Bob Leweke
News Director / Morning Edition HostBob Leweke is WMRA's News Director and Morning Edition host.
Before coming to public radio in 2003, Bob had worked for The Roanoke Times as a circulation manager and writer. He later became a member of the communication faculty at Pikeville College in Kentucky, and at Bridgewater College in Virginia, where he taught public speaking, mass media law, communication theory and other courses. Bob holds degrees in communication and political science from Virginia Tech, and a doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2015 and 2016, the readers of the Daily News-Record voted him “Best Radio Personality.”
In his hours away from WMRA, Bob enjoys music, cycling, reading and movie-watching, and spending time with his family doing all of the above.
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UVa students and Virginia politicians react to Friday’s sudden resignation of UVa President Ryan under pressure from the Trump administration… Residents gather in Charlottesville to protest Trump’s immigration policies… As Trump goes after birthright citizenship, Virginia's attorney general pushes back on questions about his mother's citizenship status…. -
DoJ officials call for UVa’s president to resign… The chair of Augusta County’s board of supervisors explains why they canceled a Pride event… As the governor heads to Iowa to test the presidential waters, politics analyst Jeff Schapiro considers the recent history of Virginia governors running for president….
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Cut fiber lines in North Carolina caused this week’s outage in the Charlottesville area… Virginia's unemployment rate rises… A hospital advocate says the Republican spending bill could hit Virginia’s hospitals hard….
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A woman bicycling on the Blue Ridge Parkway is hit and killed by a car near Afton… Government telephone lines for Charlottesville and some surrounding counties are down… Democratic leaders in the state Senate sue three universities, including UVa and VMI, over Governor Youngkin's board appointees….
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Localities set up cooling centers to help residents stay safe from the heat wave… A freight train carrying hydrochloric acid derails in Augusta County, but none of the cargo spills out… A new Charlottesville business aims to help military service members obtain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs….
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Several localities have set up cooling centers for people who need relief from this week's record-breaking heat and humidity. -
Dangerous heat and humidity settle into our area… Protesters gather in downtown Harrisonburg to oppose the ongoing violence between Israel, Gaza and Iran, just hours before President Trump orders airstrikes on Iran… Unless amendments to Trump’s massive spending and tax bill are made, federal cuts to Medicaid would have a significant impact on Virginia’s health care system….
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As summer begins, worker advocates are pushing the state to require breaks from the heat for outside workers… Local cultural sites are preparing to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, but Trump’s tariffs and funding cuts are complicating things… With the primary election in the rearview mirror, Jeff Schapiro looks ahead to the November election….
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Governor Youngkin offers an optimistic view of Virginia’s finances, but some lawmakers are skeptical… A group of professors call on state lawmakers to defend college DEI initiatives against the Trump administration… We have an exit interview with Michael McKee, stepping down as head of the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank after more than a decade….
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State Senator Ghazala Hashmi declares victory in the race for Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor… Former Norfolk delegate Jay Jones wins the party’s nomination for Attorney General… As DHS terminates protected status for Afghan refugees, we talk with a refugee resettlement agency about how that affects Virginia residents….
