This week blue catfish are an invasive species that are rapidly spreading across the Chesapeake Bay. Virginia is urging folks to break out the fryers and utensils to eat the fish before they can damage marine ecosystems. A WHRO investigation found the fired leader of Norfolk's housing authority authorized millions of dollars in no-bid contracts usually reserved for emergencies. Finally, a parrot rescue in Virginia won't have its license renewed this August. Now, the owners are unsure where the birds will go.

This week thousands of people in Virginia are actively awaiting transplants, but many of them are unaware how donations are sorted and assigned to patients. The fourth director in two years has taken over at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center. This takeover comes amidst a rocky situation that saw the VA eliminate more vacant positions than any other VA in the country. Finally, harbor seals are flocking to Hampton Roads waters, but scientists can't quite figure out why. WHRO's Katherine Hafner dives into the mystery to find out.

On This Week's Weekly Edition: The aircraft carrier USS Bush is en route to the Middle East to join a slew of other vessels in the area, as the US tries to take control of the strait of Hormuz. Plus, Michelle Hankerson addresses the lingering questions about the redistricting amendment ahead of next week's special election. And, community leaders on the peninsula held an inaugural environmental justice symposium this week at Christopher Newport University. these stories and more on this episode of Weekly Edition.

This week astronauts on the Artemis II mission requested to name a moon crater after astronaut Reid Wiseman's wife, Carroll, who was a Virginia Beach native. A new law is supposed to provide more transparency to Virginians about police use of Flock traffic cameras in the state. Finally, senior homelessness is a growing problem in the U.S. Hampton Roads is facing its own issues as a third of the homeless population is 55 and older.

This week Virginia lawmakers are pushing to protect reproductive rights in the state constitution, but access to care could still remain a complicated issue. Federal funding for medical research in Virginia continues to be a big economic driver for the state. That's despite a drop in the total number of projects funded. Finally, WHRO's John Doucette speaks with actor and comedian Nick Offerman ahead of his comedy and craftsman show in Virginia Beach later this month.

This week people from all over the community honored the ROTC instructor killed by a gunman at Old Dominion University on March 12. The ROTC cadets who subdued the gunman were also honored in a private ceremony. The USS Gettysburg made its return to Hampton Roads this week after five months in the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear. Finally, a new government report found military dogs living in substandard, unsanitary conditions. These issues at ten bases directly contributed to the deaths of four dogs.

This week artificial intelligence has become a dicey topic for many people in recent years. Grocers in Williamsburg are leveraging it to reduce food waste, but it's also coming at the cost of reducing donations to food pantries. A decade-long study about blue crab cannibalism in the Chesapeake Bay provides insight into the crustaceans' odd behavior. Finally, we have a roundup of everything we know about last week's shooting at Old Dominion University.

This week a shooting at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront last weekend left six people injured. Now, the city may use early emergency curfews to mitigate and control weekend crowds. NOAA is considering new vessel speed rules to limit collisions with endangered whales. Finally, a Norfolk woman thought she was suffering from an every day skin rash, but it turned out to be a rare autoimmune disease. We'll hear her story.

This week families of local airmen and sailors are bracing for long deployments after the United States and Israel launched attacks in Iran over the weekend. Virginia has confirmed ten measles cases in the first two months of 2026. That's more than double the amount of confirmed cases in all of 2025. Finally, a new analysis of Hampton Roads shows that options are limited for people who use housing vouchers to find suitable homes.

This week Dominion Energy informed shareholders that it lost over $200 million from pausing work on its offshore wind farm, but the project is still on schedule despite the delays. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger provided the Democrats' response to President Trump's State of the Union address. It heavily criticized the president's tariff policies. Finally, it's Girl Scout cookie season. WHRO's Mechelle Hankerson went behind the scenes to see how the cookie operation is carried out.