Author: ARLnow.com

Metro Hair Toucher Back in Jail — A man accused of recording himself touching women’s hair on Metro trains will remain jailed after a D.C. judge ordered him held for violating the terms of his bail. Bryan Betancur, 28, is facing two misdemeanor assault charges, a stalking charge, and a separate assault charge in Arlington County that can’t move forward while he’s in D.C. custody. [NBC Washington]

Beyer Revives Surtax Bill — “The Millionaires Surtax is an urgently needed plan to restore fairness to the tax code, fight accelerating inequality, and fund important priorities for the American people,” Rep. Don Beyer (D) said of legislation he reintroduced Tuesday with Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.). The bill would add a 10-point surtax on income above $2 million for couples and $1 million for individuals. [Press Release]

Palooza Returns Next Month — Arlington Palooza is back Saturday, May 16 from 1–6 p.m. at Lubber Run Community Center and Park. The free festival will feature live music, local vendors, food trucks, and family activities. [Arlington County]

Best Boba Options — Arlington Magazine rounds up bubble tea spots in and around Arlington, including Best of Arlington winner Chill Zone Café near Yorktown, plus Bees & Tea, Kung Fu Tea, TNR Café and Spot of Tea. [Arlington Magazine]

Local Bakery Expands to Old Town — Rosslyn-based Eclairons, a family-owned bakery offering French pastries with Lebanese flavors, has expanded to Old Town Alexandria at 430 S. Washington Street. [ALXnow]

Bishop Responds to Trump — On his latest Walk Humbly podcast, Arlington Diocese Bishop Michael Burbidge “speaks clearly and firmly in response to recent social media attacks from President Trump directed at the Holy Father and the Church.” [Arlington Diocese]

Ex-Lt. Gov. Murder-Suicide — “Justin Fairfax shot several times and killed his wife, ran to a different part of the home and then killed himself with the same firearm,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said at a briefing Thursday. The former Virginia lieutenant governor, 47, and wife Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax, 49, were in the midst of divorce proceedings. [FFXnow]

Dark Money Floods Referendum — “About 95 percent of the total $93 million raised so far in Virginia, as of a Monday night filing deadline, came from nonprofit groups not required to disclose their donors.” Democrats’ Virginians for Fair Elections has reported $64 million, including nearly $40 million from a House Democrats-aligned nonprofit. [Washington Post]

Another Statewide Poll — A State Navigate poll of 707 likely voters shows Virginia’s redistricting referendum leading 51-45, with Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s approval split at 47-47. State Sen. Louise Lucas (D) said on X: “The problem she has to correct is her policies don’t match her rhetoric from the campaign trail. Her issue is credibility.” [State Navigate, Sam Shirazi/X]

Spanberger Amends Data Center Bill — “We fully supported the legislation’s original goals of lowering costs for our customers, expanding energy assistance, and reducing outages. The amendments undermine these goals,” a Dominion Energy spokesperson said. The governor’s changes strike the bill’s explicit cost-shift onto data centers. [Virginia Mercury]

Marijuana Sales Delayed — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) has proposed amendments to retail marijuana legislation that would push the legal market’s launch from January to July 2027 and cut the number of permitted stores from 350 to 200. [FFXnow]

Virginia, Md. Diverge on AI — “Right now there’s a patchwork of regulations with states driving the conversation,” KFF Health News correspondent Lauren Sausser told WAMU. Maryland passed a law last year requiring a human reviewer when AI is used in coverage decisions; similar Virginia bills were vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), and most new AI legislation has been delayed until 2027. [WAMU]

It’s Friday — Expect a chance of rain showers before 1 p.m., then mostly sunny skies with a high near 83 and a northwest wind around 7 mph. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 62. [NWS]

Lebanese Taverna Founder Dies — Tanios “Tony” Abi-Najm, who opened the original Lebanese Taverna in a former Greek diner in Arlington in 1979, died April 8 at age 94 in Byblos, Lebanon. “What he built went far beyond a business,” his son Dany said in a eulogy. “He introduced Lebanese food — and Lebanese culture — to so many.” [Washington Post]

House Passes ALERT Act — The House of Representatives approved aviation safety legislation 396–10 Tuesday, implementing all 50 NTSB recommendations from the Jan. 29, 2025 midair collision at Reagan National that killed 67 people. Rep. Don Beyer (D), whose district includes DCA, called the bill “an incredible step forward” but urged the Senate to strengthen it. [FCNP, WTOP]

Anti-Drone Lasers Near DCA? — The FAA and Pentagon reached an agreement in early April to use anti-drone laser systems at the southern border, raising questions about whether similar technology could be deployed in D.C.-area airspace. During post-crash congressional hearings, Sen. Ted Cruz revealed the Secret Service and Navy had tested counter-drone systems near Reagan National just weeks after the deadly midair collision. [WJLA]

Pilots Meow at DCA — Delta and American Airlines pilots at Reagan National went viral after an air traffic control clip caught them making animal noises over the radio. “You guys, you need to be professional,” a controller is heard saying. [CBS News/X]

Woman Struck by Driver — A woman suffered serious, non-life threatening injuries early Wednesday morning near Route 1 and 23rd Street S. after a verbal dispute escalated to a physical altercation, according to police. The suspects allegedly struck the victim with their vehicle as they fled the scene around 1:40 a.m. [ACPD]

Rosslyn Fire Station Blocked — “Delivery drivers parking wherever they want is a big enough problem but parking in front of a fire station takes it to a new level,” a resident posted. “Both vehicles were unattended with flashers on.” [Brian Gannon/X]

New Alarm Vendor — Arlington County has begun using a third-party vendor, Alarm Program Systems, to administer its security alarm registration and false alarm enforcement program. All residential and commercial alarm systems must be registered with ACPD, with annual permits costing $25. There are also fee for an excessive number of false alarms. [Arlington County]

Girl Scouts Thank Snow Crew — Girl Scouts of Troop 60116 stopped by to thank Arlington County’s winter storm response team, their newest official “Hometown Heroes.” “Cookies yes, snowcrete no!” the Department of Environmental Services posted. [Arlington DES/X]

Virginians Turn on Data Centers — Only 35% of Virginia voters would be comfortable with a new data center in their community, down from 69% in 2023, a Washington Post-Schar School poll found. Prince William County, meanwhile, has abandoned the legal defense of its prior approval of a 1,700-acre data center campus near Manassas National Battlefield Park. [Washington Post]

Spanberger’s Charts Moderate Course — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed laws raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2028 and banning ghost guns while vetoing gambling measures and bills she said would weaken public safety. She has vetoed eight bills and proposed changes to at least 180 — more than her most recent Democratic predecessor. [Axios]

Va. Joins Popular Vote Compact — Gov. Spanberger signed a bill adding Virginia to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement among states to award electoral votes to the nationwide popular vote winner. The compact now has 222 electoral votes committed, 48 short of the 270 needed to take effect. [NPR]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies with a high near 92 degrees and southwest winds of 3–10 mph, gusting to 20 mph. Rain showers are possible after 8 p.m., with an overnight low around 69. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar

DCA Workers Demand Action — TSA workers at Reagan National are urging passengers to pressure Congress to end the DHS shutdown, now in its 59th day. Nationally, more than 500 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown began, and remaining workers say their next paycheck is uncertain despite a March executive order covering past pay periods. [DC News Now]

Rosslyn Offices Eyed for Sale — Beacon Capital Partners is emptying a pair of Rosslyn offices at 1501 and 1515 Wilson Blvd to prepare them for sale. The County Board on Saturday is set to vote on terminating its lease at 1501 Wilson, where Arlington Transportation Partners occupies the 11th floor, because the landlord is planning to redevelop the property. [WBJ]

TRACON Safety Alarm — Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) led a group of DMV lawmakers in pressing the FAA for answers on equipment failures at the Potomac TRACON facility in March that caused evacuations, hospitalizations and ground stops at DCA, Dulles and BWI. Rep. Don Beyer (D) was among those signing the letter. [Press Release]

ACPD Detective Retires — The Arlington County Police Department is celebrating the career of Detective S. Lafley, who retired last week after serving the Arlington community with distinction for more than 27 years. [ACPD/X]

Earth Month by the Numbers — Arlington is highlighting its environmental progress this April, including 1.3 million electric miles logged by county vehicles, 1,020 trees planted, more than 300 residential solar installations and a 49.5% recycling rate. [Arlington County]

Inova Hospital Tops Out — The final structural beam was placed atop Inova Alexandria Hospital at Landmark on Monday, a milestone for the 1.1 million-square-foot project at the former Landmark Mall site. The four-building campus is targeting completion in 2028. [ALXnow]

Ruthie’s Heads to Fairfax — Ruthie’s All-Day, the Arlington Heights Southern comfort restaurant, opens its second location at Fairfax Corner today with dinner service starting at 5 p.m. Lunch hours are expected to expand next week. [FFXnow]

Spanberger Amends Key Bills — Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) amended bills on paid family leave, recreational cannabis and housing ahead of a Monday midnight deadline. She is proposing to delay cannabis sales to July 2027 and signed a bill requiring all localities to allow accessory dwelling units. [WBJ]

Suicide Decriminalized — Gov. Spanberger signed a bill Monday night abolishing the centuries-old common law crime of suicide in Virginia. The bill takes effect in July 2027 and requires the Bureau of Insurance to review the implications for insurance in the commonwealth. [WTOP]

‘Toothless’ ICE Amendments — Fairfax state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37) is criticizing Gov. Spanberger’s amendments to bills restricting ICE enforcement near courthouses, hospitals and schools, calling the changes “toothless, a right without a remedy.” [FFXnow]

Potomac ‘Most Endangered’ — The Potomac River has been named the most endangered river in the country for 2026 by American Rivers, citing this year’s massive sewage spill and the rapid expansion of data centers across the region. [WJLA]

D.C. Golf Courses in Limbo — The future of D.C.’s historic public golf courses remains uncertain after the Interior Department terminated a nonprofit’s lease to manage them. Arlington resident Alex Dickson is among those suing the Trump administration over the changes and dirt being dumped from White House renovations on East Potomac Park’s course. [WAMU]

Record Heat on Tap — Today and Thursday could bring record highs as temperatures surge to the low to mid-90s, roughly 25 degrees above the mid-April average. The current April 15 record in D.C. is 89 degrees. [Washington Post]

It’s Wednesday — Expect a sunny and unusually hot day with a high near 93 degrees and light southwest winds at 2–8 mph. Overnight lows drop only to about 71 under partly cloudy skies. [NWS]

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Flickr pool photo by Brian Gannon