In Leesburg, all of the Virginia Department of Transportation’s preparation kept the roads passable, even when the temperatures dipped below freezing. By noon on Saturday, light, wet snow had started to fall. Places toward the west like Winchester got a bit more, but treated roads were fine.

And if you were really into snow, you did have to travel a bit to get some. About halfway between Leesburg and Winchester, at the foot of the aptly named Mount Weather in Bluemont, there was just enough snow to make things postcard picturesque. 

Weather Alert 15 hours ago

Weather Alert: Snow to the west, rain to the east as first storm of 2024 hits DC area

Storm Team4 4 hours ago

Storm Team4 forecast: Weather alert for wintry mix of snow, rain on Saturday

“I’ve been wanting to go over Mount Weather for a little while, and I just got impatient,” cyclist Alex Scheets said. 

So he asked good friend Brian Garcia to come along.

“I was like, you wanna do this with me? And he was like, ‘I’ll do it! I’m down! Let’s go!’” Scheets said. “That’s kind of what I had in mind when I was picturing the ride. In my head I was like, I want it to be snowing like this.”

Though they were fully aware of the forecast and didn’t let it stop them, by the time they ridden 23.5 miles to the front porch of the Bluemont Welcome Center, they’d seen enough. 

“Turning around and going back we’ll have to do the same distance, so we got our distance in. I think for safety’s sake we’re gonna avoid going any higher in elevation,” Sheets said. 

Early on, there wasn’t enough snow to shovel, and what was on cars the wipers could handle. So snow-lovers in the DMV will have to wait, like the cyclists headed back the way they came will have to wait to go higher up the mountain.

The winter storm was moving out of the region on Saturday night, but before it did, it left light snow and some sleet before it changed into all rain for much of the area. Highs were in mid- to upper 30s.

“We could see rain and snow coming down at a pretty good rate at times,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said.

Areas to the north and west of the D.C. metro area saw the largest effects of the storm and the most frozen precipitation. Loudoun County, Virginia, public schools canceled on-campus activities and announced administrative officers would be closed Saturday.

Fairfax County and Fauquier County schools in Virginia followed suit, also closing on-campus activities for Saturday. In Maryland, Frederick Community College canceled classes and closed its campus for the day.

Storm Team4 predicts:

• Little to no accumulation in the D.C. metro area
• 1-3 inches of snow north and west of D.C., for Warrenton up through Leesburg to Frederick
• 3 to 6 inches of snow and some ice further north and west, in the I-81 corridor.

Here’s where snow and rain are expected

Red zone: Along the I-81 corridor and up to Frederick County, Maryland is where the storm will have the biggest impacts. Snow is expected to arrive in the morning and continue into the afternoon. Even in this zone, the storm will likely end with rain.

But there’s also the chance for some ice in these areas north and west of D.C., including the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Hagerstown area.

Yellow Zone: Between Washington; most of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince William counties and down through Stafford and Fauquier counties, expect a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and/or snow.

“We’re looking at a mix of rain and snow changing over to all rain by the midday and afternoon hours” on Saturday, Draper said.

Green zone: In southern Maryland, central and southern Prince George’s County and up through Anne Arundel County, you’re dealing with mainly rain.

“Could you see a few snowflakes? Absolutely,” Draper said. “But this is just going to be, for the most part, a rainy chilly day for those of you east of I-95.”

Weather radar

Download the NBC Washington app on Apple and Android to use the weather radar on your mobile device.

Timing and snow totals

By 9 a.m. Saturday, we saw a wintry mix across the area, dropping mainly wet snow around D.C. and areas to the north.

By midday, the rain and snow line was in play right along the I-95 corridor. The D.C. area saw a shift to mostly rain in the afternoon.

But residents further west, in places like Purcelville and Clear Brooke, Virginia; Walkersville and Corriganville, Maryland; and Petersburg, West Virginia, snow began to accumulate by lunchtime.

Rain will exit as we head into nighttime, but there could be a lingering shower or some lingering snow showers out there on Sunday.

We’re talking about a lot of moisture: Nearly an inch of precipitation could fall in D.C. and its immediate suburbs.

Unfortunately for snow lovers, most of this precipitation will be rain.

If this storm system was all snow, we’d be talking about nearly a foot of snow across the area. But surface temperatures will be too warm, among other factors.

Winter weather advisory issued for parts of Maryland and Virginia

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from Saturday morning through the evening in areas all around D.C., including:

• Spotsylvania County, VA
• Orange County, VA
• Greene County, VA
• Culpeper County, VA
• Madison County, VA
• Stafford County, VA
• Central and Southeast Prince William County/Manassas/Manassas Park, VA
• Fairfax County, VA
• Rappahannock County, VA
• Northern Fauquier County, VA
• Northwest Prince William County, VA
• Eastern Loudoun County, VA
• Western Loudoun County, VA
• Central and Southeast Montgomery County, MD
• Central and Southeast Howard County, MD

Roads could be slippery in these areas, the National Weather Service warned.

A winter storm watch was issued for the I-81 corridor, including Winchester and Luray.

In Frederick, Maryland, state police activated the county’s Snow Emergency Plan on Saturday afternoon, designating a series of highways as snow emergency routes and requiring drivers to use snow tires.

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.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, they write, only one U.S. political party “violated all three.”

Saturday marks the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, and Donald Trump, the former president, is far-and-away the leading Republican candidate in 2024. He still refuses to acknowledge his earlier loss to President Joe Biden. Far from rejecting the rioters, he has suggested he would pardon some of those who have been convicted of violent crimes. Rather than distance himself from extremists, he welcomes them at his rallies and calls them patriots.

And Trump is now backed by many of the Republican leaders who fled for their lives and hid from the rioters, even some who had condemned Trump. Several top GOP leaders have endorsed his candidacy.

The support for Trump starkly highlights the divisions in the aftermath of the deadly storming of the Capitol and frames the question about whose definition of governance will prevail — or if democracy will prevail at all.

“If our political leaders do not stand up in defense of democracy, our democracy won’t be defended,” said Levitsky, one of the Harvard professors whose new book is “Tyranny of the Minority.”

“There’s no country in the world, no country on Earth in history, where the politicians abdicated democracy but the institutions held,” he told The Associated Press. “People have to defend democracy.”

The third anniversary of the Jan. 6 attack comes during the most convulsive period in American politics in at least a generation, with Congress barely able to keep up with the basics of governing, and the start of the presidential nominating contests just over a week away.

Trump’s persistent false claims that the election of 2020 was stolen — which has been rejected in at least 60 court cases, every state election certification and by the former president’s one-time attorney general — continue to animate the presidential race as he eyes a rematch with Biden.

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Instead, Trump now faces more than 90 criminal charges in federal and state courts, including the federal indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith that accused Trump of conspiring to defraud the U.S. over the election.

Biden, speaking Friday near Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge, commemorated Jan. 6, saying on that day “we nearly lost America — lost it all.”

While the Congress returned that night to certify the election results and show the world democracy was still standing, Biden said Trump is now trying to revise the narrative of what happened that day — calling the rioters “patriots” and promising to pardon them. And he said some Republicans in Congress were complicit.

“When the attack on Jan. 6 happened there was no doubt about the truth,” Biden said. “Now these MAGA voices — who know the truth about Trump and Jan. 6 — have abandoned the truth and abandoned the democracy.”

At a quieter Capitol, without much ceremony planned for Saturday, it will be the last time the anniversary will pass before Congress is called upon again, on Jan. 6, 2025, to certify the results of the presidential election — democracy once more put to the test.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Maryland Democrat who led Trump’s impeachment over the insurrection, said Biden’s 306-232 electoral victory in 2020 remains “the hard, inescapable, irradicable fact that Donald Trump and his followers have not been able to accept — to this day.”

Raskin envisions a time when there will be a Capitol exhibit, and tours for visitors, to commemorate what happened Jan. 6, 2021. Five people died during the riot and the immediate aftermath, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police.

All told,140 police officers were injured in the Capitol siege, including U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick who died later. Several others died later by suicide.

One officer, Harry Dunn, has announced he is running for Congress to “ensure it never happens again.”

Trump’s decision to reject the results of the 2020 election was the only time Americans have not witnessed the peaceful transfer of presidential power, a hallmark of U.S. democracy.

A giant portrait of George Washington resigning his military commission hangs in the U.S. Capitol, a symbol of the voluntary relinquishing of power — a move that was considered breathtaking at the time. He later was elected the first U.S. president.

Trump opened his first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign with a popular recording of the J6 Prison Choir — riot defendants singing “The Star-Spangled Banner” recorded over a phone line from jail, interspersed with Trump reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

More than 1,200 people have been charged in the riot, with nearly 900 convicted, including leaders of the extremist groups the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who are serving lengthy terms for seditious conspiracy.

Trump has called Jan. 6 defendants “hostages” and said there was so much love at the “Stop the Steal” rally he held near the White House that day before he encouraged the mob to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, assuring he would be with them at the Capitol, though he never did join.

Allies of Trump scoff at the narrative of Jan. 6 that has emerged. Mike Davis, a Trump ally sometimes mentioned as a future attorney general, has mocked the Democrats and others for turning Jan. 6 into a “religious holiday.”

Republican Kevin McCarthy, who went on to become House speaker, had called Jan. 6 the “saddest day” he ever had in Congress. But when he retired last month he endorsed Trump for president and said he would consider joining his cabinet.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said he would back whomever becomes the Republican Party nominee, despite a scathing speech at the time in which he called Trump’s actions “disgraceful” and said the rioters “had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election.”

Asked about Trump’s second-term agenda, GOP lawmakers brushed off his admission that he would be a dictator on “day one.”

“He’s joking,” said Trump ally Byron Donalds, R-Fla.

“Just bravado,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn. “There’s still checks and balances.”

Levitsky said when he and his colleague wrote their earlier book, they believed that the Republicans in Congress would be a “bulwark against Trump.”

But with so many of the Trump detractors having retired or been voted out of office, “We were much less pessimistic than we are today.”

The Federal Aviation Administration said it was requiring immediate inspections of some Max 9 planes operated by U.S. airlines or flown in the United States by foreign carriers.

The FAA’s emergency order, which it said will affect about 171 planes worldwide, is the latest blow to Boeing over the Max lineup of jets, which were involved in two deadly crashes shortly after their debut.

On Friday, a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 seven minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. The rapid loss of cabin pressure pulled the clothes off a child and caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling, but miraculously none of the 171 passengers and six members were injured. Pilots made a safe emergency landing.

Hours after the terrifying incident, Alaska Airlines announced that it would ground its entire fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections and maintenance. CEO Ben Minicucci said Alaska expects the inspections to be completed “in the next few days.”

Alaska said on Saturday that the affected areas on 18 of its Max 9s were inspected during recent, intense maintenance work and were cleared to return to carrying passengers.

Even the short grounding disrupted the airline — the Max 9 accounts for more than one-fourth of Alaska’s fleet — and its passengers. On Saturday, Alaska canceled more than 100 flights, or 15% of its schedule, by late morning on the West Coast, according to FlightAware.

United Airlines said it had inspected 33 of its 79 Max 9s, and pulling the planes from service had caused about 60 canceled flights.

Photos showed a hole in the Alaska jet where an emergency exit is installed when planes are configured to carry a maximum number of passengers. Alaska plugs those doors because its 737 Max 9 jets don’t have enough seats to trigger the requirement for another emergency exit.

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board said they would investigate Friday’s incident.

Boeing declined a request to make an executive available for comment. The company, based in Arlington, Virginia, issued a statement saying it supported the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections. Boeing said it was providing technical help to the investigators.

Analysts said the extent of the damage to Boeing’s brand will depend on what investigators determine caused the blowout.

Richard Aboulafia, a longtime aerospace analyst and consultant, said if the blowout is traced to a manufacturing issue it would put more pressure on Boeing to change its processes, and cash-generating deliveries of new planes could be slowed.

Aboulafia said, however, he doesn’t expect any change in Boeing’s sales of the planes “unless the situation is worse than it seems.” Airlines are snapping up new, more fuel-efficient planes from Boeing and Airbus to meet strong demand for travel coming out of the pandemic.

The plane involved in Friday’s incident is brand-new — it began carrying passengers in November and has made only 145 flights, according to Flightradar24, a flight-tracking service.

The Max — the Max 8 and Max 9 differ mainly in size — is the newest version of Boeing’s venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights.

More than a decade ago, Boeing considered designing and building an entirely new plane to replace the 737. But afraid of losing sales to European rival Airbus, which was marketing a more fuel-efficient version of its similarly sized A320, Boeing decided to take the shorter path of tweaking the 737 — and the Max was born.

A Max 8 jet operated by Lion Air crashed in Indonesia in 2018, and an Ethiopian Airlines Max 8 crashed in 2019. Regulators around the world grounded the planes for nearly two years while Boeing changed an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.

Federal prosecutors and Congress questioned whether Boeing had cut corners in its rush to get the Max approved quickly, and with a minimum of training required for pilots. In 2021, Boeing settled a criminal investigation by agreeing to pay $2.5 billion, including a $244 million fine. The company blamed two relatively low-level employees for deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration about flaws in the flight-control system.

Robert Clifford, a Chicago lawyer who is representing families of passengers killed in the Ethiopian crash, said Friday’s incident raised questions of whether regulators were too quick to let Max planes return to flying. He accused Boeing of putting profits over safety.

“This is a company that went from being the gold standard in engineering expertise and precision to now a company that seems like it’s at the bottom of the barrel,” he said.

Boeing has estimated in financial reports that fallout from the two fatal crashes has cost it more than $20 billion. It has reached confidential settlements with most of the families of passengers who died in the crashes.

After a pause following the crashes, airlines resumed buying the Max. But the plane has been plagued by problems unrelated to Friday’s blowout.

Questions about components from suppliers have held up deliveries at times. Last year, the FAA told pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions because of concern that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, possibly striking the plane. And in December, Boeing told airlines to inspect the planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system.

A passenger on a Southwest Airlines jet was killed in 2018 when a piece of engine housing blew off and shattered the window she was sitting next to. However, that incident involved an earlier version of the Boeing 737, not a Max.

Despite the fire, Gabby Crumpton and her six kids are doing their best to brighten their days.

“No one’s gonna do it how I’m gonna do it, so I gotta constantly tell myself, ‘You’re gonna be OK,’” Crumpton said.

The fire took place on Douglass Road SE Monday night. Huge flames reached toward the sky.

“Mom mode was like, get them out of there,” Crumpton said. “It’s time for you all to go.”

“My kids left out of there with just the clothes on their back,” she said. “No shoes, no nothing.”

She and her kids moved into a hotel in Clinton, Maryland, but she said the apartment complex is only paying for it through Monday. After that, they’ll likely move to a shelter.

Making things more difficult, Crumpton’s son Za’kari needs a feeding tube because of medical problems.

“Having six kids and going through what we’re going through right now is very hard,” she said. “I feel like I’m on my last leg.”

Crumpton has shared her story online, and people have donated clothes and supplies. An online fundraiser has raised more than $10,000.

“Very grateful, very thankful and highly blessed,” Crumpton said. “I gotta give it to the man upstairs, God, ‘cause without him, I don’t know where me and my kids would be, honestly.”

She said fire investigators told her an electrical malfunction caused the fire.

Dwight Foster’s 10-month-old shepherd-lab mix Double O was shot three time in the 200 block of L Street SW.

The dog survived but needs jaw surgery that costs more than $10,000.

Foster is a senior citizen living on a fixed income.

“He means the world to me,” he said. “Like I told them, that night I just wanted him to get well.”

An employee at a veterinary hospital started a community fundraiser on GoFundMe to help Foster and Double O.

D.C. police and the Humane Rescue Alliance are investigating.

Cameron Diaz had no connection to late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein despite being mentioned by one of his former accusers of sexual abuse in newly unsealed court documents, the actress’ publicist says.

In the documents, as seen on Page Six, Johanna Sjoberg alleged in a deposition that the late financier spoke about his ties to several celebrities, noting that he engaged in “name-dropping.” She was asked if she met Diaz and she responded, “No.”

“Cameron never met Jeffrey Epstein, nor was she ever in the same place as him or had any association with him whatsoever,” the actress’ rep said in a statement to multiple outlets Jan. 5,” regardless of the fact he may or may not have mentioned her name or implied that he knew her.”

The documents were unsealed by a federal judge as part of a settled civil defamation lawsuit that another accuser, Virginia Roberts Guiffre, had filed in 2015 against Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell, alleging she was a victim of sex trafficking and abuse. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence for recruiting and grooming underage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein.

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The late multimillionaire financier had socialized with many celebs, royalty, politicians and businessmen throughout his life. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor and served over a year in a jail work-release program.

In July 2019, he was arrested on charges of sex trafficking of dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, from at least 2002 to 2005. He pleaded not guilty.

A month after his arrest, while awaiting trial, Epstein died in prison at age 66 from an apparent suicide.

The incident occurred shortly after takeoff and the gaping hole caused the cabin to depressurize. Flight data showed the plane climbed to 16,000 feet (4,876 meters) before returning to Portland International Airport.

The airline said the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.

“Following tonight’s event on Flight 1282, we have decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.

Each of the aircraft will be returned to service after full maintenance and safety inspections, which Minicucci said the airline anticipated completing within days.

The airline provided no immediate information about whether anyone was injured or the possible cause.

The plane was diverted about about six minutes after taking off at 5:07 p.m., according to flight tracking data from the FlightAware website. It landed at 5:26 p.m.

The pilot told Portland air traffic controllers the plane had an emergency, was depressurized and needed to return to the airport, according to a recording made by the website LiveATC.net.

A passenger sent KATU-TV in Portland a photo showing the hole in the side of the airplane next to passenger seats. Video shared with the station showed people wearing oxygen masks and passengers clapping as the plane landed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was investigating an event on the flight and would post updates when they are available. The Federal Aviation Administration also said it would investigate.

The Boeing 737-9 MAX involved in the incident rolled off the assembly line and received its certification just two months ago, according to online FAA records.

The plane had been on 145 flights since entering commercial service on Nov. 11, said FlightRadar24, another tracking service. The flight from Portland was the aircraft’s third of the day.

Boeing said it was aware of the incident, working to gather more information and ready to support the investigation.

The Max is the newest version of Boeing’s venerable 737, a twin-engine, single-aisle plane frequently used on U.S. domestic flights. The plane went into service in May 2017.

Two Max 8 jets crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people and leading to a near two-year worldwide grounding of all Max 8 and Max 9 planes. The planes returned to service only after Boeing made changes to an automated flight control system implicated in the crashes.

Last year, the FAA told pilots to limit use of an anti-ice system on the Max in dry conditions because of concern that inlets around the engines could overheat and break away, possibly striking the plane.

Max deliveries have been interrupted at times to fix manufacturing flaws. The company told airlines in December to inspect the planes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder-control system.

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Mary Wong, 63, was walking home from work about 8 p.m. Dec. 27 when she was struck in a crosswalk near her home in Springfield.

“Life just completely changed in that one moment,” said her daughter, Jeanie Wong.

Her mother’s prognosis doesn’t look good.

“They can’t really operate on her, so we’re just hoping that she wakes up,” said the victim’s son, David Wong. “Every day we try to stay positive, but the news from the doctors just aren’t that great.”

The Wongs’ father died of a heart attack in December 2021.

“It’s just so unfair that this had to happen so early on after we lost my dad,” David Wong said.

He and his sister say their mother always put them first and is the type of person who wants to make others happy.

“She’s just very warm,” Jeanie Wong said. “She would always ask people if they were hungry so she could find a reason to cook something in the kitchen and overfeed us.”

Fairfax County police reviewed surveillance video and believe a sedan hit Mary Wong.

“I’d want to say to them that they took our definition of home away from us,” David Wong said. “If you have any sort of self-conscience, I hope you step up and just admit to it.”

The family set up an online fundraiser to help with medical expenses.

Horse racing officials are calling on lawmakers to upgrade the state’s horse racing model. The plan would temporarily relocate Preakness, the second leg of the Triple Crown, from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore to Laurel Park in Anne Arundel County for two seasons.

Under the proposal, Pimlico would be rebuilt as a hub for Maryland’s year-round racing industry. There are plans for a hotel, event space and other developments to attract visitors.

However, the changes would first need to be approved by Maryland’s General Assembly.

Gov. Wes Moore released a statement Friday, saying in part, “I look forward to working with the General Assembly and the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority to finalize an agreement that ensures this important industry continues to create jobs and drive economic growth for years to come.”

The white Jeep SUV with a missing gas cap door was taken from the 3000 block of M Street NW about 6 p.m. on a bitter cold winter evening. The baby’s mother left the car running while she went inside a Le Labo perfume store, witnesses said.

The baby was found in a car seat in the 1500 block of 28th Street SE about 7 p.m., police said. Residents of a home there said there was a knock at their door and they found the baby on the porch.

D.C. Fire and EMS evaluated the baby and found no injuries, police said. She was reunited with her mother.

The car is still missing.

Stay with News4 for developments to this story.

But if getting sick could put $1,900 in your bank account, many people would consider it.

To figure out how the flu is transmitted, researchers at UMD are conducting “a first-of-its-kind study” — and recruiting some brave, paid participants.

The University of Maryland School of Public Health in College Park and the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore are trying to learn more about how illness spreads. Their two-month study needs people willing to quarantine in a hotel with flu-infected people, likely getting infected themselves.

The goal is to better determine how the virus infects us every flu season.

“Nobody has successfully observed influenza transmission under controlled conditions,” said Dr. Donald Milton of UMD’s School of Public Health. “It has never been done.”

There could be a number of factors that play a role in the flu’s spread and infectiousness, and we need more information, the researchers say.

“There also might be the airborne component, and we just need to think about it when we get more of the data,” said Dr. Wilbur Chen of UMD’s School of Medicine.

Milton and Chen are leading the study, which will recruit both healthy patients and those who are in the early, onset days of the flu. The patients will mingle together in the same air-controlled environment, playing games, talking and watching TV to mimic a gathering.

“We just need to be able to capture it and monitor it very closely while on the quarantine unit,” Chen said.

“That then will tell us, if people get infected when the air quality is very poor, but not when the air quality is very good, that will tell us that they were getting it by breathing,” Milton explained.

What the study’s findings may show

If the researchers’ flu transmission hypothesis proves to be true, they say it could serve as the catalyst for a change in public health policy. Their goal is to spark improved air circulation in buildings.

“We can help make people healthier that way,” Milton said. “Colds are one of the main ways that people end up with severe asthma attacks, end up in the hospital.”

The multi-million dollar study uses money from the National Institutes of Health. It will include medical devices to measure the number of virus particles in exhaled air, and to test UV lights and air filters.

“I figured this will be a good opportunity to just kind of take a look and experience how studies are being conducted so that I can make my own judgment,” said Matthew Tan, one of the study participants.

Researchers have already recruited the healthy volunteers, but Friday is when they’re recruiting participants with the flu.

To qualify, adults between the age of 18 and 59 must have:

• A cough or sore throat
• A fever of at least 100.2 and
• A positive flu test

All volunteers will stay at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, with all expenses paid. They’ll also get up to $1,900.

The results of the study are expected in the spring.

Wounded by a bullet that struck her hand and chest and punctured a lung, Zwerner rushed the other first-graders into the hallway before she collapsed in the elementary school’s office.

“I hope that they are enjoying school, enjoying their second-grade year,” Zwerner, 26, told The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. “I hope that they’re still kind to their classmates, kind to teachers. I hope that they still have happiness, and that their happiness wasn’t completely stripped away.”

Zwerner gave a round of local media interviews before the Jan. 6 anniversary of the shooting at Richneck Elementary in Newport News. And while she’s endured an extremely challenging 12 months, both physically and emotionally, Zwerner recalled moments of joy with friends and family and the warmth of strangers who’ve contacted her from across the globe.

“The amount of kindness that people still have, that really resonates with me,” she told ABC affiliate 13News Now. “That helps me remember that, just because something terrible happened to me that should never have happened, there’s still kindness and good left in the world.”

Zwerner said she also has faith in the American court system.

She’s suing Newport News Public Schools for $40 million, alleging that school officials ignored multiple warnings the boy had a gun and was in a violent mood.

The school board has tried to block the lawsuit, arguing that Zwerner is eligible only for workers compensation under Virginia law. But a judge ruled in November that the lawsuit can proceed to trial.

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The school board is in the process of appealing that ruling, which some legal experts said was surprising given Virginia’s strict workers’ compensation law. The school board also filed a claim Friday before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission seeking full benefits on Zwerner’s behalf, including nearly 10 years net pay and lifetime medical care for her injuries.

A statement from school board attorney Anne Lahren noted that a two-year statute of limitations for seeking benefits would otherwise expire before the trial’s scheduled start date in late January 2025.

“She has recently given interviews expressing worry about medical expenses arising from her injuries, all of which would be covered for her lifetime by workers’ compensation benefits,” the statement said. “We do not want to see these significant benefits jeopardized by letting the deadline for filing lapse. We firmly believe that the Workers’ Compensation Commission is the correct forum to determine this case, not the Circuit Court.”

Meanwhile, the mother of the boy who shot Zwerner, Deja Taylor, has been sentenced to a total of nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges. Her son is now in a different school and in the care of his great-grandfather.

Taylor’s son told authorities he got his mother’s handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse. Taylor initially told police she secured her gun with a trigger lock, but investigators said they never found one.

Zwerner declined to talk about Taylor or her son. But she told The Virginian-Pilot that the shooting is “always going to be there with me … and it’s always there in the back of my head.”

Zwerner was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. She still endures nightmares of violence. And after spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, she has had five surgeries to try to restore motion to her left hand.

Zwerner no longer works for the school district and has no plans to teach again, telling 13News Now that her career has “been taken from me, stripped from me.”

She hasn’t been in touch with her former students because “it’s still been really hard to think of the last time I was with them,” Zwerner said. “And then I think about their last time that they were with me.”

The former teacher said she’s considering another career path but isn’t ready to share what it is. In the meantime, she’s been sustained by her family, friends and even strangers. A GoFundMe page set up by her sister has raised more than $280,000. The costs of her recovery — from ambulance, hospital and doctors’ bills to ongoing therapy appointments — continue to grow.

She said this year’s holidays were hard. But they’ve always been hard since her father passed away a few years ago.

“So, I feel like it was double hard this holiday,” Zwerner told 13News Now. “But it was really nice to be able to have a holiday again.”

The justices acknowledged the need to reach a decision quickly, as voters will soon begin casting presidential primary ballots across the country. The court agreed to take up a case from Colorado stemming from Trump’s role in the events that culminated in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Underscoring the urgency, arguments will be held on Feb. 8, during what is normally a nearly monthlong winter break for the justices. The compressed timeframe could allow the court to produce a decision before Super Tuesday on March 5, when the largest number of delegates are up for grabs in a single day, including in Colorado.

The court will be considering for the first time the meaning and reach of a provision of the 14th Amendment barring some people who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office. The amendment was adopted in 1868, following the Civil War. It has been so rarely used that the nation’s highest court had no previous occasion to interpret it.

Colorado’s Supreme Court, by a 4-3 vote, ruled last month that Trump should not be on the Republican primary ballot. The decision was the first time the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot.

Trump is separately appealing to state court a ruling by Maine’s Democratic secretary of state, Shenna Bellows, that he was ineligible to appear on that state’s ballot over his role in the Capitol attack. Both the Colorado Supreme Court and the Maine secretary of state’s rulings are on hold until the appeals play out.

The high court’s decision to intervene, which both sides called for, is the most direct involvement in a presidential election since Bush v. Gore in 2000, when a conservative majority effectively decided the election for Republican George W. Bush. Only Justice Clarence Thomas remains from that court.

Three of the nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Trump, though they have repeatedly ruled against him in 2020 election-related lawsuits, as well as his efforts to keep documents related to Jan. 6 and his tax returns from being turned over to congressional committees.

At the same time, Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have been in the majority of conservative-driven decisions that overturned the five-decade-old constitutional right to abortion, expanded gun rights and struck down affirmative action in college admissions.

Some Democratic lawmakers have called on Thomas to step aside from the case because of his wife’s support for Trump’s effort to overturn the results of the election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Thomas is unlikely to agree, and there was every indication Friday that all the justices are participating. Thomas has recused himself from only one other case related to the 2020 election, involving former law clerk John Eastman, and so far the people trying to disqualify Trump haven’t asked him to recuse.

Capitol Riot Jan 4

One attack, two interpretations: Biden and Trump both make the Jan. 6 riot a political rallying cry

news Jan 4

‘Mnuchin has not been in the room': Trump Treasury secretary absent from 2024 campaign

The 4-3 Colorado decision cites a ruling by Gorsuch when he was a federal judge in that state. That Gorsuch decision upheld Colorado’s move to strike a naturalized citizen from the state’s presidential ballot because he was born in Guyana and didn’t meet the constitutional requirements to run for office. The court found that Trump likewise doesn’t meet the qualifications due to his role in the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. That day, the Republican president held a rally outside the White House and exhorted his supporters to “fight like hell” before they walked to the Capitol.

The two-sentence provision in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment states that anyone who swore an oath to uphold the constitution and then “engaged in insurrection” against it is no longer eligible for state or federal office. After Congress passed an amnesty for most of the former confederates the measure targeted in 1872, the provision fell into disuse until dozens of suits were filed to keep Trump off the ballot this year. Only the one in Colorado was successful.

Trump had asked the court to overturn the Colorado ruling without even hearing arguments. “The Colorado Supreme Court decision would unconstitutionally disenfranchise millions of voters in Colorado and likely be used as a template to disenfranchise tens of millions of voters nationwide,” Trump’s lawyers wrote.

They argue that Trump should win on many grounds, including that the events of Jan. 6 did not constitute an insurrection. Even if it did, they wrote, Trump himself had not engaged in insurrection. They also contend that the insurrection clause does not apply to the president and that Congress must act, not individual states.

Critics of the former president who sued in Colorado agreed that the justices should step in now and resolve the issue, as do many election law experts.

“This case is of utmost national importance. And given the upcoming presidential primary schedule, there is no time to wait for the issues to percolate further. The Court should resolve this case on an expedited timetable, so that voters in Colorado and elsewhere will know whether Trump is indeed constitutionally ineligible when they cast their primary ballots,” lawyers for the Colorado plaintiffs told the Supreme Court.

The issue of whether Trump can be on the ballot is not the only matter related to the former president or Jan. 6 that has reached the high court. The justices last month declined a request from special counsel Jack Smith to swiftly take up and rule on Trump’s claims that he is immune from prosecution in a case charging him with plotting to overturn the 2020 presidential election, though the issue could be back before the court soon depending on the ruling of a Washington-based appeals court.

And the court has said that it intends to hear an appeal that could upend hundreds of charges stemming from the Capitol riot, including against Trump.

Researchers who surveyed more than 8,600 Americans about their support for and willingness to commit political violence shared their findings recently with the News4 I-Team.

A third of those surveyed told researchers violence would usually or always be justified to uphold at least one of 17 situations researchers asked about.

The most popular, 18.7% strongly or very strongly agreed that “if elected leaders won’t protect American democracy, the people must do it themselves, even if it requires taking violent actions.”

Nearly 8.5% of people in the survey agreed strongly or very strongly with the idea of using violence “to stop an election from being stolen,” and 12.1% said political violence is justified “to preserve an American way of life I believe in.”

In another question, 19% strongly or very strongly agreed that “having a strong leader for America is more important than having a democracy.“

“[They] think it’s very important for the United States to have a leader who reflects their views and who are willing to use violence to get there,” Dr. Garen Wintemute recently told the I-Team.

“The thing that really concerns me is the possibility that all of us in the middle are not going to wake up in time to keep that from happening.”

Wintemute is an emergency room physician who started the Violence Prevention Research Program at the University of California, Davis and authored the survey. He told the I-Team his work in the ER led him to follow gun violence trends and a growing anti-government movement. “And then Jan. 6 happened,” Wintemute explained.

“Everybody wanted to move on to other things and kind of put political violence behind us, but the gun purchasing didn’t slacken,” he said. “I started digging into the literature on political violence and talking to the experts and realized people may be arming up. We may be getting ready for civil war or something like that. We started a program of survey research to find out if the answers to those questions were ‘yes.’”

When his team asked those thousands of Americans if they thought civil war was coming, 50.1% somewhat, strongly or very strongly agreed “in the next few years, there will be civil war in the United States.”

‘The truth doesn’t matter … The storytelling matters.’

Jason Van Tatenhove, the former media director for the anti-government group the Oath Keepers, shares the concern. He left the group before the Jan. 6insurrection but told Congress during hearings on it, “I think we need to quit mincing words and just talk about truths. What it was going to be was an armed revolution.”   

Van Tatenhove is the author of a new book, “The Perils of Extremism” and writes for The Colorado Blade, an online news outlet. In his book, Van Tatenhove acknowledges the error in underestimating the movement he was once a part of. He writes Oath Keepers founder “Stewart [Rhodes] had always sprinkled the coming civil war into the messaging, but I had always made the mistake of dismissing such rhetoric. That was a mistake I will no longer make.”

“We’re in a country that’s spiraling right now, and we’ve got to figure out some ways to reengage,” Van Tatenhove told the I-Team in his Colorado hometown.

As someone who spent years crafting the Oath Keepers message, the I-Team took particular note when he said, “The truth doesn’t matter in any of this. The storytelling matters. That’s what matters. That’s what people consume. That’s what they get worked up about.”

“[Is it] also why they leave their house with a loaded weapon?” the I-Team asked.

“Yes,” Van Tatenhove replied.

He explained much of the anti-government movement fed on people’s anxiety over change in the country and then filled the gap with a notion that the work was for a greater good.

Supporters of anti-government movement show higher support for political violence, survey finds

Rachel Carroll Rivas, a 20-year researcher of the anti-government movement for the Southern Poverty Law Center, said on Jan. 6, “None of it surprised me.”

“The anti-government movement for decades used the concept that there would need to be a moment that people would have to take up arms against their own government for patriotic reasons in their minds,” she said. “So, yes, these conversations are very real, and they happen often.”

“I saw that everything that happened on Jan. 6 felt like exactly what they had been saying they were going to do when the time came. For all of those years,” she said.

And still happening — even since Jan. 6 — with the thousands of arrests and trials.

Carroll Rivas said while those cases might have cut out leadership from some groups like the Oath Keepers, a group that drew membership from elected leaders and some civic-minded volunteers, the arrests and federal cases empowered other groups like the Proud Boys or Boogaloo Boys, whose very existence, she says, is predicated on being ready to resist the government.

In Wintemute’s research, supporters of those groups, at least 70%, showed higher levels of support for political violence. According to his results, 41.5% of strong supporters of the Boogaloo movement were very or completely willing to kill a person to advance a political objective.

“Policymakers need to understand that there are groups out there interested in overthrowing the United States. And what our survey suggests is, apart from the groups, the ones who have names that we studied, there are plenty of people just out in the population who share that interest,” Wintemute said.       

Researchers however did not stop at named groups, but studied differences between non-gun owners, those who owned guns and subsets of gun owners. Overall, the survey showed support for political violence between gun owners and the general population was not much different, but support grew among those who said they were recent firearm purchasers and grew even more among those who admit they always carry a firearm outside their home.

According to the survey, 5% of non-gun owners and 6.6% of gun owners said they are “somewhat willing” or “very willing” to kill someone to advance a political objective.

That number jumped to 13.3% for respondents who say they almost always carry a weapon outside the home.

That’s hundreds of people in the survey results, but Wintemute says it equates to millions of Americans in the overall population.

“What the data tell us is there are, on any given day, thousands of armed people walking around in the United States who think that political violence is justified,” Wintemute said.

When his team drilled down even further, it found 62.5% of people who always carry weapons and 29.9% of people who recently purchased a firearm said it was very or extremely likely they would be armed when political violence is justified.

“Denial is not our friend here. We need to believe these data and act on them,” Wintemute said.

“I got sucked in and I got radicalized to a certain extent,” Van Tatenhove told the I-Team as he looked back on his time with the Oath Keepers. “I was lucky in that I was shaken awake and didn’t recognize myself anymore. And I was like, ‘What am I doing?’”

As for solutions, Van Tatenhove offered this warning: “I think our leadership needs to take a much harder stand and say this is not acceptable. This is not who we are as Americans. We’ve got to reject the notion of political violence.”

Reported by Ted Oberg, produced by Rick Yarborough, and shot and edited by Steve Jones.

The next phase of the north parkway rehabilitation project begins Friday night. Crews with the National Park Service (NPS) will shift traffic patterns from the northbound lanes to the southbound lanes.

Right now, all traffic is flowing in the northbound lanes of the GW Parkway between Route 123 and the Capital Beltway. But starting Friday at 8 p.m., crews will begin work to shift traffic to the southbound lanes.

The NPS says this new traffic pattern will be in place until late next year while crews make several improvements, including replacing pavement, reconstructing stone walls and roadside barriers, and lengthening entrance and exit lanes at some interchanges. The northern section of the parkway was completed in 1962 but has never undergone major rehab work until now. As the busiest section of the parkway, it carries about 26 million drivers every year.

To help keep workers safe, the speed limit is 40mph on the GW Parkway between the Capital Beltway and Spout Run Parkway. This reduced speed limit will continue until the project is done.

Find more info on the NPS’ website here about traffic changes, ramp closures and construction zone safety.

The NPS has warned that if there is ice or more than two inches of snow in the forecast, this section of the GW Parkway will have to close.

Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president and chief executive officer, said his departure is effective Jan. 31. The trial in New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit against him, the NRA and others who’ve served as executives is scheduled to start Monday. LaPierre is among the witnesses expected to testify. The NRA said it will continue to fight the lawsuit.

“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization, which said he was exiting for health reasons. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”

James, a Democrat, heralded LaPierre’s resignation as an “important victory in our case” and confirmed that the trial will go on as scheduled. His exit “validates our claims against him, but it will not insulate him or the NRA from accountability,” James said in a statement.

Andrew Arulanandam, a top NRA lieutenant who has served as LaPierre’s spokesperson, will assume his roles on an interim basis, the organization said.

LaPierre, 74, has led the NRA’s day-to-day operations since 1991, acting as the face and vehement voice of its gun-rights agenda and becoming one of the most influential figures in shaping U.S. gun policy. He once warned of “jack-booted government thugs” busting down doors to seize guns, called for armed guards in every school after a spate of shootings, and condemned gun control advocates as “opportunists” who “exploit tragedy for gain.”

In recent years though, the NRA has been beset by financial troubles, dwindling membership and infighting among its 76-member board, along with lingering questions about LaPierre’s leadership and spending. In 2021, at LaPierre’s direction, the NRA filed for bankruptcy and sought to incorporate in Texas instead of New York — but a judge rejected the move, saying it was a transparent attempt to avoid culpability in James’ lawsuit.

Gun control advocates lauded LaPierre’s resignation, mocking his oft-repeated talking point in the wake of myriad mass shootings over the years.

“Thoughts and prayers to Wayne LaPierre,” said Kris Brown, president of the gun control advocacy group Brady. “He’s going to need them to be able to sleep at night. Wayne LaPierre spent three decades peddling the Big Lie that more guns make us safer — all at the expense of countless lives. He has blood on his hands, and I won’t miss him.”

James’ lawsuit accuses LaPierre and other executives of abusing their power and spending tens of millions of dollars in organization funds on personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures.

The suit claims LaPierre spent millions on private jet flights and personal security and accepting expensive gifts — such as African safaris and use of a 107-foot (32-meter) yacht — from vendors.

He is also accused of setting himself up with a $17 million contract with the NRA if he were to exit the organization, spending NRA money on travel consultants, luxury car services, and private jet flights for himself and his family — including more than $500,000 on eight trips to the Bahamas over a three-year span.

NRA Apr 28, 2021

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National Rifle Association Apr 6, 2021

NRA Exec Sheltered on Borrowed Yacht After Mass Shootings

Phillip Journey, an ex-NRA board member who clashed with LaPierre and is expected to testify at the New York trial, said LaPierre’s resignation doesn’t resolve open questions before the court or fix persistent rot within the organization.

“Honestly, the grifters are a snake with many heads and this is just one,” said Journey, a Kansas judge who is running to rejoin the NRA board.

Journey also testified at the NRA’s bankruptcy trial in Texas and said he anticipates there is enough evidence for the James to prove her case. “It’s a tragic end to a career that had many high points,” Journey said of LaPierre stepping down. “It’s one of his own making.”

James is seeking to ban LaPierre and the other executives from serving in leadership positions of any not-for-profit or charitable organization conducting business in New York, which would effectively remove them from any involvement with the NRA.

Some of the NRA’s excess spending was kept secret, James’ lawsuit said, under an arrangement with the organization’s former advertising agency, Ackerman McQueen. The advertising firm would pick up the tab for expenses for LaPierre and other NRA executives and then send a lump sum bill to the organization for “out-of-pocket expenses,” the lawsuit said.

Though now headquartered in Virginia, the NRA was chartered as a nonprofit charity in New York in 1871 by returning Union Army officers who sought to improve marksmanship among soldiers. It remains incorporated in the state.

LaPierre has defended himself, saying in previous testimony that cruising the Bahamas on a yacht was a “security retreat” because he was facing threats after mass shootings. He conceded not reporting the trips on conflict-of-interest forms, testifying: “It’s one of the mistakes I’ve made.”

“He’s been the leading political force of the NRA for over 30 years,” said Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York-Cortland and author several books on gun politics. “He has been the leading edge of the very sharp political voice of the organization.”

Bleiberg reported from Dallas, Texas. Whitehurst reported from Washington, D.C.

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The teen who was shot was taken to a hospital in “critical but stable” condition,” Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod Towers said.

The search for the shooter is ongoing.

Three “young teenagers” were walking when they were approached by three men, Towers said. The men tried to take the 14-year-old’s jacket, and the two groups began to fight. One of the men pulled out a handgun and shot the teen once.

Everyone except the wounded teen ran away. A witness called for help and stayed with the victim until police arrived. The men were not able to steal the jacket, police said.

Hyattsville officers responded to the 3500 block of Carnaby Street, in a neighborhood of new townhouses west of Adelphi Road, at about 12:05 p.m.

Northwestern High School was placed on lockdown as a precaution, Towers said. Police said they couldn’t say whether any of the six people involved are Northwestern High students.

Police said in an update that the jacket was the brand Moose Knuckles, whose jackets start at about $900.

A number of jackets by another high-end brand, Canada Goose, have recently been stolen in the D.C. area.

gun violence Jan 2

Bullet flies into Northwest DC home after man is robbed of Canada Goose jacket

Washington DC Dec 19, 2023

Armed thieves steal cyclist's Canada Goose jacket in Northwest DC

Crime and Courts Feb 6, 2023

Couple Walking in Dupont Circle Robbed of Canada Goose Jackets

The police chief said he was sorry to see a young person wounded and a community traumatized over a jacket.

“It’s absurd. It’s just another example of ruthless crime,” he said.

One resident said he’s interested in talking with his neighbors about safety concerns.

“I think this is the wake-up call for us,” he said.

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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On Friday, the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Dunn launched a campaign in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District, joining a crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Democratic Rep. John Sarbanes.

“Because of Jan. 6 and everything that happened afterwards, it’s clear how much of a threat the extinction of our democracy is — it’s very present right now,” Dunn said in a phone interview Thursday ahead of his announcement. 

“I do believe that we’re literally one election cycle away from the extinction of our democracy,” he added.  

Dunn, a 15-year veteran of the U.S. Capitol Police force, spent the months after the Capitol riot recounting his story from that day, when he was physically attacked by the mob, which also hurled racial slurs at him.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

Happy New Year! 2024 got off to a rockin’ start with an earthquake centered in Rockville, and Storm Team4 is keeping an eye on a little snow, then plenty of rain for Saturday. We’re taking those as signs for an exciting year to come.

We’re already counting down to plenty of goodness…

We’ll share our Winter Restaurant Picks on Wednesday in The Weekend Scene newsletter.

But until then, we have fun fitness, shows with some surprising twists and more to fill up these cold January days.

Elvis Birthday Fight Club

📅 Fri. and Sat.
📍 GALA Hispanic Theatre
💲 $33
🔗 Details

The zany wrestling show celebrating The King’s birthday is back for its 13th year, so those entering the ring should expect some side-splitting bad luck. Get ready for seven rounds of cartoonish fisticuffs featuring a secret list of celebrities, pop stars and politicians (well, impersonators) with burlesque breaks and the fight club’s inaugural drag performance.

Shows will begin at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. each night; it will also be in Baltimore next weekend.

Musicals you can sing along to

Two jukebox musicals – shows powered by some of your favorite songs – will be in D.C. for a couple more weekends, through Jan. 14.

“As You Like It” at the Shakespeare Theatre Company has the Bard’s romantic comedy come together with The Beatles music and a ‘60s setting.

Fans of The Avett Brothers and roots music should check out “Swept Away”, which recently extended its run at Arena Stage.

Sandbox VR

📍 McLean, Virginia
💲 $50-$55 per person
🔗 Details

Strap on a virtual reality headset and enter a different dimension where you journey to space, fight off a zombie ambush or test your fortitude in Squid Game.

Sandbox VR just opened in December and, unlike some other VR arcades we’ve visited, this one has you wear sensors on your ankles and wrists for a full-body immersive experience.

You can book a room for two to six players, which includes 30 minutes of gameplay where you move around the room wielding swords, firing lasers and dodging enemies.

It would be a fun, weather-proof birthday outing for any gamer Capricorns or Aquarians! Guests must be 48 inches or taller to play, and people under 18 must be accompanied by a guardian.

ICYMI: Great museum exhibits

January is the perfect time to revisit a favorite museum and catch up on what’s new.

If you missed seeing Oprah’s portrait debut at the National Portrait Gallery over the busy holiday season, now is a great time to go. 

One of the most big-deal exhibits to open in the District last year, the National Gallery of Art’s Mark Rothko: Paintings on Paper, is worth checking out before it closes at the end of March. You may encounter a line, so be patient!

At the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, you can visit the 9th Annual Workhouse Glass National through Jan. 14 in the Vulcan Gallery, showcasing local and national artists; and Kinetic Candy exhibit through Feb. 4.

The Glenstone Museum in Maryland recently opened “Iconoclasts,” and its retrospective on the work of minimalist painter Ellsworth Kelly is on display through March. Make sure to reserve tickets early. Admission is also guaranteed for students and visitors who arrive via the RideOn bus.

Concerts this weekend

Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Birchmere, $49.50
Multi-Grammy-winning country and bluegrass legend. Details. 

Jackie and the Treehorns, 8 p.m. Saturday, Pie Shop, $15
Prolific and inventive alternative rock from Alexandria. Details. 

Things to do in D.C.

First Friday Art Walk – Dupont
Fri., 6-8 p.m., free

Your Rich BFF: Vivian Tu
Sat., Miracle Theatre, $29.50+

Reopening: “Beyond the Light”
Fri., ARTECHOUSE, $26+

Last chance: Georgetown Glow
Through Sun., free

Book talk: “King: A Life” by Jonathan Eig
Mon., 7 p.m., National Museum of African American History & Culture, free (in-person and virtual)

Things to do in Maryland

Film Screening: “The Endless Summer”
Thurs., 7 p.m., Gateway Arts Center in Brentwood, free

C&O Canal Sunset Hike and Bonfire by REI
Fri., 3:30 p.m., Potomac, $60-$90

Artful Afternoon
Sun., 1-3 p.m., Greenbelt Community Center, free

Book talk on Black surgeons in the Civil War
Sun., 2 p.m., National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, free

Things to do in Virginia

Last chance: Bull Run Festival of Lights and Meadowlark’s Winter Walk of Lights
Open through Sun.

Visions of Resilience: Art for Climate Justice
Opening reception Fri., open through 1/27, Del Ray Artisans gallery in Alexandria, free

The D.C. Big Flea & Antiques Market
Sat. and Sun., Dulles Expo Center, $10 (adults over 12)

Navidad Flamenca
Sat., 7 p.m., McLean Community Center’s Alden Theatre, $20-$30

Want to know what’s up for your weekend? Sign up for The Weekend Scene, our newsletter about events, experiences and adventures for you and for your family around the DMV.

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The 20% annual decrease, which city leaders called the largest ever, suggests Baltimore’s ongoing anti-violence efforts are working.

“We’re finally seeing those efforts paying off and saving lives,” Mayor Brandon Scott said at a news conference earlier this week.

To some extent, Baltimore’s 2023 data is reflected nationwide as many cities have reported declines over the past several months following a pandemic peak.

But to Baltimoreans whose loved ones were among the 263 people killed last year in the city, the positive trend is bittersweet. Dozens of mourners gathered outside City Hall for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night where elected officials and community leaders read aloud the victims’ names.

“We’re nowhere near where we want to be, but 20% is substantial. We have to celebrate,” said Ray Kelly, a longtime Baltimore police reform activist who attended the vigil. “That’s 60 less families getting heartbreaking news.”

gun violence Nov 16, 2023

Gun violence: A call to action

gun violence Nov 15, 2023

As some DC families try to move away from gun violence, they find it's not always so easy

While pinpointing a specific cause for the decrease is virtually impossible, officials and residents cited a confluence of factors that likely contributed, including law enforcement initiatives and community supports. An uptick in youth violence beginning in early 2023 added urgency to the work.

Scott, a Democrat who is running for reelection this year, heralded his administration’s comprehensive violence strategy, which seeks to address the root causes of gun violence by treating it as a public health crisis and combining targeted enforcement actions with resources and social programs that help people choose a different path.

Those efforts have coincided with a series of court-ordered police reform measures aimed at curbing unconstitutional policing practices. The city’s police department was placed under a federal consent decree after the Justice Department launched an investigation in the wake of Gray’s death from spinal injuries sustained during transport in a police van.

Since then, Baltimore’s annual homicide count has remained stubbornly above 300, a number that has come to symbolize an undesirable high-water mark in a city consistently ranking among the nation’s most violent per capita.

Scott noted last year’s drop in homicides was accompanied by a decrease in unconstitutional arrests. A recent report from the city’s consent decree monitoring team says officers are making fewer arrests without probable cause.

“There’s much more work to be done,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley said. “I think we’ve shown over the last couple years that we can both reduce crime and reform a police department at the same time.”

Nonfatal shootings also decreased about 7% last year, according to Baltimore police data, while gun violence soared in neighboring Washington, D.C.

Baltimore homicide detectives solved about 45% of their cases in 2023, a modest increase from the year before despite a deepening manpower shortage that has severely impacted the unit, agency leaders said. Nationwide, the homicide clearance rate hovers between 50% and 60%.

While clearing cases brings families closure and helps build public trust, officials said, the issue of curbing gun violence extends far beyond solid police work.

“Police are not going to solve this problem alone. There’s just no way,” Director Steven Dettelbach of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said following a Baltimore news conference Thursday morning.

Targeted enforcement is key, said U.S. Attorney for Maryland Erek L. Barron. He said police and prosecutors are using their limited resources to go after a relatively small number of known trigger pullers.

Local, state and federal law enforcement leaders touted their collective work to target Baltimore’s most violent offenders, dismantle drug trafficking organizations and seize illegal guns.

Baltimore police are building stronger gun cases, in part because they are working with federal investigators and using ballistics technology to trace individual firearms. In turn, prosecutors are charging more gun cases in federal court, where defendants often face harsher penalties, they said.

About six months after Scott took office in December 2020, he released a five-year plan he hoped would reduce Baltimore gun violence by 15% annually. He created a new office to oversee anti-violence efforts, including the city’s flagship Safe Streets program, which employs conflict mediators with credibility and knowledge of the streets.

The plan also includes a Group Violence Reduction Strategy, which is still being rolled out. It relies on a collaboration between Baltimore police and community groups to target potential shooters and victims, offering them services and support, including employment opportunities, therapy and life coaching. Similar initiatives have seen success in other cities.

While the numbers are promising, city officials and community leaders acknowledged the gaping shortfall that remains when it comes to meeting the needs of young Black men from Baltimore’s poorest and most overlooked neighborhoods. Most perpetrators of violence grow up in poverty and attend underperforming schools. Signs of the local drug trade are all around them and vacant houses line their streets.

For Brunetta Phair, whose older brother was shot and killed last spring, the city’s recent progress has brought her family little comfort.

“It’s still not enough,” she said. “I understand the numbers are going down, but it’s just not enough.”

Clifton Phair, 59, died May 10 from multiple gunshot wounds, according to police. A Baltimore native, he joined the military after high school and left behind two adult children, his sister said.

“He came home from work, stopped to talk to his neighbor and ended up dead,” Brunetta Phair said. She attended Wednesday’s vigil to honor her brother’s memory and remind city officials that his family is still waiting for answers as the case remains unsolved.

They are among the hundreds of people who have been convicted in the massive prosecution of the Jan 6, 2021, riot in the three years since the stunned nation watched the U.S. Capitol attack unfold on live TV.

Washington’s federal courthouse remains flooded with trials, guilty plea hearings and sentencings stemming from what has become the largest criminal investigation in American history. And the hunt for suspects is far from over.

“We cannot replace votes and deliberation with violence and intimidation,” Matthew Graves, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters on Thursday.

Authorities are still working to identify more than 80 people wanted for acts of violence at the Capitol and to find out who placed pipe bombs outside the Republican and Democratic national committees’ offices the day before the Capitol attack. And they continue to regularly make new arrests, even as some Jan. 6 defendants are being released from prison after completing their sentences.

The cases are playing out at the same courthouse where Donald Trump is scheduled to stand trial in March in the case accusing the former president of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss in the run-up to the Capitol attack.

“The Justice Department will hold all Jan. 6 perpetrators at any level accountable under the law, whether they were present that day or otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday. He said the cases filed by Graves and the special counsel in Trump’s federal case, Jack Smith, show the department is “abiding by the long-standing norms to ensure independence and integrity or our investigations.”

A look at where the cases against the Jan. 6 defendants stand:

More than 1,230 people have been charged with federal crimes in the riot, ranging from misdemeanor offenses like trespassing to felonies like assaulting police officers and seditious conspiracy. Roughly 730 people have pleaded guilty to charges, while another roughly 170 have been convicted of at least one charge at a trial decided by a judge or a jury, according to an Associated Press database.

Only two defendants have been acquitted of all charges, and those were trials decided by a judge rather than a jury.

About 750 people have been sentenced, with almost two-thirds receiving some time behind bars. Prison sentences have ranged from a few days of intermittent confinement to 22 years in prison. The longest sentence was handed down to Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys national chairman who was convicted of seditious conspiracy for what prosecutors described as a plot to stop the transfer of power from Trump, a Republican, to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Many rioters are already out of prison after completing their sentences, including some defendants who engaged in violence. Scott Fairlamb — a New Jersey man who punched a police officer during the riot and was the first Jan. 6 defendant to be sentenced for assaulting law enforcement — was released from Bureau of Prisons’ custody in June.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors are closely watching a case that will soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court that could impact hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants. The justices agreed last month to hear one rioter’s challenge to prosecutors’ use of the charge of obstruction of an official proceeding, which refers to the disruption of Congress’ certification of Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory over Trump.

More than 300 Jan. 6 defendants have been charged with the obstruction offense, and so has Trump in the federal case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. Lawyers representing rioters have argued the charge was inappropriately brought against Jan. 6 defendants.

The justices will hear arguments in March or April, with a decision expected by early summer. But their review of the obstruction charge is already having some impact on the Jan. 6 prosecutions. At least two defendants have convinced judges to delay their sentencings until after the Supreme Court rules on the matter.

Dozens of people believed to have assaulted law enforcement during the riot have yet to be identified by authorities, according to Graves. And the statute of limitations for the crimes is five years, which means they would have to be charged by Jan. 6, 2026, he said.

Several defendants have also fled after being charged, including a Proud Boys member from Florida who disappeared while he was on house arrest after he was convicted of using pepper spray gel on police officers. Christopher Worrell, who spent weeks on the lam, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison.

The FBI is still searching for some defendants who have been on the run for months, including a brother-sister pair from Florida. Olivia Pollock disappeared shortly before her trial was supposed to begin in March. Her brother, Jonathan Pollock, is also missing. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $30,000 for information leading to the arrest of Jonathan Pollock, who is accused of thrusting a riot shield into an officer’s face and throat, pulling an officer down steps and punching others.

Another defendant, Evan Neumann, fled the U.S. two months after his December 2021 indictment and is believed to be living in Belarus.

One of the biggest remaining mysteries surrounding the riot is the identity of the person who placed two pipe bombs outside the offices of the Republican and Democratic national committees the day before the Capitol attack. Last year, authorities increased the reward to up to $500,000 for information leading to the person’s arrest. It remains unclear whether there was a connection between the pipe bombs and the riot.

Investigators have spent thousands of hours over the last three years doing interviews and combing through evidence and tips from the public, said David Sundberg, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office.

“We urge anyone who may have previously hesitated to come forward or who may not have realized they had important information to contact us and share anything relevant,” he said in an emailed statement on Thursday.

The explosive devices were placed outside the two buildings between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2021, but officers didn’t find them until the next day. Authorities were called to the Republican National Committee’s office around 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 6. Shortly after, a call came in for a similar explosive device found at the Democratic National Committee headquarters. The bombs were rendered safe, and no one was hurt.

Video released by the FBI shows a person in a gray hooded sweatshirt, a face mask and gloves appearing to place one of the explosives under a bench outside the DNC and separately shows the person walking in an alley near the RNC before the bomb was placed there. The person wore black and light gray Nike Air Max Speed Turf sneakers with a yellow logo.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the Supreme Court justices will hear arguments in March or April, not that they won’t.

___

Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press reporter Lindsay Whitehurst contributed from Washington.

Many residents of the D.C. area could see snowflakes this weekend — but cold rain in the forecast is washing out hopes for a winter wonderland near the Beltway.

Storm Team4 is tracking a winter storm expected throughout Saturday. Some snow is expected Saturday before it changes into all rain for much of the region. Highs will be in the mid- to upper 30s.

“We could see rain and snow coming down at a pretty good rate at times,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Amelia Draper said.

Areas to the north and west of the D.C. metro area will see the largest effects of the storm. Loudoun County, Virginia, public schools canceled on-campus activities and announced administrative officers would be closed Saturday.

Storm Team4 predicts:

• Little to no accumulation in the D.C. metro area
• 1-3 inches of snow north and west of D.C.
• 3 to 6 inches of snow and some ice in the I-81 corridor.

Here’s where snow and rain are expected

Red zone: Along the I-81 corridor and up to Frederick County, Maryland is where the storm will have the biggest impacts. Snow is expected to arrive in the morning and continue into the afternoon. Even in this zone, the storm will likely end with rain.

But there’s also the chance for some ice in these areas north and west of D.C., including the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Hagerstown area.

Yellow Zone: Between Washington; most of Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince William counties and down through Stafford and Fauquier counties, expect a wintry mix.

“We’re looking at a mix of rain and snow changing over to all rain by the midday and afternoon hours” on Saturday, Draper said.

Green zone: In southern Maryland, central and southern Prince George’s County and up through Anne Arundel County, you’re dealing with mainly rain.

“Could you see a few snowflakes? Absolutely,” Draper said. “But this is just going to be, for the most part, a rainy chilly day for those of you east of I-95.”

Weather radar

Download the NBC Washington app on Apple and Android to use the weather radar on your mobile device.

Timing and snow totals

By 9 a.m. Saturday, we’ll likely have a wintry mix across the area, dropping mainly wet snow around D.C. and areas to the north.

About midday, the rain and snow line is set to be in play right along the I-95 corridor. But the D.C. area can expect a shift to mostly rain in the afternoon.

Rain will exit as we head into nighttime, but there could be a lingering shower or some lingering snow showers out there on Sunday.

We’re talking about a lot of moisture: Nearly an inch of precipitation could fall.

Unfortunately for snow lovers, most of this precipitation will be rain.

If this storm system was all snow, we’d be talking about nearly a foot of snow across the area. But surface temperatures will be too warm, among other factors.

Winter weather advisory issued for parts of Maryland and Virginia

A winter weather advisory will be in effect from Saturday morning through the evening in areas north and west of D.C., including:

• Culpeper County, Virginia
• Fairfax County, Virginia
• Fauquier County, Virginia
• Loudoun County, Virginia
• Prince William County, Virginia
• Spotsylvania County, Virginia
• Stafford County, Virginia
• Howard County, Maryland
• Montgomery County, Maryland

Roads could be slippery in these areas, the National Weather Service warned.

A winter storm watch was issued for the I-81 corridor, including Winchester and Luray.

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.

Relatives of over 60 young people who died from fentanyl overdoses sued Snap in October 2022 over its messaging platform Snapchat’s disappearing message feature. An extended version of the complaint filed in April 2023 said that “Snap and Snapchat’s role in illicit drug sales to teens was the foreseeable result of the designs, structures, and policies Snap chose to implement to increase its revenues.”

The complaint said that Snapchat’s disappearing messages allow those engaging in illegal conduct to obscure their actions. Social media companies have typically been shielded from many lawsuits under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a law that gives many online tech companies like Snap protection from legal claims stemming from activities that occur on their platforms. However, parts of this lawsuit appear to have sidestepped Section 230 for now.

The plaintiffs are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. 

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lawrence P. Riff overruled Snap’s objections to 12 claims in the suit alleging negligence, defective product, misrepresentation and wrongful death. 

Snap spokesperson Ashley Adams said the company is “working diligently to stop drug dealers from abusing our platform, and deploy technologies to proactively identify and shut down dealers, support law enforcement efforts to help bring dealers to justice, and educate our community and the general public about the dangers of fentanyl.”

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

Frankie Sanderson said he was driving down Q Street NW with his dogs in the car when he saw a bicyclist weaving, not permitting him to pass.

“The guy’s obviously just like not paying attention to the traffic behind him, so I gently tap on my horn, and he moves out of the way, no problem,” Sanderson said.

Then he looked in his rearview mirror.

“And I see this guy driving aggressively toward me, and I think to myself, This doesn’t look good,” Sanderson said.

In an instant, the back window of his car shattered. Two rocks had come through the window.

“I’m in rage mode, and I follow him,” Sanderson said.

He took several photos of the man and shared them with police.

“It was traumatizing, and the first couple of minutes that I was chasing him, I was enraged, but what broke my heart was seeing my dogs so terrified,” Sanderson said.

He said he had to pull glass from the dogs’ paws when he got home.

Sanderson said the city needs to crack down on drivers and bicyclists ignoring the rules of the road.

Police are looking for the bicyclist.

The intent is to provide skills on the ice and in the classroom.

“They’re going to make a difference,” NHL Senior Director of Youth Hockey and Industry Growth Matt Herr said. “It’s going to help their math scores, their social studies, their history.”

The partnership looks to introduce the game to more than 93,000 students in the county’s elementary and middle schools.

“This program means exposure and access, which is one of the things that a lot of students who are Black and brown don’t necessarily get a lot of,” Capitol Heights Elementary School principal Shawna Berry said.

She believes the initiative will lead to multiple successes.

“Many of our students will be able to engage with a sport that promotes physical activity, leadership and teamwork skills — all things that can work to their advantage outside of the rink,” she said.

The Capitals invested almost $4 million in the development of young players in schools across D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

“Kids are learning valuable life lessons, as principal Berry said today, that are going to help these kids throughout their lives, and I think that’s probably the most valuable piece,” Herr said.

The program has reached 1 million local students thanks to the NHL’s industry growth fund.

“Not only are we affecting diverse communities like this, but we’re also seeing diversity in gender,” Herr said. “And you’re seeing more girls’ teams, and all of this could be coming from just having access to gym class.”

For Michael Brosnan, the New Year’s celebration became even better after he found out that his ticket was the winner in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle.

“I almost fell to the ground. It was amazing!” he exclaimed to the lottery officials.

Brosnan’s father called and told him that one of the winning tickets was sold where Brosnan had purchased his — Paddy’s 32 Steakhouse & Pub, located on Center Street in Stafford, the Virginia Lottery said in a news release.

Although he hasn’t specified what he will spend the money on, he stated that his excitement is “hard to explain.”

DID YOU VERIFY YOUR TICKET?

Meanwhile, the Maryland Lottery is still searching for the winner of a million-dollar prize as part of the Powerball drawing on January 1. The winning numbers were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49, according to the agency.

The ticket was sold at the Green Meadows Exxon, located at 6762 Riggs Road in Hyattsville.

According to the Maryland Lottery, winners should sign the back of their tickets immediately and store them in a safe place. They have 182 days from the draw date to claim their prizes.

lottery Jan 2

Check your lottery tickets: $1 million Powerball winner sold in Prince George's County

Powerball Dec 28, 2023

Powerball jackpot jumps to $760 million for last lottery drawing of 2023

THE AWARDS CONTINUE

Prince George’s County wasn’t the only place in the DMV where there were Powerball winners. D.C. resident Pamela V. won $2 million as part of the same lottery.

Pamela told DC Lottery officials that she was shocked to discover on Christmas Day that she and her husband had bought the winning ticket in early December.

Their winning ticket was sold at the Capitol Hill Safeway, located at 415 14th Street SE, for the drawing held on Saturday, December 2, 2023.

“We are elated to find out we won, it’s life-changing,” she said in a press release. “We have kids in college, so this will definitely help with college tuition.”

The couple added that they appreciate spending time with their family, so they are considering taking a trip to the Caribbean. They also plan on trying to save some of the money.

The store will receive a commission of 10,000 for having sold the ticket, executive director Frank Suárez said.

The black and white dog roamed the miles between Southeastern Pennsylvania and Frederick County, Maryland, for weeks. She repeatedly evaded efforts to capture her and bring her to safety, getting steps away from a trap-type cage several times, until she was taken in Wednesday night.

Community members began posting sightings on social media in mid-December, which were seen by members of Montgomery County-based Tailed Treasures of Maryland.

“We talked to the admins, we see, we talked to the neighbors and see what’s going on,” Jill Barsky, from Tailed Treasures of Maryland, said. “And we find out this is a dog that has been lost from Pennsylvania.”

When there’s a missing dog sighting, volunteers set up a cage and remain on watch for as long as they can. They used bacon, rotisserie chicken and barbeque sauce to attract the dog with smells.

In the end, the skittish Springer Spaniel walked not into the cage, but into the arms of a 15-year-old volunteer named Serenity. Her home-school schedule allowed her time to sit in the cold and earn the dog’s trust.

“Speaking to her softly, giving, throwing her treats, and just giving her time to watch me and, like, letting her trust me enough to get that close again,” Serenity said.

The dog did not have a collar or microchip which would have helped identify her.

She is now at the Adams County SPCA in Pennsylvania. She was brought there by Glenda Rupert, who had spearheaded the rescue effort in Pennsylvania.

“She just kept turning more into Maryland and we were getting really frustrated because it was getting way out of our area,” Rupert said.

American Kennel Club Jan 3

Meet the newest breed to join the American Kennel Club, a little dog with a big smile

Montgomery County Dec 22, 2023

College students on break save dogs from fire caused by lithium-ion batteries

Kristin Sherman, 36, and her 3-month-old baby, Freedom Kayla-Rose Sherman, were last seen in the 5000 block of D Street SE, police said. The mother was pushing her baby in a black Graco brand stroller at the time.

Kristin Sherman is 5 feet, 4 inches tall, weighs 140-150 pounds, and has long red hair, brown eyes, and a scar on her upper lip, police said. She was last seen wearing blue jeans and brown boots. Freedom Kayla-Rose Sherman has a little bit of brown hair. It’s unknown what she was wearing when they were last seen.

(Go here to see a larger version of the flier.)

D.C. police described the two as critically missing. Anyone with information is asked to call 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

The suspect, a student at the school in Perry, died of what investigators believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and at least one of the victims is a school administrator, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity.

Perry has about 8,000 residents and is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Des Moines, on the edge of the state capital’s metropolitan area. It is home to a large pork-processing plant, and low-slung, single story homes spread among trees now shorn of their leaves by winter. The high school and middle school are connected, sitting on the east edge of town.

NBC News: Iowa school shooting live updates

Perry High School senior Ava Augustus said she was in a counselor’s office, waiting for hers to arrive, when she heard three shots. She and other people barricaded the door, preparing to throw things if necessary, with a window being too small for an escape.

“And then we hear ‘He’s down. You can go out,’” Augustus said through tears. ”And I run and you can just see glass everywhere, blood on the floor. I get to my car and they’re taking a girl out of the auditorium who had been shot in her leg.”

Three gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, a spokesperson for its health system said. Some other patients were transported to a second hospital in Des Moines, a spokesperson for MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center confirmed, declining to comment on the number of patients or their statuses.

Vigils were planned Thursday evening at a park and a local church. A post on the high school’s Facebook page said it would be closed Friday, with counseling services planned at the public library Friday and Saturday.

In Washington, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the shooting. FBI agents from the Omaha-Des Moines office are assisting with the investigation led by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

The shooting occurred in the backdrop of Iowa’s first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy had a campaign event scheduled in Perry at 9 a.m. about 1 1/2 miles (2.4 kilometers) from the high school but canceled it to have a prayer and intimate discussion with area residents.

Mass shootings across the U.S. have long brought calls for stricter gun laws from gun safety advocates, and Thursday’s did within hours. But that idea has been a non-starter for many Republicans, particularly in rural, GOP-leaning states like Iowa.

As of July 2021, Iowa does not require a permit to purchase a handgun or carry a firearm in public, though it mandates a background check for a person buying a handgun without a permit.

Ramaswamy said the shooting is a sign of a “psychological sickness” in the country. In Des Moines, GOP rival and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that gun violence "is more of a local and state issue" in an interview with the Des Moines Register and NBC News.

The high school in Perry is part of the 1,785-student Perry Community School District. The town is more diverse than Iowa as a whole, with census figures showing that 31% of the residents are Hispanic, compared to less than 7% for the state. Those figures also show that nearly 19% of the town’s residents were born outside the U.S.

An active shooter was reported at 7:37 a.m. Thursday and officers arrived seven minutes later, Dallas County Sheriff Adam Infante said. Emergency vehicles surrounded the middle and high school.

Zander Shelley, 15, was in a hallway when he heard gunshots and dashed into a classroom, according to his father, Kevin Shelley. Zander was grazed twice and hid in the classroom before texting his father at 7:36 a.m.

Kevin Shelley, who drives a garbage truck, told his boss he had to run. “It was the most scared I’ve been in my entire life,” he said.

Rachael Kares, an 18-year-old senior, was wrapping up jazz band practice when she and her bandmates heard what she described as four gunshots, spaced apart.

“We all just jumped,” Kares said. “My band teacher looked at us and yelled, ‘Run!’ So we ran.”

Kares and many others from the school ran out past the football field, as she heard people yelling, “Get out! Get out!” She said she heard additional shots as she ran, but didn’t know how many. She was more concerned about getting home to her 3-year-old son.

“At that moment I didn’t care about anything except getting out because I had to get home with my son,” she said.

Erica Jolliff said that her daughter, a ninth grader, reported getting rushed from the school grounds at 7:45 am. Distraught, Jolliff was still looking for her son Amir, a sixth grader, one hour later.

“I just want to know that he’s safe and OK,” Jolliff said. “They won’t tell me nothing.”

Fingerhut reported from Sioux City, Iowa. Associated Press writer Scott McFetridge and photojournalist Andrew Harnik contributed to this report from Perry, Iowa; Jim Salter contributed from O'Fallon, Missouri; Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska. Trisha Ahmed from Minneapolis; Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington; Mike Balsamo in New York City; and John Hanna from Topeka, Kansas. AP researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed from New York City.

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To mark the moment, President Joe Biden plans to visit a site near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, on Friday where George Washington and the struggling Continental Army endured a tough winter during the American Revolution. Biden’s advisers say the stop in a critical swing state will highlight Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 siege and give the Democrat a chance for him to lay out the stakes of this year’s election. Weather concerns led Biden to move up his appearance from Saturday.

With Biden and Trump now headed toward a potential 2020 rematch, both are talking about the same event in very different ways and offering framing they believe gives them an advantage. The dueling narratives reflect how an attack that disrupted the certification of the election is increasingly viewed differently along partisan lines — and how Trump has bet that the riot won’t hurt his candidacy.

Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory, and they forced lawmakers and then-Vice President Mike Pence to flee for their lives. Many Trump loyalists walked to the Capitol after a rally outside the White House in which the Republican president exhorted the crowd to “fight like hell” or “you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Nine deaths were linked to the attack and more than 700 people have gone to court for their roles in it, and more than 450 people have been sentenced to prison.

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Federal prosecutors in Washington have charged Trump in connection with the riot, citing his promotion of false and debunked theories of election fraud and efforts to overturn the results. Trump has pleaded not guilty and continued to lie about the 2020 election.

Trump has still built a commanding lead in the Republican primary, and his rivals largely refrain from criticizing him about Jan. 6. He has called it “a beautiful day” and described those imprisoned for the insurrection as “great, great patriots” and “hostages.” At some campaign rallies, he has played a recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by jailed rioters — the anthem interspersed with his recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Republican strategist Alice Stewart said that “a lot of Republican voters don’t love Jan. 6, but they’re not obsessed about it either” and may support Trump because they oppose Biden’s economic policies.

“Republican voters can hold two consecutive thoughts and say, ‘Jan. 6, that wasn’t great, but that doesn’t affect my bottom line,’” she said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination, called Jan. 6 a “protest” that “ended up devolving,” and has more recently said Trump “should have come out more forcefully” against the rioters. Another candidate, Trump’s former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, frequently tells crowds that Jan. 6 “was not a beautiful day, it was a terrible day.”

But views overall of the attack have hardened along partisan lines.

In the days after the attack, 52% of U.S. adults said Trump bore a lot of responsibility for Jan. 6, according to the Pew Research Center. By early 2022, that had declined to 43%. The number of Americans who said Trump bore no responsibility also increased to 32% in 2022 compared to 24% in 2021.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll released this week found that about 7 in 10 Republicans say too much is being made of the attack. Just 18% of GOP supporters say that protesters who entered the Capitol were “mostly violent,” down from 26% in 2021, while 77% of Democrats and 54% of independents say the protesters were mostly violent — essentially unchanged from 2021.

A December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, meanwhile, found that 87% of Democrats and 54% of independents believe a second Trump term would negatively affect U.S. democracy. Some 82% of Republicans believe democracy would be weakened by another Biden win, with 56% of independents agreeing.

Biden’s campaign also announced an advertising push starting Saturday with a spot centering on the Capitol attack.

In the ad, Biden says, “There’s something dangerous happening in America.”

“There’s an extremist movement that does not share the basic beliefs of our democracy,” Biden says as images from the insurrection appear. “All of us are being asked right now, what will we do to maintain our democracy.”

His campaign is spending $500,000 to run the 60-second ad on national television news and on local evening news in TV markets in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, as well as shorter versions on digital platforms.

It’s a theme Biden has returned to repeatedly.

He marked the first anniversary of the riot in 2022 by standing inside the Capitol’s National Statuary Hall — which was flooded by pro-Trump rioters during the attack — to suggest that his predecessor and his supporters had had “a dagger at the throat of America.”

Ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, the president repeatedly characterized Trump as a threat to democracy. That included a speech at Philadelphia’s Constitution Hall, where he said that the “extreme ideology” of Trump and his supporters “threatens the very foundation of our republic.”

On the second anniversary of the attack in 2023, Biden awarded presidential medals to 14 people for their work protecting the Capitol during the attack and decried “a violent mob of insurrectionists.” More recently, he said there was “no question” Trump supported an insurrection.

“Not even during the Civil War did insurrectionists breach our Capitol,” said Julie Chavez Rodriguez, manager of Biden’s reelection campaign, in a call with reporters this week. “But, at the urging of Donald Trump, insurrectionists on January 6, 2021 did.”

Trump now counters that the federal charges he’s facing related to Jan. 6 — as well as authorities in Maine and Colorado trying to keep him off primary ballots on grounds that he incited an insurrection — show that Democrats are the ones looking to undercut the nation’s core values.

“Joe Biden and his allies are a real and compelling threat to our democracy,” Trump senior campaign advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles wrote in a memo this week.

Aside from the back and forth of politics, such arguments over who endangers America more could indicate a deeper problem.

“When each side starts talking about the other as a threat to democracy — whatever the reality is — that’s a sign of a democracy that’s deconsolidating,” said Daniel Ziblatt, a government professor at Harvard University and co-author of the book “How Democracies Die.”

Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

The derailment happened because a set of wheels on a 7000-series train car had gradually migrated outward on their axle, leaving the wheels two inches farther apart than specifications required, the NTSB found. The eight-car train derailed and rerailed itself twice earlier in the day on Oct. 12, 2021, before coming to a complete stop between the Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations in Northern Virginia while 187 people were aboard.

No one was seriously hurt, and all cars remained upright, but the derailment forced frightened passengers to evacuate the system through a dark tunnel and spurred the transit agency to pull its 7000-series railcars out of service. Those cars are Metro’s newest, making up more than half of its fleet.

“We’re lucky, absolutely lucky, that this didn’t end up in a tragedy,” Homendy said.

She went on to blast a “poor safety culture” at Metro, citing decades of problems and previous fatal incidents. She also said that she would still ride Metro, and commended the agency’s new General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke for taking this derailment seriously. Clarke joined Metro in 2022.

The derailment brought to light problems with the 7000-series railcar wheels that continue to impact service: Dozens of wheelsets on Metro cars have moved after manufacture, a process called wheel migration, Homendy said. This migration meant the wheels were spaced too widely apart for the tracks.

Metro says it currently inspects 7000-series cars every 30 to 60 days.

Metro is currently in the midst of a years-long effort to redo hundreds of the wheelsets in question and says the railcar manufacturer, Kawasaki, is responsible for footing the massive bill. Kawasaki said it met Metro’s design specifications.

Metro said it fully supports the NTSB report and thanked the NTSB and Washington Metrorail Safety Commission (WMSC) for helping to move the process forward.

Metro saw problems with wheelsets migrating in the years before the crash. There were four in 2017; one in 2018; four in 2019 and four in 2020, the NTSB said Thursday.

“We found that one department within WMATA was aware of wheel migration in its railcar fleet and attempted to mitigate the associated safety risks, but the department did not conduct a trend analysis to monitor the incidence of wheel migration or how effective its mitigations were,” the NTSB report summary said.

Then, the number skyrocketed. Eighteen wheelset migration issues were reported in 2021 before the derailment in October.

Train derailed and rerailed twice before coming off tracks between Rosslyn and Arlington Cemetery stations, the NTSB said

NTSB investigators found evidence that train 407 derailed two other times in the roughly 90 minutes before the crash but was pushed back onto the tracks and continued service.

At 3:24 p.m., the train was traveling north and derailed near Arlington Cemetery. Surveillance video shows the fifth railcar popping upward as its rear wheels come off the tracks, according to the NTSB.

At 4:13 p.m., the same car derailed near Largo Town Center while traveling west. Video shows dust flying into the air, which is consistent with a derailed wheel disturbing concrete, the NTSB said.

In both cases, the train car came back onto the rails as it passed over a “frog area” that’s designed to allow trains to switch from one set of tracks to another.

“The wheels leading from track two to track one pushed the wheelset back into position,” a video shown by the NTSB said.

Finally, the eight-car train derailed at 4:49 p.m. at the switch about 166 feet south of the Rosslyn station, where the Blue Line separates from tracks for the Silver and Orange lines.

“Because there was no crossover leading back to the Blue Line to guide the derailed wheelset back onto the track, the train remained derailed,” the video said.

Passengers were evacuated through the Arlington Cemetery station.

Investigators found that the wheels were two inches farther apart than allowed by design specifications.

‘Poor safety culture’

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy skewered Metro’s “poor safety culture” and its “failure” to evaluate and mitigate safety risks during Thursday’s news conference, saying that recommendations and warnings issued to Metro years and even decades ago could still be applied today.

“It’s this same story again and again, since 1970,” when the system was still under construction, she said. “In case after case, WMATA struggles to proactively identify safety hazards, including low-probability, high-consequence risk. When they do identify hazards, they’re not communicated within the organization. Mitigations are put in place, but then those mitigations are not monitored or measured for effectiveness. And the hazards themselves aren’t tracked to see if there’s a trend over time, and to see if more actions need to be taken.”

“This accident is no exception,” she said.

Homendy said WMATA knew about the wheel migration issue since at least 2014, which means the problem predated the 7000-series railcars. The transit agency contracted a study in 2015 and began receiving 7000-series cars while it was still underway, she said. WMATA identified the same issue in the 7000 series in March 2017; three months later, it changed the specification to increase mounting forces on wheelsets.

But by then, WMATA had already received almost 500 railcars in the 7000-series, or about 66% of all cars in the series, Homendy said.

Wheelsets are made by pushing wheels onto the axle with an enormous amount of pressure. The axle is bigger than the wheel’s center hole, and the joints are held together by friction. Wheelsets assembled with more force are more resistant to wheel migration, the NTSB found.

The original specifications required 55 to 80 tons of force; that increased to 65 to 95 in 2017.

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“Instead of replacing the wheelsets to the new specs, as they’re doing today, they chose to leave 66% of the 7000-series railcars with the old spec in service, including this rail car [that derailed], and put the rest of the 7000-series under a new spec,” she said.

Even under that updated specification, she said, Metro continued to see wheel migration. Despite this, those railcars remained in service.

In the four years before the 2021 derailment, Homendy said, WMATA found migration issues in about 30 wheelsets. After pulling 7000-series cars from the tracks, WMATA inspected all 2,992 of their wheelsets and found another 50 that exceeded the maximum allowable distance between wheels. However, none of those wheelsets had moved as much as the ones that caused the derailment, the NTSB said.

Now, WMATA is repressing all wheels with 80 to 120 tons of pressure.

But if WMATA had done a risk analysis, the derailment may have been avoided, Homendy said.

“As with any NTSB investigation, the key isn’t determining what happened, which we know pretty early on. But it’s how it happened. That’s how we prevent future accidents and tragedies,” Homendy said. “But once we issue those safety recommendations, those recommendations need to be acted upon. Otherwise, safety isn’t assured.”

Homendy made no effort to hide her concerns with Metro.

“Human error is a symptom of a system that needs to be redesigned. And when it comes to WMATA, they need to be proactive, not reactive, to assure safety,” she said. “We’re lucky, absolutely lucky, that this didn’t end up in a tragedy, in a derailment where there were potentially deaths or serious injuries.”

Homendy also shared an excerpt from the NTSB’s report on its investigation into the deadliest crash in Metro’s history, a 2009 collision near the Fort Totten Metro station that killed nine people and injured dozens more.

“This line, from 2009, applies to today, years later: ‘Shortcomings in WMATA’s internal communications, in its recognition of hazards, its assessment of risk from those hazards, and its implementation of corrective actions are all evidence of an ineffective safety culture within the organization.’ Again, that was from 2009,” she said. “You could take that line and apply it to today.”

What’s next?

Safety inspections and work to ensure the newer railcars are safe continue to affect Metro service more than two years later.

Ahead of Thursday’s briefing, NBC Washington learned that Metro has issued a “fleet defect letter” to Kawasaki, the manufacturer of the 7000 series railcars, essentially saying the company is responsible for fixing the cars.

Metro wants Kawasaki to pay for all costs to fix wheelsets on hundreds of 7000-series railcars. Repressing the wheels on 748 train cars is estimated to cost $55 million.

Kawasaki said they pressed the wheels based on Metro’s specifications and claims Metro failed to notify the manufacturer of changes to the wheel specifications that were made before the first 7000-series cars were delivered.

“As expected, the NTSB’s conclusions align with our own findings and confirm that Kawasaki met the design and mounting specifications established by WMATA for the 7000 series wheelsets. While we understand the budget crisis that WMATA is facing, any suggestion that Kawasaki should absorb the cost of WMATA’s own failures regarding the wheelsets of the 7000 series trains is not rooted in reality,” the company said.

“Any suggestion that Kawasaki should absorb the cost of WMATA’s own failures regarding the wheelsets of the 7000 series trains is not rooted in reality,” the company said.

That sets up a likely legal battle over the cost to fix the 7000-series railcars.

Nearly a year ago, the NTSB revealed new details on the derailment and released an image in which one Metro railcar appears higher than the others on the train that derailed. The NTSB describes that as “vertical car body disturbance.” In another picture, the same train is seen running its wheels on the ground and kicking up dust.

A lot of attention has been paid to the amount of force used to press wheels together on the 7000-series train cars. The wheels on the 7000-series had been moving outward.

Work underway to fix wheels on hundreds of Metro’s 7000-series train cars

Metro announced last month that it’s begun replacing wheels on all 7000-series cars. It’s a time-consuming process, requiring 72 hours of work on each pair of cars, followed by 30 hours of inspections, according to a press release.

“It will take an extensive amount of work over the next few years, but as we begin to have more 7Ks available, customers will begin to see even more improvements in reliability and service,” Metro chief Clarke said.

Metro developed a plan to press wheels on the 7000-series cars at a higher standard after analyzing an NTSB technical report, the release said.

That report cited “engineering experts who identified a technical issue – microslip due to reduction in contact pressure – as a factor in the 7K wheel migration issue,” the release said.

The number of 7000-series trains on Metro’s tracks is limited while the repressing work moves forward. Meanwhile, Metro continues to use its “oldest, least reliable railcars” to get passengers around.

Safety concerns and slowdowns hindered Metro’s efforts to entice passengers back after the pandemic. Transit riders were waiting upwards of 20 minutes and sometimes up to 40 minutes for train service.

Metrorail ridership on weekdays is 55% of its pre-pandemic levels, according to Metro’s latest report. Bus ridership and weekend ridership have rebounded more.

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About 140,000 people in the District receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits, often called food stamps. Last March, families saw their benefits decrease after federal pandemic relief funding ran out.

To fill that gap, the D.C. Council passed legislation that requires the mayor to use about $38 million to increase those benefits by 10% for nine months if the District had a budget surplus. The District did end the last fiscal year with a surplus, but Bowser had not agreed to use the surplus for SNAP until Wednesday night.

News4’s Mark Segraves first broke this news on X, formerly known as Twitter.

D.C. Department of Human Services Director Laura Zeilinger confirmed the temporary increase, saying in part, “While fiscal and administrative pressures still exist, this evening I advised the mayor that DHS will make this program work while we attempt to solve ongoing challenges.”

The decision comes after the organization Legal Aid DC informed the Bowser administration that it intended to file a lawsuit on Thursday if it failed to fund SNAP in compliance with D.C. law.

“It shouldn’t take a lawsuit for the mayor to follow a law the council unanimously passed and that she signed,” Legal Aid DC Executive Director Vikram Swaruup said.

Bowser has said there are more urgent needs for the money, such as housing. She said she shouldn’t have signed the law.

“The mayor can’t unilaterally by executive fiat decide that this law is not one she likes and she’s not going to implement,” Swaruup said.

Bowser said she gave in reluctantly.

“I really haven’t changed my mind,” she said. “I continue to be concerned about a budget maneuver that I think is not a good idea, but the Council has indicated by saying that they would sue us that they’re not interested in talking about alternatives. So if they’re not interested in talking about alternatives, than we have to move forward with that bad idea.”

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he’s pleased the controversy is behind him.

“The public sees the two branches of government fighting with each other,” he said. “The news organizations love to see this kind of controversy, and it’s not a good look for the District government. What the public really wants to see is the mayor and Council working together on important issues.”

“We have resolved this issue,” Mendelson said. “It’s time to move on to the next issue.”

The average monthly SNAP benefit is about $188, so the increase will be about $18 per month per person.

Legal Aid DC and others have raised concerns the administration won’t be able to ramp up the increase before the end of January, for which the law calls. Bowser said she is unsure if she can get the funds in people’s hands by the end of the month. Advocates say the end of the month is the toughest time for families on food stamps as they’ve used up their monthly benefits.

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“We’re at an unacceptable state in our city in terms of addressing public safety,” Attorney General Brian Schwalb said. “It’s incumbent upon all of us, government and community, to do everything we can.”

He said D.C. can’t arrest its way out of the youth crime problem.

“We also have to complement the policing and prosecution work with prevention work,” he said.

The District is looking to support organizations already on the ground “to try address what we know are some of the root causes that lead to crime.”

Organizations like Hood Smart: The Urban STEMulus Project — as in science, technology, engineering and math. Ateya Ball-Lacy has run the group for 12 years. It assumes the community role Schwalb spoke of, working to prevent youth crime by being proactive.

“We know that there’s a narrative around who our young people are in our major cities, however that narrative does not support who the majority of our children are,” she said.

Hood Smart holds events that put professionals with young people, fostering and rewarding their achievements. It sponsors chess tournaments, teaching life skills that go beyond the board.

Ball-Lacy said her organization will be applying for the grant.

“I’ll tell you, up until maybe the last year or two, all of the funding came from my family,” she said.

The deadline to apply for the grants is 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 2.

The university says TikTok video shows people breaking into Benjamin E. Mays Hall sometime in the past year. A group walked through a library, flipped through books and used a fire extinguisher.

“All of the critical assets, all of these items that we say are critical to understanding, researching and writing on the Black experience, they’re all safe, and they’re being supervised by highly professional staff,” Moorland-Spingarn Research Center Director Benjamin Talton said.

In 2015, the university went through a process to remove the most important artifacts from Mays Hall, he said.

“It was determined that these were books that were collected since the 19^th century that are historically noteworthy but not significant in terms of what Howard University students, faculty and staff are doing in terms of their research, writing and teaching,” Talton said.   

He said the building is being used as a storage facility but at one point was the cornerstone of the college’s divinity school, which is now housed in the same building as the School of Law.

Since Mays’ closure, the university has worked to redevelop the land in conjunction with D.C. and other agencies.

DC Preservation League Executive Director Rebecca Miller says the building is going through a process to become an individual D.C. landmark.

“I think that Howard University owns a tremendous number of historic buildings, and they’ve made great strides in recent years to protect those buildings and work with the neighbors,” she said.

Talton says Howard has the tools to sustain its archives and is working to help other historically Black colleges and universities.

“Not every university, particularly HBCUs, are in the position that Howard’s in, so our goal is as we grow, we want to bring the other HBCUs with us,” he said.

Howard says it has increased patrols around Mays Hall and will continue to do so in the future.

Cousin was drunk and arguing at a party at the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW, displaying a handgun several times, prosecutors allege in court documents. A witness said he repeatedly stated he would “blow this spot up.”

It’s unclear who Cousin was shooting at because he fired two shots through the closed door after leaving the hotel room, court documents say.

Hinds was gathering her things to leave the party when she was struck, witnesses said.

Hinds, who grew up in Prince George’s County, was a freshman at Louisiana State University and was home for winter break.

“Just loving, caring, a great heart, loves children, loves her family. [She was] just an all-around good girl. Never been in trouble a day in her life,” said her mother, Tiffany Falden.

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“Ashlei was amazing,” said her grandmother Sandra Thomas. “I mean, there was nothing that she didn’t want to try, you know. She was always willing to help everybody. And sometimes she would tell me, ‘I’ll do that for you, Nana,’ or, ‘Let me get that,’ ‘Need me to help?’ She was always willing to help.”

Cousin turned himself in to detectives Tuesday after a surveillance image of him was released by police, court documents say.

His attorney told the judge police did not recover a gun and no one actually saw him fire a gun.

Cousin is being held without bond.

Dr. James Michael Ryan was convicted last summer of second-degree depraved heart murder and involuntary manslaughter after the death of Sarah Harris in the home they shared in Clarksburg. Harris was 25 and died of ketamine, propofol and diazepam intoxication after prosecutors said Ryan, then 50, gave her powerful drugs from his practice.

“These drugs were drugs, except for one of them, that were used uniquely and exclusively in operating rooms,” Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy previously said.

Fifty-five years was the maximum sentence.

Text messages and emails showed Ryan had been providing Harris with the drugs, prosecutors said. They argued that one message showed that Ryan administered the drug while she was sleeping. “If you wake up … I just went [to] change after I gave you ketamine. Just now,” it said.

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Harris’ sister showed the messages she found on her sister’s phone to the lead detective.

“That’s when he started his work on his investigation into Dr. James Ryan and what he was doing to my sister behind closed doors,” Rachel Harris said.

Harris’ family says she competed in beauty pageants, knew multiple languages and dreamed of joining the Peace Corps to help people around the world.

“Sarah was the shining star to all of our lives,” said her father, Mark Harris. “She was a caring, loving daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt and friend.”

Ryan maintains his innocence.

The Alexandria Fire Department responded to the 4400 block of Wheeler Avenue for a fire that started at about 9:20 p.m. The three-alarm fire was so large, firefighters only battled it from outside of the warehouse, the department said.

According to reports, no one was inside the warehouse at the time of the fire. A firefighter was taken to a hospital and treated for a minor injury.

The fire was contained as of 11 p.m., the department said. Crews remained at the scene for 20 hours to put out hotspots, completing intensive firefighting by about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The building remains unsafe to enter, and work to make the structure safe for fire investigators will continue Thursday.

The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department assisted in the response. 

Video captured from a nearby high-rise apartment building shows flames and plumes of smoke billowing into the air.

AMi Direct, a marketing and digital printing business, resides in the warehouse with Jeffery’s Catering and the gym Healthy Baller.

AMi Direct appeared to be the only business with physical damage from the fire. Its roof fell in, and it had many broken windows.

Power was cut off to the warehouse, firefighters said. A strong smell of smoke remained in the area long after the worst of the fire was extinguished.

The business owners told News4 that today is not a normal business day and they’ve got their work cut out for them. Employees were seen walking away from the warehouse with belongings.

Alexandria police closed streets in the area in both directions.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

Paramedics responded to the report of a shooting on the seventh floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW about 1:15 a.m. Monday. They were told on arrival that the victim was in cardiac arrest.

Ashlei Hinds, of Clinton, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police Department said. She was a freshman at Louisiana State University, the school confirmed.

The victim’s mother, Tiffany Falden, said her daughter was home on holiday break, and that she was the student government president in her senior year at Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

“Just loving, caring, a great heart, loves children, loves her family. [She was] just an all-around good girl. Never been in trouble a day in her life,” Falden said.

Police arrested 18-year-old Jelani Cousin of Northeast D.C. on Tuesday and charged him with second-degree murder while armed.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said about 10 people were attending a party inside a hotel room when a shooter opened fire.

Falden said her daughter had decided to go with a friend to a New Year’s Eve party at the hotel. Family members heard some uninvited people may have crashed the party.

Guests at the Embassy Suites said they heard two gunshots and then screaming.

It’s not clear if Hinds was the shooter’s intended target.

“She’s lived an amazing life and this wasn’t for her. This wasn’t her,” the victim’s mother said. “She’s not a street person. She doesn’t do that. She is around family or her friends all the time, but not a partyer or anything like that.”

Hinds’ grandmother, Sandra Thomas, said her granddaughter was a churchgoer and had recently asked her grandfather, a pastor, for her own Bible. It arrived a day before she was killed.

“Ashlei was amazing. I mean, there was nothing that she didn’t want to try, you know. She was always willing to help everybody. And sometimes she would tell me, ‘I’ll do that for you, Nana,’ or, ‘Let me get that,’ ‘Need me to help?’ She was always willing to help,” Thomas said.

Police said as many as six people left the room before police arrived.

Video shows police vehicles near an entrance to the Embassy Suites less than a block from the Friendship Heights Metro station on the D.C.-Maryland line. Hotel management said they were cooperating with police in the investigation.

Hinds was killed just after D.C. ended the previous year with 274 homicides. According to preliminary figures released Monday, homicides in 2023 were the highest in more than two decades — since 1997, when there were 302. Homicides were up about 35% from 2022, according to D.C. police data.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she is working to reverse this trend with new legislation that has yet to be passed.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

Three people were shot at the party on Blanford Drive in the early hours of 2024, police said. Jarreau Sanders, 21, died.

Police are still investigating who fired the shots and why.

“I’m just so sorry that my son had to be the one, or one of the ones out here that experienced this, and then leave me, ‘cause now I don’t even have no son no more,” Sanders’ mother said.

Sanders’ grandmother said he often rode with her when she was working for DoorDash so they could spend time together. He would drop off the food at the door so his grandmother wouldn’t have to walk as much.  

“I’m going to miss my grandson ‘cause he was my best friend,” Sanders’ grandmother said. “Everywhere I went, he went with me, just about.”

Sanders’ family said he played basketball at Cairn University outside Philadelphia on a partial scholarship. He studied business management and dreamed of one day creating his own line of sports gear.

“I loved on that boy,” his mother said. “I was just proud of him whatever his decisions was, whatever decisions he made. I was just proud of him.”

Sanders’ family said he worked at Home Depot and planned to transfer to Prince George’s Community College. 

Prince George’s County police are offering a $25,000 reward for information in the case.

Damion Myers, of Fort Washington, was last seen April 14 at the Silver Diner in Waldorf, Maryland, just before midnight. His father and grandfather made a painful plea and prayed for answers in the search to find him.  

“Still numb, still numb. Any parent’s worst nightmare, any grandparent’s worst nightmare,” Damion’s father said.

Prince George’s County announced Tuesday they arrested Damion’s friend, 23-year-old Parrish Goode last week. He confessed to shooting Myers and disposing of his body, police said.

In the arrest warrant, investigators said the men left the restaurant and went back to their Fort Washington neighborhood when “an altercation ensued between Goode and Myers. Parrish Goode shot Damion Myers inside his vehicle and disposed of his remains.”

Goode’s abandoned Nissan Maxima was found in the 2300 block of Rosecroft Boulevard in Fort Washington on April 16. According to court documents, detectives found a handgun, a bloody sweatshirt and two fired bullets in the car. They believe Goode tried to throw away evidence but abandoned the car when it became disabled.

Court documents do not mention a motive for the shooting.

“I think right now we’re at the midway point because, like, we won’t reach the end until we find out where my son’s body is,” Damion’s father said.

Myers’ body has not been found after months of searching.

He said the last few months have been agony for their family. While they are grateful for some answers and to the homicide detectives who have been working on the case, they are still far from closure.

“Just because an arrest was made, it’s still not over,” Damion’s father said.

Goode was charged with first and second-degree murder, assault and several gun charges on Dec. 21. He appeared in court Friday and was ordered held without bond. He’s due in court again Jan. 26.

Anyone with information that can help the investigation is asked to contact police.

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A ticket winning a $1 million Powerball prize was sold at Green Meadows Exxon at 6762 Riggs Road in Hyattsville, the Maryland Lottery said in a release.

Powerball drew numbers for its fifth-largest jackpot in history – $842.4 million – on New Year’s Day.

The winning numbers were 12, 21, 42, 44, 49, and the Powerball was 1.

The Maryland winner matched the first five numbers to notch a second-tier win. Million-dollar tickets were also sold in California, Connecticut and Florida, Powerball said.

In Maryland, lottery winners have 182 days from the date of the drawing to collect their prize. Big winners are advised to immediately sign the back of their ticket and make an appointment to claim their prize.

The jackpot-winning ticket that matched all six numbers was sold in Michigan. The instant millionaire can choose to receive the full amount in 29 annual payments or take a lump sum of $425.2 million.

The odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, Powerball said.

The robbery occurred on Elm Street. Moments later, gunshots rang out at Fifth and T streets.

A bullet tore through a bedroom window at about 4:30 p.m. on Monday, New Year’s Day. Luckily, the resident had positioned a dresser in front of the windows as part of the room’s furniture arrangement.

He said he realized a bullet had gone through the window “after walking into my bedroom and finding chips of my dresser on the bed.”

D.C. officers placed at least nine evidence markers, marking shell casings, in the intersection.

The shooting appears to have occurred moments after a man was robbed at gunpoint of his Canada Goose jacket and yoga bag. He was not physically injured and did not appear to have been the target of the shooting.

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Neighbors said the robbers seemed to be shooting at a bystander, who also was not physically injured.

Bullets dug into the brick of two nearby homes. Neighbors said they heard gunshots on the block just last week.

The shop celebrated its years of serving the community at the East Pines Shopping Center, plus the owner’s birthday on New Year’s Eve.

As word of the closing spread, customers came back in droves for their last pizza and a taste of nostalgia. Owner Brian Boileau came out from behind the counter to say goodbye to some of his biggest fans.

“Every Wednesday, every Saturday, we always came here we would sit here or over there and my dad he just…’We going to see Brian?’” a customer said.

“My parents came here, but I started coming when I was around three years old,” Customer Peggy Childs said.

A car meetup was also held outside the restaurant. There were classic cars, like a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, that could have been driven to the restaurant when it was new. 

Jim Woodhouse, who brought a classic car to the parking lot, said he’s been coming to the Pizza Shop since before he could drive.

 “I was like 10 years old coming down here getting pizza,” Woodhouse said.

Boileau is on a first-name basis with many of his customers. For many of them, it’s been like visiting a friend’s place, except with walls filled with memorabilia and ceilings covered in baseball hats.

 “This store, you won’t find many of them like it anymore,” a customer said. 

But it takes more than atmosphere to create such a following.

 “It’s the pizza, the pizza, all by itself,” a customer said. 

Boileau said construction on the Purple Line hastened the end of his beloved business, which he wanted to keep open as long as possible.

The Purple Line light rail has been under construction for many years and is scheduled to open in 2027. Last year, Prince George’s County offered grants for businesses that have lost customers due to the construction.   

Boileau was grateful for the many people who came to say goodbye to the Pizza Oven.

“It really makes me feel warm. My wife raised twelve kids and they’re all inside working,” he said.

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The earthquake happened at about 12:50 a.m. and had a magnitude of 2.3, about the same energy release as a bolt of lightning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS.) The epicenter of the earthquake was near Lakewood Country Club in Rockville.

No damage or injuries have been reported, authorities said.

Did you feel it?

People reported to the USGS that they felt the earthquake in Montgomery, Frederick and Howard counties, and as far as West Virginia. Some weak shaking was reported in Northern Virginia by early morning.

People quickly took to social media to describe what they felt and heard. Some said it woke them up, others were surprised it happened at the start of 2024.

"So there was an earthquake in Rockville, Maryland. That’s 17 miles from me. Is 2024 really starting this way? #Earthquake #DMV," @ScarlettYoli wrote on X.

"Yes I felt it and I live in Rockville. I heard it too. Sounded like a train but different," @Nicole01876101 wrote.

"Rattled our house here in Rockville for a few seconds," @JStantonDC wrote.

"Don’t think you could have missed it here in Potomac. It was very loud and lasted about 15 seconds," @RealPotatus.

News4's Joseph Olmo spoke to several people who said they did not feel the earthquake.

“Didn’t feel it… slept right through it," a man said.

“How come I didn't feel it? I felt the last one. Why didn't I feel this one?" a woman said.

“What do you think this says about the start of 2024 if we're already starting off with earthquakes?” Olmo asked.

“Ugh… not good!" a woman said.

“It’s just an earthquake," a man said.

How does it compare to the 2011 earthquake?

The 2024 shaker was much less intense than the damaging 5.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Virginia in 2011.

The 2011 earthquake was a thousand times stronger than the one recorded in Rockville and released as much energy as an average tornado, USGS said. It caused about $200 million to $300 million in damages, including to the Washington Monument and National Cathedral.

Earthquakes on the East Coast are felt differently than those that occur in the west, U.S. Geological Survey scientist Thomas Pratt told NBC Washington when we looked back on the quake.

"Eastern U.S. earthquakes are felt much more widely that the western U.S. because the rocks in the continent are much colder, they’re much older and they’re much stronger," Pratt said. "So, the energy gets transmitted much more effectively."

About a million earthquakes with a 2.3 magnitude are recorded yearly worldwide, according to the USGS.

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

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Here are the winning numbers: 12, 21, 42, 44, 49, a red powerball of 1 and a power play of 3x.

Monday’s drawing also comes with an estimated $408.9 million one-time cash prize in lieu of the $810 million being distributed with 30 payments over 29 years.

The largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history stands at $2.04 billion and was won by a single Powerball ticket in California on Nov. 7, 2022. The winner, Edwin Castro, came forward in 2023 after months of speculation.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. EST from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee.

Fifty-four people who attended the meetinghouse in Monroe, roughly 174 miles south of Salt Lake City, reported symptoms, and 49 were treated for elevated levels of the poisonous gas, the church said in a statement.

The statement blamed the incident on a malfunction with the building’s heating system and said church officials closed the meetinghouse until they could ensure its safety.

The statement said the church was “working to support medical and other expenses” for people who were poisoned.

“We are concerned for the well-being of everyone impacted and are praying for their recovery,” the statement said.

Additional details about their conditions were not immediately available.

Read the full story here at NBCNews.com.

According to a preliminary investigation, a driver was pulled over on the shoulder trying to put gas into his car when he was hit by a Nissan. State troopers were called about 5 a.m. to the crash scene on northbound I-270, before the exit for Old Georgetown Road in Montgomery County.

The victim, 36-year-old Caesar Adigwe Jr., of Spotsylvania, Virginia, was taken to a hospital, where he died, Maryland state police said.

The driver of the Nissan, a 22-year-old Clarksburg resident, remained on the scene.

Maryland state police are leading the investigation and will submit their findings to the Montgomery County state’s attorney’s office, which will decide whether to file any charges.

Police say three people knocked on the door of an apartment in the 100 block of Atlantic Street SE about 7:25 p.m. When a resident answered, the suspects pushed their way inside, shoved the resident to the floor and hit him with a stick, police say.

They went to the back of the apartment and grabbed Lola, a 7-month-old female pit bull, according to police. One of the suspects announced they were going to “take the dog,” another resident of the apartment told police.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the suspects knew the victim before the crime.

Police say the suspects left the apartment and went upstairs to another unit, where they banged on that door, trying to get in. A resident of that apartment told police that one suspect hit her door with a gun, while another suspect covered up a nearby camera.

The three suspects weren’t able to get into that apartment.

They were last seen running in the 100 Block of Atlantic Street SE, police said. An incident report from D.C. police says they’re wanted for first-degree burglary, simple assault and unlawful entry.

Police shared a photo of Lola in hopes of finding her and the suspects. She has black fur and a white stripe on her head, chest and stomach.

This latest incident comes amid a rash of dog thefts in the District.

Anyone with information is asked not to take action themselves and to call police at 202-727-9099 or text 50411.

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When state legislatures kick off their fresh sessions in the coming weeks — 37 will go into session in January and another nine will follow in February — lawmakers will immediately dive into a host of big policy issues.

Some of those areas — like how to tackle artificial intelligence and deepfakes — will be relatively new. For others, like how state governments can best deal with major workforce shortages, legislators will be picking up where they left off last year.

Meanwhile, in areas like abortion rights, it will be organizers attempting to place measures on the November ballot, not lawmakers, who are taking the lead.

“2024 will be an incredibly important year as we think about the progress that can be made at the state level,” said Jessie Ulibarri, the co-executive director of the State Innovation Exchange, a policy shop that helps draw up model state legislation that advances traditionally progressive issues.

Read the full story on NBCNews.com.

The University of Virginia runner raced a friend of her boyfriend’s who “refused to believe that a woman could beat him in a race,” as she explained in the video, shared Dec. 17 with more than one million likes.

During the first half of the 400-meter race, she kept pace with her challenger, who “does not run” regularly, she said in the video. But after the first 200 meters passed, she picked up the pace to “finish hard, because that’s what you do as a track runner.”

In the clip, she surges to the lead, as the man who challenged her quickly falls behind.

Sabbakhan, 22, tells TODAY.com that when she first heard murmurings that her boyfriend’s friend thought he could outrun her, she found it “ridiculous.” But when she was already set to work out at a nearby track, she asked if he wanted to join.

“He didn’t really know what to challenge me in,” she says. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I could beat her in the 400’ — not realizing that that was one of the hardest track events and that was one of my secondary events.”

The challenger ended up bringing his parents and friends to the track for the event. She says the outcome of the race was predictable early on once the group saw her warm up, which typically consists of drills and running a mile.

“He just kind of showed up,” she says. “I don’t know what he was expecting.”

The race actually occurred nearly a year ago, in January 2023, Sabbakhan says. But she stumbled upon the video recently and thought it was perfect for her growing TikTok page, where she posts exercise, diet and day-in-the-life content for her more than 12,000 followers.

Sabbakhan, whose main event is the 800-meter race, finished the 400m in 57 seconds, which was “pretty good for practice,” she said in the video. Her personal best times are 53 seconds from a 400m leg of a relay and 54 seconds in an open race.

“It was a successful workout, I think,” she says.

The man who challenged her, who she’s now “cool” with, took the loss well, she says.

“He wasn’t like, ‘Oh, that wasn’t fair.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,'” she says. “I feel like it was just a really good learning experience. It showed people that they need to stop underestimating us — as in track athletes, female athletes.”

A ‘universal experience’

It was far from the first time Sabbakhan, who started running when she was 5 years old, had been challenged to a race by a man.

“Ever since I was younger, a lot of guys would want to race me on the playground because they thought they could beat me,” she says.

Early reactions to the video suggested to Sabbakhan that this was a “universal experience.”

“A lot of women were saying that they experienced that a lot, mainly men trying to challenge them in their sport or talent, or whatever they do,” she says.

In fact, 12% of men in Great Britain think they could score a point playing tennis against Serena Williams, according to a 2019 poll conducted by YouGov UK, which sampled 1,732 adults.

Sabbakhan eventually turned off comments on the TikTok page after it stirred “controversy,” with some turning it into a debate over whether men or women are better athletes.

“They were saying, ‘You barely beat him, that just shows how slow you are. Now race one of your male teammates.’ Like, ‘Men are still stronger,'” she says with a laugh. “I never said any of that.”

“(People) kind of just made it what they wanted to make it,” she adds.

Sabbakhan has her own theory for why some male non-athletes think they can beat female athletes.

“We make it look so easy,” she says. “People who sit on their couch … it’s so easy for them to just sit there and say, ‘Oh, I could do that, too, if I tried, if I trained for a little bit’ — not realizing how hard it actually is.”

Why she normally doesn’t entertain challenges

At the outset of the initial challenge, Sabbakhan’s attitude toward the race was relaxed, confident in her abilities and aware that the challenge was “ridiculous,” she recalls.

It’s a confidence that she says she developed over time with the help of family and coaches.

“Coaches tell me racing other people is just kind of ridiculous because we don’t really have anything to prove. We’ve already earned this status for a reason,” she says. “I just feel like I don’t have anything to prove.”

“My mom tells me this all the time: You already won. You already got your college scholarship, earned your athlete status,” she continues. “So I don’t think me racing some random guy at the track is really going to determine anything for me.”

Sabbakhan’s advice for building up confidence in one’s athletic abilities is simple:

Don’t compare yourself. “Focus on your journey and your progress and where you used to be and where you want to be, because it’s just going to waste your time and drain your energy to be focused on everyone else,” she says.

Keep realistic, motivating goals top of mind. “If you’re writing them down and reminding yourself of (your goals) every day, then that really helps block out that extra noise,” she says. “That’s been helping me not care about the negative things people are saying to me because of that video. I’m just reminding myself about how I have bigger goals.”

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

• Influencer Dr. Cara Hodgson hospitalized after electrocution ‘freak accident’: ‘Worst 10 days of my life’
• John Mayer celebrates New Year’s surrounded by cats and the internet loses it
• Viral TikTok calls out CVS for throwing away goods the day after Christmas

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The new year wasn’t even two hours old when D.C. paramedics were sent to the Embassy Suites Hotel on Military Road NW for the report of a shooting on the seventh floor. They were told on arrival that the victim was in cardiac arrest.

Ashalei Hinds, of Clinton, Maryland, was pronounced dead at the scene, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) said.

Hinds was a freshman at Louisiana State University, the school confirmed on Tuesday.

A law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said about 10 people were attending a party inside a hotel room when a shooter opened fire.

Several guests at the Embassy Suites said they heard two gunshots and then screaming at about 1:15 a.m. Each room at the hotel has a picture window next to the door. In the room where the shooting took place, that window was shattered. It’s unclear whether it was shattered by gunfire or something else.

It’s not clear if Hinds was the killer’s intended target. Police said they were looking for a male who fled the scene wearing black clothing and a black ski mask.

In an update Tuesday, police distributed a photo of the suspect in the crime. He was captured by surveillance cameras, police said.

Investigators also are still looking for as many as six people who were in the room but left before police arrived.

Video shows police vehicles near an entrance to the Embassy Suites less than a block from the Friendship Heights Metro station on the D.C.-Maryland line. Hotel management said they were cooperating with police in the investigation.

Hinds was killed just after D.C. ended the previous year with 274 homicides. According to preliminary figures released Monday, homicides in 2023 were the highest in more than two decades — since 1997, when there were 302. Homicides were up about 35% from 2022, according to MPD data.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she is working to reverse this trend with new legislation that has yet to be passed.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police.

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