Federal Workers Paid Not to Work — “The government is paying more than 154,000 federal employees not to work as part of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, according to two administration officials … Critics have argued that the administration’s tactics of using buyouts and administrative leave have been wasteful because the public is paying tens of thousands of employees not to work for months.” [Washington Post]

Groveton Woman Faces Prison — “A Fairfax County mother is back in jail after she pleaded guilty to chaining her children to a table while she was away at work … In court on Tuesday, Del Cid Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of abduction and one count of assault and battery. Other charges were dropped.” She faces up to 11 years in prison at a sentencing hearing in November. [NBC4]

Virginia Considers Revising Election Cycle — “The Joint Subcommittee to Study the Consolidation and Scheduling of General Elections met for the first time last week to begin exploring whether Virginia — one of just a handful of states with statewide elections in odd-numbered years — should sync up with the federal calendar and move all general elections to even-numbered years.” [Virginia Mercury]

Herndon Police Recover Guns, Drugs — “On July 21, 2025, after receiving an alert for a vehicle that was stolen out of a neighboring jurisdiction, officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle. During the traffic stop, officers seized a gun, drugs, cash, and a scale.” A 29-year-old man from Sterling received firearm and drug possession charges, while a juvenile was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle. [Herndon Police/Instagram]

Overnight Fairfax Parkway Closures — “Weather permitting, Route 29 northbound and southbound will be closed at the Fairfax County Parkway (Route 286) interchange to install bridge beams as part of the Fairfax County Parkway widening north project … Northbound and southbound Route 29 will be simultaneously closed as follows” on Aug. 4-8 with the following week serving as a backup if needed. [VDOT]

Seven Corners Sign Designs Unveiled — “Design consultants hired by Fairfax County’s Community Revitalization Section presented several gateway signage concepts for Seven Corners and Bailey’s Crossroads at a meeting on July 30.” Several of the Seven Corners designs create stars using the number 7, while the Bailey’s Crossroads logos feature the “interwined letters B and C.” [Annandale Today]

Inside Peppa Pig Experience — “Families with Peppa Pig fans are going to be spending a lot more time at Tysons Corner Center. Hidden behind the walls of CAMP is the toy store’s new immersive Peppa Pig experience.” The themed pop-up made its debut on July 25 and is open during store hours “from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]

Seasonal Workers Wanted for Burke Lake Park — “Drop-in interviews at the Burke Lake Park Info Center will be held Aug. 7, 8, 14 and 15 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. (no appointment needed!) Come by to explore job opportunities, complete an application and interview on the spot all in one visit!” [Fairfax County Park Authority]

It’s Friday — Showers are possible before 10am, with a chance of more showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Expect mostly cloudy skies and a high of around 78 degrees. The precipitation probability for the day stands at 20%. At night, the clouds will give way to mostly clear skies and a low temperature of around 64 degrees. [NWS]