HearSay with Cathy Lewis

Today officially kicks off our coverage of local and state elections. We talk to the candidates for mayor in the City of Virginia Beach about why they think they deserve the job. But first we discuss challenges to schools during the COVID era.

HearSay is taking a look at how cities and counties in Hampton Roads are spending their CARES Act and other coronavirus relief money to address economic hardships related to the coronavirus pandemic. We start on the Peninsula with York County, James City County, Williamsburg and Newport News. Then, we discuss recent developments in the Portsmouth Police Department.

Last week, a Virginia House of Delegates committee halted legislative proposals that would have created exceptions for people who don’t want to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Gov. Ralph Northam’s office says that he does not plan for the state government to mandate that Virginians get vaccinated. If and when an approved vaccine were available, would you get it?

We talk about how the military keeps track of COVID-19 statistics, and what that means for Hampton Roads. Then, we check in with researchers and school officials as they plan for the fall.

The Confederate monument in Portsmouth came down. We discuss its history and the controversy and protests around it. Then, we talk to Sen. Lynwood Lewis about the General Assembly.

Colleges and universities across the country are struggling to decide how to carry out their fall semesters amid the coronavirus pandemic. We take a look at what the schools in our region are doing and discuss the health, educational and financial factors that are driving decisions.

The governor joins the show to discuss the ongoing pandemic, the voting process in Virginia, police reform, his legislative priorities and other challenges facing the state. We also discuss a variety of policy questions with the Chesapeake Registrar, a Chesapeake Public Schools official and WHRO's Sam Turken.

We talk about the court case involving protests in Portsmouth, and the history and controversy surrounding the Confederate monument there. After that, we talk about the new COVID-19 statistics in Hampton Roads, and what they mean for all of us.

We talk to Virginia's Attorney General Mark Herring about his priorities for police reform. Then we unpack what happened at the General Assembly.

How will COVID-19 change the future of offices, teleworking and everything in between? We will discuss the immediate issues and the long-term implications. Then a reporter from Politico will discuss the US Postal Service's role in the upcoming election