News

Morning Notes for July 27, 2026

Brown curly poodle-like dog on a wooden bench, panting with tongue out, on a leash near a pink tennis ball on the table surface.
Cassie the dog plays with a ball at Metropolitan Park in Pentagon City (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

Suspicious Truck Closes Street — “N. Utah Street north of Ballston is back open after the earlier suspicious vehicle investigation, for a large rental truck parked on the bridge over I-66. The investigation coincided with a presidential motorcade back from the Trump golf club in Loudoun County.” [ARLnow/X]

Amtrak Tours Long Bridge Site — “Several Amtrak representatives recently toured… the Long Bridge Project site, which by the end of 2030 will create a new two-track rail bridge, along with two new bicycle and pedestrian bridges. The project will increase capacity and reliability along a corridor that currently operates at 98% capacity during peak hours.” [Amtrak/X]

Cyber Startup Valued at $1.2B — “Twenty, an Arlington-based startup focused on cyber warfare, announced that it has received an additional investment of $30 million from Khosla Ventures at a valuation of $1.2 billion. The company has now raised a total of $168 million.” [Potomac Tech Wire]

So Many Arlingtons — “Genuinely why does every major city have a suburb named Arlington. DC, Boston, Dallas, Chicago… like what’s up with that,” an X user said in a post that has drawn more than 300,000 views. [@crocsinwinter/X]

National Guard Housing Deal — “Placemakr Inc.… has inked a $292 million deal with the National Guard Bureau to supply as many as 2,000 units for troops mobilized as part of Joint Task Force – District of Columbia.” The company operates a building on N. Glebe Road and has proposed converting 125 units in a new Rosslyn tower. [WBJ]

Alexandria Crime Spike — “Over the last couple weeks, we have seen a significant spike in crime… that is felonious assaults, where we have had persons with knives, and none of them have been connected,” Alexandria Police Chief Tarrick McGuire told ALXnow. Overall crime is down 13% year-to-date, he said. [ALXnow]

Data Centers Flicker the Grid — “Just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, electricity flickered on and off for about 10 minutes. An engineer’s data says it happened throughout the Eastern half of the U.S., from Chicago to Boston and Miami.” Dominion Energy said equipment on a line serving Loudoun County data centers failed, switching them to backup power. [NBC 4]

Beyer Blasts New Tariffs — “His tariffs, like his foolish war with Iran, are an illegal and ill-advised usurpation of congressional authority that will do lasting damage to our country,” Rep. Don Beyer (D) said after President Trump announced new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on dozens of countries, including key U.S. trading partners. [Press Release]

DEQ Seeks Public Input — Virginia environmental regulators are gathering public feedback on how to engage environmental justice communities during project permitting, under a new law from Del. Kathy Tran (D). The agency must issue updated guidance by the end of the year. A second town hall is set for July 29 in Virginia Beach. [Virginia Mercury]

Three-Year Degrees Explored — “Virginia higher education leaders are exploring a three-year bachelor’s degree, joining a growing national push to shorten college.” So far, 11 of the state’s 16 public universities and four private colleges have expressed preliminary interest. Officials hope to launch two 90-credit programs in spring 2028. [Axios]

Boys Falling Behind — “By 5th grade boys are already starting to show a disinterest… Our boys are 1.5 times more likely to drop out and never complete high school due to lack of interest,” Del. Josh Thomas (D) said. He chairs the new Virginia Boys and Men Advisory Commission, which held its first meeting Monday. [WTOP]

Dental Staffing Strains — “Virginia’s dental offices continue to face staffing challenges, and a new report suggests the situation is not improving, according to the Healthcare Workforce Data Center.” The report found the state has more dentists than dental hygienists, a ratio that can delay patient care. [12 On Your Side]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny morning with a high near 88, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Winds will be light out of the south and the overnight low will be around 70. [NWS]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.

About the Author

  • Launched in January 2010, ARLnow.com is the place for the latest news, views and things to do around Arlington, Virginia. The ARLnow staff byline is used for the Morning Notes and reporting done by an editor or other member of our full-time staff.