Virginia U.S. Attorney Challenged — “A federal judge Tuesday ordered Trump ally Lindsey Halligan to explain why she continues to call herself the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia even though another judge determined in November that she had been unlawfully appointed to the position.” [NBC News]
Bill Would Restrict National Guard Deployments — “Virginia lawmakers are proposing a plan that would allow them to review any federal deployment of the state’s National Guard members … The bill would prohibit the Commonwealth’s National Guard from being used to interfere in an election and ensure there’s a legal review of any deployment. It also requires information about how deployments are funded, Del. Dan Helmer said.” [WTOP]
Falls Church Could Introduce Ranked-Choice Voting — “Falls Church will be able to hold ranked-choice City Council elections as early as 2027, if current Council members want to make the switch. The city is on track to acquire new voting equipment that would accommodate the ranked-choice format in time for the 2027 elections, city elections director David Bjerke told the Falls Church Electoral Board on Monday.” [ARLnow]
Lawmakers Seek to Update Social Services Tech — “Social services staffers around Virginia have for years grappled with outdated technology and are now preparing for extra workloads … House Bill 66 by Del. Michael Feggans, D-Virginia Beach, would direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services and the Department of Social Services to modernize the information technology they use to provide social and medical programs to Virginians.” [Virginia Mercury]
Rep. Walkinshaw on Goals for New Year — Rep. James Walkinshaw, who was elected to represent Virginia’s 11th Congressional District last fall, cites the Jan. 30 deadline to pass a new federal budget as the “biggest challenge” facing Congress at the start of 2026. He also says “the health care affordability issue is very real and very urgent … so we’ve got to find a way to deal with that.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Drunk Driving Prevention Program Hits Milestone — SoberRide, which gives free rides during holidays to discourage impaired driving, has now served more than 100,000 people since it launched in 1991. Washington Regional Alcohol Program, the Tysons-based nonprofit that operates the initiative, says 1,446 people used SoberRide for last week’s New Year’s holiday alone. [Inside NoVA]
‘Queer Eye’ Reboot Ends With D.C.-Area Season — “Alexandria was home to the reality TV show ‘Queer Eye’ last summer as the Fab Five filmed their tenth and final season in the D.C. area. The Netflix show held its production headquarters in a warehouse at Van Dorn Station during a five-week shoot from late June to August 2025, Visit Alexandria spokesperson Allison O’Keefe told ALXnow.” [ALXnow]
New Legal Notice — Restaurant seeks state alcohol license; objections due in 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Thursday — Expect a mostly sunny day with a high temperature near 53 degrees and light, variable winds. Moving into Thursday night, the skies will become mostly cloudy with a low around 40 degrees, accompanied by a southeast wind blowing at 3 to 6 mph. [NWS]
