The 2025 statewide Democratic primary features a diverse group of candidates competing for various key offices, including lieutenant governor, attorney general, and seats in the state legislatures. Fairfax City residents will be voting for Lt. Governor and Attorney General candidates in the Democratic primary.
While economic activity has remained relatively stable across the country, several Federal Reserve districts are beginning to show signs of a slowdown. Uncertainty surrounding future trade policies and tariffs is contributing to a more cautious business climate. Car sales have ticked upward, but tourism has slowed, and many companies are holding off on hiring decisions due to ongoing tariff concerns.
The Young Marines, a national youth organization, has announced the 2025 National Young Marine of the Year, Chingiz Bahadur, 17, of Fairfax, Virginia, a member of the Potomac River Young Marines in Washington, D.C. Bahadur is a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Reston Pride's 8th annual Pride festival starts on May 31st 6-9pm with its first ever Rising Voices concert featuring young local queer bands. Following that, we have our main festival on Sunday June 1st from 11am-6pm. This year our theme is RISE UP!
In late November, I sat in Arlington County Courthouse's courtroom 10A and witnessed a scene that left me deeply unsettled as a veteran defense attorney. A young prosecutor, Abhimanyu Mehta—whose name fittingly translates to "warrior" in the mythological Mahābhārata story about war—stood before Judge Daniel S. Fiore advocating for the dismissal of charges against a young black man, 31, whom I’ll refer to pseudonymously as Ross Lamas. Charged in late 2022 with one count of felony intent to distribute drugs and four counts of illegal possession of a firearm, Mr. Lamas’ case had been delayed multiple times over two years. Lamas sat quietly with his public defender, Brad Haywood, waiting for what should have been a routine resolution.
Every lawyer in Virginia must take a mandatory professionalism course as part of their bar admission, a course designed to teach integrity, fairness, and respect in the practice of law. Yet, in 2025, this course still bears the name of former Chief Justice Harry L. Carrico—a man whose judicial legacy includes defending racial segregation and upholding laws that denied basic rights to Virginians.
On Feb. 22 2023, police sergeant Wesley Shifflett shot and killed Timothy McCree Johnson in an incident that has since sparked extensive controversy and debate around the use of deadly force by law enforcement. Johnson had reportedly fled after being caught shoplifting two pairs of sunglasses from the Nordstrom inside Tysons Corner Center. Police confronted him in a poorly-lit wooded area following a short foot pursuit. After issuing two commands to get on the ground, Shifflett fired two rounds at Johnson, striking him in the chest. He was pronounced dead 44 minutes later at Fairfax Hospital.
There are 61,000 Virginians on probation, which is the largest segment of the state’s criminal justice system. Severe understaffing is burdening active probation officers...
