Good morning, RVA! It's 61 °F and today's highs are expected to top 80 °F! There's a strong chance of thunderstorms beginning late this afternoon and continuing through the evening, after which things will cool down quite a bit. But, until then, take advantage of this unseasonably warm weather, y'all!
Water cooler
Oooo check out this piece of digging by Ned Oliver on some recent polling about raising taxes. I didn't get surveyed, but: Yes! Mayor Stoney, please raise my taxes! There are a great many things in this city that need funding, and we can't expect to magically pay for them without more cash. The magnitude of new money needed is not in the realm of "cut Mayor Jones's security detail," it's more along the lines of "we've got to incrementally increase revenue in a bunch of different ways." So, yeah, consider me on board. Also, personal aside, apart from schools and police (which we're all mostly on the same page about), let's not forget that each and every member of Council said the current transit system needs improvement and expansion. I expect to see some sort of something in the GRTC section of budget.pdf.
Graham Moomaw of the RTD has the red-hot redistricting news that OneVirginia2021's anti-gerrymandering lawsuit will move forward. This is great news for those of us that aren't super into our gerrymandered state and the brokenness of our elections. If redistricting reform speaks to your heart—and as good, democracy loving Virginians it most certainly should—you can donate to OneVirginia2021's legal fund right here.
Alix Bryan at WTVR has a small update to the Petersburg Woe Watch™—turns out you gotta cash the checks before you can pay the bills. The city is also trying to dump a bunch of city-owned property to get them back on the tax rolls.
Whoa, unexpected RVANews mention in this Richmond Magazine piece about "local institutions we've loved and lost." Too many emotions for this early in the morning!
I feel great anxiety whenever I read stories and quotes from teenagers discussing race and segregation—when you're 13 or 14 you've got a lot of learning in front of you. Take this piece in the RTD by Patrick Wilson for example, I just worry about the Google history for the kids who are permanently on the record arguing in support of a Harry F. Byrd statue.
Check out these maps and data of spring's first bloom ("The Extended Spring Indices," basically when spring starts). I didn't know such things existed, but now feel less stoked on our recent unseasonably warm weather.
Gentle reminder: It is Ash Wednesday.
Sports!
- Rams take on Dayton in the penultimate game of the regular season tonight at 8:00 PM.
- Spiders head to Massachusetts at 7:00 PM.
This morning's longread
Why I Chose To Stop Wearing The Hijab...& Why I Went Back
I’m a professional in my 30s, living on her own and working as an attorney and consultant in New York City. I am also a former hijabi, a de-jabi, and now a re-jabi. These things might seem like contradictions to some, but it’s entirely consistent in my mind as part of a long, nuanced spiritual journey that continues to change and challenge me even today. My story only seems novel because it disturbs the existing narrative about what the headscarf and dressing more modestly signifies.