We’ve long known that some diseases run in families, but in only the last few decades, have we been able to identify specific genes that may pre-dispose someone to a specific illness.  What to do with that kind of information remains a very personal question, raising new issues about not only choice, but how we talk about those decisions. 

May is National Teacher Appreciation Month. But here in Virginia, some worry about the the profession of teaching.

More than 7,000 students were at John Paul Jones Arena this weekend – collecting a diploma from the University of Virginia.  Among them, Dallas Ducar who had two previous degrees from UVA.  This one was especially meaningful – marking an academic and personal triumph.

Campaign-finance numbers show several members of the General Assembly need to play catch up now that the session has ended.

New data from the state shows enrollment in the expanded Medicaid program is on target. And now there’s a new campaign to target Spanish speakers.

Charlottesville is gearing up for  the Presidential Ideas Festival – a gathering that will feature  one former president and top officials from many administrations -- talking about how the chief executive makes decisions, how the office has changed and where it may be headed. 

Abortion rights advocates will be in federal court next week, hoping to get rid of several restrictions imposed by Virginia’s legislature.  As Sandy Hausman reports, they’ll argue the limits don’t meet standards imposed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

When it comes to whiskey, you have your Bourbon aficionados and your Rye fans, and for many, it’s strictly one or the other.  But it turns out there are actually no dependably discernable taste differences between the two distilled drinks.  That’s according to a scientific taste test study by Virginia Tech Food Science professor Jacob Lahne. 

For many years, young people in Southside and Southwest Virginia have been leaving the area after graduating from college. But, that may not be the case for much longer.

Lawyers are back in federal district court  over care at the state’s medical prison for women. They complain that underqualified nurses are diagnosing conditions and prescribing treatment, that care is often delayed  and communication is lacking. Sandy Hausman has details.