Jackie DeFusco
8News WRIC Richmond
Richmond, VA, United States
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Recent articles by Jackie:
Rape kit backlog eliminated in Virginia: ‘It’s never coming back’
The elimination of the backlog is just one part of what Herring called ‘a transformation’ in the state’s approach to sexual assault cases. → Read More
Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Five Guys franchises got small business loans, Virginia data says
The public is getting its first look at where billions in taxpayer dollars went after the Small Business Administration released detailed data on a program that officials say saved nearly one million jobs in Virginia during pandemic closures. → Read More
Death of Atlantic Coast Pipeline marks ‘end of the fossil fuel era,’ advocates say
The long-contested Atlantic Coast Pipeline is cancelled but debate continues over what this means for the future of Virginia’s energy economy. → Read More
Newport News 11-year-old gets special welcome home after spending weeks in hospital
Congratulations to Charlie! → Read More
VDH ‘doesn’t know’ which phase long-term care facilities are in
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- The Virginia Department of Health recently released recommendations—not requirements— to guide the phased reopening of long-term care facilities, which account for about 60 percent of the state’s death toll thus far. Under the VDH guidelines for easing restrictions, nursing homes are supposed to lag behind the locality they’re in by at least […] → Read More
Eviction protesters pepper-sprayed, window smashed at courthouse
An anti-eviction protest at the John Marshall Courts Building in Richmond ended with pepper spray and vandalism. → Read More
New taxes on gas, cigarettes, skill games start July 1
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)-Virginians will start seeing higher prices on some products when new taxes passed by the General Assembly take effect on July 1. Gasoline Over the next two years, the gas tax will double in some areas of Virginia from about 16 cents per gallon to nearly 34 cents per gallon. On Wednesday, the […] → Read More
Virginia lawmakers want to end immunity for officers, former chief says slow down
A somewhat wonky legal term is now central to calls for police reform in Virginia. → Read More
Meet the three Republicans running to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Warner
All three Republicans vying to challenge Warner in the General Election are seeking elected office for the first time. → Read More
Virginia Democrats kick off virtual convention in unprecedented campaign season
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- The first virtual Democratic Party Convention in Virginia kicked off on Friday in a campaign season that has mounted significant challenges for candidates trying to connect with voters during the coronavirus pandemic. The pep-rally comes every four years ahead of the presidential election, drawing thousands of Democrats to Virginia’s capital city. The […] → Read More
Sen. Jennifer McClellan announces bid for governor, two black women now running in Virginia
Capitol Bureau Reporter Jackie DeFusco interviewed Sen. Jennifer McClellan ahead of her announcement on Thursday. This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. → Read More
Virginians debate ‘defunding police,’ here’s where both sides stand
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)- Some protesters in Virginia want to ‘defund the police’ but others argue that’s not the answer. Demonstrators say these calls represent a cultural reckoning over where policing ranks in our priorities. “They don’t need as big of a budget as they’ve had over the years,” said Jasmine Kelley, a volunteer with the […] → Read More
WATCH: Northam addresses George Floyd protests and discusses entering Phase Two of reopening the state
Gov. Ralph Northam addressed racial inequalities in Virginia and the George Floyd protests at his coronavirus update on Tuesday. → Read More
Online grocery ordering & delivery for SNAP launches in Virginia; some say it’s overdue
For the first time on Friday, the 750,000 Virginians currently on SNAP can buy food online for delivery. → Read More
Homelessness funding at unprecedented levels in Virginia during pandemic
For the first time, some communities aren't seeing homeless people on the streets. → Read More
Virginia nursing homes still waiting on testing; struggling with PPE
Gov. Ralph Northam's administration is still working to expand testing and stabilize supplies in long-term care facilities--where nearly 60 percent of Virginia's coronavirus deaths have occurred--as providers call for more government support. → Read More
Inmates waiting for calculated early release dates say Virginia DOC is moving too slow
For the first time, the Virginia Department of Corrections can release inmates with less than a year left to serve but--with five offenders dead from coronavirus--inmates in facilities with no testing to date say they're not letting people out fast enough. → Read More
Northam will let localities keep tighter COVID-19 restrictions when state reopens
Gov. Ralph Northam (D) said Wednesday that he will permit localities to uphold coronavirus restrictions even as other areas of Virginia ease regulations ordered in response to the pandemic by the governor. Northam did say, however, that he will have the final say on what localities will do. → Read More
Virginia Public Safety Secretary responds to inmate early release concerns
Inmates and family members who spoke anonymously to 8News say an early release plan proposed by Gov. Ralph Northam gave them false hope. As conditions behind bars are criticized during the COVID-19 pandemic, some say additional criteria set by the Virginia Department of Corrections is making it "impossible" for most eligible inmates to actually get out of prison. → Read More
Virginia lawmakers don’t delay May elections despite COVID-19 concerns
Despite coronavirus concerns, local elections for more than 200 public offices across Virginia will not be delayed. → Read More