Author: The Associated Press

Founded in 1846, the AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.

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)

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.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has issued a Code Red air quality alert for Northern Virginia on Friday, July 17 — an escalation from the Code Orange alert in effect today (Thursday). A Code Red means air pollution has reached a level considered unhealthy for the general population, not just sensitive groups like children, older adults and people with asthma.

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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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News

Arch planned near Arlington Nat’l Cemetery clears a hurdle despite sightline concerns

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

The National Capital Planning Commission has kept alive the triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built between the Memorial Bridge and Arlington National Cemetery.

However, the body is requesting more information on how it could potentially impact air travel navigation in the area, as well as other specifics on construction and traffic in the area.

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Schools

Arlington parents join national pushback against school-issued devices

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com
LuAnn Oliver's son demonstrates how he uses an iPad for his classes during a meeting where a group of school parents discussed ways to push back against screen time at the children's school, Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Arlington parents are organizing to push for new limits on school-issued classroom devices, joining a growing national movement to scale back screen time at school.

A group of parents in Arlington gathered on a recent Saturday night to share their children’s struggles with screen addictions and other side effects of school-issued devices.

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News

NEW: Commission approves Trump’s triumphal arch design as administration plans to skip Congress

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com
The Memorial Circle, where President Donald Trump has proposed building an arch to commemorate the United States' 250th anniversary is seen, Tuesday, May 19, 2026 (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts on Thursday approved the design for the 250-foot triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants built near Memorial Bridge, even as the administration signals it does not plan to seek congressional approval for the project.

Commissioners, all appointed by Trump, acted despite overwhelming public opposition to the 250-foot arch, one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing alongside a White House ballroom to leave his imprint on Washington.

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