Author: FFXnow.com

How Medicaid Changes Could Affect Va. — “Three major changes will land especially hard in Virginia, some experts believe. Modeling from KFF, an independent health research group, suggests that Virginia could lose just over a fifth of the Medicaid funding it currently receives from the federal government over the next ten years — one of the steepest reductions faced by any state in the country.” [WAMU]

Clifton Man Charged With Seeking Sex From Minors — “On July 5, at 12:45 a.m., officers responded to the 13000 block of Laurel Rock Drive in Clifton for a sex offense report. The complainant reported that the two juvenile victims were walking when a suspect approached them and solicited sexual acts.” A 22-year-old man was arrested and charged with two counts of indecent liberties with a child. [FCPD]

Federal Grant for Addiction Recovery Nonprofit Cut — “Ginny Atwood, co-founder of The Chris Atwood Foundation, said she recently learned a multiyear, $200,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services has been ‘wiped out overnight.’ It was COVID-related funding, Atwood said.” The nonprofit fears it could “potentially lose” its recovery community center in Fairfax if it isn’t able to replace the lost funding. [WTOP]

D.C. Marketing Agency Moving to Fairfax — “SweetScience Marketing is relocating its local operations from The Wharf in D.C. to the Mason Enterprise Center in Fairfax. The move for the tech-forward marketing agency is being supported by a grant from Fairfax City Economic Development.” The company anticipates moving into its new office at 10300 Eaton Place in the redeveloping WillowWood Plaza by Oct. 1. [Washington Business Journal]

GMU Catholic Chapel Addition Proposed — “The Catholic Diocese of Arlington recently filed a special permit amendment application with Fairfax County, seeking approval to build an addition to the chapel that serves students at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus.” The new space for the St. Robert Bellarmine Chapel would be used for offices and meeting rooms. [Patch]

End in Sight for Columbia Pike Roadwork — “Years of construction on Columbia Pike are finally nearing a conclusion, with county staff targeting ‘substantial completion’ by the end of this year.” Improvements include “wider sidewalks, street trees, new streetlights and better traffic signals,” including a new one at the S. Rolfe Street intersection near the pike’s east end. [ARLnow]

Reston Count Finds Uptick in Dragonflies — “The unusually pleasant August weather helped provide nice results and certainly kept the volunteers from fatiguing early. The final tally was 721 individuals from 16 species of dragonflies. For the last fifteen years, the average individual count has been around 440 dragonflies. The last time the count exceeded 700 was in 2020.” [Reston Association]

Art Installations to Beautify Annandale — “Two noteworthy art experiences will hit Annandale in the next couple of weeks. A new Artopolis show at Beanetics highlights stunning mixed-media and collage works by Theresa Martin, while renowned DC Comics artist Matt Johnston applies his mural skills to Flavor Hive, our new hot dining spot.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Thursday — There’s a 20% chance of showers both before noon and after 1pm, accompanied by a cloudy sky and a high near 76 degrees. At night, clouds will gradually clear to become partly cloudy, and the temperature will dip to a low of around 64 degrees. [NWS]

Hurricane Could Affect Virginia Coast — “Hurricane Erin will pass well offshore the Mid-Atlantic but close enough to generate strong winds and dangerous seas and surf for Virginia, Maryland and Delaware beaches, particularly Wednesday and Thursday. Conditions may remain perilous into the weekend … and many beaches are already closed.” [Capital Weather Gang]

Va. Lawmakers Consider Regulating Chatbots — “As more Virginians turn to artificial intelligence for simple tasks or even companionship, lawmakers are exploring policy ideas to address how AI chatbots are influencing residents’ health and well-being, as well as their privacy and security.” The General Assembly’s Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) heard an overview of the technology and potential policy concerns on Monday (Aug. 18). [Virginia Mercury]

11th District Candidates Discuss Priorities — “Congressional candidates James Walkinshaw (D) and Stewart Whitson (R) clashed on Medicaid cuts, immigration, tariffs, crime, and much more in an online forum hosted by the League of Women Voters on Aug. 18.” [Annandale Today]

Poll Shows Tightening Governor’s Race — “Democrat Abigail Spanberger holds a 7-point lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the race for Virginia governor, according to a new Roanoke College Poll that shows the contest tightening since the spring … The numbers mark a closer race than in May, when Roanoke’s poll showed Spanberger ahead 43%-26%.” [Virginia Mercury]

Petition Seeking Transgender Girls Ban Accepted — “The Virginia State Board of Health unanimously voted Monday to accept a petition that could lead to regulations banning transgender girls and women from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.” The petition filed by three college swimmers, also called for trans girls and women to be barred from spaces “where females are likely to be in any state of undress.” [WTVR]

New Security Scanners Coming to DCA — “CLEAR and the TSA are piloting biometric ‘eGates’ at three major U.S. airports ahead of a nationwide rollout, the identity verification company told Axios exclusively.” The gates, which will be deployed at Reagan National Airport next week, use “real-time biometric verification, matching a traveler’s face to their ID and boarding pass.” [Axios]

GMU Hires Former Governor — “The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University welcomes former Virginia governor Robert F. (Bob) McDonnell to the faculty as a Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice … McDonnell served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014.” [GMU]

NOVA Senior Olympics Accepting Athletes — “The Northern Virginia Senior Olympics are set for September 13 to 28, marking the 43rd year of the regional games that celebrate health, competition, and community among older adults. Registration is open now through August 29, and organizers expect more than 1,100 participants, a turnout that would make it the largest in the event’s history.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

It’s Wednesday — Expect patchy showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm, with clouds gradually clearing to mostly sunny skies and a high near 85°F. Precipitation chances stand at 30%. At night, skies will be mostly cloudy with a low around 70°F. [NWS]

Watch for Returning Students — “As students across Fairfax County head back to school on Monday, August 18, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) encourages families and community members to participate in Walk, Bike & Ride to School Safely Day. Whether students walk, bike, ride the bus, or are dropped off, their safety starts with all of us.” [FCPD]

Va. National Guard to Deploy — “About 60 Virginia National Guard members will be deployed around the state as early as September to support immigration enforcement agents … Immigrant advocacy groups, including Ayuda — which provides legal, social and language access services to low-income immigrants in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. — have condemned Youngkin’s plan.” [VPM News]

Teen Reported Missing Found Dead — An 18-year-old who was last seen driving in the 9500 block of Old Creek Drive around 6 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 16) “was found deceased in another jurisdiction,” police said yesterday (Sunday). “Our thoughts are with his friends and family. No foul play is suspected.” [FCPD/X]

NOVA Parks Chooses New Leader — “Former Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson has been selected as the next executive director of NOVA Parks, the regional park authority announced Friday.” He will officially assume the role “beginning Oct. 6, succeeding Paul Gilbert, who announced his retirement in April after 20 years leading the organization.” [ALXnow]

Mars to Introduce ‘Natural’ Dyes for Candy — “McLean-based food and pet care company Mars Inc., Greater Washington’s largest private company, will … release natural-dye options for its M&M’s, Skittles, Starburst and Extra Gum Spearmint products” starting in 2026. The company made the announcement on July 24, shortly after leaders met with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, but it hasn’t committed to a timeline for phasing out artificial dyes yet. [Washington Business Journal]

Menswear Store to Open in Falls Church — “Withered Fig, an online menswear retailer, is coming to Falls Church in 2026 … This will be Withered Fig’s first brick-and-mortar location. The new storefront will be located in West Falls at the base of The Oak at West Falls.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Rec Center Pools Temporarily Close — “Projects at Fairfax County Park Authority Rec Centers will result in temporary closures for pools and spas.” In addition to the Franconia facility’s previously reported closure, the pools at the Oakmont, Audrey Moore, Cub Run, George Washington and Spring Hill rec centers will shut down for varying periods to allow repairs and system maintenance. [FCPA]

McLean Native Develops Resale App — “When McLean, Virginia native Sophia Kianni and her roommate Phoebe Gates (yes, that Gates) asked their classmates at Stanford University if they shopped secondhand, they were shocked to see only two people raise their hands … Kianni and Gates came up with an idea for an app that compares prices on items across many retailers and secondhand shopping sites.” [NBC4]

It’s Monday — Showers are most likely between 2pm and 5pm, with cloudy skies and a high temperature near 79°F. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. For Monday night, expect another chance of showers mainly after 8pm, mostly cloudy conditions, and a low temperature around 68°F. [NWS]