Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

One of our neighbors’ names is Jerry. Jerry’s in his 90s, and I swear, he’s the Energizer Bunny come to life. I’ve always seen him as the communal grandpa of our road: He’s lived in the same house for decades upon decades, isn’t shy about telling it like it is, and always waves when he’s driving past.

Admittedly, Jerry and I don’t have much in common. I mean, come on: He’s lived circles around me and experienced life without color TV. His children are grown. His home is tidy. And his politics differ somewhat from my own (which he doesn’t mind sharing). But you know what? That’s never stopped him from calling me “pretty girl,” asking “how that boy’s doing,” or giving the most lovely hugs.

It’s the day after a really stressful, contentious election. And your neighbor is still your neighbor. Your pastor is still your pastor. Your friend is still your friend. This morning when we each woke up, some of us were happy with the results, and some of us were sad. Others—and I’d really love to meet you and learn your secrets—didn’t feel strongly this way or that. My ask for you is simple: Be gentle with yourselves this week. Be kind to those you come across. And most importantly, remember, I care about you, not whether you voted the same way I did—and I’m so glad you’re here. 

By ZEKE MILLER, MICHELLE L. PRICE, WILL WEISSERT and JILL COLVIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.

With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.

The victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal – often misogynistic and racist – terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters – particularly men – in a deeply polarized nation.

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told throngs of cheering supporters in Florida even before his victory was confirmed.

In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump also will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined.

Democrats looking for reasons to stay positive can look to Virginia. 

Vice President Kamala Harris beat former president Donald Trump in Virginia by six points, according to the latest figures from the state Department of Elections.

Harris’ sound victory in Virginia comes after months of Republican posturing and spin that the state was somehow in play for Trump. The former president even held a rally in Salem on the Saturday before Election Day. But in the end, Virginia solidified its status as a southern blue state that has not backed a Republican for president since 2004. 

In addition to once again rejecting Trump, Virginia stopped one of his far-right acolytes from going to Congress. Kaine soundly defeated Republican Hung Cao by nine points. After conceding defeat on X, Cao said he is done running for political office. 

Democrats also proved victorious in one of the most competitive US House races in the country. 

Democrat Eugene Vindman defeated Republican Derrick Anderson in the race to fill the open seat in Virginia’s 7th congressional district. Vindman led with 50.9% of the vote, compared with Anderson’s 48.7%, according to the state Department of Elections. Anderson has yet to concede defeat, but that is not uncommon for Republicans. 

We figured you might could use some good news today. Let’s start with this: Virginia’s red-cockaded woodpecker is no longer endangered!

After decades of conservation efforts, the red-cockaded woodpecker, a bird native to Virginia, was recently demoted from endangered to threatened. 

This bird was one of the first animals to become an “endangered species” in 1970, and received protection from the government in 1973. 

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland stated, “The downlisting of the red-cockaded woodpecker marks a significant milestone in our nation’s commitment to preserving biodiversity.” 

When the woodpecker originally became endangered, there were only about 1,470 clusters (groups of nests) throughout the East Coast; today, there are an estimated 7,800 nest clusters. 

To access more positive things happening across the commonwealth, click the link below.

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