Friday, August 29, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1814, the city of Alexandria surrendered to British military forces during the War of 1812. The city was occupied until September 3.

Virginia is home to 20 of the country's best colleges and universities, according to a new national ranking. But how do in-state schools compare to each other?

The ranking listed the University of Virginia in the top slot, followed by Washington and Lee, Virginia Tech, William & Mary, and the University of Richmond. All these institutions earned A+ ratings overall.

How would you rank the best Virginia colleges? Hit reply and let us know.

Invest in today's sponsor Pacaso, a real estate disruptor backed by Venmo and Uber investors and founded by a former Zillow executive.

Don't feel like reading the national edition of The Flyover? Tune in to The Flyover Podcast! New episodes drop daily—watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, all in under 15 minutes.

Google Betting Big on Virginia

Web giant Google announced it will invest an additional $9 billion to build infrastructure in Virginia over the next 18 months.

Projects include a new data center in Chesterfield County, the expansion of existing facilities in Loudoun and Prince William, and the expansion of educational and workforce development programs.

A Google spokesperson explained why the Commonwealth is so attractive to investors. "When we look for new sites, we look for a strong talent pool, both for construction and operations, as well as available infrastructure and land," Amber Tillman said.

The tech giant previously made a $1 billion commitment to provide every Virginia-based college student with access to the Google AI Pro plan and AI training for a year.

Commonwealth College Football Preview

College football season kicks off this weekend for all five of Virginia's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

Virginia Tech opens with a neutral field game in Atlanta against South Carolina on Sunday. The Hokies revamped their roster with 30 transfers after finishing 6-7 last season.

The rest of the action happens on Saturday. UVA hosts Coastal Carolina in a game the home team is favored to win. The Cavaliers also added a number of players through the transfer portal ahead of Coach Tony Elliott's fourth season.

James Madison plays Weber State in Harrisonburg, where the Dukes have won 13 straight home openers dating back to 2003. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

Liberty begins its season at home against the Maine Black Bears at 4 p.m. Ethan Vasko, a transfer student who played at Coastal Carolina last year, has been tapped as the Flames quarterback.

Old Dominion will face the Indiana Hoosiers at 2:30 p.m. on the road. The Monarchs toppled four teams that made the postseason last year.

Labs are Most Common Breed

According to research by U.S. News & World Report, the most common dog breeds in the Commonwealth are Labrador retriever, German shepherd, and golden retriever. Nationwide, Chihuahuas hold the second spot.

This year's list gives more weight to Labs because it includes Labs of all colors. Black Labs had previously been a separate category and ranked No. 10 nationally.

Goldendoodles—which finished No. 2 in the District of Columbia—were the only mixed breed listed among the top 10 in the country.

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Learn From This Investor's $100M Mistake

Grammy-winning artist will.i.am passed on investing $200K in Airbnb in 2010. It'd be worth $100M+ today.

Now, the investors behind Venmo and Uber are backing another real estate disruptor. And this time, you can invest.

Meet Pacaso. Created by a former Zillow exec who sold his first venture for $120M, Pacaso brings co-ownership to the $1.3T vacation home industry.

They've generated $1B+ worth of luxury home transactions and service fees across 2,000+ owners. That's good for more than $110M in gross profits to date, including 41% YoY growth last year alone. They've even reserved their Nasdaq ticker, PCSO.

And you can join them today for just $2.90/share. But don't wait too long. Invest in Pacaso before the opportunity ends September 18.

➤ Richmond: Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic nominee for governor, said she would rescind Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order that instructed Virginia law enforcement officers to assist federal officers with immigration enforcement. Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate, has embraced the policy. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Hospitalizations of patients with autism have nearly doubled in the Commonwealth since 2020, according to analysis from the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. Almost half of those cases involved children. (More)

➤ Newport News: The city council recently approved a $400 million investment from the Navy that will increase military housing by building 750 units for sailors downtown. The project will also add 10,000 square feet of retail space. (More)

➤ Statewide: The Commonwealth is drying out quickly after two weeks with little measurable precipitation. Experts say rivers and streams remain at healthy levels, fueled by heavy rains earlier in the summer. (Details)

➤ Chesapeake Bay: Scientists documented stone crabs in the waters off Virginia for the first time on record. "Stone crabs are not considered an invasive species," a researcher from the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences said. "Rather, they may be migrating northward as warming waters open new habitat." (Details)

➤ Norfolk: The opening phase of the Resilient Norfolk Coastal Storm Risk Management Project is set to begin construction this fall. The first steps in the multi-year process involve relocating private utilities and building a flood wall to protect infrastructure. (Details)

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➤ UVA, ranked No. 3 in field hockey, hosts No. 18 Penn State at 5 p.m. (Preview)

➤ Virginia State announced that its lacrosse teams will compete in conferences for the 2026 season. Men's lacrosse will play in the Peach Belt Conference, while the women's team will join the Gulf South Conference. (Details)

➤ The Virginia Vitesse, Loudoun County's semi-professional women's basketball team, made the playoffs in the league's inaugural season. (More)

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➤ Henrico County wants to impose regulations that would effectively cap the number of vape shops in the county. Officials have identified at least 16 stores that opened last month without a special permit required by the county (Details).

➤ Community IX, an internet exchange operator with operations in Florida and Georgia, launched a new service in Northern Virginia. (More)

➤ The Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key hotel has opened. The mixed-use development stands at the site of a former hotel, overlooking the Potomac River. (Details)

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How 433 Investors Unlocked 400X Return Potential

Institutional investors back startups for outsized returns. Regular investors have to wait. But not anymore. Thanks to regulatory updates, some companies are doing things differently.

Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 regular people invested an average of $2,730. Today? They got a 400X buyout offer from the company, as Revolut's valuation increased 89,900%.

No wonder 10K+ regular people are taking the chance on Pacaso.

Founded by a former Zillow exec, Pacaso's co-ownership tech reshapes a $1.3T market. They've earned $110M+ in gross profit to date, including 41% YoY growth in 2024 alone. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

The same investors that backed Uber, Venmo, and eBay also backed Pacaso. And you can join them. But not for long. Invest before this opportunity ends September 18th.

This is a paid advertisement for Pacaso's Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving the ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the Nasdaq is subject to approvals. Comparisons to to other companies are for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

➤ Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia gave two volunteers its 2025 Remarkable Volunteer Award. The nonprofit group works to help girls in grades 3-8 build confidence. (More)

➤ The Virginia Department of Aviation handed out awards for Airport Manager of the Year, Aviation Person of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement at a ceremony in Roanoke. (More)

➤ The Metro Richmond Zoo welcomed a litter of six cheetah cubs—three female and three male. They’ve been living with their mother in the facility’s Cheetah Conservation Center since they were born in May and are now set to be on public display. (Details)

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