Friday, December 12, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1862, the Union army fully occupied the city of Fredericksburg ahead of what became a disaster for commanding Gen. Ambrose Burnside. Over the next three days, Union troops were repulsed as they attacked Confederate positions. The Union suffered twice as many casualties as the South and retreated to winter quarters.

We recently asked whether Michael Vick, set to join the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame next year, is the greatest athlete in Commonwealth history. His criminal past made that a controversial idea for many readers. "He may be able to play ball, but his animal cruelty should not be forgotten and should affect how he is celebrated," one reader wrote. "I don't feel he's someone kids should look up to," another added.

Readers also named Gabby Douglas, Arthur Ashe, Moses Malone, Sam Snead, Allen Iverson, Chris Hanburger, Ralph Sampson, and Secretariat as greater athletes than Vick. Thank you to everyone who wrote in.

Keep an eye on your inbox this Saturday: we're sending a partner message from Incogni about how scammers get your data and what you can do to protect yourself.

If you've ever wished you could get in on a Lucasfilm-level opportunity before the rest of the world caught on, today's sponsor, Elf Labs may be the rare early-stage entertainment deal everyday investors actually get to access.

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.

Danville Suspect Competent for Trial

Shotsie Michael Buck-Hayes, the man accused of attacking a Danville city councilman and setting him on fire, was found competent to stand trial.

The defendant is charged with first-degree attempted murder and other counts after his alleged attack on Lee Vogler at the councilman's place of business in July. His lawyers had asked the court for a mental evaluation.

Vogler suffered third-degree burns over 60% of his body, but has recovered enough to be released from the hospital several months ahead of schedule. "I hurt pretty much every day, but I feel good," he said recently.

No trial date has been set.

SNAP Changes Coming

Virginia will no longer allow SNAP users to purchase "sweetened beverages" with their benefit cards. The change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is part of the Trump administration's nationwide Make America Healthy Again initiative and will take effect in April.

"We all recognize that better nutrition is a critical step to making Virginia the strongest she's ever been," Gov. Glenn Youngkin said, explaining why his administration requested the change in federal policy.

The new restrictions will apply to sodas, diet sodas, and carbonated energy drinks that contain added sugars or artificial sweeteners.

Eleven other states are imposing similar policies.

Championships Kick Off

High school football season ends tomorrow with six championship games.

The Class 1 and 2 finals will be played at Salem City Stadium, while the Class 3 and 4 finals will be held at Liberty University, and the Class 5 and 6 finals will be held at James Madison University.

Oscar Smith will look to repeat as Class 6 champ when it takes on North Stafford, and Loudoun County will try to complete its surprising run through the Class 4 bracket as it faces favored Varina. Both games are set for 11:30 a.m.

Other games include Strasburg vs. Glenvar in Class 2, Rye Cove vs. Rappahannock in Class 1, Lake Taylor vs. Kettle Run in Class 3, and Highland Springs vs. Maury in Class 5.

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The $4 Billion Deal Everyday Investors Missed

In 2012, Disney acquired Lucasfilm for $4 billion — one of the most profitable entertainment deals ever made.

But everyday investors never had the chance to participate. The upside was locked away behind private doors.

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After a decade-long legal effort at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Elf Labs secured more than 500 trademarks and copyrights featuring iconic characters like Cinderella, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, and many others.

It's one of the most significant character-IP victories in recent memory — and they are already rapidly scaling.

$15M+ in royalties
Upcoming global rollout to 200M TVs
12 patents being used to power 3D & immersive content
Unsolicited $70M+ offers before any nationwide rollout
A team with a $6B+ licensing track record

The shift resembles the Lucasfilm moment — except this time, the opportunity is still open to everyday investors.

Elf is building a tech-powered character universe designed to disrupt the $2 trillion entertainment and merchandise market. With enterprise backing and distribution underway, they're entering a major growth phase.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Glenn Youngkin lost a legal case against state Senate Democrats this week, with both sides agreeing that Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger will be free to fill 22 vacant board of visitors seats at state universities when she takes office next month. (Details)

➤ Richmond: The Commonwealth's unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% in September, the most recent month for which information is available. Virginia has added 28,200 nonfarm jobs this year. (More)

➤ Wise County school board officials removed the public comment section of their meeting this week, but said they plan to hear from parents next month. It was the first meeting since Union High School football coach Travis Turner disappeared into the woods on Nov. 20, before he could be arrested on child exploitation charges. (Details)

➤ Statewide: The Virginia Department of Education announced that teacher vacancies have dropped by one-third as compensation has increased across the Commonwealth since 2023. (More)

➤ Statewide: Fall fire season ended on Nov. 30 with 1,733 acres burned by 152 wildfires statewide, the Department of Forestry announced. (Details)

➤ Blacksburg: Virginia Tech teachers and students earned an $8.8 million grant from the USDA to study the lasting environmental impact of Hurricane Helene. (More)

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➤ Former UVA basketball coach Tony Bennett will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame as part of a prestigious 2026 class that also includes Grant Hill, "Boo" Williams, and Michael Vick, among others. (Details)

➤ James Madison's next associate director for football personnel will be former University of Florida general manager Jacob LaFrance, who will rejoin newly-hired football coach Billy Napier in Harrisonburg. (More)

➤ Old Dominion visits George Mason for a non-conference men's basketball game tomorrow afternoon. (Score)

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➤ The owner of Virginia Snow and Ice Management called the two storms that covered parts of the state this month a nightmare for property managers. "Snows like this are just honestly nuisances for everybody around," Nick Lopez said. (Details)

➤ Newport News Shipbuilding hosted a keel laying for the Virginia-class submarine that will be known as USS Barb. It will be the 31st submarine in the class upon completion. (More)

➤ The Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia inked a deal with AI-enabled sorting company Amp that should cut the amount of trash going to landfills in half. (Details)

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This $6B Licensing Team is Offering up to 25% Bonus Stock in their New Venture

There's a new king in the $2T entertainment market.

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The company has secured 100+ historic trademark victories tied to powerhouse characters like Cinderella, Snow White, and dozens more.

Their idea? Merge their iconic IP with AI, AR, and patented tech to build the world's first connected entertainment ecosystem. They're creating a world where content, toys, devices, and holograms all interact in real time.

And it's already taking off. In just 12 months, Elf Labs secured a nationwide T-Mobile–backed telecom deal, raised $8M from 2,200+ investors, and inked a 200M-TV distribution deal for their revolutionary new form of content.

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➤ Northern Virginia is offering an abundance of events this weekend, including concerts, Legos, and SantaCon. (Details)

➤ A bipartisan commission recommended that lawmakers allow the use of plug-in "balcony solar" in Virginia. Such systems would help renters and homeowners reduce their use of electricity from the grid. (More)

➤ A wayward goose, now named Gumbo, walked into a Virginia family's garage and made itself part of their life. (The Whole Story)

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