Author: ARLnow.com

CoStar Buys Zonda for $800M — Rosslyn-based real estate tech giant CoStar Group has agreed to buy home construction data firm Zonda for $800 million in cash, extending its reach into a new segment of the market. The all-cash deal, which adds to a portfolio that already includes Homes.com and Apartments.com, is expected to close in the second half of the year. [WBJ]

Women’s Sports Bar Takes Off — Fresh off its rebrand into N. Va.’s first women’s sports bar, Westover Taco has found a quick following. “We have a huge fanbase here,” owner Sarah White told WTOP. “They’ve all really enjoyed having a place that they can go, where they know the game will be on.” [WTOP]

Designers Furnish Fresh Starts — Two formerly unhoused Arlington women received free apartment makeovers last month from local interior designers volunteering with the D.C.-area nonprofit A Wider Circle. “My house actually looks like a home now,” said Jalisha Quarles, who had been living in a shelter with her young son. “We went from homeless… to a place of our own, and now we actually have a home.” [Arlington Magazine]

Data Center Diesel Fumes — The roughly 10,500 diesel backup generators at Virginia data centers produce enough pollution to harm public health even when run rarely, according to an analysis. Virginia is home to about a quarter of the nation’s data centers. [Washington Post]

Farewell to Foam — All Virginia food vendors must stop using expanded polystyrene foam food containers, a Styrofoam-like material, by July 1 under a 2021 state law. Larger chains with 20 or more locations had to comply last year. Vendors can seek a one-year hardship exemption from their locality, and violators face fines of up to $50 per day. [Bay Journal]

Redistricting’s Root Problem — After an $85 million campaign, Virginia’s congressional map remains unchanged: with redistricting struck down by the state Supreme Court. A new analysis argues the deeper issue is a U.S. House frozen at 435 seats for more than a century, leaving reapportionment a zero-sum fight. [WHRO]

Weather Gang Goes Indie — After more than 18 years with the Washington Post, the Capital Weather Gang has returned to its independent roots as Capital Weather. The team said it will keep serving the D.C. region with trusted forecasts and continue providing insights to Post readers during major weather events. [Washington Post]

It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies today with a high near 79 and a light north wind of 3–8 mph. Skies turn partly cloudy overnight, with a low around 55. [NWS]

New Legal Notice — Restaurant (Duke’s Burgers) applies for ABC beer, wine, mixed, liqueurs on/off license. [Public Notices]

Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. After years of working out of Industrious, we can vouch for it — someone else keeps the coffee flowing and the copier stocked, so our team can stay focused. If you’re looking for a hassle-free office with great amenities, Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations across Arlington.

Flyover This Morning — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct an aircraft flyover in the NCR over Arlington National Cemetery on Friday, May 29, at approximately 11:03AM.”

More on Waymo’s Plans — Waymo has begun mapping Alexandria and will soon bring its self-driving cars to Arlington, the company told Virginia officials — though it said it does “not currently have plans for a commercial service there.” Drivers operate the mapping vehicles for now. Self-driving cars aren’t yet permitted in Virginia, and a state senator behind an autonomous-vehicle bill doesn’t expect robotaxis before 2028. [Wired]

DHS Weighs in on Local Case — A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in the stairwell of a Columbia Pike parking garage is in the country illegally and had prior charges including rape, according to the Department of Homeland Security. ICE recently lodged a detainer for the 25-year-old, according to DHS, which criticized state policies limiting cooperation with immigration agents. ACPD is seeking additional victims. [WJLA]

Truck Blocks Army Navy Drive — A car carrier sat in the middle of Army Navy Drive for nearly 12 hours, blocking turn lanes in both directions, according to Dave Statter. The driver appeared to sleep in the rig overnight and began off-loading cars near the end of Thursday’s morning rush — despite open space on the closed Fashion Centre mall property where the cars were headed. [Dave Statter/X]

Top Meetings Destination — Arlington landed at No. 44 on Cvent’s list of top meeting destinations in North America, the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service announced. It’s the county’s fifth straight year on the venue-sourcing platform’s top-destinations list, which ranks cities by group-business activity. [Arlington County]

Bus Fare Crackdown — Metro has issued nearly 400 citations and made 21 arrests since launching a Metrobus fare-evasion crackdown this week, with about 7 in 10 bus riders skipping the $2.25 fare — roughly twice the national average. “People will pay the fare, or they will be taken off the bus,” General Manager Randy Clarke said. Officers are monitoring live bus-camera feeds to flag non-payers, a method Clarke believes is a national first. [Fox 5, NBC 4, WTOP]

Affordable Housing ‘Lost’ — Falls Church’s longtime commitment to truly affordable housing has been “lost,” Hal Lippman, a former vice mayor who now leads the Citizens for a Better City, told the City Council. He argued the city’s efforts have failed to reach lower-income households and have left it an “economic gated community.” [FCNP]

NDAs for Federal Workers — The Trump administration is proposing a government-wide nondisclosure agreement barring federal workers from sharing a broad range of confidential government information. Signing would be voluntary, but the draft warns that refusing “may result in removal from federal service.” Civil-liberties groups call it an unconstitutional gag order; the rule includes a whistleblower carve-out. [Washington Post]

Forever Chemicals Targeted — Virginia has adopted new testing rules aimed at keeping PFAS, so-called forever chemicals, out of the food supply, targeting the sewage sludge that’s converted into farm fertilizer. The law requires treatment plants and state regulators to test for PFAS and share results with anyone spreading the sludge. Del. Alfonso Lopez (D-Arlington), who chairs the House Agriculture committee, called it a “farmer’s right to know” measure. [WAMU]

Disability Emergency Drills — A new state law will require certain health care providers to run regular emergency drills so staff are better prepared when people with disabilities face medical crises. The measure, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger, followed a 2025 report that found staff delayed or failed to perform CPR or call 911 in nearly half of reviewed sudden-death cases. Backers estimate it could save about seven lives a month. [Virginia Mercury]

Rain Eases the Drought — A nine-day stretch of rain — among the longest the area has seen since 2000 — dropped nearly two inches on the D.C. area since May 19 and finally eased the region’s drought, forecasters say. Much of the area has improved to moderate drought, though spots to the south remain in severe drought, NBC4 meteorologist Doug Kammerer said. [CWG/X, Doug Kammerer/X]

It’s Friday — Expect a sunny day with a high of 78°F. Winds will shift from north to west at 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, the weather will be mostly clear with a low of around 60°F. [NWS]

Waymo Eyes Arlington — Driverless car company Waymo is now mapping parts of N. Va. as it prepares for possible autonomous ride-hailing in the commonwealth. Policy adviser Rich Harrington said the company’s vehicles are already operating on Alexandria roads with safety drivers and will soon begin operating in Arlington as well. [Fox 5]

Cathedral Rector on Leave — “The Very Reverend Patrick L. Posey, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation of an allegation of sexual misconduct with minors. The alleged incidents occurred between 1992 and 1993 outside the Diocese of Arlington.” Posey, rector at the Cathedral of Saint Thomas More in Arlington, denies the accusation. [Arlington Diocese]

Shoplifter Strikes Officer — Police say a larceny call near Ballston on Tuesday afternoon ended with an Arlington man, 35, charged with assault on police, obstruction and robbery. The suspect allegedly grabbed merchandise from a business on the 4200 block of Fairfax Drive, made threatening statements to an employee and struck an officer near N. Stuart Street while resisting arrest. [ACPD]

Sweetgreen’s First Local Drive-Thru — The McLean Sweetgreen at 6220 Old Dominion Drive in the Chesterbrook Shopping Center will be the chain’s first D.C. area location to add a “sweetlane” pickup window, per permits filed this week. Customers order online and pick up curbside; the concept was first piloted in Illinois in 2022. [WBJ]

Tick Boom — “This year has started off with a bang. Wet and warm certainly makes ticks really happy. So they are up and active and ready to find some food,” Old Dominion University biological sciences professor Holly Gaff said. She added that booming deer, raccoon and rodent populations are also fueling the surge. [WJLA]

It’s Thursday — Sunny skies and a high near 78 are expected today, with a breezy north wind 6–13 mph and gusts up to 22 mph. Skies should remain mostly clear overnight with a cool low around 54. [NWS]

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