Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

There are two animals that make my 6’4” husband fidget: Possums and bats. Granted, he deals with a lot of rabies exposure cases, so I guess I’ll give him a pass. But lord, one of my favorite memories is of him stumbling upon a possum on his dad’s porch a few years ago.

The man screamed—shrilly—danced quite the jig, and yelled, “Ah! Ah! Ah! It’s a possum!” You would’ve thought he’d gone to a haunted house—but no, it was literally a cute little marsupial just waddling by the trash cans. Meanwhile, Colton and I just about passed out from laughing so hard (from the safety of our car). 

A couple of months ago, I couldn’t help myself. We were shopping around in Cracker Barrel when I saw the perfect stuffed animal: A possum with bat wings. Guess what I surprised Kody with when we got to the table to eat dinner… I hope you enjoy a good laugh as much as I did that night. I’m so glad you’re here. 

Virginia is home to 17 species of bat—including three endangered ones. (Amr Miqdadi/Unsplash)

By Brook Bolen

Here’s what you need to know: While Halloween is undoubtedly the biggest jewel in October’s crown, there’s another reason to celebrate it. October is Bat Appreciation Month. 

Here’s how bats help:

• Pest Control—Of the 1,400 species of bats worldwide, the 45 species that call the US and Canada home eat insects for sustenance. Experts estimate that in the United States alone, bats save US agriculture billions of dollars annually in pest control and pesticide costs. In some places, bats can even reduce the need for pesticides.

• Pollination and Seed Dispersal—Some of our most beloved foods, including 500+ plant species like mangoes, bananas, and guavas, depend on bats for pollination. Bats also help spread seeds for nuts, figs, and cacao, chocolate’s main ingredient. These winged creatures also pollinate plants like agave, which is used to make tequila and mescal.
  
   
• Medical Advancements—Roughly 80 medicines come from plants that rely on bats for their survival. Research on bats has also led to advances in vaccines, and experts researching how the mammals use echolocation, aka the use of sound waves to determine the location of objects, have developed navigational aids for the blind. 

Currently, more than 15 bat species are listed as federally endangered or threatened. Learn about ways to support bats in our article linked below. 

I’ll be real with you: I might’ve written this email a little before today…

By the time you’re reading this, I’ll be on the road. Since I haven’t invented a time machine yet, I wasn’t able to skip forward and see what your answers might’ve been in time for today’s newsletter. 

But what I can do is track back a couple of weeks to a question I really enjoyed reading the responses for: “What’s one thing you wish more Virginians knew about early voting?”

Dogwood reader John M. had this to say: “Many folks I meet as I knock on doors while campaigning don’t realize two things: 1) You no longer need to provide a reason for voting early, and 2) Virginia now has same-day voter registration.”

If you haven’t already, today’s a great day to cast your ballot.

Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., speaks to reporters as Republicans hold a conference meeting at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Michael O’Connor

Virginia Democrats in Congress are part of a legislative effort to restore bargaining rights for over a million federal workers, but Virginia Republicans have yet to sign on despite their claims of being pro-worker. 

Virginia’s US Senators, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, recently joined other members of the Senate to introduce legislation that would repeal executive orders by President Donald Trump that, among other things, took away collective bargaining rights from over a million federal workers. The two-page bill is called the Protect America’s Workforce Act. 

Since Trump’s inauguration in January, his administration has repeatedly attacked the rights and job security of federal workers. As part of his assault on labor, Trump in March ordered that most federal workers lose their collective bargaining rights on the pretext their jobs were tied to national security.

• At a roundtable in Midlothian, advocates, doctors, and community members warned that contraception rights could be Virginia’s next political battlefield. (Watch here)

• The Trump Administration lied about destroying $10 million in contraceptives overseas, claiming they were “abortifacients.” That’s scientifically false, but the rhetoric matters. (Read more)

• Did you know Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill that would have made exploitive maintenance fees from landlords illegal? (Read more)

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