Multiple protests were held to mark one year since President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency and deployed National Guard troops to D.C.

Protesters with the Free D.C. movement gathered on 16th street near the White House Tuesday to push back on what the group describes as a 12-month-long occupation by the National Guard.

“I don’t see exactly what it is that they are protecting me from, because I live in a very nice touristy part of town,” a protester told �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Steve Karesh. “I don’t see any change. If anything else, I hate feeling unsafe because now there are troops on the street.”

Free D.C. has hosted a string of events marking the anniversary this month, as part of its advocacy for home rule and the District’s sovereignty., Free D.C. is a fiscally hosted special project of that works to better the lives of low-income people.

“The president didn’t just want to change how the laws were enforced; he wanted to change the laws themselves,” said Sen. Ankit Jain, one of D.C.’s shadow senators. “So, he got his allies in Congress to work trying to repeal our local laws and rewrite our local democratic system in line with their far-right agenda.”

The Trump administration rationalized the deployment last summer by arguing crime had surged in the nation’s capital. At the time, District officials insisted that crime was dropping and pointed to data collected by police as evidence.

But federal officials questioned the validity of the police department’s system for collecting data on arrests. Ultimately a report by the city’s inspector general found a “prolonged, systemic breakdown of its internal control system,” but no fraud or intentionality behind mistakes in the stats.

When asked about whether she feels safer with the troops in town, Dina Lewis, of Le Droit Park, said: “I do not. I feel more afraid because they’re carrying weapons and they’re armed and they’re in the military and they don’t know how to deal with day-to-day activities like de-escalation and things like that to help prevent violence.”

According to Lewis, National Guard troops were sent to the park last week.

“I don’t understand the rationale of spending money on the National Guard rather than on the violence prevention programs that were helping in the community,” Lewis said.

has reported the projected cost of the first year of deployment was approximately $660 million, but it isn’t clear how much has already been spent.

Crime data gathered by D.C. police shows violent crime is up slightly from this time last year, with a 3% rise, while overall property crimes are down by 23%,

Nee Nee Taylor is a cofounder of the group and the executive director of Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, a D.C.-area advocacy group.

“Before federal agents flooded our streets, before this racist regime escalated its attacks in our city and on our people, Harriet’s Wildest Dreams was already organizing against over policing, surveillance, criminalization, and state-sanctioned violence,” Taylor said. “When the occupation came, we did what we have always done: we resisted, we fought back, and we skilled up our people.”

A group called CourtWatch D.C. has been part of the movement.

“For 173 days, our CourtWatch D.C, has put trained community members inside D.C. courtrooms to witness what this system does to our people and make sure it does not happen in the dark,” Taylor said. “Shine a light on them.”

Concern for homeless people in DC

On Monday night, Free D.C. held a rally and march near Franklin Park to focus on protecting vulnerable residents during the troop’s deployment.

“Our unhoused neighbors are, in this occupation, some of the most visible and vulnerable. They’re on the streets and can’t always avoid the National Guard,” Erin Schmieder, who represents Ward 2 for Free D.C., said.

The White House recently announced National Guard troops in the District will be moving into more permanent housing, a decision Schmieder criticized. Trump has extended the deployment of troops in D.C. through January 2029.

“If there’s money to pay for the National Guard to be housed here through 2029, there’s money to house the people who are already in D.C.,” Schmieder said.

The march ended at 13th Street and Massachusetts Avenue NW, where the demonstrators joined a group of people in their 80s who have banged pots and pans almost every night for the past year to protest the surge of law enforcement in the District.

�Ӱ�ԭ��/Steve Karesh

�Ӱ�ԭ��/Steve Karesh

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�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Steve Karesh contributed to this report.

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President Donald Trump said the nation’s celebration of its 250th anniversary of independence would include the “LARGEST FIREWORKS SHOW IN HISTORY” in a statement made on social media weeks before the Fourth of July.

That’s a promise the president kept, according to Guinness World Records, launching a total number of 840,537 fireworks in the wee hours of July 5 after thunderstorms delayed the show.

D.C.’s Fourth of July celebration now holds the record for the largest fireworks display, according to Guinness, which is considered a global authority on such matters.

The show was put on by Pyrotecnico Inc. and Freedom 250, a White House-led organization that’s separate from the bipartisan “America250” commission. It was organized by Event Strategies Inc., .

Pyrotecnico CEO Stephen Vitale said it was privilege to play a part in the festivities.��

“Fireworks have a unique ability to bring communities together in celebration, reflection, and shared pride, and we are honored to have played a role in this historic moment. This Guinness World Records achievement is a testament to the professionalism, craftsmanship, and unwavering commitment to safety of our entire team,” Vitale said in a statement.��

The record-breaking display faced some weather challenges; thousands of patriotic attendees were briefly evacuated off the National Mall as hot and stormy weather hit the D.C. region. The show was pushed back to work around the storm, with the first fireworks soaring in the night sky around midnight.

The July Fourth show broke the prior record held by a church in the Philippines, which launched about 810,904 fireworks over the course of an hour in 2016, .

White House spokesman Davis Ingle boasted the achievement.

“No other president in history could have accomplished the incredible feat that President Trump did at our Nation’s historic 250th birthday celebration, which included an incredible air show, a record-breaking fireworks display, and an inspiring speech delivered before hundreds of thousands of American patriots. This iconic day will forever stand as one of the most historic celebrations in American history and will never be forgotten by generations to come,” Ingle wrote in an email to �Ӱ�ԭ��.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the record Friday.

Source

A flurry of nominees for U.S. Congress claimed victory shortly after polls closed Tuesday night in Virginia’s rare late-summer primary election.

The results of the primary solidify Virginia’s ballot for the general election — a contest that will determine the balance of power in Congress.

It didn’t take long for winners to emerge in the commonwealth’s Congressional primaries. Most races were called within the first hour after voting ended and turnout appears to have been relatively low.

Thirty minutes after polls closed, The Associated Press declared retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Doug Ollivant the winner of the Republican primary in District 7. He will face first-term Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman in what is expected to be a competitive midterm race.

Republican Dave Beckwith will run against Rep. Suhas Subramanyam with hopes of thwarting the Democratic congressman’s bid for a second term in Virginia’s heavily blue 10th District.

Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa won the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, and will challenge Democratic Sen. Mark Warner for his long-held seat in November.

Incumbent Rep. Don Beyer defeated four challengers to secure the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 8. Beyer will bid for a seventh congressional term in November and face Republican Tony Sabio.

Primaries generally draw out fewer voters than general elections and Tuesday’s contest came as some Virginians were out of town on vacation or preparing to send students back to school.

The primary’s odd timing may have contributed to the seemingly muted participation from voters.

Virginia typically holds its primary on the third Tuesday in June. But the nomination contests were pushed back as lawmakers hashed out a voter-approved redistricting proposal designed to give Democrats an upper hand in the U.S. House midterms. The Virginia Supreme Court ultimately overturned the redistricting plan.

Last summer, President Donald Trump asked Texas Republicans to adjust the state’s map to favor the GOP. That request sparked tussles over gerrymandering across the nation as the midterms closed in.

Warner to face Army veteran from Northern Va.

Three Republicans, all hailing from Northern Virginia, competed for a chance to run against Warner in the general election in hopes of flipping his seat in the U.S. Senate.

Mizusawa walked away with 51% of the vote, according to The Associated Press, far outpacing his fellow candidates David Williams, 29%, and Kim Farington, 20%, as of 10:30 p.m.

“Thank you, Virginia! We campaigned hard across Virginia and thanks to you, we now move on to defeat Senator Mark Warner. I also congratulate my fellow Republican candidates — we were never opponents — and let’s unite Virginians for a big win in November,” Mizusawa .

Northern Virginia race may be competitive in high-stakes midterm

Democratic Rep. Vindman will face Ollivant, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, in what could be a tight race in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

While celebrating his victory, Ollivant criticized the first-term congressman.

“Eugene Vindman went to Washington and voted with his party’s leadership while grocery bills climbed, the grid strained, and our factories stayed closed. Virginians in this district don’t need another vote for the status quo. They need more jobs and better jobs, more power on the grid, a food system that works, and a border that’s actually secure,” Ollivant wrote in a news release.

Vindman narrowly won a seat vacated by now-Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who left Congress to run for governor, in 2024. His district includes parts of Prince William, Stafford and Spotsylvania counties and Fredericksburg.

In a statement Tuesday night, Vindman wrote, “My opponent spent the last several months proving his loyalty to Donald Trump and the most extreme voices in his party. I’ve spent that same time fighting to lower costs, tackle corruption in Washington, and deliver for Virginia families.”

Ollivant earned 56.6% of the vote, beating businessman Philip Harding, with 30.7%, and pastor Rick Smithers, with 12.8%, The Associated Press reported at 10:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Democrats in Virginia believe they can flip at least two seats in the U.S. House — even without the help of mid-decade redistricting. Some members of the party, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger, have suggested that they could pick up four seats.

One race to watch is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads, where a rematch will play out between former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria and Jen Kiggans, who booted her from Congress in 2022. The 2nd District leans slightly in favor of Republicans, according to analysts.

Beyer spoke with �Ӱ�ԭ�� about the challenges Democratic candidates face in the midterms amid pressure from far-left members of the party.

“I think a lot of the tack to the left is just frustration because we’ve had a year and a half of Donald Trump, and people are really angry that we have not been able to stop him,” Beyer said. “We point out that elections have consequences. We’re in the minority. We need to get back in the majority to have a better chance to stop him”

A deeper look at primary results for U.S. House in Northern Virginia

A group of former and current government employees ran against incumbent Rep. Beyer for the Democratic nomination in Virginia’s 8th District, which covers Fairfax and Arlington counties as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.

“I am grateful to Northern Virginians for again making me their Democratic nominee to fight for Virginia’s 8th District. I am working to elect Democrats across the country starting right here in Virginia, and doing all we can to restore sanity and decency. Let’s get to work,” .

Some of the candidates argued Beyer didn’t do enough to help federal workers who lost their jobs during sweeping DOGE cuts.

But voters ultimately sided with Beyer, who held a significant advantage as the longtime incumbent. Beyer won 67.6% of the vote while the runner-up Mo Seifeldein fell behind with just 17.6%, as of 10:45 p.m., The Associated Press reported.

Seifeldein from his position at the U.S. Department of Labor in protest of Trump’s policies. The other candidates who hoped to unseat Beyer were Michael Duffin, a foreign policy expert who was fired amid DOGE cuts; Adam Dunigan, a former CIA case officer; and Lorena Bruner a substitute teacher.

Beyer, a six-term congressman, has criticized the workforce cuts and joined other lawmakers in proposing legislation that would help former and current federal workers.

In Congressional District 10, Beckwith won the Republican nomination with 72.5% of the vote, while Julie Perry earned 20.4% and Anthony Suttles earned just 5.6%, The Associated Press reported at 10:30 p.m.

Beckwith will run against Rep. Subramanyam, who filled a vacant congressional seat in 2025. The district includes Fauquier and Loudoun counties, parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

No primaries were held in Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, which covers parts of Fairfax County and Fairfax City. Rep. James Walkinshaw won a special election in September to replace the late Congressman Gerry Connolly, who died in May. In November, Walkinshaw will run for reelection against Republican Arthur Purves.

Arlington incumbent sidesteps challengers

Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti secured the Democratic nomination to the at-large board seat, brushing aside two challengers who had hoped to stifle his reelection bid: Julie Farnam and James DeVita.

The Associated Press called the race for de Ferranti at around 10 p.m. as the incumbent carried 55% of the vote and the runner-up, Farnam, fell behind with 27.6%.

According to the , de Ferranti was first elected in 2018 and has twice earned the unanimous support of his colleagues to chair the board, most recently in January.

Early look at turnout

Democrats held primaries in Arlington and Fairfax counties. Early estimates of votes show turnout was higher in those places than other parts of Northern Virginia.

Looking at Democrats in the 8th District, 2.24% of voters cast ballots Tuesday and 4.28% of voters cast early ballots.��For Republicans, 0.72% cast votes on primary day and 0.80% voted early, the Fairfax County elections office

In Arlington, the 5.8% of voters cast ballots Tuesday, as of 5 p.m.

In Prince William County, about 2.3% of voters turned out to vote when combining early votes with ballots cast Tuesday, according to the office of elections.

Turnout seemed to be about the same in Loudoun County, where the 2.04% of voters cast ballots, as of 4 p.m.

Source

Virginia is holding an unusually timed primary election Tuesday as voters nominate candidates for congressional seats and local offices ahead of the high-stakes midterm election in November.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting. Nominations to the U.S. Senate and House as well as county and city board positions on the ballot.

Typically, Virginia’s summer primaries take place on the third Tuesday in June, but state lawmakers voted to delay the primary, amid a Democratic push to redraw Virginia’s congressional maps in favor of their party. It’s a battle that went before voters and the U.S. Supreme Court, and ultimately ended in a loss for Democratic redistricting.

Maps for August’s primary follow the boundaries approved in 2021, not the map proposed by Democrats.

The candidates who prevail in the summer primary will appear on the ballot in November’s midterm election, a contest that could shift the power of balance in Congress. Republicans hold a majority in both chambers.

Dates at a glance

• Early in-person voting: June 18 to Aug. 1 (Passed)
• Deadline to register or update voter registration: July 24 (Passed)
• Deadline to��: July 24 (Passed)
• Primary Election Day: Tuesday, Aug. 4

In-person voting��

Primary Election Day is Aug. 4; polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for in-person voting.

To find out where to vote on the day of the primary election, visit the .

Voters who are 65 or older, or those with disabilities, have the option of voting curbside.

Voters need to bring along a valid ID. If you leave it behind, you can sign an ID confirmation statement or vote with a provisional ballot.

For a provisional ballot to be counted, you have until noon on Aug. 7 to bring a copy of your ID to the local electoral board or sign a confirmation statement.

������is available online.

Early voting ended last weekend in Virginia, designated polling locations accepted ballots for six weeks ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Vote by mail

Ballots have to be postmarked by Aug. 4 and received by noon on Aug. 7 to be counted.

Outside of mailing those absentee ballots, voters can also bring them to a drop-off location. Check in with your for information about drop boxes and their locations.

The deadline for voters to was July 24.

Who’s on the ballot

U.S. House

Congressional District 7

Prince William, Stafford, Spotsylvania and Fredericksburg

Most congressional districts in Northern Virginia are considered to lean in favor of Democrats, but District 7 could be competitive come November, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Virginia’s 7th Congressional District includes part of Prince William County, as well as Stafford, Spotsylvania and Culpeper counties, and Fredericksburg City.

A handful of Republicans are running in the upcoming primary with hopes of challenging the incumbent Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman in the midterms.

Three Republicans are on the ballot in District 7: Doug Ollivant, Philip Harding and Rick Smithers.

Vindman was sworn in as District 7’s representative in the U.S. House in 2025, filling an open seat vacated by now Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who had left the Capitol to run for the governor’s office.

For much of the early 2000s and 2010s, District 7 was represented by Republicans — until Spanberger unseated Republican Rep. David Brad in 2018.

Congressional District 8

Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church

Three Democrats are challenging incumbent Rep. Don Beyer for his seat in Virginia’s 8^th Congressional District.

Lorena Thorne Bruner, Michael Christian Duffin, Adam Dunigan and Mo Seifeldein are all slated to run against the longtime Democratic congressman in the primary.

Beyer has spent a decade in Congress after first being elected to serve District 8 in 2014. His constituents live in Arlington and parts of Fairfax County, as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church.

Congressional District 10

Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Fairfax, Manassas City, Manassas Park City

Republicans will nominate a candidate to face off against Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who was sworn into the U.S House in 2025 after serving in the Virginia General Assembly.

The candidates in the Republican primary include Anthony L. Suttles, Dave T. Beckwith, and Julie Anna Perry.

Subramanyam succeeded Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton, who opted out of running for reelection in 2024 due to health issues. His district includes Fauquier and Loudoun counties, parts of Prince William and Fairfax counties as well as the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

In Virginia’s 11th Congressional District, neither party will hold a primary to name a candidate to the U.S. House. Rep. James Walkinshaw won a special election last September to replace the late Gerry Connolly, who died in May after serving in the U.S. House since 2009.

Walkinshaw, a Democrat, represents parts of Fairfax County and Fairfax City.

Senate

Longtime Democratic Sen. Mark Warner is up for reelection in the fall, and a few Republicans are competing for a chance to go up against him.

Kim Farington, Bert K Mizusawa and David Earl Williams are vying for the support of Republican voters in the primary.

Warner, the vice chairman of the Senate Intel Committee, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008, and prior to that served as Virginia’s governor.

Local offices

Arlington County Board

Two Democrats are challenging Matthew de Ferranti’s reelection bid to the Arlington County Board.

Ferranti is running against Julie E. Farnam and James A. DeVita for the Democratic nomination to the at-large board seat.

Source

Three officers and a K-9 searched for the man in a wooded area after being called to the Annandale neighborhood about a domestic incident involving him and his wife.

Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis hasn’t publicly identified the man, who is expected to face charges including felony assault against a police officer and attempting to disarm a police officer.

A woman called 911 just before 10 a.m. about a fight with her husband inside their home in the 7000 block of Sutter Lane, telling the dispatcher he was threatening her and stabbing himself, according to Davis.

When police arrived, Davis said, the woman pointed at a man running from the home and told police it was her husband.

Police searched for him for 15 minutes and believed the man had gone into a heavily wooded area with two knives.

A 13-year veteran on the police force was walking in the wooded area when the suspect “abruptly emerged from a bush” and grabbed the officer’s gun, according to Davis.

The interaction was captured by multiple body worn cameras, and Davis said he’s watched the footage at least 50 times already.

“Our suspect takes his right hand, he grabs the firearm that the police officer had in his hand, and the top of the suspect’s hand was around the top barrel of that firearm, and the bottom of his hand was wrapped around the frame of that firearm,” Davis said.��

“It took the officer two hands to pull his firearm back from our suspect,” Davis said.

The officer fired three times, with one bullet grazing the man’s shoulder, as another officer simultaneously discharged his taser.

“There was no entry wound for the bullet, but it grazed what I believe is his upper right shoulder,” Davis said.

The man was taken to the hospital where he received stitches and treatment for non-life threatening injuries, Davis said, including several “superficial puncture wounds” to his leg from poking himself with the knife.

No officers were injured.

Davis said the man may face additional criminal charges related to threatening his wife and he’s known to the criminal justice system.

“Our suspect in this case, and I think it’s important for the community to know, has a significant domestic violence past in relationship with the wife, our 911 caller,” Davis said.

Police plan to release footage of the incident in the next 30 days, per the department’s policy. Both knives were recovered by police.

A map of the area is below.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Anna-Lysa Gayle reported from the scene.

Source

Flames broke out inside a vacant townhouse near the corner of Resort Road and Legends Way in Ellicott City. The fire spread to a nearby townhome where four adults and three children lived, according to a from the Howard County Fire and EMS Department.

Multiple people called 911 about smoke in the neighborhood just before 7 a.m.

When firefighters arrived, they saw flames burning through the roof of the townhouse and started spraying water onto the exterior of the structure.

Firefighters brought the fire under control in about 30 minutes, but two firefighters suffered minor injuries while responding, .

Both were taken to the hospital. No one else was injured.

It’s not clear what caused the flames to ignite. The fire marshal is investigating the origin and cause of the fire.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Jadon George contributed to this report.��

Source

Kaylee Hottle, 18, who played Jia in the film series, was riding as a passenger in a sedan when its 19-year-old driver crashed before 3 a.m. in Ijamsville,.

The sheriff’s office said the 1995 Honda Accord traveled off the right side of a two-lane road in the 11400 block of Windsor Road and struck a culvert.

The man driving the Accord was taken to the hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening and another passenger declined medical treatment, the sheriff’s office said.

Hottle, of Kyle, Texas, was taken to a trauma center, where she was later pronounced dead.

The sheriff’s office said excessive speed is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Hottle’s character communicated using American Sign Language in “Godzilla vs. Kong” and “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.” According to , she came from a family with multiple generations of deaf relatives.

Her father, Joshua Hottle, posted a 20-minute video to Facebook using ASL and wrote, “I am taking a flight that I never would like to take.”

Hottle was a senior at the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin.

“Our hearts are with Kaylee’s family, friends, classmates, and everyone who knew and loved her during this incredibly difficult time,” the .

The school is offering counseling to students and staff.

Frederick deputies have asked anyone who has information on the crash to call the sheriff’s office at 301-600-1046.

Below is the area where it happened.

Source

The man was identified as David Lawrence Jones, 52, of Silver Spring.

Dive teams from the Maryland Natural Resources police and Anne Arundel County Fire Department recovered his body late Monday afternoon.

Jones went missing Sunday afternoon after he jumped off a pontoon boat to go after a hat that had fallen in the water.

At the time he jumped in, Maryland Natural Resources police told �Ӱ�ԭ�� the man was not wearing a life jacket. There were six other people on the boat with the man at the time of the incident.

Natural Resources Police, the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, the Baltimore County Fire Department, the Maryland State Police Trooper 6 helicopter and the Coast Guard responded to the scene Sunday. They searched for the man until nightfall,��when it was too dark for divers to look in the water, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The search resumed early Monday morning, with officers shifting to a recovery operation, according to police.

Chesapeake Search Dogs were scanning the area where Jones went underwater. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department brought in multiple vessels, divers and unmanned aerial systems teams to help with the search. The area police department used side-scan sonar and aerial drones.

Jones’ body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Stay with �Ӱ�ԭ�� for the latest.��

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s José Umaña contributed to this report.��

Source

Part of Interstate 495 were closed between Interstate 66 and Route 50 as police investigated, according to �Ӱ�ԭ��’s �Ӱ�ԭ�� Center.

For about 30 minutes, all lanes of the Beltway were shut down near the crash.

Once police reopened a few of the main lanes and the express lanes, traffic was creeping by the crash site.

Few details about the crash are available but a program operated by area transportation authorities said it.

for the latest on roadway impacts.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Dave Dildine contributed to this report.��

Source

The park service wrote a report on the possible effects of the proposed Triumphal Arch, which would be built within Memorial Circle, between the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery and the Memorial Bridge.

Comments can be made on the now through July 30.

In its report, the park service looked into possible impacts of other changes in the area that would come alongside the arch, including plaza development, landscape changes, utilities, circulation modifications and construction staging.

Some those impacts would include lane closures during the construction of the arch and the installation of new traffic signals.

It’s the second time the park service has invited the public to comment on its report. An earlier public comment period was open last month.

President Donald Trump has pushed for a 250-foot Triumphal Arch to be built in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. But the idea has drawn criticism from some members of the public and preservationists.

Despite that pushback, the National Capital Planning Commission voted to approve preliminary site and building plans for arch last week, The Associated Press reports.

Source

A few more clouds may dot the sky, and an isolated late-day thunderstorm may pop up, but most neighborhoods will remain dry and hot. Highs will still reach the lower to mid-90s, with feels-like temperatures ranging from 100 to 105.

Much of the D.C. region is under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. with heat index values around 105 in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service.

A code orange air quality alert is also in effect across the District, suburban Maryland, Northern Virginia and the Baltimore region. The alert means pollution levels could become unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with asthma, heart disease or other respiratory conditions.

7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan said a large ridge of high pressure responsible for the intense heat is also carrying wildfire smoke south from Canada, leaving the region with hazy skies and reduced air quality.

“Anyone with asthma or respiratory issues should avoid or limit strenuous activity outdoors,” Whelan said. “Otherwise, probably want to do that just because it’s going to be so hot and humid. Afternoon highs get into the mid- to upper 90s.”

The National Weather Service said smoke from fires in Quebec and Western Ontario will continue thickening across the region.

Thursday night will remain warm and humid before somewhat less humid air moves in Friday.

The smoke could become even more noticeable Friday as a thicker plume settles over the region, potentially further reducing visibility and worsening air quality. Additional air quality alerts may be needed. Temperatures will back off a few degrees but remain very hot, with highs in the middle to upper 90s

A cold front approaching Saturday will begin stirring the atmosphere and bring the weekend’s greatest threat of dangerous weather.

Saturday will feel “tropical,” Whelan said, with highs near 90 and scattered showers and thunderstorms developing. There could be damaging winds, large hail and isolated flash flooding, depending on how much instability develops during the day.

Conditions improve somewhat Sunday, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures around 90 and only a stray storm possible.

Relief arrives next week when afternoon highs are expected to fall into the 80s.

Until then, Whelan urged residents to take the heat seriously, limit strenuous outdoor activity and use extra caution if they are sensitive to wildfire smoke.

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Forecast

THURSDAY EVENING:
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 8PM
Hazy/smoky sun, hot. Isolated PM storm chance
Temperatures: 90s to 80s
Winds: West 5-10 mph

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Hazy, smokey skies
Lows: 70-78
Winds: Light

FRIDAY:
Haze and smoke
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Northeast 5-10 mph

SATURDAY:
Partly sunny. Strong storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

SUNDAY:
Partly cloudy. Isolated storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

Source

“When you factor in the humidity, which is very high, we’ve got feels-like temperatures, the heat index values, anywhere from 102 to 105 degrees,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Mark Peña.

That summer heat is expected to hold through the evening and temperatures are back near 100 Thursday and Friday.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the D.C. area until 8 p.m. Wednesday as heat index values could be 105 to 109 degrees.

According to the weather service, heat index values hit 106 at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday afternoon.

There is also a code orange air quality alert in effect Wednesday and Thursday for ground level ozone with some wildfire smoke in the upper levels of the atmosphere, according to 7News First Alert Meteorologist Eileen Whelan.

“That big ridge of high pressure that’s bringing us the heat is also transporting some of that wildfire smoke to the upper levels of the atmosphere, so creating kind of that milky-looking sky,” Whelan said.

Temperatures are expected to fall into the 80s Wednesday evening and into the mid 70s overnight.

“We’re going to do it all over again on your Thursday, temperatures back in the lower 100s, with feels-like temperatures again anywhere from 102 to 105,” Peña said.

Friday will be hot and humid, but not as extreme as the prior days. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to upper 90s.

DC region responses to the heat

As a result of the extremely hot weather, local officials are responding with caution.

In the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the city will be under an extreme heat alert starting Wednesday through Saturday. It’s recommended to avoid arduous activity outdoors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In Virginia, Fairfax County Public Schools is canceling all outdoor activities, such as recess and extracurricular activities from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday.

To stay safe during the heat, it’s strongly recommended that you drink a lot of water to keep yourself hydrated, wear light clothing and stay indoors as much as possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes, which is about a quart every hour.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� has a list of all the cooling centers in the D.C. region.

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Forecast

WEDNESDAY EVENING: Hazy, hot and humid
Temperatures: 90s to 80s
Winds: West 5-10 mph

OVERNIGHT: Hazy and muggy
Lows: 75-82
Winds: Light

THURSDAY: WEATHER ALERT
Partly cloudy and very hot with isolated afternoon storm chance
Highs: 97-101
Winds: West 5-10 mph

FRIDAY: Partly cloudy and hot
Highs: 95-99
Winds: Northwest 5-10 mph

SATURDAY: Storms possible
Highs: 90-95
Winds: Southeast 5-10 mph

SUNDAY: Scattered showers and storms
Highs: 88-93
Winds: West 5-10 mph

Current Conditions

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U.S. Capitol Police said 67-year-old Wendell Royster pulled up to the North Barricade entrance to the Capitol and stopped to talk to the officer just before 11:30 a.m.

That’s when the Capitol Police officer saw the handgun and ordered the driver to put his hands up. Officers surrounded the SUV and Royster was arrested within two minutes of approaching the barricade.

Weapons are not allowed on the Capitol grounds. Royster was driving a rented Ford Bronco at the time of his arrest and a dog was inside the SUV, according to a news release from police.

Royster has been charged with carrying a pistol without a license and permit.

“Royster was not on record with the USCP,” the police department wrote in a . “Currently, there does not appear to be a nexus to the Congress.”

The incident led to a significant police response and investigators initially asked people to avoid the area just off Constitution Avenue on the Senate side of the Capitol.

Police told �Ӱ�ԭ�� no one was hurt. Officers gave the dog food and water until animal control came to pick up the animal.

�Ӱ�ԭ��’s Mitchell Miller contributed to this report.

Source

On Monday afternoon, Fairfax County police identified Chisen Jameson, 60, as the woman who was shot in the 12000 block of Washington Brice Road.

Her husband, 64-year-old Leland Jameson, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

Officers were first called to the Jamesons’ home at around 10:20 p.m., according to Fairfax County police. A 911 call taker could “hear sounds consistent with a disturbance before the line disconnected,” according to a news release. Another 911 call was made roughly 20 minutes later.

Police said they found Chisen inside. She had gunshot wounds in her upper body and died at the scene.

Leland is being held on no bond at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center.

“The investigation is ongoing, but we do have a suspect detained, and there are no outstanding parties,” Deputy Chief Brendan Hooke said at a news conference Monday.

Investigators said they’re still processing evidence and conducting interviews.��Police have asked anyone with information to contact the department by phone at 866-411-8477 and.

A map of the area where the shooting happened is below:

Source

At one point, the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for parts of St. Mary’s and Charles counties after a waterspout was spotted offshore near the Wicomico River.

Torrential rain created delays for afternoon commuters with ponding on some roadways and low visibility, �Ӱ�ԭ�� �Ӱ�ԭ��’s Dave Dildine reported.

Afternoon and early evening thunderstorms dropped buckets of rain on the D.C. area, flooding some spots, and blew through with gusty winds that could knock out power.

“Rainfall rates of two to three inches per hour, so obviously visibilities are low,” �Ӱ�ԭ�� Meteorologist Mike Stinneford reported at 4:30 p.m. “We’re still seeing a lot of heavy storms all the way back into West Virginia, and that’s all got to come through the area.”

Some of the storms carried in hail the size of quarters, according to the National Weather Service.

The D.C. region was under a flood watch from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday. The weather service said urban areas along Interstate 95, which have seen heavy rainfall this week, were at the highest risk.

Dildine reported ponding and instances of flooding on major commuter routes, including the Beltway and I-270, during Thursday evening’s commute.

The chance for storms diminished by 7 p.m., when the weather service canceled its severe thunderstorm watch for most of the D.C. area.

“Lingering showers and storms will draw to a close this evening, a little bit of patchy fog overnight,” said 7News First Alert Meteorologist Steve Rudin.

• Listen to �Ӱ�ԭ�� online��and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM.
• Current traffic conditions
• Weather forecast
• Closings and Delays
• Sign up for �Ӱ�ԭ�� email alerts
• Get custom alerts with the �Ӱ�ԭ�� app for�������Ի��������DzԱ��

Outside of the storms, Thursday was warm with highs around 85 to 90 and high humidity.

Friday afternoon could bring another round of storms. Periods of sunshine are expected to break through over the weekend.

Forecast

THURSDAY NIGHT:
Becoming partly cloudy. Areas of patchy fog
Lows: 68-75
Winds: West 5 mph

FRIDAY:
Partly cloudy. Scattered showers, storms possible
Highs: near 90
Winds: West 5-10 mph

SATURDAY:
Scattered PM storms
Highs: 78-85
Winds: North 5-10 mph

SUNDAY:
Partly cloudy
Highs: 83-88
Winds: Northeast 5-10 mph

Power Outage Map

Current Conditions

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