Virginia landfills millions of tons of waste each year — much of it food. In this episode, host Lisa Rowan talks with Cardinal News reporter Samantha Verrelli about what really happens to food scraps, why composting struggles to gain traction, and how small operators are pushing back against a system designed to bury waste, not reuse it.

Virginia has made a big bet on cybersecurity—and it’s paying off in some surprising places. In this episode of the Cardinal News podcast, host Lisa Rowan talks with technology reporter Tad Dickens about his deep dive into the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, a statewide effort connecting colleges, universities, and businesses to strengthen digital security. From a virtual water treatment plant at VMI to students helping small businesses in Wise protect their payment systems, Dickens explains how these projects are preparing students for real-world cyber threats and why Southwest Virginia is playing a key role.

Virginia politics is heading into winter with a historic shift — and things are about to get busy in Richmond. Host Lisa Rowan sits down with political reporter Elizabeth Beyer, Cardinal News’ one-woman bureau in the capital, to break down what’s coming before lawmakers gavel in on January 14.

With Democrats now holding the House, Senate, and the governor’s office — a trifecta not seen in roughly four decades — the stage is set for a transformational General Assembly session. Elizabeth walks us through the big-ticket items: affordability plans, a slate of constitutional amendments on abortion access, same-sex marriage, voting rights, and a potential redistricting overhaul.

They also dig into the upcoming budget battle, the impact of the federal shutdown on Virginians, and the new faces representing Southwest and Southside. And, of course, Elizabeth gives a peek at what her “60-day sprint” looks like as she triages hundreds of bills from the heart of Capitol Square.

A smart, timely look at the policies and power dynamics shaping Virginia’s future.

Rural maternity care in Virginia is shrinking — and fast.

In this week’s episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Lisa Rowan sits down with health care reporter Emily Schabacker to unpack the closure of the obstetrics and gynecology department at Centra Southside Community Hospital in Farmville. It’s the latest in a troubling trend: since 2018, five rural labor and delivery units have shut down across the Commonwealth, leaving only seven of Virginia’s 28 rural hospitals still offering obstetrics care after December 19.

Emily breaks down what’s driving these cuts, from long-standing financial pressures to the pandemic-era challenges that pushed hospitals to rely on costly traveling providers. She explains how low birth numbers, staffing shortages, and shifting healthcare economics have made it harder for rural communities to maintain access to safe, local maternity care.

What does this mean for families in Farmville and across rural Virginia? And what are the long-term consequences when essential services disappear from local hospitals?

We dig into the data, the context, and the human impact behind the headlines.

This week’s episode dives headfirst into one of the most gripping stories Virginia has seen in years — the case of the missing baby giraffes from the Natural Bridge Zoo. What began as a routine state inquiry has spiraled into a full-blown criminal investigation, court orders, public outrage, and even a celebrity-backed reward. With the zoo’s manager choosing jail time over revealing the animals’ whereabouts, questions are mounting and patience is wearing thin.

Host Lisa Rowan sits down with Dwayne Yancey who has covered every turn of this unfolding saga. Together, they unpack the timeline, the legal stakes, the mystery at the center of it all, and why these young giraffes have captured statewide — and national — attention. From investigative findings to courtroom showdowns to that headline-grabbing offer from Alicia Silverstone, this episode pulls together everything we know so far and what’s likely to come next.

Host Lisa Rowan talks with reporter Grace Mamon about Halifax County’s ambitious proposal for a recovery campus that would provide housing, transportation, and other essential services for people in recovery from substance use disorder. They explore what’s driving the project, the challenges it faces, and how it could reshape recovery efforts in rural Virginia.

In this episode, Lisa Rowan and Samantha Verrelli explore how a breakdown in communication and enforcement allowed a major Roanoke property to operate without fire protection for more than a year. They unpack the policies that failed to prevent disaster, the timeline city leaders must now answer for, and how journalists bring transparency to local oversight systems that often go unseen.

Virginia’s abortion debate has gone hyper-local. Reporter Emma Malinak joins Lisa Rowan to break down Lynchburg’s proposed zoning changes, the arguments on both sides and what these local battles say about the future of reproductive policy in the Commonwealth.

It’s been one year since Hurricane Helene tore through Southwest Virginia, leaving behind collapsed bridges, vanished homes, and entire communities forced to start over. In this episode of The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Lisa Rowan sits down with Southwest Virginia reporter Susan Cameron to revisit the towns hit hardest by the storm — and to hear how people are rebuilding not just their homes, but their lives.

From neighbors helping neighbors to the tireless volunteers still on the ground, this is a story of resilience, community, and hope amid the wreckage. And as recovery continues, Susan and Lisa also explore what can be done to prepare for future floods — and how lessons from Helene may help protect Virginia’s mountain communities the next time disaster strikes.

This week on The Cardinal: News of Virginia, host Dutchie Jessee sits down with politics and policy reporter Elizabeth Beyer and founding editor and columnist Dwayne Yancey to talk about how covering political campaigns has changed, especially in the age of social media.

With voters scrolling instead of rallying, and candidates now building their own digital megaphones, journalists face a new kind of challenge: how to cut through the noise and hold power to account when everyone has a platform.

From this year’s Virginia governor’s race to the evolving ways candidates communicate — or don’t — we explore how social media has reshaped the relationship between politicians, the press and the public.