In the immediate aftermath of the June 2022 Dobbs decision, Richmond’s reproductive health organizations received a groundswell of donations and volunteer support. But more recently, those same organizations are struggling to provide basic services to folks seeking...
Virginia lawmakers have approved legislation that would create a legal retail market for recreational cannabis in the Commonwealth, ending years of uncertainty after possession was legalized but sales remained illegal. The bill passed the General Assembly on the final day of the 2026 legislative session, with the House voting 64–32 and the...
Editor’s note: Redfern Hemp Co. is a current sponsor of RVA Magazine. This story was produced independently and without editorial control or influence. Richmond vape and smoke shop owners are pushing back against the city’s enforcement campaign known as Operation Vaporize, saying the crackdown has forced businesses to close and left many...
A political mailer referencing Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan is circulating in Virginia ahead of the April 21 redistricting referendum, prompting criticism from state lawmakers and members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. The mailer urges voters to oppose the referendum and return their ballots immediately. One side reads, “Our ancestors...
Editor's note: Updated with new information. Richmond’s ongoing No Kings movement will return to the streets later this month, with two rallies planned across the region on Saturday, March 28. A gathering is scheduled for 1–3 pm at Monroe Park rganized by RVA Indivisible. On March 28, organizers say they hope to bring Richmonders...
Virginia voters will head to the polls this spring to decide the future of the state’s redistricting process after the Supreme Court of Virginia confirmed that the April 21 referendum election will move forward as scheduled. The court rejected efforts to block the election, writing that “issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is...
Democratic candidates across Virginia are pushing back against early involvement by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in competitive congressional primaries, arguing that national party leaders are shaping races before voters have weighed in. “I'm concerned that the DCCC is tilting the primary by signaling an "approved"...
If you walk into Penny Lane Pub early on certain mornings, you can usually tell how Liverpool is doing before you even glance at the screen. The mood gives it away. Some days the room is loud and loose, other days the tension settles in and conversations tighten. Pints are in hand long before most of Richmond has had its coffee, and by halftime...
Editor’s Note: This article is based on reporting by Julianna Brown of Capital News Service, a student-powered newsroom at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Communication. RVA Magazine has edited and expanded the reporting for our audience. For years, Virginia has allowed community service to count toward court fines and...
Virginia’s long-running effort to build a regulated cannabis marketplace has hit a new turning point this legislative session. Since adult possession became legal in 2021, lawmakers and stakeholders have spent years negotiating a retail framework to replace the unlicensed gray market with a structured, licensed system. Much of that work appeared...
