Energy & Utilities: Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is taking her energy-costs listening tour to Hampton Roads as the State Corporation Commission weighs the Dominion Energy–NextEra merger, pressing for assurances that bills won’t keep climbing. Workforce & Labor: Attorney General Jay Jones announced a new Worker Protection Unit to pursue wage theft, retaliation, and employee misclassification through civil enforcement and partnerships. Housing & Industry: Manufactured housing leaders say a new federal housing law could spur innovation by removing the requirement for a permanent chassis. Food & Local Business: Fredericksburg’s Always Flavored marks six years with expanded retail reach and a new Sysco relationship. Consumer Safety: AARP Virginia warns of a surge in tech support scams using fake pop-ups and cold calls. Scams Watch: Radford tied for 36th in Virginia for BBB Scam Tracker reports in July, with four reports totaling about $209 in losses. Agriculture: VDACS opened Virginia’s wild ginseng harvest season (Sept. 1–Dec. 31) with age and prong limits and seed-planting rules. Defense: US-Australia talks under AUKUS and force posture initiatives point to expanded training and logistics in Australia, raising regional stability concerns.