As the government shutdown brings a major portion of Northern Virginia’s economy to a halt, the commonwealth’s senators are doubling down on demands to strike a deal.
After months of upheaval, thousands of Arlington’s federal workers are facing renewed uncertainty as the shutdown that began yesterday (Wednesday) forces several agencies with local headquarters to furlough employees — all while the Office of Management and Budget is threatening another round of mass firings.
Joblessness in Arlington County is up 38% year-over-year in new state data, and local officials are warning that federal layoffs will likely bring further increases.
A total of 5,413 Arlington residents were recorded as seeking jobs in August, according to data released yesterday (Wednesday) by the Virginia Department of Workforce Development and Advancement. That’s compared to 3,932 unemployed residents in August 2024.
County Board members are honoring WETA’s upcoming 61st birthday and pledging to support the public-media outlet as it faces budget challenges and a hostile Trump administration.
“We are extremely proud to defend you and stand by you,” Board Chair Takis Karantonis said on Sept. 16 during the presentation of a proclamation honoring the organization’s first day on the air: Oct. 2, 1961.
By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor in Virginia whose monthslong mortgage fraud investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James has not resulted in criminal charges resigned Friday under pressure from the Trump administration.
A sidewalk chalk protest at the North Arlington home of a top Trump administration official became a talking point for powerful Republican voices this week.
The Sunday demonstration around the home of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller involved a handful of activists writing in chalk on sidewalk slabs with messages like “hate has no home in Arlington,” “no white nationalism” and “Stephen Miller is destroying democracy.”
Asked to name national political figures they admire, aspirants for the County Board cast a wide net from left to right across the political spectrum.
The question was posed by former Board member John Vihstadt at the Sept. 2 Arlington County Civic Federation debate. A Republican and three independents are challenging incumbent Democrat Takis Karantonis in the Nov. 4 election.
A federal district court has dismissed an Arlington School Board lawsuit over a threatened freeze on federal funding, saying it’s the wrong venue for the case.
A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia threw out lawsuits by the Arlington School Board and Fairfax County School Board on Friday.
Start-of-school enrollment in Arlington is down from a year before and below springtime projections, but could move higher by the time a final tally is compiled at the end of the month.
Arlington Public Schools counted 27,603 students in pre-kindergarten to 12th-grade classes on Sept. 4, Superintendent Francisco Durán reported to School Board members that evening.
By KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, his latest effort to project an image of toughness for America’s military.
Candidates seeking an open School Board seat are focusing on student achievement, the school system’s budget and the impact of the Trump administration.
“We deserve to get our money’s worth” from funds that support schools, said James “Vell” Rives IV at a Tuesday candidate forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation.
County Board Chair Takis Karantonis attempted to fend off criticism of the county’s Democratic political monopoly during the first debate of the general-election season.
“Challenging times require experience and leadership — without having to compromise our values,” Karantonis said at a Tuesday campaign forum sponsored by the Arlington County Civic Federation.
Leaders of the NAACP Arlington branch acknowledge they are walking a fine line in the era of Donald Trump.
The group will continue to press its values while refraining from direct political activity, the Rev. DeLishia Davis, president of the Arlington NAACP, said at a Monday meeting.
