EPISODES

Pod Virginia 8/29/22 Pod Virginia 8/29/22

Mountain Valley Pipeline Extension and the Midterms Changing Tides

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is giving the Mountain Valley Pipeline an additional four years to obtain all the necessary permits to finish construction. This isn't the first time FERC has granted an extension--but some experts say it's a bad deal for Virginians, both environmentally and economically. According to a new Roanoke College survey, consumers are feeling better about the economy--eight points up from the spring. While consumer confidence is still at a historic low, the upturn might be one good sign for Democrats in what's otherwise looking to be a difficult midterm election.

Thomas Bowman 8/22/22 Thomas Bowman 8/22/22

Junk Science Conversion Therapy and Challenging the Earned Sentence Credits

Thousands are behind bars right now, even though they should've been released--that's the result of a recent budget amendment that changed how "earned sentence credits" worked. A lawsuit by the ACLU challenges whether the amendment can undo the credits earned since the 2020 law was passed.

Also in the news: While conversion therapy is illegal to perform on LGBTQ+ children, it's still not illegal for adults. Despite the practice being widely discredited, the Virginia Department of Health Professions is telling licensed state health professionals that it's okay to keep using this junk science on adults.