Thursday, March 19, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1796, Secretary of State Timothy Pickering accepted a copy of The Virginia Plan—a draft of the U.S. Constitution first written by James Madison in 1787—on behalf of the United States government. The document was provided by President George Washington.

With only 60 days in the just-ended legislative session, state lawmakers had to set aside a number of proposals.

For example, they debated whether to establish the Virginia Fungi Task Force "to assess, categorize, and protect the Commonwealth's natural fungi species and explore the economic potential of fungi." That effort decomposed, though it may be brought back to life next year.

What Virginia issues do you think a task force should study? Or are there too many task forces already? Hit reply to let us know.

Today's sponsor, Immersed, is offering a final chance to invest pre-IPO at $0.66 per share as it prepares to launch its next-generation AR/VR workspace platform and highly anticipated Visor headset.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Bomb Suspect Wants Pardon

Lawyers for Brian Cole submitted a 23-page court motion arguing that he is eligible for a presidential pardon. Cole—a Woodbridge resident—is charged with planting pipe bombs at DNC and RNC headquarters in the hours before the Jan. 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol.

"By the government's own telling, this is exactly the kind of case that President Trump's January 20, 2025, Presidential Pardon was invoked to reach," Cole's lawyers wrote in a legal filing.

Last year, President Trump granted "a full, complete and unconditional pardon to all other individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021."

Cole has pleaded not guilty to the charges, even as he seeks a pardon.

Roanoke to Host Budget Talks

The city of Roanoke is scheduled to host a special session on Monday to discuss a proposed 2027 budget. Policymakers are trying to reduce spending to balance the budget and have vowed to be "committed to transparency, collaboration, and responsible financial management."

A key concern is how much to spend on education, including potential spending cuts. "We may have to have some uncomfortable conversations to get back to having comfortable conversations," the chair of the city school board warned this week.

The school board has signed off on a preliminary budget that would spend about $269 million, which is $16 million less than it had originally requested.

The city still faces a $5.1 million shortfall.

UVA, VCU Tip-Off March Madness

No. 3-seed Virginia and No. 11 VCU are set to open NCAA men's basketball tournament play, with both aiming to kick off deep March Madness runs.

VCU plays No. 6 North Carolina tonight, which will be without star Caleb Wilson due to injury. The Rams have won 16 of their last 17 games, capped by an Atlantic 10 tournament title win over Dayton.

On Friday, Virginia will face No. 14 Horizon League champion Wright State. UVA has lost only twice since the start of February—both to No. 1 Duke—and the Cavaliers are heavy favorites against the Raiders.

VCU's game against North Carolina will tip off at 6:50 p.m. on TNT. Virginia will play Wright State at 1:50 p.m. Friday on TBS. You can view the full bracket here.

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➤ Arlington: The Virginia Department of Health lifted a recreational advisory that had been in place for the Potomac River from the American Legion Memorial Bridge to Chain Bridge. The warning was issued after a pipe collapsed in D.C., dumping around 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the river in January. (Details)

➤ Martinsville: The National Weather Service reported that an EF0 tornado touched down during Monday's severe weather. No injuries were reported. (More)

➤ Statewide: Legislators passed a bill that would add a separate recycling fee to the cost of any new mattress. Gov. Abigail Spanberger must decide whether to sign or veto the proposal, which would add an estimated $20 to the price of every mattress purchase. (Details)

➤ Tidewater: The Virginia Department of Health reported that two minors have died from the flu in 2026. The second victim was between the ages of 13 and 17 and lived in the eastern part of Virginia. (More)

➤ Hampton Roads: Principals at area high schools urged students enrolled in Junior ROTC programs to avoid wearing their uniforms on campus. "This step is being taken out of an abundance of caution and in alignment with guidance provided by military partners," they wrote. (Details)

➤ Statewide: Three state universities spent more than $120,000 each last year for fireworks at football games. UVA spent $128,737, James Madison spent $124,850, and Virginia Tech spent $120,620. (More)

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➤ Mary Washington faces the University of Chicago, while Christopher Newport tips off against St. Thomas today in the DIII men's basketball national quarterfinals. (Schedule)

➤ UVA women's basketball plays Arizona State in a First Four March Madness matchup tonight. The winner will be a 10-seed and face Georgia on Saturday. (More)

➤ Liberty won its first Division III hockey national championship, skating to a 3-0 win over St. John Fisher University. (More)

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➤ Dr. Tamarah Holmes, Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, joined the Virginia Housing Board of Commissioners. (Details)

➤ AeroVironment, based in Arlington, announced it will acquire Empirical Systems Aerospace in a roughly $200 million deal. (More)

➤ NVR, based in Reston, proposed a plan to build more than 1,000 homes in western Prince William County. (Details)

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Immersed combined the world's most-used remote work XR software ($127B by 2030), AR/VR hardware ($100B+ by 2026), and AI productivity tools ($36B) to create a productive, communal, and distraction-free virtual workspace. That's why 1.5M+ professionals, including Fortune 500 teams, already use it.

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➤ The annual Virginia Festival of the Book returns this weekend in Charlottesville, with more than 150 authors scheduled to appear. (Details)

➤ The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources announced it faces a budget shortfall that may force it to cut back on its wildlife management programs. (More)

➤ The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia's 2026 Shape of the Region Conference will be held next Tuesday in McLean. (Details)

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