Hey, y’all. It’s Amie.

There are 12 original brews on tap at Eavesdrop Brewery. (Eavesdrop Brewery)

By Aila Boyd

Here’s what you need to know: Northern Virginia knows good beer. With breweries and taprooms scattered across Manassas, Alexandria, Falls Church, and the surrounding counties, it’s no wonder the region has its own dedicated—albeit unofficial—beer trail.

Our top taps:

• Tucked behind Route 28 in Manassas in what used to be a racing pigeon loft, Eavesdrop Brewery specializes in making craft brews that offer new twists to classic beers. The brewery always has 12 original beers on tap, including the newly released Big Pidgey.

• Spend a relaxed evening sipping ales and lagers at The Farm Brewery at Broad Run. Here, you’ll also find games, live music, and food trucks. If you want something easy, go for the Broad Run Blonde, a golden American ale with a smooth finish.

• Port City Brewing Company in Alexandria has been serving award-winning brews since 2011. Owned by Bill and Karen Butcher, the brewery offers year-round brews, as well as seasonal and occasional offerings. 

Ready for a glass? We’re featuring 15 excellent stops at the link below.

Kody (from left), Colton, and Amie Knowles get ready to enjoy the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Amie Knowles/Dogwood)

By Amie Knowles

Okay, fine, I’ll admit it. I really didn’t care much for soccer before the World Cup came to America. But since early summer, I’ve been hooked. In my family, we all have.

It’s been a long time coming. My husband, Kody, was captain of his high school soccer team. When we started dating in 2014, he told me very bluntly that if I wanted to see him during the World Cup, I’d need to come over to his place because he’d be glued to the TV. While I took him up on that, I was too distracted by his good looks to actually watch guys chasing a ball around on the television. 

Fast forward 12 years, and while I still find Kody really, really, really ridiculously good looking, I also thoroughly enjoy watching him watch something he loves. And this year, I found a love for the game, too. It wasn’t long before we purchased tickets to attend the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Thus far, it’s been my absolute favorite day of the whole summer, hands down. I loved the energy people from all over brought with them to Bank of America Stadium. It was a sea of light blue (for the Charlotte FC home field) and dark green (for LIGA MX), and we even got to enjoy a special halftime performance by Ciara. We had so much fun, we’re already planning our next visit down to the Crown City. 

President Donald Trump attends a meeting to sign an executive order about vaccines, Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

By Michael O’Connor

The economic impacts of Republican policies are playing a role in Virginia’s two most competitive congressional races. 

A typical school supplies shopping list will cost shoppers 7.7% more than it did a year ago, according to an analysis by the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive advocacy group, and The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank. The analysis blamed the Trump administration’s tariffs for pushing up the costs of consumer goods and groceries.

Changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which Republicans in Congress passed and Trump enacted, have led to an estimated 4.5 million people, including 1.5 million children, losing access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since the law was enacted, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

All five Virginia Republicans in the US House of Representatives supported the One Big Beautiful Bill, while all six Democrats opposed it.

Democrat Elaine Luria, the former congresswoman looking to flip Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, said her opponent, Republican US Rep. Jen Kiggans, and Trump have failed to lower prices and make life affordable for working families. 

“Instead, they’ve worked in lockstep to start and continue a reckless war that has caused gas prices to skyrocket, cut healthcare services for the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, and used their offices to enrich their billionaire donors,” Luria said in a statement to Dogwood. “Virginians want less corruption, lower prices, and leaders who will actually deliver for them.”

Shannon Taylor, the Democratic candidate running in Virginia’s 1st Congressional District, criticized her opponent, Republican US Rep. Rob Wittman, for praising the impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

• Masked ICE agents pointed a gun at Northern Virginia resident Carolina Molina after accusing her of trying to run them over during an encounter near Falls Church. Molina, a US citizen and licensed professional counselor who works on immigration cases, had driven past agents arresting two men and shouted at them.⁣ (Watch here.)

• US Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) sold shares he held in a cell tower company called Crown Castle Inc. on June 30, making between $1,001 to $15,000, according to a recent US House disclosure filing. Wittman has not reported on a stock trade since Oct. 19, 2023, which was the same year it was reported that he ran afoul of the law by disclosing stock trades later than federal law required. (Read more.)

• Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger says Democrats have a path to flip at least two and possibly more Republican-held U.S. House seats in Virginia through the 2026 midterms. Democrats currently hold six of the state’s 11 House seats, while Republicans hold five. (Watch here.)

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