Monday, May 25, 2026

Happy Memorial Day! On this day in 1787, the Constitutional Convention officially convened in Philadelphia, where Virginia’s own George Washington was unanimously chosen to preside. Fellow Virginian James Madison also played a pivotal role, with his Virginia Plan laying the groundwork for what would become the U.S. Constitution.

Today’s edition is abbreviated as our staff takes time to celebrate Memorial Day with their families. We’ll be back with the full lineup on Wednesday.

Want our news coverage delivered sooner? In just over a week, we’re launching Flyover Updates, an afternoon text with the biggest breaking stories of the day, delivered straight to your phone. You don’t have to wait till tomorrow to get the day’s biggest stories anymore. Get them same-day from Flyover Updates! Sign up here to get our very first edition, coming in June. We can’t wait to hear what you think about it.

Today’s sponsor, United States Tungsten, is working to restore America’s domestic tungsten supply as demand for this critical industrial metal surges amid rising prices, zero U.S. inventory, and growing government interest.

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.

Virginia Honors Its Fallen

Communities across the Commonwealth pause today for Memorial Day ceremonies, a tradition that carries unusual weight in Virginia, where Hampton Roads holds one of the nation’s largest concentrations of active-duty personnel and Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base.

Yorktown’s noon program at York Hall will be preceded by a procession from the Fifes and Drums of York Town, while observances stretch from Richmond’s Virginia War Memorial to Hampton National Cemetery.

The National Memorial Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery will be livestreamed nationwide at noon, part of dozens of VA-coordinated services as America approaches its 250th birthday.

Budget Impasse Drags On

Virginia is barreling toward its first-ever partial government shutdown, with services set to halt July 1 without a deal.

The General Assembly hasn’t held joint negotiations since March 6, and a special session adjourned in April empty-handed. The sticking point: a Senate plan to accelerate the expiration of a nearly $2 billion per year data-center tax exemption from 2035 to 2027, which the House has resisted.

Secretary of Finance Mark Sickles told lawmakers the Commonwealth has lost nearly 42,000 jobs since July, though General Fund revenues run $850 million ahead of forecast. Gov. Abigail Spanberger has ordered an updated outlook.

Flying together with our sponsor

The $10 Billion Tungsten Boom

The global tungsten market is surging toward $10 billion by 2030 for one simple reason: modern industry has no substitute for it. From the precision drills that build our cities to the high-heat engines that power our flight, tungsten is the indispensable “backbone” of global manufacturing.

With global prices recently surging 557% and U.S. inventory at a critical zero, the demand for a domestic source has reached a boiling point. It’s happening right as United States Tungsten is aiming to reestablish domestic tungsten to supply the 25-year growth cycle of American industry.

They’re already in supply talks with the U.S. Government. This is your opportunity to invest in United States Tungsten as they bring this critical resource back online.

➤ Statewide: Virginia moved closer to requiring diaper-changing stations in public restrooms of newly constructed buildings after a state housing board advanced the proposal for public comment and final approval. (More)

➤ Harrisonburg: A judge on Friday sentenced the “Shopping Cart Killer” to multiple life terms after jurors convicted Anthony Eugene Robinson of murdering two women and concealing their bodies in 2021. (More)

➤ Loudoun County: An accidental fire on Saturday displaced two adults, three children, and several pets after improperly discarded wood chips from a smoker ignited a garage and caused nearly $350,000 in damage. (More)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech plans to create Hokie Ventures, LLC, a new athletics revenue company designed to expand fundraising, manage future NIL opportunities, and support the university’s “Invest to Win” strategy. (More)

➤ Charlottesville: Scott Stadium will host the 2026 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship game today as Championship Weekend returns to Virginia for the first time in nearly 45 years. (More)

➤ Richmond: Police launched Operation Safe Summer, a multiagency initiative running through early September that targets violent crime hotspots with increased enforcement, community events, youth programs, and gun safety efforts. (More)

Like The Virginia Flyover? Share it with a friend! ✈️

Flying together with our sponsor

This Metal Jumped 557% and Is Still Climbing

From semiconductors to EVs, aerospace, and more, tungsten is used across $12.33T in markets. And one company is unlocking this critical resource on U.S. soil for the first time in years.

United States Tungsten is aiming to reestablish tungsten on American soil. The company has a roadmap to dominate the domestic supply chain as the U.S. cuts its reliance on foreign imports.

Lock in your United States Tungsten investment as they aim to restart domestic tungsten production.

This is a paid advertisement for United States Tungsten Company’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.unitedstatestungsten.com/