Fusion has long been considered the “Holy Grail” of energy, able to potentially supply boundless electricity without producing climate-warming emissions or leaving behind radioactive waste.

It’s a nuclear reaction that powers the sun. It’s the opposite of fission, which powers traditional nuclear plants. Those plants split atoms apart to create energy, whereas fusion combines atoms.

But it’s proven incredibly difficult to achieve on Earth.

Scientists, students, government officials and local leaders gathered at William & Mary Friday to discuss how to bring the industry closer to reality.

WHRO News spoke with organizers of the Virginia Fusion Symposium: Saskia Mordijck, associate physics professor at William & Mary; Lane Carasik, associate professor of nuclear engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University; and Sean Agnew, professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Virginia.

Check out the full interview here: https://www.whro.org/environment/2026-10-15/is-nuclear-fusion-the-future-of-energy-in-virginia-some-officials-think-so

Another update on Gordonsville’s 287(g) agreement with ICE, and this is a pretty big one:

Timesheets and other records obtained through FOIA contain evidence that Gordonsville police participated in Greene County immigration operations.

That includes the June 23 operation along Route 29 in Ruckersville that sparked an AG investigation.

And one of those Gordonsville officers who clocked in for a task force operation on June 23 is the Police Chief himself, Chris Votaw.

He’s been asked if his department worked with Greene County Sheriff’s Office before and wouldn’t answer.

A month ago, the mayor characterized Greene County’s immigration operations as an “illegal” and racial profiling.

After publicly apologizing for a lack of transparency at a community meeting two weeks ago, both the mayor and the police chief seem to have stopped responding to press inquiries.

If you haven’t been following this story, Gordonsville Town Council is voting on termination of the agreement on Monday, October 19. Residents at meetings have all been opposed to working with ICE, but the vote is a toss up and Mayor Brooks seems to be the biggest holdout. Here’s the post on that:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Virginia/s/RvHlN1TQKM

And there are also a bunch of transparency issues with this agreement that you can read about here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Virginia/s/b0ZDeQBrT0

Hi, Virginia. I’m a volunteer baker with Lasagna Love, a non-profit that fights food insecurity one lasagna at a time. We’re always looking for more bakers to volunteer to make and deliver lasagna once in a while for someone in your area who needs a little help. You can set your own schedule, your own delivery radius, and make your own recipe. I personally bake about once a month, and I limit delivery to a 10 mile radius. I’ve baked lasagnas for people out of work or recovering from surgery. I don’t always know the reasons unless the requestor specifically mentions it in their request, but I know they’re always grateful and it feels good to give back in a small way!

Everything is handled through a portal that matches bakers to requests. Once you’re matched, you contact the requestor and work out a delivery schedule. I typically bake on the weekends, but I don’t get matches every month. There are a lot of unmet requests, and some are months old, especially in the Chesapeake, Hampton, Richmond, and Roanoke areas. No matter where you are there’s probably someone near you who would appreciate a lasagna in a time of need.

All you need to do is to sign up and bake from time to time. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to help out people in need. Details at https://lasagnalove.org/.

Visited Washington’s birthplace and this view out back always struck me. Perfectly calm day, the water mirroring the sky. One of my favorites.

LENGTHY BUT WORTH READING- Exciting opportunity to become a dental patient at VCU
Hello everyone!

If you need dental care or would like to make sure you have good oral health, feel free to fill in this form! I am a dental student at VCU School of Dentistry providing care under the guidance of a faculty dentist. My schedule has opened up for this year and I’d be happy to see you! Filling out this form will ensure that someone reaches out to you within 5 business days.

Form link: https://forms.gle/5Dahe2AQigJ78NMRA

VCU School of Dentistry has a long waitlist if you call them but if you fill in this form, we might be able to get you scheduled sooner. VCU offers every oral health specialty under one roof, so you never have to go far for specialized services.

Our services include:

Cleanings and preventative care

X-Rays and exams

Fillings

Dentures

Root canals

Gum related treatment

Oral surgeries

And more!

We also accept VA Medicaid and most insurances!

In our student practice, patient care is provided by friendly and professional dental students from VCU School of Dentistry under the direct supervision of our faculty. Pricing and insurance participation may vary depending on your needs.

I will reach out to you to set up an appointment as soon as i can (within 3 business days). 

VCU School of Dentistry provides services by appointment only. Our clinic and office hours are Monday-Friday, 9-5 p.m.

Please note: the personal information your provide below isnt going to be shared with anyone besides your provider and the school so we can create a patient chart for you.

Note For ALL Students:

There is a Student 2 Student Discount Plan for any VA students if you don't have Medicaid or insurance! Our Student 2 Student Discount Plan is exclusively for college students in Virginia. For a $40 fee per six month period, you will receive up to 80 percent off of cleanings, exams and X-rays, and 60 percent off of basic restorative treatment, such as fillings. You’re also eligible for customer teeth-whitening trays for more than 80 percent off.

Note For VCU Students:

For VCU Students, SmileWell may be a greater benefit. Look online for more detail/ to enroll:
https://health.students.vcu.edu/patient-resources/general-health/

The Democrat in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District supports a release of the full Epstein files.

As the hometown newspaper cut staff and TV stations left the Shenandoah Valley town of Winchester, a website appeared touting a new, trusted source of local news.

The Winchester Gazette launched in August 2023 with upbeat promises and an opaque public profile: It said nothing about its owners and declared a no-byline policy, claiming to protect its reporters from undue influence.

For three years, The Gazette has published thousands of stories about crime, government meetings and community events.

But Winchester leaders started to question the site’s transparency and fairness. Who owns the Gazette – as well as the what, when, where and why of it all – became one of the city’s central mysteries.

The Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO spent days in Winchester, talking with city leaders and residents, and months conducting dozens of interviews and combing through pages of public records.

(Story by Jaysun Silver and Laura Thompson)

Check out our full coverage here: https://www.whro.org/virginia-center-for-investigative-journalism/2026-10-06/in-winchester-the-truth-about-a-local-news-website-is-the-citys-best-kept-secret

Anyone have any suggestions on how to lower energy bill? Our electric bill is killing us. We’ve had the AC off and somehow our bill goes up??

If successful, Virginia's Ballot Question 2 would define marriage in the commonwealth's constitution as between two adults regardless of race, sex or gender. 

Federal law, US Supreme Court rulings and Virginia law all currently recognize same-sex and gender-diverse marriages. But proponents of Virginia’s marriage equality amendment say the state needs to double down on those protections in case that were to change.

Some of the opposition to the proposed amendment comes down to the inclusion of the word gender — which would likely be the first time the term has been mentioned in the Virginia Constitution.

Since the mid-20th century, psychologists and medical researchers have used the term sex to broadly describe a biological state dealing with genes and anatomy, whereas gender is a sociological behavior or role.

But drawing that distinction in the law is a relatively new practice, said Elana Redfield — the federal policy director at the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, which focuses on LGBTQ policy. 

Social conservatives — like former Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is touring the state in opposition to Ballot Question 2 — are uneasy about the fact that the amendment treats sex and gender as separate concepts. Despite the fact that the amendment only relates to marriage, she argues that adding gender to the constitution would extend legal protections to transgender people in other areas as well.

Read more here.

See also r/chesapeakebay, r/VirginiaEnvironment, and r/VirginiaNews

The Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority recently pulled out of an NDA on the project at I-81/581 junction, and information has flowed more freely.

Lots of conflicting information on Google and Reddit pertaining to this law. DMV website says “everyone riding in a motor vehicle must have a seat belt to protect them during a crash.” However, Virginia law states “§ 46.2-1156.1. Transportation of persons less than sixteen years old in pickup truck beds prohibited; exception.” It doesn’t NOT say anything about the legality of adults riding in the bed of a pickup truck.

Please get the word out before Registration deadline Oct. 23 about filling out the registration forms for those who served their time for a felony covered by a court ruling. Go to ACLU site below for full information. This is different than the third VA Constitutional amendment on the ballot. Vote YES on all three constitutional measures that restore freedom and rights. If deadline missed, Virginia has same-day registration (a provisional ballot is voted and will be counted for those eligible) at early voting sites through early voting and at assigned polling place Nov. 3. https://www.acluva.org/know-your-rights/voting-felony-conviction/

See also r/VirginiaOpEds

See also r/VirginiaEnvironment, r/VirginiaUrbanism, and r/VirginiaNews

EDIT: lol all I wanted to say was what are the odds. This was one of those randomized ones from the dmv. I mean out of 2.17 billion total combinations possible ..

EDIT 2: I didn’t know about the TikTok until you guys mentioned… Mine has a different #. At least I know I’m not the only person who got this plate.

The VHSL is in its second full season of allowing each of its 24 regions to develop their own playoff system.

The Trump administration’s cuts to SNAP are sending an estimated 130,000 vulnerable Virginians off the food subsidy program. A network of nearly 100 food pharmacies in Virginia is struggling to fill the gap — and provide families with healthy produce and food.

Food pharmacies are a relatively new concept: bringing food pantries into healthcare facilities, supporting healthy diets and healthier families.

The Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO reported from farms and a clinic in Culpeper, showing the network of workers and volunteers helping fill the enormous gap left by federal cuts.

Check out our full coverage here: https://dataviz.whro.org/virginia-food-pharmacies/