Virginia’s attorney general said Thursday that the Department of Homeland Security may have violated several state laws after a whistleblower accused its employees of misrepresenting themselves on voter lookup tools to hunt for noncitizen voters.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Attorney General Jay Jones demanded that DHS confirm in writing whether it had directed anyone to access Virginia voters’ information without first obtaining permission from those voters.
Good Thursday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 17, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Expect partly sunny skies with temperatures reaching a high of 85°F and a gentle north wind of 7 to 9 mph. In the evening, skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures dropping to around 65°F, accompanied by a light north wind at about 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.”
– Charles R. Swindoll
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
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Met Park becomes your dance floor this fall with the return of NaLa Noches, a high-energy celebration of Latin music and culture in the heart of National Landing. Sigue el sonido/follow the sound of the güiro, clave, and timbales during live performances from top regional acts curated by DC trumpet legend Joe Herrera. During the set break, Inspira Dance leads short, beginner-friendly dance lessons, from salsa to merengue and more!
Grab empanadas and alfajores onsite from local favorite Peruvian Brothers, cool down with a complimentary Topo Chico, and partake in hands-on “Colores y Cultura” art activations by Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington.
Musical Lineup:
September 17 — René Ibáñez & Cubano Groove (Latin Jazz)
September 24 — Punto i Aparte (Salsa Merengue)
October 1 — Orquesta Manplesa (Salsa)
October 8 — Monte Cimarrón (Cuban Son/Salsa)
October 15 — Son Cubano Subterráneo (Cuban Son)
Art Activities & Artist Lineup:
Join Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington for fun and free “Colores y Cultura” arts activities each week.
September 17: Talavera Pottery-Style Clay Crafts // sculpt decorative pieces with air dry clay!
September 24: Artist Spotlight: David Amoroso — Papel Amate Inspired Painting // paint vibrant scenes of flora + fauna on natural paper.
October 1: Artist Spotlight: Michelle Espinoza — Corn Husk Flowers // craft flowers out of corn husks.
October 8: Artist Spotlight: Jaqui Falkenheim — Little Houses on Caminito Street // color and collage houses inspired by Caminito Street in La Boca, Buenos Aires!
October 15: Mini-Nicho Shadow Boxes // create a personal little shrine with colorful embellishments!
Please refer to the National Landing website for transportation and full event details: www.nationallanding.org/events/nala-noches
NaLa Noches is produced by the National Landing BID in partnership with Amazon.
Oktoberfest season opens in Arlington and Falls Church this weekend, with a three-day festival in Courthouse, a five-brewery run in Shirlington and — a bit incongruously — a mechanical bull at a restaurant in Crystal City.
Eight celebrations of note are on the local calendar between now and Oct. 3, most of them free. Munich’s original festival runs from Saturday through Oct. 4.
The County Board is preparing to vote on $365,810 in grant funding for individual artists and arts organizations around Arlington.
The grants, authorized annually and included on the consent agenda for the Board meeting this Saturday, are part of a program overseen by the Arlington Commission for the Arts.
Equality Arlington’s Coming Out Day Celebration is Sunday, October 11th (National Coming Out Day) from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Lyon Village Community House (1920 N Highland St, Arlington, VA)! Join us for: Arlingtonians sharing coming out stories, Live music, Food, and Sharing your story in our “coming out closet”.
Suggested donation is $15 a person. Please RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/EAComingOutRSVP. If you need a free ticket, email [email protected].
Karaoke nights at Big Tony’s Pizzeria & Dive Bar are going up for debate at an upcoming County Board meeting.
The retro-style Clarendon bar is seeking county authorization to host karaoke nights and DJs at 3100 Clarendon Blvd — but it’s facing pushback from county staff, who say that the establishment violated the county’s zoning ordinance multiple times by hosting karaoke without permission.
A new grocery store is opening on Langston Blvd next week, replacing a Giant supermarket that closed more than two years ago.
Sprouts Farmers Market will host a grand opening in the Lyon Village Shopping Center beginning on Friday, Sept. 25 and continuing through the weekend. Celebrations will include free tote bags, food samples and discounts.
A new analysis of over 100 “near miss” traffic incidents in Arlington zeroes in on disproportionate issues on a handful of busy roads and intersections.
The report from Northern Virginia Families for Safe Streets analyzed 136 incidents in Arlington where people said they were almost hit by vehicles. The data shows that “failure to yield” remains the most common risk factor, mentioned in 64% of the incidents, followed by vehicles speeding (35%) and running red lights or stop signs (29%).
Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) has a message for House leaders: Congress may not get another chance to get ahead of artificial intelligence.
Beyer, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional AI Caucus, led nine colleagues from both parties in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) pressing them to move AI legislation immediately. The group released the letter yesterday (Wednesday) and made its case at a morning press conference on Capitol Hill.
Falls Church’s efforts to mark the nation’s 250th birthday could spill into 2027.
One of the goals for 2026, improvements to Fort Taylor Park, has yet to pan out. However, leaders hope that it could be completed with the support of local Eagle Scout candidates.
