Funding for Dulles International Airport’s new Concourse E is still coming together, even as construction inches closer to completion.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded $41.8 million in grant funding for the project, whose first phase will add 14 gates intended for United Airlines — the airport’s largest carrier — as well as a direct connection to the underground Aerotrain and various amenities.
Congressional Candidates Drop Out — Several House of Delegates candidates have officially suspended their campaigns after the Virginia Supreme Court voided the results of the April 21 redistricting referendum. That includes former Space Force Col. Bree Fram, who was set to challenge Rep. James Walkinshaw in the 11th District, and contenders for the proposed 7th District: Dorothy McAuliffe, Del. Dan Helmer, state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim and J.P. Cooney. [ABC News]
Man Sentenced for Burke Lake Park Murder — “A man convicted of the 2023 slaying of his girlfriend at a Fairfax County park was sentenced Friday [May 15] to 40 years in prison, after a judge cited the defendant’s heavy use of psychedelic mushrooms on the night of the killing as one of his mitigating factors.” The judge said he believed Rami El-Sayed, 36, “was not fully aware of his actions.” [WUSA9]
Majority of Metrobus Riders Not Paying — “Metro says nearly seven out of every 10 bus riders are still not paying the fare to ride the bus. Now, a new crackdown is coming that will involve bus operators and transit police. Metrobus operators will quote the fare to ride the bus as a reminder to riders to pay.” [NBC4]
Burke Ranked Best Place to Live in Va. — “U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026–2027 Best Places to Live list, and the results might surprise you … Burke was the No. 1 Best Place to Live in Virginia, and it landed at 108 on the list of 250 U.S. cities. The Burke 22015 zip code also topped our list of the 20 Hottest Zip Codes in Northern Virginia.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Unionized Electricians Back Data Center Tax Break — “Dozens of electricians, all union workers who help build data centers across Virginia, attended a meeting of the Senate Finance committee Tuesday. They were there to urge negotiators to keep tax breaks for data centers, a sticking point in the ongoing fight over Virginia’s budget.” If a new budget isn’t in place by June 30, Virginia would face its first-ever partial government shutdown. [WVTF]
Metro Leader Pitches ‘Gold Line’ — “Randy Clarke sees Metro’s future in the Gold Line: A zippy, dedicated bus route from Georgetown to the new Commanders stadium.” The Metro general manager also that “fares are probably going up next year for inflation … three years after the last increase.” [Axios DC]
RA Revising Pesticide Notification Policies — “The Reston Association is updating its communication procedures for pesticide applications following community transparency concerns, according to an email sent Monday by Acting Chief Executive Officer Peter Lusk.” The changes are being implemented after local homeowner Amy Becker raised concerns at a board meeting on May 1. [Patch]
Asian Celebration Planned in Annandale — “The community is invited to an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month celebration on Saturday, May 23, 2-6 p.m., at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space.” The festival will feature over 50 vendors, live entertainment, a fashion show, an eating contest, crafts and appearances by community organizations. [Annandale Today]
It’s Wednesday — There’s a 60% chance of rain, likely after 5 p.m. and a high near 95°F, with a west wind of 6 to 11 mph. Tonight, the low will be around 59°F, with a north wind of 5 to 7 mph and an 80% chance of rain. [NWS]
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Vienna residents can expect to pay more in property taxes and water and sewer fees in the upcoming fiscal year, but their bills won’t be quite as high as they would’ve been under the town’s initially proposed budget.
The Vienna Town Council adopted a fiscal year 2027 budget yesterday that reduces the local real estate tax rate by a half-cent, from 19.5 cents to 19 cents per $100 of assessed value, while maintaining existing service and staffing levels, according to Director of Finance Steven Barlow.
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chair Jeff McKay publicly apologized this morning (Tuesday) for calling a school board member a “bimbo” during a heated text-message exchange over budget issues.
His language, directed at Hunter Mill District Representative Melanie Meren, was “unacceptable,” McKay acknowledged during the county board’s May 19 meeting.
Fairfax County is taking a closer look at the older office sites in Tysons to determine whether they might be more suitable now for alternative uses.
The county launched a planning study last week that will evaluate the potential for parcels currently designated as office in the Tysons Comprehensive Plan to support future residential or mixed-use development.
Seven years ago, Jonathan “Jack” Ham took his newly earned associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) and stepped into the next phase of his life.
Then, on Monday morning (May 18), Dr. Ham — just 24 hours removed from having received his medical degree at the University of Virginia — stepped to the stage of EagleBank Arena in Fairfax to inspire NOVA’s Class of 2026.
Heat Record at Dulles Airport — “Monday brought the heat. Dulles set a record at 95, while DC (93) and Baltimore (95) came close. Not done yet — Tuesday could bring more records with highs in the mid–upper 90s. Scorching through Wednesday.” [Capital Weather Gang/Bluesky]
Increased Traffic Enforcement for Memorial Day — “Officers will conduct increased enforcement efforts throughout the holiday weekend as part of ongoing traffic safety initiatives, including the national ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign, which continues through the end of May.” Police stressed the importance of safe driving behaviors after a crash in Oakton killed two people who reportedly weren’t wearing seat belts. [FCPD]
Possible Replacement for Closing JCPenney — A site plan submitted to Fairfax County on May 1 identifies Dick’s Sporting Goods as the future occupant of the space at Springfield Town Center that JCPenney is vacating after 53 years on May 24. The application seeks to demolish a 10,208-square-foot addition to the department store and replace it with a running track and synthetic turf field, suggesting the new store could be a Dick’s House of Sport like the one coming to Tysons. [Washington Business Journal]
Job Losses Hitting Unevenly — “Job losses directly and indirectly tied to President Donald Trump’s policies have hit Black workers in the D.C. area the hardest, a new study found.” As of March, the region had about 115,000 fewer jobs than before Trump took office for his second term in January 2025, the Economic Policy Institute says. [WTOP]
Electricity Legislation Signed — “Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Thursday signed legislation that directs regulators to assign electricity costs to data centers and allows Dominion Energy to spend $900,000 a mile burying local distribution lines.” [Inside Climate News]
Reston Contractor Accuses Rival of Poaching Workers — CACI filed a federal lawsuit on May 14 alleging “that T2S LLC of Belcamp, Maryland, recruited at least 20 high-skilled CACI employees in defiance of a non-solicitation pact the companies agreed to while CACI (NYSE: CACI) was assisting T2S on its bid for a $600 million U.S. Army cybersecurity-related contract.” The contractor wants a trial as it seeks to recoup lost profits and legal fees, along with $350,000 in punitive damages. [WBJ]
Boxing Gym Adding Retail Shop — “Z’s Boxing Gym in Annandale is opening a shop selling high-end boxing equipment a couple of doors away. Z’s Boxing Gear will open at 4113 John Marr Drive within the next few weeks, says Monica Zimmerman, the wife of Z’s Boxing Gym owner Eric Zimmerman.” [Annandale Today]
Asian Festival Draws a Crowd — “Morning rain failed to dampen the spirits of the thousands of people who turned out Sunday for the Sixth Annual Asian Festival on Main in the City of Fairfax.” More than 120 vendors, about half of them offering food and drinks, participated in the festival, which has been organized for six years now by the Old Town Fairfax Business Association. [Patch]
It’s Tuesday — Expect a sunny day with a high temperature of around 96°F and a southwest wind blowing at 6 to 10 mph. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy, with temperatures dropping to about 75°F. A south wind will persist at around 10 mph, with gusts reaching up to 20 mph. [NWS]
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As soon as Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed one of the more polarizing gun safety bills from the 2026 General Assembly session — a ban on assault-style firearms — the Fairfax-based National Rifle Association vowed to fight the ban with a lawsuit.
The pair of bills from state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim (D-37) and Del. Dan Helmer (D-10), who represent parts of Fairfax County, will ban the sale and manufacture of “assault firearms” and magazines with the capacity of more than 15 rounds. The legislation provides exemptions to guns owned before the law becomes effective on July 1, 2026 but will ban new purchases starting on that date.
The Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC) has embarked on a new round of community engagement in its Envision Route 7 effort to upgrade transit options.
NVTC has opened an online feedback form, asking a host of questions about how bus riders in the Route 7 corridor between Seven Corners and Alexandria’s Mark Center/Southern Towers areas currently interact with the system, and what they would like to see in the future.
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer
NextEra Energy is seeking to acquire Dominion Energy in an all-stock deal valued at about $67 billion, creating a massive power company as the energy needs of artificial intelligence drive demand higher in the U.S.
