News

VRE Changes Take Effect — “A new bridge is being built across the Potomac River to handle rail traffic. But with construction comes travel delays. Some major impacts to Amtrak and VRE riders started Monday. A second span of Long Bridge will cross over the Potomac between D.C. and Arlington… The work is expected to last through 2030. A VRE commuter said she’s bracing for years of adjustments to her schedule, with some trains stopping and starting in Alexandria.” [NBC 4]

Va. Redistricting Process — “In what could be Democrats’ last wave of mid-cycle redistricting, the Virginia and Maryland legislatures will each convene on Wednesday with national party leaders pushing them to redraw congressional maps and net as many as five seats to help build an advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.” [Washington Post]

New Va. Laws — “Here are some of the new laws Virginians should be aware of in 2026. Kids under the age of 16 are now limited to one hour per day on social media unless a parent consents to more (or less) time. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram are required to verify age and set the default hour limit… If you text “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE” to telemarketers they have to honor your request and remove you — for at least 10 years.” [Axios]

Spitting Suspect Charged — “N. Lexington Street at Wilson Boulevard. At approximately 7:25 p.m. on January 12, police were dispatched to the report of an assault. Upon arrival, it was determined the female victim was in the area when the female suspect approached the victim and allegedly spat on her before fleeing the scene… responding officers located an individual matching the description of the suspect near the scene and took her into custody. While in custody, the suspect spat on two officers.” [ACPD]

Sheriff’s Office Promotion — “Arlington County Sheriff José Quiroz has announced the promotion of Juan Gelabert to Chief Deputy of the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Gelabert brings more than two decades of dedicated service to the agency and a deep, lifelong connection to the Arlington community.” [Arlington County]

Big Bucks for Local Solar Company — “Arlington solar company Summit Ridge Energy has secured a massive loan to fund the construction or operation of 20 solar facilities at a time when data centers are driving up demand for alternative sources of energy. The company closed a $290 million facility with the Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group to fuel an expansion as energy demands skyrocket across the U.S.” [WBJ]

Hotel Occupancy Falls — “Greater Washington hotel occupancy dipped in October to levels not seen during that month since the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, contributing to another decline in the CBRE REVIVE Regional Vibrancy Index. Ian Anderson, the senior director of research at the real estate firm CBRE, said he was surprised by the declines in hotel occupancy, but he said some of the October drop may be attributable to the government shutdown.” [WBJ]

Beyer Opposes Bill — “I can’t support funding a status quo that accepts Trump’s illegal, immoral demolition of USAID. This minibus also fails to constrain the abject stupidity of Trump’s threats to attack Greenland, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, etc. I will vote no.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Congressman Don Beyer]

Robbery at Home Depot — “The Home Depot, 6200 block of Seven Corners Center in Fairfax County— two males stole power tools and flashed a handgun at employees before fleeing.” [The DC MD VA Live/X]

It’s Wednesday — There is a slight chance of rain in the morning and late afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 52. Southwest winds will be around 6 mph. Rain is likely tonight before 1am, followed by a chance of rain and snow until 4am, then a slight chance of snow. The low will be around 25, with light winds becoming northwest at 6 to 11 mph and gusts up to 31 mph. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, but little or no snow accumulation is expected. [NWS]

Michael Wardian Still Racing — “On top of training up to six hours a day, the Arlington resident juggles a packed schedule as a husband, father of two teenage boys, and businessman… His brother, Matt, suspects Wardian’s ability to function on about five hours of sleep helps. ‘He ruthlessly prioritizes how he spends his time,’ says Matt… ‘He gets up early and runs, he runs at lunchtime, finishes work, and runs to his son’s game or practice.'” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Pickups Collide on I-395 — “Two white pickups met on I-395N at the express lane ramp across from the Pentagon this afternoon. The driver trying to take that left side ramp, even though they were in the right lane and beyond the entrance, is from a company whose motto includes “Safety” and “Damage Prevention”. Injuries not reported to be serious.” [Dave Statter/X]

More EDVA Drama — “A senior federal prosecutor in Virginia was fired after a disagreement about whether he would take charge of the Trump administration’s effort to reindict James B. Comey… Mr. McBride had been in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia for only a couple of months, temporarily serving as the top deputy to Lindsey Halligan after more than a decade as a federal prosecutor in Kentucky.” [NYT]

Local Record Store Floods — “Following significant flooding after a water leak this past weekend, a vinyl record store in Del Ray has closed for the foreseeable future and is considering a move. Crooked Beat Records owner Bill Daly told ALXnow today (Monday) that a pipe on the roof of the building burst, flooding the basement record shop at 2417 Mount Vernon Avenue with several inches of water and ruining merchandise.” [ALXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 50, along with a calm wind turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. For Tuesday night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by a low around 40. A southwest wind will blow at 8 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]