Good afternoon, 

The 2026 General Assembly session begins tomorrow. State Sen. L. Louise Lucas, Democratic poster-in-chief, isn’t backing down from her hopes for a 10-1 Democratic map if and when Virginia redraws its congressional districts. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is scrambling to (maybe) finally address the affordability crisis.

Speaking of which, below, I report on Virginia Democrats’ affordability agenda and have a look at today’s US inflation report. 

Plus, mark your calendars for the chance to snag a bobblehead of a rap legend. 

Virginia state Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, listens to debate during the Senate session at the Capitol, March 10, 2022, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

It should come as no surprise that Virginia Democrats want to tackle affordability this upcoming General Assembly session. 

This morning, we got another look at how Virginia Senate Democrats plan to do that. 

Speaking at a press conference in Richmond, Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Fairfax) said Democrats will take up bills that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour; establish a state program for paid family and medical leave; and give collective bargaining rights to the 700,000 Virginians who work in either local or state government. 

There will also be bills to address the affordable housing crisis by making it easier for developers to build houses; expand solar power across Virginia; and fund public transportation, Surovell said.

“President Trump’s policies have failed Virginia,” Surovell said at the press conference. “The question now is whether we’re going to let that happen or whether we’re going to do something about it. This caucus stands ready to take action, and you’re going to see it this session.”

I think it’s worth mentioning that Senate Democrats did not include overturning Virginia’s anti-union, “right-to-work” law among their top priorities. That doesn’t bode well for legislation that would do just that filed by state Sen. Jennifer Caroll Foy (D-Woodbridge). 

For their part, Virginia Republicans are saying that these Democratic proposals will do the opposite of making life more affordable for people. 

I’ll be in Richmond tomorrow for the first day of session to see how things kick off.

• The Richmond Education Association (REA) wants state lawmakers to prioritize funding for public education, Daniel Dookan at WRIC reports.                                                                                                                            

• A bipartisan group of state lawmakers lay out the reasons why Virginia should cap prescription drug prices that are unreasonably high in a piece published by Cardinal News.

• Brad Kutner at Radio IQ reports on the fight to expand the use of manufactured homes as a means of addressing the housing affordability crisis.

Coffee beans are prepared at a farm in Braganca Paulista, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Today, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that inflation was lower than expected in December. 

US inflation in December was 2.7% and core inflation that doesn’t include food or energy costs was 2.6%. 

Not the greatest news for Virginians dealing with already elevated prices but at least it appears that, as economist Heather Long notes, “Inflation doesn’t appear to be getting worse.” 

That’s not to say there aren’t places where working people are feeling the squeeze. 

Electricity prices rose 7% in 2025 and utility gas prices rose 11%, which Long says helps explain “some frustration on Main Street right now.” And then there’s the price of coffee, which is up double digits over the past year. 

To top it all off: as corporate profit margins are up, workers are getting a smaller slice of the pie, according to a chart published by The Kobeissi Letter.

A portion of a mural by artist sloe_motions depicting Oscar De La Hoya, Vin Scully, Kobe Bryant, Snoop Dogg, and Tupac Shakur is seen on the side of Speedy Auto Tint on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, in Bellflower, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Calling all fans of hip hop and Major League Baseball. 

On May 8, the Baltimore Orioles are giving away a Tupac Shakur bobblehead at their home game against the Oakland Athletics. 

The Orioles note that Shakur lived in Baltimore from 1984 to 1988. He attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he studied acting and poetry. 

For those who don’t know, many Virginians have a soft spot for the Orioles due to the fact that there was no MLB team in the Washington, DC region until the Nationals (formerly known as the Montreal Expos) moved there in 2005.

Not to mention Virginia isn’t home to any MLB team or any other major league sports team. 

So for years, Virginia baseball fans looking for a home team to root for opted for the closest one they could find, the Orioles. 

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