Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

I’m not a newsletter editor today; I’m a scary shark (at least, in the Hoenn region). That’s right—once again, I let my son select my Halloween costume. When we take our little Pikachu trick-or-treating this evening, I’ll be swimming through the neighborhood as Sharpedo, a water-type Pokémon. 

My favorite costume idea Colton ever came up with for me was when he was around 3 or so. He asked me to be a pumpkin, but not just any pumpkin—a floating pumpkin. I brought that vision together with a jack-o-lantern sweatshirt, cloud tights, and a white tutu with battery-operated lights in the tulle. Classic. 

As a family of Pokémon this year, I suggest you hide the candy bucket if you see us—because when it comes to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, we gotta catch ’em all. Happy Halloween, y’all. I’m so glad you’re here.

History comes alive on Halloween night. (Zachariah Smith/Unsplash)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: Famous Virginians make great choices for playing dress-up—both for kids and kids at heart.

Our top picks:

• Dressing as George Washington is a classic Halloween costume choice. Born at Popes Creen Plantation in 1732, Washington went on to become a successful general and later the country’s first president.
   
• Channel the legendary Gothic writer Edgar Allan Poe, who spent a considerable portion of his life in Richmond. When trying to copy his iconic style, turn to the Poe Museum in Richmond for inspiration, given its extensive collection of Poe portraits and memorabilia.

• Known as one of the most fashionable Virginians, Pharrell Williams might have grown up in Virginia Beach, where shorts and flip-flops are common, but now dresses as though he’s ready to storm a Parisian runway. In fact, the singer was named the men’s creative director at Louis Vuitton in 2023.

Find your colonial connection? We’ve got plenty more costume ideas at the link below.

Answers rolled in fast on Monday when I asked y’all this question: Has your outlook on the future changed—for better or worse—since Donald Trump returned to the White House? 

Out of the 23 responses I read, only four people said they felt better. Of the ones that didn’t, there were exceedingly valid concerns. One reader, PR W., opened up about how difficult it is to turn on the news these days, saying: “I try to convince myself that it can’t get any worse, then there’s another unimaginable occurrence.”

That response stuck with me all week. If y’all would like to talk more, my inbox is always open to you at amie@couriernewsroom.com.

If you’ve ever had questions about the way the country operates, you’re not alone. (Markus Winkler/Unsplash)

By Ryan Pitkin

What happens when no one stops a president—or a governor—from doing whatever they want? Jobs disappear. Programs vanish. People pay the price.

This week’s authoritarianism explainer breaks down the guardrails that protect US democracy: the separation of powers built into our Constitution. Think of them like the metal barriers on a mountain road—barely noticeable until you realize how much they’re protecting you.

Without a system of checks and balances in place, an unchecked leader or administration can strip away rights from their citizens one by one while ending programs that help everyday people access education, health care and any number of other resources they may take for granted.

Experts say those guardrails are under serious strain right now, as Congress keeps giving in to the current administration. Courts may be the last line of defense. And if those checks and balances fail, getting them back won’t be easy.

With this in mind, it’s important to consider, as the Founders once did: Would you rather be a citizen or a subject?

• Dogwood asked Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer and two-term congresswoman, to tell Virginians in her own words how she’d help them survive and thrive if elected governor on Tuesday, Nov. 4. (Read more)

• Virginia House of Delegates candidate Andrew Payton (D-Harrisonburg) explains how creating policy that puts regular, working-class people first could improve the lives of all Virginians. (Watch here)

• During Dogwood’s event last month, Ashley Kenneth, CEO of The Commonwealth Institute, broke down the compounded effects of Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and the looming loss of subsidies that help millions of Americans get coverage via the Affordable Care Act. (Watch here)

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