🍌 Port strike yikes

🐻 It's Thursday and the second day of Fat Bear Week.

🌤️ Today's weather: Partly sunny, with a high near 78.

🎧 Sounds like: "banana pancakes" by Jack Johnson.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Richmond member Elizabeth Cosby!

Today's newsletter is 875 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Abortion is taking center stage in Richmond's first mayoral election since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Why it matters: Local officials actually play a key role in determining access in Virginia. Policies like zoning dictate where an abortion clinic can or cannot exist, according to a recent report from the RAND Corporation.

For example, Washington County in Southwest Virginia passed an ordinance restricting where an abortion clinic can be built last year.

• Alexandria City Council did the opposite and made it easier to open abortion clinics.

Zoom in: Richmond transferred an old school site over to the Virginia League of Planned Parenthood to build a third clinic in the city.

• That was via an ordinance co-sponsored by Mayor Stoney and city councilman and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison this summer.

Yes, but: Candidates aren't exactly explaining the authority a mayor does or doesn't have in protecting abortion in Richmond, making abortion more of a talking point than a concrete policy proposal.

• And as Election Day nears, some of Richmond's mayoral candidates are increasingly using abortion rights as a way to go after their opponents.

Driving the news: In Tuesday's mayoral forum, Harrison Roday came for Danny Avula over whether he actually supports abortion access.

• Avula, who's been criticized for accepting donations from someone once tied to an anti-abortion group, shot back by saying he's spent a decade "drawing in new resources" to expand access to reproductive healthcare.
• Michelle Mosby, the only Black woman running, noted she's the sole candidate who has experience with women's reproductive healthcare as a patient. The fifth candidate is Maurice Neblett.

Between the lines: It's unclear whether these back-and-forths on one of the most hot-button topics of the year will sway voters and affect the election's outcome.

• But it could signal who the candidates see as their greatest competition.

Keep reading for the flier Karri got yesterday about Avula

It's day three of the historic strike by the International Longshoremen's Association, the first East Coast port strike since 1977.

Why it matters: Consumers could soon feel the effects when they shop.

The big picture: Thousands of unionized dockworkers at 14 major East and Gulf Coast ports, including roughly 3,400 Port of Virginia workers, went on strike at 12:01am Tuesday when a new labor contract wasn't solidified.

• Consumers likely won't see shortages (and price hikes) unless the strike stretches into two or three weeks, CBSNews reported.

Here's what usually goes through the ports on strike — and will likely be affected if the strike goes on — according to the American Farm Bureau Federation:

• 🍌 75% of the country's banana imports
• 🍒 90% of imported cherries
• 🥫 85% of canned food
• 🌶️ 82% of hot peppers
• 🍫 80% of the nation's imported chocolate
• 🍷 80% of imported beer, wine, whiskey and scotch
• 🍹60% of rum

Plus: Imported seafood, coffee, car parts, tires, clothes, furniture and electronics could also be affected in the coming weeks.

The bottom line: Start hoarding.

Warn a cherry lover

🗽 The Christopher Columbus statue that protesters took down from Byrd Park and threw in Fountain Lake in 2020 is now posted up outside of New York City. (Times-Dispatch)

🧹 Portions of Southwest Virginia were declared a "major disaster" yesterday, which will allow residents and businesses to access federal money for temporary housing, home repairs and more. (Cardinal News)

🚫 The city's permits and inspections counter is closed to the public "until further notice" due to a ceiling leak. (The Richmonder)

• Residents who need permits can apply online or call to schedule an appointment.

Whether you're a resident or considering living in Richmond, now's your chance to get a comprehensive overview of downtown's economic development.

What to expect: Explore mixed-use ventures, hundreds of residential projects across local neighborhoods and more.

Start the tour.

The rain is gone and the weekend is on.

Friday

🇦🇲 The Armenian Food Festival lets you feast on Armenian food (including pastries) and drink at St. James Armenian Church, plus take in some music, dancing and light shopping. Friday and Saturday, 11:30am-9pm. Free.

🔥 Carnival of 5 Fires is Gallery5's annual performing and visual arts extravaganza, with live music, circus arts, belly dancing, tarot reading, vendors and more, during First Fridays. 5-11pm. Free.

Saturday

🎤 2nd Street Festival, Jackson Ward's annual celebration, runs all day Saturday and Sunday with people-watching, food and drink vendors, and nonstop live music. (Don't miss Saturday's 6pm headliner, Arrested Development.) Free.

🥗 Richmond VegFest will bring together more than 100 vegan-friendly vendors at Byrd Park. Noon-6pm. Free.

🍷 Powhatan Festival of the Grape brings together more than 30 wine (and beer and liquor) vendors, plus food and music, all in the beautiful country air of Powhatan. 11am-6pm. $35.

Keep reading for more, including a new corn festival

The bar to claiming 1 percenter status in Virginia just got higher.

The big picture: Virginians have to earn $760,610 to be in the top 1% and only 38,483 residents do, according to an analysis of IRS tax filer data from SmartAsset.

• Last year, the 1 percenter club included those making a measly $643,848 or more.

Between the lines: Most of the wealth in the Commonwealth is concentrated in Northern Virginia, where the suburbs have grown more affluent because of jobs in government contracting, life sciences and tech.

• Meanwhile, Virginia's median household income is around $90,000.

Sabrina's thought bubble: If you need me, I'll be playing the lottery.

Keep reading for the five states with the highest 1% threshold

Venture Richmond has a free drone-based virtual tour of downtown Richmond on its website.

What's in it for you: The platform serves as a virtual gateway, allowing users to explore downtown through a comprehensive overview of each neighborhood, residential projects and commercial ventures.

🤧 Karri is still recovering from a cold she caught in the frigid midwest.

💅🏼 Sabrina is reading this story about the Marylanders who inspired "Mean Girls" in honor of it being Oct. 3.

This newsletter was edited by Fadel Allassan.