This week Virginia's colleges and universities are going to miss its target for increasing the number of degrees they award. Also Hampton Roads residents participated in nationwide "days of action" to protest President Donald Trump's presidency. Finally, on the college sports front, Norfolk State is launching a new lacrosse program. WHRO reports how that will open opportunities for the historically Black university.

This week anxiety over President Trump's executive orders is permeating the Department of Veteran Affairs, which is struggling to fill medical positions. International Holocaust Remembrance Day is in late January, but the Hampton Roads commission works to codify its memory year-round. Finally, Williamsburg is set to have a tool to help boost resilience to economic and social challenges.

This week Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters says it's no longer offering gender-affirming treatments to children under age 19. Next, you'd think rising costs of life-saving drugs would hurt paramedics, but those in Virginia are saying it's actually saving lives. Finally, Dominion Energy says offshore wind energy costs are increasing...and that means those costs will also impact you.

This week federal workers in Virginia may be in for some relief as the General Assembly considers a bill that would prevent them from losing housing. The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission wants your input for its first climate action plan. Finally, last month Sentara began using new blood storage systems to dispense blood products closer to the people who need them. In other words, blood vending machines.

This week Perdue Farms is facing large penalties from the U.S. Department of Labor after children were found working in hazardous conditions in an Accomac facility. Virginia churches might soon have an easier path to develop affordable housing. Finally, there's a new alliance to talk about -- Norfolk State University is teaming up with the Elizabeth River Project to help marginalized communities impacted by climate change.

This week the centuries-old mystery of Roanoke Island might soon be solved. Recent discoveries on Hatteras shed light on just what happened to the English colonists who disappeared. In Richmond, the Virginia House of Delegates began the process for constitutional amendments this week including the right to access all forms of birth control. Finally, there's some not so good news in Hampton Roads -- residents reported the lowest quality of life in over a decade according to an Old Dominion study. We'll learn why that's the case.

This week the Something in the Water saga hits another detour as Virginia Beach City Council decides not to hold the festival in breach of contract. But there's still a lot of obstacles to overcome. Carol Pretlow, a long time professor at Norfolk State, passed away in December. WHRV's Another View paid tribute to her and reflected on her contributions to the show. Finally, the Navy launched an investigation into a ship that mistakenly targeted a friendly aircraft. The first-in-a-few decades incident follows an already controversial and costly rebuilding effort for the ship.

This week we hear how age demographics are shifting in Hampton Roads and why that's not a good thing for area colleges and universities. Old Dominion and Virginia Commonwealth universities will use a $9 million grant to study cancer prevention in neighborhoods with low income housing. Finally, the world's first nuclear fusion power plant is being built next door in Richmond. We'll learn what that will entail.

This week it's the end of the year so we're taking a look back at the WHRO stories we felt were the most engaging and impactful in 2024. We revisit a few stories from our Democracy at Work series that demonstrated the oft ignored and unheralded civic duties. What's the latest update on the Norfolk families who say their kids received targeted harassment because they're Latino? We'll have the latest. Finally, remember the Norfolk and Newport News communities that battled coal dust pollution? We'll hear how their fight has played out.

This week a Hampton Roads man is using classic Christmas music to honor his late mother by raising funds for cancer screenings in Norfolk and Richmond. The 757 is welcoming back one of its legendary sports figures. Michael Vick is taking the reins as the new head coach of Norfolk State football. Finally, the Virginia School of Medicine has been studying consciousness for several decades. WHRO took a trip to the school to learn what they've uncovered.