Countywide

Virginia U.S. Attorney Appointee Disqualified — “A federal judge has thrown out the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, concluding that President Donald Trump’s handpicked prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, was illegally appointed to the role when she single-handedly secured the indictments.” [Politico]

State Budget Challenges Expected — Virginia General Assembly legislators gathered at Radford University last week to hear forecasts for the 2026 budget. “Democrats, who are now in control of all three branches of Virginia’s government thanks to a record win by Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, are bracing for stark cuts and a slowed economy.” [WVTF]

Va. GOP Grapples With Post-Election Future — “After Democrats swept all three statewide offices in November 2025 and picked up more than a dozen seats to solidify a 64-seat House of Delegates majority, Buchanan’s concerns have become the center of a widening debate inside a party struggling to process the magnitude of its losses — and to figure out what comes next.” [Virginia Mercury]

Metro Awarded Hybrid Bus Funding — The Federal Transit Administration announced last week that Metro will receive a $50.3 million grant to help it “procure 50 new 40-foot diesel-electric hybrid buses, replacing aging vehicles that have exceeded their useful life. The new buses will be deployed throughout the region and will enhance Metro’s ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable service for riders.” [WMATA]

Friends Open Pottery Studio — “Reston neighbors and friends Jennie Persson and Paola Lluberas first tried making pottery on a beginner wheel in Lluberas’ back yard. The two wanted a creative outlet, but they found that pottery classes and studios in the area often had long waitlists or strict requirements. Their solution? The two opened their very own studio, Potters Union, in Herndon in October.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Falls Church Considers Affordable Housing Plans — “The city, through its Economic Development Authority, already owns nine small apartment properties in the Virginia Village community near Annandale Road. At a Nov. 19 meeting between elected officials and staff, discussion turned to moving forward on a consolidated plan for housing the neighborhood.” [ARLnow]

Parade to Honor McLean Youth Sports Supporter — “The McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC) is pleased to announce that longstanding McLean youth sports leader Wayne Loving will be honored as the Grand Marshal of the McLean Winterfest Parade, to be held on Sunday, December 7 in Downtown McLean.” [Press release]

Winter Reading Program Starts Soon — Fairfax County Public Library is inviting community members to participate in its Winter Reading Adventure, which will kick off on Dec. 1 and continue through Jan. 31, 2026. Readers interested in taking on the challenge can pre-register through Beanstack now or pick up paper logs at their local branch once the program starts. [FCPL]

It’s Tuesday — Expect rain to begin after 3pm with a high temperature near 57. The precipitation probability is 80%, with less than a tenth of an inch expected. Rain will continue at night, with a low temperature around 52 and south wind at 6 to 8 mph. [NWS]

Man Hospitalized After Metrobus Fight — “A Metrobus ride turned violent Saturday [Nov. 22] after an argument escalated into a brutal beating, leaving a man hospitalized in critical but stable condition, according to the Metro Transit Police Department … MTPD and Fairfax County Police officers responded to the bus in Falls Church for reports of a fight on board.” [WJLA]

Woman Who Chained Children Sentenced — A Groveton woman has been sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty in July to assault and abduction charges. “Police called to an apartment in Groveton in August 2024 found two brothers, ages 7 and 9, with red marks on their ankles. Investigators seized chains and padlocks that had been used to restrain them while their mother, Wendi Del Cid Rodriguez, was at work.” [NBC4]

Lawmakers Seek Trump Call Transcript — “U.S. Rep. Eugene Vindman on Friday led a press conference urging President Donald Trump to release the transcript of Trump’s 2019 phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. The issue relates to the crown prince’s involvement in the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Northern Virginia resident and Washington Post journalist.” [Inside NoVA]

Centreville Fun Land Faces Lawsuit — “Annandale residents Ellen and Michael Smith say a faulty go-kart caused severe injuries to their adult daughter, Chloe Elizabeth Smith. They have filed a $1 million personal injury lawsuit against Fun Land in Fairfax, The Independent reported. Chloe is autistic and is under the legal guardianship of her parents.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

FroYo Shop Opens in Annandale — “A frozen yogurt shop called Yomo opened Nov. 15 at 7406 Little River Turnpike in Annandale in the former Casa d’Mama Pizzaria spot. In addition to self-serve frozen yogurt, Yomo offers smoothies and Nutella crepes. Additional crepe varieties will be added later.” [Annandale Today]

Buckle Up for Thanksgiving Travel — “The holiday travel season is nearly upon us and Virginia State Police is asking everyone to buckle up every time you enter a vehicle. During the last two Thanksgiving holidays, more than half of the fatal crashes involved someone not wearing a seatbelt, or seatbelt use could not be determined.” [Press release]

Teacher Nominated for National Award — Laure Grove, an early childhood inclusion teacher at Terra Centre Elementary in Burke, has been nominated for a National Wildlife Federation award for her work leading sustainability initiatives. “What started as a small project to get the gardens ready for use again evolved into a schoolwide approach to get students involved and excited about protecting the environment.” [WTOP]

Holiday Donation Drives Underway — “There are many ways to support your neighbors and community this holiday season. We’ve rounded up a list of giving opportunities right here in Fairfax County,” including the annual Toys for Tots campaign and several food and winter clothing drives. [Fairfax County Government]

It’s Monday — Expect sunshine and a high of 55 degrees with a northwest wind around 6 mph, calming in the afternoon. By Monday night, skies will become mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 41 degrees. The calm wind will shift to the south at about 6 mph after midnight. [NWS]

Harris Teeter Plans Layoffs — “North Carolina-based supermarket chain Harris Teeter will permanently close a fulfillment center in Fairfax County on Feb. 1, 2026, resulting in layoffs of 91 employees. Harris Teeter notified the state of the closure and layoffs on Tuesday,” indicating that delivery operations from the site at 6306 Gravel Avenue in Franconia “may begin to wind down in early to mid-January 2026.” [Virginia Business]

Deep Dive Into Virginia Election Data — While the results of Virginia’s Nov. 4 elections won’t be officially certified until Dec. 1 “enough dust has settled since the polls closed on Election Day that we can look at some of the commonwealth’s interesting voting trends in 2025.” The data confirms that voters heavily favored Democrats, with all 133 jurisdictions in the state moving further left compared to the 2021 gubernatorial race. [VPM Media]

Driver Hospitalized After Bailey’s Crossroads Crash — “An adult male is in the hospital in a life-threatening condition following a crash in the 3400 block of Carlin Springs Road in Bailey’s Crossroads shortly before 4 p.m. on Nov. 19.” Police say the man was driving a BMW “at a high rate of speed toward Leesburg Pike when he struck a bollard and lost control of the vehicle.” [Annandale Today]

Fairfax Man Charged with Child Porn — “A 19-year-old Fairfax City man is facing 29 charges of possession of child pornography, according to authorities.” The man was arrested on Wednesday (Nov. 19) following a search of his home “in connection to an unnamed incident that occurred on Sept. 28, according to court documents.” [Patch]

Driver Crashes into Tysons Store — ” A woman has been cited for reckless driving after crashing into the American Girl doll store at Tysons Corner and injuring a wheelchair user Wednesday afternoon, according to police.” [WUSA9]

New Tool Helps With Food Donations — “Fairfax County has developed a new tool to help residents support food distributions in their communities. The Emergency Food Access Providers Application has added a ‘donate’ geolocation tool to allow users to see which food distribution sites need donations and the types of donations they are accepting.” [Neighborhood and Community Services]

Bagel Deli Legal Fight Brewing — The owners of Call Your Mother, the D.C. deli that now boasts three Fairfax County locations, filed a lawsuit this week “against Bubbi Bagels — also known as Call Your Bubbi — a bagel shop that opened on the Jersey Shore last year.” Andrew Dana and Daniela Moreira argue that the New Jersey shop’s continued use of the name Call Your Bubbi and a similar bagel-focused logo infringes on their trademark. [Washingtonian]

Winter Lantern Festival Returns — “Hundreds of lanterns light the night sky in Tysons for the holiday season,” as the Winter Lantern Festival returns to Lerner Town Square (8025 Galleria Drive) for a fourth year. Featuring light displays, food and entertainment, the festival will open tomorrow (Saturday) and stay through Jan. 20, per its online calendar. Tickets start at $18. [Out and About Fairfax]

It’s Friday — Rain is expected mostly after 1pm, accompanied by mostly cloudy conditions and a high temperature near 56°F. There’s a 50% chance of precipitation. Friday night will see temperatures drop to 49°F with a 90% chance of precipitation. [NWS]

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]