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.

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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?
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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.

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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? 

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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:
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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?

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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:
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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?

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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.