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.