reason people coming out of prison can’t get work and end up back behind bars.  Now, there’s a move in the legislature to ban the box as Sandy Hausman reports.

A 14-acre stand of trees on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg recently escaped destruction when the University agreed not to build an athletic practice facility on that spot.  Now a Virginia Senator wants to make protection of the parcel, known as Stadium Woods, permanent.   Robbie Harris reports.

Photo: Virginia Tech

A tiny, invasive bug is bringing down hemlock trees from Appalachia to southern Canada. And scientists fear another treasured native tree may be going the way of the American chestnut, forever changing forest ecosystems. Researchers at Virginia Tech are hoping to beat the invaders at their own game. They’re using a new invasive species to keep an old one in check, and save the American Hemlock tree. Robbie Harris has more.

Jim Moran/(D) 8th Congressional District

Northern Virginia Democratic Congressman Jim Moran says he’s retiring because he thinks he can direct more change working from outside of this Congress. Capitol Hill reporter Matt Laslo has the story…

More than 6,300 people with mental illness are locked up in Virginia jails, and a new report from the inspector general says they’re not getting the care required by law.  Sandy Hausman reports that sheriffs are now demanding more money to provide mental health services.

A recent Gallup poll shows 58% of Americans favor legalizing marijuana.  Colorado and Washington have done so, and Californians are expected to vote on the question this year.  So might the Commonwealth follow their lead?  Sandy Hausman put that question to several lawmakers and filed this report.

While it is legal for Virginia pharmacies to fill prescriptions for marijuana to treat glaucoma and the side effects of cancer, Virginia pharmacists say they have no way to get the drug.  Ophthalmologists say there are better ways to treat glaucoma, and their academy finds no compelling evidence that marijuana is effective in controlling the disease.

It’s five times more expensive to care for people with mental illness in a hospital than in the community, so it makes financial sense that the governor’s proposed budget contains more money for a model mental health program designed to keep people out of hospitals.  Sandy Hausman tells how that program works for residents of five Central Virginia counties.

In an address on school choice Virginia Republican Congressman Eric Cantor says there is an attack on vouchers.  Matt Laslo reports from Capitol Hill.

You’ve probably heard that the nation trains too few scientists, mathematicians, engineers or computer techs to compete with China or India.  Our schools are buzzing about that, and government is pouring money into teacher training, but experts are beginning to question the claim and to worry about a surplus as Sandy Hausman reports.