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Good morning, Alexandria. It's Monday, April 27 — the 117th day of 2026, with 248 days left in the year.
On this day in 1850, Alexandria presented a block of Virginia marble for the Washington Monument — you can still see it in the lower portion of the structure, below the visible color change at the 152-foot mark where construction paused for two decades.
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We're not going back to D.C.
Mayor Gaskins made that clear Saturday, calling Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick's retrocession bill "absolutely ridiculous and a huge distraction." The proposal, filed after last week's redistricting vote, would fold Alexandria and Arlington back into the District. "We are proud Virginians," Gaskins said in her morning video update. "We chose to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia."
The week ahead is busy. The Virginia Supreme Court hears arguments today on the Republican challenge to the redrawn congressional map voters just approved. City Council has a Legislative Meeting tomorrow night. Wednesday at 6 p.m., they adopt the $977.3 million FY2027 budget and set the tax rate.
Here's what you need to know today
~ Ryan Belmore
1️⃣ 'We are proud Virginians': Mayor Gaskins rejects bill to return Alexandria to D.C.
Mayor Alyia Gaskins on Saturday rejected a Georgia congressman's bid to fold Alexandria and Arlington back into the District of Columbia, calling the proposal "absolutely ridiculous and a huge distraction" in her morning video update.
"We are proud Virginians. We chose to live in the Commonwealth of Virginia," Gaskins said in the video posted to her social media accounts. "Someone would feel that in a democracy where people are supposed to be able to voice their opinions, their perspectives by voting, that people would decide, well, if you disagree with me, I'm going to change the rules. ... That's not happening here in Alexandria. We're not going to let that happen."
Read more: 'We are proud Virginians': Mayor Gaskins rejects bill to return Alexandria to D.C.
2️⃣ Hillyard, Gill win PNC Alexandria Half Marathon; Hodgins, Garson-Shumway take 5K titles
Alex Hillyard, 24, won the men's PNC Alexandria Half Marathon on Sunday in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 45 seconds, while Halle Gill, 26, led the women's field in 1:21:03, according to preliminary results posted on the event's website.
The race took runners through Old Town and along the George Washington Memorial Parkway under overcast skies. Sunday's race was the second running of the event in its current format. The PNC Alexandria Half evolved last year from the long-running PNC Parkway Classic, which began in 1984. As of Sunday evening, race organizers had not released official results, finisher counts or information about a 2026 beneficiary.
Read more: Hillyard, Gill win PNC Alexandria Half Marathon; Hodgins, Garson-Shumway take 5K titles
3️⃣ Five D.C.-area scientists among 24 ousted as Trump fires entire National Science Board
The Trump administration on Friday terminated all 24 outside members of the National Science Board, the independent body that oversees the National Science Foundation, the roughly $9 billion basic-research agency now headquartered in Alexandria's Carlyle Innovation Campus.
Five of the dismissed members are based at universities and research institutions in the greater Washington region.
Read more: Five D.C.-area scientists among 24 ousted as Trump fires entire National Science Board
4️⃣ From King Street to Ground Zero: How the Old Town Run Club is serving, honoring, and remembering heroes
The idea came together at Murphy's Grand Irish Pub on King Street, on a January night three winters ago, over what Ono Margioni now describes as "maybe one too many Guinnesses."
Across the table that night was Eric Danesi, a longtime military contractor who now works at the Washington Navy Yard. Danesi had been organizing fun runs for years — including a tongue-in-cheek "Beer Olympics," a 13-mile route past 12 breweries timed for halfway to St. Patrick's Day. He wanted something more meaningful.
5️⃣ Six weeks in, The Commodore leans into its role as Old Town's neighborhood bar
Steve Kim wants to be clear about something. When The Commodore calls itself a "five-star dive bar," he isn't promising grunge.
What he's going for is a place off King Street's busier stretches where neighbors can drop in for a beer and a slice without much production. "We want to be that local neighborhood spot for you," Kim said.
Read more: Six weeks in, The Commodore leans into its role as Old Town's neighborhood bar
📰 In brief
The Old Town Run Club's Intergalactic 5K and Kids 1 Miler returns to Cameron Run Regional Park on Sunday, May 3 — the club's Star Wars–themed family race, timed each year to land on or near National Star Wars Day on May 4. (Read more)
Stardust Vintage & Gift, the kitsch-filled Del Ray boutique, will close for good on June 30. (Read more)
The Alexandria City Council convenes in special session on Wednesday to adopt a $977.3 million fiscal 2027 operating budget, set the city's real estate tax rate for calendar year 2026, and take final votes on a package of tax, fee, and code changes. (Read more)
City planners are recommending Alexandria's first zoning rules for backyard beekeeping, a move that would fill what staff describe as a gap in a city code that currently says nothing about the practice. (Read more)
The WMATA's Board of Directors on Thursday adopted a $4.8 billion fiscal year 2027 operating and capital budget that holds fares flat and phases in service improvements for Alexandria-area riders over the next eight months. (Read more)
The city's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services will repave more than a dozen streets across Alexandria this week. (Read more)
Drivers heading south on Interstate 395 should expect overnight delays starting through mid-June. (Read more)
Virginia American Water's annual hydrant flushing program is continuing its rolling march across Alexandria. (Read more)
An Alexandria defense journalist will be honored Saturday night with two awards from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. (Read more)
🗞️ Region
Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla land in Washington today. The royal couple will also visit New York and attend a 250th birthday "block party" in Virginia. (Read more)
The Virginia Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a Republican challenge to the redrawn congressional map approved by voters last week. (Read more)
Virginia’s Democratic lawmakers failed to make a deal on the budget again on Thursday due to disagreements over whether data centers should continue to receive tax breaks on their computer equipment. (Inside Climate News)
🏀 Sports
CJ Abrams' sacrifice fly scored automatic runner Daylen Lile from third in the 10th inning, pinch-hitter José Tena followed with a solo homer and the Washington Nationals beat the Chicago White Sox 2-1 on Sunday. (Read more)
A sellout crowd of 19,215 packed Audi Field on Friday night to watch the Washington Spirit cruise past the Kansas City Current 4-0. (Read more)
Today in Alexandria
⛅ Weather
Sunny, with a high near 69 degrees. Calm wind becoming east around 6 mph in the afternoon. Mostly clear tonight, with a low around 46 degrees. Light southeast wind.
🌖 Sun, Moon, & Tide
Sunrise at 6:14 a.m., sunset at 7:56 p.m. 13 hours & 41 minutes of sun. High tide at 5:54 a.m. & 6:19 p.m. Low tide at 12:22 p.m. The moon phase is a Waxing Gibbous.
🗓️ Things To Do
- 9 a.m.: Monday Morning Coffee Club at Rosemont Cellar
- 6 p.m.: Monthly Public Tour at The Basilica of Saint Mary
- 6:30 p.m.: Joggers & Lagers at Port City Brewing Company
- 7 p.m.: Agenda: Alexandria presents “What Should We Know About Our Drinking Water and Challenges for Delivery Systems Infrastructure?” at Minni Howard
🎶 Entertainment
- 219 Restaurant: Just For Fun at 9 p.m.
- Clyde’s at Mark Center: Trivia at 6:30 p.m.
- Daniel O’Connell’s Irish Restaurant: Traditional Irish Music at 7 p.m.
- Del Ray Public House: Trivia at 7 p.m.
- Epicure on King: Open Mic at 7 p.m.
- Laporta’s Restaurant: Jim West at 6 p.m.
- Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub: Colby Sard at 8:30 p.m.
- O’Shaughnessy’s Pub: Karaoke at 9 p.m.
- Rock It Grill: Karaoke at 9:30 p.m.
- The Birchmere: Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore at 7:30 p.m.
🏛️ City of Alexandria
- 6 a.m.: Chinquapin Open at Chinquapin
- 9 a.m.: Walk-In Monday Hiring Event — start your path to becoming an Alexandria Police Officer
- 9:30 a.m.: Alexandria Electoral Board — completion of canvass for April 21 Special Election
- 6 p.m.: Minnie Howard Open at Minnie Howard
- 7 p.m.: Social Services Advisory Board (virtual)
- 7 p.m.: Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority
- 7 p.m.: Sister Cities Committee Dundee and Helsingborg
- 7 p.m.: Traffic and Parking Board Meeting
- (City of Alexandria calendar)
📚 Alexandria Library
- 10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Baby Time at Duncan Branch Library
- 11 a.m.: Storytime in the Reading Garden at Beatley Central Library
- 11 a.m.: The Art of Arabic Calligraphy and Language at Burke Branch Library
- 1 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) at Burke Branch Library
- 3 p.m.: AAR Movie Series at Burke Branch Library
- 4 p.m.: Restful Readaloud - Stories from American History at Beatley Central Library
- 5:30 p.m.: Teen Takeover at Beatley Central Library
- 5:30 p.m.: English Language Learning (ELL) 2 Workshop at Beatley Central Library
- 6 p.m.: Horror Fans Unite! at Barrett Branch Library
- (Alexandria Library calendar)
🏫 Alexandria City Public Schools
- No meetings are scheduled
- (ACPS calendar)
- (ACHS Titans sports calendar)
The Alexandria Brief
Alexandria, Va. news and information you won't find anywhere else.
If you appreciate The Alexandria Brief, please consider supporting my work with a monthly, annual, or one-time contribution.
Publisher: Ryan Belmore, an Alexandria resident | E: ryan@alexandriabrief.com
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