As part of his ongoing commitment to the enforcement of antitrust protections, Attorney General Mark R. Herring today announced that he has joined a bipartisan coalition of 47 attorneys general in investigating Facebook’s business practices to examine compliance with state and federal antitrust laws.
“Big tech and social media companies like Facebook must comply with antitrust laws that promote competition and choice, and consumer protection laws that guard the privacy and personal data of users,” said Attorney General Herring. “Given Facebook’s nearly unprecedented influence in so many sectors of the economy and political process, this bipartisan coalition of attorneys general is committed to ensuring that Facebook is complying with the law and meeting its obligations.”
Bridge girder installation is occurring this week during daytime hours for the new Washington & Old Dominion Trail Bridge over Route 29 (Lee Highway) in Arlington. This work is taking place west of Lee Highway, and will not impact roadway or trail users.
Work will continue the week of Oct. 28, and will require nighttime hours and an additional trail detour. In addition, on Wednesday, Oct. 30, lane closures and temporary traffic stoppages will occur on Lee Highway.
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands today celebrated the start of a project to restore the Netherlands Carillon and add three bells to elevate its status to “grand carillon.”
Ambassador André Haspels of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and George Washington Memorial Parkway Superintendent Charles Cuvelier, National Park Service (NPS), rang hand-held bells to celebrate the beginning of the project and the continued friendship between the U.S. and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
On Friday, October 18, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine will hold a roundtable discussion on efforts to address the epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. The discussion at Montessori Public School of Arlington will include students, teachers, counselors, parents, health experts, and Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni. Kaine will discuss the Tobacco-Free Youth Act, his bipartisan bill to raise the nationwide minimum age to buy all tobacco products from 18 to 21. The bill passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in June.
Kaine has a long track record of promoting public health and battling tobacco use. As Governor of Virginia, Kaine signed a bill into law to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in the Commonwealth, as well as an executive order to ban smoking in state buildings and vehicles. In April 2018, Kaine joined two letters to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and JUUL Labs, Inc. raising concerns about youth access and use of flavored e-cigarettes. In the letter to the FDA, Kaine and his colleagues urged the agency to take immediate steps to ban kid-friendly flavorings that are used in e-cigarettes and cigars. In the letter to Juul Labs, Inc., Kaine and his colleagues asked a series of questions about how the product is marketed to children and teens and what ingredients are in the flavorings that accompany these devices. They requested that the company take a series of important steps to limit youth use of their product.
In response to the growing demand for affordable housing in the region, the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) today announced it is expanding operations into Maryland.
“For 30 years, APAH has worked to address the need for affordable housing but the need is not limited to Arlington County,” said APAH CEO Nina Janopaul. “As demand for more affordable housing grows throughout the DC metropolitan area, APAH decided it was only right to expand our efforts into other jurisdictions and become a regional organization.”
Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, Washington D.C.’s international shopping destination, invites job seekers to attend its Retailer Job Fair on Tuesday, October 22. From 11 a.m.-7 p.m., candidates can visit the Metro and First Levels to pick up applications, meet with store representatives and apply onsite. Applicants are encouraged to bring their resumes and should be prepared for on-the-spot interviews. Arlington Employment Center will also be onsite to assist attendees in need. Participating retailers seeking candidates include Altar’d State, Ann Taylor, A|X Armani Exchange, Banana Republic, Francesca’s, J.Jill, Macy’s, Sugar Factory, The Ritz-Carlton and The Body Shop.
For more information, visit simon.com/ fashioncentreatpentagoncity or connect with Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Governor Ralph Northam today announced a statewide drought watch advisory for the Commonwealth of Virginia. A drought watch is intended to increase awareness of current conditions that are likely to precede a significant drought event. Localities, water suppliers, self-supplied water users, and all citizens are encouraged begin preparations for a potential drought.
According to the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, a work group coordinated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) representing state and federal agencies, the primary factors contributing to the current drought advisory are low precipitation amounts across the state since July, low stream flows (affecting aquifers, lakes, and soils), and low groundwater levels in observation wells compared to previous October levels.
Zoup! Eatery, the fast casual restaurant known for its award-winning soups and made-to-order sandwiches and salads, is set to open its first Arlington location on Monday, Oct. 21. Located at 4401 N. Fairfax Drive in the popular Ballston neighborhood, the new restaurant is owned and operated by franchisee Jim Beverley.
“I can’t wait for Arlington to finally get a taste of what Zoup! Eatery is all about,” Beverley says. “I’ve been a Zoup! regular for many, many years. I fell in love with the high-quality gourmet soup and with Zoup!’s culture of serving its community. I know that our friends and neighbors in Ballston are going to feel the same way!”
Christian Dorsey, Chair of the Arlington County Board, will be speaking about racial equity at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, 5010 Little Falls Road, at 7:00 p.m. Monday, October 7.
Central to Dorsey’s campaign for the County Board was a commitment to press for “equity” across the county and across subject areas – from transportation to housing to economic development. Of this challenge, Dorsey says, “By many measures, Arlington is a successful community. Yet disparities exist and all Arlingtonians do not have access to opportunities and community conditions needed to reach their full potential and experience optimal well-being. Communities across this nation are recognizing that instituting equity-based policies locally will not only help ensure the long-term sustainability of individual communities, but help drive the larger systemic change needed to ensure the sustainability of our nation.”
The Bonder and Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation (BAJCDC) will mark its 20th anniversary of service on Saturday, November 2, 2019 with a fundraiser event themed, “Dancing With The Arlington Stars”.
Since October 1999, the BAJCDC has primarily served residents of the historic Green Valley section of South Arlington. The center provides services such as health care, employment, job services, housing assistance, food bank distribution, and tutoring services. Though the center is located in the heart of Green Valley, the BAJCDC receives and fulfills requests for assistance from residents across Arlington County.
Sachs Companies, a New York City based real estate investment company closed with Blackfin Real Estate Investors on the purchase of Loren Falls Church, a class-A, mixed-use property located at 6410 Arlington Boulevard, just off I-66 and Rte. 50, in Falls Church, Virginia, and just an 18-minute drive to National Landing, the future home to Amazon HQ2.
Loren Falls Church is a mid-rise asset offering 185 apartment homes with upscale features and unrivaled amenities that focus on the resident experience. The property also includes 13,577 square feet of retail with in-demand merchants such as Orange Theory and Casual Pint that service apartment residents and the highly-affluent Hillwood neighborhood, which is directly adjacent to the property. Built in 2017, the asset is currently stabilized and is 97% occupied.
FairVote hailed the introduction of the Ranked Choice Voting Act (HR 4464) by Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and a group of House colleagues, and marked momentum for ranked choice voting, on a joint press call with Rep. Raskin, co-sponsor Congressman Don Beyer (VA-08) and state reform leaders and advocates from around the country.
The Ranked Choice Voting Act would require states to adopt ranked choice voting (RCV) in primary and general elections for Congress beginning in 2022. It would also authorize federal funding to help states implement this change, including adapting equipment if necessary and conducting voter education.
