By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department fired a top national security prosecutor amid criticism from a right-wing commentator over his work during the Biden administration, further roiling the prominent U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia after the ousting of other senior attorneys in recent weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.
Alexandria leaders will discuss the early childhood initiatives across the city in a first-ever series of conversations.
The Kids’ First Years (KFY) State of Early Childhood 2025 event will be held at First Baptist Church (2922 King Street) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Mayor Alyia Gaskins will kick off the free event with opening remarks, along with KFY CEO Michelle Smith Howard. The event is intended to bring together city leaders, educators, and advocates to “build a thriving early childhood system that fuels the city’s economy, strengthens the workforce and supports every family,” according to the nonprofit.
A Playa Bowls franchise just submitted paperwork with the city to open at 1229 King Street in Old Town.
The quick-service restaurant will sell “fruit bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, and juices for takeout and pickup,” according to the special use permit (SUP) filed with the city. The chain was founded in New Jersey in 2014, and there are now more than 300 Playa Bowls locations nationwide, with the nearest one in Arlington, located at 2055 15th Street.
Are you a friend of Dorothy?
Since World War II, the coded question has been used to determine whether someone is queer. Now, Dorothy Edwards is using the phrase as the name for the first-ever LGBTQ+ focused cafe in Alexandria. For the last several months, Edwards has been raising money to cover six months of operating expenses at a yet-to-be-determined space, build-out of the space, and equipment. She says that once the cafe is up and running, it’s all she wants to do for the rest of her life.
A new ice cream cafe is holding a ribbon-cutting on Oct. 11 in Del Ray.
The ribbon will be cut at Sweetside Café and Creamery (10 E. Glebe Road) at 10:30 a.m., and specials and giveaways will be offered at the event, according to the Del Ray Business Association (DRBA). The shop is owned by Teresa Keefer, who also owns Northside 10, which is directly next door, and Southside 815 in Old Town.
Alexandria recorded 3,738 eviction summonses in 2025 as of Thursday, up 21% from the previous year, according to the city’s eviction trends dashboard. The figure represents an increase of nearly 200 filings since Mayor Alyia Gaskins reported 3,544 filings during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
The rising numbers come as Alexandria faces economic pressures from federal downsizing affecting approximately 13,000 federal employees living in the city and a federal government shutdown that began Wednesday.
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins cast the lone dissenting vote that blocked the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority from endorsing a proposed extension of express lanes along the southern stretch of I-495, she told the City Council on Tuesday night.
The NVTA considered approving a letter of support for the Virginia Department of Transportation’s I-495 Southside Express Lanes Project at its Sept. 11 meeting. Still, the measure failed due to the authority’s voting requirements.
Good morning, Alexandria! Today is Thursday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of 2025. There are 90 days left in the year
🌤️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming east in the morning. Partly cloudy tonight, with a low around 52. Light east wind.
It’s more than four months away, but on Wednesday, the announcement was made, confirming that the 2026 George Washington Birthday Parade will take place in Old Town on Saturday, February 14.
Alexandria has been celebrating Washington with a parade since 1801, and it’s the largest and oldest parade celebrating the founding father in the world. The parade will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in Old Town, and this year’s parade marshals are Michael J. Elston, Esq., president general of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and Ginnie Sebastian Storage, president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
Michael Duffin, a former State Department official who was terminated in July, announced on Wednesday his campaign for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 8th Congressional District, joining a growing primary field that includes a former Alexandria city councilman.
Duffin announced his candidacy early Wednesday morning on LinkedIn before making a formal campaign announcement later in the day, according to Patch.
Sen. Mark Warner blamed the Trump administration on Wednesday for the government shutdown that began at midnight, saying the president bears responsibility for failing to prevent the closure despite Republican control of both chambers of Congress and the White House.
Speaking to Virginia media during a remote availability from the Capitol, Warner said the shutdown differs from previous ones because bipartisan negotiations completely broke down. The Virginia Democrat said Trump had only one meeting with Democrats before the shutdown deadline.
