The biggest news out of this week’s primary elections in five states across the U.S., including Virginia, came from Falls Church’s own rep, Don Beyer, who told the News-Press in an exclusive interview yesterday that, based on Tuesday’s primary results, the list of potential gains for Democrats in the upcoming midterm election has grown to over 50.
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THIS CROWD OF Falls Churchers has been gathering a few times a year for decades, and they did so once again at Pistone’s Italian Inn last Saturday to celebrate their shared Leo birthdays. Among them was Falls Church Arts Council activist Shaun Van Steyn, now well into his 80s, whose annual insistence on planting his face in his birthday cake has led to the substitution of a rack of cupcakes. (Photo: Courtesy)
Falls Church-raised author and longtime News-Press copy editor Theodore Edwin “Ted” White died May 24, 2026, at age 88. Born Feb. 4, 1938, in Washington, D.C., White was a prominent
American science-fiction writer, editor and fan, as well as a music critic. He wrote and edited professionally as Ted White. In addition to books and stories published under his own name, he co-wrote novels with Dave van Arnam under the name Ron Archer and with Terry Carr under the pseudonym Norman Edwards.
During his later years, White worked as copy editor of the Falls Church News-Press. He remained in that position until a fall led him to leave his home for an assisted-living facility.
White was a prolific contributor to science-fiction fanzines beginning in his teens. In 1968, he won the
Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. His skill as an essayist is evident in “The Bet,” his memoir of a tense day in 1960 when a dispute over a record owned by music critic Linda Solomon prompted fellow science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison to
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger yesterday during Virginia Farmers Market Week marked the 15th anniversary of Virginia’s initiative to allow Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to use their benefits at farmers markets across the Commonwealth.
This statewide effort has expanded access to fresh, locally grown food for more than 155,000 Virginians, supported 1,100 Virginia farmers, and contributed $18 million to Virginia’s economy by promoting the production and purchase of Virginia-grown produce. More than 749,000 Virginians rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families.
“When we invest in our families, our farmers, and our communities, everyone benefits,” said Gov. Spanberger. “For 15 years, this program has helped families put fresh, healthy food on the table while creating new opportunities for Virginia farmers to grow their businesses. Every Virginian deserves access to nutritious, locally grown food. We are proud to celebrate 15 years of helping families eat healthier, supporting Virginia farmers, and strengthening communities across the Commonwealth.”
Gov. Spanberger continued, “But this milestone comes as we are contending with some of the worst impacts of federal cuts to SNAP — and threats to Virginians’ ability to put food on their families’ tables. Our Commonwealth is using every avenue available to us to keep as many families as possible connected to the programs on which they rely.”
In 2011, the Virginia Department of Social Services launched this statewide initiative to enable SNAP recipients to use their EBT cards at approved farmers markets and with participating growers. This effort also led to the creation of Virginia Fresh Match, a network of farmers markets and local food retailers that doubles the value of SNAP purchases on fruits and vegetables. Greater access to nutritious food is associated with lower rates of chronic disease and improved health outcomes, and communities with better nutrition experience longer life expectancies.
An affordable housing project that opened near Rosslyn late last year was highlighted in a recent presentation on model projects in Northern Virginia.
The Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance (NVAHA) zeroed in on Wholey Legacy Homes, a 234-unit project at 1300 N. Pierce Street, in an annual “virtual bus tour” of three projects last Wednesday.
The 12-story building in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights community is located on a portion of the former Marbella Apartments property, which True Ground — then the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing — purchased in 2011.
The 234 units replaced 31 units of garden apartments on the site. The $136 million building serves residents earning between 30% and 60% of area median income, said Ryan Nash, director of construction for True Ground.
At the July 29 forum, which was designed for affordable-housing professionals and advocates, Nash detailed the complex financing agreements needed to make the project a reality. They included support from Virginia Housing and from the Arlington government’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund, as well as 9% and 4% competitive federal affordable-housing tax credits.
The new building was designed by KGD Architecture. Donohoe served as general contractor.
Virginia U.S. Rep. Don Beyer yesterday announced his introduction of the Restoring Accountability in Appropriations Act, which would empower private parties and the U.S. House of Representatives to prevent illegal delays and cancellations of federal grants.
The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA) put in place clear guardrails to safeguard the Congressional “power of the purse,” enshrined in Article I of the Constitution. Under the ICA, the Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is granted authority to investigate illegal withhold -
ings and impoundments of federal funds and sue to end those illegal delays.
Unfortunately, President Trump, administration officials, and Congressional Republicans have repeatedly attacked GAO. Threats to defund the watchdog agency, refusals to lawfully cooperate with investigations, and directives to federal agencies to “pay no heed whatsoever to [its] conclusions” are a serious threat to its ability to fully enforce the ICA.
That situation is untenable for the countless federal grantees and partners who have lost hundreds of billions of dollars due to illegal impoundments of taxpayer dollars, and the millions of Americans who benefit from services those organizations provide. Over the past few months alone, the Trump administration has withheld funding for community programs to reduce poverty, public health services, and more than 20 education programs.
“Donald Trump’s repeated refusal to follow the law and fully fund medical research, education programs, immigration services, foreign assistance, anti-poverty programs, and much more is a disaster for the American people and the American economy,” said Congressman Beyer. “The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. Faced with repeated attacks on that power and on the watchdogs already empowered to enforce it, every impacted party should have the express opportunity to seek legal remedies and prevent disastrous consequences for our constituents and for the countless Americans helped every day by federally-funded programs.”
GAO has found that the current Trump administration has already violated the ICA at least seven times, while opening at least 39 further investigations. One of those investigations was opened pursuant to a request from Congressman Beyer to investigate the illegal impoundment of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grants to improve the quality and delivery of critical health services.
Others include investigations into the impoundment of more than 1,800 National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, delays affecting more than 2,500 projects funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and President Trump’s rescission of billions of dollars in foreign assistance appropriated for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
Church,” the congressman quipped to the News-Press Wednesday morning.
There is a primary list of more than two dozen House races that Democrats have targeted to flip in November and Beyer told the News-Press that he was scheduled to be on a conference call with most of those candidates late yesterday. Democratic nominee in the 2nd district of Virginia, former Congresswoman and retired Navy commander Elaine Luria, was due to be on that call, along with Henrico County prosecutor Shannon Taylor and maybe also former Congressman Tom Perriello, whose strong showing in the fifth district primary may have convinced enough people that he could make a serious bid to flip that seat in November.
As for Beyer, he won his primary handily Tuesday with 67 percent of the vote, including 75 percent in Falls Church where the turnout was 13 percent, which was expected because of the change in the voting date from June.
But this time Beyer faced four opponents and he said he had to run a full-throttle race to ensure his win. The greater than usual opposition was due to a combination of factors, including the push to redistrict the congressional boundaries in the state, which was approved by voters but rejected by the Virginia Supreme Court this spring. It caused the primary date change from June, and had Beyer being relocated out of his traditional base. The other factor was the general surge of anti-establishment sentiment among Democrats.
Beyer’s vote total was 39,714 for 67.6 percent of the total with an overall nine percent turnout. Mo Seifeldein came in a very distant second at 17 percent and Adam Dunigan third at nine percent. Of the four jurisdictions in the 8th District (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church), Beyer garnered his highest percentage in Falls Church at 75.2 percent.
“I wish everywhere could be like Falls
He said he is getting to work on legislation that he thinks a new Democratic majority in the House will enable passing, which he said is in two tranches, those which are certain to pass and others less likely but with a decent chance. He said there is a third more aspirational tranche that involves longer term goals going to more fundamental electoral reforms, like ranked choice voting, which so far is limited to some local races.
He said he is heartened by the focus of possible presidential contender Pete Buttegieg, who he backed during a brief presidential bid in 2024 and has suggested he might run again, who backs ranked choice voting, eliminating the Electoral College in favor of a national one-person, one-vote alternative, and an expansion of the Supreme Court.
In addition to the second and fifth districts in Virginia, the other one targeted by Democrats for a flip is the first district around Richmond, where Shannon Taylor prevailed in a crowded seven-person primary Tuesday. She has served as the commonwealth attorney for 14 years in Henrico County and is known as being tough on crime. She “has tried thousands of cases and put violent criminals, drug traffickers and abusers behind bars,” according to her website. “She pioneered programs to support victims of human trafficking, created a task force to tackle the opioid epidemic, and worked alongside law enforcement to get illegal guns off the streets.”
In reaction to GOP moves to redistrict in places like Texas and Florida, the Democrats in Virginia fought back with a redistricting effort of their own backed by voters that could have turned 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts Democratic. But while the court ruling nixed that idea, the party is still optimistic it can gain a substantial majority of eight of the 11 districts.
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bet his entire record collection against a single record in White’s collection—and then renege on the deal.
Despite his considerable professional credits, White maintained that his achievements in fandom meant more to him than anything else he had done. In 1953, he edited and published Zip, the first of many fanzines he would publish over the following decades.
In 1956 and 1957, he co-edited Stellar with Larry Stark. He later joined founding editors Gregory Benford and James Benford at Void in 1960 and worked on Minac, Egoboo and other publications. In addition to helping others publish their own fanzines, White was a regular columnist for Yandro and Richard E. Geis’ Psychotic/SF Review.
He was also active in numerous fan events, serving as co-chairman of the 1967 World Science Fiction Convention in New York. As recently as 2018, he remained active on several electronic mailing lists devoted to fandom and fanzines.
From 1977 into 1979, White hosted the Friday-afternoon “Dr. Progresso” radio show on WGTB-FM, 90.1, using the name Dr. Progresso.
In 1959, at age 21, White moved from Falls Church to New York City with his first wife, Sylvia Dees White. That year, he began writing music criticism for Metronome and a column for Tom Wilson’s Jazz Guide, later known as 33 Guide.
As a music critic, White wrote about jazz for Rogue and produced album liner notes, concert reviews and interviews. He interviewed such musicians as Eric Dolphy, who died in 1964.
White became music editor of the Collecting Channel website in 1999 and maintained his own music-commentary website under the Dr. Progresso name.
“Phoenix,” a 1963 collaboration with Marion Zimmer Bradley, was White’s first professionally published story. He later expanded it into the novel Phoenix Prime, which began his Qanar series.
His first novel, Invasion from 2500, published in 1964, was written with Terry Carr under the pseudonym Norman Edwards. Between 1964 and 1978, White wrote two science-fiction series and 11 stand-alone novels, including a Captain America novel. Two novels were written with Dave van Arnam and one with David Bischoff. Marv Wolfman also wrote The Oz Encounter using White’s Doc Phoenix character.
White and Larry McCombs’
short story “The Peacock King” was a finalist for the 1965 Nebula Award. White also helped launch the professional careers of other writers, notably Lee Hoffman.
White served as assistant editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction from 1963 to 1968. From October 1968 through October 1978, he edited Amazing Stories and Fantastic, improving the quality of the fiction while showcasing a variety of talented illustrators. He also edited two 1973 anthologies, The Best from Amazing Stories and The Best from Fantastic.
White was also a musician who played keyboards and saxophone. He performed with Conduit, a Washington-area improvisational group.
White died after experiencing health problems following a fall at his home.
His reputation as an editor impressed the publishers of Heavy Metal, who hired him in 1979 to introduce nonfiction and prose fiction into a magazine then devoted mainly to graphic stories. White remained its editor until August 1980. In 1985, he became an associate editor of Stardate.
BY MARK DREISONSTOK
The annual Otakon Convention held this past weekend was overwhelmingly magnificent! Indeed, the four-day-long event broke the convention’s prior attendance record, surpassing the 46,000 who attended the 2024 celebration of the convention’s 30th anniversary. What makes the yearly event so special? The mélange of Japanese (as well as Korean and Chinese) comics and animation culture, panel discussions on these and related topics, and events which introduce the fans to the cultural and literary tropes they will encounter in anime shows, graphic novels, and literature.
Panel discussions included “Echoes of Camelot: Arthurian Myth in Anime,” “Amusement Parks of Japan,” and “Sailor Moon Yin Yoga.” One discussion we attended was “From Mine to Table!: A Dungeon Master Class,” a four-person panel dressed in cosplay (that is, character costumes) who gave practical advice on cre-
ating anime-based games. Some of their advice: when formulating directions, do not just direct players to “go through the red door,” but rather “approach the crimson entrance.” A later discussion provided practical advice on setting pacing in fantasy games.
Yet it was much more than discussion. Musicians held performances oriented around show themes. On the high culture side of things, the Embassy of Japan presented an authentic Japanese Tea Ceremony, complete with low tables, servers wearing kimonos, traditional folding screens of rice-paper panels, paper parasols, and traditional Japanese serving utensils.
“There is a philosophy behind it,” a narrator helpfully explained. “It’s about appreciating the moment,” or if we may quote Kakuzo Okakura’s classic “Book of Tea,” it is “a sacred function at which the host and guest [join] to produce for that occasion the utmost beatitude of the mundane.” The speaker pointed out that the Japanese tea ceremony is traditionally slow and long, but
the one presented, like many now performed in Japan itself, are now shortened to accommodate today’s faster pace of life.
Anime conventions are famous for their cosplayers, providing comfortable space for attendees to dress (and sometimes act) as their favorite anime characters. A few we spoke to included Keika, playing Ahri from “League of Nations,” and Cha-Cha and Revas, taking on Macrophage and Red Blood Cell, anthropomorphic cells from the manga (Japanese graphic novel) series “Cells at Work!” We also met cosplayers Callie and Aya, who came up from the Roanoke, Virginia region. They became interested in anime and cosplay with the “light novel” historical romance series Tian Guan Ci Fu (“Heaven Official’s Blessings”), which has since become a popular Chinese manhua (the Chinese equivalent of manga). White-robed Callie was Xie Lian and Aya with eye-patch and carrying parasol cosplayed Hua Cheng. Like many cosplayers, Callie made the costumes, with the parasol alone taking some
twenty hours. We also encountered Lauren, whose husband introduced her to anime: “My husband and I dressed as Yor and Loid Forger from Spy X Family. It’s our yearly tradition to go [to Otakon] for his birthday every year since it always falls on his birthday weekend. It’s a fun way to celebrate! We obviously love Spy X Family, but I’d have to say my favorite anime right now are ‘Frieren’ and ‘Witch Hat Atelier.’” Indeed, “Witch Hat Atelier” is all the rage this year, with many cosplayers dressing in a costume associated with the series: a green robe and green-pointed hat, giving witches a more colorful and positive look than the traditional black outfit. One cosplayer from that literary world that we met was Alice from Baltimore, cosplaying the character of Agott. She explained that the manga-now-anime “Atelier” series is a bit like Harry Potter but with a female protagonist attending a witch’s academy and learning magic after discovering the reading of “secret charms.”
Drs. Love and Miller provide a family practice with special emphasis on healthy and beautiful smiles for adults and children. Both doctors graduated from the Medical College of Virginia and have been practicing together in Falls Church for over 25 years
We take time to listen to our patients so that we truly understand their needs With emphasis on overall health, we o er services including composite restorations, metal-free crowns, implant restorations, veneers and other cosmetic procedures. Our oral hygiene program excels at understanding the vital relationship between oral health and other systems in the body. Drs. Love and Miller, along with our amazing team, greatly appreciate the community’s trust and support.
Alice was carrying a wooden magic wand, and there was a vendor at the convention selling such wands for those not wishing to craft their own. Indeed, a vast number of vendors were present, offering charming plush toys imported from Japan, anime figurines, comic books, anime themed art and clothing, anime DVDs such as “Girls and Panzer,” and many other products. Whether your interest is in comics, classical Asian crafts, costuming, or panel discussions intersecting popular and academic culture, the Otakon Convention serves diverse tastes and interests. Most of all, it is fun!
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The News-Press is certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia to publish official legal notices including probate, abc notices, small and foreign estates. We will provide the appropriate paperwork. A comprehensive book on the 36 year history of the News-Press, “The Life and Times of the Falls Church NewsPress”: by Charlie Clark (History Press, 2023), can be purchased at local bookstores or online. The Falls Church News-Press is published weekly on Thursdays and is distributed free of charge throughout the City of Falls Church and the Greater Falls Church area to over 140 locations. Offices are at 105 N. Virginia Ave., #310, Falls Church, VA 22046. Reproduction of this publication in whole or part is prohibited except with the written permission of the publisher. ©2025 Benton Communications Inc. The News-Press is printed on recycled paper. A searchable archive of all issues of the Falls Church News-Press since 1991 can be found at bit.ly/44kt6Sc.
Tuesday’s primary elections in Virginia, Michigan and elsewhere provided only further evidence of the blue tidal wave that is building across the nation shows no signs of abating. On the one hand, the continued absurdities coming out of the White House are making sure of that, and on the other hand, the Democrats are not at this point about to let their own internal differences deter the impending landslide.
With the help of the major media, efforts are certainly there to exploit divisions in the party, which are real but nothing compared to what Republicans represent. The role of the Democrats between now and the election is to hold together as much as possible up through election day, and let the Trumpers self-destruct. That’s easier said than done, especially with bad actors afoot at all levels seeking to cause disruptions.
But it is certainly a chance not to blow it, so to speak. If suddenly we are provided with some wacky scandal on the eve of the November election, we can be assured that malevolent forces are indeed still at work. The main concern now is the extent to which Trump is determined to meddle with this election, or on the other hand, faced with prospects of such an overwhelming repudiation he may adapt a temporary resignation to this reality.
But don’t count on it. We have no way of being able to discern fully in advance what shenanigans Trump and his forces may have up their sleeves for this election round. But it would be foolhardy not to assume a lot of foul play is yet afoot. We can only hope that the turnout will be so overwhelming that messing with the result becomes impossible, or, on the other hand, that sufficient forces are arrayed at nixing such efforts before they can be effectively implemented.
We are looking forward somewhere down the road to an era of reform that will be aimed at setting the nation right after a decade of Trump misery. We’d welcome it as long as it was centered on a recovery of the rule of law and national generosity, but it is not bound to be pretty. Excess is bound to be a factor in play and while it is not something to be condoned, we don’t see it as our major problem in light of the treachery of the Trump era. If some penalties are too harsh, so be it. We must stand for the rule of law amidst it all.
But we cannot rule out that some of the justice meted out in the reaction against all that Trump has done may be severe. That will be up to the nation as a whole to contend with.
In the meantime, it is still only a dream. We need to make sure the outcome expected between now and November indeed comes to pass.
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A newly formed defense technology company headquartered in Falls Church, Lyntris, Inc. has filed to go public on the New York Stock Exchange under LYNX. The company builds advanced sensor hardware and software systems for the U.S. military and allies. The technologies are used for quick military response to threats by land, air, sea and space.
The Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (SBSD), in partnership with Virginia Works, will host the inaugural Virginia Runs on Small Business Virtual Employment Fair on Thursday, August 13. The event will connect small businesses with qualified job seekers through virtual interviews and an easy-to-use online hiring platform. Those small businesses currently hiring or planning to hire, and individuals seeking employment or exploring new career opportunities are encouraged to register using this link: https://app.premiervirtual.com/events/4d7ab4ae-5579-40f0-b94f-22eeb6ee9e38/virginia-runs-on-small-business-virginia-s-small-business-employment-fair
Washingtonian Magazine recently highlighted 10 new restaurants in the area with two located in Falls Church. Farooj Abo Alabed on Leesburg Pike is part of the Lebanese chicken chain, and the other is Pho Thin, described as a legendary Hanoi pho restaurant. Pho Thin was also among the nine new restaurants for weekend brunches that secured the attention of Washingtonian Magazine in another article. They open at 9:00 am daily and their signature bowl is a wok-seared ribeye and rich broth. They are located at 7263H Arlington Blvd., Falls Church.
Eater DC announced that local Mexican restaurant chain Taco Bamba, which began in Falls Church, has entered the breakfast business with a burrito. The Tighty Whitey is filled with maple-chipotle chicken chorizo, eggs, fries, bacon, avocado, Alabama white queso, and sweet chile sauce.
Jessica Stanis, owner of Coco Cameo boutique, has received good press in Arlington Magazine. She opened her shop in December with items she’s collected from thrifting before deciding to turn it into a business. The collection is comprised of clothing, accessories, and vinyl records. You can read the full story in Arlington Magazine.
Falls Church now has the only Virginia location of Ebisu Life Store. The retailer, founded in Osaka in 2013, has taken the space previously occupied by JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts in the Seven Corners Shopping Center. The store carries Japanese pop culture items and snacks. Known for an extensive selection of Pokémon and Hello Kitty items, they also have anime figures, Korean skin care products and cosmetics, stationery and frozen treats. Currently Ebisu is offering a surprise bag of snacks for $10, and there is a promotion for those posting photos and videos that generate a specified number of likes. Consult the store for the rules. Teso is also reported to be opening a similar store in Wilston Shopping Center in Seven Corners.
Business News & Notes is compiled by Elise Neil Bengtson, Executive Director of the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. She may be emailed at elise@fallschurchchamber.org.
“The Kitchen Sink”: I open my column with this phrase, to set the stage for a bit of a twist for this column. I thought I would share some short observations and questions about life in Arlington. Let’s start with the County Board. Recently the Board passed a new ordinance, banning gas-powered leaf blowers (to take effect in 29 months). There were a few considerations to take into account, from environmental matters, to noise problems, to the economic effect on local landscaping businesses (and possibly their customers). Did the Board make the right decision?
Next question: What’s going on with the Missing Middle lawsuit? My crystal ball says it is very unlikely that we will see a short-term resolution to the legal process. But the saga has revealed a possible tear in the comity of the relationships among Board members. At the tail end of a long Board meeting last month, Susan Cunningham offered a motion relating to a Missing Middle concern. She framed it in an awkward fashion, prefacing the motion with the comment that she did not expect anyone to provide a “second” to the motion. No second was indeed forthcoming, but the last-second motion surprised some members and resulted in stern rebukes from three of the Board members.
What has our County Manager, Mark Schwartz, been doing? He has been able to obtain County Board approval for a $4.9 billion Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The plan is updated every two years as a 10-year rolling infrastructure and facility roadmap. We citizens often get into the weeds on our annual budget process, but it seems that the CIP budget is something that might merit more of our attention.
Is the County Board really going to consider changes to our form of government? Well, not anytime soon, but an excellent report has been issued by the County Attorney. My conclusion is that any anticipated conversion to a city status is a non-starter, and that the only way forward for changes would start with
General Assembly legislative amendments, which still could yield some changes (i.e., number of Board members, districts, elected Board chair). This could be a lengthy process! *
Do you have any strong opinions on scooters, e-bikes, and mini-motorcycles? The curmudgeon in me has been complaining to (and commiserating with) my immediate neighbors about the scourge of electric scooters and bicycles being stranded on our sidewalks. The other day there were two big, heavy scooters next to each other on “my” sidewalk. I know, it is a public right-of-way, but it is no place to leave these objects. These scooters were an obstacle for all walkers (and they are especially inhospitable to those with strollers). One irony is that these scooters are not being left by the immediate neighbors, but by unknown folks who likely live a few hundred yards or more away from the scene of the inconvenience. Who would be so inconsiderate? (I ask rhetorically.) A related public safety issue relates to the actual use of various two-wheeled electric vehicles on our roads and bike paths. I will give credit to the website of the Arlington County Transportation Department, which has a lot of information about “Shared Micro-Mobility Devices” (defined as scooters and e-bikes). The Department recently sent out a helpful safety message that also provides a clear distinction between e-bikes and e-motos. (The latter is an awkward term defining those vehicles with motors that enable the rider to reach speeds from 30 to 65 miles per hour.) The Department’s message is aimed at parents: “When choosing a vehicle for yourself or your teen, know the difference.” Their advice is also very explicit: “Don’t buy an e-moto for your teen.” From my own anecdotal experience, I have seen dangerous e-moto driving on our roads, and even on our bike trails.
Let me wrap up my inaugural “kitchen sink” concept with a reminder that the County Fair is coming soon --- from August 12 to August 16. This will be a milestone 50th annual event, featuring free admission, carnival rides, and live entertainment at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center. Let’s hope the weather will cooperate!
BY PATRICIA LESLIE
Two Falls Church artists are among 48 whose works have been selected from 1500 applications in a new show, “Tomorrow the Sun Will Rise: The Phillips Collection Juried Exhibition.”
Art by Little City’s Kara Braciale and Nami Oshiro made the cut in the Phillips’s first juried exhibition in five years.
“Tomorrow” features artists from Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia who submitted creations they made after the November 2024 election, a date which a curator insisted has nothing to do with the exhibition.
“This is about art and is not about politics,” said Tie Jojima, the Phillips’s curator of global contemporary art, at the exhibition’s opening. “We had to find a starting point.”
The notable absence of
anger and frustration prevalent in today’s society is evident across the seven galleries which feature, the Phillips says, the artists responding to “contemporary movement.”
Although the art seems rather subdued in comparison, the artists demonstrate remarkable skills and astonishing creativity to unveil significant stories and personal impacts using materials like video, photography, audio, water from the Mississippi River, coffee (two artists), sunlight, burlap, dust (!), rock salt, bone, and a fishing line.
Some used human hair and human breath (!), aluminum, and the old reliables: watercolor, oil, ink, fiber, acrylics, charcoal, and graphite. (The artists’ materials would be fun for children – and adults –to track down on a scavenger hunt.)
Braciale’s and Oshiro’s pieces hang in the same gallery
which is devoted to “matter as a means of processing personal events.”
Oshiro’s art is titled “The Love Clown,” a self-portrait which, the wall label says, depicts a pattern “traditionally used in Okinawan textiles to represent love between a couple.”
An Okinawan-American, Oshiro was born in California and spent her childhood in Florida. She grew up in a cult “that suppressed aspects of individual identity” leading her to develop “a deep sense of the absurdity” in everyday life, according to the label.
She emailed that her selection in the Phillips’s exhibition was “a huge honor” which thrilled her “to have my pieces shown among such an amazing body of regional artists’ work.”
Oshiro has lived in Falls Church for about 23 years which she has found “to be a really friendly and diverse
place, and I like the neighborhood I live in. I’m also happy to have a part in representing Falls Church as part of the DMV.”
Braciale moved to Falls Church with her family from Boston almost eight years ago. Describing her residency in Falls Church, she wrote: “We were looking for the same features that attract most people: great schools, walkability, proximity to public transportation. But unexpectedly we lucked into this fantastic community.”
“Pillow Book (Planchette)” is the title of her entry which the wall copy identifies as reminiscent of the first-century Japanese text of practically the same name. She teaches at the Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at George Washington University and emailed that “it’s truly an honor to be included in this exhibition at the Phillips Collection. The
show includes so many talented artists that I respect and admire … works by my artist heroes and shows that I have thought about for years.”
Several of the artists are mentees of others in the show, which includes representatives with roots in 16 countries.
Jonathan P. Binstock, the Phillips’s Vradenburg director and CEO said “Tomorrow” brings together “emerging and established voices, the unique character of the Washington, D.C. area” which match the museum’s mission espoused by founder Duncan Phillips “to champion living artists and create opportunities for them.” Viewers may vote for the People’s Choice Award on the website through August 30, 2026, the winner to be announced in September.
In conjunction with the exhibition, the Phillips will
Continued on Page 18
American
Dogwood Tavern
Harvey’s
The Falls
Cafe Kindred
Lazy Mike’s Deli
International
OneTea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House
Borek-G
Ireland's Four Provinces
Lucky Thai
Maneki Neko
Brunch
Cafe Kindred
Harvey's
Godfrey's
The Falls
Dogwood Tavern
Treats and Sweats
Bakeshop
One Tea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House
Lil City Creamery
Paris Baguette
Outside Dining
Stratford
Banh Mi Oi
Clare & Don’s
Dogwood Tavern
Godfrey's
Bar
Solace Outpost
Audacious Aleworks
Dogwood Tavern
Dominion
Ireland's Four Provinces
New Restaurant
Stratford
Banh Mi Oi
Little Beast
Fish Taco
My Home Thai
Best Latin
Helena’s
Taco Bamba
La Tingeria
Super Chicken
Borek-G
Asian
Banh Mi Oi
Lucky Thai
Nue
RH Bistro
Maneki Neko
Burger
Five Guys
Elevation Burger
Harvey’s
Stratford
Ireland's Four Provinces
Pizza
Little Beast
10 Pizza
Flippin
Badd
Paisanos
Vegetarian
Banh Mi Oi
Lucky Thai
Sa ron
Haandi
Loving Heart
Seafood
Clare & Don's
Chasin Tails
Fish Taco Borek-G
Sandwich
Lazy Mikes Deli
Banh Mi Oi
Dogwood Tavern
Borek-G
Cafe Kindred
Gluten-Free Menu
Happy Tart
OneTea Taiwanese Cafe & Tea House
Harvey's
Borek-G
Clare & Don’s
Professional Services
Point of View Eyecare
Diener & Associates
BlueHuki Group
Neat Financial Planning
F.C. Wellness Center
Bank
Burke and Herbert
Truist
Wells Fargo
Chase Apple FCU
Real Estate Agent
Tori McKinney
Kelly Thompson
Susan Tull O’Reilly
Chris Earman
Bethany Ellis
Real Estate Group
Rock Star Realty
Keller Williams F.C.
Doctor
Point of View Eyecare
Dr. Terri Remy
Abby Evans, PMA Health
Capital Area Pediatrics
Bridget Casadaban
Dentist
Dr. Peterson Huang
LP Dental
Drs. Love & Miller
Dr. William V. Dougherty
Retirement Community
The Kensington Chesterbrook
Home Improvement
Foxcraft
Home Depot
Botanologica
DuBro Architects
Dry Cleaners
Classic Cleaners
Spectrum Cleaners
Hillwood Cleaners
Nail/Day/Skin Spa
Nail Bonita
Rex Grace Nails
Skin Lab Med Spa
Lee Nails & Spa
Gym/Fitness
Balanced Female Fitness
Alloy Personal Training
OneLife
KiPS Gymnastics
Specialty Store
Stylish Patina
Doodlehopper 4 Kids
Botanologica
Antique Annex
Accountant
Diener & Associates, CPAs
Arden Financial
Private School
The Falls Church EpiscopalDay School
Congressional School
St. James School
Levine School of Music
Bishop O’Connell H.S.
Physical Therapists
Bodies in Motion
Artizo: Exclusive Men's
Pelvic Health Physical
Therapy
New Business
The Barberhan
Stratford
Coco Cameo Vintage
Mane Edit
Little Beast
Barbershop
The Barberhan
Father and Son
Neo
Golden Blade
Neighborhood Barbershop
Live Entertainment
State Theater
Creative Cauldron
Clare & Don’s
Ireland's Four Provinces
JVs
Pet Services
Dude’s Dog House
F.C. Animal Hospital
Dogtopia
Barkley Square
Property
Management
Bozzuto
Globetrotter
Win eld Group
Dinkin Realty
Landscapers/Garden
Services
Hambleton
Merri eld Garden Center
Botanologica
Darling Lawn Service
Hall’s Landscaping
Architect
Moore Architects, PC
Lee Design
Je Dubro
Builder/Remodeler
Zimmermann Homes
Foxcraft
Schroeder Design
DuBro Architects
Yoga
KarmaYoga
Hot Yoga Tysons
Balanced Female Fitness
Yoga Teacher
Cindy Wargo
Jenny Mayo
Orthodontist
Dr. Elizabeth Jones
Dr. Gottlieb
Dr. Maull
Dr. Berman & Masoud
Camp
KiPS Gymnastics
Creative Cauldron
Congo Camp
Aerials Gymnastics
Battle Camp
Therapist
Expand Psychology
Amy Clay, LPC
Think Happy Live Healthy
Sunstone Counseling
Hair Salon
Nash Hair Design
CJ Beauty Hair Salon
Rooted Mane
Mane Edit
Perfect Endings
Place to Buy Art
Falls Church Arts
Stylish Patina
Botanologica
Antique Annex
Art and Frame F.C.
Nicholas F. Benton
Another thoughtful column by gay activist Fabrice Houdart this week is entitled, “The True Cost of Unfulfilled LGBTQ+ Potential.” This week, he quoted Hunter Biden on a podcast where he stated that while “the economic cost of LGBTQ+ exclusion is well documented. Its social—and perhaps even evolutionary—costs are far harder to measure.” Biden suggested that Washington is run by a “closeted gay mafia,” largely Republican, and that America’s real problem isn’t oligarchy but what he called “closetocracy.”
Biden stated, “So what they do is ... their whole lives they’ve been closeted and so you have this black ball inside yourself, this like blackened heart about the fact that you can’t be who you want to be, so you take it out on everyone else.”
Houdart writes, “It reminded me of Frédéric Martel’s 2019 book ‘In the Closet of the Vatican,’ which portrayed the Catholic Church’s ongoing reckoning as an arm-wrestling match between closeted and out clerics, with heterosexuality practically the exception in Rome. Different institution, same observation. The closet doesn’t just hurt the people inside it. It affects individuals, institutions, and ultimately societies.”
“As a gay man who has spent years listening to individual stories of gay and trans people, I am always struck by the personal cost of homophobia and transphobia, including for people who came out early on, and I am convinced that those individual costs add up to something enormous at the level of society. It’s a fairly obvious point, but downplayed everywhere,” Houdart continues.
He continued, “While at the World Bank, I commissioned the first study to try to put a number on the economic cost of homophobia in 2014. Working with the economist Lee Badgett, we looked at three dimensions: lost productivity, reduced earnings, and health-related output losses, largely because those were the ones we could actually estimate.
“Our 2014 case study of India, a ‘back of the napkin calculation,’ really put the figure as high as 1.7% of GDP, roughly $30 billion a year, driven by workplace discrimination and the downstream costs of HIV, depression, and suicide.”
He added, “Badgett put it well at the time: reduce GDP by that much, and you’d call it a recession. And that’s before counting so many other aspects we couldn’t estimate: foregone education, foregone entrepreneurship, foregone innovation. I leaned on the economic framing deliberately, because in capitalist societies that’s the language that tends to move decision-makers.
“... But there’s obviously a social and, even spiritual, cost too, one that Biden’s comment and Martel’s book both gesture toward. Some of it is the ‘hurt people hurt people’ dynamic, closeted people turning unresolved shame outward.
“But I suspect the higher cost is moral and spiritual: a society that oppresses a significant percentage of its citizens loses some of the fiber that holds it together. Every family and community rupture, every act of unnecessary cruelty, adds up to a kind of avoidable suffering that never shows up on a balance sheet but is no less real for it.
“The cost we think about least often is organizational/evolutionary … The idea running through all of it is that, in a healthier world, LGBTQ+ people might play an evolutionary role in fostering cooperation and empathy, in families, communities, workplaces, and the rooms where decisions get made.
“... As a general rule, the majority still fails LGBTQ+ people in some way everywhere. But I keep coming back to the idea that queer liberation isn’t just a fight for a fairer or more efficient world; it’s a fight for a more stable one, a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to play whatever role they’re built to play. That is very motivating to me.
“It’s hard to know what’s coming. A new world order is emerging … We are entering a period that will demand far more cooperation and empathy than we currently have on hand. If there’s a gift LGBTQ+ people have to offer a fracturing world, that might be it.”
Such is my main argument in “Extraordinary Hearts” and other books I have written over the years since co-founding the Gay Liberation Front in the Bay Area in 1969.
By Penny Gross Former Fairfax County Supervisor
The truth finally came out – it wasn’t vandalism by a box cutter or buck knife that damaged the new “American flag blue” coating at the Reflecting Pool. The real culprit was shoddy application of the material by the no-bid contractor hired by the Trump administration. Government documents provided for a vandalism case verified that the installation was faulty, leading to withdrawing the federal felony case against a local cyclist who simply touched a piece of the coating floating to the surface.
If, as I have posited before, character and integrity are characterized as doing the right thing even when no one is looking, a corollary is taking responsibility for errors and mistakes. Few in the Trump administration admit to any errors. Indeed, doubling down is their usual approach. That’s why it was refreshing, and surprising, when U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced last Friday that the Department of Justice was dropping its felony case against former Olympian David Hearn. In an earlier press conference, Pirro sharply insisted that Hearn had defaced and damaged the pool. Mr. Trump
immediately disagreed with her decision (he thought she “choked”) to drop the case, as did Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, whose department oversaw the shameful renovation.
The multi-million dollar Reflecting Pool debacle was controversial from the get-go. Mr. Trump’s desire to beautify the Capitol City for the nation’s 250th anniversary was met with much derision. The pool renovation was rushed and highly publicized, even to the point that a multi-vehicle presidential motorcade drove across the newly-installed coating for a photo op one warm summer evening. Combined with other expensive Trump impulses (the ballroom, a triumphal arch, gilding statues, golf course renovations, the Qatari jet), many Americans are questioning Mr. Trump’s priorities.
The monumental core of the nation’s capital has long been touted as one of the most beautiful in the world, aligning with Pierre L’Enfant’s original design in 1791, and complemented by the McMillan Commission in 1901. The elegant juxtaposition of the Capitol, Washington Monument, and Lincoln and Jefferson
Week of JULY 27 - AGUST 2, 2026
Other Jurisdiction Warrant Service, W Broad St, Jul 27, 3:32 a.m., a female, 44, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for another jurisdiction.
Other Jurisdiction Warrant Service, Wilson Blvd, Jul 27, 11:53 p.m., a male, 44, of Annandale, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for another jurisdiction.
Larceny, Roosevelt Blvd, July 28, 10:15 a.m., victim reported an unknown suspect stole the victim’s package from a mail room.
Driving Under the Influence, W Broad St, July 29, 12:36 a.m., a male, 37, of the City of Falls Church, was arrested for driving under the influence and refusal to
Memorials, along with more recent commemorative installations, is unmatched, drawing millions of visitors every year. To be fair, L’Enfant’s design of traffic circles was based on horse and buggy transportation, not today’s high horsepower vehicles, and can be confusing to drivers, especially during rush hour. And to be fair again, some of Trump’s beautification efforts repaired and restored some beloved D.C. fountains and water features that, so far, are working. Nonetheless, the price tag for Mr. Trump’s impulses has reached hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, not including his biggest impulse of all, the war he started with Iran.
That’s a lot of money but not counted in that expense is the time and resources devoted to covering the entire wretched episode. The president and his administration keep launching shiny objects to deflect attention from the real challenges facing the nation. Americans are paying increasing costs for housing, health care, groceries, gasoline, and other daily expenses. Civil and constitutional rights are in peril from our own government. The Republican-controlled Congress has abdicated its role as an independent branch of government. It’s past time to focus on the real challenges, and the real common-sense solutions, that affect most Americans, not the whims of a corrupt billionaire politician and his cronies.
standing warrant for another jurisdiction.
Extortion, Ellison St, Jul 31, 3:45 a.m., victim reported an unknown suspect was demanding payment or would publish nude photos sent by the victim.
submit blood/breath sample.
Shoplifting, W Broad St, Jul 29, 11:14 a.m., an unknown suspect stole merchandise. The unknown suspect is described as a black male with a beard.
Identity Theft, W Broad St, Jul 29, 12:00 p.m., victim reported an unknown suspect opened a credit card in their name.
Fraud – Swindle, W Broad St, Jul 29, 12:10 p.m., victim reported an unknown suspect changed the bank account information for their business deposits, and money was deposited into the fraudulent account.
Destruction of Property, Roosevelt Blvd, July 29, 5:15 p.m., victim reported their vehicle’s window was shattered.
Other Jurisdiction Warrant Service, S Maple Ave, Jul 30, 9:30 p.m., a female, 46, of Arlington, was arrested on an out -
Reckless Driving/Possession of Concealed Weapon, Wallace St/S Washington St, Aug 1, 1:09 a.m., a male, 18, of Chantilly, was arrested for reckless driving, possession of a radar detector, and possession of a concealed weapon.
Larceny from Vehicle, Roosevelt Blvd, between 10:00 p.m. on July 31 and 9:42 a.m. on Aug 1, an unknown suspect stole belongings from the victim’s vehicle.
Other Jurisdiction Warrant Service, Wallace St, Aug 2, 1:53 a.m., a white male, 26, of Annandale, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for another jurisdiction.
Trespassing/Shoplifting, Wilson Blvd, Aug 2, 9:59 a.m., a business reported an identified suspect banned by the store trespassed and stole merchandise.
Thursday, August 6
McDonald’s Memorabilia Auction
9:00 a.m. – Noon
Online auction
(Quinn’s Auction Galleries)
Bid on memorabilia gathered from the 1970s through early 2000s by an enthusiast who visited more than 11,000 McDonald’s locations in the U.S. Visit: business.fallschurchchamber.org
Falls Church Fiber Artists
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 210 N. Virginia Ave. Informal meet-up for knitters and crocheters. Adults 18+, free.
Virginia Village Proposals Evaluation Mtg
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
City Hall, Laurel Room, 300 Park Ave.
Concerts in the Park
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Cherry Hill Park, 312 Park Ave.
Enjoy the rock and blues sound of Big Tow. Free.
Historical Architectural Review Board Mtg
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
City Hall, Laurel Room, 300 Park Ave.
Board reviews permit applications to destroy or move protected structures. Agenda posted at: fallschurchva.gov
Friday, August 7
McLean Art Society:
“Sun-Drenched” Exhibit
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
McLean Art Gallery, 6224B Old Dominion Dr., McLean
Meet the artists during this Opening Reception to celebrate summer-inspired art, and relax with live music, wine and light refreshments. Free and open to the public. Exhibit runs August 5 through 30.
Valeria Stewart & Friends
7:30 p.m.
Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St.
A performance in Creative Cauldron’s Passport Music Festival.
Saturday, August 8
Falls Church Farmers Market
8:00 a.m. – Noon
City Hall Parking Lot, 300 Park Ave.
Award-winning market, open yearround.
Wes Iseli
Magic Show
11:00 a.m. – Noon
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, lower-level conference room, 120 N. Virginia Ave. Free magic show for school grades K-5, and ages 5-11. Performances often fill before 11a.m.
Summer
Family Carnival Noon – 5: 00 p.m.
Commonwealth Brewery Fairfax, 10426 Main St., Fairfax Carnival-themed and family-friendly event with games, food, local vendors, shopping. Free admission.
Demonstrations
1:30 – 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Folger Shakespeare Library, Shakespeare Exhibition Hall, 201 East Capital St. SE
Discover a printing press similar to the one used to print the first published collection of Shakespeare’s plays. Free; no tickets required. Timed entry passes to the museum include a suggested $15 donation.
“Yes, And” Improv Workshop
2:00– 3:00 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, main level conference room, 120 N. Virginia Ave. Discover how to think on your feet in this free workshop for adults 18+. Registration required.
Seth Kibel
7:30 p.m.
Creative Cauldron, 127 E. Broad St.
A performance in Creative Cauldron’s Passport Music Festival.
Sunday, August 9
2026 All Member Show
Artist Talk
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Falls Church Arts Gallery, 700-B West Broad St. Learn trade secrets as six artists share stories, ideas, and the creative processes behind their work. Free, RSVP at fallschurcharts.org.
Monday, August 10
Summer
Storytime
10:30 – 11: 00 a.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, lower-level conference room, 102 N. Virginia Ave. Join librarians for songs, stories, and rhymes. Age group: pre-school children aged 2-4. Free.
Tuesday, August 11
Spanish Conversation Group
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, main level conference room, 102 N. Virginia Ave. Foreign language discussion group for adults 18+. Free.
Wednesday, August 12
Arlington County Fair
5:00 – 10:30 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson Community Center, 3501 2nd St. S.
Featuring entertainment, interactive and educational exhibits. Fair runs August 12 through 16. Admission and activities on Outdoor Stage and Kids’ Court are free. Rides and some activities are fee based. Check website for each day’s hours of operation.
Architectural Advisory Board Mtg
7:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Council Chambers/Court Room, 300 Park Ave.
Mindfulness
Meditation
10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Mary Riley Styles Public Library, 120 N Virginia Ave. Take some time to slow down with this free meditation workshop for Adults 18+. No prior meditation experience necessary.
Citizens Advisory Committee on Transportation
7:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting
Find link at fallschurchva.gov
Reptile Show
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Berman Park, 236 Irving St. Free meet and greet with snakes, frogs, turtles and more. Suitable for all ages, registration not required. Bring a picnic blanket or chairs.
TO THE PUBLIC OF A JOINT PETITION BY DOMINION ENERGY, INC.,
POWER
OSW
LLC, WG DEVELOPMENT CORP., CS HOLDCO, LLC,
INC., FOR APPROVAL OF A DISPOSITION AND ACQUISITION OF CONTROL OF A PUBLIC UTILITY
TO CHAPTER 5 OF TITLE 56 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA CASE NO. PUR-2026-00112
On July 15, 2026, Dominion Energy, Inc. (“DEI”), Virginia Electric and Power Company (“DEV”), OSW Project, LLC (“ProjectCo”), WG Development Corp. (“Merger Sub”), CS HoldCo, LLC (“LLC Sub”) and NextEra Energy, Inc. (“NextEra”) (collectively, “Petitioners”), filed with the State Corporation Commission (“Commission”) a joint petition (“Joint Petition”) for approval of the disposition and acquisition of control of DEV and its affiliate, ProjectCo, to be effectuated by the planned business combination (“Merger”) of DEV’s corporate parent, DEI, with NextEra, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger entered into on May 15, 2026 (“Merger Agreement”). The Petitioners assert that DEV would continue to operate with the same legal status and would remain a Virginia public service corporation and public utility with no material operational changes. The Petitioners seek approval pursuant to the Utility Transfers Act, Chapter 5 of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia (“Code”), which provides, in part, that “[n]o person . . . shall, directly or indirectly, acquire or dispose of control of . . . [a] public utility within the meaning of this chapter, or all of the assets thereof, without the prior approval of the Commission.”
The Petitioners represent that DEI is a public utility holding company and corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia that owns DEV, as well as Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc. (“DESC”), which are regulated public utilities that collectively provide electric utility service to approximately 3.6 million customer accounts in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and natural gas delivery service to approximately 500,000 customer accounts in South Carolina. DEV is a public service corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia furnishing electric service to approximately 2.7 million customers within its certificated service territory. ProjectCo is a Virginia limited liability company and is a subsidiary of DEV that was formed pursuant to Code § 56-585.1:11 G to operate as a public utility in association with DEV in connection with the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Commercial Project.
The Petitioners represent that NextEra is a public utility holding company and corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Florida and headquartered in Juno Beach, Florida. NextEra is a diversified energy company that, among other things, owns Florida Power & Light Company, which is a regulated public utility that provides electric utility service to more than six million customer accounts across Florida. Additionally, NextEra owns NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which is represented to be the largest energy infrastructure development company in the United States, as well as NextEra Energy Transmission, LLC, which manages approximately 2,150 circuit miles of electric transmission facilities across 11 states, one province in Canada, and within eight regional transmission organizations.
Merger Sub is a Virginia corporation and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra that was formed to effect the Merger. LLC Sub is a Virginia limited liability company and a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra that was formed to effect the Merger.
The Joint Petition states that pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, and subject to the necessary regulatory approvals and other closing conditions, the Merger would combine the businesses of DEI and NextEra at the holding company level, with NextEra as the surviving corporation and DEV thereby becoming an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra. The Petitioners assert that the Merger would be accomplished through a two-step transaction. Under the first step, Merger Sub, a Virginia corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra, would merge with DEI, with DEI as the surviving entity and wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra. Under the second step, DEI and LLC Sub would merge, with LLC Sub being the surviving entity and continuing as a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra that would be renamed Dominion Energy, LLC.
The Joint Petition states that the Merger is a substantially all stock-based transaction. Upon consummation of the Merger, DEI shareholders would receive a
fixed exchange ratio of 0.8138 shares of NextEra common stock for each share of DEI stock they own at closing. In addition, DEI shareholders would receive a onetime cash payment of $360 million at closing. The Petitioners assert that after closing, DEI shareholders would own approximately 25.5% of the combined company. The Petitioners represent that the Merger Agreement has been unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both DEI and NextEra. The Petitioners further state that the Merger is subject to an affirmative majority vote of DEI and NextEra shareholders. Assuming all regulatory approvals are received and closing conditions are satisfied, the Petitioners anticipate the closing of the Merger during the second half of 2027.
Following the Merger, the Joint Petition represents that no changes would be made to DEV’s leadership structure or operations as a result of the Merger that would adversely impact its provision of utility service to its customers.
The Petitioners include in the Joint Petition proposed merger commitments for the Commission’s consideration to impose as conditions of approval of the requested change of control of DEV. The Petitioners are offering for NextEra to fund, at shareholder expense, $2.25 billion in near-term bill credits for DEV and DESC utility customers across the states of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The Petition states that approximately $1.78 billion is expected to flow to Virginia customers. The customer bill credits are proposed to be distributed over a two-year (24 billing month) period following the Merger’s closing, and would appear as a separate line item on the customer bill. The Joint Petition proposes that all retail customers and customer classes of DEV would receive credits, including DEV’s non-jurisdictional customers such as the Commonwealth of Virginia and local governmental customers. At the customer level, the credits would be calculated based on the 2026 and 2027 calendar year electric consumption, assuming the Merger closes in 2027, and the credit allocation is designed for the residential class to receive a $10 per month credit over the two-year period for a typical residential customer utilizing 1,000 kilowatthours of electricity per month, with higher energy users receiving proportionately larger credits, and vice-versa.
The Petitioners also include the following Merger commitments:
• Establishing Richmond, Virginia, as a dual corporate headquarters of the combined company alongside NextEra’s existing corporate headquarters in Juno Beach, Florida.
• Maintaining DEV’s operating headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, with a significant local presence necessary to provide safe, reliable and affordable electric service.
• Maintaining leadership continuity with Edward H. Baine continuing as President of DEV and Robert M. Blue becoming the President and Chief Executive Officer of all of the combined company’s regulated utilities, including DEV. Mr. Blue also would serve on the combined company’s Board of Directors, consisting of 14 members including three other members of DEI’s current Board or executive management team. There would be no changes to the Board of Directors of DEV and its members would remain the same.
• Maintaining DEV’s commitment to customer service quality at no less than current levels.
• Holding customers harmless from any costs or charges arising from the Merger, including but not limited to transaction costs, transition costs, acquisition premiums, financing expenses, and restructuring costs.
• Maintaining separate books and records for DEV, and a commitment that DEV would hold all its property in its own name, would not assume liability for the debts of any affiliate, and would not guarantee the debt or credit instruments of any affiliate.
continued on next page
• Commitment by NextEra to provide equity financing, as needed, to DEV to maintain its existing capital structure and credit metrics supportive of strong investment-grade credit ratings for DEV.
• Guaranteeing job protection for DEV employees for 18 months following closing of the combination, with two-year compensation and benefits protection for nonunion employees, and providing employees covered by collective bargaining agreements with terms and conditions of employment in accordance with those agreements until their expiration, modification, or termination.
• Commitment by NextEra to increase historical shareholder-funded charitable giving levels by contributing an additional $10 million per year for at least five years after closing, allocated among Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
The Petitioners assert that the Merger would not impair or jeopardize DEV’s provision of adequate service to the public at just and reasonable rates. The combined company, through its regulated utilities, would serve approximately 10 million customer accounts across Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, and, through its regulated utilities and subsidiaries, would own or control over 110 gigawatts of electric generating resources across a mix of energy resources, including nuclear, natural gas, wind, solar, and battery storage. The Petitioners aver that the Merger would not alter DEV’s investment plans across all utility functions in order to ensure adequate and reliable service, and that NextEra has committed to providing the necessary equity financing to do so and to maintain DEV’s capital structure and credit metrics that are supportive of strong investment-grade credit ratings. The Joint Petition asserts that approval of the Merger would have no ratemaking impact beyond the benefits associated with the offered bill credits, with recovery of DEV’s cost of service to be addressed in future biennial reviews and other proceedings as it is today.
The Joint Petition avers that over the long term, the combined company’s scale, financial strength, and operational breadth are expected to provide additional customer benefits. Among other things, the Petitioners assert that the magnitude of the combined company’s expected annual capital expenditures would expand its purchasing power and supply chain leverage, driving capital efficiency across the system. The combined company also expects to achieve construction efficiencies and to leverage extensive vendor relationships to obtain competitive pricing and timelines for infrastructure projects. From a financing perspective, the Petitioners assert that the combined company would have one of the strongest balance sheets in the industry and would maintain strong credit ratings and financial metrics. The Petitioners represent that at closing, DEI is expected to be upgraded to NextEra’s issuer credit ratings and DEV is expected to receive a one-notch upgrade at Standard and Poor’s. The Joint Petition explains that these credit improvements are expected to translate directly into lower prospective utility debt financing costs than otherwise would be available.
Additional details are set forth in the Joint Petition. Interested persons are encouraged to review the Joint Petition and supporting exhibits
The Commission entered an Order for Notice and Hearing in this proceeding that, among other things, scheduled public hearings on the Joint Petition. The Commission will hold telephonic portions of the hearing, for the purpose of receiving the testimony of public witnesses, on three separate occasions: November 5, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.; November 9, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.; and November 10, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. On or before November 2, 2026, any person desiring to offer testimony as a public witness shall provide required contact information to the Commission. This information may be provided to the Commission: (i) by filling out a form on the Commission’s website at scc.virginia.gov/ case-information/webcasting; or (ii) by calling (804) 371-9141. This public witness hearing will be webcast at scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting
On November 17, 2026, at 10 a.m., in the Commission’s second floor courtroom located in the Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, the Commission will convene an evidentiary hearing to receive testimony and evidence
offered by the Petitioners, respondents, and the Commission’s Staff on the Joint Petition.
To promote administrative efficiency and timely service of filings upon participants, the Commission has directed the electronic filing of testimony and pleadings, unless they contain confidential information, and has required electronic service on parties to this proceeding.
An electronic copy of the Joint Petition may be obtained by submitting a written request to counsel for the Petitioners: Elaine S. Ryan, Esquire, McGuireWoods LLP, Gateway Plaza, 800 East Canal Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219, or eryan@ mcguirewoods.com. Interested persons also may download unofficial copies of the Joint Petition and other documents filed in this case from the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
On or before November 9, 2026, any interested person may submit comments on the Joint Petition electronically by following the instructions on the Commission’s website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information/submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to submit comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2026-00112.
On or before September 11, 2026, any person or entity wishing to participate as a respondent in this proceeding must do so by filing a notice of participation with the Clerk of the Commission at: scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file a notice of participation electronically may file such notice by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such person or entity and their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Petitioners, the Commission’s Staff, and all other respondents. Pursuant to 5 VAC 5-20-80 B, Participation as a respondent, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, 5 VAC 5-20-10 et seq. (“Rules of Practice”), any notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Any notice of participation filed by a person not represented by counsel shall also set forth why the filer’s positions in this matter are not adequately represented by another party to this proceeding and cannot be expressed through written or oral public comments as provided for in this proceeding. Any organization, corporation, or government body participating as a respondent must be represented by counsel as required by 5 VAC 5-20-30, Counsel, of the Rules of Practice. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2026-00112. For additional information about participation as a respondent, any person or entity should obtain a copy of the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing.
On or before October 19, 2026, each respondent may file electronically with the Clerk of the Commission at scc.virginia.gov/clk/efiling any testimony and exhibits by which the respondent expects to establish its case. Any respondent unable, as a practical matter, to file testimony and exhibits electronically may file such by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the Commission at the address listed above. Each witness’s testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page. All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on the Commission’s Staff, the Petitioners, and all other respondents simultaneously with their filing. In all filings, respondents shall comply with the Commission’s Rules of Practice, as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, including, but not limited to: 5 VAC 5-20-140, Filing and service, and 5 VAC 5-20-240, Prepared testimony and exhibits. All filings shall refer to Case No. PUR-2026-00112.
Any documents filed in paper form with the Office of the Clerk of the Commission in this docket may use both sides of the paper. In all other respects, except as modified by the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, all filings shall comply fully with the requirements of 5 VAC 5-20-150, Copies and format, of the Commission’s Rules of Practice.
The Commission’s Rules of Practice, the Commission’s Order for Notice and Hearing, the Joint Petition and other documents filed in this case may be viewed on the Commission’s website at: scc.virginia.gov/case-information
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF FAYETTE COUNTY STATE OF GEORGIA
IN RE: PETITION OF YVONNE PHILLIPS, for Adoption of: E.Z.C., a male Minor Child
ADOPTION NO. 2026-A-0009
NOTICE OF SERVICE BY PUBLICATION
TO: Jaya Dominique Jenkins
Unknown Address
Notice is hereby given that YVONNE PHILLIPS, Petitioner in the above-styled case, by and through the undersigned, filed her Petition for Termination of Parental Rights and Petition for Adoption in the Superior Court of Fayette County, Georgia, on or about April 21, 2026, seeking to adopt the Minor Child, E.Z.C., a male Minor Child born in 2019.
You are hereby summoned and required to file an Answer in writing with the Clerk of the Superior Court of Fayette County, Georgia, whose address is One Center Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214, within sixty (60) days from the Notice for Service by Publication, and serve a copy upon Petitioner, by and through her attorney of record, Chloe James, Esq., Slepian & Schwartz, LLC, 42 Eastbrook Bend, Peachtree City, Georgia 30269.
This 15th day of July, 2026.
SLEPIAN & SCHWARTZ, LLC
/s/ Chloe James
CHLOE JAMES, ESQ.
Georgia State Bar No. 553364 Attorney for Petitioner
42 Eastbrook Bend Peachtree City, Georgia 30269
Phone: (770) 486-1220
Facsimile: (770) 631-2340
Email: chloejames@slepianfirm.com
VOLUNTEERS WHO LIVE IN THE CITY OF FALLS CHURCH ARE NEEDED TO SERVE ON THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LISTED BELOW. CONTACT THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE (703-248-5014, CITYCLERK@FALLSCHURCHVA.GOV, OR WWW.FALLSCHURCHVA.GOV/BC) FOR AN APPLICATION FORM OR MORE INFORMATION. POSITIONS ADVERTISED FOR MORE THAN ONE MONTH MAY BE FILLED DURING EACH SUBSEQUENT MONTH.
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We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the
by Donald S. Beyer Jr.
Over the past several months, the challenges facing our country have only grown more serious as the Trump administration continues to pursue policies that threaten the livelihoods of so many Americans, our democratic institutions, and our standing in the world.
My job as your representative in Congress is not only to oppose those actions but also to defend our democracy, protect Northern Virginia families, and offer a better path forward. That responsibility has shaped every vote I’ve cast and the bills I’ve introduced this Congress.
Ensuring Sustainable AI Infrastructure Development
Northern Virginia is helping lead the AI revolution, and that’s something we should be proud of. But as the AI infrastructure necessary to support our region’s technological leadership expands, our community is rightly concerned about rising energy demand, increased water consumption, air pollution, noise, and land use. It is our responsibility to ensure that data centers benefit our communities, not just developers and operators, and that families aren’t left paying higher utility bills as a result.
That’s why I’ve asked the Fairfax County Planning Commission to deny the permit application filed for Edsall Data Center Substation 2232 in Lincolnia. While Fairfax County has adopted guidelines intended to minimize the impacts of data center infrastructure on surrounding neighborhoods and preserve land for housing, economic opportunity, and transit-oriented development, I share many of your concerns that the proposed substation is inconsistent with those goals. I am also particularly concerned about this project’s potential impacts on land
use, flooding mitigation, light pollution, noise pollution, and whether this proposal is consistent with Lincolnia’s sustainable growth goals.
The concerns surrounding the Edsall Data Center Substation also underscore the need for greater transparency about the impacts of AI data center infrastructure nationwide. To improve transparency and accountability, I introduced the AI Environmental Impacts Act, which would require AI data centers to report their environmental and energy impacts while directing federal agencies to conduct the first comprehensive study of AI infrastructure’s lifecycle effects.
This builds on legislation I introduced last year, the Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act, which would help ensure that the growing electricity demands of AI data centers do not drive up utility bill costs for families and small businesses.
Leading Congress on the Responsible Development of AI
I believe the advancement of artificial intelligence presents enormous opportunities, but it must be developed responsibly and with appropriate guardrails.
That’s why I introduced the GUARDRAILS Act to repeal President Trump’s executive order attempting to prevent states from enacting their own AI safeguards. I believe that until Congress establishes comprehensive national standards for safe AI development, states – including Virginia –must remain free to protect their residents from emerging risks.
I also introduced the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act to ensure that no autonomous or AI-enabled U.S. weapons system can carry out an intentionally lethal strike without meaningful
human oversight. No machine should ever have the authority to decide to kill a human being. Those life-and-death decisions must always remain in human hands.
The way I see it, rather than lowering costs for American families as he promised on the campaign trail, President Trump has been laser focused on making everything more expensive.
His disastrous tariffs have raised costs across the board and have hit the homebuilding sector particularly hard. The last thing the federal government should be doing is piling on additional costs that get passed along to buyers and puts homeownership even further out of reach for working- and middle-class Americans, especially for Northern Virginians who already face extremely high housing costs. That is why I introduced the Homebuilding Materials Tariff Relief Act, which would eliminate the Trump Administration’s tariffs on a series of critical products used in home construction and bring down the cost of housing.
At the same time, President Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, Congressional Republicans’ rollback of landmark energy affordability tax credits, and their all-out-war on renewable energy have increased energy costs, even before taking into account the added strain that expanded data center development could place on our energy system. As vice chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), I helped introduce the Energy Bills Relief Act to lower energy bills by stopping energy companies from price gouging consumers, which would explicitly protect Americans from the costs of powering large energy consumers like data centers, and quickly get more cheap, renewable
energy on the grid.
Doubling down on his administration’s commitment to raising costs, President Trump has also kicked millions of people off of life-saving healthcare and slashed funding for essential programs designed to keep people safe and healthy. Along with fighting to reverse those disastrous changes, I introduced the Saving Lives and Reducing Health Care Waste by Improving Diagnosis in Medicine Act to create lasting change for the 900,000 Americans who suffer from permanent disabilities or have died due to preventable delays or errors in diagnosis. At a time when the Trump administration has pushed millions of people into unnecessary health uncertainty, it is more important than ever to get people the treatment they need, without delay.
Stopping Trump’s Reckless War in Iran
Five months ago, President Trump dragged our country into what I believe is a reckless, unnecessary war in Iran.
I vehemently oppose this war and its continued expansion across the region, including into Lebanon. That’s why I’ve voted for five separate War Powers Resolutions to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Iran and reassert Congress’ Constitutional authority to take our country to war. I also voted for a War Powers resolution to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with Lebanon.
Earlier this month, when the House considered the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, I voted against the bill because it would have authorized more than $1.15 trillion in Pentagon spending without placing meaningful restrictions to prevent further military escalation with Iran.
I also voted for an amendment to H.R. 8595, the FY27 National Security, Department
of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act to reduce U.S. military assistance to Israel. Israel’s ongoing military campaigns across the region have resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians while further destabilizing the region. These repeated violations of international and U.S. law demand a fundamental reassessment of U.S. policy.
Few congressional districts are more deeply connected to public service than ours. Tens of thousands of our neighbors work for the federal government, whether as scientists at NIH, diplomats, national security professionals, or countless other jobs that keep our country safe, healthy, and prosperous. They deserve respect, not the cruelty of this lawless president that has resulted in thousands of our neighbors losing their jobs. I continue to pursue efforts to help wrongfully fired employees return to service. Most recently, to help rebuild America’s diplomatic corps after the Trump administration’s mass reductions in force, I introduced the Foreign Service Test-Free Reentry Act. This bill would allow experienced career Foreign Service Officers who were wrongfully separated to return to service without having to retake written and oral components of the Foreign Service Officer Test they’ve already passed.
I also reintroduced the bipartisan Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act to provide federal employees with 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. This bill builds on the success of the 2019 law I championed, which guaranteed paid parental leave for federal workers. Our public servants should not have to choose between caring for
Continued from Page 9
host musical events, a children’s program, curators’ talks, and more.
Admission is $20 with discounts for students, educators, seniors and military members. There is no charge for members and children up to age 19. “Pay what
you wish” is offered every day after 4 p.m. and there is free admission on the third Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m.
The exhibition closes Sept 20. 2026 at 1600 21st St., NW. Washington, D.C. 20009. Open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, (10 a.m., members) 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. I can’t wait to get back.
ACE IS A 4-year-old goldendoodle who loves Parmesan cheese, watching “ Below Deck,” and playing fetch!
Continued from Page 17
themselves or a loved one and receiving a paycheck.
These efforts build on legislation I introduced last year to protect the federal workforce. My REHIRE Act would make it easier for federal employees wrongfully fired by the Trump administration to return to public service, while my PREP Act would codify probationary timelines to strengthen protections against future abuses of probationary employees and prevent politically motivated mass firings like those directed by President Trump and Elon Musk.
Standing Up to the Trump Administration’s Obstruction
Our Constitution gives Congress both the authority and the responsibility to conduct oversight of the execu -
tive branch, but that responsibility can only be carried out if Members of Congress are allowed access to federal agencies and facilities without political interference.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration has repeatedly blocked Members of Congress from carrying out their constitutional duty. I have personally been denied access to USAID, the U.S. Institute of Peace, a public meeting at the Department of the Interior, and have repeatedly faced delays while attempting to conduct oversight at ICE detention facilities.
I introduced the Congressional Oversight and Agency Access Act to ensure Members of Congress and accompanying staff have access to federal facilities so Congress can fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities without unnecessary obstruction or delay.
Northern Virginia is home to some of our nation’s most important historic places and protecting them remains one of my priorities.
I introduced the Arlington National Cemetery Viewshed Protection Act to permanently prohibit construction of President Trump’s proposed “Triumphal Arch” outside the Arlington National Cemetery and preserve the solemn character of one of our country’s most sacred spaces. I also continue to press Administration officials for greater transparency about the potential traffic and airspace impacts.
Beyond Arlington National Cemetery, I joined nearly 50 of my colleagues in opposing the Trump Administration’s rushed redevelopment of historic East
by Lisa Sinrod
The latest Spider-Man offering, rated PG-13 and released on July 31 by Sony Pictures, is a direct sequel to 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful superhero film series ever made and the new film has just achieved the status of the biggest box office opening in history. Since 2002, three actors have portrayed Spider-Man in live-action films based on the Marvel Comics character. British actor Tom Holland has played Peter Parker/SpiderMan since 2016 in four standalone Spider-Man movies, including the current one, and three ensemble Marvel Cinematic Universe films. Holland, starring in this version along with Zendaya, combines youthful energy with a vulnerability that suits the iconic Spider-Man role. Peter Parker, Spider-Man’s alter ego, is a brilliant young man who uses his superhuman abilities
to protect others while struggling to balance his justice missions with everyday life. Parker assumes his Spider-Man identity when his superhero abilities are needed to fight crime. Zendaya has appeared in all three of Holland’s previous Spider-Man movies as Michelle Jones-Watson (MJ), Peter Parker’s classmate and love interest. The American singer and actress is, at age 29, one of Hollywood’s most prominent young performers. There is an infectious onscreen chemistry between Zendaya and Holland (age 30).
“Brand New Day” provides some background from the 2021 film, revealing that a spell cast at the end of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” caused the world to forget who Peter Parker is. Now embarking on a more solitary existence, Parker fully embraces his identity as Spider-Man, protecting New York City while living apart from his former life. Even MJ, and his best friend Ned, no longer
Potomac Park. The proposal could reduce the affordability and accessibility of the park’s public golf courses while threatening the park’s bike and walking trails. I also called on the administration to comply with federal historic preservation laws.
Protecting public lands also means protecting both the environment and the health of the people who enjoy these shared spaces. That’s why I led House Democrats in calling on the Trump Administration to immediately remove more than 35,000 cubic yards of toxic debris that was recklessly dumped in East Potomac National Park following the illegal demolition of the White House East Wing.
know who he is. Parker occasionally checks on MJ by showing up where he knows she will be, to make sure she is safe. These poignant scenes underscore his longing to reconnect with her while recognizing that doing so could place her in danger.
In the Spider-Man origin story, Peter Parker became SpiderMan after a genetically altered (or radioactive, depending on the version) spider bit him, giving him extraordinary abilities. These abilities include enhanced strength, agility, wall-crawling, and web-slinging. In this film, Parker experiences strange physical symptoms due to his arachnid DNA evolving. These changes make it harder for him to control his special abilities. He turns to physicist Bruce Banner, perfectly played by Mark Ruffalo, who helps him develop a DNA inhibitor to slow this process. At the same time, Spider-Man begins investigating a series of
mysterious crimes involving the Department of Damage Control.
As he delves into the crimes, circumstances are such that he and MJ (Zendaya’s character) cross paths. Since her memory of who he is has been erased, it is interesting watching the two interact while only Spider-Man knows of their past romantic connection. The sparks fly regardless and sets up the question as to whether they will reunite. It was Peter, after all, who at the conclusion of the 2021 film agreed with Doctor Strange’s proposal to cast a spell making everyone forget him in order to save the multiverse.
During this film, Peter crosses paths with Frank Castle, known as the Punisher. They both have the goal of protecting innocent people but differ over their methods. Spider-Man refuses to kill, while Castle believes lethal force can be necessary. Jon Bernthal, a powerful character actor who grew up in this area, plays Frank Castle. As the movie unfolds, things get complicated and at times overly busy, but the film doesn’t lose its
The months ahead will continue to test our country and our democratic institutions, but I remain optimistic because I know the strength of the community I represent. Northern Virginia is home to people who believe in public service, compassion, and the rule of law. Those values are worth defending, and they are what guide my work in Congress.
As always, it is an honor to represent you in Congress. If you need assistance with a federal agency, my office is ready to help. You can submit a request online or call 703-658-5403. I also continue to update you on my work in Congress through my regular newsletter, website, and social media.
Additionally, I led more than 70 House Democrats in demanding that the National Park Service immediately address its backlog of approximately 1,400 delayed grant approvals, which have stalled more than $360 million in projects that improve safety, maintain trails, reduce wildfire risks, and preserve our national parks.
appeal. Additional characters are brought in and plot twists abound. A central theme is whether Doctor Strange’s spell was a necessary sacrifice to protect the multiverse and those closest to Parker.
For Spider-Man aficionados, this film should be a welcome delight. It is currently playing on several screens at Falls Church’s own Paragon Founders Row theaters. Positive audience reaction to “Brand New Day” is noteworthy in what is currently a summer movie landscape that is unusually concentrated around just a few major releases. For the uninitiated, it can be hard to fully connect the dots on all of the moving parts of the film without having seen the recent prior versions. However, “Brand New Day” represents a new chapter in Parker’s life and is enjoyable regardless for those who have no prior SpiderMan experience (consider me the test subject on that). A post-credits scene hints at Peter’s future role in the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so expect more sequels.
