Good morning, RVA! It’s 60 °F, and that’s where the temperature will stay this entire day. There’s a steady chance of rain, which meteorologists will probably ignore as they try to predict this weekend’s Weather of Doom (the governor has already declared a state of emergency). Hurricane Joaquin is making its way up the coast and trying to decide if it will crash into the East Coast, recalling Isabel in 2003, or turn harmlessly out into the Atlantic Ocean. If you’ve got weekend plans, keep your web browser pointed to the National Hurricane Center because it’s either going to be a wild couple of days or totally no big deal (FWIW, im leaning towards the latter).
WATER COOLER
Stone Brewing Co. news! It’s been so long! Ned Oliver reminds me that the brewery’s massive fermentation tanks are scheduled to float their way up the James River super soon. He also reminds me that there are in fact real-world consequences for the City still not having completed their 2014 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. It seems like there might be some movement on getting the report done, but…it has seemed like that many times before. I think we should be on the lookout for more news from the City’s finance department next week.
Yesterday we began a series on how are we (and how should we be) dealing with Richmond’s slavery-related spaces. It’s a complex and painful topic, but after reading this piece, I know more than I did before–which is a start.
Folk Festival in just a week, you guys! Can you believe it?
The execution of Alfredo Prieto is scheduled for 9:00 PM tonight, although lawyers have secured a temporary restraining order related to one of the drugs being used in the execution–of which there is a national shortage. Some companies that makes these drugs (like pentobarbital) have stopped selling them to states that use them in executions.
11 months ago an Antares rocket exploded on the launchpad of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. Yesterday, repair work wrapped up, and the spaceport is now open for business! The Antares is a big rocket that can carry equipment to resupply the International Space Station, so it’s pretty rad to have that capability back in Virginia.
Sports!
- Nats dropped another one to the Braves, 0-2. This penultimate series wraps up tonight at 7:10 PM.
THIS MORNING’S LONGREAD
The Antique Sport of Real Tennis, and the Woman Who Dominates It
There was some pushback, Fahey said, including comments that carried a whiff of sexism: some wondered whether men would be willing to compete against women, while others expressed concern for her safety. What if she were struck with the ball? “If I get hit, it’s my fault,†Fahey said. “There are worse people than me playing. They should be worried.†Ultimately, the Tennis & Rackets Association ruled in Fahey’s favor, noting that an “overwhelming majority of stakeholders†supported her inclusion, and also that the sport could face “reputational consequences†if women were barred from the leading events.