Nick Gilmore

Everything you possibly could want to know about all things weather

Homepage: http://theweatherzone.wordpress.com

A former governor and their controversial union-busting tactic

Former Virginia Governor Bill Tuck

Governor Glenn Youngkin is sending National Guard troops to the southern border in Texas next month, a move that critics say is politically motivated. Michael Pope tells us about a previous governor who used his powers as the commander-in-chief in a way that still invites controversy. 

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New data: productivity in Virginia is down, but hours worked is up

New numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a puzzling trend in Virginia’s economy. Michael Pope reports.

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With a deadline looming, state lawmakers still don’t have an agreement on the budget

Credit: NPR

Members of Congress may be closer to resolving the conflict over the debt ceiling. But, as Michael Pope tells us, members of the Virginia General Assembly are still at a standstill with their budget amendments.

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The fans and critics of Virginia data centers

Northern Virginia is the global hub of data centers. But Michael Pope tells us that notoriety is causing friction in some communities. 

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Some prosecutor primaries will be decided next month

Credit: Jahd Khalil / Radio IQ

Voters will go to the polls next month to choose candidates in dozens of races across Virginia. Michael Pope reports some of those races will be for prosecutors.

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Parole reform wins rare bipartisan support in Virginia

With so much going on during the annual meeting of Virginia’s General Assembly, it’s easy to miss some important and sometimes surprising legislation. 

Sandy Hausman reports the state is now moving forward with a rare bipartisan effort to reform Virginia’s system of parole.

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Partisan endorsements in nonpartisan races

Credit: NPR

Members of school boards are elected in nonpartisan elections in Virginia. But, as Michael Pope reports, that doesn’t mean the elections lack partisanship.

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New report: Virginia needs to end “civil commitment”

Credit: PPI

A new report calls attention to Virginia’s practice of incarcerating people even after their sentence has been completed. Michael Pope explains.

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What is the “value” of an endorsement?

Credit: NPR

As the June 20th primary approaches, candidates are receiving a series of endorsements. Michael Pope takes a look at what they mean.

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Study looks at how dogs can help fight the spread of spotted lanternflies

Sally Dickinson and her trained detection dog, Flint, search a vineyard in Winchester for spotted lanternfly egg masses. They are beginning to recruit other people with their dogs to do the same. It’s a four-year project funded by the USDA. (Credit: Luke Hayes/Virginia Tech)

The invasive spotted lanternfly continues to spread throughout Virginia, threatening vineyards. Researchers are training dogs to help sniff them out, as Roxy Todd reports.

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Pope & Schapiro: Virginia fears of a national default

Count Virginia lawmakers among those worried about a potential default on the nation’s debt.

Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro – political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch – discuss the state budget and the week that was in Virginia politics.

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Republicans and Democrats are confused by one Youngkin veto

Credit: NPR

Governor Glenn Youngkin is taking final action this week on a number of bills from the General Assembly. Michael Pope reports on one about power lines.

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North Carolina’s abortion ban will have impacts in Virginia

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

North Carolina’s new abortion ban is changing the dynamic here in Virginia. Michael Pope reports.

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Adult websites must verify the age of users in Virginia now

The governor is taking final actions this week on bills lawmakers sent him during the General Assembly session. Michael Pope has this story about one involving online pornography.

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Virginia is leaving an election data partnership it helped found

Credit: Jahd Khalil / Radio IQ

Virginia is leaving a group of states that share information about voter lists. Michael Pope reports.

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Researchers find key to quicker test for Lyme disease by studying patients with lingering symptoms

Ph.D. student Mecaila McClune (at left) has been working with Brandon Jutras to study a molecule that lingers in some people with Lyme disease. (Credit: Lee Friesland / Virginia Tech)

Some people who get Lyme disease have symptoms long after they’ve received treatment. Scientists are trying to find out why. As Roxy Todd reports, their research could also lead doctors to be able to test for Lyme disease more quickly.

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Virginia Republicans and their preference for conventions

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Voters across Virginia will go to the polls on June 20th for General Assembly and local primaries. But, as Michael Pope reports, only a handful of those contests will be Republican primaries.

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Pope & Schapiro: Republicans pick several candidates in conventions

Primaries in General Assembly races are quickly approaching. But, some Republicans have already been picked to run this fall through conventions.

Michael Pope and Jeff Schapiro – political columnist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch – talk about that and the week that was in politics and state government.

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The debate over the word “equity” in Virginia politics continues

Equity has become the latest flashpoint in Virginia politics. Michael Pope reports.

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Green Bank captures image of supermassive black hole

Illustration of what scientists believe a supermassive black hole, known as M87, may look like. This illustration was created based on radio data collected by telescopes around the world working in tandem. (Credit: S. Dagnello/NRAO/AUI/NSF)

The Green Bank observatory in West Virginia recently helped capture a new image of a supermassive black hole. As Roxy Todd explains, this image reveals new information about a mystery surrounding black holes.

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Republicans picked several candidates in conventions this past weekend

Credit: NPR

Over the weekend, Republicans selected some candidates who will be on the ballot this November. Michael Pope reports.

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Millions of dollars are on the table for Virginia to raise awareness of its red flag law

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Virginia has a red flag law that is supposed to help people alert authorities when someone may be a threat to themselves or others. Michael Pope reports that federal money is available to help spread awareness about the program in Virginia. 

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Support for building solar farms on top of landfills is growing in Virginia

One of the problems for the growth of solar energy in Virginia has been finding a place to put all the solar panels. Michael Pope has this report on a potential solution to the problem.

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Historic Virginia ferry to cross the James again

The Hatton Ferry can transport 11 people and two cars — or three Model-Ts. (Credit: Albemarle County Historical Society)

One of Virginia’s beloved historic attractions will reopen this weekend after a two-year hiatus.  Sandy Hausman paid a visit to the nation’s last poled ferry and filed this report.

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Education advocates: public funds should be for public schools

The ongoing debate over the budget has yet to be resolved. And as Michael Pope reports the latest disagreement is about public funds for private schools.

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Several challengers are outraising incumbents in General Assembly races

Credit: NPR

Campaign finance numbers are revealing the state of some contested races heading into the June 20 primary. Michael Pope reports.

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VMI faculty and students invent weapon to battle ticks

The tick rover picks up and kills 85-95% of the blood-sucking insects in treated areas. (Credit: VMI)

Spring is high season for ticks, and Virginia has 17 different kinds. Because they can carry Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and other dangerous conditions, the engineering department at the Virginia Military Institute has declared war on the bugs – using a robot to do battle.  Sandy Hausman has that story.

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Governor Youngkin, his administration and the word “equity”

Virginia Chief Diversity Officer Martin Brown. He has come under fire recently for stating “DEI is dead” during a talk at the Virginia Military Institute.

Since he was elected, Governor Glenn Youngkin has tried to remove the term equity from the classroom and the code. Michael Pope reports on the latest developments.

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Thousands of Virginians could lose health insurance as pandemic rules come to an end

Hundreds of thousands of people in Virginia may be in danger of losing their health insurance. Michael Pope reports.

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Labor force participation is back up in Virginia, but uneven across the state

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Virginia’s labor force participation rate is now back up to pre-pandemic levels. Michael Pope reports.

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Home prices are outpacing wages in northern Virginia

Northern Virginia is often seen as the economic powerhouse of the state. But as Michael Pope reports, the housing crunch is causing a problem.

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FD Briefing: The political contributions of the super wealthy

Governor Glenn Youngkin has been raking in donations at a record clip in Virginia – and that was before his political action committee took in a million-dollar check last week.

Craig Wright and Roben Farzad – host of public radio’s Full Disclosure – talk about political contributions from the world’s wealthiest people.

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Could more bus rapid transit systems pop up in Virginia?

City leaders in Richmond are considering an expansion of the Pulse bus rapid transit system. (Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ)

Local governments across Virginia are considering a variety of proposals to enhance bus service. Michael Pope reports.

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Fundraising disclosures show an edge for Democrats in the state Senate

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

The latest round of campaign finance disclosures show the 2023 election is attracting record amounts of campaign cash. Michael Pope tells us Democrats have an edge in fundraising for the Senate.

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What campaign finance records show about this year’s General Assembly races

Credit: NPR

The latest round of campaign finance disclosures are breaking records and revealing the shape of the 2023 election. Michael Pope reports.

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Tiki torch marchers face charges in Charlottesville

It’s been nearly six years since white supremacists shocked the world by marching on the University of Virginia campus, carrying torches and chanting racist and anti-Semitic slogans. Now some of those extremists are facing criminal charges, as Sandy Hausman reports.

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Do LED lights on roadways affect our sleep?

A study by VTTI compared different types and colors of lighting along roadways, to see if they had different effects on melatonin suppression on pedestrians, drivers and those who sleep near roads. (Credit: Rajaram Bhagavathula / Virginia Tech)

There have been several studies over the past decade that show blue lights, like the type in our phones and TVs, can negatively impact our sleep patterns. But what about lighting along our roads? A recent study from Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute looked at whether LED road lighting affects how well we fall asleep. Roxy Todd explains.

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The effort to include Virginia’s labor history into education standards

Former Governor Bill Tuck

This week, members of the Virginia Board of Education are expected to take up controversial new history standards. And Michael Pope reports union leaders are hoping that labor history will be part of the curriculum.

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Who should own offshore wind turbines in Virginia?

Virginia is about to get a massive new offshore wind farm with 170 turbines. As Michael Pope reports, opinions are divided about how to go about making that happen.

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12 Virginia Delegates are hoping to move to the state Senate

Credit: NPR

20 members of the House of Delegates are retiring and saying goodbye to the General Assembly. And as Michael Pope tells us, another 12 delegates are hoping to move over to the Senate.

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Right now, there’s no rush on the state budget

Credit: NPR

Lawmakers now have finished their one-day reconvene session and taken action on all the governor’s amendments and vetoes. But Michael Pope reports the budget remains a work in progress.

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The General Assembly backs controversial THC amendment

Credit: Mallory Noe-Payne / Radio IQ

Members of the General Assembly are considering amendments from the governor. And as Michael Pope reports, they are giving a stamp of approval to some controversial changes to a bill about marijuana.

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Spreading pest could threaten wild ramps

Ramps with Allium Leafminer eggs at tip of leaves. Photo taken outside Blacksburg, Va. (Credit: Derrek Hennen)

Gardeners who grow onions and leeks, be on the lookout for a growing threat—a pesky little fly that’s spreading through Virginia. Roxy Todd explains.

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The debate over Youngkin’s voting rights decision should only heat up this week

As members of the General Assembly return to the Capitol for the reconvene session this week, the restoration of voting rights is expected to be a major topic of conversation. Michael Pope reports.

Democratic Senator Lionell Spruill of Chesapeake says he’ll be meet with the governor Wednesday morning to talk about the process.

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Here’s what to expect from this week’s veto session

Credit: NPR

Lawmakers are returning to Richmond Wednesday for a spring session of the General Assembly. Michael Pope has this preview.

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UVA team makes key discovery about deadly dengue fever

The dengue virus mixes molecules from its RNA with saliva to suppress the human immune system and ease spread of the disease. (Credit: Emily Faith Morgan / UVA Communications)

A team of scientists at the University of Virginia has made a discovery that could – eventually – save millions of lives. Sandy Hausman reports on what they’ve learned about a virus that threatens half the world’s population.

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A Lynchburg company is developing nuclear rocket fuel for NASA

BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT) has reached a critical milestone in the nation’s pursuit of space nuclear propulsion by delivering coated reactor fuels to NASA. The spherical fuel kernels contained in this vial are tiny – about the diameter of a human hair. Made of uranium, they have a special coating to ensure safety and reliability at the extreme temperatures required for nuclear thermal propulsion. Nuclear thermal propulsion is one of the technologies that is capable of propelling a spacecraft to Mars and back. BWXT has been able to leverage its decades of specialty and coated fuel manufacturing experience as well as its existing licensed production facilities to be the first private company to deliver relevant coated fuels to be used in NASA testing. This work was supported by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) through the Space Nuclear Propulsion (SNP) project. (Credit: BWXT)

There’s a manufacturing company on the cusp of big things in central Virginia. As Mallory Noe-Payne reports, they’re developing nuclear rocket fuel for NASA. 

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Va. News: Sea level rise, free tuition at Ferrum College

Credit: VPAP

New research shows Norfolk remains at the top of the list of East Coast cities facing the fastest rate of sea level rise. And Ferrum College in Franklin County will begin offering free tuition to qualifying students this fall.

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.

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A look at Youngkin amendments that deal with internet safety

Lawmakers will be returning to Richmond next week to consider amendments from the governor. Michael Pope tells us about one of the amendments on internet safety.

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Some rural hospitals across Virginia at risk of closing, according to study

Healthcare costs are high – not only for patients, but many rural hospitals are also facing financial strains. Nearly three in 10 rural hospitals in Virginia are at risk of closing, according to a recent report. Roxy Todd explains. 

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