By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, his latest effort to project an image of toughness for America’s military.
Arlington’s former solid waste contractor is lobbying the County Board to consider bringing them back on board following a bumpy start to a new trash service.
American Disposal Services, which collected trash and recycling in Arlington for 10 years, sent the County Board a letter last week referencing problems with missed collections after Bates Trucking and Trash Removal took over service on Aug. 1.
County Board Chair Takis Karantonis attempted to fend off criticism of the county’s Democratic political monopoly during the first debate of the general-election season.
“Challenging times require experience and leadership — without having to compromise our values,” Karantonis said at a Tuesday campaign forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation.
APS Goes to Court — “Arlington and Fairfax County Public Schools urged a federal judge to block the U.S. Department of Education from placing restrictions on millions of dollars in federal funding, amid an escalating legal battle over the districts’ transgender-inclusive policies. The hearing, held Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, is the latest development in a lawsuit filed in July by the two Northern Virginia school systems.” [WUSA 9, NBC 4]
More Funding for Local Startup — “Arlington cybersecurity startup Shift5 Inc. has landed $75 million in new funding to fuel R&D and marketing for products that monitor and protect transportation and defense systems. Hedosophia — a London-based venture capital firm that was an early backer of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, streaming provider Spotify Technology S.A. and ride-sharing platform Uber Technologies Inc. — led the Series C funding round.” [WBJ]
ACFD Called to Oxon Hill Crash — “The video below shows @ArlingtonVaFD Rescue Squad 109 from S. Walter Reed Drive fighting traffic into DC to get to a crash in Oxon Hill, MD this evening. It’s a 13 mile slow trip during rush hour to the Beltway and I-295… the initial response to this crash had no PGFD units. It was an engine from Alexandria, an ambulance from Fairfax County, and Arlington’s rescue.” [Dave Statter/X]
Lowering Childcare Costs — “William Gormley, university professor emeritus at the McCourt School of Public Policy, said he was surprised but not shocked at the cost of child care in Arlington… We asked Gormley the reasons behind rising daycare costs and what policies would help make child care more affordable for families.” [Georgetown University]
Local Teens Helping the Hungry — “Two teenagers are working to put a dent in food scarcity for county residents and this week donated just under 2,000 pounds of cereal to Loudoun Hunger Relief. Fiona Bensten and Arden Peale… decided to start a nonprofit, naming it the Feeding Hope Project, to do even more food drives… Although the two girls live in Arlington, they said they had a connection with Loudoun Hunger Relief through the organization’s President and CEO.” [Loudoun Now]
It’s Thursday — Thunderstorms are possible after 5pm, with increasing clouds and a high near 86. South winds will range from 8-14 mph, gusting up to 26 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. On Thursday night, expect showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, followed by a chance of showers until 2am. The night will be mostly cloudy with a low of 65, southwest winds of 6-10 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
As they gear up for a busy fall schedule, Falls Church city leaders are preparing to seek their share of a $6.5 billion national opioid settlement.
City Council members on Sept. 8 are slated to approve action notifying Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares that the city will participate in the state government’s proposed settlement with Purdue Pharma and its primary owner, the Sackler family.
Numerous affordable-housing advocates showed up at a recent local government meeting to push for county support in removing regulatory hurdles around construction.
The advocacy group Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) is pressing for state-level changes to streamline the construction of affordable housing on land owned by faith-based and nonprofit organizations.
A second left-turn on Langston Blvd could help ease a major rush-hour traffic choke point in East Falls Church, county staff believe.
Later this month, County Board members will be asked to request $1.5 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) for another turning lane from eastbound Langston Blvd onto westbound Washington Blvd adjacent to Interstate 66.
County Making First Amazon Payment — “Arlington County will pay Amazon more than $81,000 this month, officials said, giving the company its first cut of taxpayer subsidies” for HQ2 in Pentagon City. [Washington Post]
Overturned Vehicle Near Rosslyn — “Units responded to an overturned vehicle at the 66WB exit of Route 110. Crews found a single vehicle on its roof in the woods with one person trapped. Teams quickly gained access and extricated an adult male, who was treated and transported with non-life-threatening injuries.” [ACFD/X, WJLA]
Flyover Planned Today — From AlertDC: “The U.S. Military will conduct a flyover in the National Capital Region (NCR) over The White House on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at 11:10AM.”
ACPD Seeks Knife-Wielding Man — “5200 block of Columbia Pike. At approximately 12:39 a.m. on August 31, police were dispatched to the report of a suspect with a weapon… the male victim was outside of a business when the male suspect approached and engaged them in conversation. The victim then briefly walked away when the suspect produced a knife and began chasing the victim.” [ACPD]
It’s Preparedness Month — “September is National Preparedness Month, and Arlington County is urging all residents to take steps now to prepare for emergencies and disasters, whether natural or human-made. The 2025 theme is “Preparedness Starts at Home”, which focuses on getting back to the essentials.” [Arlington County]
Potential Plane Crash Debris — “Alexandria police are investigating if possible wreckage found recently found in the Potomac River could be tied to the deadly midair collision in DC this past January.” [Fox 5]
Covid Vax Changes — “Getting a COVID-19 vaccine shot this fall will take more than a quick trip to the pharmacy. The federal government’s new limits on who is eligible for COVID vaccines — and questions over insurance coverage — are causing confusion over the accessibility of shots once universally recommended.” [Axios]
It’s Wednesday — The dry streak continues, with mostly sunny skies, a high of around 81°F, and a southeast breeze around 5 mph during the afternoon. Wednesday night will be mostly clear, with a low temperature of around 63°F and south winds at 6 mph. [NWS]
Arlington County staff are seeking state funding to replace an old elevator at the Courthouse Metro station with two up-to-date lifts.
It could be a decade before the multimillion-dollar proposal becomes reality.
For the first time in months, the median rental cost for a two-bedroom Arlington apartment has dipped below $3,000.
That’s according to Apartment List, whose August report pegged the median cost of an Arlington one-bedroom unit at $2,473, a two-bedroom unit at $2,989 and the median for all sizes at $2,627.
The Arlington County Fire Department came to the rescue of a trapped toucan this weekend after the bird got stuck behind a Pentagon City dishwasher.
Chester the toucan — a TikTok star with over 830,000 followers — has since recovered and is “back to being his normal chaotic self,” his owner, Maria Stagliano, told ARLnow.
Efforts to combat retail theft in Pentagon City led to the arrest of more than a dozen suspects in a single day last month.
The Arlington County Police Department’s “focused enforcement” effort on Aug. 22 resulted in 15 suspects being taken into custody, with charges ranging from petit larceny and receiving stolen property to narcotics violations.
