Va. Democrats Unveil Initial Agenda — Minimum wage increases, the creation of a recreational cannabis market, constitutional amendments on abortion rights and marriage equality and other proposals stalled under Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will be priorities for Virginia Democrats when they take control of the state government in 2026. Cost of living is a major focus of the first pre-filed bills. [Washingtonian]
Tysons Metro Station Manager Threatened — “Metro Transit Police Department said its officers, along with the Fairfax County Police Department, responded to the Tysons Corner Metro station [yesterday] after a woman allegedly threatened a station manager. She was placed under arrest for assault, disorderly conduct, and fare evasion.” [DC News Now]
$300K Income Needed for N. Va. Home — “The National Association of Realtors says the average first-time home buyer is now 40, an all-time high. The path to homeownership could be even tougher if you live in Northern Virginia.” Homebuyers need to earn roughly $300,000 to afford a single-family house in Northern Virginia, with median prices nearing or surpassing $1 million, Bright MLS economist Lisa Sturtevant says. [NBC4]
Metrobus Introduces Contactless Payments — “On Tuesday, WMATA launched Tap. Ride. Go. to make paying for bus fare easier on the Metrobus … Riders can now get a transfer discount between Metrorail and Metrobus by using the same card when transferring.” The system, which lets riders pay by tapping a credit card, debit card, or Google or Apple Pay, has been in place for trains since May. [WUSA9]
New Opening Date for Aldi — After previously displaying a Nov. 20 opening date on its website, Aldi announced yesterday that its new store at the West Springfield Shopping Mall (6230 Rolling Road) will in fact celebrate its grand opening on Dec. 4. The launch will include assorted giveaways and promotions, along with a “sneak peek” the preceding day. [FFXnow]
Merrifield Italian Store Braces for Tariff — “A proposed tariff on Italian pasta that could take effect in January may cause you to lose your appetite. Vally Graham, the general manager of Olio2go, a specialty Italian store in Fairfax County, Virginia, says if the tariff takes effect, it will jack up prices significantly.” [WTOP]
Astronaut Visits Former Elementary School — “Blue Origin astronaut George C. Nield visited his elementary school alma mater, North Springfield Elementary School, [on Nov. 18] to talk with students about his experience traveling to space.” The visit was part of a week-long Space in the Community program that also included a community night held yesterday (Wednesday) at Dogwood Elementary School in Reston, among other activities. [Northern Virginia Magazine]
When to Travel for Thanksgiving — “There’ll be a record-breaking 81.8 million Americans leaving town for Thanksgiving this year, AAA predicts … The DMV’s worst Turkey Day traffic will be the Tuesday before Thanksgiving around 4:30pm on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway heading out of the D.C., per INRIX.” [Axios DC]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly cloudy skies with a high temperature near 52 degrees accompanied by a light and variable wind. Thursday night will also be mostly cloudy, while the temperature drops to around 43 degrees and a calm wind prevails. [NWS]
