New members may be bringing a fresh approach to the Richmond City Council, one that sees a role for City Council in challenging the Mayor – not for drama’s sake, but to hold him, and city administrators, accountable to residents. Sarah Abubaker is one of these newly elected Council members calling for change. Can she help make it happen?

Danny Avula is the Mayor of Richmond. He just finished his first 100 days, and he's finding out what it’s like to try to follow through on campaign promises. One lesson he’s probably learning the hard way: Changing city government can’t happen overnight. It’s like turning an oil tanker – it happens slowly, and you need a lot of room.

There’s a Corrections crisis in Virginia! State prisons and juvenile facilities are facing claims of unsafe conditions for both staff and the incarcerated, and lawmakers are starting to push back.

Rich talks to VPM news reporter Keyris Manzanares and the Virginia Mercury’s Charlotte Rene Woods to find out what they've uncovered.

It seems like every day brings new national news stories about deportations, ICE raids, or student visas being revoked. This is fueling fear not just in the immigrant community, but even among people here in the country legally.

Rich talks to an advocate who serves RVA's Latino community, as well as an attorney who represents Virginia immigrants. How is this immigration crackdown affecting people in Virginia and Richmond?

The Trump Administration is taking on higher ed, and Virginia universities are on notice. VCU hasn’t been singled out, but IS facing program cuts, and is already making changes to try to prevent more. Who can our local institutions turn to for help? Rich talks with Virginia Congressman Rob Wittman about Trump’s challenges – and threats -- to higher education, and what the Congressman has been doing about it. Is it enough?

Plus: we shine our Community Spotlight on WomenRise, a United Way program that helps cover childcare costs so single mothers can follow their educational dreams.

Henrico County: what's it all about, where is it going, and how is it going to shape the future of RVA?

Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas joins Rich to answer questions from our listener voicemail line. They talk about everything from federal funding cuts to the Green City development to Henrico’s response to the Richmond water crisis. With all of the instability in Washington, can Henrico stay on its steady course of economic growth?

It's time to decide the People’s Budget of Richmond!

Richmond's government has set aside $3M of YOUR money – and now YOU get to decide what to do with it. This participatory budget program has reached the voting stage, and now anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in the city – age 14 and up! – can vote on projects in their council district.

Rich sits down with City Council staffer Leidiana Delgado to find out how the process got this far. Then he talks to two "budget delegates" – regular folks who volunteered to review all the ideas so that the whole city could vote on the best ones possible.

Rich talks to two local sports czars about the business of sports tourism, a billion-dollar industry that’s become vital to the economic health of the entire region. From youth to colleges to the pros, RVA is building a sports infrastructure that’s meant to help both residents and visitors score big.

Plus: STAND UP FOR RICHMOND! We’ll talk to members of the River City Red Army about their support for the Richmond Kickers... and each other.

What is nuclear fusion, and why is it coming to Chesterfield County? Virginia's energy needs are growing exponentially, and we are going to need every kilowatt we can get if we don’t want our energy bills to grow with them.

Adam Sledd of the Dominion Energy Innovation Center returns to the pod to talk with Rich about nuclear fusion, data centers, and the future of RVA’s energy – and energy bills.

Plus: we go to the James River Park System to talk with an expert about the problem of invasive species, and hear from an all-natural, four-legged solution.

Public education is facing huge challenges across the country, as the Trump administration takes steps to possibly abolish the federal Department of Education. Add to that demands for immigration enforcement and cuts to Diversity programs, mix in some longstanding structural and staffing concerns, and our local school systems may be facing more challenges than ever.

Rich sits down with Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras, who talks about ALL of it... and answers YOUR questions from our listener voicemail line.