Looking up at holiday lights in a tree along N. Glebe Road (staff photo)

Federal Job Loss Tally — “Over the past year, an estimated 41,500 federal jobs in the D.C. region have been eliminated, according to a report released this week by George Mason University’s Stephen Fuller Institute for Research on the Washington Region’s Economic Future. That includes about 15,000 jobs that have been lost since August, either through deferred resignations or layoffs, and had not shown up in previously released data.” [WBJ]

Lower Local Spending — “Consumers are spending less in the DMV — and D.C. is taking the biggest hit, according to a new Brookings report… Four years of regional consumer data show declines across both visitor and local spending. Local spending this year is just 1.1% below 2024.” [Axios]

GW Parkway Speed Camera Bill — “Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today introduced legislation that would allow for revenue generated from speed camera enforcement on roads within the National Park System, such as the George Washington Memorial Parkway, to be reinvested for safety improvements, road maintenance, and related infrastructure needs in the parks where violations occur.” [Press Release]

Arrest After Vape Store Theft — “Two employees of a local business in Arlington CHASED and HELD DOWN a theft suspect at N Barton Street & Ninth Street until police arrived to take the male into custody.” [DMV Live/FB]

Another Theft Arrest — “Police in Arlington, Virginia nabbed a lululemon Grand Theft (FELONY) suspect, who stole over $1,000 worth of clothes from the popular store on King Street in Alexandria.” [DMV Live/X]

Near Starbucks at DCA — “Our coffee game just got bigger with the opening of a new Starbucks near Gate C25. Come and enjoy your favorite seasonal brews and specialty drinks.” [Reagan Airport/X]

Compass Bankruptcy ‘Likely’ — “Compass Coffee has agreed to voluntarily relinquish its Ivy City roasting plant and will likely file for bankruptcy by Dec. 31… It’s unclear whether the homegrown coffee chain with about two dozen locations intends to liquidate or restructure its debts through the bankruptcy process and how those plans could impact its local stores.” [WBJ]

Rain and Wind Tonight — “A strong cold front will cross the area Thursday night through early Friday. As it does so, broken lines of heavy showers and perhaps a couple thunderstorms whip up the potential for gusty winds across the region, especially between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. … Jeff Halverson, Capital Weather Gang’s severe weather expert, notes the potential for gusts as high as around 50 mph.” [CWG]

It’s Thursday — Rain chances increase after 4pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 54. Winds will shift south at 5-8 mph in the morning. Thursday night will see rain as temperatures rise to around 55 by 3am, accompanied by south winds at 8-17 mph and gusts up to 29 mph. New rainfall amounts ranging between half and three-quarters of an inch are expected. [NWS]


The U.S. government admitted Wednesday that the actions of an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot played a role in causing a collision last January between an airliner and a Black Hawk near the nation’s capital, killing 67 people.

It was the deadliest plane crash on American soil in more than two decades.


Arlington County’s tax revenue was millions of dollars short of what was expected in the first months of this fiscal year, resulting in cutbacks on some expenditures.

County revenue from real estate taxes and taxes on public consumption — like sales, meals and lodging taxes — was $13 million behind projections during the first four months of the fiscal year that began July 1, County Manager Mark Schwartz said in a County Board briefing yesterday (Tuesday).


A 33-year-old D.C. man is facing an array of charges after a violent incident in Crystal City last night.

The alleged assault happened shortly before midnight, near the intersection of 23rd Street S. and S. Eads Street — at the start of Crystal City’s restaurant row.


Arlington and Falls Church have both ranked as some of the most livable localities in the nation for the second year in the row.

Arlington was at the top of the charts for “large communities” and Falls Church was No. 2 among “small communities,” according to a new ranking of U.S. localities from the American Association of Retired People (AARP).


Funding for Medicaid in Virginia and affordable housing on church-owned property were among Arlington residents’ priorities for state lawmakers at a meeting last week.

The pre-legislative meeting with Sens. Barbara Favola and Adam Ebbin, and Dels. Patrick Hope, Alfonso Lopez and Adele McClure, came ahead of the Virginia General Assembly session scheduled to begin on Jan. 14. Other topics of discussion ranged from expanding ranked-choice voting to an age verification law for pornography sites.


The head of the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday he won’t allow operations in the airspace over the nation’s capital to revert back to the way they were before January’s deadly aircraft collision near Reagan National Airport.

Administrator Bryan Bedford told the House aviation subcommittee he won’t forget the 67 people who died when an airliner collided with an Army helicopter over the Potomac River.


A spectacular sunset Saturday night, as seen from the Arlington Ridge neighborhood (courtesy David Rogers)

Melwood Touts Development Plan — “Finding appropriate housing if you have a disability can be difficult and expensive in the D.C. area. Melwood is hoping to help change that once the nonprofit converts its Arlington, Virginia, headquarters into a mixed-use building focused on inclusive housing.” [WTOP]

Towing Complaints Go Viral — “Just shopped at Giant on Washington Blvd. They towed the cars of 3 other strangers alongside mine while we were all inside. We all have our shopping bags and receipts. One lady had a child and not enough money to pay the $150 and she was left out in the cold, fortunately a young man helped her out and took her to the advanced towing location and paid for her tow.” [Reddit]

New Arlington Officers — “Monday, December 15, 2025 marked a significant milestone for Arlington County Police Department’s 11 newest officers as Session 153 graduated from the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Training Academy.” [ACPD]

Beyer Blasts Economy — “This disastrous jobs report makes it clear that this is not an ‘A++++ economy’ as President Trump claimed, it’s an economy at risk of sliding into recession. Trump’s tariffs are most to blame for the hiring slump.” [Press Release]

Command Shakeup at Pentagon — “Senior Pentagon officials are preparing a plan to downgrade several of the U.S. military’s major headquarters and shift the balance of power among its top generals, in a major consolidation sought by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, people familiar with the matter said.” [Washington Post]

It’s Wednesday — Expect mostly sunny conditions today, with a high near 49. The southwest wind of about 7 mph will shift west in the afternoon. For Wednesday night, the sky will be partly cloudy, with the temperature dropping to around 30 degrees. [NWS]


A driver has died after a crash in Ballston Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened around 2 p.m. on N. Taylor Street, between Wilson Blvd and Fairfax Drive, just over a block away from the Metro station.


A new partnership between the county government and a local church aims to preserve, improve and maintain public access to a historic cemetery.

The county government plans to install perimeter fencing, access gates and a bench at Calloway United Methodist Church’s cemetery at 5000 Langston Blvd, one of the oldest church-affiliated African American graveyards in all of Arlington.


An updated plan for an affordable housing building near Langston Blvd has received mostly praise but some criticism from the Housing Commission.

The Housing Commission was provided an update on Dec. 4 on the plan to replace 40 garden-style apartments at the Leckey Gardens apartment complex with a 10-story apartment building with 249 committed-affordable units.


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