On This Day in Alexandria History — “On Dec. 12, 1971, Gerry Bertier, a captain on the undefeated T.C. Williams High School state championship football team, was critically injured in an early morning car crash on North Beauregard Street. The All-American linebacker suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed below the waist. He later became an effective advocate for people with disabilities and was competitive in sports for people in wheelchairs.” [Historic Alexandria]
Beyer Condemns Trump’s AI Order — “President Trump’s AI order is an attempt to kill responsible safety reforms passed by states, which would create a lawless Wild West environment for AI companies that puts Americans at risk. This is a terrible idea. Congress has been slow to respond to the AI revolution and in the absence of a strong federal response, states are wisely taking the lead to create guardrails and protect the public.” [Rep. Don Beyer]
U.S. Marijuana Restrictions Loosening — “President Donald Trump is expected to push the government to dramatically loosen federal restrictions on marijuana, reducing oversight of the plant and its derivatives to the same level as some common prescription painkillers and other drugs, according to six people familiar with the discussions.” [The Washington Post]
Warner Anti-Union-Busting Bill Advances — “Today’s bipartisan vote in the House is an important step toward undoing one of the most sweeping attacks on federal workers in our nation’s history. President Trump’s executive orders ripped away collective bargaining rights from more than a million public servants under a false national security pretext in order to make it easier to fire experienced, nonpartisan civil servants and replace them with political loyalists. I’m grateful to my colleagues in the House, Democrats and Republicans alike … Now it’s the Senate’s turn.” [Sen. Mark Warner]
Fairfax Dem Will Be Next Resources Secretary — “Gretchen Bulova will seek to replace her husband as the 11th House District’s delegate once he officially joins the cabinet of Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger next month, she told FFXnow … David Bulova, himself a 19-year veteran of the House of Delegates, was announced [Thursday] as Spanberger’s pick for Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources.” [FFXnow]
VA Roads Rank No. 2 in New Report — “According to a 2025 report from Zutobi, an online driving education platform, Virginia ranks second nationwide in road quality with a score of 7.14 out of 10. The report assessed road quality in the U.S. based on three factors: the percentage of roads deemed ‘acceptable,’ the three-year change in this value and the highway fatality rate.” [WRIC]
Weekend Winter Weather Update — “Two fast-moving winter weather systems known as clippers will move through Northern Virginia this weekend. Combined, the systems could potentially bring up to four inches of snow to some parts of the state, according to the latest forecasts.” [Patch]
It’s Friday — Expect partly sunny skies and a high near 38 degrees with a light west wind of 3 to 6 mph. As night falls, the sky will turn mostly cloudy with the temperature dropping to a low of around 28 degrees. The wind will remain calm throughout the night. [NWS]
