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Northern Virginia entered Wednesday with proposed helicopter restrictions at Reagan National Airport, a lawsuit involving Capital One and the Trump family business, and warnings that the region’s job market may struggle to absorb federal layoffs.
The National Transportation Safety Board recommended permanently barring helicopters from Route 4 between Hains Point and the Wilson Bridge whenever runways 15 and 33 are operating at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The recommendation follows the Jan. 29 midair collision that killed 67 people.
Multiple entities tied to the Trump Organization sued McLean-based Capital One on March 7, alleging the bank closed more than 300 of the organization’s accounts for political reasons after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Capital One denies that politics motivated the closures. The complaint was filed in a Florida circuit court.
In Herndon, social media personality Kala the Science Girl, widely known as “Tunnel Girl,” received a permit allowing her to resume digging an elaborate tunnel beneath her Northern Virginia home. More than half a million people follow her TikTok account, where she has documented the project.
The Washington region, meanwhile, may lack enough white-collar openings to accommodate federal employees losing their jobs under the Trump administration. Indeed data showed that job postings across the DMV were 13.8% below prepandemic levels as of Feb. 28, even as nationwide postings remained above those levels.
Rural Virginia localities are also trying to attract data centers as resistance to the industry grows in established hubs around Northern Virginia and suburban Richmond. Wythe County is among the communities pursuing an industry that generates billions of dollars for state and local governments.
In Annandale, the FACETS Cares Community Development Center has opened inside a former apartment. The center will provide after-school tutoring, technology access, professional-development support and connections to essential resources for low-income families. It also aims to improve community safety by fostering positive relationships with police.
Reston-based Tiga AI has raised $2 million to expand access to its digital tools for business-to-business sales professionals. The company’s assistants analyze information such as client notes and previous purchasing behavior to automate work including drafting emails and LinkedIn sales pitches.
Burke Nursery and Garden Centre has joined the Virginia Department of Forestry’s expanded Throwing Shade VA program. Customers can receive $25 off qualifying native trees and shrubs priced at $50 or more through May 1, while supplies last. Fifteen nurseries are participating.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny conditions and a high near 61 degrees. North winds of 6 to 8 mph are expected to shift east during the afternoon. Clouds will increase overnight as temperatures fall to around 44 degrees, with east winds of 3 to 8 mph.