RVA’s Got Issues
RVA’s Got Issues delves into politics and big issues in the news that are defining life in and around Richmond, Virginia. Should taxes be raised to build a new baseball stadium? Should old schools get a makeover or be replaced? Are more bike lanes a good idea? Host Rich Meagher will speak with guests who shed light on the present, past and future implications of these questions. And in a time when faith in government is at an all-time low, many people say they can’t make a difference in politics. RVA’s Got Issues will counter this feeling of civic alienation by featuring guests who share stories of how they are making a difference. Listeners will gain new insights and ideas for how to become more engaged in their communities. The upshot is a podcast that helps listeners understand not only what’s happening around them but what they can do about it.
Episodes
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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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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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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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 Robertson and Home of VA’s Tom Fitzpatrick...
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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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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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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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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
Chris Saxm...
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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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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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February 25, 2026 • 38 mins
Richmond has a plan called Vision Zero – the goal is zero pedestrian deaths. But so far this year, that goal seems farther away than ever. Rich talks to experts to ask: what are we doing to make our city safer, and is it enough?
To learn more about pedestrian safety in Richmond, check out VPM's Curious Commonwealth: Curious Commonwealth asks: How does Richmond prioritize road safety work?
Guests:
Tara Fitzpatrick, GreaterRic...
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February 18, 2026 • 31 mins
Last year, the Richmond City Council’s Sarah Abubaker had a lot to say about the budget process. Now we're heading into the budget season again. Rich sits down with Sarah to talk about what's changed, how we could think bigger, and the balance of power in Richmond.
Guest: Sarah Abubaker, 4th District Representative for the Richmond City Council
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February 11, 2026 • 4 mins
RVA's Got Issues returns for its fourth season, bringing you stories about the important issues shaping Richmond, Virginia. Hear directly from key leaders; discover how the federal government impacts your community; and listen to inspiring stories about the people in your own backyard who are making change. Follow us on @RichGotIssues for bonus content and download e wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.
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December 24, 2025 • 31 mins
Richmond’s had a good run lately, but it always seems like it prospers in spite of city government, not because of it. Can Mayor Avula and his new Chief Administrative Officer, Odie Donald, finally be the ones who turn that around? Rich sits down with Odie to find out.
RVA's Got Issues will be taking a break for the holidays, but will be back with new episodes early in the new year.
Guest:
Odie Donald, Chief Administrative Offi...
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December 17, 2025 • 31 mins
When is that pothole or broken sidewalk going to get fixed?
To get answers, Rich sits down with Bobby Vincent of Richmond's Department of Public Works, or DPW. But just a warning: those answers may be more complicated than you think.
Guest:
Bobby Vincent, Richmond Department of Public Works
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December 10, 2025 • 30 mins
There seems to be new vibes on the Richmond City School Board. Certainly things have quieted down. But the public schools are still vitally important to our city, still under scrutiny, and still making news.
Rich sits down with School Board Chair Shavonda Fernandez to ask: What's with the new vibes, and what do they mean for the future of Richmond Public Schools – and our city?
Guest: Shavonda Fernandez, Richmond City School Boar...
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December 3, 2025 • 30 mins
What is it about Richmond that makes it a Tattoo City, maybe THE Tattoo City? Rich talks to working artists about the RVA tattoo scene. He also does something he hasn’t done in years: get his own tattoo.
Guests:
Amy Black, Amy Black Tattoos
amyblacktattoos.com
Roman Walston, Black Rabbit Tattoos
www.blackrabbitrva.com
Jen Bean, Loose Screw Tattoo
www.loosescrewtattoo.com
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November 26, 2025 • 31 mins
It’s almost Thanksgiving, so Rich shares three stories about all the things we’re thankful for: about birthday parties; about getting up off the couch; and about kids reading poetry – specifically, Rich's kid.
We’re highlighting the members of our community making RVA just a little bit brighter, a little bit happier, a little bit stronger.
Guests:
- Julia Warren Mattingly, founder of Celebrate RVA
https://www.celebraterva.org/
...
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November 19, 2025 • 30 mins
Ever since she started in Richmond politics, Rich had been hearing about Kenya Gibson. First on the Richmond School Board, now on the City Council, she always seems like she has something important to say. And she is going to say it, even if it ruffles some feathers. Rich finally sits down with her to find out: what makes her tick?
Guest: Kenya Gibson, Councilwoman in Richmond's 3rd district.
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November 12, 2025 • 31 mins
Richmond has come a long way since our "murder capital" days, but the problem of gun violence persists, challenging our assumptions about how it happens. Can new data, new approaches – and a new city office – end gun violence in Richmond?
Plus: we hear from an after-school program for kids that might be part of the solution.
Guests:
Greg Hopkins, Office of Gun Violence Prevention
https://rva.gov/human-services/gun-violence-prev...
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