Virginia Democrats are condemning President Donald Trump’s threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight” as his administration blunders its way through an unpopular war with Iran that opened with the US bombing of an Iranian elementary school. 

At least one Virginia Republican doubled down on her support for Trump in the wake of his comments.

Below, I have the details on economic development legislation signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger that’s expected to add more than 3,000 jobs in the state. 

Plus, a new ska protest song from the Richmond band Dead Billionaires. 

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Gov. Abigail Spanberger signing legislation in a photo provided by her office.

Spanberger’s office announced yesterday that she signed off on legislation clearing the way for four economic development deals expected to create thousands of new jobs in Virginia. 

These kinds of deals are beloved by Republicans and Democrats alike: the state offers millions of dollars in incentives to companies and the companies in turn promise to make investments worth billions of dollars and hire thousands of Virginians. 

Three of the four deals Spanberger signed off on were announced while former Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin was still in office. 

If the companies don’t keep up their end of the bargain, then they miss out on some of the money. 

The legislation backing these deals contains detailed language about the kinds of the jobs that need to be created including what the minimum average salaries need to be. The average annual salaries required of these deals, the companies involved, how many jobs are expected, and where they’ll be are: 

• Pittsylvania County, Aviso USA, 1,546 jobs, average salary of $81,483
• Albemarle County, AstraZeneca, 500 jobs, average salary of $160,750
• Goochland County, Eli Lilly and Company, 468 jobs, average salary of $113,632
• Halifax County, Hitachi Energy, 825 jobs, average salary of $73,830

It’s worth noting that there’s nothing in any of the legislation requiring the companies to hire union labor. 

Still, Virginia AFL-CIO president Doris Crouse-May called the legislation Spanberger signed “an important step toward strengthening Virginia’s workforce and economy.”

“But as we focus on creating jobs, we must also focus on creating good jobs,” Crouse-May said in a statement to me. “The best jobs are those that lead to long-term stability, that provide a living wage, strong benefits, and a voice on the job through a union contract.”

• Dave Cantor of Red Onion Resources reports on the millions in overtime Virginia prisons spend each year. 

• The White House is proposing to cut more than 9,400 workers from the TSA, according to budget documents analyzed by Reuters, according to People magazine. 

• Brad Kutner at Radio IQ reports on how the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and the Arc of Virginia, a nonprofit that advocates for people with disabilities, are united in their support for public-sector collective bargaining rights. 

Unsplash/Markus Spiske

Tom Barkin, the president of Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond recently gave a speech about the ongoing fogginess of our economy. 

“A year ago today, I stood before a group like this one and described navigating last year’s economy as trying to drive through fog,” Barkin said in a March 27 speech. “I can’t stand here a year later and tell you the fog has lifted. If anything, it’s deepened and spread.”

Factors contributing to confusing economic times include uncertainty about AI and the war with Iran, Barkin said. 

He noted that while the labor market has stabilized, things still don’t feel great. 

“Employment growth is near zero, and younger workers are having a hard time finding jobs in this low-hire economy,” Barkin said. 

YouTube/Dead Billionaires

The Richmond band Dead Billionaires is out with a new ska single called “Washed Away.” 

Dead Billionaires started as the songwriting project of frontman Warren Campbell in 2021. 

Here’s what Campbell says about this new, hopeful tune: 

“Originally it was a post-pandemic song, but seeing the communal resilience of Americans in the face of ICE occupation, corruption, and extended economic stress has made me continually hopeful that the people will prevail.”

I hope you enjoy this new tune like I did, and if you do, you can catch them on tour this spring.

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