Author: The Associated Press

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FAA investigating why a plane was allowed to take off from DCA as Marine One approached

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com
Green US military helicopter hovering above a government building, with another helicopter on the right and patriotic bunting in the background.
Marine One, left, with President Donald Trump aboard, lifts off from the Ellipse, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching Reagan National Airport.

The incident appears to be a violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision over the Potomac River. It occurred Tuesday afternoon as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip.

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News

JUST IN: Virginia may vote early in the 2028 presidential primary — on leap day

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press
Voting at Arlington Central Library on Nov. 7, 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)

Virginia voters may get a say in picking the next Democratic presidential nominee before most of the country does.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee voted today (Friday) to give the Commonwealth one of six spots in the early window of the party’s 2028 presidential nominating calendar. Virginia would go last of the six, on Feb. 29, 2028 — leap day.

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News

More public comment requested on Trump’s plan for a triumphal arch

By Dan Egitto and The Associated Press
Rendering of proposed arch near Memorial Bridge (via Commission of Fine Arts)

The National Park Service is requesting more public input on a plan to build a triumphal arch on the Virginia side of Memorial Bridge.

Respondents have until Thursday, July 30 to submit feedback on President Donald Trump’s plans to build the 250-foot arch in a heavily trafficked roundabout between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

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Weather

NEW: Code Red air quality alert prompts Arlington to move outdoor rec programs indoors Friday

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press
Haze from wildfires, as seen at Long Bridge Park (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Update on 7/17/26 — The Code Red alert has been upgraded to a Code Purple alert due to the thick smoke.

Earlier: The wildfire smoke hanging over the region is expected to get worse on Friday, prompting Arlington to move or cancel all of its outdoor parks and recreation programming for the day.

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News

Beyer backed attempt to end U.S. military aid to Israel, which split House Democrats

By Dan Egitto and The Associated Press
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) speaks on the House floor, April 2024 (via Rep. Don Beyer/Twitter)

U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was a supporter of an amendment to slash U.S. military financing to Israel, which divided House Democrats yesterday (Wednesday).

Prior to the 104-314 vote — which pitted supporters including House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) against opponents including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — Beyer voiced support stripping $3.3 billion in support to Israel.

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News

‘Explosive diarrhea’ parasite reported in N. Va., but it’s not an outbreak, authorities say

By Dan Egitto and The Associated Press
Two red oval cells on a blue-stained microscope field with scattered blue debris.
This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. (CDC via AP)

An outbreak of diarrhea-inducing parasites has been raising food safety concerns around the country, but health authorities say there’s little cause for alarm in Virginia.

Ten cases of cyclosporiasis were reported in Virginia between the start of the year and June 6, including four in Northern Virginia, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health. That’s compared to a year-to-date average of 6.6 cases statewide.

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News

UPDATED: Trump’s plan for a triumphal arch in DC wins early approval from a key federal agency

By The Associated Press
Visitors walk at the Great American State Fair with the triumphal arch model and the U.S. Capitol, in the background, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plans to build a skyline-altering arch in the nation’s capital won initial approval Thursday from a key federal commission.

The National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve preliminary site and building plans for the 250-foot (76-meter) arch the Republican president wants to build on a traffic circle at the Virginia end of Memorial Bridge from Washington.

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News

Arlington’s top prosecutor plans to back assault weapons ban, despite pending lawsuits

By Dan Egitto, Angela Woolsey and The Associated Press
FILE - Assault style weapons and hand guns are displayed for sale at Capitol City Arms Supply on Jan. 16, 2013, in Springfield, Ill. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)

Despite pending legal challenges at the state and local level, Arlington prosecutors still consider Virginia’s new assault weapons ban the law of the land.

“Yes, we plan to prosecute cases under the assault weapons ban if they are brought to us by the police,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti told ARLnow, taking a position that tracks with the view of Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones.

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News

America 250 celebrations bring extraordinary security challenge to Washington

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press
People walk past members of the National Guard stationed outside the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, Saturday June 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal law enforcement authorities are preparing for one of Washington, D.C.’s, largest and most complex security operations as the nation’s capital gears up to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s freedom.

With rising political violence, including recent incidents near the White House, and a president who enjoys being at the center of public pomp yet has repeatedly faced attempts on his life, a major security challenge awaits.

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News

Virginia to allow recreational marijuana to be sold in retail stores beginning in 2027

By The Associated Press
FILE- A cannibis plant that is close to harvest grows in a grow room at the Greenleaf Medical Cannabis facility in Richmond, Va., June 17, 2021. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Five years after becoming the first Southern state to legalize possession of marijuana, Virginia has approved a legal way to sell it to recreational users.

State budget legislation enacted Monday will allow up to 350 cannabis shops to open across Virginia beginning July 1, 2027. The move marks the latest expansion of access to the drug — which remains illegal at the federal level — through state-level policymaking.

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News

ACPD: Officers were at White House UFC fight after invite to 9/11 first responders

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press
Fireworks go off as Justin Gaethje celebrates after defeating Ilia Topuria in a lightweight title bout during UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, June 15, 2026, in Washington. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)

Sunday’s UFC cage match at the White House featured a military band, flyovers, notable spectators, bloody bouts, fireworks — and a pair of uniformed Arlington County police officers.

The officers escorted one of the fighters to the Octagon, as noted by UFC in a social media post (below) and captured in a Getty Images photo.

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News

Administration plans intensive, year-round construction schedule for Trump’s triumphal arch

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com
Rendering of proposed arch near Memorial Bridge (via Commission of Fine Arts)

Construction of the 250-foot-high triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built near Memorial Bridge could occur 20 hours per day, year-round, as officials push to complete the project within three years.

That’s according to a preliminary assessment by the National Park Service.

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