Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced today (Wednesday).
The agreement guarantees $353 million for Virginia alone, making it one of the largest consumer protection settlements in state history outside of settlements with tobacco companies in the 1990s, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement.
As many Fairfax County high school students drive or walk to school this fall, they’re arriving at a building without a dedicated crossing guard — and, only a few days into the new academic year, several elected officials say that absence is already creating problems.
This past spring, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors eliminated funding for crossing guards at all public high schools, a move that was expected to save the county about $1.89 million in police staffing costs.
A 31-year old man is facing a range of criminal charges in connection with multiple thefts and burglaries from vehicles in the Reston area.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, detectives in its Criminal Investigations Division began investigating after receiving a tip from a community member who met one of them at a National Night Out event on Aug. 4.
DOJ Raises Prospect of Kennedy Center Demolition — “The Trump administration threatened the demolition of the Kennedy Center if the center is not allowed to close for two years for renovations. The Justice Department floated the notion in a court filing Monday.” [NBC4]
Rare Tree Frog Seen in Huntley Meadows — In recent weeks, a rare blue tree frog “has drawn dozens of naturalists, wildlife enthusiasts and hobby photographers to Huntley Meadows, where visitors have tried to catch a glimpse of a frog that has become a local attraction and generated a flurry of social media attention.” [Washington Post]
Judge: Va. Still Improperly Denying Voting Rights — “A federal judge says Virginia officials incorrectly applied his order in a landmark voting rights case ruling that found the commonwealth had wrongly kept people with certain felony convictions from the ballot box for more than a century … Potentially hundreds of thousands of Virginians who should have been able to vote in the August primary were prevented from doing so.” [VPM News]
Police Chief on Great Falls Killing — “Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis says he anticipates harsher charges for the man who confessed to killing a 42-year-old mother in Great Falls,” stating that “the level of premeditation involved in the murder should bring the charges from second-degree murder to first-degree murder.” [WUSA9]
Young Workers Still Living With Parents — “About 4.9% of households in the DMV include what a new Bright MLS report terms a ‘shadow buyer’ — an employed adult between ages 25 and 39 who’s living in their parents’ home. That’s the 10th-highest share among U.S. metros,” a reflection of the region’s high housing prices and cost of living. [Axios DC]
Tysons Startup Bought for $232 Million — “Los Angeles-area manufacturer Navitas Semiconductor Corp. plans to buy Claros Inc., a McLean startup developing technologies to improve data center energy performance, for $232.8 million … The company said it expects to close the acquisition by the end of the year, which would be a rapid exit for Claros and its investors following its launch” in 2024. [Washington Business Journal]
Mount Vernon Trail Joins Hall of Fame — “Trails advocacy organization Rails to Trails Conservancy announced that the Mount Vernon Trail received 58% of public votes to win the Hall of Fame accolade. The other nominees were National Battlefield Trail in Texas and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Ohio.” [ALXnow]
How Local Charity Helps Students — After buying a prom ticket for a student who couldn’t afford one, Mount Vernon High School substitute teacher Ron Fitzsimmons asked local charities “if they paid for smaller things he felt were important to a child’s self-esteem. They all said no … That reality inspired Fitzsimmons and his sister, Laura Fitzsimmons Peters, to launch Alice’s Kids in 2011.” [WTOP]
Record High Enrollment at GMU — “George Mason University undergraduate enrollment will hit a new high this semester with the arrival of more than 7,400 incoming students, thousands of whom packed into EagleBank Arena on Friday for New Student Convocation … Overall enrollment figures are not yet official but undergraduate enrollment is expected to top 29,600.” [GMU]
It’s Wednesday — Today will be mostly sunny with a high of around 88°F. Tonight, expect mostly cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m.; the low will be around 71°F. [NWS]
There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.
Students attending McLean High School could find another nearby street off-limits for parking starting as soon as next month.
At its meeting today (Tuesday), the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors authorized a public hearing for Sept. 29 to consider a petition for parking restrictions by residents of a portion of Felix Street. They are seeking to have the road in front of the 13-home stretch incorporated into the McLean Residential Public Parking District.
Two people have been hospitalized following a crash this morning (Tuesday) on Baron Cameron Avenue in Reston that resulted in an ambulance getting entangled in electrical wires.
Fairfax County police officers and firefighters responded at 11:31 a.m. to the intersection of Baron Cameron Avenue and Bracknell Drive near the Spectrum at Reston Town Center for a two-vehicle crash that sent one car into a utility pole.
Sixty summers ago in what was then a small enclave in the wilds of western Fairfax County, a new theater troupe called the Reston Players prepared for its first production — a musical called “The Greatest Game in Town.”
The performances on July 15-17, 1966 at the South Riding Center Stables helped bring a budding sense of community to the “new town” emerging around Lake Anne and environs.
Community members who visit George Mason University in Fairfax this fall might notice a change in the boxy robots that putter around the campus, bringing food to hungry students.
The Austin-based company Avride announced last week that its autonomous delivery robots will roll out to more than 25 college campuses across the U.S., including GMU, by the end of September.
Reston Peregrine Falcons Have Died — “Sad news: Both juvenile peregrine falcons that hatched in May and June and later left their nest atop a Reston Town Center building have died. The first, a male, died June 11 after colliding with a building. The second, a female, suffered a broken leg in a separate building collision June 19 and was euthanized in July.” [Reston Letter]
FCPS Superintendent on New School Year — Fairfax County Public Schools Superintendent Michelle Reid discussed “the challenges facing her school district as the academic year begins,” including the logistics of operating one of the nation’s largest school bus fleets, federal and state funding concerns, and the role of technology in education. [WTOP]
Va. Considers Requiring School Nurses — “Legislators and experts are exploring updating the state’s Standards of Quality, the school funding baseline requirements for the state and local governments, to include mandatory full-time licensed nurse positions. A report is expected to be presented to the state’s School Health Services Committee next month.” [Virginia Mercury]
Independent Challenger to Beyer — “An independent candidate challenging U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-8) on Nov. 3 knows the odds are stacked against him, but thinks he can break through with voters.” Tim Sharman will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot alongside the incumbent, Republican nominee Tony Sabio “and likely one other independent.” [ARLnow]
Google Signs D.C. Office Lease — Google “plans to move staff, ranging from lobbyists to tech engineers, to 500 N. Capitol St. NW in phases over the next few years as” it builds out a new, 231,000-square-foot office. The tech company intends to consolidate multiple D.C. offices, but it’s not clear yet whether that will include workers at Reston Station, where it occupies over 168,000 square feet. [Washington Business Journal]
Fitness Chain Expands to Reston — “When Jeff Marco and April King decided to open Virginia’s first Sweat440 studio in Reston, they weren’t just launching a fitness business. They were creating the kind of supportive environment that each says transformed their own life.” Located in North Point Village Center, the franchise offers “40-minute classes that begin every 10 minutes while the gym is open.” [Reston Letter]
Hearing Today on Redwood Plaza Redevelopment — The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing today (Tuesday) on “proposed changes to the construction schedule for a 196-townhome development” that would replace the Redwood Plaza offices in Oakton. Developer Tri Pointe Homes is seeking to tweak the timing of park spaces, streetscape improvements, a bus stop and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. [Patch]
Students Write Financial Literacy Book — “Three Fairfax County students wrote a book teaching young kids about financial literacy. News4’s Jummy Olabanji spoke with Austin Chen, Ayush Ranjan, and Devi Rai about ‘The Seed That Grows.'” [NBC4]
It’s Tuesday — There will be increasing clouds with a high of around 86 degrees and a northwest wind blowing at 5 to 8 mph. At night, expect partly cloudy skies with temperatures dropping to about 64 degrees, and a light northwest wind. [NWS]
Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Summer Restaurant Week is back for 2026, and over two dozen establishments in Fairfax County are in the mix.
Starting today (Monday) through Sunday, Aug. 30, more than 380 restaurants in D.C., Maryland and Virginia are offering multi-course brunch, lunch and dinner menus that range in price from $25 to $65 per person, depending on the location.
