RICHMOND, VA— Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today that according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Current Employment Statistics Survey (“CES” or “establishment survey”) data, Virginia’s nonfarm payroll employment edged up 500 over-the-month to 4,272,700, a 47,900 increase since April 2024. Since January 2022, the CES job count has increased by 268,100.
“In addition to the 500 nonfarm payroll jobs added in April, March’s positive revision includes another 800 jobs,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This report underscores the resiliency of Virginia’s labor market and the need for us to continue our pro-growth policies that have seen record investment by companies wanting to be part of Virginia’s future.”
ARLINGTON, Va. – Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, a world-class shopping destination and proud pillar of the community located in the heart of Washington, D.C., is slated to reveal a new community mural that brings art, culture and vibrancy to the heart of Arlington. Created in collaboration with celebrated artist Sabrina Rupprecht, this bold installation is a visual love letter to the region’s diverse heritage and dynamic future, offering a local interpretation of the center’s offerings mixed with iconic D.C. elements.
Shoppers are invited to join the celebration on Thursday, May 22, at 4 p.m., where they’ll have a chance to meet the artist and enjoy themed mocktails, sweets, light bites and more. The mural is located on Metro Level at the Breezeway entrance, offering an eye-catching welcome for locals and visitors alike.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal court today ordered Dr. Badar Khan Suri released from detention on bond eight weeks after immigration authorities arrested him in retaliation for constitutionally protected speech and associations. He will be able to return from Texas to Virginia, where his case challenging the constitutionality of his arrest is proceeding, and where he lives with his wife and three children.
“Hearing the judge’s words brought tears to my eyes,” said Dr. Khan Suri’s wife, Mapheze Saleh. “I truly wish I could give her a heartfelt hug from me and from my three children, who long every day to see their father again. Speaking out about what’s happening in Palestine is not a crime. Let’s show the world that this country is still a place where people can and do express their beliefs without fear.”
Equality Arlington, an LGBTQ+ advocacy nonprofit, applauds the Arlington County Board for reaffirming its commitment to LGBTQ+ residents through key investments in public health and fair housing protections in the FY 2026 budget. The approved budget includes:
Additionally, Equality Arlington commends the County’s planning to prevent rising HIV infection rates amid the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to federal HIV prevention funding and rollback of free HIV prevention medication to residents.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man was sentenced today to seven years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, Mamud Sesay, 36, of Bowie, was a source of supply for fentanyl for customers, which included fentanyl redistributors. Sesay also sold fentanyl pills from his home. The pills Sesay distributed were light blue and imprinted with “M” on one side, and “30” on the other to resemble legitimate, 30-milligram oxycodone pills.
ARLINGTON, VA (May 7, 2025) – Jamestown, a design-focused real estate investment and management firm, today announced Gilbane Building, one of the largest privately owned construction companies in the world, signed a lease for a 27,000-square-foot office at Ballston Exchange, a mixed-use retail, dining, and office development in Arlington’s Ballston neighborhood. Gilbane adds to the property’s tenancy which includes Agricultural Retailers Association, a non-profit trade association and Booz Allen Hamilton, the largest provider of AI to the federal government.
“Ballston Exchange continues to attract industry leaders like Gilbane Building which recognize the advantage provided by the property’s transit-accessible location and comprehensive amenities,” said Rameez Munawar, Senior Vice President, Mid-Atlantic Regional Market Leader at Jamestown. “The common spaces offer tenants added flexibility to support evolving workplace needs, while the ground-floor retail provides employees convenient access to a wide range of food and beverage options, as well as health and wellness services.”
FALLS CHURCH, VA (May 4, 2025) — The Falls Church City School Board has selected Terry J. Dade as the next Superintendent of Falls Church City Public Schools (FCCPS). The Board will officially vote on the appointment at a Special Meeting on Monday, May 5, at 6:00 p.m. at the Learning Stairs in Meridian High School, followed by brief remarks from Mr. Dade and a public reception.
Mr. Dade will assume his new role on July 1, 2025, succeeding Dr. Peter J. Noonan, who is retiring after eight distinguished years of service to the district.
May 5, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) today pressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to reevaluate its detention of his constituent, Georgetown postdoctoral fellow Dr. Badar Khan Suri. In a letter, Beyer urged ICE to consider Dr. Khan Suri’s eligibility for release and to reevaluate his custody classification.
Dr. Khan Suri is a legally admitted visiting scholar with no prior criminal record, he has not been charged with a crime, and the obscure immigration provision with which he has been charged is not a ground for mandatory detention. However, he is currently held in ICE custody at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas where he has been deemed a high-risk custody detainee requiring maximum security control and supervision. Dr. Khan Suri was detained by masked agents outside of his home in Rosslyn and charged with removability under a seldom used, Cold War-era immigration provision allowing the for the deportation of individuals deemed potential foreign policy risks. The Trump Administration is abusing this provision to instill fear and silence dissent on college campuses.
May 1, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer, who represents a Northern Virginia congressional district with one of the largest concentrations of federal workers in the U.S. House, today led a group of House Democrats in announcing the introduction of legislation to rebuild the federal workforce and protect federal workers. The REHIRE Act would make it easier for federal employees wrongfully fired by the Trump Administration to be rehired, while the PREP Act would codify rules governing probationary status for federal employees to prevent future abuses like the mass firings illegally directed by Trump and Elon Musk.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are doing unprecedented damage to the federal workforce and the services they provide which the American people depend on. Congress should lose no time in working to repair that damage and pass laws to stop it from happening again,” said Beyer. “My bills would pave the way to rehire many of the federal workers who devoted their careers to serving the American people, and bringing their essential expertise and experience back to public service. They would also make reforms that would prevent future mass purges like those employed by Trump and Musk, by clarifying and codifying protections in law. Congress allowed this disaster to happen, and Congress must lead in fixing it.”
April 30, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who serves as the Senior House Democrat on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee, today reacted to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) release of its advance estimate for the gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025. BEA found that: “Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025… In the fourth quarter of 2024, real GDP increased 2.4 percent.”
Beyer said:
RICHMOND, VA – Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced new data from the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner show fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Virginia declined 44 percent year over year and are down over 46 percent from its peak in 2021. In addition, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that between the 12-month periods ending November 2023 and November 2024, Virginia led the nation in year-over-year percentage declines in drug overdose deaths.
The Governor made the announcement on National Fentanyl Awareness Day and will discuss it at a press event at the Drug Enforcement Administration Headquarters in Arlington this afternoon.
April 21, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA), who represents a Northern Virginia district in the U.S. House that includes the Pentagon, again called for the resignation or termination of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth today after New York Times reporting revealed that Hegseth sent sensitive, and potentially classified, information about military strikes in Yemen in a separate Signal group chat that included his wife, brother and personal lawyer:
“As we have seen in the weeks since reporting by The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg first revealed the Secretary’s reckless violation of national security procedures, this was not an isolated incident nor was it a mistake. He has shown a pattern of flagrant disregard for the rules and responsibilities entrusted to his office and made clear that he is unfit and unqualified to serve as our Secretary of Defense. Such repeated lapses in judgement not only disprove Hegseth’s claims of ‘100% operations security,’ but also actively put our servicemembers at home and abroad in harm’s way.
