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What to expect in Tuesday’s special election on Virginia redistricting

Published April 20, 2026 at 2:30PM

Campaign direct mail advertisements about a Virginia special election on redistricting are on display in Arlington, Va., on April 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)

There aren’t any candidates on the ballot in Virginia’s statewide special election on Tuesday (April 21), but the contest could still decide control of the closely divided U.S. House this fall.

Voters in the Commonwealth will consider a ballot measure that would amend Virginia’s constitution to give the Democratic-majority General Assembly temporary power to redraw the state’s congressional districts. It’s the latest move in an escalating redistricting arms race that began in July 2025, when Texas Republican lawmakers redrew their state’s congressional map to favor Republicans at President Donald Trump’s urging.

News

Federal commission approves concept for Trump’s triumphal arch near Memorial Bridge

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com

Published April 16, 2026 at 3:15PM

Artist renderings and diagrams for President Donald Trump's new triumphal arch released by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts that is planned to be built in Washington between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, are photographed Friday, April 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)

A federal commission has approved the design concept for the 250-foot triumphal arch that President Donald Trump wants to build at Memorial Circle.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts voted to approve the concept at its meeting today (Thursday). Its members, all appointed by Trump, will review an updated design before taking a final vote at a future meeting.

News

Democrats line up to run in Virginia congressional districts, even before voters approve them

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com

Published April 14, 2026 at 5:05PM

Redistricting signs outside of the Bozman building in Courthouse (Flickr pool photo by Alan Kotok)

Even before Virginia voters decide on a new congressional map, Democrats are piling in to run for districts proposed under a redistricting plan that is designed to give their party a near sweep of the state’s U.S. House seats.

The latest entrant is Olivia Troye, who was an aide to former Republican Vice President Mike Pence and has become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. She announced today (Tuesda)y that she’ll run in Virginia’s newly created 7th Congressional District, which would include much of Arlington, joining an already crowded field.

News

Dallas Wings select Arlington’s Azzi Fudd No. 1 in WNBA draft

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com

Published April 13, 2026 at 11:25PM

UConn guard Azzi Fudd poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected first overall by the Dallas Wings in the first round of the WNBA basketball draft Monday, April 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Azzi Fudd is on her way to Dallas as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft with a $500,000 payday waiting for the former UConn star. A record-setting six UCLA players followed her into the league.

“I’m not really sure I have words to describe that feeling, what that meant,” Fudd said of getting drafted. “I don’t think it’s fully sunk in. It’s nothing I could have imagined. The feeling of sitting with my family, with Morgan (Valley), hearing your name called, go up there. Such a surreal feeling,”

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Rep. Beyer demands House return to session as Trump threatens ‘whole civilization will die’ in Iran

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press

Published April 7, 2026 at 4:45PM

An excavator removes rubble at the site of a strike that, according to a security official at the scene, destroyed half of the Khorasaniha Synagogue and nearby residential buildings in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) is calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson to immediately reconvene Congress and hold a vote on a War Powers Resolution as President Trump escalates threats against Iran, warning today (Tuesday) that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if a deal is not reached.

Beyer, whose 8th District includes Arlington, described Trump’s threats as “sick” and “murderous” and accused Republicans of enabling what he called “an immoral and unwell man willing to wield it recklessly.”

News

AG Jones vows to fight ‘illegal and malicious’ executive order on mail voting

By Emily Leayman and The Associated Press

Published April 2, 2026 at 10:00AM

A voting dropbox in Courthouse (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Virginia’s attorney general plans to challenge an executive order by President Donald Trump that would add more restrictions and federal oversight to mail voting.

Attorney General Jay Jones (D) has indicated plans to join top elections officials in states like Oregon and Arizona, who pledged to mount legal opposition to the executive order within minutes of Trump signing it — arguing that the president was illegally encroaching on the right of states to run elections.

Sports

Arlington native Azzi Fudd’s March Madness takeover appearing in commercials and social media spots

By The Associated Press and ARLnow.com

Published March 27, 2026 at 4:45PM

UConn guard Azzi Fudd (35) slaps hands with students at the end of a game against Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

It’s nearly impossible to miss seeing UConn star Azzi Fudd when tuning in for March Madness, as she’s all over TV commercials and social media.

“Really fortunate to have done some really amazing and fun deals and have some great partnerships,” Fudd said in a Zoom interview with The Associated Press. “I’m super excited to see everything just start to roll out. It’s going to be crazy to see everything I’ve done. I feel like a lot of things are being posted now.”

News

Revised House aviation safety bill wins NTSB support, but victims’ families demand tougher timelines

By The Associated Press

Published March 26, 2026 at 12:45PM | Updated March 26, 2026 at 3:35PM

Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., speaks during a news conference to discuss aviation safety reform legislation, including the ROTOR Act, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

A revised version of the House’s aviation safety bill now has the backing of the NTSB, but most of the families of the 67 victims of last year’s midair collision near Washington, D.C., still want to see tougher requirements to ensure the reforms are completed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the Alert Act now addresses its recommendation to require all aircraft flying around busy airports to have key locator systems that would allow the pilots to know more precisely where the traffic around them is flying. The NTSB has been recommending the systems since 2008.

News

JUST IN: Virginia lifts remaining Potomac River recreational water advisory after sewage spill

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press

Published March 17, 2026 at 4:45PM

Twilight in Rosslyn along the Potomac River (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

The Virginia Department of Health has lifted its remaining recreational water advisory for the Potomac River.

Today’s announcement ends restrictions that had been in place for more than a month following a massive sewage spill that sent millions of gallons of raw waste into the river.

News

Flights resume at DCA and other area airports after issue at FAA facility halts regional air traffic

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press

Published March 13, 2026 at 9:00PM

The departures lanes at Reagan National Airport (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Four airports serving Washington, Baltimore and Richmond halted all flights tonight (Friday) for over an hour because of a strong chemical smell that was impeding air traffic controllers, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The ground stop affected Reagan National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport and Richmond International Airport, FAA Secretary Sean Duffy said. The declaration caused flight delays to soar to roughly two hours across some of the busiest airports in the country.

News

Governor orders flags at half-staff in Virginia for ROTC instructor killed in ODU shooting

By ARLnow.com and The Associated Press

Published March 13, 2026 at 5:00PM | Updated March 13, 2026 at 5:20PM

U.S. Army photo shows Maj. Brandon Shah, Friday, Jan. 14, 2020, in Illesheim, Germany. (Pfc. Savannah Roy/U.S. Army/DVIDS via AP)

Virginia flags will fly at half-staff tomorrow (Saturday) in honor of Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the ROTC instructor killed in a shooting at Old Dominion University on Thursday that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger ordered flags on all state and local buildings lowered from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, citing Shah’s “decades of devoted and selfless service to his community, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the United States of America.”

News

Virginia officials debate whether it’s time to scrap data center tax break amid AI boom

By The Associated Press

Published March 11, 2026 at 2:15PM

FILE - Cars drive past data centers that house computer servers and hardware required to support modern internet use, such as artificial intelligence, in Ashburn, Virginia, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Nearly two decades ago, Virginia gave tech companies a tax break on equipment and software, and they began to build. The state became a data center hub, and they kept building. Residents bemoaned the noise while they built some more. Artificial intelligence boomed, and the power grid strained — still, more building.

Now, amid a growing national pushback on data centers, Virginia senators have voted to end a projected $1.6 billion annual tax break, requiring the industry to resume paying a minimum 5.3% sales tax. The proposal has left some opponents warning that it would bring construction of data centers in Virginia to a screeching halt.