Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Sterling, VA

Cherry Creek News · Ashburn, VA

Nearby: Ashburn, VA

Scott Wiener, Pelosi’s Successor, Vows to Slow Down AI: ‘We Could Sleepwalk Into a Disaster’

San Francisco’s newly elected congressman is making one thing clear before he even takes his seat: America needs to hit the brakes on artificial intelligence. Scott Wiener, the California state senator who just won the hard-fought race for Nancy Pelosi’s open seat, has spent years authoring legislation aimed at curbing the risks of advanced AI. Now he’s bringing that mission to Washington — and he isn’t mincing words about the stakes. “We need to slow this down,” Wiener told MIT Technology Review just hours after he was declared the victor. “Because it’s moving very quickly, and we could sleepwalk into a disaster.” In a 20-minute conversation, the congressman-elect used the phrase “recursive self-improvement” half a dozen times — a window into how deeply he’s thinking about where AI is headed.

WorldNetDaily · Herndon, VA

Nearby: Herndon, VA

‘Appeared to depict minor girls’: Son of Obama hatchet man John Brennan named in child porn case

John Brennan was the CIA director under Barack Obama’s administration and his blunt, hatchet man personality drew little favor from those outside his party. He, of course, had a large role in the Democrat Party lawfare against Donald Trump, then candidate for president, in cases that rolled like a steamroller through much of his first term. Now he’s under investigation for a variety of potential offenses, such as lying to Congress, and recently lost a lawsuit trying to force the government to bend to his will in its investigation. Turns out he’s not the only Brennan family member likely to spend some time in courtrooms. The Daily Mail reports Brennan’s son, Kyle, has been arrested for the alleged possession of child sexual abuse materials. “FBI agents took Brennan, 40, into custody at his workplace in Herndon, Virginia, on Friday afternoon. A search warrant of his personal cell phone was executed by FBI last night, according to a law enforcement source,” the report said.

Fairfax County Times · Reston, VA

Nearby: Reston, VA

In Memoriam: Betty Kerley

Betty Kerley, 96, a retired librarian, died in Reston, VA, on October 27, 2026. All her life, Betty loved learning and connecting with others. After college, she studied law at the University of Cincinnati. Of the 65 UC students graduating with a law degree in 1952, she was the only woman.Betty met her future husband, Ernest Kerley, in law school. They married and began a family, moving to Reston in 1966 when the community was only two years old.Betty was an active member of St. Anne's Episcopal Church for over 50 years, serving in many roles.Shortly after Ernest died, Betty went back to school to become a librarian. She worked as a Fairfax County Public Librarian for many years and continued to volunteer at the library after she retired.Betty loved helping patrons at the library, taking special satisfaction in helping recent arrivals to the United States set up email accounts, complete applications for immigrant documents, and connect with Fairfax County services.

Air Force Times · Navy, VA

Nearby: Navy, VA

That time Ted Williams faced off against Babe Ruth during WWII fundraiser game

It was a fantasy come true for baseball fans in the Bronx when a team led by Ted Williams, the last of the .400 hitters, met up with a team led by all-time slugger Babe Ruth at Yankee Stadium on July 28, 1943, to benefit war-relief efforts and the American Red Cross. Then-Aviation Cadet Williams was the star left fielder for a Navy team called the “Cloudbusters” that featured other major leaguers such as Johnny Sain, Harry Craft, Johnny Pesky and Buddy Hassett who were now in Navy flight training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They were among the roughly 500 major league players who served in World War II. Player-manager Ruth’s team, called the “Yanklands,” was made up of former Yankee and Cleveland Indians players.

Falls Church News-Press Online · Falls Church, VA

Nearby: Falls Church, VA

Good Money Habits Can Start Young — Even at Age Six

A bank might seem like a mysterious and magical place, like Gringotts Wizarding Bank in the Harry Potter stories. Or maybe it seems like a place that only adults visit, with a team of financial advisors barking long words. But the truth is, you can have a savings or checking account and learn all about how to save money (and spend it wisely) when you’re as young as six years old. You just need to know where to look. In 2025, Chase Bank opened a new branch in Falls Church, at the West Falls development, and I dropped by recently to talk with the financial advisors who work there. Who knew there were so many banking options for young people to learn how to handle money and even earn interest? Well, as it turns out, the people who work at Chase did. “A bank is a safe place to store money you don’t need to spend right away,” Ruth Eshun, the Vice President, Branch Manager of Chase’ s West Falls location told me.

The Setonian · Boyds, MD

Nearby: Boyds, MD

Seton Hall men’s soccer defeats Villanova, clinches No. 4 seed in BIG EAST Tournament

Players eye the ball in the men's soccer game against Villanova on Friday. | Photo by Jakeline Vigil | The Setonian Men's Sports Seton Hall men’s soccer defeats Villanova, clinches No. 4 seed in BIG EAST Tournament Joaquin Brizuela scored twice as the Pirates shut out Villanova 3-0 to secure the No. 4 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Seton Hall men’s soccer team defeated Villanova 3-0 on Friday at Owen T. Carroll Field in its regular-season finale, securing the No. 4 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Pirates entered the contest at 6-4-6, looking to secure a spot in the conference tournament. Villanova entered the matchup at 5-8-3 and was still looking for its first BIG EAST victory of the season. With their postseason hopes on the line, the Pirates needed a strong performance in their final home match of the season. Friday’s contest was also Senior Night for SHU, and many seniors played their final regular season home game.

The US Inquirer · Bethesda, MD

Nearby: Bethesda, MD

Top doctor for Congress resigns amid misconduct allegations

Washington — Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of the U.S. Capitol, has resigned from his post as lawmakers’ top doctor, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Thursday, amid allegations of misconduct. “My understanding is he’s resigned,” Thune said. One source familiar with the matter told CBS News that Monahan, a two-star Navy admiral, resigned after allegations of misconduct related to what he chose to do and asked the sailors under him to do in terms of providing care. The resignation comes in conjunction with a report by the Defense Department’s inspector general that found lax oversight of the Office of the Attending Physician. The public version of watchdog report, while light on specifics and including numerous redactions, said investigators found a “gap in clinical quality management.” The report found that some prescription drugs, including sleep aids and pain medication, were not properly inventoried or tracked.

Athol Daily News · Bethesda, MD

Nearby: Bethesda, MD

Massachusetts abortion expansion takes effect, removing all gestational limits

Massachusetts has joined nine other states plus Washington, D.C., without gestational limits on abortion, after Gov. Maura Healey shielded a new state law from an anti-abortion referendum petition that could have prevented it from taking effect. Healey signed an emergency preamble Friday that put the law into effect immediately and protects it from suspension, preventing what she called “two more years of women being denied care.” Opponents can still pursue a repeal question on the November 2028 ballot. Signed into law by Healey over the summer, “An Act prioritizing patient access to care” lifts the 24-week restriction. It eliminates the exceptions that previously governed abortions after that point, which applied when the procedure was needed to preserve the pregnant patient’s life or physical or mental health, or when physicians had diagnosed the fetus with a lethal anomaly.