Press Releases

The Virginia Lottery has received reports of individuals offering Virginians money in exchange for personal information while claiming or implying a connection to the Virginia Lottery.

This is not a Virginia Lottery program.

In accordance with the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at half-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia in memory and respect of Dolly Parton.

We honor Dolly Parton not only for her extraordinary contributions to music and culture, but also for her enduring commitment to children throughout the Commonwealth. Through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, she has helped foster a lifelong love of reading among our youngest Virginians. Her generosity has expanded opportunity for countless children and strengthened communities across the Commonwealth. Our prayers are with her family during this difficult time.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA, MARYLAND & DELAWARE — August 18, 2026 — Mr Wash Car Wash, a leading locally owned car wash company serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, today announced a back-to-school thank-you to the region’s educators. In honor of the new school year, Mr Wash is offering free exterior Extra Shine car washes to all teachers, school administrators, faculty, and school staff.On Thursday, August 20, and Friday, August 21, 2026, school employees can visit any of Mr Wash’s 11 locations to receive a complimentary Extra Shine car wash. To redeem, simply present a valid school ID.

“Teachers and school staff make an incredible impact in our communities every day, and we’re proud to show our appreciation by offering them a complimentary car wash,” said Evan Harris, President of Mr Wash Car Wash. “It’s a simple way for our team to say thank you and help them begin the school year with a fresh start.”

ARLINGTON, Va. – August 2026 – The Plaza at Mason Square is excited to kick off its Fall 2026 season with free weekly programs and special events designed to bring the George Mason University and greater Arlington communities together. All activities are located at the George Mason University’s Arlington Campus, The Plaza and The Haven at FUSE provide welcoming spaces for the community and students. For the fall programming, we are separating the Plaza and the Haven schedules, and the Haven will return in November.

Fall programming at The Plaza at Mason Square will run from August 31 through October 30, 2026. All activities are free and open to the public!

(Forestville, Maryland) August 11th, 2026 – Today, ATU Local 689 members have flyered Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) MetroBus garages and routes to let members know that it is unsafe to comply with management’s bus fare quotation policy. We will continue to encourage our members to exercise their rights and demand safe working conditions.

Back in May when this policy was hastily rolled out over union objections, Local 689 stated that this policy would lead to an increase in fare disputes. As WMATA’s own publications have repeatedly said, “More than two thirds of all bus operator assaults are the result of a fare dispute.”

U.S. Representative Don Beyer, Senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its July 2026 jobs report, which found that the U.S. economy lost 23,000 jobs in July with previous job gains in May and June revised down by a combined 103,000 lower than previously reported. While the unemployment level edged down to 4.1 percent, that decline came as labor force participation fell again to 61.4 percent – its lowest level since February 2021 – with another 264,000 Americans leaving the workforce entirely.

“Today’s jobs report is deeply alarming and offers some of the clearest evidence yet that President Trump’s policies are doing serious damage to the American economy. Job creation has effectively ground to a halt, and businesses simply are not hiring at the pace a healthy economy demands. Wages tell the same troubling story: wage growth slowed to just 3.2 percent, its weakest pace in five years, while inflation has surged to 3.5 percent.

RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger announced today that the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) successfully launched an Intensive Reentry Program at Red Onion State Prison, among the first reentry programs in the nation of its kind at a maximum-security facility.

This new program is the 15th in operation at facilities across the Commonwealth, from work centers to maximum security correctional centers. Virginia’s Intensive Reentry Programs operate using a Cognitive Community model built on accountability, support, and structure. The programs focus on reentry preparation — including workforce readiness and connections to community resources — to support a safe and productive reentry process and strengthen public safety across Virginia.

July 30, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee which has jurisdiction over U.S. trade policy, today introduced the Homebuilding Materials Tariff Relief Act to eliminate the Trump Administration’s tariffs on a series of critical products used in home construction and bring down the cost of housing.

“Rather than lowering costs for American families as he promised on the campaign trail, President Trump has been laser focused on making everything more expensive, particularly through his disastrous tariffs,” said Congressman Beyer. “The homebuilding sector has been particularly hard hit, as the new taxes Trump has imposed on imports of key materials like ceramic tiles, glass, particle board, cement, and others have increased the cost of new homes by thousands of dollars. The last thing the federal government should be doing is piling on additional costs that get passed along to buyers and puts homeownership even further out of reach for working- and middle-class Americans. This bill would provide immediate relief to homebuilders and buyers and ensure that any future tariffs on these materials can only be imposed if the housing crisis has abated and with Congressional approval.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Representatives Don Beyer (VA-08), Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), and Glenn Ivey (MD-04), along with 43 of their colleagues, demanded transparency about the Trump Administration’s new vanity project, the proposed redevelopment of East Potomac Park designed by President Trump’s handpicked architect, Tom Fazio. The letter, written to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Acting Director of the National Park Service Jessica Bowron, called on the Administration to preserve the park’s historical features and affordability.

In this latest letter, the lawmakers are demanding the administration disclose the cost of the golf course’s redevelopment and how any changes would affect bike and walking paths. They also demanded the administration comply with historic preservation laws and disclose how the golf course’s pricing may change.

July 24, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), the Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee and a member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, issued the following statement today after President Trump announced new 10 to 12.5 percent tariffs on dozens of countries, including key U.S. trading partners:

“If President Trump wanted to raise our prices and run our economy into the ground, I don’t know what he would be doing differently. His tariffs, like his foolish war with Iran, are an illegal and ill-advised usurpation of congressional authority that will do lasting damage to our country. The supposed ‘investigation’ used to justify them is obviously, laughably, fraudulent. We know Trump doesn’t care about forced labor since he directly urged President Xi to build more camps in Xinjiang. Everyone involved should be embarrassed. The American people are sick to death of Republicans’ refusal to do anything about it.”

ARLINGTON, VA — Students in Aspire’s no-cost summer program have formed a rock band (The Jackson Nine). On Sunday, July 26th, they will be performing at the Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S Dinwiddie St, Arlington, VA 22204) from 4:00-6:00pm. They will be set up in the courtyard of the community center. Community members are invited to attend to show their support.

“Aspire students have a vested interest in making sure we can continue providing our daily holistic academic afterschool and full-day summer program. They want Aspire to grow so their friends can also have access to a program that means so much to them, bridges the learning gap, gives them a safe place, and where they plant the seeds where their future dreams grow. They came together to find ways to support Aspire and their community. This music festival is a testament to their leadership, generosity, and the critical role Aspire plays in their lives,” said Paula Fynboh, Aspire’s CEO, and a national Afterschool Ambassador with the Afterschool Alliance.

July 15, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued the following statement announcing his intent to vote for an amendment offered by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) to H.R. 8595, the FY27 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act that would cut U.S. assistance to Israel, primarily through reducing Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to Israel by $3.3 billion:

“It is past time for our nation to fundamentally reevaluate its security relationship with the state of Israel.