U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA-08) today introduced the Reduce Helicopter Noise Act to take federal action that would rein in the growing noise of helicopter flights over American communities.
“In urban and suburban communities like ours, the number of complaints about commercial helicopter noise has grown exponentially,” said Congressman Pascrell. “This noise is often more than a mere nuisance but a significant quality-of-life hardship that shakes homes and severely disturbs sleeping patterns. The sound of a whirlybird hovering above your house is no picnic. As commercial helicopter noise grows in the tristate region and across America, the federal government can and must seek ways to curb the problem. Our legislation would implement well researched recommendations to reduce helicopter noise in New Jersey, New York, and beyond.”
Attorney General Jason Miyares today joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 state attorneys general calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to take a tougher stand against companies tricking consumers into agreeing to receive telemarketing and texts.
“Sleazy ‘lead generators’ try to trick people into consenting to receive spam calls or texts from hundreds of companies they’ve never heard of and never want to hear from. We are asking the FCC to toughen the rules on consent requirements so Virginians only hear from organizations they agree to,” said Attorney General Miyares.
On Saturday, June 10, the National Park Service (NPS) will extend the three-lane traffic configuration on the George Washington Memorial Parkway from the Route 123 interchange to Windy Run Bridge as part of the ongoing North Parkway Rehabilitation Project. The NPS will temporarily close the right northbound lane from Route 123 to the Windy Run Bridge during this transition. Drivers should follow traffic signs, respect the 40-mph speed limit, expect delays through narrow travel lanes and plan alternate routes. Work is weather permitting.
Crews will begin to shift traffic following the evening rush hour on Friday, June 9 and expect to have the new traffic pattern in place by the evening of Saturday June 10. Crews installed new lane striping over the weekend and will add temporary lane dividers this week in preparation for the traffic shift. The NPS expects the three-lane traffic pattern from Windy Run Bridge to I-495 to be in effect through late 2025:
As the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in adults over the age of 65, falls can greatly impact the health and well-being of older adults. The age-adjusted fall death rate increased by 41 percent from 2012 to 2021, while falls that don’t result in death can still cause traumatic brain injuries, hip fractures and decreased independence and quality of life.
In response to this critical health issue, Marymount University and its Center for Optimal Aging were recently awarded a third round of funding – totaling $548,298 that will cover a timeframe extended to April 2027 – from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living. Alongside its many community partners, Marymount will continue this important work of helping to reduce the number of falls and fall-related injuries in the region, expanding falls prevention programs to underserved communities and enhancing their capacity for long-term sustainability.
America runs on Dunkin’® and this National Donut Day, America runs on free donuts. On Friday, June 2, Dunkin’ die-hards and donut fans can enjoy a free classic donut of their choice, with any beverage purchase.
To make the most of the holiday, guests can pair a classic donut from Dunkin’ with their favorite drink, from the adored Butter Pecan Iced Coffee to a full-bodied Cold Brew. Whatever donut-drink combo guests go for, there’s no incorrect way to celebrate National Donut Day – as long as it involves a free donut!
Governor Glenn Youngkin announced today a landmark change in how state agencies will recruit and compete for talent by eliminating degree requirements, preferences or both for almost 90% of state classified positions. The new Commonwealth hiring practices will expand opportunities for Virginians and give equal consideration to all qualified job applicants.
“On day one we went to work reimagining workforce solutions in government and this key reform will expand opportunities for qualified applicants who are ready to serve Virginians,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This landmark change in hiring practices for our state workforce will improve hiring processes, expand possibilities and career paths for job seekers and enhance our ability to deliver quality services. Last month, Virginia achieved the highest labor force participation rate in nearly ten years demonstrating the Commonwealth’s sustained workforce developments.”
Members of Congress representing Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia today wrote to leaders of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to express strong local opposition to “any changes to the current High Density (‘Slot’) and Perimeter rules at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (‘National’).”
Their letter followed recent, local opposition to proposed changes to weaken the slot and perimeter rule from the DCA Community Noise Working Group, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and the president of Washington Metro Airports Authority, which operates the airport.
Attorney General Jason Miyares today sued Michael D. Lansky, LLC, which does business under the name Avid Telecom, its owner Michael Lansky, and its Vice President Stacey S. Reeves, for allegedly initiating and facilitating billions of illegal robocalls to millions of people and violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws.
“Avid Telecom refuses to stop their robocalls, despite receiving over three hundred warnings. They have routed nearly 235,000,000 calls to numbers with Virginia area codes. Avid Telecom even went as far as spoofing the Caller ID numbers of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Virginia State Police. It’s obvious that the only way to get this organization to stop harassing Virginians is by taking them to court, and holding them accountable,” said Attorney General Miyares.
Today the local branch of the oldest and largest civil rights organization in America announced a $60,000 charitable contribution to EcoAction Arlington, which was founded in 1978 and whose mission focuses on encouraging environmentally-friendly behaviors, ensuring environmental justice, and addressing the climate crisis. The NAACP selected EcoAction Arlington through a strategic grant and partnership from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has more than 17 million members and churches in over 30,000 locations across 160 countries and territories. While Arlington is the smallest self-governing county in America, disparities continue to impact communities of color in disparate ways. “Arlington has a 10 year life expectancy difference amongst its neighborhoods, and this donation will create focus and provide much needed tree canopy in places that have, for decades, been left out of the conversation,” said Branch President Michael Hemminger.
The NAACP Arlington Branch is one of the most active branches in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Branch takes a comprehensive equity approach towards supporting disadvantaged neighborhoods through transitioning to green environments. “For years, EcoAction Arlington has been a committed partner in the furtherance of our mission, making them a natural fit for why we selected this non-profit as the recipient,” said Hemminger in a statement. The donation helps leverage additional resources with the goal of increasing the number of trees planted from current levels by approximately 500 trees a year for the next five years in Arlington’s historically disadvantaged communities.
AHC Inc.’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) program hosted its college signing day on May 5 – where students announced their college plans and showcased new T-shirts for their chosen colleges.
This year, the CCR program included 37 high school seniors and 32 juniors from lower-income homes. The students received acceptance from 156 out of the 257 schools they applied to and $13.3 million in gift aid and scholarships from those schools. Many students are the first generation in their families to reach this educational milestone.
U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) joined 27 colleagues in introducing the Kids Online Safety Act, comprehensive bipartisan legislation to protect children online.
The Kids Online Safety Act provides young people and parents with the tools, safeguards, and transparency they need to protect against online harms. The bill requires social media platforms to by default enable a range of protections against addictive design and algorithmic recommendations. It also requires privacy protections, dedicated channels to report harm, and independent audits by experts and academic researchers to ensure that social media platforms are taking meaningful steps to address risks to kids.
