Ten Fairfax County firefighters who are part of Virginia Task Force 1 returned late Thursday from helping coordinate a rescue effort after the devastating earthquake in Colombia.

Family members greeted the team as they arrived in Chantilly Thursday night. A young girl held a sign that read “Welcome Home Daddy.”

For Andy Kassavetis, this was his first mission with Task Force 1, and seeing the devastation in Colombia put some things into perspective for him.

He said he saw firsthand “how impactful an event can be on a community. It makes you think about, you know, really when you come home sharing the love with the people around you and letting them know you鈥檙e there with them, because things can change really quickly.鈥�

Captain Michael Eddy was Virginia Task Force 1 team leader for this excursion, a leader who had just weeks before been in Venezuela on a similar mission.

鈥滸etting down there was a huge honor for us to help support the Columbian government, to help support the Columbians recover from this,” Eddy said. “Our small team did an astronomical amount of work down there.鈥�

The team was sent to some of the hardest hit areas, he said, to evaluate buildings, fire stations and personal homes, making sure they were safe enough for occupants to return to.

Battalion Chief Robert Schoenberger thanked the team for their hard work. 鈥淭hank you for your service, thank you for your relentless dedication to what we do outside of here,” he said. “Everybody in the world sees what you all do, it鈥檚 on TV. But they don鈥檛 see what you do, day in and day out.鈥�

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Colombia Aug. 10 left a massive amount of devastation behind. More than 300 people died, and thousands more were injured, officials said.

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Circuit Court Judge James Bonifant heard about an hour of arguments from both sides in the case, during which Hoggle’s defense brought up five issues connected to discovery evidence, including the initial video interview of Hoggle when she was arrested.

Bonifant, who late last year found Hoggle competent to stand trial, also ordered a new mental health evaluation. That might push back Hoggle’s trial, which is currently scheduled to begin in October.

Hoggle’s two children, 3-year-old Sarah and 2-year-old Jacob, were last seen on Sept. 7, 2014. Their bodies have never been found.

For years after their disappearance, Hoggle, who’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia, was found incompetent to stand trial and murder charges against her were dropped in 2022. She was re-indicted in August of last year.

Bonifant said in court Thursday that he wants a resolution as quickly as possible. Another hearing is set for Monday.

When faced with the prospect of another delay in the trial, Troy Turner, the children’s father, said he feels frustrated.

鈥淭he only thing that鈥檚 changed in 12 years is which entrance to the courthouse I use,鈥� Turner said.

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Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia, ranked sixth nationally, and the District’s School Without Walls placed fifth.

Lamont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. 小萝莉影视 and World Report, said Thomas Jefferson remains a perennial top-10 performer.

鈥淭hey continue to perform at a very, very, very high level,鈥� Jones said.

School Without Walls, meanwhile, made one of the year’s biggest jumps.

鈥淭hat high school literally went from No. 69 last year to No. 5 this year nationally, out of nearly 18,000 high schools that we ranked,鈥� he said.

U.S. 小萝莉影视 ranks schools based on six indicators of school quality.

College readiness is given the most weight and accounts for 30% of a school鈥檚 score, with graduation rates and state assessment performance also factored in.

Jones said D.C.’s School Without Walls excelled on the state assessment tests, 鈥済oing from 2,488th nationally to tied for first.鈥�

As for Thomas Jefferson, 鈥淭hey tied for first nationally in three areas: the College Readiness Index, Graduation Rate and State Assessment Proficiency,鈥� Jones said.

Poolesville High School was Montgomery County’s highest-ranked school at No. 135 nationally. In Prince George’s County, College Park Academy ranked No. 795.

You can see the complete U.S. 小萝莉影视 Public High School Rankings .

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Samantha Matuella, psychiatrist with the Mother-Baby Intensive Outpatient Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, said that while many people are familiar with postpartum depression, symptoms of sadness and low mood after a mother gives birth, that鈥檚 different from postpartum psychosis.

鈥淓ssentially, there鈥檚 some level of break from reality where they don鈥檛 attribute normal cues in a way that someone who is thinking clearly can attribute them,鈥� Matuella said.

She said postpartum psychosis is more rare than postpartum depression, but can occur in any mother, and there are some signs that this may be happening.

鈥淭hey either get very paranoid about them, or they don鈥檛 trust other people or trust their instincts or they can鈥檛 remember things the way that somebody normally can. In some people, they hear things or see things,鈥� she said.

Matuella added these symptoms can come and go and are not always consistent, compared with someone who has schizophrenia. She said, because of that, it can make the condition very hard to catch.

She said it鈥檚 also a hallmark of undiagnosed bipolar disorder. For example, Matuella said, 鈥淢any mothers don鈥檛 sleep almost at all during their psychosis or very little.鈥�

Matuella said the good news is that it’s treatable, but it can’t be ignored.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 something off, say something, talk to one of your doctors, talk to a family member,鈥� she said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Concern for homeless people in DC

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

鈥淥ur unhoused neighbors are, in this occupation, some of the most visible and vulnerable. They’re on the streets and can鈥檛 always avoid the National Guard,” Erin Schmieder, who represents Ward 2 for Free D.C., said.

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

鈥淚f there鈥檚 money to pay for the National Guard to be housed here through 2029, there鈥檚 money to house the people who are already in D.C.,鈥� Schmieder said.

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

小萝莉影视/Steve Karesh

小萝莉影视/Steve Karesh

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小萝莉影视’s Steve Karesh contributed to this report.

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It鈥檚 not easy for 88-year-old Sue HartDegen to leave her senior living apartment at Thomas Circle in Northwest D.C., but with her oxygen, a “Free DC” sign and two stainless steel pot lids in tow, she steadies herself with her walker and makes her way to a nearby street corner to make some noise.

HartDegen and a few of her neighbors are out there almost every night from 7 p.m. to 7:05 p.m., banging pots and pans.聽

They have staged this nightly protest since last August, when the National Guard first arrived on the streets of D.C.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 go out to rallies,” HartDegen said. “I can鈥檛 do those things anymore, but this five minutes of pot banging a block from where I live, I can do that.鈥�

HartDegen said she could not stay silent and that she wants people who see the images of the National Guard on the streets to know D.C. is not a crime-ridden or terrible place to live.

Over the past year, she’s become more accustomed to seeing the Guard members on patrol, but at certain times it still bothers her.

鈥淲hy are they here Sunday morning when I go to church?” she asked. “I mean why? This is a completely safe area, especially in the daytime.鈥�

Nancy Groth, another member of the Thursday night protest, said some of the neighbors who can鈥檛 take part have hung D.C. flags on their balconies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not a corporate decision; it wasn鈥檛 the residents’ association. Every one of those flags is an individual who said ‘Yes, I鈥檓 going to do this,'” Groth said.

The number of flags has grown over the past year to about two dozen, she said.

The protesters said they will keep this up until the Guard is gone. To mark the official one-year anniversary of the deployment in D.C., they are planning a larger demonstration Monday, with a march starting at Franklin Park and ending at Thomas Circle.

鈥淲e love it when cars will honk for us, that makes us feel that we are being seen and heard,” HartDegen said.

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Gossip blogger Perez Hilton appeared to be harming himself during a livestream Tuesday.

The livestream set off criticism of TikTok and renewed the issue of mental health, young people and handling it the right way.

Dr. Heather Davis, assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Tech, said it’s unfortunately becoming more common for mental health breakdowns to appear online.

鈥淧eople are becoming more comfortable doing things online than they ever have been before because it鈥檚 just so much more normalized that everyone鈥檚 online all the time,” Davis said.

Davis urged people to seek help in other ways.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e in a mental health crisis, you know, reaching out to a trusted loved one, if you鈥檙e a child or an adolescent, a teen, reaching out to a trusted adult is a good first step,” Davis said.

From there, Davis said, getting professional help is the best response to having suicidal thoughts or going through nonsuicidal self-injury.

鈥淭here are also,” Davis said. 鈥淭hose are the kinds of things we want to see people doing.鈥�

If you witness someone having a mental crisis online, Davis said you should not fall victim to the bystander effect: 鈥淭he tendency to think that if you鈥檙e seeing something happening you don鈥檛 have to report it because you just assume somebody else will.鈥�

Davis said if you see something, take it seriously and report it right away.

Parents also play a big role in managing kids’ mental health.

Davis said parents can help by making sure their children know they can talk about mental health without any judgment.

“Parents should also talk with kids, you know, when they see this kind of stuff, what do they think, what are they feeling, what kind of things are coming up for them,” she said.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 988 or for free and confidential support.

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Hundreds marched through the streets of D.C. Monday night, led by organizers calling for 1,000 marches in cities across the U.S. in the days leading up to the Nov. 3 election.

The march took place after a meeting at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church that was part political rally and worship service.

“Now until November, organize everybody you know, email everybody you know, tell them to show up because if we ever needed to vote, we sure do need to vote right now,鈥� Protestant minister and activist William J. Barber II told the crowd.

Earlier on Monday, members of , including Barber, were arrested following a demonstration inside the Hart Senate office building. They were attempting to meet with Senate Majority Leader John Thune to voice their opposition to the SAVE Act.

The group made up of clergy, civic groups and others want to take back civil rights they say have been lost, healthcare that鈥檚 been peeled back and education opportunities that have been stripped under President Donald Trump’s administration.

鈥淲e鈥檙e no longer begging, we鈥檙e demanding. We’re not going to walk around with our tail between our legs and ask anybody to give us anything, we’re going to change it at the ballot,” Bishop Brian Thompson of the AME Zion Church said at the church meeting.

The Reverend Moya Harris, senior director of Programs at Sojourners, called a person鈥檚 vote the person’s moral testimony.

鈥淭here are senators who are hell-bent on pushing through the so-called SAVE Act, legislation that would strip millions of people of their ballots, cast doubts on their citizenship and weaponize fear to take away votes that have already been earned and protected,鈥� she said.

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Ward 6 council member Charles Allen, who introduced the legislation, said it does a few things.

鈥淚t prohibits, first off, bots from coming in and being able to scoop up these tickets, and so that鈥檚 a big part of it. It kind of levels the playing field.鈥�

Allen introduced the Restricting Egregious Scalping Against Live Entertainment Act, or the RESALE Act.

Allen said the measure also caps most live entertainment resales at 10% above face value, but he said that doesn’t include tickets for sporting events.

鈥淏ecause we see sports tickets that really are a season ticket package type of scenario, versus, there鈥檚 an artist coming to town that you really want to go see at the 9:30 Club,” Allen said. “They鈥檙e just very different things and so this legislation was not trying to tackle sports but really your concerts, your artists and those venues.鈥�

He said it’s possible the council will revisit the issue of sports tickets.

鈥淐ould we at some point in the future look at sporting events? I guess we could, but that just wasn鈥檛 really where we were hearing the major problem. I think more people are familiar with what happens at a Taylor Swift concert or Beyonc茅 or something like that, it really just gouges the fans.鈥�

The bill鈥檚 supporters included I.M.P., which operates the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, Lincoln Theatre and The Atlantis.

Allen said because ticket price gouging is not just an issue in D.C., this legislation could become a national model.

鈥淚t鈥檚 also something that you see similar legislation that鈥檚 been introduced by Democrats, by Republicans in purple states, red states, blue states 鈥� this is an issue that resonates with a lot of people.鈥�

Mayor Muriel Bowser voiced some concerns about the act, but it does not appear she will veto it. The act takes effect in 2027.

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Many attending the vigil outside the Manassas Park Police Department wore red, Bhatt鈥檚 favorite color. Supporters shared memories of the nurse and mother while expressing their grief and hope for justice.

鈥淢amta may not physically be here with us, but I can tell you her light is shining bright,鈥� her friend and former co-worker Holly Wirth told the crowd.

Bhatt was last heard from on July 29, 2024. She is presumed dead, but her body has never been found.

Prosecutors have said surveillance video showed her husband, Naresh Bhatt, visiting several stores in the days after her disappearance, where he bought garbage bags, carpet cleaner, two pairs of rubber gloves and a three-pack of knives. Police later recovered one of those knives, the other two were never found, according to court records.

Court documents also allege surveillance cameras captured Naresh Bhatt disposing of bags of trash at multiple dumpsters and trash compactor sites across Northern Virginia, including one in Falls Church at 1:30 a.m.

Investigators said internet searches linked to Naresh Bhatt included a diagram of the human brain and “chicken farm near me.” Authorities also said he searched what happens to financial debt if someone disappears and how divorce proceedings are affected when a spouse goes missing, in the months before Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s disappearance.

Naresh Bhatt has been charged with murder and other offenses. His trial is scheduled to begin in October.

Speaking through a translator at Friday’s vigil, Mamta Kafle Bhatt’s mother Gita Kafle, said she continues to wait for accountability.

鈥淲hoever did this to my daughter, he has to get punished. I have been waiting for that day,鈥� Kafle said.

Family supporter Prabha Bhattari said loved ones remain focused on seeking justice. 鈥淭he grieving continues going on for all of us until the justice is done,鈥� she said.

Manassas Park Police Chief Mario Lugo also spoke at the vigil.

鈥淲e stand with Mamta鈥檚 family and loved ones as they remember her life, not how it ended but the kindness, love, strength she brought to those around her,鈥� Lugo said.

Court records indicate blood was found on a reciprocating saw in the couple’s home. Prosecutors have said evidence expected to be presented at trial will show Naresh Bhatt killed his wife and dismembered her body.

Those who attended Friday’s vigil held signs that read, “Two years gone, but your love stays,” and “Gone too soon, but never forgotten.”

小萝莉影视’s Diane Morris contributed to this report.

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The Federal Aviation Administration has completed the environmental assessment of the proposed expansion at the airport. The FAA returned a “Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and Record of Decision (ROD),” which is a determination that the project will “not result in significant environmental impacts,” according to a news release from Avports, the incoming airport operator.

鈥淭his milestone reflects years of work between our partners at Washington Manassas Airport, the Avports team, the dedication of the FAA, and the planning, technical analysis, and public engagement that shaped this project from the start,鈥� Avports CEO Marc Ricks said.

The FAA approval leaves just one more approval 鈥� Part 139 certification 鈥� before commercial flights can begin, likely in spring 2027.

鈥淲e are thrilled by the FAA鈥檚 decision, which marks an important step forward for Washington Manassas Airport and the City of Manassas,鈥� Manassas Mayor Michelle Davis-Younger said.

The decision follows a review process that included detailed technical analysis and opportunities for public input, marking one of the final federal milestones in the launch of commercial service at Washington Manassas Airport.

Before any construction can begin, the project remains subject to additional permitting and public review, the news release said.

Washington Manassas recently changed its name as part of the plan and hopes to have up to 30 commercial flights per day within 10 years.

The expansion of the terminal to allow commercial flights will cost between $75 million to $125 million.

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Virginia ranks slightly higher than Maryland in the publication’s , but neither state is in the top 10. Virginia is in 19th place and Maryland is 21st.

Evan Comen, senior data editor at U.S. 小萝莉影视 and World report, said Maryland鈥檚 weakest point is its economy, with the state’s GDP and population growth in the bottom 20%.

Infrastructure – 鈥渨e鈥檙e looking at energy, transportation and internet access鈥� – is what鈥檚 hurting Virginia, he said.

鈥淰irginia has a relatively high number of power outages per capita; commute times are also relatively long in Virginia,鈥� Comen said.

Both states have some good qualities, too. Comen said Maryland鈥檚 crown jewel is its natural environment score, placing fifth in the country with good air and water quality and good marks on pollution.

Virginia ranks ninth in healthcare and also has high marks in education and crime and corrections.

This is U.S. 小萝莉影视’ 10th annual “Best States” ranking, judging states on their performance in eight categories.

Comen said it鈥檚 designed to be a tool for citizens to hold their leaders accountable, show government leaders where to improve, identify people and programs driving change, and give people and businesses insight on where they might want to move to or from.

Utah ranked No. 1 overall for the fourth year in a row. Louisiana is in last place at No. 50.

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“Overtime has been and continues to be a costly and chronic phenomenon among the District’s public safety agencies,” the report said.

The auditor found some agencies are operating well below authorized staffing levels, while others continue to post significant overtime costs despite having most positions filled.

In the D.C. police department, some sworn officers took between eight and 10 weeks of leave in 2025, . At the Office of Unified Communications, dispatchers were absent without leave for an average of one full week.

The Department of Corrections spent roughly $30 million on overtime last year, largely because of staffing shortages. The agency has 704 employees, far below its authorized staffing level of 1,762.

D.C. Fire and EMS faces a different challenge. The department is about 95% staffed but still spent roughly $50 million on overtime in 2025. According to the auditor, firefighters took an average of eight to 11 weeks of leave, increasing the need for overtime coverage.

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Free D.C. is urging D.C. residents to delete the DoorDash app and take other actions.

鈥淒.C. community members have already made it clear we鈥檙e very willing to start deleting our accounts, deleting the apps and talking to the restaurants that we like to stop using their services,鈥� Free D.C. co-founder Alex Dodds told 小萝莉影视.

DoorDash said in a statement that it supports home rule, but “will continue to do everything we can to defend D.C.’s small businesses, local economy, and underserved residents.”

The D.C. Council recently approved a 20-cent fee on food delivery services.

DoorDash, which fought the fee, said it will hit underserved communities the hardest. The company also said the D.C. Council passed the fee without holding a single public hearing.

, D.C. Council member Christina Henderson objected to both DoorDash assertions.

“This company never talks about what the fee was used to fund: Produce Plus expansion, Joyful Food markets, Grocery Access Pilot program, FQHCs, etc. The money is going right back to the very communities DoorDash claims will be harmed & in need of ‘protection,'” Henderson wrote.

The at-large council member also said “it’s funny” that DoorDash opposed the fee over a lack of hearings.

“Guess what also had no hearing? Comer鈥檚 bill,” Henderson said.

Rep. James Comer, the bill’s sponsor, revealed DoorDash’s support for the on Wednesday, when he asked to have a letter from the company entered into the record.

“Every District resident should know that @DoorDash doesn’t support DC Home Rule and is actively working to undermine it by lobbying for the GOP鈥檚 efforts to control DC tax policies,鈥� Ward 5 Council member Zachary Parker said on X.

Dodds said the legislation would undermine home rule and is unacceptable.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty shocking and disappointing to see a company that serves D.C. communities, that depends on D.C. communities, take what we really consider an absolutely indefensible position on attacking D.C.鈥檚 right to govern,鈥� she said.

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The coalition of consumer groups is targeting PJM, the regional electric grid operator serving 13 states, including Virginia, Maryland and D.C. Its service area includes the world’s biggest concentration of data centers.

Advocates and lawmakers have argued PJM’s current governance structure gives disproportionate voting power to market participants with financial interests in the outcomes of its decisions.

“We’re seeing mismanagement at PJM because states and ratepayer advocates do not have an adequate voice at the table,” said Rebecca Rehr, director of climate policy and justice at the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. “Instead, 鈥淭he majority of the seats at the decision-making table are energy generators, transmission owners, utilities and other suppliers.”

Quentin Scott, federal policy director at Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said PJM is increasingly off mission.

鈥淧JM was created to ensure affordable, reliable electricity for all consumers. Today, however, many people feel that PJM has become slow, secretive and disconnected from public interests,鈥� he said.

According to the advocacy groups, PJM customers would if it allowed more clean energy to connect to the grid.

They held a news conference as a meeting of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was getting underway Thursday.

Laura Swett, who chairs the commission, called PJM an innovator in energy market designs, but suggested it faces tough issues today.

“PJM is facing a grave legitimacy crisis. Frustrations are mounting,” she said.

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