• A worker died Thursday afternoon after a tour bus collapsed onto him at Wolf Trap. U.S. Park Police say the man was underneath the bus in a Filene Center parking lot when the apparatus supporting it failed. Wolf Trap canceled the night's Squeeze and Adam Ant show "out of respect." FFXnow, WTOP
• A late-night severe storm knocked out power to nearly 20,000 Arlington homes and businesses. The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning as gusts of 60 to 70 mph downed trees, wires, and sparked transformer fires. A 64 mph gust hit Reagan National, and Dominion warned some outages might last past sunrise. ARLnow

• Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi is touring Virginia to hear residents out on the $67 billion Dominion-NextEra merger. Her first stop drew a crowd in Sterling, where Ashburn residents said the deal won't lower bills and warned of more transmission lines feeding data centers. Arlington plans to intervene in the merger case, citing rising electric costs. WTOP, ARLnow
• Gov. Abigail Spanberger called demands to ban Flock license-plate cameras "overly simplistic." She pledged to work with the General Assembly on privacy protections while preserving the tool for police. Republican Sen. Glen Sturtevant plans a ban bill; Democratic Sen. Lashrecse Aird says work on the issue is already underway for 2027. WTOP
• Excavation for Trump's gilded arch at Memorial Circle starts within two weeks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced the timeline and posted mockups of a 250-foot arch stamped "ONE NATION UNDER GOD." Rep. Don Beyer says the administration is rushing the work ahead of November, and a lawsuit is pending. ARLnow

• Fairfax approved 98 townhouses to replace an office building near Innovation Center Metro. The Board unanimously rezoned Coppermine Commons III in the McNair area for Felice Development Group. Twelve units will be affordable, and the plan clears the county's density bonus. FFXnow
• A McLean and Chantilly commercial-center portfolio changed hands in a $58 million deal. The sale landed among a busy day of Fairfax development moves. FFXnow
• Fairfax will hold a Sept. 29 public hearing on transferring the Centreville library site to its housing authority. The 4.34-acre parcel would anchor a public-private project pairing a renovated library with 180 multifamily units. The board authorized the move 9-1. FFXnow

• "Girl Dinner" has left the couch and hit Arlington menus. Brass Rabbit in Clarendon serves a Caesar and fries in an oversized martini glass for $14, moving about two dozen a day. Harvey's in Falls Church City turned its Galentine's special into a permanent offering. Arlington Magazine
• Bananas are muscling in on pumpkin spice this fall. B Side in the Mosaic District pours a Banana Pancakes cocktail with bourbon and maple syrup, while Constellation in National Landing serves a Banana Brown Butter Latte with house-made syrup. Arlington Magazine

• Great Country Farms in Bluemont reopened apple picking, its corn maze, and pig races, running through Sept. 18. Secret DC
• Loudoun firefighters are collecting for the MDA "Fill-the-Boot" campaign Friday through Monday. Loudoun Fire & Rescue
• Police will staff e-bike safety events on the W&OD Trail in Reston and Dunn Loring from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. FFXnow
• Metro runs a Sunday schedule Monday; no VRE or MARC service. Green Line's Branch Avenue, Suitland, and Naylor Road stations reopen after a monthlong closure. WTOP
• Part of the National Mall closed Sept. 1 for turf restoration through Jan. 24, 2027, with more panels closing Sept. 16. Secret DC, Washington Post
• Loudoun holds a Sept. 22 community meeting on design guidelines for a proposed Unison historic overlay district. Loudoun County
• Afro Plus Fest takes over 35 acres outside Northwest Stadium in Landover from Friday through Sunday. WTOP

Two nights ago the argument in Sterling was whether a merger would raise anyone's power bill. Last night the storm made the point for free, knocking out 20,000 homes and reminding everyone how much of NoVA's comfort rides on wires nobody controls.

That's the briefing. Have a safe holiday weekend out there. See you Monday.

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