On Wednesday, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2a held a special meeting to discuss the District’s plan to acquire Aston Hall from George Washington University. DHS would convert the building on New Hampshire Avenue into a non-congregate shelter for the medically vulnerable and those who can’t stay in other shelters.

The D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) said it would be the only shelter in Ward 2, and the first of its kind in the District. The building is in an area of Foggy Bottom-West End that’s home to at least four upscale hotels.

“This is an opportunity to serve folks that we have not been able to serve previously in our system, adult families. I have a 20-year-old daughter, but if I had a 20-year-old son and we experienced homelessness, there currently would not be an opportunity for us to come into a shelter together. We would have to be separated, and right now, this is really an opportunity to fill that gap,” DHS Interim Director Rachel Pierre said.

Residents had differing opinions.

“Are we going to be part of the problem, or are we going to be part of the solution?” one asked. “And this is one of the best solutions I have heard in decades.”

Others brought up safety concerns.

“Prostitutes or drug addicts or drug dealers around there, you have to call the police. So if that starts happening, it’s going to start looking like the Chinatown Metro station,” a member of the public said.

ANC Commissioner Joel Causey said he “seriously [questioned] the choosing of this location, based on the fact that it sits across the street from Michelin star restaurant. It’s got another Michelin star restaurant around the corner, and another around the corner from that.”

A resident retorted: “Eating at a Michelin star restaurant is not a human right. Housing, on the other hand, is.”

District Hospital CEO Nayan Patel asked “what safeguards is the shelter proposing in terms of making sure that those restaurants and hotels nearby are protected?”

“I’ve had a hotel where we had mentally ill people come in and set fire in the women’s bathroom and defecate in the lobby furniture,” he continued.

DHS said it would take about eight weeks to convert Aston Hall once the sale goes through. The shelter would have a capacity for 190 residents and officials said medical services and meals would be available to those who need it.

Under the agreement, the city would buy the building for $27.5 million, with $19 million coming from the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the American Rescue Plan.

“There is a process that will take place where people will be admitted to this facility that largely revolves around medical need,” DHS Chief of Staff David Ross said.

If everything goes as planned, DHS would like to have people move in by October or November of this year.

The delays are in the northbound lanes of I-95, the cars crashed at VA-610. Cars are slowly passing in the left lane.

“What a mess on NB I-95 in VA. Take a look… a 7-mile backup in one section and then more delays north of that,” News4 Traffic Reporter Melissa Mollet tweeted.

Details of the crash were not immediately released.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

1. More rain today
2. Cooler than average
3. Daily rain chances
4. Warmer start to next week

Showers continue today, but we won’t see as much rain as yesterday. Expect scattered showers throughout the day with below average temperatures, peaking in the low 70s.

10-Day Forecast

TODAY:
Showers, Mild
Cloudy
Wind: NE 10-15 mph
Highs: Low to mid 70s

TONIGHT:
Rain, Windy
Wind: E 5-10 mph
Lows: Upper 60s

FRIDAY:
Showers
Wind: S 5-10
Highs: Low 80s

SATURDAY:
Showers
Wind: SSW 5-10
Highs: Low to mid 80s

Sunrise: 5:43 a.m. Sunset: 8:37 p.m.
Average High: 87 Average Low: 70

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Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.

Rescuers have rushed more ships and vessels to the site of the disappearance, hoping underwater sounds they detected for a second straight day might help narrow their search in the urgent, international mission. But the crew had only a four-day oxygen supply when the vessel, called the Titan, set off around 6 a.m. Sunday.

Even those who expressed optimism warned that many obstacles remain: from pinpointing the vessel’s location, to reaching it with rescue equipment, to bringing it to the surface — assuming it’s still intact. And all that has to happen before the passengers’ oxygen supply runs out.

The full area being searched was twice the size of Connecticut in waters as deep as 13,200 feet (4,020 meters). Captain Jamie Frederick of the First Coast Guard District said authorities were still holding out hope of saving the five passengers onboard.

“This is a search and rescue mission, 100%,” he said Wednesday.

The area of the North Atlantic where the Titan vanished Sunday is also prone to fog and stormy conditions, making it an extremely challenging environment to conduct a search-and-rescue mission, said Donald Murphy, an oceanographer who served as chief scientist of the Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol.

Meanwhile, newly uncovered allegations suggest there had been significant warnings made about vessel safety during the submersible’s development.

Frederick said while the sounds that have been detected offered a chance to narrow the search, their exact location and source hadn’t yet been determined.

“We don’t know what they are, to be frank,” he said.

Retired Navy Capt. Carl Hartsfield, now the director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Systems Laboratory, said the sounds have been described as “banging noises,” but he warned that search crews “have to put the whole picture together in context and they have to eliminate potential manmade sources other than the Titan.”

The report was encouraging to some experts because submarine crews unable to communicate with the surface are taught to bang on their submersible’s hull to be detected by sonar.

The U.S. Navy said in a statement Wednesday that it was sending a specialized salvage system that’s capable of hoisting “large, bulky and heavy undersea objects such as aircraft or small vessels.”

The Titan weighs 20,000 pounds (9,071 kilograms). The U.S. Navy’s Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System is designed to lift up to 60,000 pounds (27,216kilograms), the Navy said on its website.

Lost aboard the vessel are pilot Stockton Rush, the CEO of the company leading the expedition. His passengers are a British adventurer, two members of a Pakistani business family and a Titanic expert. OceanGate Expeditions oversaw the mission.

Authorities reported the 22-foot (6.7-meter) carbon-fiber vessel overdue Sunday night, setting off the search in waters about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s.

Officials have said the vessel had a 96-hour oxygen supply, giving them a deadline of early Thursday morning to find and raise the Titan.

Frank Owen, a submarine search and rescue expert, said the estimated oxygen supply is a useful “target” for searchers, but is only based on a “nominal amount of consumption.” Owen said the diver on board the Titan would likely be advising passengers to “do anything to reduce your metabolic levels so that you can actually extend this.”

At least 46 people successfully traveled on OceanGate’s submersible to the Titanic wreck site in 2021 and 2022, according to letters the company filed with a U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Virginia, that oversees matters involving the Titanic shipwreck.

One of the company’s first customers characterized a dive he made to the site two years ago as a “kamikaze operation.”

“Imagine a metal tube a few meters long with a sheet of metal for a floor. You can’t stand. You can’t kneel. Everyone is sitting close to or on top of each other,” said Arthur Loibl, a retired businessman and adventurer from Germany. “You can’t be claustrophobic.”

During the 2.5-hour descent and ascent, the lights were turned off to conserve energy, he said, with the only illumination coming from a fluorescent glow stick.

The dive was repeatedly delayed to fix a problem with the battery and the balancing weights. In total, the voyage took 10.5 hours.

Titanic 22 hours ago

These are the 5 passengers aboard the missing submersible

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OceanGate has been criticized for the use of a simple commercially available video game controller to steer the Titan. But the company has said that many of the vessel’s parts are off-the-shelf because they have proved to be dependable.

“It’s meant for a 16-year-old to throw it around,” and is “super durable,” Rush told the CBC in an interview last year while he demonstrated by throwing the controller around the Titan’s tiny cabin. He said a couple of spares are kept on board “just in case.”

The submersible had seven backup systems to return to the surface, including sandbags and lead pipes that drop off and an inflatable balloon.

Jeff Karson, a professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, said the temperature is just above freezing, and the vessel is too deep for human divers to get to it. The best chance to reach the submersible could be to use a remotely operated robot on a fiber optic cable, he said.

“I am sure it is horrible down there,” Karson said. “It is like being in a snow cave and hypothermia is a real danger.”

Documents show that OceanGate had been warned there might be catastrophic safety problems posed by the way the experimental vessel was developed.

David Lochridge, OceanGate’s director of marine operations, said in a 2018 lawsuit that the company’s testing and certification was insufficient and would “subject passengers to potential extreme danger in an experimental submersible.”

The company insisted that Lochridge was “not an engineer and was not hired or asked to perform engineering services on the Titan.” The firm also says the vessel under development was a prototype, not the now-missing Titan.

The Marine Technology Society, which describes itself as “a professional group of ocean engineers, technologists, policy-makers, and educators,” also expressed concern that year in a letter to Rush, OceanGate’s chief executive. The society said it was critical that the company submit its prototype to tests overseen by an expert third party before launching in order to safeguard passengers. The New York Times first reported on those documents.

The passengers lost on the Titan are British adventurer Hamish Harding; Pakistani nationals Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman, whose eponymous firm invests across the country; and French explorer and Titanic expert Paul-Henry Nargeolet.

Retired Navy Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, who is now deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law at Syracuse University, said the disappearance underscores the dangers associated with operating in deep water and the recreational exploration of the sea and space.

“I think some people believe that because modern technology is so good, that you can do things like this and not have accidents, but that’s just not the case,” he said.

Bhagavan “Doc” Antle was accused of illegally buying endangered lion cubs in Frederick County, Virginia, for display and profit at his South Carolina zoo, Attorney General Jason Miyares said in a news release. A jury convicted Antle on Friday of two felony counts each of wildlife trafficking and conspiring to wildlife traffic.

Antle, who owns the Myrtle Beach Safari, appeared in “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a Netflix documentary miniseries that focused on tiger breeders.

The jury acquitted Antle of five counts of animal cruelty and Judge Alexander Iden dismissed four additional animal cruelty charges against Antle and all charges against his two adult daughters, The Winchester Star reported.

Prosecutor Michelle Welch said Myrtle Beach Safari’s lucrative petting zoo motivated Antle to maintain a steady supply of immature lion cubs that he purchased from Wilson’s Wild Animal Park near Winchester, calling the arrangement a “cub pipeline” from Virginia to South Carolina.

When Antle and Keith Wilson, the park’s former owner, began doing business in 2015, it was still legal to buy and sell lions, Welch said. But after lions were designated as an endangered species in December 2015, lions could only be traded between zoos and wildlife preserves that were part of an established breeding program and had permits. There were three illegal cub exchanges in 2017, 2018 and 2019, Welch said.

Antle was indicted in 2020 on several offenses including felony counts of wildlife trafficking and conspiracy. In August 2019, 119 animals — including lions, tigers, bears, camels, goats and water buffalo — were seized from Wilson’s roadside zoo after a judge found that Wilson “cruelly treated, neglected, or deprived” the animals of adequate care.

Wilson testified that Antle paid him in advance under the guise of a donation. He said Antle paid $2,500 to $3,000 per cub with the exception of the 2017 transaction when Antle traded three lynx kittens for three lion cubs.

Wilson is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and 10 felony counts of selling an endangered species and a hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday.

Defense attorney Erin Harrigan called Antle’s prosecution politically motivated in response to a growing public outcry against wild animals being exploited for entertainment purposes.

“This has been an agenda in search of a crime from the beginning of the investigation,” Harrigan said.

Harrigan maintained that the cubs were gifts and Antle sent Wilson donations for an expanded tiger habitat.

“These were not sales,” Harrigan said.

Iden allowed Antle, who faces up to 20 years in prison, to remain free on bond pending sentencing on Sept. 14.

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An internal investigation found John Falcicchio, one of the mayor’s closest advisers for years, more likely than not sexually harassed a female employee.

“I’ve been completely devastated by these allegations since they were made,” Bowser said. “John’s behavior was wrong. Period.”

Eight of the 13 members of the D.C. Council have raised questions about the investigation done by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel and whether an independent investigation should be conducted after only two of eight allegations were substantiated and the case was not referred for criminal investigation.

“I don’t know what you can’t trust about a report that substantiates sexual harassment against a deputy mayor,” said Vanessa Natale, who oversaw the investigation and was firm in her defense of it.

“I’m not exaggerating when I say hundreds of hours of thinking, talking, writing,” she said. “That’s what you can trust. I stand behind the report and our findings 100%.” 

According to a summary of the investigation made public over the holiday weekend, one of the substantiated allegations was unwelcome touching of a sexual nature on two occasions, including exposing his sexual organs.

The report also said Falcicchio sent the woman thousands of inappropriate messages over the course of less than six months. The report said sexually charged Snapchat messages, including demands for sex and graphic video, were unwanted.

“There are some things that are confidential that I cannot say, but I want you to know that, yes, sometimes unwanted touching and sexual harassment and behaviors associated with it are a crime,” Natale said. “In this case, in this matter, with these specific allegations, we do not find that, and I did not refer or call on MPD to make an investigation.”

Bowser said she hopes by releasing the report, more employees will be encouraged to speak up if they are mistreated.

“Whether sexual harassment or EEO (equal employment opportunity) or any complaint, we want you to come forward, and I want to send a clear message that your allegations will be taken seriously,” she said.

There is still an ongoing investigation into allegations from a second female employee. When that’s complete, Bowser said she’d like to see the D.C. inspector general look into the allegations and if there are any institutional problems in how agencies are run.

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The report was released late Saturday. Bowser took full responsibility for the timing of the release, explaining she got the report Friday and wanted attorneys on both sides to have the full report as soon as possible and for the public to have a detailed summary as soon as possible.

The attorneys for the woman at the center of this report say she was blindsided by the release. They say they were given no advanced notice it was going to the public and there’s information in the public report that could identify their client, who they say is still employed by D.C. government.

News4 has reached out to the mayor’s office and the mayor’s legal counsel for reaction.

The mayor did not have to release any of the report, as this type of internal investigation is not public record.

The D.C. Council will possibly seek an independent investigation by an outside law firm, and there is the likelihood of a civil lawsuit or settlement between the employee and the city.

U.S. citizen Gershkovich, 31, was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Defense lawyers challenged the decision, but the Moscow City Court rejected the appeal on Thursday.

Gershkovich and his employer have denied he spied in Russia. The U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release.

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His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges.

Gershkovich is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, which is notorious for its harsh conditions. U.S. Embassy officials were allowed to visit him once, but Russian authorities rejected two other requests to see him.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Thursday that the ministry is considering another visit request from the embassy.

“Safety in the jail has been compromised, and not just for the staff alone. Even among the inmates, they don’t feel safe like they used to be,” said Olajide Oshiyoye, one of five current officers to speak with the News4 I-Team for this story.

“It’s a runaway machine, and we don’t have the wheel anymore,” added John Dewitt, a former officer who also spoke to News4.

The officers stressed they spoke out under the protection of their union rights and their views do not represent jail leadership. Some of the officers have worked at the jail, which largely houses people awaiting trial, for decades and say the change is stark.

“We’ve lost so many officers,” Oshiyoye said. “We are losing more than we are getting.”

Corrections facilities across the country are grappling with a shortage of personnel – a problem officers say only worsens as more head for the exit door, leaving those behind to shoulder tougher and longer shifts alone.

But records obtained by News4 show that, while corrections staffing is down in every local jurisdiction the I-Team asked, the pain is felt acutely in Prince George’s County.

There, data show staffing has dropped from 446 at the start of 2020 to just 310 officers this year, with the county now seeking to fill about 175 vacancies.

Comparatively, records show Fairfax County lost nearly 60 officers in the same time frame, dropping from 474 officers in early 2020 to 416 this year. As of April, the county had 84 vacancies.

Montgomery County reported losing just 17 officers over the three-year period, from 285 to 268, with 30 open positions.

D.C. did not respond to the I-Team’s request.

“They’re going to other jurisdictions. They’re going to a lot of different jurisdictions, too,” said Brad Hudson, who said he’s worked for Prince George’s County for more than 25 years. “What does that say? It says it’s not the profession … It’s our county, in particular.”

The officers said the shortage has led to them routinely being required to work 16-hour days, multiple days a week – a problem they said has led to exhaustion and increases the risk of an officer falling asleep on the job.

“We really need some type of relief, some type of help,” said Tammie Owens, a veteran with more than 30 years at the jail.

Jail administrators declined an interview but in a statement said, “Public safety agencies across the nation have seen personnel shortages and this is true as well for the Prince George’s Department of Corrections.”

The statement continued, “As an essential agency, PGDOC is never closed and must be staffed around the clock, throughout all three shifts. Because of this, mandatory overtime is sometimes necessary to ensure the jail is appropriately staffed and the safety of inmates and employees is maintained.”

But some of those still on staff say their safety feels tenuous, at best, with officers accustomed to working in pairs often now working alone. As a result, they said the jail often operates on lockdown, like a prison.

A jail spokesman confirmed visitation was canceled at the jail this past weekend due to short staffing. Asked about the frequency of lockdowns, the spokesman directed the I-Team to file an open records request.

Hudson said inmates historically dislike lockdown but now “they might accept maximum security conditions, because it protects them.”

In February, jail leaders assembled a special team to sweep the facility for contraband and recovered more than 66 makeshift weapons, pills and unauthorized medication.

The officers applauded the work of the special unit that recovered the weapons over a two-week period, but said it was “terrifying” to see the reality of what the inmates had stored inside their cells. Some blamed short-staffing for not having caught the weapons earlier.

“We had seen them before, but not this quantity of them at one time,” Hudson said of the contraband.

“It signaled how unsafe they must feel,” Stephon Blalock said about the inmates. “We just don’t have the staff to maintain that security.”

In the past year, the jail has had a series of troubling incidents. Last June, an inmate was stabbed to death inside the jail. Then in December, four inmates were sent to the hospital after a physical altercation.

Blalock says he feels especially worried for inmates held on nonviolent charges.

“Some are just people that just got caught making bad decisions and they’re having to serve a little time,” he said, adding, “Why should they come in and feel like their lives are threatened and not safe simply because we’re understaffed?”

In a statement jail officials said, “As the Prince George’s County Department of Corrections (PGDOC) adapts to post-pandemic times and transitions back to what is known as pre-COVID-19 jail operations, a facility-wide shakedown was conducted to identify if any contraband items existed that could compromise the safety of the inmate population, employees and the public.”

A jail spokesman said 47 inmates were departmentally charged and added “PGDOC will continue to conduct routine shakedowns throughout the facility to maintain everyone’s safety.”

Faye S. Taxman, founding director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence at George Mason University, said while jail staffing nationally has always been lean, the field is now suffering from a confluence of factors.

“You have people who are retiring out of the system. You have people who do not want to work in that environment. You have high demands on staff to work multiple shifts. And therefore, people, you know, get frustrated and exhausted,” she said.

Taxman said the solution is multi-pronged and includes reducing jail populations. But she also said governments should increase pay and supports for officers, such as with programs to rotate them in and out of tough assignments.

“We don’t invest in our frontline staff very well – police officers, correctional officers, teachers – and there are techniques we can do to really build up those frontline staff,” she said.

Taxman said the conditions of jails should be a concern for everyone, noting roughly 20% of the American population has had some experience with the criminal legal system.

“A lot of people are impacted now,” she said.

In a statement, the county said it’s been “aggressively recruiting” through career fairs, school visits, community events, social media and word of mouth. It now also offers a sign-on bonus of $3,000 for rookies – a figure that will soon increase to $5,000 – and $5,000 for correctional officers with experience.

The current officers pointed out that is less than what is offered to new cops in the county, who are eligible to receive up to $10,000.  

Hudson said he used to tell new officers that things would improve.

“I believed things were going to get better because I saw how they were before,” he said, then paused. “I’ve stopped telling them that. I can’t tell them that anymore.”

This story was reported by Tracee Wilkins, produced by Katie Leslie, shot by Steve Jones and Anthony Pittman, and edited by Jeff Piper.

Daniel “D.J.” Rodriguez yelled, “Trump won!” as he was led out of the courtroom where U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced him to 12 years and seven months behind bars for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. Only two other Jan. 6 defendants have received longer prison terms so far after hundreds of sentencings for Capitol riot cases.

The judge said Rodriguez, 40, was “a one-man army of hate, attacking police and destroying property” at the Capitol.

“You showed up in (Washington) D.C. spoiling for a fight,” Jackson said. “You can’t blame what you did once you got there on anyone but yourself.”

Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone ‘s body camera captured him screaming out in pain after Rodriguez shocked him with a stun gun while he was surrounded by a mob.

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Another rioter had dragged Fanone into the crowd outside a tunnel on the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace, where a line of police officers was guarding an entrance to the building. Other rioters began beating Fanone, who lost consciousness and suffered a heart attack after Rodriguez pressed the stun gun against his neck and repeatedly shocked him.

Fanone addressed the judge before she imposed the sentence. The former officer described how the Jan. 6 attack prematurely ended his law-enforcement career and turned him into a target for Donald Trump supporters who cling to the lie that Democrats stole the 2020 election from the Republican incumbent.

Fanone left the courtroom in the middle of Rodriguez’s statement to the judge. He didn’t miss an apology from Rodriguez, who has been jailed for more than two years and will get credit for that time already served.

“I’m hopeful that Michael Fanone will be okay some day,” Rodriguez said. “It sounds like he’s in a great deal of pain.”

Fanone said he left the courtroom because he didn’t care to hear his assailant’s “rambling, incoherent” statement.

“Nothing he could have said to me today would have made any difference whatsoever,” he said.

Prosecutors recommended a 14-year prison sentence for Rodriguez, who pleaded guilty in February to charges including assaulting Fanone. They also sought a fine of nearly $100,000 to offset the cost of Fanone’s medical bills and medical leave.

Fanone’s injuries ultimately ended his career in law enforcement. He has written a book about his Jan. 6 experience and testified in front of a House committee that investigated the insurrection, which disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.

“Rodriguez’s criminal conduct on January 6 was the epitome of disrespect for the law; he battled with law enforcement at the U.S. Capitol for hours, nearly costing one officer his life, in order to stop the official proceeding happening inside,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to four felony charges, including conspiracy and assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon. He entered the guilty plea about two weeks before his trial was scheduled to start in Washington, D.C.

On Jan. 6, Rodriguez attended then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally before joining the mob of rioters who attacked police in the Lower West Terrance tunnel.

“Rodriguez made his way to the front of the line of rioters battling the officers, yelling into his bullhorn at the beleaguered line,” prosecutors wrote.

Rodriguez deployed a fire extinguisher at police officers in the tunnel and shoved a wooden pole at the police line before another rioter, Kyle Young, handed him what appeared to be a stun gun, according to prosecutors.

Fanone was at the front of the police line when another rioter, Albuquerque Cosper Head, wrapped his arm around the officer’s neck and dragged him out onto the terrace steps, then restrained Fanone while other rioters attacked him. Rodriguez shocked Fanone’s neck with the stun gun, below the left ear of his police helmet.

Fanone managed to retreat and collapsed behind the police line before he was taken to a hospital.

“Once inside, when officers were able to revive him after 2 minutes and 21 seconds, the first thing Officer Fanone asked was ‘did we take back that door?’” prosecutors wrote.

Rodriguez entered the building and smashed a window with a wooden pole before leaving Capitol grounds.

Head was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to an assault charge.

Young also was sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his role in the officer’s assault. Young grabbed Fanone by the wrist while others yelled, “Kill him!” and “Get his gun!”

During an interview with FBI agents after his March 2021 arrest, Rodriguez said had believed that he was doing the “right thing” on Jan. 6 and that he had been prepared to die to “save the country.” He cried as he spoke to the agents, saying he was “stupid” and ashamed of his actions.

In the days leading up to Jan. 6, Rodriguez spewed violent rhetoric in a Telegram group chat called “PATRIOTS 45 MAGA Gang.”

“There will be blood. Welcome to the revolution,” Rodriguez wrote a day before the riot.

Rodriguez’s attorneys said he idolized Trump, seeing the the former president “as the father he wished he had.”

“Mr. Rodriguez trusted Trump blindly and admired Trump so much that he referred to him as ‘dad’ in his social media chats leading up to Jan. 6th,” defense attorneys wrote, seeking a prison sentence of five years and five months for their client.

The same judge who sentenced Rodriguez also convicted a co-defendant, Edward Badalian, of three riot-related charges and acquitted him of a fourth after a trial without a jury. Jackson is scheduled to sentence Badalian on July 21.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan. 6 riot. Over 700 of them have pleaded guilty or been convicted after trials. And approximately 550 of them have been sentenced, with over half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from seven days to 18 years.

The preliminary findings shed little light on what might have caused the June 4 crash, which killed four people. However, outside observers and the plane’s owner have theorized that a lack of oxygen may have led to the crash. Federal investigators found no cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder at the crash site, the National Transportation Safety Board report said.

The plane took an erratic flight path — turning around over New York’s Long Island to fly directly over Washington, D.C., some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the nation. That alarmed the U.S. military and prompted the Pentagon to scramble six F-16 fighter jets to intercept, causing a loud sonic boom over the region. Pilots of the fighter jets reported that the small plane’s pilot appeared slumped over.

The plane’s cockpit was destroyed by the crash’s impact, while the wreckage was fragmented and scattered around a main crater, the NTSB said. Maintenance inspection records indicated that the plane was equipped with a cockpit voice recorder, the report stated, although the aircraft was not required to have a flight data recorder, which monitors things like altitude, airspeed and heading.

Air traffic controllers were initially in normal communication with the pilot. He was cleared for higher and higher altitudes as the plane began its ascent from Elizabethton, Tennessee.

But after about 15 minutes, the pilot stopped responding, the NTSB report stated.

An air traffic controller instructed the pilot to stop his climb at 33,000 feet (10,000 meters) because of crossing air traffic, the report said. The pilot did not respond and continued to climb to 34,000 feet and leveled off. The plane kept flying past its intended destination on Long Island, then reversed course, traveling directly over Washington before crashing.

Family and friends identified two of the victims as an entrepreneur known in New York real estate circles and her 2-year-old daughter.

John Rumpel, the owner of the plane, said his daughter, Adina Azarian, granddaughter, Aria, and the girl’s nanny were the victims, along with the pilot. He said they were returning to their home on Long Island, after visiting his house in North Carolina.

Rumpel told The Associated Press earlier this month he believes the pilot, who he identified as Jeff Hefner, probably lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen. Rumpel said Hefner had recently had a physical and he was not aware of any concerning medical conditions.

“He was top shelf, absolutely top shelf. I wouldn’t have had my daughter and my grandbaby fly with him if he wasn’t,” Rumpel said Tuesday.

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Outside aviation experts speculated earlier this month that the pilot likely lost consciousness from a lack of oxygen inside the jet when it climbed above 10,000 feet (3,000 meters), the altitude that typically requires cabin pressurization.

“The most likely scenario right now is a pressurization failure or a mis-setting of the pressurization system,” said Alan Diehl, an aviation psychologist who previously worked for the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Air Force. In the late 1960s, Diehl also helped design the original model of the plane that crashed, a Cessna Citation.

Giant Food announced Wednesday it will start selling the items in stores throughout D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware starting Friday.

Ben’s Chili Bowl’s original and spicy half-smokes, chili con carne, turkey chili and even the restaurant’s secret chili sauce that cannot be purchased anywhere else will be in the prepared food sections and hot bars, Giant said in a release.

The treasured greasy spoon on U Street NW has been a staple in D.C. for more than 64 years, serving up half-smoke sausages smothered in chili to locals, celebrities and dignitaries alike.

“We’ve been blessed to serve our beloved DMV community for nearly 65 years, and in all that time we never expected to sell our products at the retail level,” Virginia Ali, co-founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl, said in the release. “When we first met the wonderful team at Giant, we realized that it would be a perfect fit because we all share the same values, including our deep dedication to serving our community. I only wish Ben was still here with us because he would be so proud!”

The free exhibit “Imagining the future – Leonardo da Vinci: In the mind of an Italian genius” went on display at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in downtown D.C. on Wednesday. The exhibit includes 12 original drawings from da Vinci’s Codex Atlanticus collection. This is the first time so many of these pieces have been on display in the United States, library officials said.

The collection “will likely never be back here again,” said Richard Reyes-Gavilan, the library system’s executive director.

The drawings display da Vinci’s futurist vision and his engineering acumen.

“He was really an engineer first, and he fancied himself a painter secondarily, so these drawings really, I think, stress his obsession with motion, with machines,” Reyes-Gavilan said.

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An exhibit called “Leonardo’s Lab” is geared toward children and has hands-on activities.

The main exhibit will be on display through Aug. 20. The children’s exhibit will show through Sept. 30.

Only a small number of people are allowed into the main exhibit at once. Visitors sign up in the library’s vestibule and then get a text when it’s their turn. See the library’s website for more information.

Sen. Joe Morrissey, a political centrist and increasingly rare Democrat who supports limits on abortion access, lost to former state legislator Lashrecse Aird, who calls herself a 100% supporter of abortion rights.

“Joe’s been here too long. It’s time for new blood,” said Gail Coleman, 62, who voted for Aird Tuesday afternoon in suburban Richmond.

Republican Sen. Amanda Chase, a right-wing firebrand who has served in the Senate since 2016 and embraced falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election, was edged out by Glen Sturtevant, a lawyer and former senator seeking a political comeback in the red-leaning suburban Richmond district.

Get the latest results here.

Voters decided dozens of other nominees, including in some swing districts that will help determine the balance of power in the General Assembly in the November election. Virginia’s Legislature is closely divided politically, and the state is one of just a few that holds its legislative races in odd-numbered years. The unusual calendar and quasi-swing state status make Virginia worth watching for hints of voter sentiment ahead of the next midterms or presidential cycle.

Both parties and both chambers had competitive contests on Tuesday’s ballot, and an unusually high number of sitting officeholders faced serious challenges in an election season upended by new political maps.

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This year marks the first cycle in which legislative candidates are running in districts created during the redistricting process that ended in late 2021. The new maps were drawn by outside experts without regard to protecting incumbents. That’s contributed to a wave of retirements by many veteran lawmakers and diminished the name-recognition advantage for incumbents, some of whom ran in almost entirely new districts.

The losses by Chase, Morrissey and their colleagues will add to the already lofty turnover.

In another high-profile race, Sen. L. Louise Lucas, a veteran legislator, knocked off Sen. Lionell Spruill. The race for the heavily Democratic Hampton Roads seat was one of only two featuring current members of the same chamber running against one another. It was marked by particularly sharp personal attacks on social media and in TV ads.

Lucas, who has served in the Senate since 1992, campaigned as a fighter. She donned boxing gloves in some ads, promising to take on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“MOMMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!” she tweeted.

In Northern Virginia, challengers upset at least two other Democratic incumbents.

Saddam Salim, a first-generation immigrant and political activist, defeated moderate Democratic Sen. Chap Petersen, a lawyer who angered the angered the liberal wing of his party by providing a key vote for Republicans in getting some of Youngkin’s priorities across the finish line, including legislation that ended school mask mandates last year.

Stella Pekarsky, a member of the Fairfax County School Board, beat Democratic Sen. George Barker, who has served in the Senate since 2008 and wields significant influence as co-chair of the chamber’s Finance and Appropriations Committee.

In a contentious Republican contest for a southwest Virginia House seat, freshman Del. Wren Williams defeated fellow Del. Marie March. In northern Virginia, former CIA officer Russet Perry secured the Democratic nomination in a Senate seat expected to be a key battleground in the general election.

Elsewhere, incumbents easily cruised past challengers. Democratic Sen. Lamont Bagby handily defeated Katie Gooch in a Richmond-area race, and Sen. Dave Marsden defeated Heidi Drauschak, who was backed by the big-spending advocacy group Clean Virginia.

In a Charlottesville-anchored seat, Democratic Sen. Creigh Deeds fended off a spirited challenge from Sally Hudson, a member of the House of Delegates. Deeds, a respected advocate on mental health issues, campaigned as a pragmatic progressive whose experience and relationships in Richmond would be a boon to his constituents, an argument echoed by other incumbents.

Among Republicans, Chase was the only Senate incumbent to face a challenge Tuesday. She campaigned as a champion of gun rights and other conservative values. She also persistently repeated former President Donald Trump’s falsehoods about widespread fraud in the 2020 election.

Although Chase had campaigned with Youngkin after unsuccessfully seeking the party’s nomination for governor herself in 2021, Youngkin did not endorse her in the race. Nor did he wade into an eight-way Senate contest in the Shenandoah Valley won by farmer Timmy French.

But the night went especially well for other candidates the governor backed. All of the seven on the ballot Tuesday won their nomination contests. The three others in competitive races he backed had won party-run nominations earlier.

In the central Virginia Senate nomination contest with Morrissey, Aird was powered to victory with endorsements from an unusual number of legislators and members of the state’s congressional delegation. She also far outspent Morrissey, who ran a scrappy operation with no official campaign manager.

A disbarred attorney with a long history of personal and professional controversies, Morrissey calls himself “pro-life” but has long supported some abortion access. He has recently expressed a willingness to vote with Republicans to enact stricter limits.

Morrissey had time and again overcome personal controversies to win elected office. Campaigning this year, he faced allegations of mistreatment and physical abuse by his decades-younger estranged wife, which he strenuously denied.

Despite those headwinds, many observers were unwilling to count him out because of his long-established reputation as an effective grassroots campaigner who takes care of bread-and-butter issues for constituents. Morrissey conceded to Aird.

Aird, who works in higher education administration, will head into the general election season as the favorite in the blue leaning district south and east of Richmond.

A handful of other races were too early to call.

Get the latest results here.

Associated Press photographer Steve Helber contributed to this report from Dinwiddie.

In Loudoun County, Buta Biberaj won Tuesday over challenger Elizabeth Lancaster. In Arlington County, incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti defeated Josh Katcher, a former deputy in her office. Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano held off a challenge from Ed Nuttall.

The winners in Tuesday’s primary will face off in a November general election that will decide control of the closely divided General Assembly. Republicans are aiming for a complete lock on the commonwealth’s legislative agenda by winning back the state Senate, which Democrats now control by a 22-18 majority. In 2021, Republicans won a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and swept every statewide constitutional office.

Virginia is one of just a handful of states with legislative elections this year. The unusual election cycle and Virginia’s quasi-swing state status mean the races often draw outsized attention as a potential bellwether for future national races.

Get the latest results here.

What we know so far on Northern Virginia’s commonwealth’s attorneys results

Commonwealth’s attorneys in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties all had in-party Democratic challengers.

Biberaj, the projected winner in Loudoun County, raised significantly more money, but Lancaster had earned the endorsement of The Washington Post. Biberaj faced criticism, including some within her own party, over her day-to-day management of the office and as Loudoun found itself in the national spotlight over issues including school safety. She also faced criticism in her handling of two sex assaults at two different high schools in 2021.

In November, Biberaj will face Republican Bob Anderson, who held the commonwealth attorney’s post in Loudoun more than 20 years ago.

Biberaj told the Associated Press the general election race “will be about Loudoun County going forward or going backward 20 or 30 years.”

In Arlington County, incumbent Dehghani-Tafti defeated challenger Katcher, who had been one of Dehghani-Tafti’s deputies before leaving the office. Dehghani-Tafti is overwhelmingly favored in heavily Democratic Arlington County in November.

Biberaj and Dehghani-Tafti’s races were two of three in northern Virginia where candidates elected in 2019 as reformers faced primary challenges in which the challengers themselves largely embraced reform efforts and focused criticism on issues of day-to-day office management.

In Fairfax County, Descano defeated Ed Nuttall, a former prosecutor and trial attorney best known for representing police officers accused of misconduct.

“We went before the people of this county in a referendum where, quite frankly, the GOP was against us, a lot of money came in against us, and we bet on the people of Fairfax County, and they came through, because I think they saw that we’ve been successful, that we can have a safe community and also treat people fairly and justly,” Descano said.

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What we know so far on other races to watch

The election results in the House of Delegates and state Senate were expected to be dramatic, with high turnover in both chambers.

Democrats running for state Senate:

District 33 (southern Fairfax and northern Prince William): Former delegate and gubernatorial hopeful Jennifer Carroll Foy is projected to win over former delegate and lieutenant governor nominee Hala Ayala, who was trying to get back into the legislature.

District 29 (southern Prince William and northern Stafford): Del. Elizabeth Guzman challenged incumbent Sen. Jeremy McPike. The race was still too close to call.

District 37 (eastern Fairfax): Longtime senator Chap Petersen, first elected in 2007 after serving two terms in the House of Delegates, faced Saddam Salim, a more progressive candidate. The race was still too close to call.

Republican running for state Senate:

District 1 (Winchester, Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Shenandoah): Timmy French, a farmer from Shenandoah County, won this newly created seat that attracted longtime Republican Del. Dave LaRock to run. It was a crowded contest with eight candidates. LaRock began serving as a delegate in 2014.

Arlington County Board:

All votes were counted. None of the six candidates got 34% of the vote in the ranked-choice voting, so it goes to a second round. Susan Cunningham, Natalie Roy and Maureen Coffee were in the lead.

How long does vote counting usually take?

In the 2022 general election, the vote count in Virginia lasted 10 days in some counties, but the updates were relatively small in the days after election day.

Mail-in ballots are accepted until Friday if they were postmarked by election day,

Get the latest results here.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), the legislation honors University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, who died of heatstroke in 2018. It would require college athletic programs to create action plans to avoid heat-related illnesses and deaths.

“With this legislation, it’s common sense. It requires all of our colleges to have a plan in place to deal with the realities of heat,” Cardin said.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) is an original co-sponsor of the Senate legislation.

McNair was at a University of Maryland football practice in 2018 when he collapsed from heatstroke. He waited about 90 minutes until he arrived at a nearby hospital in critical condition and died two weeks later. His father, Martin McNair, has been advocating ever since.

“No parent in America sends their student athlete away to college for them to be abused, mentally, physically or in our case worse,” Martin McNair said on Capitol Hill in 2021.

Martin McNair said this legislation creates a standard for heat-related legislation at a federal level.

“We want something that works, it’s consistent and we can kind of use this as a template all the way across the board,” McNair said.

Under this new law, college athletic programs would be required to work with local emergency responders to create action plans. They would also need to have cold-water immersion equipment for emergencies.

“I never thought that he’d really be the poster boy for student athlete safety you know, across the nation,” Martin McNair said. “I’m still amazed and humbled by the work that we do.”

According to the Jordan McNair Foundation, at least 34 NCAA athletes have died of heat-related injuries or illnesses since 2000.

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The department took 800 shotguns out of its circulation and put 630 beanbag shotguns into use.

“This new solution provides officers with an additional option they can use when faced with less-lethal use situations,” police said in a release on Wednesday.

Outfitted in bright orange with the phrase “Less Lethal” on the side, the beanbag shotguns look different than the original guns.

The color change helps officers know that the shotgun is equipped with a less-lethal beanbag projectile, police said.

All patrol officers were required to undergo training on how to use the less-lethal guns, and they were taught the appropriate areas to target to minimize major injuries, the department said.

“There’s a lot of impressions that, because it was a mild winter, that we’re having an earlier sort of explosion in the ticks that are born,” said Dr. Alexandra Yonts, a pediatric infectious diseases physician at Children’s National Hospital in D.C.

There are still simple ways you can protect yourself and your family.

“Top tips include insect repellent with 20% or higher DEET, wearing long-sleeved clothes,” Yonts said. “And then taking a shower or bath as soon as you come inside. That will rinse the mosquitoes or the ticks off and prevent hopefully infection.”

There are also key places on the body to check, where ticks are more likely to try to hide.

“The first place to check would be on the legs, around the cuffs of socks [and] pants,” Yonts said.

Ticks live in tall grass, wooded areas and small shrubs, according to the Lyme Disease Association, so the bugs are likely to end up low on your body after a hike or a trip to a farm.

“Checking behind the knee crevices sort of in the leg folds or the crotch where the legs meet, the body under the armpits, and in particular, girls with long hair checking under the scalp and in the hair” is important, Yonts said.

If you do find a tick in your search, carefully remove it with tweezers and then save it, if you can.

“We do recommend saving the tick and taking a picture of it,” Yonts said. “And an easy way to do that is to put the tick into a small plastic container and put it in the fridge or the freezer so it  doesn’t crawl around and you make sure it’s dead.”

“You can reach out to your doctor, send them that picture if you have it, and they will give you advice on what to do next,” Yonts said.

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Infected ticks can spread bacteria, viruses and parasites that make people sick. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infection in the U.S., with nearly a half-million Americans diagnosed with it each year.

Yonts says, depending on the type of tick you find, you may need to take an antibiotic. But most people recover quickly.

“We really have a beautiful area with lots of wonderful outdoor spaces — Rock Creek Park, surrounding national parks and regional parks,” Yonts said. “And we don’t want to tell people to not enjoy those. So we want you to do it safely.”

Your furry friends also need to be checked for ticks. Pets, especially long-haired dogs, can bring ticks into the home and should be checked every time they go out.

Tick season typically lasts through October.

The name of man who died was not immediately released. Officials said they were trying to contact his family.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy was on duty and driving in the 3600 block of Crain Highway in Waldorf at about 4 a.m. when his car hit the pedestrian. The area is across from St. Charles Towne Center.

He tried to save the man.

“This is a sad situation. The officer simply didn’t see the pedestrian. As soon as he struck him, he tried to help. He got out of his car, he called for medical assistance and he did everything he could to render aid, but unfortunately, the pedestrian was pronounced deceased,” said sheriff’s office spokeswoman Diane Richardson.

“This is an unfortunate incident on many levels and the accident is being investigated,” Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy said it was hard to see at the time of the crash. He had attempted to turn where the man was in the road.

A shoe and a yellow evidence marker could be seen later near a marked cruiser.

Waldorf resident Diane Marshall said she crosses over Crain Highway and Smallwood Drive every day. She knows of three people who have died in the area.

“Even on a light when it says it’s safe to go, I don’t always feel safe, because those cars sometimes do not stop at a red light,” Marshall said.

People who live in the area say pedestrians often cross the street mid-block rather than going down to the traffic light.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

A part of Crain Highway was closed, and traffic was diverted.

“We’re all human but they have an extra duty to be that much more safer,” Marshall said.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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Somewhere in your home, garage or car, there could be an electronic device, tool or even a bike that’s been left on charge so long, its lithium-ion battery is at risk of overheating.

Montgomery County’s fire chief says he’s deeply concerned about the potential for a disastrous increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which are in nearly everything: phones, laptops, toys, cordless tools and more.

“What we experience in the fire service is the days and times when these devices get damaged, the activities when these devices go into thermal overload or have a malfunction event, where an extreme amount of energy is released very, very rapidly,” Chief Scott Goldstein said. 

For instance, if you have an electric bike and park it on your porch or in a garage when you get home, if it catches fire while charging, it could be blocking an exit.

A 2022 fire in an apartment at a Silver Spring, Maryland, is believed to have been started by an e-bike battery.

At the time, Montgomery County fire tweeted a warning and an image of what damage could look like in a similar incident.

E-bike batteries are also suspected as the cause of a tragic fire that killed four people in New York Tuesday morning.

Investigators believe the fire started in the ground floor of a bike shop and spread to the apartments upstairs.

“They’re seeing fires relating to lithium-ion scooters and batteries, causing an increase in fire fatalities in New York City, on a high frequency,” Goldstein said.

And it’s not just about where the machines are stored or charged. 

In April, Montgomery County officials issued an urgent warning that improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries were causing fires in trash trucks across the U.S.

The family friend contacted the girl’s mother Sunday when the girl had difficulty breathing, police said. She was taken to a health care center, then transferred to a trauma center when her condition worsened.

Illegal drugs were discovered at the family friend’s house during the execution of a search warrant, police said. An acquaintance of the family friend also possessed illegal drugs.

The family friend was arrested Sunday and charged with felony child neglect.

His acquaintance was arrested Monday and charged with possession. She is being held without bond.

When Katlyn got into a Lyft Saturday afternoon, she said she quickly realized something was wrong.

“He actually almost hit the person in front of him, which, then I’m really on edge. Like, within a foot,” she said.

She said the driver then put a different destination in his GPS that was away from where she was headed and he refused to answer her questions.

“He just ignores me, and I’m like, ‘Sir, hello? Can you hear me?’ and by this point I’m, like, close to him trying to look and see what he’s doing from the back, and he’s just ignoring me,” Katlyn said. “I’m like screaming at this point frantic, because who just ignores someone like that?”

She said she then got a text from the Lyft app saying: “Just checking in. It looks like you’re not heading towards your destination. Tap the link if you need help.”

At one point, the car slowed down and Katlyn said she saw her chance.

“I was, like, I’m not about to find out where you plan on taking me,” she said. “I just grabbed my things, started fumbling to unlock the door and I jumped out.”

She said she reported the incident to Lyft and that they told her they were taking her concerns seriously. But the next day, Lyft deactivated her account, she said.

Katlyn received an email from Lyft saying the company deactivated her account due to “alleged safety violations” because she “jumped out of the car while the vehicle was in motion.”

“I’m like, ‘What? I’m a victim here,'” she said. “It was so backwards. It made no sense to me.”

She said she had to protest several times before Lyft finally restored her account.

Lyft also sent her a message that read in part: “This sort of behavior by a driver is completely unacceptable and is something we absolutely do not tolerate in the Lyft community. … Please know that the concerns you have brought to our attention have been investigated and I have personally followed up with this driver to take the appropriate and necessary actions.”

Katlyn’s tweets about the experience went viral and have been viewed more than two-and-a-half million times.

She said she’s sharing the experience to try to prevent it from happening to other people.

“This is way beyond me. This is about women’s safety as a whole, and something more needs to be done,” Katlyn said.

A spokesperson for Lyft gave the following statement:

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft. We take reports like this seriously and always work to take immediate and corrective action. Regrettably, our first response came up short, and therefore, we have reactivated the rider’s account and contacted her to offer our support. Since day one, we have worked hard to design policies and features that help protect both drivers and riders, and we are always looking for ways to make Lyft an even safer platform for our community.”

A $750 million funding gap is expected to hit next summer, transit officials said Tuesday. In the meantime, they’re working to come up with solutions.

“We know this has been coming,” WMATA board Chair Paul Smedberg said.

Inflation and the need to pay workers more to hire and retain them played a role, he said.

”I think one of the biggest reasons why the number is so big is because of the pandemic and the impacts of that. You know, the lack of ridership,” Smedberg said.

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Metro had seemed to be getting back on track in many regards, with new stations, more service and new trains on order.

The agency’s budget has two sides: the capital budget and the operating budget. The capital budget covers costs such as trains, buses, stations and tracks. That budget is in good shape. The operating budget covers costs such as pay for bus operators, train operators and other staff. Metro says that’s where the huge budget shortfall lies.

Metro General Manager Randy Clarke recently spoke with News4 about the funding issue during a tour of the new Potomac Yard–VT station in Northern Virginia.

“We need to solve once and for all, in my opinion, our operating funding and have a predictable, sustainable source. Because who wants to do these big capital projects that everyone celebrates, and then go, ‘Well, are we not going to run that many trains through there?’” he said.

Metro briefed reporters on some of the potential service cuts that would have to be made without new funding, including 20 to 30-minute wait times for trains and a system that closes at 9:30 every night. Thousands of positions would have to slashed as well.

Metro is basically the only major transit system that does not have a dedicated source of funding such as a sales tax or gas tax set aside for it. We’re hearing tough conversations are about to happen with our local governors and D.C.’s mayor about finding the funding.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The section of I-95 that collapsed during a deadly tanker truck crash and fire earlier this month will reopen to traffic this weekend, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said.

Shapiro made the announcement while providing updates on the rebuilding process during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. Shapiro also said temporary lanes of the highway had been completely refilled by a recycled glass aggregate.

Mixed with paper and plastic, bits of glass are the basis of the recycled glass aggregate, which is made by the Delaware County-based company AeroAggregates of North America. 

Crews will now lift large outer barriers into place along the new roadway and add a layer of modified subbase to hold those barriers in place, Shapiro said. They expect to complete the east side of the section by Tuesday night and the west side by Wednesday. 

The crews will then begin paving three new lanes of the section in both directions, weather permitting. Pennsylvania State Police will escort trucks carrying the pavers up I-95 to make sure they get to the site safely and as quickly as possible, officials said.

Shapiro had initially said on Saturday that I-95 would reopen in two weeks. During Tuesday’s press conference, he changed the timing to this weekend however, based on the progress he’s seen so far.

“Based on the tremendous progress that we have made over the last 72 hours and the time it takes to complete the remaining steps, I can confidently state right here right now that traffic will be flowing here on I-95 this weekend,” Shapiro said. “We have worked around the clock to get this done, and we’ve completed each phase safely and ahead of schedule. That’s all due to the incredible coordination with our local, state and federal partners — and thanks to the hard-working men and women of the Philadelphia Building Trades who are making this happen.”

During an exclusive interview with NBC10’s Rosemary Connors on Tuesday after his announcement, Shapiro gave further credit to crews who are part of the rebuilding effort.

“They’ve been working hard through the rain, through the excessive heat,” Shapiro said. “And by the way when their families wanted them home for Father’s Day, many of those dads were up there on this bridge. And that’s because we can do big things here in Philly and those folks are a part of it. There’s a real sense of civic pride. We all want to get this road reopened and I think that the eyes of the nation are on us. And Philly, the building trades, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, our first responders, law enforcement, everybody’s stepping up and doing a great job.”

Shapiro also provided updates on when the permanent repairs on I-95 would be complete. 

“We’re not going to miss a beat. As soon as we get these six lanes of traffic — three north, three south open — then we’ll begin working on the permanent fix,” Shapiro said. “And I want to be clear, this temporary fix is just as safe, just as secure as the permanent fix, but what this process allowed us to do is get six lanes open as quickly as possible, then we’ll move on immediately to the permanent fix. And I’ll be able to provide a concrete timeline on that once that work begins.” 

Last week, Shapiro shared a livestream of the I-95 reconstruction. He described the engagement the livestream has gotten so far from viewers.

“It’s awesome! You can go down to Xfinity Live!, get 95 cent wings, and watch these incredible laborers do their jobs,” he said. “It’s awesome. I’m glad that folks are kind of tuning in and getting a chance to see what the Philadelphia Building Trades are all about. To see what civic pride looks like. That when we come together, we can do big things! That’s something I’ve been stressing as governor and it’s something that I’m going to continue to push. We can do big things again. And that livestream shows us doing it.”

Federal funds available for reconstruction

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced last week the immediate availability of $3 million in emergency relief funds to help PennDOT offset rebuilding costs for emergency operations, detour routes as well as preliminary engineering, surveys and design for the permanent restoration of I-95.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and other officials visited the collapse site to assess the damage. Gov. Shapiro said he will continue to remain in contact with Secretary Buttigieg and President Joe Biden to ensure Pennsylvania has access to all federal resources as the rebuild continues.

“President Biden has made it clear, as has Secretary Buttigieg, that the federal government is going to pay the full cost of this,” Shapiro told NBC10 on Tuesday.

So what will it cost?

Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt told NBC10’s Lauren Mayk that the preliminary cost estimate for the emergency repairs appeared to be in the $25 million to $30 million range. Federal emergency relief funds would help cover those costs.

“The administrator at the U.S. Department of Transportation has estimated somewhere between $25 and $30 million,” Shapiro said. “We’ll have a full accounting of the cost and provide that to the public once it’s done.”

Rendering of I-95 temporary reopening

PennDOT shared a rendering of what the temporary I-95 roadway reopening will look like while the bridge is being replaced. You can view the rendering here.

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Many cultures, both ancient and modern, celebrate the sunlight with rituals and holidays.

What is the summer solstice?

The term solstice comes from the Latin words “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (still or stopped). It is used to describe the exact moment when the poles are tilted at their maximum toward or away from the sun.

The summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer, which is the circle marking the latitude 23.5 degrees north, and which runs through Mexico, the Bahamas, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India and southern China, according to the National Weather Service. For those living above the Tropic of Cancer, it is the longest day of the year.

For those who live in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the shortest day of the year and marks the arrival of winter. The longest day of the year for those south of the equator occurs between Dec. 20 and 22, when the sun is directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. In contrast, the Northern Hemisphere will mark the winter solstice as it experiences the shortest day of the year.

When is the summer solstice 2023?

The summer solstice usually falls between June 20 and 22 each year. This year, the solstice will occur on June 21 at 10:58 a.m. ET.

What are summer solstice traditions and rituals?

The summer solstice has been observed by humans since as early as the Stone Age, and was a significant holiday for many ancient cultures.

In the past, summer solstice traditions included spreading ashes from bonfires across one’s garden to bring a bountiful harvest, to wearing protective garlands of herbs and flowers to ward off evil spirits, according to History.com.

“The significance of the summer solstice to ancient cultures had many aspects, including calendaring, crop planting and agriculture, moving their camp or housing location for nomadic peoples, and annual cultural ceremonies,” said Aparna Venkatesan, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of San Francisco.

Ancient Romans celebrated the arrival of the summer with a religious festival in honor of Vesta, goddess of the hearth, according to History.com. Women would enter temples named for the goddess to leave offerings with the hopes of receiving good blessings for their families.

In Ancient Greece, the summer solstice sometimes marked the new year and became a time to hold a festival for Cronus, the god of agriculture. Even slaves were allowed to break social codes and participate in the festivities.

The alignment of Ancient archaeological structures such as the Great Pyramids of Kufu and Khafre on Egypt’s Giza plateau suggests Ancient Egypt observed the summer solstice as well. That’s because if you’re standing directly in front of the Sphinx, the sun sets precisely between the two pyramids on the summer solstice.

Many Native American tribes performed solstice rituals. According to History.com, the Sioux took part in a “ceremonial sun dance around a tree while wearing symbolic colors.” Researchers believe that Wyoming’s Bighorn Medicine Wheel, an arrangement of stones that has been found to align with the rising sun at the summer solstice, was the site of the tribe’s annual dance. Remaining tribes still take part in solstice rituals, according to History.com.

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What Happens at Stonehenge on the Summer Solstice?

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What does Stonehenge have to do with the summer solstice?

Stonehenge, the 5,000-year-old ring of standing stones in southwest England, aligns with the direction of the sunrise on the summer solstice. And while History.com notes that there is little archeological evidence to suggest the location was used for prehistoric rituals, thousands of visitors, many in colorful costumes, gather around the monument annually to watch the sunrise.

How you can celebrate the summer solstice

People around the world celebrate the summer solstice with feasts, bonfires, picnics, and traditional songs and dances.

In Sweden, the summer solstice is marked with Midsummer celebrations, as citizens enjoy the end of a long winter with assorted pagan traditions, according to the Swedish Institute. People start the day by picking flowers and making wreaths to hang on maypoles, which are then used for traditional ring-dances. Unmarried girls who place flowers under their pillows before going to bed will dream of their future husbands, according to local superstition. Modern Swedes believe it is a magical time for love; many weddings and christenings are held around the solstice. 

Followers of modern-day Wicca, a nature-based pagan religion based on pre-Christian traditions, celebrate the Sun God on the longest day of the year with fruitful picnics on floral-adorned altars. According to Liza Chamberlain, author of “Wicca for Beginners: A Guide to Wiccan Beliefs, Rituals, Magic, and Witchcraft,” the Wiccan Sabbat celebration of midsummer, or “Litha,” marks the “pinnacle of the Sun’s power to fuel the growing season.”

Each year, thousands of yogis from around the world flock to Times Square in New York City to celebrate the summer solstice with free yoga classes. The annual yoga fest, “Solstice in Times Square: Mind Over Madness Yoga,” was launched in 2003 and designed to keep urban-dwellers centered, focused and present, according to the event’s organizers.

And in England, modern day druids are among the thousands who visit Stonehenge in Wiltshire to see the sunrise. The tradition at the prehistoric monument is said to date back thousands of years.  

Demarcos Pinckney, 15, and Kevin Mason, 17, were the victims of a shooting on Langston Place SE, police said.

Pinckney finished ninth grade at Digital Pioneers Academy a week earlier.

“Our heart aches with the news of the passing of Demarcos Pinckney. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Pinckney family,” the school’s founder said in a statement.

The 15-year-old was a “bright and curious” student and a talented athlete who was on the school’s new football team, the statement said, adding, “We will miss him dearly.”

Information on Mason was not immediately available. Family members provided photos but were not ready to speak the day after the killings.

Pinckney was the third Digital Pioneers Academy student to be shot and killed this school year. Teacher Keenan Anderson also died, after police in Venice, California, used a stun gun against him. Grief counselors were set to be available at the school on Tuesday.

As of midday Tuesday, police had not announced any arrests or suspects in the shooting that killed Pinckney and Mason. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. A reward of up to $50,000 is offered.

On Langston Place on Monday evening, additional officers were on patrol. A bullet hole could be seen in a window of a nearby apartment building.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

Wayde Byard was indicted on a felony count of perjury last December. Prosecutors said Byard lied to the grand jury that looked into how the school district handled the crimes.

A 14-year-old student sexually assaulted a female student at Stone Bridge High School in May 2021, but was allowed to transfer to Broad Run High School, where he abducted and sexually assaulted another female student in October of 2021. The teen was later convicted in juvenile court.

During his testimony, Byard said he didn’t know about the first sexual assault at Stone Bridge High School until after the second assault happened at Broad Run High School.

According to court documents, a prosecutor for the Commonwealth asked Byard, “Can you tell us when you became aware of the incident that propelled your school system into the hot white light of public concern?”

“Probably after the arrest at Broad Run … in October,” Byard replied.

“And you’re telling the members of this special grand jury that it wasn’t until October 6th of 2021 that you were actually aware that a student at Stone Bridge High school, who was a male student, walked into the females’ bathroom and sexually assaulted and was subsequently charged with two counts of forceable sodomy? You didn’t know that?” the prosecutor asked.

“No, ma’am. At that point that would be a student record and it would be either a student disciplinary record that I’m not privy to, so, no, I would not be privy to that kind of information,” Byard said.

Byard has pleaded not guilty. He is on administrative leave from his position with the school system.

The grand jury issued a scathing report in December about the school system’s handling of the sexual assaults, saying that the second assault could have been avoided.

Hunter Biden, 53, will plead guilty to the misdemeanor tax offenses as part of an agreement made public Tuesday. The agreement will also spare him prosecution on a charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as adheres to conditions set by prosecutors. It’s somewhat unusual to resolve a federal criminal case at the same time charges are filed in court, but it’s not totally unheard of.

The deal ends a long-running Justice Department investigation into Biden’s second son, who has acknowledged struggling with addiction following the 2015 death of his brother Beau Biden. It also averts a trial that would have generated days or weeks of distracting headlines for a White House that has strenuously sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.

While it requires the younger Biden to admit guilt, the deal is narrowly focused on tax and weapons violations rather than anything broader or tied to the Democratic president. Nonetheless, former President Donald Trump and other Republicans are likely to continue to try to use the case to shine an unflattering spotlight on Joe Biden and his family business dealings and to raise questions about the independence of the Biden Justice Department.

“I’m very proud of my son,,” the president said when asked about his son at an AI forum in San Francisco on Tuesday.

The White House counsel’s office said in a statement that the president and first lady Jill Biden “love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.”

Two people familiar with the investigation said the Justice Department would recommend 24 months of probation for the tax charges, meaning Hunter Biden will not face time in prison. But the decision to go along with any deal is up to the judge. The people were not authorized to speak publicly by name and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

He is to plead guilty to failing to pay more than $100,0000 in taxes on over $1.5 million in income in both 2017 and 2018, charges that carry a maximum possible penalty of a year in prison. The back taxes have since been paid, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

The gun charge states that Hunter Biden possessed a handgun, a Colt Cobra .38 Special, for 11 days in October 2018 despite knowing he was a drug user. The rarely filed count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department said Hunter Biden had reached a pretrial agreement. This likely means as long as he adheres to the conditions, the case will be wiped from his record.

Christopher Clark, a lawyer for Hunter Biden, said in a statement that it was his understanding that the five-year investigation had now been resolved.

“I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,” Clark said. “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

The agreement comes as the Justice Department pursues perhaps the most consequential case in its history against Trump, the first former president to face federal criminal charges. The resolution of Hunter Biden’s case comes just days after a 37-count indictment came down against former Trump for mishandling classified documents on his Florida estate. It was filed by a special counsel, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to avoid any potential conflict of interest in the Justice Department.

That indictment has nevertheless brought an onslaught of Republican criticism of “politicization” of the Justice Department. Meanwhile, congressional Republicans continue to pursue their own investigations into nearly every facet of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, including foreign payments.

Republicans on Tuesday called the federal charges another example of “a two-tiered justice system.”

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said the younger Biden is “getting away with a slap on the wrist,” despite investigations in Congress that GOP lawmakers say show — but have not yet provided evidence of — a pattern of corruption involving the family’s financial ties.

“These charges against Hunter Biden and sweetheart plea deal have no impact on the Oversight Committee’s investigation,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, on the other hand, said the case was thoroughly investigated over five years by U.S. Attorney David Weiss, a Delaware prosecutor judge appointed by Trump.

Resolution of the case, Coons said, “brings to a close a five-year investigation, despite the elaborate conspiracy theories spun by many who believed there would be much more to this.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who was scheduled to campaign with the president Tuesday evening, reaffirmed his support for Biden’s reelection.

“Hunter changes nothing,” Newsom told The AP on Tuesday.

Misdemeanor tax cases aren’t common, and most that are filed end with a sentence that doesn’t include time behind bars, said Caroline Ciraolo, an attorney who served as head of the Justice Department’s tax division from 2015 to 2017. An expected federal conviction “is not a slap on the wrist,” she said.

Gun possession charges that aren’t associated with another firearm crime are also uncommon, said Keith Rosen, a past head of the criminal division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Delaware. For people without a significant criminal history, the total number of multiple types of illegal possession cases filed every year in Delaware amounts to a handful, he said.

The Justice Department investigation into the president’s son burst into public view in December 2020, one month after the 2020 election, when Hunter Biden revealed that he had received a subpoena as part of the department’s scrutiny of his taxes. The subpoena sought information on the younger Biden’s business dealings with a number of entities, including Burisma, a Ukraine gas company on whose board he sat. A federal grand jury in Delaware heard testimony related to his taxes and foreign business transactions.

In February 2021, the department sought the resignation of most Trump-era U.S. attorneys, as is customary in a new presidential administration, but made a point of noting that it was leaving Weiss in place as a way to ensure continuity in the probe.

At a congressional hearing last August, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the investigation remained active out of the bureau’s Baltimore field office and said it was a matter that “I expect our folks to pursue aggressively.”

Garland pledged not to interfere in the probe at another hearing in March. An unnamed IRS special agent, though, later alleged mishandling of the investigation in a letter to Congress in which he sought whistleblower protection.

The younger Biden joined the board of Burisma in 2014, around the time his father, then Barack Obama’s vice president, was helping conduct the Obama administration’s foreign policy with Ukraine. Trump and his allies have long argued, without evidence, that Hunter Biden’s work in Ukraine influenced the Obama administration’s policies.

Years before the case was brought, Hunter Biden surfaced as a central character in the first impeachment case against Trump, who in an apparent bid to boost his own reelection bid had asked Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a telephone call to announce an investigation into the younger Biden.

Republicans later sought to make Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine a prominent issue during the 2020 presidential election.

In October of that year, the New York Post reported that it had received from Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani a copy of a hard drive of a laptop that Hunter Biden had dropped off 18 months earlier at a Delaware computer repair shop and never retrieved.

The story was greeted with skepticism due to questions about the laptop’s origins, including Giuliani’s involvement, and because top officials in the Trump administration had already warned that Russia was working to denigrate Joe Biden ahead of the November election. No evidence has emerged of any Russian connection to the laptop or to emails found on the device.

Crews responded to a house on fire in the 2100 block of 13th Street SE in Anacostia at about 1 a.m., D.C. Fire and EMS said.

The fire was on the rear patio of the two-story home and then spread to neighboring houses.

Photos show bright orange flames that lit up the night. The back of the house was charred and damaged by the flames.

Firefighters used fire hoses to put out visible fire and hotspots.

No one was injured.

Five people and two pets are displaced.

The cause of the fire was not immediately released.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

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Virginia voters don’t register by party, so anyone can vote in these open primaries, regardless of whether they consider themselves Democrat, Republican or independent.

A few days ago, Loudoun County’s Republican Committee began sending messages asking GOP voters to go to the polls and cast ballots for a list of four candidates. 

“The Republican Committee in Loudoun Co is explicitly asking Republican voters to come vote in our Democratic primary for a slate of candidates that the Republican Committee have endorsed, Loudoun County Democratic Party Chairman Avram Fechter said. “I’ve never seen that anywhere in modern American political history.”

One focus of the GOP push in Loudoun County is defeating incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Buta Biberaj. They are asking party members to vote for Democratic challenger Elizabeth Lancaster.

In the three General Assembly contests, Republicans have a different motivation. 

“It’s a strategy designed to weaken the Democratic party, nominating less competitive candidates for the general election can only help Republicans,” University of Mary Washington political analyst Stephen Farnsworth said.

In Fairfax County, Republicans also are seeking to defeat an incumbent commonwealth’s attorney, Steve Descano, critical of his criminal justice reform platform. He’s being challenged by Democrat Ed Nuttall.

The move meant a major policy change. Fairfax Republican Committee rules barred members from voting in Democratic primaries, but Republican Supervisor Pat Herrity convinced party leaders to make an exception.

“This race was just too important, too critical to public safety in Fairfax County, so I asked the party to waive that requirement, and the party did waive that requirement for this one race,” he said. 

There is no Republican candidate in Fairfax County, so whoever wins the Democratic primary is likely to become the next commonwealth’s attorney. 

Fechter said he hopes what he calls GOP meddling might inspire even more Democrats go to the polls Tuesday.

“We’re urging every Democrat that lives in Loudoun County to come out and vote in the primary so that Democrats actually pick the Democratic nominee,” he said.

Political analysts say in low-turnout primaries, these GOP pushes could have an impact on the outcome.

Teachers received an email appearing to be from the school system and offering “gift cards to our employees as a thank you for another successful school year.” But there were no gift cards. Instead, it was a phishing test from the school system trying to see if teachers would fall for it.

“What I’ve been told was that it was disrespectful and it’s almost like it was a slap in the face,” Fairfax Education Association President Leslie Houston said.

She said teachers are leaving the industry and incidents like this don’t help.

“You don’t feel really appreciated, why are you going to stay?” she said. “Even though we’re here for the kids and we’re about kids, you want to be respected in your job.”

The superintendent sent an apology letter to students that said in part, “Let me offer my deepest apologies for the phishing email that went out earlier today. While I understand the need for heightened cybersecurity, this morning’s message is unacceptable for a variety of reasons and on a number of levels and should not have been sent.”

“Know that you and your work are deeply appreciated,” the letter said. “Thank you for all you are doing.”

Another teacher told News4 he knew right away the email was fake but still found it hurtful.  

“Come to find out, not only was it not actually a gift card, but it was actually your employer basically trolling you,” Fairfax County Federation of Teachers President David Walrod said. “It wasn’t a great feeling.”

But the News4 I-Team found most of those students likely have no idea exactly what their education will cost them, because – according to a study by government researchers – the majority of colleges aren’t transparent about the true cost of attending.

According to a November 2022 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, an estimated 91% of American colleges fail to tell students the full cost of their college education.

“Students and their families deserve to know that price,” said Melissa Emrey-Arras, who heads up the GAO team that examined more than 500 aid offers from nearly 200 colleges across the country. “It took quite a while for our own staff to decipher them, and these are people that are trained looking at these. It was still very difficult to figure out what the cost was.”

The GAO, which did not name any of the colleges it examined in its report, found 41% of the offers it examined did not estimate the net price of attending and about half understate the net price by excluding costs such as living expenses and books.

It also found roughly 75% refer to aid as “awards,” which the GAO slammed as confusing as aid packages with loans will need to be repaid.

Emrey-Arras said federal higher aid officials created and recommend ten best practices to make these financial aid offers more transparent, but “colleges are choosing not to follow them.” 

Asked why, Emrey-Arras said, “We heard from people during our work that they have an incentive to not tell people what the full cost is, because if they do so, it will make their school look more expensive.”

Though the U.S. Department of Education created a financial aid offer roadmap for colleges, federal law doesn’t standardize how colleges must present their financial offers to students.

The GAO, which serves as the spending watchdog for lawmakers, has recommended Congress fix that, though legislation to increase transparency in those offers has so far stalled on the Hill.

Justin Draeger, the president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, told the I-Team that while “we can’t make any excuses for schools that are purposefully trying to hide or disguise their costs,” the majority are doing the best they can.

Draeger said, in most cases, confusion on these offers isn’t intentional.

“Paying for college is a really complicated issue in this country …  There are just so many entities involved in helping students and families pay for college,” he said, explaining financial aid officers are trying to organize information from government entities, scholarship providers and families.

“The financial aid office is trying to put together a single package with all of these funding … and it’s really complicated. And I sympathize with students and families who are trying to figure all of this out,” he said.

Draeger welcomed some congressional action on the issue, noting lawmakers could mandate minimal standards on financial offers to make the bottom line easier to understand.

“But I also don’t think that’s going to be a panacea,” he said. “This is going to take all stakeholders coming together and trying to figure this out because the complexities aren’t going to end today or tomorrow.”

The transparency matters more than ever. The Education Data Initiative reports the average four-year college now costs about $35,500, including the cost of books, supplies and living expenses. The EDI reports that average cost has more than doubled in the 21^st century.

The same group reports the average federal student loan debt is about $37,000, and students in the District, Maryland and Virginia have some of the highest average debt loads in the nation.

“Have we done enough? No,” U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said in an interview with the I-Team about college cost transparency.

Kaine, who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, supports efforts to expand loan forgiveness for public sector employees, increase the Pell grant for low-income students and make it available for job-training programs. He’s also behind bipartisan legislation that would require colleges to provide more in-depth information about student outcomes, such as graduation rates or post-college earnings. So far, however, none has passed.

“We’ve done a lot of different things, but sometimes it’s one step forward, two steps back,” he said.

Kaine said he’s hopeful Congress will eventually tackle an overhaul of the 1965 Higher Education Act – a behemoth bill which he said could address many of these issues – though it hasn’t been reauthorized since 2008.

“The Higher Ed Act gives us the opportunity to look at it comprehensively, and it is my hope on the committee that we will tackle that. It’s long overdue,” he said.

Until then, families like Christine Collins’ are doing their best to prepare for the college bills headed their way.

Collins’ daughter, Taylor, who recently graduated from Magruder High School in Montgomery County, is planning to study neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall.

Collins said that, while her family expects annual costs will exceed $30,000 for out-of-state students like Taylor, “We don’t know really the actual bottom line as of yet.”

The Maryland mother isn’t convinced Congress should determine how schools prepare financial offers, but agreed more should be done to make it easier for parents and students to understand the bottom line.

“I think in all areas of higher education … it should be a more transparent process,” she said.

This story was reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Katie Leslie, and shot and edited by Jeff Piper. NBC Boston contributed to this report.

Christine Fox said surveillance video shows someone lighting a Molotov cocktail attached to a propane tank in front of her parents’ home in Aldie last Wednesday.

“Which was very scary. Thank God their home was protected. Nothing came of it. There was no explosion. A couple of their plants did catch fire, but that was all that came of it,” Fox said.

A few months ago, a man was caught on camera smashing her gym’s doors with a bat.

“It’s definitely unsettling to know that somebody did that to our business,” she said.

Fox co-owns Evolve Athletics in Sterling with her husband.

“I wonder, who did this? Why would they do it? We don’t really have any enemies that we know of. You think of members, but we treat members pretty fairly, haven’t ever really gotten any complaints. So, it was just really bizarre,” she said.

The suspect caused more than $25,000 in damage to their gym. Fox said he didn’t steal anything.

“They didn’t hit any other businesses, just ours. So, it appears it was personal,” she said.

Fox filed a police report, and the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating.

The Ring camera outside of her parents’ home appears to show a man lighting the Molotov cocktail, and Fox thinks it could be the same man who vandalized the gym. Both videos appear to show a tall, bald man with similar builds.

The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office tells News4 it is handling the vandalism investigation, and the fire marshal’s office is in charge of the Molotov cocktail incident. The sheriff’s office said it is investigating to see if it could be the same person, but can’t say with certainty that it is.

“It’s very concerning considering all the features, the timeline, it appearing to be targeted … are just too similar. It appears too coincidental in my opinion,” Fox said.

The winners will face off in a November general election that will decide control of the closely divided General Assembly. Republicans are aiming for a complete lock on the commonwealth’s legislative agenda by winning back the state Senate, which Democrats now control by a 22-18 majority. In 2021, Republicans won a narrow 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and swept every statewide constitutional office.

Voters also will weigh in on commonwealth’s attorneys, sheriffs and the chairs of boards of supervisors.

The polls opened at 6 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. Anyone who’s in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote.

At the Fairfax County Government Center’s polling place in Fairfax, voters said they cast their ballot to weigh in on issues including the school board and environmental concerns.

“We need to choose who’s running our government,” one voter said.

Here’s info on how you can cast your ballot and what to expect on election night.

Is there a primary in my area? Am I registered to vote? Where do I go to vote?

The Virginia Board of Elections has a map and a list of places with primary elections on Tuesday.

Go here to look up where your polling place is. Go here to check your voter registration status. It’s too late to apply to get a mail-in ballot.

Virginia now has same-day voter registration. People who aren’t already registered to vote can vote using a provisional ballot. These ballots aren’t immediately processed by vote-counting machines; rather, they are subject to approval by the local electoral board before they are counted. Go here for more information.

Voters must provide an acceptable form of identification or sign an identity confirmation statement. Go here for additional information.

For a sample ballot, check the website of your county or city.

Can I vote for a candidate from any party?

Yes. Virginia has open primaries, which means voters can vote for anyone regardless of their registered political party. Voters choose a party ballot, and the choice is recorded.

What are some of the biggest races to watch?

The election results in the House of Delegates and state Senate are expected to be dramatic, with high turnover in both chambers.

Democratic Senate Races:

District 29 (southern Prince William and northern Stafford): Del. Elizabeth Guzman is challenging incumbent Sen. Jeremy McPike.

District 33 (southern Fairfax and northern Prince William): Former delegate and lieutenant governor nominee Hala Ayala is trying to get back into the legislature by running against former delegate and gubernatorial hopeful Jennifer Carroll Foy. They both were first elected in 2017, turning their red House seats blue.

District 37 (eastern Fairfax): Longtime senator Chap Petersen, first elected in 2007 after serving two terms in the House of Delegates, is facing Saddam Salim, a more progressive candidate.

Republican Senate Races:

District 1 (Winchester, Clarke, Frederick, Warren, Shenandoah): This newly created seat attracted longtime Republican Del. Dave LaRock to run. He will face seven other candidates.

District 12 (Chesterfield County): Amanda Chase, who has described herself as “Trump in heels” is facing two GOP opponents: Tina Ramirez and Glen Sturtevant.

District 18 (Portsmouth, Chesapeake): High-profile lawmaker Louise Lucas faces her longtime local ally Lionel Spruill after redistricting combined their districts.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys:

Commonwealth’s attorneys in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties are all facing in-party Democratic challengers. In Arlington County, incumbent Parisa Dehghani-Tafti is running for her second term against challenger Josh Katcher. In Fairfax County, incumbent Steve Descano is running for his second term against challenger Ed Nuttall. In Loudoun County, incumbent Buta Biberaj is running for her second term against challenger Elizabeth Lancaster.

Boards of Supervisors Chairs:

The leaders of Fairfax County and Prince William County’s boards of supervisors, both Democrats, are facing in-party challengers. There’s a Republican race in Prince William County as well.

Sheriffs:

Sheriffs are on the ballot in Arlington and Fairfax.

What do we know about turnout and people voting in advance?

As of April 1, there were 6 million registered voters in Virginia, which doesn’t have party registration. In a change from previous elections, Virginia hasn’t released the number of advance votes cast before election day. In the 2022 general election, about a third of voters cast ballots before election day, both in person and by mail.

Mail ballots can arrive as late as the Friday after election day if they are postmarked by election day.

How long does vote counting usually take?

In the 2022 general election, the vote count in Virginia lasted 10 days in some counties, but the updates were relatively small in the days after election day.

What could these election results indicate beyond Virginia?

Virginia is one of just a handful of states with legislative elections this year. The unusual election cycle and Virginia’s quasi-swing state status mean the races often draw outsized attention as a potential bellwether for future national races.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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Research shows bystanders are less likely to give life-saving CPR to certain groups of people in D.C., but some local doctors and D.C. sports teams joined together in the hopes of changing that — and tackling misconceptions about CPR along the way.

“This can happen to a football player, it can happen to your father,” Dr. Miriam Fischer said.

No matter who it happens to, experts say CPR can drastically improve a person’s chance of survival when given in the first few moments of a medical emergency.

A study published in 2022 states that women, as well as Black and Hispanic adults, are less likely to receive CPR from bystanders if they have a cardiac arrest in public in D.C.

“In 2021 alone, 92 out of every 100,000 Americans had an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. On average, only 40% received bystander CPR and in D.C., we’re even lower than the national average,” Fischer said.

That’s why emergency physicians with MedStar Health made a series of short videos with players and staff from the Wizards, Capitals, Mystics and Georgetown Women’s Soccer to teach D.C.-area residents about the importance of bystander CPR.

“Our practice facility and our arena, our game day arena, are in Ward 8 of the city, which is in Southeast D.C. and, you know, we come face-to-face every day with disparities, right, in the community. So, knowing that Black and brown people and women are least likely to receive CPR from a bystander, should they need it, is kind of a startling statistic,” said Dr. Kala Flagg, the head of athlete rehabilitation for the Washington Mystics.

The three-minute videos will play during games and on the teams’ social media accounts.

Fischer said the videos not only teach the basics of CPR and how to use a defibrillator, but also clear up some misconceptions that keep people from jumping into action.

“You don’t need to be certified. You do not need to do mouth-to-mouth. Most cardiac arrests are from a heart problem. When help arrives, they can deal with breathing. Additionally, you cannot get in trouble for doing CPR. There are good Samaritan laws that protect you, and, finally, you can’t hurt somebody. Their heart has stopped,” she said.

Go here to watch the CPR videos.

Officers deployed a stun gun several times during the encounter with Anderson, who later died at a hospital.

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Civil rights attorneys Carl Douglas and Ben Crump announced the lawsuit at a Monday news conference with Anderson’s relatives. The claim for damages, a precursor to a lawsuit, was filed in January but denied, leading to the filing of the $100 million lawsuit against the city.

The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges civil rights violations, assault and battery, false imprisonment and negligence.

Part of the encounter in January was captured on LAPD body-worn camera video. It showed Anderson flagging down a LAPD officer for help after a car crash in Venice. The LAPD said Anderson had tried to take another person’s car and had caused the collision.

An officer spoke with Anderson for several minutes near the scene of the crash, police said. Anderson attempted to leave the scene as more officers arrived, the LAPD said.

“As officers contacted Anderson, he began to resist, resulting in a use of force,” the LAPD said in a post that included video of the encounter. “Officers struggled with Anderson for several minutes, utilizing a TASER, bodyweight, firm grips, and joint locks to overcome his resistance.”

Police used a stun gun multiple times during the struggle. Anderson died Jan. 3 at a hospital hours after his arrest.

The LA County coroner said Anderson’s death as the result of heart failure and cocaine use. The coroner said the manner of Anderson’s death was undetermined, as pathologists said they could not determine how much the force used by police played a role in his death.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a challenge to the determination that there were in fact drugs in Mr. Anderson’s system,” Douglas said during the Monday morning news conference. “The video shows he died because he was Tasered more than six times on the back of his heart. We will have experts that will confirm the connection between the actions of police and his death.

“It matters not why he was in distress because it’s clear from the body-worn footage that he was never a threat. He spoke to the officers politely. He was always compliant. He never balled his fists. He never kicked. He never did anything to give an officer the belief that he was a threat.”

Anderson was a teacher at a school in Washington D.C. and father to a 5-year-old boy. He was in Los Angeles visiting relatives during the holidays.

“He also deserves to be hugging his son, but instead his son is left fatherless because of a chance encounter with LAPD taking Keenan’s life,” Anderson’s sister Dominique Anderson said in January. “And our family is left to pick up those pieces. Keenan was not a threat to any of those officers on that day.”

Anderson was a cousin of Patrisse Cullors, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement.

NBCLA reached out to the LAPD, which said the department does not comment on pending litigation.

Not only does it mark the first day of summer, but it is an ancient tradition, an astrological phenomenon or, simply, as a way to celebrate more sunlight. Many cultures observe this day with feasts, dancing, bonfires and picnics. In the D.C. area, there will be late-night exhibit hours, parties, concerts, yoga and more.

The solstice may be Wednesday, but events are popping up all week long to welcome summer. Here are some unique ways to enjoy the nearly 15 hours of sunlight in the D.C. area:

Smithsonian Solstice Saturday

📅 Sat., June 24
📍 National Mall, Washington D.C.
💲 Free
🔗 Details

The biggest D.C. area celebration is the Smithsonian’s Solstice Saturday. The event includes free parties, programs and extended hours at museums on the National Mall, including three museums staying open until midnight. Be sure to plan ahead, some of the museums require that you pre-register.

Here’s the full schedule– including all of your favorite museums:

• ☀️ Joe Tohonnie Jr. and the Apache Crown Dancers, guided gallery tours, National Museum of the American Indian, various performances times; 1- 8 p.m.
• 🎨 Late-night exhibit hours, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden; 5-10 p.m.
• 🎧 DJ sets by Les The DJ, curator programming, gallery access, National Museum of Asian Art and Enid A. Haupt Garden; 5:30 p.m.- midnight
• 🎶 Sounds of Africa and light show, exhibition tours, African Art Museum; 5:30 p.m.-midnight
• 🐘 Late Night at the Museum: Exhibit Opening + Solstice Saturday, Natural History Museum; 6:30-midnight
• 🦅 Pop-culture exhibition, “Entertainment Nation,” and activities, American History Museum; 5:30-10 p.m.
• 🕹️ Glow Night Arcade Party, Arts and Industries Building; 7-11 p.m.
• 🌱 Conversations, free pop-up mint planters, National Museum of African American History and Culture; 5:30-10 p.m.
• 🪐 Planetarium shows, Hofstra University’s Astronomy Festival, Air and Space Museum and on the National Mall; 6- 11 p.m.

Foamhenge in Virginia

📅 Through Sat. Aug. 19, 1- 2 p.m.
📍 Cox Farms Centreville, Virginia
💲 Included with admission to Smokin’ Saturday events
🔗 Details

People travel all over the world to visit Stonehenge in England on the summer solstice, why not pilgrimage to one of several existing U.S. replicas located in nearby Virginia.

Artist Mark Cline of Enchanted Castle Studio created it in 2004 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Natural Bridge, Virginia, before it moved to Cox Farms in 2017. Foamhenge is carved out of 16-foot-tall blocks of Styrofoam, spray-painted grey and anchored with concrete. Note the sculpture is accessible by shuttle from the farm’s Corner Market.

Summer Solstice Celebration on U Street

📅 Wed., June 21 and Sat., June 24
📍 Temperance Alley Garden, D.C.
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Join Temperance Alley Garden in marking the changing of the seasons. First, with a meditation on June 21 that will reflect on the longest day of the year. Then with a Summer Solstice Celebration on June 24 that will celebrate the sun moving through the sky with learning, community, as well as food and drink.

“This point of stillness is our SUMMER SOLSTICE. Come to the Garden to properly celebrate when we are in this yearly cycle!” the website reads.

Salute the Sunset:

📅 Sat. June 24, 7-8 p.m.
📍 National Harbor, Maryland
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Watch the sunset at the National Harbor as the U.S. Air Force Concert Band and Singing Sergeants serenade you and your family. Bringing a blanket and grabbing food from a nearby restaurant is encouraged.

Summer Solstice Cocktail Garden Party

📅 Wed., June 21, 5:30 p.m.
📍 King & Rye, Alexandria, Virginia
💲 $35
🔗 Details

The King & Rye restaurant will ring in summer by launching its Cocktail Garden with activities, cocktails, photo moments and a menu by Executive Chef Tomas Chavarria, who competed on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay.

Summer Solstice Forest Bathing

📅 Wed., June 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
📍 James E. Bunn Amphitheater, D.C.
💲 $10
🔗 Details

Ground yourself in the natural world and community on a guided walk through the forests of Oxon Run.

Summer Solstice Yoga

📅 Wed., June 21, 6-7 p.m.
📍 909 Rose Ave., Bethesda, Maryland
💲 Free
🔗 Details

Stretch your way through the start of summer with an all-levels, rejuvenating yoga flow on a rooftop.

Things to Do DC Jun 15

Historic alley, U Street hideaway: Community harvests joy in garden's final summer

Summer Jun 20

Summer solstice 2023: What to know about the first day of summer

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Shontae Crawford was found dead at the Terwilliger Place apartments in the 3400 block of Washington Boulevard. She was 37.

Alimamy Fornah, 35, was arrested and charged with murder. Police called the killing a domestic homicide.

According to the initial investigation, Crawford and Fornah argued in their apartment and Fornah stabbed her. Officers found her in a hallway with serious injuries before 5 a.m. She was pronounced dead on the scene. 

Fornah was taken into custody and sent to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer.

A number of police were in the block, which is close to the restaurants, stores and offices of the Clarendon area. Building residents were still not able to use the lobby or elevator as of 11 a.m.

Forensics team members could be seen with bags of evidence.

Terwilliger Place offers affordable apartments with preference given to veterans, according to the website of the building and its developer.

The homicide investigation is ongoing. Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

The 21-foot submersible and its five-person crew started a dive on Sunday, according to the Coast Guard. Canadian research vessel Polar Prince then lost contact with the submersible after an hour and 45 minutes.

OceanGate Expeditions, the company that runs the expeditions, confirmed it is working with government agencies as part of the rescue.

“Our entire focus is on the crewmembers in the submersible and their families,” the company said. “We are deeply thankful for the extensive assistance we have received from several government agencies and deep sea companies in our efforts to reestablish contact with the submersible.”

Along with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard is assisting in the search by providing a P8 Poseidon aircraft with underwater detection capabilities. A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Coast Guard station in Elizabeth City, N.C., is also being used in the search. The Coast Guard has also deployed sonar buoys to listen for underwater sounds.

“We really brought all assets that we have available to us to bear on finding the submersible and the people in it,” Rear Admiral John Mauger, the commander of the Coast Guard district leading the search, said, via NBC News. “We understand from the operator of the submersible that there is a 96-hour reserve capacity on there, and so that gives us some time to affect a search. But when something happens on the high seas, it gets complicated quickly.”

Submersibles are attached to a mother ship – in this case, the Polar Prince – and have shorter power cycles than submarines, which can travel long distances independently.

NBC News confirmed that one of the missing crew members is Hamish Harding, the owner and chairman of Action Aviation. He said in an Instagram post on Sunday that he was joining the expedition “as a mission specialist.”

It is unclear whether any tourism passengers were on board. The New York Times reported last year that individuals could pay up to $125,000 to join one of OceanGate’s Titanic expeditions.

OceanGate Expeditions said earlier this month that it is using Starlink, a satellite company, to provide the necessary communications for its 2023 Titanic Expedition.

The wreck of the Titanic is around 900 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and at a depth of around 12,500 feet.

During a Juneteenth celebration, the archives said the historical document would join the others in the archive’s rotunda, according to a National Archives release. The Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No. 3 were temporarily displayed from June 17 to June 19.

“Although the full privileges of freedom were not immediately bestowed upon all Americans with Lincoln’s order, I am proud that the National Archives will enshrine this seminal document for public display adjacent to our nation’s founding documents,” Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan said. “Together, they tell a more comprehensive story of the history of all Americans and document progress in our nation’s continuous growth toward a more perfect Union.”

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Grange issued General Order No.3 informing the enslaved people of Texas of their freedom. This news was delivered over two years after January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Declaration said all enslaved people “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to make Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.

Before it goes on permanent display, the archives will plan how to present and maintain the document for visitors year-round, according to the release.

The Emancipation Proclamation is a double-sided five-page document. The archives’ plan is to display the pages of the document on a rotating basis to limit light exposure, the release said.

The last day to see the temporary display is June 19.

Juneteenth Jun 12

Celebrate Juneteenth in DC, Maryland and Virginia with festivals, exhibits and Emancipation Proclamation display

Juneteenth Jun 16

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday

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The 35-minute meeting at the Great Hall of the People had been expected and was seen as key to the success of the trip, but neither side confirmed it would happen until a State Department official announced it just an hour beforehand.

In footage of the meeting released by state broadcaster CCTV, Xi is heard to say “The two sides have agreed to follow through on the common understandings President Biden and I have reached in Bali.”

In earlier meetings between Blinken and senior Chinese officials, the two sides expressed willingness to talk but showed little inclination to bend from hardened positions on disagreements ranging from trade, to Taiwan, to human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong, to Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea, to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Xi said that they had made progress and reached agreements on “some specific issues” without elaborating. “This is very good,” Xi said.

“I hope that through this visit, Mr. Secretary, you will make more positive contributions to stabilizing China-US relation,” Xi added.

Despite Blinken’s presence in China, he and other U.S. officials had played down the prospects for any significant breakthroughs on the most vexing issues facing the planet’s two largest economies.

Instead, these officials have emphasized the importance of the two countries establishing and maintaining better lines of communication.

Blinken is the highest-level U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office, and the first secretary of state to make the trip in five years. His visit is expected to usher in a new round of visits by senior U.S. and Chinese officials, possibly including a meeting between Xi and Biden in the coming months.

Blinken met earlier Monday with China’s top diplomat Wang Yi for about three hours, according to a U.S. official.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement that Blinken’s visit “coincides with a critical juncture in China-U.S. relations, and it is necessary to make a choice between dialogue or confrontation, cooperation or conflict,” and blamed the “U.S. side’s erroneous perception of China, leading to incorrect policies towards China” for the current “low point” in relations.

It said the U.S. had a responsibility to halt “the spiraling decline of China-U.S. relations to push it back to a healthy and stable track” and that Wang had “demanded that the U.S. stop hyping up the ‘China threat theory’, lift illegal unilateral sanctions against China, abandon suppression of China’s technological development, and refrain from arbitrary interference in China’s internal affairs.”

The State Department said Blinken “underscored the importance of responsibly managing the competition between the United States and the PRC through open channels of communication to ensure competition does not veer into conflict.”

In the first round of talks on Sunday, Blinken met for nearly six hours with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang after which both countries said they had agreed to continue high-level discussions. However, there was no sign that any of the most fractious issues between them were closer to resolution.

Both the U.S. and China said Qin had accepted an invitation from Blinken to visit Washington but Beijing made clear that “the China-U.S. relationship is at the lowest point since its establishment.” That sentiment is widely shared by U.S. officials.

Blinken’s visit comes after his initial plans to travel to China were postponed in February after the shootdown of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the U.S.

A snub by the Chinese leader would have been a major setback to the effort to restore and maintain communications at senior levels.

Biden and Xi had made commitments to improve communications“precisely so that we can make sure we are communicating as clearly as possible to avoid possible misunderstandings and miscommunications,” Blinken said before leaving for Beijing.

And Biden said over the weekend that he hoped to be able to meet with Xi in the coming months to take up the plethora of differences that divide them.

In his meetings on Sunday, Blinken also pressed the Chinese to release detained American citizens and to take steps to curb the production and export of fentanyl precursors that are fueling the opioid crisis in the United States.

Xi offered a hint of a possible willingness to reduce tensions on Friday, saying in a meeting with Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates that the United States and China can cooperate to “benefit our two countries.”

Since the cancellation of Blinken’s trip in February, there have been some high-level engagements. CIA chief William Burns traveled to China in May, while China’s commerce minister traveled to the U.S. And Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with senior Chinese foreign policy adviser Wang Yi in Vienna in May.

But those have been punctuated by bursts of angry rhetoric from both countries over the Taiwan Strait, their broader intentions in the Indo-Pacific, China’s refusal to condemn Russia for its war against Ukraine, and U.S. allegations from Washington that Beijing is attempting to boost its worldwide surveillance capabilities, including in Cuba.

And, earlier this month, China’s defense minister rebuffed a request from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for a meeting on the sidelines of a security symposium in Singapore, a sign of continuing discontent.

Cousins Demarcos Pinckney, 15, and Kevin Mason, 17, were killed, police said in an update Monday. Both lived in Southeast D.C.

The two were shot at about 8:45 p.m. in the 2700 block of Langston Place SE. They were found with life-threatening injuries and taken to a hospital, where they died.

Pinckney had just completed ninth grade at Digital Pioneers Academy in Southeast last week. He was the third student from the charter school to be shot and killed this school year.

Pinckney was part of the school’s newly formed football team. He attended an event last week with the Commanders, which had announced support to get the football program up and running.

The school’s founder said in part: “Marcos [as he was known by his friends] was a devoted friend and beloved member of our school community. We will miss him dearly.”

Digital Pioneers Academy also lost a teacher earlier this year, Keenan Anderson, following a confrontation with police in California. Grief counselors will be on hand at the school Tuesday.

Police previously said Mason was 18 and corrected his age on Monday.

About an hour after the teen was shot, two victims were shot in a white vehicle in the 2200 block of Minnesota Avenue SE. At least a dozen gunshots could be heard as a white car drove by in a video captured by a nearby business.

Police found a young child, whose age was not released, and a man with gunshot injuries in the car.

The victims were taken to a hospital. The child was in critical condition but expected to survive. The man was in stable condition.

The third shooting happened in the 1900 block of Bruce Place SE at about 10:40 p.m.

Police said a bullet went through a home and hit a teen girl in the hip. She was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Multiple shooters were involved, and the gunfire caused property damage.

A motive for the shootings and suspect descriptions were not immediately provided.

Ward 8 Council Member Trayon White was angry to hear of the latest round of devastating shootings.

“If we’re not alarmed and outraged about our kids laying on the ground with the life blood of God spitting out to our streets, then there’s a problem,” he said.

He questioned how young people are getting guns.

“Anytime we have young people who don’t have $15 to their name but got a $1,500 gun on their waist and can’t read and can’t process, it’s a problem,” White said.

The shootings occurred a day after a 14-year-old was shot and killed in the 2600 block of Sheridan Road SE.

Neighbors told News4 that they were heartbroken to hear what happened.

“They shootin’ all over. They really gotta do something about these guns,” neighbor Antoinette Harshaw said. “It’s a shame. You know, that’s somebody’s baby.”

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.

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The Animal Welfare League of Arlington said on Twitter that it “has received several reported sightings of a juvenile black bear in the Windy Run Park area of Arlington County.” 

News4 received a photo of the bear strolling down N Nelson Street. 

The organization went on to say that its “current plan is to allow the bear to make his way out of the county. We are asking residents to be aware of their surroundings and stay away from the bear if sighted.”

Residents were advised to keep pets indoors, remove bird feeders and make sure trash is secured or brought inside. 

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

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The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Sunday, citing sources, that Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal is heading to the Suns in a trade involving Chris Paul, Landry Shamet and “a handful of second-round picks and multiple pick swaps.”

This marks the end of an 11-year run for Beal in Washington. The Wizards have considered him their franchise player since selecting him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

Speculation of a trade out of Washington emerged this past week as the franchise enters a rebuild. However, there was concern that Beal’s no trade clause could pose an issue in negotiations. He signed a five-year, $251 million extension last offseason.

Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski it was an “extremely complicated process with so many different hurdles to get through.”

Beal led the Wizards to five playoff appearances and earned three All-Star nods. He averaged 22.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 695 games.

Recently, however, his career has been plagued with injuries. Beal, who turns 30 on June 28, has averaged 50 games played in the past three seasons.

He’ll be joining a Suns team that’s coming off three consecutive playoff appearances, including the 2021 NBA Finals. With a revamped star trio of Beal, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, the Suns clearly are seeking a title next season.

In exchange, Washington is acquiring Paul, Shamet and a number of future draft options.

Paul, 38, was a key veteran presence for Phoenix but recently saw a dip in production, averaging a career-low 13.9 points per game this past season. He spent his first 12 seasons with two franchises and now is headed to his fourth team in seven years.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday the Wizards plan to field offers from third teams to give Paul a chance to land with a contender.

Shamet is heading into his eighth season in the NBA and has established himself as a key role player, averaging 8.7 points and 2.3 assists this past season.

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Former Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio abruptly departed Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration in March. The investigation by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel started a week before his resignation.

The legal counsel’s office investigated eight allegations and found two of the allegations were substantiated.

According to the findings, Falcicchio engaged in unwanted physical sexual advances and sent inappropriate messages, including sexually explicit messages and graphic videos.

The report concluded that the behavior “more likely than not constituted sexual harassment” toward the female staffer.

The staffer’s attorneys, Debra Katz and Kayla Morin, released a statement Sunday that said in part:  

“We are gratified that the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel (MOLC) report substantiates our client’s serious allegations of sexual harassment by former Chief of Staff and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio,” the statement reads. “The findings also serve as a reminder that no one is above the law, and we encourage the District to implement immediate reforms that will prevent others from being treated in this reprehensible fashion – especially by those in positions of power.”

Sources familiar with the investigation told News4 that based on the findings there will not be a referral for a criminal investigation.

Authorities continue to investigate accusations by a second woman.

Falcicchio was considered Bowser’s right-hand man dating to before she was elected mayor in 2014.

Bowser released a statement following his departure in March.

“I know you have many questions, but please understand that as this is a sensitive matter that includes privacy concerns, we will not be able to discuss it any further,” the statement reads in part. “However, I am able to say that the circumstances of his departure led me to initiate an investigation.”

News4 reached out to Falcicchio for comment and he did not immediately respond.

This is a developing story. Now on News4 and in the app.

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Baltimore police said officers in the city’s central district responded to a Maryland Transit Administration bus crash at about 10:20 a.m.

A preliminary investigation showed that the bus crashed with a Lexus and a Nissan before coming to rest in a building. The Baltimore Sun reported that it was an apartment building.

Baltimore City Fire Department spokesman Kevin Cartwright told The Associated Press that 16 people were injured, with none of the injuries being life-threatening. He said residents of the building were being allowed to return to their apartments Saturday afternoon.

Witnesses said the Lexus was speeding and ran a stop light when it struck the bus.

“There were bystander, spectator reports that there were vehicles speeding through this and the MTA bus, in an effort to avoid being a part of that, collided into this building,” Cartwright told the newspaper.

The cause of the crash was under investigation.

Two 15-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy face a list of charges for five armed carjackings, three armed robberies and other attempted robberies and carjackings.  

The crime spree began on Friday at around 3 a.m. in Southeast D.C. The teens then allegedly moved to Northwest and ended in Northeast just before 7 a.m. 

Several times the suspects allegedly brandished firearms and demanded money, property or for the victims to get out of their cars. Then they’d flee, sometimes in stolen cars, authorities said.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

“We are getting it done here in Philly,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a briefing at Philadelphia International Airport after the flyover that included members of Congress and the city’s mayor.

Biden outlined the substantial initial federal commitment and longer term support for a permanent fix for the vital roadway. “I know how important this stretch of highway is” to Philadelphia and the Northeast Corridor, he said. “Over 150,000 vehicles travel on it every day, including 14,000 trucks. … It’s critical to our economy and it’s critical to our quality of life.’’

Shapiro, offering a timeline that would be welcome news to commuters and long-haul truckers alike, said with Biden at his side: “I can state with confidence that we will have I-95 reopened within the next two weeks. We are going to get traffic moving again thanks to the extraordinary work that is going on here.”

He said “folks here in Philly have a real renewed sense of civic pride through this project” and that “there’s something special happening in our community” with people coming together.

The stretch of the East Coast’s main north-south highway collapsed early last Sunday after a tractor-trailer hauling gasoline flipped over on an off-ramp and caught fire. State transportation officials said the driver was trying to navigate a curve and lost control.

“I’ve directed my team … to move heaven and earth to get this done as soon as humanly possible,” Biden said. He said he told the governor, “There’s no more important project right now in the country as far as I’m concerned.” The president described it as an “all hands on deck” project to address a “crisis.”

“We’re with you. We’re going to stay with you until this is rebuilt, until it’s totally finished,” he said at the briefing.

Pennsylvania’s plan for the work involves trucking in 2,000 tons of lightweight glass nuggets for the quick rebuilding, with crews working around the clock until the interstate is open to traffic. Instead of rebuilding the overpass right away, crews will use the recycled glass to fill in the collapsed area to avoid supply-chain delays for other materials, Shapiro has said.

After that, a replacement bridge will be built next to it to reroute traffic while crews excavate the fill to restore the exit ramp, officials have said.

Biden said the design was “incredibly innovative in order to get this work done in record time.’’

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who visited the area Tuesday, promised that the federal government would provide the needed assistance to repair the destruction, although he warned that the wreckage will likely raise the cost of consumer goods in the short term because truckers must now travel longer routes.

Joining Biden on the presidential Marine One helicopter were Shapiro, Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Rep. Brendan Boyle and Mayor Jim Kenney, all Democrats. Later Saturday, Biden was to attend a 2024 campaign event with union workers at the convention center.

Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 2600 block of Sheridan Road just before 1 a.m. and found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a release.

The victim, Stephon Shreeves, 14, of Southeast D.C. died at the scene.

Neighbors told News4 that they were heartbroken to hear what happened.

“They shootin’ all over. They really gotta do something about these guns,” neighbor Antoinette Harshaw said. “It’s a shame. You know, that’s somebody’s baby.”

Police records show that at least eight kids have been shot and killed so far this year in the District.

“Just to hear another youth being killed in the community is devastating more than anything. For it to be right here, I feel for the children of this community, I really do,” neighbor Brittany Osazuwa said.

In 2019, the same stretch of Sheridan Road SE was also the scene of another deadly shooting, which killed 30-year-old Taboris Johnson. It’s part of why neighbors said they try to limit their time outside.

“I’m real careful,” Harshaw said. “I come out and go right back in, do what I gotta do.”

Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone who provides information that can lead to an arrest. They can be reached by calling 202-727-9099 or texting 50411.

This is a developing story. Stay with News4 for more updates.

Southeast DC Jun 16

Congressional staffer assaulted in DC gunpoint robbery attempt: police

Washington DC Jun 17

Ex-officer pleads guilty in special officer's killing in DC library

Jesse Porter, 58, was indicted on Second Degree Murder charges in May. He pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter in court Friday, according to documents from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

The victim Maurica Manyan, 25, of Indian Head, Maryland, worked as a special police officer within the D.C. Public Library’s public safety division.

She was shot and killed after a training exercise at Anacostia Neighborhood Library in August 2022.

About five officers wanted a group picture taken at the end of the training, a court affidavit said. Manyan was the subject of some playful jokes about her hair and said she wanted to take off her mask. That’s when Porter pulled out his gun and fired, the document said. 

Porter then said he thought he had his training gun, witnesses told police. Several people began CPR. First responders were called to the library at 1800 Good Hope Road SE shortly before 3:45 p.m.

As Porter was led out of the building, he turned to a library officer, the affidavit said. 

“I’m sorry. I shot your officer,” he said.

Library patrons were cleared from the building. No one else was hurt.

Manyan was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She had been on the force for less than a year. 

Porter retired from the Metropolitan Police Department in 2020 as a lieutenant, an online profile said. 

He will not be held in custody until his sentencing on August 25. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. 

gun violence Aug 5, 2022

‘Thought I Had My Training Gun': Ex-Officer Charged in Special Officer's Killing in DC Library

Washington DC May 31

Contee Gives Final Salute as DC Police Chief

Jenkins was indicted in April for allegedly helping Robert Krop get machine guns and conspiring with him to rent the weapons to private citizens. Jenkins pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiracy and making false statements.

The indictment alleges Krop wrote five letters between 2015 and 2023 for Jenkins to sign requesting machine gun demonstrations for potential future purchase by the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.

The motion filed this week details how undercover federal investigators tried to prove Krop had illegal machine guns at his Frederick business The Machine Gun Nest. It shows Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigators rented six machine guns in February 2022. They confirmed at least two of the machine guns were obtained through the letters Jenkins signed.

Jenkins claims he signed the letters to help Krop’s small business.

Last month, Jenkins’ attorneys filed a motion asking the court to dismiss the charges and separate the two trials. Prosecutors have asked the court to deny those requests.

The brown box that holds all the forensic evidence in the case still reads Jane Doe.

“It’s very frustrating,” said Noelle Gehrman, deputy director of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Science Section. “We want to put a name to our Jane Doe. So, everyone is working hard to solve this case, but we need someone to come forward and tell us what they know. Somebody knows that their daughter, sister, cousin is missing. Someone knows what happened to her. We just need a little bit of information.”

The woman, believed to between 25 and 35 years old, was found nude near an abandoned home off Crane Highway June 18, 1998.

“The property owner, she routinely checks on her property,” Charles County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Frank Tona said. “She went out and took a walk that morning and she came across the remains of this woman.”

She had a fractured skull and had been covered with brush and vegetation.

Investigators say she may have been killed somewhere else and dumped in the woods. 

“She had no distinguishable features, scars, marks or tattoos, and the only real prominent feature that she had was she did have a prominent gap between her two front teeth,” Tona said.

Images updated over the years with new technology show what the victim likely looked like when she died.

“Without knowing who she is, we have no idea where she was last seen, where she lived, who she knew at the time, who she was dating or what she did, her life. We just don’t know,” Detective Sgt. John Elliott said. “Once we find a name, we can at least have a background or a base we can work off of to go further.”

Jane Doe’s fingerprints and DNA have been run through national databases with no matches.

Investigators with the Charles County Sheriff’s Office say they won’t give up.

“As technology advances, DNA advances, we look at what methods we can apply to this case and we do everything we can, because we know something is going to work,” Gehrman said.