Author: FFXnow.com

FBI Searches WaPo Reporter’s Home — “Hannah Natanson, who has been covering President Donald Trump’s transformation of the federal government, had a phone, two laptops and a Garmin watch seized in the search of her Virginia home, the Post reported.” The Justice Department said the search was “part of a leak investigation into a Pentagon contractor accused of taking home classified information,” but Post Executive Editor Matt Murray called the action “deeply concerning” in a message to employees. [Associated Press]

Democrats Choose 39th Senate District Nominee — “Del. Elizabeth Bennett-Parker (D-5) has been declared the winner in a firehouse primary for Virginia’s 39th District Senate seat, defeating three opponents with 70.6% of the 4,647 ballots cast.” A special election to choose a successor to state Sen. Adam Ebbin, who will resign on Feb. 18, has been set for Feb. 10. [ALXnow]

Va. House Passes Constitutional Amendments — “Virginia House Democrats wasted little time flexing their new majority on the opening day of the 2026 General Assembly, pushing through four proposed constitutional amendments Wednesday aimed at” protecting abortion rights, restoring voting rights for people convicted of felonies, removing a defunct ban on same-sex marriage and setting up a voter referendum on mid-cycle redistricting. [Virginia Mercury]

Wanted Man Arrested After I-495 Chase — “A man arrested after a brief car chase with Fairfax County police on Tuesday was previously wanted on several charges, including a felony, according to police officials.” The man was spotted on I-495 in the Huntington area in a car with a female driver. “Officials said the man was wanted for felony abduction and several other charges, while the woman faces an alluding charge.” [WJLA]

McLean Company to Support NASA — “NASA has selected a McLean-based company to provide launch range operations support at its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia … Under the contract, ARES Technical Services Corporation, which is headquartered in McLean, will provide technical and operational support for launch range activities at Wallops.” [Center Square/Inside NoVA]

Dulles Adding Nonstop Taiwan Flights — “EVA Airways [on Monday, Jan. 13] announced that it plans to launch a new flight service to Washington in July, making it the first Taiwanese carrier to provide direct flights to the US capital. The airline plans to provide four flights to Washington in the initial stage using Boeing 787-9s, EVA Airways president Clay Sun told reporters in Taipei.” [Taipei Times]

Metro Swag in Demand — “While the Commanders flounder and Nats rebuild, our transit system is winning — breaking record ridership numbers and releasing merch that’s hotter than a Red Line rail at rush hour … Demand for Metro merch was up 300% in 2025, year over year, according to WMATA.” [Axios DC]

Art Contest to Encourage Glass Recycling — “Fairfax County is launching an art contest with the goal of educating kids in Mason District about the benefits of recycling glass. The contest is open to students in grades 6-12 who attend a school in the Justice, Annandale, or Falls Church high school pyramids.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny skies and a high of 32 degrees with a west wind at 17 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. Thursday night will be mostly clear with a low of 22 degrees, a west wind of 9 to 14 mph, and gusts up to 26 mph. [NWS]

Hunters Woods Village Center Sold — “Edens has offloaded Hunters Woods Village Center in Reston, more than 15 years after acquiring the Safeway-anchored retail center as part of a larger expansion.” Fairfax County property records show an affiliate of J.C. Bar, a Pennsylvania-based real estate company, bought the site for almost $30.5 million on Dec. 18. The center is 88% leased with almost 14,900 square feet of vacant retail space. [Washington Business Journal]

Two Arrested for Annandale Carjacking — According to Fairfax County police, “around 1:45 a.m. on Jan. 11, officers responded to the 7400 block of Little River Turnpike for the carjacking. The victim reported that a ‘known suspect’ had been riding in their vehicle when he brandished a gun and demanded that the victim get out of the car after an argument.” A 19-year-old man from Annandale and a 17-year-old boy were arrested after “a short chase.” [DC News Now]

No Injuries in Centreville House Fire — Firefighters responded around 5 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday) to a fire at a single-family home in the 15300 block of Harmony Hill Court. “Crews arrived to heavy smoke coming from the front door. The fire is under control. No civilian or firefighter injuries … Thank you to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue and Prince William County Fire & Rescue System for assisting.” [FCFRD/Facebook]

More Tension in U.S. Attorney’s Office — “The Justice Department has fired the No. 2 official in the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia after he declined to lead the controversial prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey.” Robert McBride’s removal came on the same day that Lindsey Halligan defended continuing to act as the U.S. attorney despite a federal judge ruling that her appointment was illegal. [MS Now]

Man Charged With Stealing Power Tools — “On December 30, 2025, officers responded to a larceny from a vehicle in the 4500 block of Roundhill Road in Rose Hill. The suspect forced entry into the van and stole multiple power tools around 4:45 p.m. A witness observed a subject removing items from a work van and took photos of the suspect and the vehicle.” The 58-year-old man initially eluded officers at a traffic stop before he was located and arrested in Fair Haven. [FCPD]

Japanese and Korean Restaurant Opening in Annandale — “Pike Chicken is expected to have a soft opening this Thursday afternoon and a grand opening on Friday. The restaurant, located at 7023 Columbia Pike in the former O’My Chiq space, features Japanese and Korean food. Diners can order sushi and nigiri from the Roll Play menu or stone pot bibimbap and other items from Bowl Play.” [Annandale Today]

McLean Cafe Plans Drive-Thru Location — “Sweet Leaf Cafe is coming to 603 W. Broad Street, the former location of a drive-thru Smoothie King. According to the business, this is the first new Sweet Leaf to open in five years.” Aiming for a summer launch, the new site will be the McLean-based company’s first with a drive-thru. [ARLnow]

Inside Tysons’ Japanese-Brazilian Steakhouse — “At Tysons’ swanky new Japanese-Brazilian steakhouse Churasuko, you can get wagyu carved tableside, sashimi skewered like meat, and a seafood tower with both dry ice and flames. As far as owner Derek Liu is aware, it’s the first restaurant in the country combining the two cuisines.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Wednesday — There is a 20% chance of rain in the morning and late afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 52. The chance of rain jumps to 70% tonight, with snow possible after 1 am, though little or no accumulation is expected. The low will be around 25. [NWS]

Investigation Into FCPS Abortion Claims Finished — “Allegations that a Fairfax County school social worker facilitated student abortions are untrue, Superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to Centreville High School families on Friday.” A finished investigation reaffirmed initial findings that determined “the allegations to be … based on statements that were ‘misinterpreted, mistranslated, taken out of context, or in some cases knowingly fabricated.'” [WTOP]

Forum Held for Democratic Primary Candidates — Candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for today’s 39th Senate District firehouse primary “fielded several questions during a packed public forum [last night], with topics ranging from the primary’s scheduling to affordability, right-to-work and more.” [ALXnow]

Feedback Wanted on Trash Districts — “The Board of Supervisors in August deferred action on a proposal for Unified Sanitation Districts (USDs) to evaluate alternative options. The USD concept has now resurfaced, and the Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services has scheduled two meetings to solicit feedback.” [Annandale Today]

Community Members Share Boundary Change Concerns — “Dozens of parents and students in Fairfax County were up early Saturday morning at Luther Jackson Middle School in Falls Church, Virginia, to express their concerns over proposed school boundary changes … FCPS leaders say the boundary changes would address overcrowding and reduce the amount of split feeder schools.” [NBC4]

Traffic Stop Leads to Gun and Drug Charges — “Three men from Alexandria are facing charges after a traffic stop led to the seizure of firearms and the discovery of narcotics distribution evidence, police said.” Patrol officers initially pulled over a car near Russell Road and Norwood Drive on Jan. 6 “for having a loud, modified exhaust.” [DC News Now]

Local ‘Quad God’ Secures Olympics Spot — “Vienna-based figure skater ‘Quad God’ Ilia Malinin will head to next month’s Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, U.S. Figure Skating announced Sunday. The news comes after Malinin spun more gold on Saturday night at the 2026 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis, Missouri.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Grocery Schedules Opening — “Grocery Outlet, the replacement for a shuttered small-format Target store at 500 S. Washington Street, plans to open on Feb. 12, the company announced in a press release today (Monday). This will be Grocery Outlet’s first store in Virginia, but it’s expected to ‘kick off a series of openings across the state,’ the press release says.” [ARLnow]

Retired Capitals Star Sells McLean Home — “Nicklas Backstrom ditched the DC area for his native Sweden last year, capping a 17-season career as a center for the Washington Capitals. In April, he listed his ritzy McLean mansion for sale at $14.99 million … The property sold on Wednesday for $11 million.” [Washingtonian]

It’s Tuesday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 50, along with a calm wind turning south at 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. At night, the sky will be mostly cloudy, accompanied by a low around 40. A southwest wind will blow at 8 to 11 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]

Fatal Fairfax County Parkway Crash — “According to Fairfax County Police, officers responded [on Jan. 10] to a fatal crash at Fairfax County Parkway and Huntsman Boulevard in Springfield. Police said the driver, an adult female, was pronounced deceased at the scene.” [FOX5]

Survey Shows Child Care Challenges — “Virginia’s employers say the lack of affordable, high-quality child care is hurting businesses, with 88% of survey respondents reporting employee lateness or absences, and 65% reporting reduced work hours, according to results published last month by the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, the Richmond Fed and the Virginia Chamber Foundation.” [Virginia Mercury]

Drone Helps With Crisis at Fair Oaks Mall — “After receiving multiple reports of a man armed with a bow and arrow threatening people outside the mall, police activated a drone as part of its Drone as First Responder initiative.” The drone showed the man was only holding a stick while experiencing a mental health crisis, so officers could “dial down their response,” Police Chief Kevin Davis told ABC 7News. [Patch]

Tysons Company Moves HQ to Alexandria — “A financial planning firm headquartered in Tysons Corner will soon be relocating to Old Town. Pillar Wealth Partners will embark on its next chapter when it opens in the Atrium Building at 277 S. Washington Street on Feb. 1. An office warming and ribbon cutting will be held Feb. 10 to celebrate.” [ALXnow]

Smoothie Cafe Under Construction — “A Bora Bora Smoothie Cafe is coming to a long-vacant building in Bailey’s Crossroads. Fairfax County issued a building permit for a commercial addition/alteration for the property at 5807 Leesburg Pike on Jan. 1, stating the tenant will be Bora Bora.” The manager at the Tysons location told FFXnow the Bailey’s Crossroads one is expected to open in a couple of months. [Annandale Today]

Sports Card Shop Owner Retired From Pentagon Police — Before opening Goatz Sports Cardz in Herndon on Jan. 3, owner Bryan Janick served for four years in the Marine Corps and 12 years with the Pentagon police. While he had been a sports card collector since he was a kid, he “got back into it, hard core” during the pandemic and “jumped at the chance” to retire and open his own store when the Trump administration began offering “deferred retirement options” last year. [Washington Business Journal]

Vienna Wawa Paid With Prop Bill — A customer at Wawa in Vienna paid for a purchase “using a fake bill that was marked ‘Movie Prop Use Only'” on Jan. 4, police say. “The man later returned to the store, stating that he realized he had paid with a fake bill, and he wanted to pay for his earlier purchase. The store did not suffer any monetary loss, and the fake bill was turned over to the police department.” [Vienna Police]

Reston Represented at Capitals Youth Hockey Night — “On Jan. 3, the Capitals hosted Youth Hockey Night ahead of their game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Capital One Arena, part of Youth Hockey Weekend in the nation’s capital region. Reston was represented at Washington Capitals Youth Hockey Day by … Stephen Reider, a Herndon–South Lakes varsity high school player, and Paxton Worthy, a 14U player from the Reston Raiders.” [Reston Letter]

It’s Monday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs reaching around 46 degrees, accompanied by west winds at about 8 mph that will shift southwest later in the afternoon. The night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 31 degrees; southwest winds around 6 mph will become calm as the evening progresses. [NWS]