News

Flyover Planned This Morning — From AlertDC: “The United States Military will conduct a flyover in the National Capitol Region at Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday, October 2, 2025, at 11:05 AM.”

Data Center Power Usage — “Data centers and AI are gobbling up electricity, but the share differs significantly by state. Between 2010 and 2025, data centers went from less than 5% to roughly 40% of Virginia’s electricity consumption.” [Derek Thompson/X]

Shutdown Shakes Up Va. Races — “The federal government shutdown — and the escalating battle over which party bears the most blame — has injected a major new question mark into the governor’s race in Virginia, home to hundreds of thousands of federal workers… The state is home to more than 300,000 federal workers — more than any other state but Maryland. That reality means anxiety over government shutdowns and their economic fallout runs especially deep in northern Virginia’s densely populated suburbs.” [CNN]

Top of Ticket Spending Down — “Republican nominee and current Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger are making their final pushes to voters before they fill out their ballots. Even with the historic implications, total fundraising for this gubernatorial race is substantially down from other recent elections, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.” [Virginia Mercury]

Gov. Touts Efficiency Gains — “We are CUTTING RED-TAPE and REDUCING COSTS for Virginia families and businesses! Our best-in-class regulatory reform efforts have set a gold standard for the Nation. Over $1.275 million in saving each year for Virginians. Less government bureaucracy, saving you time and money!” [Gov. Glenn Youngkin/X]

‘Suspicious Person’ Arrest — “The male suspect allegedly jumped over the fences of residences in the 400 block of S. Edgewood Street. A lookout was broadcast, and responding officers observed the suspect exiting a residence in the 300 block of S. Fillmore Street where they detained him following a brief struggle. During a search incident to arrest, brass knuckles were recovered.” [ACPD]

Local Woman’s Sake Shop — “Arlington resident Reiko Hirai started her online shop, DC Sake cō, with a grand plan to introduce the DMV to the wide world of sake. “I have a personal mission to bring sake to everyone,” she says. “My dream would be for everyone to one day say, ‘Honey, are we having beer, wine or sake tonight?’” The Kyoto native sells all sorts of hard-to-find sake and Japanese beverages.” [Arlington Magazine]

Coming to Potomac Yard — “The longest-standing vacancy at Potomac Yard Center has been filled. Ulta Beauty Inc. will replace Dressbarn, which closed its location at 3501 Richmond Highway in 2019 along with all 650 of the retailer’s locations. The 9,700-square-foot storefront is listed “at lease” on Willard Retail’s Potomac Yard Center brochure, but Ulta confirms it is opening there, with a planned debut in spring 2026.” [WBJ]

New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks restaurant/caterer alcohol license. Objections are due within 30 days. [Public Notices]

It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 70 degrees, accompanied by an east wind around 8 mph. Thursday night will see partly cloudy conditions with a low around 52 degrees. [NWS]

Shutdown Politics in Va. — “Even as the president and his party tried to blame Democrats for what could happen next, some Republicans saw it as almost inevitable that Virginia voters would punish them somewhat. ‘I do think that blame will be laid at Republicans’ feet, no matter what,’ said Matthew Hurtt, the chairman of the Arlington County GOP. ‘It feels like the layoffs are exclusively going to Democrats, who were going to be voting for Spanberger anyway.'” [Semafor, Arlington Democrats/X, Matthew Hurtt/X]

Bill to Help Feds During Shutdown — “‘Americans join the federal workforce because they want to help provide essential services to communities across the country,’ said Senator Kaine. ‘They shouldn’t be punished for that, especially in the event of a government shutdown. That’s why I’m glad to join with my colleagues in introducing this legislation to help make it easier for these patriotic workers to pay their bills.'” [Press Release]

Credit Unions Offer Support — “Several financial institutions, including Navy Federal Credit Union and PenFed Credit Union, are offering paycheck assistance, interest-free personal loans and lines of credit to federal workers who need them in the event of a shutdown. Some are also waiving penalties for early withdrawals from retirement accounts or allowing customers affected by a shutdown to skip a loan payment or two.” [WBJ]

New Poet Laureate — “Jennifer Kronovet has been selected as the fourth Poet Laureate of Arlington County. During her two-year appointment, the award-winning poet will serve as an advocate for poetry and the literary arts and will work to raise Arlingtonians’ consciousness and appreciation of poetry in its written and spoken forms.” [Arlington County]

Pre-Planning for Bridge Project — “Members of the Fireboat are pre-planning the construction site for the new Long railway bridge across the Potomac. This project is scheduled to go through year 2030 and has the potential for both water and technical rescues.” [DCFEMS/X]

Man Killed By Train Was Chased — “The man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Yard Metro station on Sept. 22 succumbed to his injuries that evening at George Washington University Hospital, according to the Alexandria Police Department. Metro Transit Police said at the time that the man trespassed onto the tracks, and an investigation has found that he was being chased by two alleged fare evaders, a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.” [ALXnow]

It’s October — Expect partly sunny skies to transition to sunnier conditions, with temperatures reaching around 72°F and a 10 mph north wind. Wednesday night will be clear and cool with a low near 51°F, accompanied by a 6 mph northeast breeze. [NWS]