A Thomas Jefferson High School junior is launching an assistive technology start-up to help people with motor disabilities use computers more easily.
Dhanvin Ganeshkumar’s Swype AI will allow people to control their computer using a free mobile app on their smartphone in conjunction with gestures or vocal commands.
Falls Church officials next week are expected to authorize requests for regional funds in support of two key transportation upgrades.
The proposals for Haycock Road and Annandale Road were discussed at the July 7 City Council work session, with formal action slated for Monday, July 14.
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Victoria Khaydar, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
USCIS administers immigration benefits. In the time-honored tradition of government agencies since the days of Ur and Uruk, USCIS uses forms to collect, store, and interpret information. Immigrants complete these forms in order to obtain benefits. Most U.S. citizens have no idea what reams of paperwork these forms require. An ordinary green card application is comprised of ninety-seven pages of bare forms, which typically are supported by several hundred pages of supporting documents.
In better times, forms are a necessary evil. In the times we actually live in, forms are just another weapon with which to thwack your political opponents.
In the second iteration of the Trump Administration, USCIS has discovered a new, extremely petty way to make immigrants’ lives more difficult – by releasing new form versions which make utterly minute changes, and then decrees that yesterday’s official version is obsolete as of today.
The Office of Management and Budget, by the way, requires that all government forms have an ‘edition date’ and an ‘expiration date.’ USCIS evades this neatly by making the expiration date purely notional – the form can be valid after the expiration date, and it can be decreed obsolete at any time before or after the expiration date. (The edition date is notional, too – in the first months of the Trump Administration, USCIS persistently released forms backdated to January 20, 2025, seemingly just for the inaugural vibes.) The forms altered in the last two weeks are highlighted below.
Feds and Economists Worried — “The Supreme Court’s decision Tuesday to allow the Trump administration to continue with mass firings of federal workers could finally trigger the economic downturn economists and business leaders have been warning of since January. Higher rates of unemployment and an economic contraction are looking increasingly likely, economists say.” [WBJ, Washington Post, Associated Press]
Lightning Strikes Homes — “These storms [Wednesday evening] had lots of lightning. ACFD responded to at least two reports of homes damaged by lightning strikes: 100 block of S. Park Drive and 5400 block of 36th Road N.” [ARLnow/X]
Burglar Bares All — “At approximately 3:18 a.m. on July 9, police were dispatched to the report of a burglary in progress. Upon arrival, it was determined the reporting party located the male suspect inside their home allegedly exposing himself. Responding officers located the suspect at the scene and took him into custody without incident.” [ACPD]
Plaudits for Local Pizzeria — “One of the best pizzas in the country can be found in Virginia, according to the new 50 Top Pizza guide based on the findings of a team of inspectors who anonymously evaluate pizzerias around the world… According to their list, one of the best pizzas in the country can be found at A Modo Mio Pizzeria Napoletana & Bar, located at 5555 Langston Blvd.” [Patch]
Jazz Fest Announcement — “The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID), in partnership with Arlington Arts, is excited to announce the dynamic lineup for the 2025 Rosslyn Jazz Fest, taking place on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 1–7 p.m. at Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd., Arlington, VA). Headlining this year’s festival is Grammy-nominated Southern Avenue, the high-voltage, Memphis-based group known for their electrifying blend of blues, soul, and gospel.” [Arlington County]
TR Bridge Work Nears — “Starts next week: The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge goes from four lanes to three eastbound through early next year as TR gets a rehab to soothe all that rough riding.” [Arlington DES/X]
It’s Thursday — Showers and thunderstorms are possible throughout much of the day. Otherwise, expect mostly cloudy skies, with a high temperature near 85 and a southwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%. Tonight, chances of showers and thunderstorms decrease before 11pm, with a light south wind and a low temperature around 72. [NWS]
Pentagon MMA has brought a special honor home to Arlington from the birthplace of Muay Thai.
The Arlington Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu Academy is now officially a certified and registered Muay Thai Gym Partner through the Sports Authority of Thailand and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, making Pentagon MMA the only Muay Thai academy on the East Coast to have earned this distinction.
Good Wednesday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Jul 9, 2025.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with a likelihood of a thunderstorm between 2pm and 3pm. The sky will be mostly cloudy, with a high temperature near 85 and a southwest wind at 3 to 5 mph. The chance of precipitation is 60%, with new rainfall amounts likely below a tenth of an inch, possibly higher during thunderstorms. For Thursday night, chances of showers and thunderstorms decrease before 11pm, with light south wind and a low temperature around 72. The chance of precipitation falls to 30% during the night. See more from Weather.gov.
“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
– Robert Frost
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Dreaming about your next vacation? Join Cruise Planners Beth Borrego and Rod Rodriguez for an inspiring day devoted to ocean and river cruises, guided tours, luxury travel and unforgettable destinations!
Meet representatives from AmaWaterways, Collette, Oceania Cruises and Premier World Discovery. Hear informative presentations, ask questions, explore exciting vacation possibilities and discover which travel experience may be the perfect fit for you.
A Flash Flood Watch was just issued for Arlington, Falls Church and surrounding areas, including D.C.
A line of storms with exceptionally heavy downpours is approaching the area from the west. Flash flooding is expected to begin shortly after its arrival.
Arlington Independent Media’s flagship FM station is back on the airwaves — but beyond that, the troubled nonprofit has effectively gone radio silent.
Arlington listeners tuning into 96.7 FM can once again catch lo-fi beats on AIM’s public radio station, WERA. Every now and then, they’ll hear a message inviting them to listen online at WERA.fm.
Buckle up for what’s shaping up to be a wild weather day.
Arlington and much of the D.C. area is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch and a Flood Watch. The former was issued just after 2 p.m. and will remain in effect until 10 p.m.
A pair of Arlington entrepreneurs have partnered with a local taqueria to debut a new cantina-themed booze cruise on the Potomac River.
Sea Suite Cruises’ new “Cantina Cruises” party boat, which debuted on the Fourth of July, comes with a full-service bar plus chips and salsa courtesy of District Taco. Private parties can also get catering from the regional taco chain.
Falls Church officials are considering whether to allow public safety aides to issue parking tickets, direct traffic and respond to abandoned vehicles.
Under current Falls Church city code, only sworn law enforcement officers have the ability to conduct parking and traffic control.
