Darknet Pill Sellers Charged — Two Florida brothers face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute nitazenes, synthetic opioids that can be more potent than fentanyl. Court records allege they sold counterfeit oxycodone on the darknet as “BarbaraWhite.” The investigation began after a fatal Arlington overdose in August 2023. [WUSA 9, Fox 5]
Beyer Decries USAID Cuts — Rep. Don Beyer (D) spoke on the House floor about restoring the dismantled foreign aid agency, which employed many N. Va. residents. “Far from reducing waste, the headlong rush to shutter USAID has forced the government to set aside billions of dollars for lawsuits,” he said. [Press Release]
Cross-Country Season Underway — Cross-country teams representing Arlington high schools are off and running, with competition having started in late August. Among county squads, the Bishop O’Connell boys squad is the defending Virginia private-school champion. [RunWashington]
Local Man Rules Bosnia — “Being born in Arlington, Virginia opens up life paths not available to most people anymore. You can still be an adventurer, a military governor, a viceroy, etc.” The viral post responded to another noting that an Arlington native effectively has dictatorial powers over Bosnia and Herzegovina. [John Lindenhurst/X]
W&OD E-Bike Safety Push — NOVA Parks and local police are holding free e-bike safety events along the W&OD Trail. Fairfax County officers will be stationed in Reston and Dunn Loring from 8-11 a.m. today, and NOVA Parks says an Arlington County police event will be announced soon. [FFXnow]
Pentagon Recovery Exhibit Opens — A new exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Army at Fort Belvoir spotlights the Army Corps of Engineers’ 9/11 response. Artifacts include a rescuer’s helmet, a clock stopped when Flight 77 hit and the flag later draped on the Pentagon. [WJLA]
Governor Cool to Flock Ban — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) said calls to ban automatic license plate readers are “overly simplistic,” vowing to work with lawmakers on privacy protections instead. A Republican state senator plans to introduce a Flock ban in the next General Assembly session. [WTOP]
SOL Overhaul Coming Slowly — Virginia’s Standards of Learning tests are due for their first major changes since 2005, potentially arriving in the 2027–28 school year. An assessment expert told 7News that AI scoring is growing but human review will remain, and that testing innovation is deliberately slow. [WJLA]
Slim Apple Pickings — A severe late-April freeze wiped out much of the Mid-Atlantic apple crop, leaving area orchards with shorter, sparser or canceled pick-your-own seasons. Butler’s Orchard in Montgomery County says only one of roughly 15 varieties survived. [Axios]
It’s Friday — Mostly sunny to start, with a high near 92 and heat index values as high as 102. Showers and thunderstorms are possible from midday on, with a 50% chance of rain. Tonight’s low will be around 73. [NWS]
New Legal Notice — ABC permit application for restaurant: wine, beer, mixed beverages, on/off-premises. [Public Notices]
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