Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

Sometimes, the news feels like a lot to hold at once—big policy ideas, stories from the past that still echo today, and the little unexpected moments that lighten the load in the middle of it all.

Today’s newsletter is a mix of all three: A closer look at a proposed energy bill that could shape what you pay each month, a powerful reminder of community care from Virginia’s history, and a midweek story that’s a little less serious, but definitely hard to forget. Let’s get into it because I’m so glad you’re here.

Amie Knowles

Newsletter Editor, Dogwood

The Energy Bills Relief Act (EBRA) would help Virginians. (Grusho Anna/Shutterstock)

Dems’ new energy bill could lower costs for American households. Here’s how it works

By Jessica F. Simmons

Here’s what you need to know: The Energy Bills Relief Act (EBRA) is built around three main goals: 1) expand the nation’s power supply, 2) lower energy costs for consumers, and 3) strengthen protections for households struggling to pay their utility bills.

The facts:

One of the bill’s biggest goals is to increase the amount of energy available on the grid. That includes speeding up how quickly new energy projects, especially solar and wind, can be built and connected.
The bill also takes aim at how energy costs are distributed. Right now, the cost of building and maintaining energy infrastructure can be passed down to consumers through higher utility bills. The EBRA would shift more of those costs onto large energy users, including data centers, rather than households and small businesses.
Beyond infrastructure and pricing, the bill includes direct support for households struggling with energy costs. That means increasing funding for programs that help families pay heating and cooling bills, especially during extreme weather.

Learn more about how this bill could impact you at the link below.

The goals →

Lucy Goode Brooks poses for a photograph. (Encyclopedia Virginia)

From formerly enslaved to helping orphans

By Aila Boyd

Lucy Goode Brooks (1818-1900) was a formerly enslaved woman who became a champion for African American orphans in post-Civil War Richmond.

After securing freedom for herself and several of her children, she was unable to prevent one daughter from being sold into slavery in Tennessee, an experience that fueled her lifelong commitment to aiding parentless children.

Recognizing the urgent need for support among newly emancipated families, she worked with local Quakers, churches, and charitable organizations to establish the Friends’ Asylum for Colored Orphans in 1872.

The orphanage provided care and shelter for nearly sixty years, serving as a testament to Brooks’ dedication to community and social welfare.

More VA activists →

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Screenshot of the Lemon Pound Cake music video. (ogafroman/YouTube)

The trial we didn’t know we needed

By Amie Knowles

You know who I’d never heard of before his case went to trial? Joseph Edgar Foreman—better known as Afroman.

Apparently, I missed all the bops of the early 2000s, including when his hit song “Because I Got High” earned the rapper a Grammy nomination. So when a guy in an American flag suit and matching sunglasses hopped on my algorithm last week, I didn’t realize the immense amount of joy his diss tracks would bring me.

Maybe you’ve heard—Afroman just won a defamation lawsuit brought by Ohio police officers following a 2022 raid on his home. After the incident, he used footage captured by his home surveillance system to write parody songs.

Because of that, we now have tunes like “Lemon Pound Cake” and “Battle Hymn of the Police Whistle Blower.”

Lines from the case itself were almost as entertaining as the songs. An attorney asked, “You were called Officer Pound Cake by Mr. Foreman?” The officer on the stand replied, “Multiple times. We received hundreds of poundcake at work from different people.”

There’s no moral to this story—just a little lighthearted fun for your mid-week scroll.

Hear “Lemon Pound Cake” →

Job: Automotive Service Advisor

Location: Priority Chevrolet Greenbrier in Chesapeake

Salary: $60,000 to $100,000/year

Qualifications:

Must have automotive service experience
Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and a clean driving record

Job description on ZipRecruiter: “Do you want to work at one of the busiest automotive dealerships in the region where your employer treats you like a member of the family? Priority Chevrolet Greenbrier has immediate openings for automotive service advisors. There has never been a better time to advance your career in the automotive industry. Apply today. Busy shop with tons of work.”

Seek opportunity here →

Have you shared this newsletter with a neighbor?

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Amie Knowles. Amie is a lifelong Virginia resident and mom to a fantastic 8-year-old who loves Pokémon. This edition includes stories from Jessica F. Simmons and Aila Boyd. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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