Shows / The Virginia Press Room
The Virginia Press Room
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 between 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…
Episodes
- The Virginia Press Room
Takeaways from the Midterm Elections
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by the Schar School's Jennifer Victor and VPM's Rich Meagher to break down the…
- The Virginia Press Room
FOIA Fees, Music Lawsuits, and a News Site Scandal
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Karen Graham of the Loudoun Times-Mirror, covering the…
- The Virginia Press Room
Close Congressional Races and a State Senator Indicted
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginian-Pilot, covering the latest…
- The Virginia Press Room
House Races, Pedestrian Safety, and a Marriage Amendment
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Greg Schneider of the Washington Post, covering Democrats'…
- The Virginia Press Room
Teacher Strikes, Midterm Shifts, and Sealing Court Records
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Megan Pauly of VPM News, covering a strike at a Richmond…
- The Virginia Press Room
House Races, Diesel Prices, and the State Energy Plan
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Michael Martz of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, covering three…
- The Virginia Press Room
Fuel Prices, Social Media Limits, and a Cannabis Marketplace
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Haley Sandlow of the Daily Progress, covering Rep. John McGuire's…
- The Virginia Press Room
Cancelled Debates, Luxury Towers, and Amendment Fundraising
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Rich Meagher of RVA's Got Issues, covering NextEra's promise of a…
- The Virginia Press Room
Data Center Backlash, Debate Challenges, and an Energy Cost Listening Tour
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Sabrina Moreno of Axios Richmond, covering data center backlash…
- The Virginia Press Room
Flock Cameras, PFAS Concerns, and the Proposed Dominion Energy Merger
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lauren Hines-Acosta of the Chesapeake Bay Journal, covering concerns…
- The Virginia Press Room
Energy Policy, Amazon Drones, and Marriage Equality
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Karri Peifer of Axios Richmond, covering the plan for Amazon drones to…
- The Virginia Press Room
Confederate Renaming, Town Hall Troubles, and a Failed $52M IT Project
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lori D'Angelo of the Daily News Record, covering frustration over the lack…
- The Virginia Press Room
Data Center Battles, Anti-Establishment Candidates, and Teacher Contract Negotiations
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Keyris Manzanares of VPM News, covering a contract standoff leaving Richmond…
- The Virginia Press Room
License Plate Readers, Emergency Response Drones, and Primary Election Fallout
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Eleanor Shaw of the Richmonder, covering Chesterfield's decision to use…
- The Virginia Press Room
Takeaways from the Virginia Primaries
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by Politifact's Louis Jacobson and VPM's Rich Meagher to break down the August 5th…
- The Virginia Press Room
Previewing Virginia's Primary Elections
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginian-Pilot, covering the Democratic primary for the 2nd…
- The Virginia Press Room
Data Centers, Toxic Waste, and Off-Year Elections
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Shannon Heckt of the Virginia Mercury, covering how data centers building…
- The Virginia Press Room
Rural Voters, Crowded Primaries, and Statewide Legal Battles
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Zernike of the New York Times, covering the difficulty Democratic candidates…
- The Virginia Press Room
Cannabis Corrections, House Subpoenas, and the Proposed Dominion Energy Merger
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginian-Pilot, covering the Virginia Code Commission's…
- The Virginia Press Room
Data Center Deals, Defamation Lawsuits, and Reflecting On Virginia Politics
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Julie Carey of NBC 4, covering a million-dollar defamation lawsuit in Fairfax County…
- The Virginia Press Room
Semiquincentennial Special: Lessons From 250 Years of American History
In this special episode of The Virginia Press Room celebrating America's 250th birthday, Michael Pope is joined by: Dr. Jatia Wrighten of VCU, discussing the…
- The Virginia Press Room
Plumbing Overhauls, Data Center Lawsuits, and Teacher's Union Elections
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: James Libresco of the Alexandria Times, covering controversy in Alexandria's teacher's…
- The Virginia Press Room
Energy Mergers, Voting Rights Restoration, and Purcellville Issues Continue
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Elizabeth McGowan of WHRO, covering the potential merger between Dominion Energy and…
- The Virginia Press Room
Civilian Review Boards, Shifting School Zones, and a Marijuana Bill Veto
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Victoria Ifatusin of the Richmonder, covering the Richmond Civilian Review Board's…
- The Virginia Press Room
Vetoed Legislation, Historical Education, and Martinsville Controversy
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Emily Leayman of the ALXNow, covering controversy over Arlington House materials on…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Ruling Fallout, Cyberattack Impacts, and Gun Law Changes
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Cat Pizzarello of the Collegiate Times, covering the hack of the learning management…
- The Virginia Press Room
FBI Raids, Sheriff Races, and the Redistricting Ruling
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Jahd Khalil of VPM News, covering the Virginia Supreme Court's nullification of the…
- The Virginia Press Room
Universal Pre-K, Public Housing Contracts, and the Virginia Supreme Court
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Megan Pauly of VPM News, covering what's been holding Virginia back from offering…
- The Virginia Press Room
Budget Negotiations, Redistricting Tactics, and the Special Session
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Michael Martz of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, covering the special session's focus on…
- The Virginia Press Room
Fairfax Murder/Suicide, County Budget Debates, and Spanberger's Moderate Couse
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Sabrina Moreno of Axios Richmond, covering Abigail Spanberger's policy positioning as a…
- The Virginia Press Room
Tax Debates, Turning Points USA, and Thomas Jefferson's Birthday
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Sandy Hausman of Radio IQ, covering the 283rd birthday of Thomas Jefferson. Nathan…
- The Virginia Press Room
Transmission Lines, Redistricting Mailers, and a Chief Energy Officer
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lori D'Angelo of the Daily News Record, covering Democrats' plans to run in the proposed…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Arguments, No Kings Rallies, and FOIA Transparency
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by Katherine White of Network NoVA, John Reid of The Reid Revolution, and Rich Meagher of…
- The Virginia Press Room
Worker Protections, Teen Takeovers, and The Latest in Purcellville
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Karen Graham of the Loudoun Times-Mirror, covering the latest on the unfolding drama in…
- The Virginia Press Room
The 2026 General Assembly Wrap-Up
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by a whole host of voices from the Virginia press corps--including Michael Martz, Jahd…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Referendum, Affordable Childcare, and Richmond Road Improvement
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Whittney Evans of VPM News, covering the differing state House and Senate bills to make…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Litigation, Data Center Tax Exemptions, and Early Childhood Education Funding
Megan Pauly of VPM News, covering what the state House and Senate budget proposals mean for early childhood education funding. Charlie Paullin of Inside…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Twists, Housing Policy, and Menhaden Fishing
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lauren Hines-Acosta of the Chesapeake Bay Journal, covering recent funding for a study…
- The Virginia Press Room
Housing Bills, Photojournalism Cuts, and VMI Governance
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Elizabeth Beyer of Cardinal News, covering a rewritten bill to reshape the governance of…
- The Virginia Press Room
Redistricting Maps, Assault Weapon Bans, and the Brown-Belted Bumblebee
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Anna Bryson of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, covering the state House's ban on assault…
- The Virginia Press Room
ICE Bills, Cannabis Markets, and Solar Energy
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Shannon Heckt of the Virginia Mercury, covering a new bill looking to provide guidelines…
- The Virginia Press Room
Rejoining RGGI, Voting Rights Rulings, and Governor Spanberger's First Week
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginia Pilot, covering Virginia's return to the Regional…
- The Virginia Press Room
Data Center Bills, Executive Orders, and Virginia's New Governor
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Jeff Schapiro of Virginia Public Radio, covering the official inauguration of Governor…
- The Virginia Press Room
Legislative Priorities, Intra-Party Tensions, and Constitutional Amendments
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lauren Burke of Black Virginia News, covering the issues that Democrats will be tackling…
- The Virginia Press Room
Budget Changes, Consolidated Government, and Redistricting Possibilities
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Charlotte Rene Woods of the Virginia Mercury, covering the effort to reduce Virginia's…
- The Virginia Press Room
The Blue Sweep, Youngkin's Legacy, and 2025 In Review
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginian-Pilot, covering open questions about the state's Homeland…
- The Virginia Press Room
Student Journalism, Presidential Searches, and Scholarship Changes
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Julia Gwin of Theogony, covering policy-violating patdowns at ACPS football games. Ford…
- The Virginia Press Room
The Revolutionary War, Jefferson's Legacy, and America's Semiquincentennial
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Michael Kranish of the Washington Post, covering how the words on the Jefferson Memorial…
- The Virginia Press Room
Shutdown Calculus, Legislature Demographics, and the Republican Reaction
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Liz Crampton of Politico, covering how Virginia Republicans are reckoning with last…
- The Virginia Press Room
Candidate Speeches, President Trump's Influence, and The Blue Tsunami
Lauren Burke of Black Virginia News, covering the thirteen state House seats that Democrats flipped to give them a 64-36 majority. Chris Saxman of the VIP…
- The Virginia Press Room
Takeaways from the November Election
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by Jahd Khalil of VPM News, plus Democratic strategist Ben Tribbett and Republican…
- The Virginia Press Room
SNAP Backup, Business Sentiment, and This Week's Election
.In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Karina Elwood of The Washington Post, covering the report that says allegations of…
- The Virginia Press Room
Pre-Election Headlines, Mid-Decade Redistricting, and Candidate Accessibility
.In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Julie Carey of NBC4, covering the impact of leaked Jay Jones texts on the upcoming…
- The Virginia Press Room
Attorney General Debate, Right to Work, and the Election Countdown
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Kate Seltzer of the Virginian-Pilot, covering last week's debate for Attorney General…
- The Virginia Press Room
Collective Bargaining, University Funding, and Debate Reactions
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Whittney Evans of VPM News, covering Richmond educators' accusations of union-busting…
- The Virginia Press Room
Takeaways from the Virginia Governor's Debate
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by Jahd Khalil of VPM News and Olivia Diaz of the Associated Press to break down Thursday…
- The Virginia Press Room
Pink-Slime Journalism, October Surprises, and a Clean Energy Summit
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Karri Peifer of the Axios Richmond, covering partisan papers arriving in Richmond…
- The Virginia Press Room
Federal Pressure, Disaster Recovery, and the Nearing Election
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Shannon Heckt of the Virginia Mercury, covering how Southwest Virginia is adapting in…
- The Virginia Press Room
Campaign Fundraising, Polling Accuracy, and the Car Tax
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Lauren Burke of Black Virginia News (and formerly Pod Virginia), covering the Virginia…
- The Virginia Press Room
Landslide Elections, Restitution Money, and Candidates On The Issues
In this episode of The Virginia Press Room, Michael Pope is joined by: Charlotte Rene Woods of the Virginia Mercury, covering the gubernatorial candidates'…