Y'all!

Once upon a time I ran a news site, now I just have opinions on the news. 

Good morning, RVA: Separating children, RVA Transit Week, and Black Widows

Good morning, RVA! It's 73 °F, and today’s highs are, thankfully, a bit cooler than yesterday. Expect temperatures near 90 °F and a chance for some more thunderstorms this afternoon.

Water cooler

Yesterday, Governor Northam “ordered the recall of four Virginia National Guard Soldiers and one helicopter from the U.S. Southwest border in response to the federal government’s enforcement of a ‘zero-tolerance’ policy that separates immigrant children from their families.” This is a good state-level response to a truly evil federal policy. What were those National Guard soldiers doing there in the first place? The Gov says, “preventing criminals, drug runners and other threats to our security from crossing into the United States.” But the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s Graham Moomaw linked to this over on Twitter, which isn’t super specific but does make it sound like training on the helicopter was a big part of the mission. If you feel appalled by Trump’s policy to separate parents and children at our southern border but helpless and frustrated about how to get involved, check out this trustworthy list of organizations mobilizing to help. Donations to these organizations support the important, on-the-ground work to make a difference.

I take issue with the headline on this editorial from the RTD’s Editorial Board: “Richmond schools gain an Obama Elementary, and hide some early plans”. They’re referencing the proposals the School District and City have received from companies vying to oversee the design of new schools. Honest question: Is it normal practice for governments or school boards to, at this point in the process, make these sorts of proposals public? Or is this practice commonplace and the framing of this editorial (and of the reporting done on the topic earlier this week 💸) unfairly negative? I really don’t know, but here’s what the Editorial Board says if you actually click through and read about this supposed nefarious plot to hide these plans from public view: “At this stage of the process, as the city reviews multiple designs from contending bidders, it is acceptable to examine the possibilities privately before reporting to the public.” Oh. So, at this stage, they’re not hiding anything at all? Just doing acceptable stuff? I guess “Richmond schools gain an Obama Elementary, and do some acceptable stuff” is a less compelling headline?

Dear readers, you surely know that the Pulse and the entirely redesigned bus network begins service THIS SUNDAY? That’s fewer days away than I have fingers on a hand! A huge thing that you may not know: All week, from June 24th through June 30th, you can ride the bus (any bus!) for free. Just get on and ride! To celebrate, RVA Rapid Transit—my place of employ—has put together RVA Transit Week. Think of it as a set of places to go and things to see via bus, especially if you’ve never ridden in Richmond before. Expect to hear more on this next week. P.S. I am also available to answer whatever bus-related questions you may have. Just shoot me an email or a tweet.

Did you know Richmond had a women’s football team? I don’t think I did! Jacob Myers at the RTD has a good story on the Black Widows 💸, a Division III team in the Women’s Football Alliance. Some of the players play both ways! That is intense! The Black Widows next hit the field in an away game this weekend against the Toledo Reign as part of the conference playoffs. Learn more over on their website.

Sports!

  • Squirrels had their game against Altoona postponed and will attempt to continue the series today at 5:05 PM.
  • Nats outlasted the Orioles, 9-7, and will try again tonight at 7:05 PM.

This morning's longread

Celebrating a Second Independence Day: A Juneteenth Reading List

Yesterday, I did a bad job of providing Juneteenth reading material. To make up for it, here’s an entire Juneteenth reading list.

June 19, also known as Juneteenth, marks the day when, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted, slaves in Texas were informed of their freedom. As the National Museum of African-American History and Culture notes in a Tumblr post, it could — and arguably should — be celebrated as a “second independence day.” But as the museum writes, “Though it has long been celebrated among the African American community it is a history that has been marginalized and still remains largely unknown to the wider public.”

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Good morning, RVA: Sanctuary, Historic District drama, and an Executive Order explained

Good morning, RVA: Obama Elementary!, a Bon Secours delay, and a need for bus route creativity