RVA’s Got Issues

RVA’s Got Issues

RVA’s Got Issues examines the big issues defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia. What’s being done to keep housing affordable? How do we combat gun violence? What's with all the vape shops? Every Wednesday, host Rich Meagher takes a deep dive into complex issues that impact Richmond, providing clear analysis through conversations with public officials, reporters, activists and community members.

Episodes

Data Centers and Virginia’s Water Supply

September 16, 2026 • 30 mins
As the data center industry keeps growing, we don’t know a lot about how they use water - or how much they are using. Will Richmond, and the rest of Virginia, go thirsty? Featuring: Eric Bonds, Professor of Sociology at the University of Mary Washington
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Richmond’s Future Housing: Code Refresh Part 2

September 9, 2026 • 31 mins
Who is the latest draft of Richmond’s Code Refresh FOR? And really, what does the resulting vision of the city’s future tell us about the kinds of neighborhoods we want – and the kinds of families who will live in those neighborhoods? Featuring: Andrew Breton, Richmond's First District City Councilmember Casey Overton, Zoning Advisory Council  --- ⁠⁠⁠Please fill out our listener survey here.⁠ Your fe...
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Affordability vs. Character: Code Refresh Part 1

September 2, 2026 • 25 mins
The latest draft of Code Refresh doesn’t do as much for affordable housing as some people want. Did we expect too much from Code Refresh? And what happens now? Featuring: Keyris Manzanares, Richmond city reporter for VPM News --- ⁠⁠Please fill out our listener survey here. Your feedback makes a difference. Tell us what you're enjoying about the show, what you want to hear more of, or what's not working for you. Thank yo...
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Is Carmax Park a Win for Richmond?

June 24, 2026 • 26 mins
Fans love Carmax Park, the new home of the Flying Squirrels. But with disputes behind the scenes and questions about costs, is the investment we’ve made worth it? Featuring: Scott Bass, News Editor of Richmond Magazine Michael Phillips, Founding Editor of The Richmonder
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Mayor Avula on Earning Richmond’s Trust

June 17, 2026 • 30 mins
Danny Avula’s campaign for Richmond Mayor is in the rear view mirror, and he’s digging deep into governance. Can he keep the trust of Richmonders while turning campaign promises into reality? Featuring: Danny Avula, Mayor of Richmond
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When Will Virginia Legalize Marijuana?

June 10, 2026 • 42 mins
After YEARS of negotiations, state lawmakers passed a bill to create a retail market for marijuana. Then the Governor got out her veto pen. Can legalization advocates find another way? Guests: Dean Mirshahi, VPM News reporter Chelsea Higgs Wise, Executive Director of Marijuana Justice Barbara Biddle, co-founder of the Cannabis Small Business Association Valerie Slater, Executive Director of RISE for Youth
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The Return of Prison Education in Virginia

June 3, 2026 • 29 mins
We used to do higher education in Virginia prisons, but not so much anymore. What happened? And what’s being done now... to bring it back? Featuring: Terri Erwin (Director) and Kenneth Hunter (Organizer) with the Virginia Consensus for Higher Education in Prison Scott Richeson (Deputy Director of the Division of Programs, Education and Reentry) and Zacc Allen (Chief Information Officer) for the Virginia Department of Co...
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Returning as a Citizen

May 27, 2026 • 22 mins
In Virginia, a felony conviction can lead to a lifetime ban on voting. This November, a constitutional amendment might change this. Rich talks to VPM News reporter Whittney Evans about how big those changes might be. Will the amendment help returning citizens... actually return as citizens. To learn more about returning citizens read VPM's Curious Commonwealth: https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-05-28/quadaire-patterson-voting-rights...
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RVA Loves Our Animals

May 20, 2026 • 30 mins
From Francine the cat to drunken raccoons, we love our animals in RVA. But how are they doing, especially the most vulnerable: the ones who need new homes? On this episode, we talk animal adoptions. Plus: bears. Fat ones. Featuring:  Christie Chipps Peters, Director of Richmond Animal Care and Control Larry Eason, Executive Director of Richmond Animal League Robin Keegan, Reading Interventionist at Frances W. McClenney E...
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VCU and Richmond: Growing Together?

May 13, 2026 • 31 mins
Virginia Commonwealth University is Richmond’s urban university. But it's sometimes hard to know where Richmond ends and VCU begins. How does VCU grow and thrive while the city does the same? Can Richmond and VCU... grow together? Featuring: Max Wasserman, RVA's Got Issues Producer Andrew Kerley, outgoing Executive Editor of the Commonwealth Times
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Richmond's Economic Development: Building New, Reusing Old

May 6, 2026 • 31 mins
It's all anyone seems to think about - how can we develop our economy? But do we actually need to build more to get more? On this episode, the answer is yes and no. One Richmond business has a big plan to capture international attention. But down the street, a second-hand store shows you don't need something "new" to attract customers. Oh, and we get a tour of LEGO Manufacturing VA. Featuring Jennifer Wakefield, President and CEO...
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Dispatches from RVA’s Frontlines

April 29, 2026 • 31 mins
We talk a lot on our show about, well, issues. But we don't always get a sense of what it's like for the people on the frontlines of those issues. How do you keep working to fix the issue, when others don't know, don't care - or want you to stop?From healthcare to education: it's dispatches from the frontlines.Guests: Stephanie Arnold, founder of Seven Hills Family MedicineMary Graham, Chief Executive Officer of READ RVA
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The Human Cost of Public Budgeting

April 22, 2026 • 27 mins
It’s budget season in Richmond. We know government budgets are important, but they’re about much more than numbers. Rich sits down with an expert to ask: what’s the human cost of budgeting?Featuring: Elliott Fullmer, Professor of Political Science at Randolph-Macon College
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Rezoning Richmond

April 15, 2026 • 31 mins
[Originally released 6/11/25] For the first time in 50 years, the city’s zoning code – the rules that say what can be built where – is being revised. It’s definitely time: the need for housing is desperate! But with a stunning reversal of white flight – an influx of young professionals into the city – how do we preserve the Richmond we love for everyone? Rich talks to City Council’s Ellen ...
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Flock Cameras in RVA

April 8, 2026 • 31 mins
Flock cameras take pictures of your license plate, and they’re everywhere in RVA. Are these cameras a powerful tool for getting the bad guys? Or a dangerous step towards mass surveillance? Featuring:  Kunle Falayi, data journalist with the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO
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General Assembly Required: The (Data) Center of VA Politics

April 1, 2026 • 37 mins
The two biggest words in VA Politics right now? DATA and CENTERS. From a state budget battle to heated local opposition, how did they land at the very center of Virginia politics? This episode is part of GENERAL ASSEMBLY REQUIRED, a new series from RVA's Got Issues focusing on state government's impact on RVA. Featuring: Patrick Larsen and Lyndon German, VPM News Reporters
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General Assembly Required: Redistricting, Yes or No?

March 25, 2026 • 28 mins
The national battle for district lines has come to Virginia, and Democrats want to redraw our Congressional map. Critics want them to play fair. But what does "fair" mean these days? This episode is part of GENERAL ASSEMBLY REQUIRED, a new series from RVA's Got Issues focusing on state government's impact on RVA. Featuring: Brian Cannon, No Gerrymandering Virginia
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General Assembly Required: Virginia's New Labor Laws

March 18, 2026 • 31 mins
This year may bring a big shift in Virginia labor laws, changing the game for workers here in RVA – and throughout the Commonwealth. Will these changes help or hurt us - and do we really have to choose between business and labor? This episode is part of General Assembly Required, a new series from RVA's Got Issues focusing on state government's impact on RVA. Featuring: Michael O'Connor, journalist at VA Dogwood Chri...
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A Richmonder's Guide To Civic Matters

March 11, 2026 • 32 mins
Do you want to be more civic-minded, but don’t know how? We’ve got three stories about civic engagement, from the general assembly to the People’s Assembly to drawing a line on a map and making it real. Features: Nick, Isabelle, and Ashley from Randolph Macon College The Richmond's People's Assembly Brantley Tyndall, Director of Bike Walk RVA.
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Richmond’s Food Safety Net

March 4, 2026 • 36 mins
The federal government may be cutting food benefits, drastically - is Richmond ready? What does the safety net for hunger look like in RVA? What COULD it look like, and how do we get there? Guests:  Eddie Oliver, Federation of Virginia Food Banks Ayanna Ogaldez and Irina Rogova, MADRVA Kimberly Battle, VCU School of Nursing
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