News

Morning Notes for January 5, 2026

Stairs in the Crystal City Underground (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

Arch Construction Imminent? — “President Donald Trump said in an interview Wednesday that construction of his long-teased Triumphal Arch is expected to begin “sometime in the next two months.” That would put the start date ahead of July 4, 2026 — as the White House ramps up preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.” [Politico, WJLA]

Roosevelt Bridge Rescue — “Below Grade Rescue: Inbound Theodore Roosevelt Bridge #DCsBravest responded/located a person beneath the bridge within construction scaffolding. A rope rescue operation was conducted by special operations units. One adult male transported serious/non-life threatening.” [DCFEMS/X, WJLA]

Venezuela Operation Reaction — “I’ve always opposed American attacks on Venezuela and I oppose them now. You don’t need sympathy for Maduro to grasp that attacking another country for unclear, shifting rationales without domestic support or a clear plan for the day after won’t make us safer. The Administration lied to Congress and launched an illegal war for regime change and oil. Foolhardy and wrong.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Press Release]

More on Hall’s Hill Fire — “The smoke was also visible from nearby Fire Station 8, located just off Langston Boulevard. Firefighters saw the smoke and rushed to Jones’ home on North Emerson Street, quickly working to put out the flames. The quick response was especially meaningful for Jones. In 2016, the Arlington fire station was nearly relocated to a less populated area. Jones and others in the community fought to keep it in place.” [WUSA 9]

Va. Dems Plan Amendments — “Some of the furthest-reaching actions the Virginia General Assembly is likely to take this year could happen in the first few days after the legislature convenes: votes on four proposed amendments to the state constitution affecting same-sex marriage, abortion access, voting rights and redistricting.” [Washington Post]

New Va. Laws — “Starting Thursday, technology companies must limit social media use among children under 16 in Virginia… The Virginia social media law that passed last year will require platforms like Instagram and TikTok to limit use among minors under 16 to one hour a day in an effort to address concerns about the effects on youth mental health.” [Washington Post]

Companies Say Tow Fee Too Low — “Michael Reynolds, of the A-1 Associates towing firm, said his company was forced to move out of Arlington prior to the pandemic “because it was too expensive to operate,” adding that Arlington now has only one towing business that does trespass towing. Reynolds told the board that tow fees provide for many things, including real estate, location and cost, and hiring qualified employees.” [WTOP]

Crash on 14th Street Bridge — “Another right lane driver just had to get to left side exit 10C on I-395N just before the 14th Street Bridge. They got there, but also sent a pickup truck across three lanes to the other side of the highway, and apparently hitting another vehicle in the process.” [Dave Statter/X]

Snowy Owl Spotting — “DC bird spotters are heading to Hains Point right now after a Snowy Owl was spotted on the shore at National Airport. Don’t have my big lens today sadly.” [Andrew Leyden/X]

It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 45 and a southeast wind shifting to the south between 5 and 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. By Monday night, skies will be mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 35. The south wind will decrease to about 6 mph. [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.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

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