Pod Virginia

In this inaugural episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Laura Vozzella of The Washington Post, who talks about Denver Riggleman's potential run for statewide office Jahd Khalil of VPM News, who talks about Del. Michael Jones' (D-Richmond) unannounced visit to the Red Onion prison Markus Schmidt of Virginia Mercury, who talks about Hampton Roads Ventures' lack of investments in local projects Plus: Rep. John McGuire's publicized visit to President-elect Trump's Mar-a-Lago Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger will both be guest speakers at the upcoming Virginia Capitol Correspondents' Association Gala Governor Glenn Youngkin's passion for a commercial fusion power plant And looking ahead to special elections in Loudoun County and Central Virginia, morning speeches on the General Assembly floor, and Governor Youngkin's plans for tax cuts to help cement his legacy. -- The Virginia Press Room is a weekly podcast that brings listeners the latest insights and analysis on Virginia’s most important stories directly from the journalists covering them. Produced in collaboration by VPM and the Virginia Public Access Project, the series is hosted by journalist and author, Michael Pope and features a rotating cast of reporters from the Virginia press corps. The Virginia Press Room offers a behind-the-scenes look at state politics, policy and the issues shaping communities across the commonwealth from the people who know it best, helping listeners stay informed about what’s happening in their state from the halls of the Capitol to their local neighborhoods.

In this final episode of Pod Virginia (before the Virginia Press Room launches next week!), Michael is joined by co-host Lauren Burke, producer Aaryan Balu, and advertising manager David O'Connell to reminisce about the podcast, announce winners for Pod Virginia's trivia contest and game shows, and take one last look around the watercooler. Happy New Year!

In our penultimate episode, Michael looks back at the five most popular episode of Pod Virginia in 2024. LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Last week, Governor Glenn Youngkin presented his budget proposal, highlighting a budget surplus which he used to propose a rebate on the car tax, an initiative to eliminate taxes on tips, stricter policies on sanctuary cities. a new police training facility, expanding mental health services, and more. He's also going all-in on nuclear energy. Democrats have offered mixed reactions to Governor Youngkin’s 2025 budget amendments, and have put forth their own legislative priorities: rural health care, increased SNAP benefits for seniors, extending the standard deduction to inflation, maternal health deserts, and preparing for a potential loss of federal money under the Trump administration. TRIVIA: What is the nickname for Jackson Ward's Second Street? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

It's finally here! This week, Michael is joined by Chris Piper, Executive Director of VPAP, and Steve Humble, Chief Content Officer for VPM, who explain how both organizations are partnering to create the next evolution of Pod Virginia... The Virginia Press Room, a weekly round-table podcast bringing news and analysis from journalists across the Commonwealth. Every Monday, Michael will lead journalists on a roundup of stories they've covered the previous week, diving deep into their investigation and previewing what's ahead. For current subscribers to Pod Virginia: no changes needed! Stay subscribed to this podcast feed, and you'll automatically get episodes of The Virginia Press Room when it launches in January 2025.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Holding inmates longer than their release date is hard ask for many sheriffs, who say they won't be voluntarily holding people for 48 hours after their release date -- even if federal immigration officials request it for specific people. Now the Virginia Sheriffs Association is supporting legislation that removes discretion of the sheriffs and requires they work with federal immigration officials. Lobbying disclosures posted to the Virginia Public Access Project show that special interests in the gambling industry are hoping to strike it rich during the General Assembly session. In the last year, Pace-o-matic spent half a million dollars. Caesars spent $420,000. Churhill Downs spent $300,000. And MGM spent more than $200,000. Lawmakers are expected to consider legislation to legalize slot-machine style games at convenience stores and truck stops as well as new potential casino in Northern Virginia. If you're looking for a plan for lawmakers to get around their reluctance on voting for a pay raise, look to former Governor Jerry Baliles. In the late 1980s, he was able to secure a pay raise for members of the General Assembly by creating a blue-ribbon panel that could make the recommendation and take the heat for it. TRIVIA: Where is infamous Nazi leader George Lincoln Rockwell buried? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

On this special FINAL live-to-tape game show, Michael sits down with the Pod Virginia All-Stars Sarah Taylor, Senator Scott Surovell, Delegate Alfonso Lopez, and Delegate Marcus Simon to get their opinions on approving resolutions before sessions, catered press conferences, tabloid newspapers, hackneyed phrases, and the end of Pod Virginia. LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: License-plate readers will be on the agenda next month when the General Assembly gavels into session next month. Critics of surveillance-state politics worry about misidentification -- innocent people getting caught up in a high-tech frenzy. Back in 1997, then-governor George Allen signed a bill achieving a long-term goal of social conservatives. The new law required parental consent for minors seeking an abortion. Now former governor Allen says he worries that law will be eliminated by a constitutional amendment lawmakers will consider in January. The amendment has language guaranteeing abortion rights for "every individual" rather than "every adult." Advocates at Justice Forward Virginia are working on a bill that would require a judge to make an individual determination about whether a juvenile needs to be shackled – rather than allowing sheriffs to indiscriminately shackle every juvenile who appears before a judge. TRIVIA: What was the name of the notorious Loudoun woman who poisoned her husband and children with arsenic? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media This week, Michael is joined by Warren Fiske and Bob Holsworth to discuss the 1993 gubernatorial race between George Allen and Mary Sue Terry--including how Terry had a double-digit advantage in early polls and a significant fundraising lead, only for Allen to win in a landslide. They wrote about the election in their chapter of The New Dominion: The Twentieth-Century Elections That Shaped Modern Virginia.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: People who are incarcerated at the infamous Red Onion Supermax Prison in Wise County say conditions are so bad there that they are setting themselves on fire to protest conditions. Allegations include: racial epithets, physical abuse, medical neglect, solitary confinement, violent dog attacks, and inedible food with maggots. After a 2020 law cracking down on predatory lending, companies are now using "rent-a-banks" from out of state to charge massive interest rates on loans. The number of provisional ballots cast in this election was more than five times the number cast in the last election, an indication that same-day registration is an idea that's catching on. One thing all those many key locations had in common: college students. TRIVIA: Who was Henry Howell's campaign manager for his 1977 run for Governor? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media This week, Michael is joined by Frank Atkinson, author of The Dynamic Dominion, to discuss the 1973 "Armageddon" gubernatorial race between Henry Howell and Mills Godwin, which Atkinson wrote about in his chapter of The New Dominion: The Twentieth-Century Elections That Shaped Modern Virginia.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Earlier this year, Democrat Abigail Spanberger seemed to have cleared the field of opposition among Democrats, though Congressman Bobby Scott may still throw his hat into the ring. Last week, Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears was able to clear the field of Republican opposition, and now she stands alone as the Republican who will be running for governor. The race for attorney general is taking shape, and it’s gonna be a doozy. Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares is unlikely to face opposition in the Republican primary, but the Democrats will have a VERY interesting primary. One of the candidates will be a founding member of the Progressive Prosecutors for Justice, Shannon Taylor, who will face former Delegate Jay Jones. Virginia is named for a Queen of England, the virgin Queen Elizabeth I. Now the Queen of Virginia is suing the attorney general and the Henrico prosecutor. That’s because the skill game company that goes by that name, Queen of Virginia, is trying to stop the Republican attorney general from conducting an investigation and prevent the Henrico commonwealth’s attorney from enforcing a ban on skill games. TRIVIA: Who was the senator who was censured by the Senate in 1987? (Hint: He was a senator from Norfolk, and he was censured for willingly violating the conflict-of-interest law by voting to kill a bill that would have harmed one of his legal clients.) Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Former State Senator John Bell joins Michael to break down his decision to sponsor the 2021 resolution to censure then-Senator Amanda Chase after she repeated baseless election fraud claims and spoke in support of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Freshman House Delegate Kannan Srinivasan will be the Democrat on the ballot in the January 7 special election to fill the seat vacated by Congressman-elect Suhas Subramanyam. Loudoun Democrats chose him as the party’s nominee over the weekend in an election that will determine which party controls the Senate. Republicans also selected their candidate for this seat over the weekend, Tumay Harding. She is a former teacher who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Ashburn District of the Loudoun Board of Supervisors. Democrats have introduced three new amendments to Virginia's Constitution: one to protect abortion rights, another to undo the amendment prohibiting gay marriage, and the third to ditch Virginia's practice of requiring the governor to restore voting rights to people convicted of felonies. All three of those amendments would have to go through many steps before being added to the state Constitution, including being approved by voters in November 2026. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe says the numbers tell a story, and it's one that's not good for Democrats. In 2020, Democrats won young people in Virginia by a margin of 23 points. This year it was only 8 points. In the last election Democrats won women by 15 points. This year it was only 9. He also says Democrats looking for a ray of hope can expect a good performance in 2025, when Virginia voters will elect a governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general -- plus all 100 seats of the House of Delegates. TRIVIA: What are the two kinds of votes where Virginia's lieutenant governor can NOT break a tie? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Pod Virginia all-star Sam Shirazi joins Michael to break down the special elections happening in the next few weeks (filling the House seats vacated by Suhas Subramanyam and John McGuire), as well as the Virginia statewide elections in 2025.

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Senator Tim Kaine's margin of victory was almost double the margin of victory for Kamala Harris in Virginia, which seems to indicate some cross-party voting. The election is not over yet. Two sitting members of the state Senate were elected to Congress last week, which means at least two special elections. One of the special elections for state Senate will be in Northern Virginia, where Delegate Kannan Srinivasan is expected to face Buta Biberaj, a former Progressive Prosecutor for Justice. The other Senate special election will be in the suburbs and exurbs between Richmond and Charlottesville. There's no place in Northern Virginia where the influence of the Asian community is reflected more than state Senate District 32. That’s the seat in Loudoun County that will soon be vacated by Congressman-elect Suhas Subramanyam. The district has a population that is more than 30 percent Asian. TRIVIA: Who was the Lieutenant Governor elected in a statewide special election after the death of Lt. Governor Sargeant Reynolds in 1971? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum Tyler Englander, Cameron Thompson, and Brad Kutner join Michael and Lauren to react to the 2024 election results--Kamala Harris' razor-thin victory in the state, Tim Kaine's victory, and the possibilities for Republican leaders to be shuffled into the upcoming Trump administration as we already look toward the 2025 gubernatorial election.

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: Donald Trump closed out his campaign for president in the most unlikeliest of places over the weekend, Salem Virginia in deep red Southwest Virginia. The rally featured Governor Glenn Youngkin and the entire Republican establishment, including Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl Sears finally endorsing the former Republican president. 2006 was Governor Tim Kaine's first General Assembly session in the Executive Mansion, and at the time lawmakers were focused on a budget battle and a transportation package. But there was one bill that required the DMV to produce a list of people who should be stricken from the list of eligible voters--which some say was a reaction to the Motor Voter Law. Campaigns tend to have political ads that celebrate their candidates or maybe attack an opponent. But those are nothing like a PAC attack, which often go for the jugular -- attacking a candidate for having a fake family or failing to show up for meetings. TRIVIA: Which election saw Virginia splitting its electoral votes between two candidates Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media Pod Virginia all-star Sam Shirazi returns to break down next week's election: where does Virginia fall in the race for the presidency? What about all of the competitive downballot races? And just how many millions are getting spent on political ads that blanket the airwaves?

SPONSOR: The Richmond Forum LINKS: Pod Virginia | Patreon Learn more about Jackleg Media IN THE NEWS: During a dramatic hearing in federal court last week, a lawyer representing the governor said he believes some of the people whose voter registration was canceled are noncitizens. Judge Patricia Giles wasn’t having it. She stopped him and said she wasn't dealing with beliefs, she was dealing with evidence. In the 1890s, election after election was contested with allegations of voter fraud and stuffing the ballot box. That led to a Jim Crow Constitution that disenfranchised Black voters as well as some poor whites; some experts say the voter purge that happened 120 years ago offers lessons for today. If Democrats are going to take control of the House of Representatives, they’re going to need seats like the Second Congressional District in Virginia Beach. And a new poll from the Wason Center shows the lead that Republican incumbent Jen Kiggans used to have over challenger Missy Cotter Smasal has evaporated. TRIVIA: Which Virginia congressman representing the Second Congressional District later became a Byrd Machine governor? Learn more at http://linktr.ee/JacklegMedia