Wednesday, November 4, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1985, the Roanoke River crested at a record 23.35 feet after rising roughly 19 feet in half a day, unleashing the worst flood in Roanoke’s history and killing 10 across the valley.

Virginians voted, and we’ve recapped the results for you in Top Stories. Did you stay up to watch the returns come in? Reply and let us know.

Have you heard you’re not supposed to drink coffee on an empty stomach? The warning is all over social media, and it claims that the first cup before breakfast is doing damage you can’t feel. Gastroenterologists just weighed in, and their answer isn’t what the internet says. Researchers performed endoscopies on more than 8,000 people to test the claim. A separate experiment found one common morning combo that backfires, sending blood sugar climbing when you’d least want it. So is your pre-breakfast cup safe or not? Ayla has the full story on today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast. Tune in here!

Today’s sponsor, Noor, explores the hormonal changes behind thinning hair after 50 and shares a menopause specialist’s approach to supporting fuller-looking hair.

VA Democrats Gain Seats in Midterms

Virginia Democrats gained seats in yesterday’s midterm elections, helping the party take control of both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

Virginia Democrat Sen. Mark Warner won a fourth term, defeating Republican challenger Bert Mizusawa, a retired U.S. Army major general, 60% to 40%.

In the 2nd District, former Rep. Elaine Luria defeated Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, and Democrat Shannon Taylor was projected to unseat 10-term Rep. Rob Wittman in the 1st District.

The 5th District remained uncalled, with Rep. John McGuire narrowly ahead of Democrat Tom Perriello at The Virginia Flyover’s deadline.

Other projected winners included several incumbents: Democrat Eugene Vindman of the 7th District, Republican Ben Cline of the 6th District, Democrat Don Beyer of the 8th District, Democrat Suhas Subramanyam of the 10th District, and Democrat James Walkinshaw of the 11th District. See live results here.

Voters also approved all three state constitutional amendments, which protect reproductive rights and marriage equality, and automatically restore voting rights after incarceration.

State Report Flags CTE Gaps

A statewide review found that Virginia students’ access to career and technical education courses and industry credentials varies sharply by region, with underserved areas offering fewer options. It also found that the state’s 10 most commonly earned credentials don’t consistently meet expectations for industry recognition.

The report, released Oct. 1 by the state boards of education and workforce development, stems from a biennial review the General Assembly ordered this year.

Virginia’s public schools serve more than 690,000 students in CTE courses in grades 6-12 and offer 520 CTE courses, 367 industry-recognized credentials, and 82 career pathways.

The review recommends expanding credentials in underserved areas, aligning offerings with high-demand fields, deepening employer partnerships, and improving data transparency. The state has set aside $20 million to expand CTE programs across its community colleges.

UVA Investigates Past-Life Reports

Researchers at the University of Virginia analyzed 1,678 reported reincarnation cases and found that the gap between death and purported rebirth tends to be shorter when the earlier death was unexpected.

The work, from the School of Medicine’s Division of Perceptual Studies, drew on decades of cases matching children’s apparent memories to specific deceased people. Completely unexpected deaths had a median interval of 12 months, compared with 21 months for expected deaths—about 40% shorter.

The pattern was strongest among families whose faiths do not embrace reincarnation—the opposite of what the team expected.

Lead author Saeedeh Sadeghi, PhD, said patterns across many cases are “much harder to explain as exaggeration, fantasy or fabrication” than individual reports. The authors stress they have not concluded reincarnation is real, only that the pattern warrants further study.

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The Hormone Behind Thinning Hair After 50 (It’s Not Just a Men’s Problem)

If your part has been widening, your ponytail feels thinner, or more hair is collecting in the shower drain, you’re not imagining it.

According to a menopause specialist, when estrogen drops after 50, the relative balance of a hormone called DHT rises. And DHT is known for one thing: shrinking hair follicles.

That’s why so many women who never had hair trouble in their 30s and 40s suddenly see it later. It’s also why thickening shampoos and biotin gummies often disappoint. They don’t address what’s happening at the follicle.

The good news? She says many of those follicles aren’t gone, just dormant.

Her approach skips the serums and foams entirely. It’s two capsules a day, built around a mineral pairing many women over 50 run low on.

See the full breakdown here >>

➤ Statewide: More than 1.6 million Virginians cast ballots by mail or early in-person before Tuesday’s election, up about two-thirds from early-voting turnout in the 2022 midterms. (More)

➤ Montgomery County: Early in-person voting rose about 165% from the 2022 midterm, to more than 13,600 ballots, according to the county registrar. (More)

➤ Fluvanna County: Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin joined Republican Rep. John McGuire Monday at a get-out-the-vote rally in Palmyra as McGuire sought a second term in the 5th Congressional District. (More)

➤ Hampton Roads: Political campaigns and outside groups spent nearly $20 million on television ads in the competitive 2nd Congressional District race between Republican Jen Kiggans and Democrat Elaine Luria. (More)

➤ Richmond: The city activated its emergency operations center to Level 2 for Election Day on Tuesday, serving as a hub to coordinate city departments, monitor conditions, and ensure a safe voting process. (More)

➤ Norfolk: Public school students had the opportunity to design “I Voted” and “Future Voter” stickers for the midterm elections. The Norfolk Electoral Board and Norfolk Arts members selected the winning designs from 63 submissions. (See Photo)

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➤ No. 9 UVA men’s basketball opened its season Tuesday night with an 89-60 victory over Drexel, as Thijs De Ridder scored 24 points with nine rebounds and Sam Lewis added 20 points for the Cavaliers. (See Stats)

➤ Virginia Tech men’s basketball opened its season Tuesday night with an 88-54 rout of Coppin State, as Ben Hammond scored 20 points with eight assists and seven steals to lead the Hokies. (See Stats)

➤ The Washington Capitals fell 6-5 at home to the Dallas Stars Tuesday night, as Jason Robertson’s hat trick powered the visitors past Washington, despite the Capitals mounting a late comeback with two third-period goals. (See Stats)

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➤ Take the Daily History Quiz. Most of us learned history once, at seventeen, from someone who was also bored. It holds up better the second time. Five minutes of history, every morning, across every era. Learn More

➤ A Botetourt County resident sued to void the county’s performance agreement for Google’s data center at the Botetourt Center, alleging supervisors violated Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act by agreeing to the deal in a closed session, then adopting it publicly without disclosing its substance. (More)

➤ The Solomon Organization of New Jersey paid $143 million for two West End Henrico apartment complexes: the 388-unit Tuckahoe Creek Apartments and the 360-unit Broadmoor Apartments on West Broad Street. The firm plans interior and exterior renovations at both locations. (More)

➤ Eleven local food businesses completed Norfolk’s free eight-week Bon Appétit program and joined a master catering list for city events, with graduates also eligible for a $7,500 grant. (More)

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The Missing Nutrient Behind Thin Hair

After 50, many women run low on one mineral that helps keep DHT, a hair-thinning hormone, in check.

Biotin won’t fix that. Neither will another bottle of thickening shampoo.

A menopause specialist and an Austin hairstylist found that pairing this mineral with one B vitamin, plus three other targeted nutrients, may help support fuller, stronger-looking hair from the inside out. No serums, no foams. Just two capsules with your morning coffee.

See what it is >>

➤ Virginia private-sector workers earned an average of $38.94 an hour in August, the 11th-highest nationally, according to a new analysis of federal wage data. Washington, D.C., topped the list at $58.70, while Mississippi trailed at $29.52. (See Map)

➤ Colonial Heights buried a time capsule at the historic Violet Bank during its 100th anniversary celebrations, filled with items from 2026, including letters, coins, and a firehouse Brunswick stew recipe, to be opened in 2126. (More)

➤ Richmond’s inaugural Pickle Party takes over the Arts District and Jackson Ward Nov. 6-8, with nearly 75 businesses plus a Friday night pickle parade. Organizers include Gallery5, the Richmond Moon Market, the Arts District Business Alliance, and Virago Alley. (More)

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