Associated Press

BREAKING: Herndon man sentenced to life for double murder in ‘au pair affair’

By Mary Stachyra Lopez and Associated Press

Published June 5, 2026 at 1:45PM | Updated June 5, 2026 at 3:08PM

Brendan Banfield speaks during his sentencing on June 5, 2026 (screenshot via Law and Crime video pool feed)

A Herndon man was sentenced in Fairfax County Circuit Court today to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife and a stranger he lured to their home through a fetish website.

Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement officer, claimed that he shot Joseph Ryan after he came across Ryan attacking his wife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. But earlier this year, a jury convicted him of murder after prosecutors argued that Banfield and the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães, set Ryan up in a scheme to murder Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse.

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Ex-CIA official charged with stealing millions of dollars in gold bars from federal government

By Associated Press and Angela Woolsey

Published May 28, 2026 at 11:45AM

The CIA seal next to a U.S. flag at the agency's Langley headquarters (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

A former senior CIA official with top secret-level clearance is accused of stealing hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million from the federal government and stashing them in his home.

David Rush was arrested and charged with criminal theft of public money last week, according to federal court filings in Virginia, where he lives.

Countywide

Dominion Energy could be acquired by Florida utility in $67B merger

By Associated Press

Published May 18, 2026 at 11:15AM

FILE - A Dominion Energy lineman lifts himself up to work on a power line in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, in North Augusta, S.C. (AP Photo/Artie Walker Jr., File)

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer

NextEra Energy is seeking to acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, creating a massive power company as the energy needs of artificial intelligence drive demand higher in the U.S.

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JUST IN: Va. Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redistricting plan, giving GOP a win

By Associated Press

Published May 8, 2026 at 11:05AM | Updated May 8, 2026 at 6:52PM

A person votes in the Virginia redistricting referendum at Lake Braddock Secondary School, Tuesday, April 21, 2026, in Burke, Va. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press

The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a voter-approved Democratic congressional redistricting plan, delivering another major setback to the party in a nationwide battle against Republicans for an edge in this year’s midterm elections.

Countywide

DOJ investigation part of ‘pattern’ of partisan attacks, Fairfax prosecutor’s office says

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press

Published May 8, 2026 at 9:15AM

Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano (staff photo by Jared Serre)

The Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office isn’t backing down on its policy guidance for cases involving undocumented immigrants as defendants.

A day after the U.S. Department of Justice announced it’s investigating the policy for potential civil rights violations, a spokesperson for the prosecutors’ office criticized the probe as “the latest example of the Trump Administration’s own ‘pattern or practice’ of misusing the Justice Department to launch partisan attacks.”

News

Former Madison Warhawks star called back up to MLB by Giants

By Angela Woolsey and Associated Press

Published May 5, 2026 at 11:45AM

San Francisco Giants' Bryce Eldridge breaks his bat during an at-bat against the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 4, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

James Madison High School alum Bryce Eldridge is getting another shot at the majors after he was called up yesterday (Monday) by the San Francisco Giants.

A slugging and pitching star for the Warhawks, which won two state championships during his career, Eldridge was drafted by the Giants in 2023 with the 16th overall pick.

Countywide

Va. Supreme Court considers whether to block voter-approved US House map favoring Democrats

By Associated Press

Published April 27, 2026 at 11:15AM | Updated April 27, 2026 at 2:18PM

Signs are seen outside the Fairfax County Government Center during the Virginia redistricting referendum, Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

By GARY D. ROBERTSON and DAVID A. LIEB Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Supreme Court judges on Monday questioned whether the state’s Democratic-led legislature complied with constitutional requirements when it sent a congressional redistricting plan to voters, in a case that carries high stakes for the balance of power in the U.S. House.

News

Fort Belvoir nurse charged with plotting to assist separatist fighters in Cameroon

By Associated Press

Published April 27, 2026 at 8:30AM | Updated April 27, 2026 at 10:50AM

A general view of Bamenda, Cameroon, Tuesday, April 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Welba Yamo Pascal)

A U.S. Army major employed as a nurse on a military base near Washington, D.C., has been charged with conspiring to provide financial and tactical support to separatist fighters in his native Cameroon, according to court records unsealed last week.

Maj. Kenneth Chungag, a nurse who lives and works on Fort Belvoir in Virginia, is accused of using his military training and experience to assist the Ambazonia Defense Forces in Cameroon.

News

Fairfax Connector bus involved in head-on crash near Pentagon, 23 injured

By Associated Press and Angela Woolsey

Published April 24, 2026 at 3:10PM | Updated April 24, 2026 at 5:42PM

Fairfax Connector and OmniRide collision near Pentagon (via Dave Statter/Bluesky)

A Fairfax Connector bus was one of two that collided head-on near the Pentagon this morning (Friday), injuring 23 people, including Defense Department workers.

The Omni Ride and Fairfax Connector transit buses struck each other shortly before 7:30 a.m., according to a press release from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. Emergency personnel transported 18 of the injured to local hospitals for further medical evaluation. Five were treated at the scene.

Countywide

Warner challenger among three congressional candidates fined for wagering on elections

By Associated Press and Angela Woolsey

Published April 23, 2026 at 8:30AM

FILE - The prediction market app Kalshi is displayed on a mobile phone, April 16, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)

Three congressional candidates wagered on the outcome of their own elections on Kalshi, according to the prediction market, which said yesterday (Wednesday) that it fined and suspended the men from their platform for five years.

It is the latest high-profile case of alleged insider trading on prediction markets including Kalshi and Polymarket, which have brought bipartisan scrutiny from Congress and calls for stricter regulations of the websites where people can put money on just about anything.