D.C. police said the fight happened Saturday night at around 8:41 p.m. inside the restaurant on First Street Southeast, where a group of teens was caught on camera throwing chairs as customers tried to get out of the way.

Investigators said one group was already inside when another arrived, and the situation quickly escalated into a full-blown fight.

Officers were already nearby and arrived within a minute of the call, but everyone involved had fled the scene before they got inside.

The search, which now includes assistance from the FBI, has led D.C. police to release images of four people investigators believe were involved. Those images appear to have been captured on surveillance cameras inside a Metro station.

Police and the FBI are offering a combined $6,000 in reward money for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.

The melee came a day after a warning from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro that her office plans to pursue charges against parents of children involved in such behavior. Pirro renewed that message after the fight.

The brawl also comes as city leaders allowed an emergency order that gave police the ability to set earlier youth curfews in certain areas to expire, while approving a permanent youth curfew law that has not yet taken effect.

The District currently has a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

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Nearly 70% of Metrobus riders are not paying, transit officials say. Starting next week, the agency plans to crack down on fare evaders.

Metro leaders at said the transit system will ramp up enforcement and outreach following the Memorial Day holiday weekend, including adding more Metro Transit Police across the system to get more riders to pay their fare. The plan also includes having bus operators remind riders of the fare as they board, a shift from a long-standing policy where drivers were not expected to engage over payment.

鈥淔are nonpayment is completely unacceptable. It is costing us tens of millions of dollars,鈥� Metro General Manager and CEO Randy Clarke said.

Clarke said fare evasion is costing the transit agency about $50 million a year and that Metro will increase both enforcement and education efforts aimed at changing rider behavior.

One part of that effort is having bus operators say the fare out loud to riders.

鈥淭hey are in a secure compartment that we’ve spent millions of dollars on, and they’re quoting the fare. They are not supposed to engage someone after that. The safety of our staff is paramount,鈥� Clarke said.

He said operators will not enforce fares and that responsibility will remain with Metro Transit Police, who will have a larger presence as part of the crackdown.

鈥淭here’s nobody that is a bus operator doing fare enforcement. They’re doing fare awareness.鈥� Clarke said.

He said the issue goes beyond enforcement, pointing to inconsistent fare policies across the region, where some transit systems offer free rides while Metro does not.

But Metro鈥檚 largest union, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, is pushing back on involving operators at all.

鈥淪imply by saying, ‘sir, ma’am, whomever, the fare is $2.25 to get on,’ that puts that bus operator at risk,鈥� union spokesman Benjamin Lynn said.

Lynn said operators are already reacting strongly to the change.

鈥淏us operators and our members are pretty irate, pretty upset,鈥� Lynn said.

He said the policy reverses years of safety measures designed to reduce operator assaults by keeping them out of arguments related to fares.

鈥淲e’ve had things where they’ve been attacked or just punched in the face for simply letting people know that the fare is $1.50, $2.00,鈥� Lynn said.

operators have been hurt over fare disputes even with protective barriers in place and is calling on Metro to leave fare enforcement solely to transit police and focus on other solutions instead.

For riders, the change means seeing more officers on buses and hearing operators remind passengers about the fare again.

Metro said the goal is to recover millions in lost revenue and get riders back to paying, while the union argues the approach could increase risks for workers.

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Data from the vehicle that crashed shows it was traveling at 116 mph five seconds before the crash on Chain Bridge Road over Interstate 66, just after midnight Sunday. Police said three of the people in the car did not have seat belts on.

A 2-year-old remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, according to Fairfax County police. The child’s parents were both killed in the crash: Xiomara Herrera, 30, of Falls Church; and Alejandro Rodriguez Castillo, 27, of Sterling.

“We have now two fatalities. We’re probably going to have three, and we are maintaining close contact with the family,” Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said during a news conference Monday.

An 8-year-old child who was in the backseat was also taken to the hospital after the crash. The child is a family friend and the injuries are not considered life-threatening, police said.

What happened

Davis said Herrera was driving a Mercedes GLA 250 eastbound in the I-66 express lanes when she took an exit to Chain Bridge Road, struck a median on Route 123 and came to a stop when the car “collided very violently with the bridge wall.”

“We know speed was an absolute factor in this fatal crash,” Davis said. “We suspect there may be more than one factor.”

Herrera died at the scene and Castillo, who was in the passenger seat, later died at the hospital.

The 8-year-old was the only person in the car properly buckled in, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information about Sunday’s crash to contact the department at 866-411-TIP.

Safety reminders

The crash comes before more drivers are expected to hit the roads for the Memorial Day weekend. And it’s highlighting a troubling trend officers say they鈥檙e seeing more of this year.

“Here we are in 2026, and we’re talking about unrestrained children and unrestrained drivers and selfishly, I thought we were past that. We’re not past that,” Chief Davis said.

While Davis said most drivers and passengers are buckling up, he said the county has seen an uptick in deaths where the person wasn’t properly restrained during a crash. Since 2023, 12 people have died in crashes without seat belts on 鈥� four of those people were killed in the first half of 2026.

“A great deal of these collisions are actually survivable, but they’re not survivable if you’re not restrained,” Davis said. “We’re seeing a disproportionate amount of our fatal motor vehicle collisions this year alone, and we’re not even halfway through 2026, involving unrestrained drivers and unrestrained passengers.”

Children ages 2 or under should be in a rear-facing car seat with a harness. Kids between the ages of 2 and 8 should be put in a booster seat under state law, according to police. Officers say children are safest when they鈥檙e properly buckled in the back seat.

“We didn’t want this tragedy, this preventable moment, to go unnoticed, and that’s why we think it’s important to share with the community responsibilities associated with better driving habits,” Davis said.

The Fairfax County Sheriff鈥檚 Office is also offering Saturday from 8 to 10:30 a.m. at the Fairfax County Courthouse.

With more people traveling this Memorial Day weekend, police say making sure everyone is properly bucked up before you drive off could save a life.

小萝莉影视’s Matt Small contributed to this report.聽

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At a public safety event Wednesday, D.C. leaders explained the impact the events will have on residents.

鈥淪o whether it’s these events, which we’ve been planning for a year, or any of the number of large-scale events, we have ongoing and regular communication, but also real coordination and planning with our federal, state and local actors at every level,鈥� said D.C. Deputy Mayor for Safety and Justice Lindsey Appiah.

Interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said some of these events will impact how people get around the city, especially in the Downtown area.

鈥淚n order to keep these events safe and secure, expect a wide security perimeter and traffic closures,鈥� Carroll said.

With events such as the White House correspondents’ dinner incident fresh in the minds of people in D.C., he said the police department, along with federal law enforcement agencies, is constantly monitoring for possible threats.

鈥淩ight now, there is no specific credible threat toward any of the events that are out there. But even with that being said, MPD of course has taken a heightened posture with our partners,鈥� Carroll said.

D.C. Homeland Security Director Clint Osborn said pulling this off takes coordination on a federal, regional and community level.

鈥淭his level of partnership is what makes D.C. safe, not just during major events, but every single day,鈥� Osborn said.

Several events will be all hands on deck for D.C. police, U.S. Park Police and other agencies, and Appiah said the city also has a request out to the D.C. National Guard to help support those efforts.

鈥淭hey are our regular partners in large events, and that is the case certainly with these events as well,鈥� Appiah said.

Managing the day-to-day

Carroll said that on top of the events, the department remains focused on serving those who live here.

鈥淲e still have to respond to 911 calls. We still have to make sure that we can keep the community safe outside the Downtown area,鈥� Carroll said.

If you plan to attend the events, Chief Scott Brecht with the U.S. Park Police said you should develop a game plan.

鈥淜now where you’re going, know how you’re getting there,鈥� he said.

Brecht also said that includes a plan for what you鈥檒l do if summer storms move through.

During hot days, bring water and stay hydrated, take breaks and locate first aid and cooling stations near you.

With many big events taking up streets in the city, attendees are also encouraged to use Metro when they can.

鈥淚f you see something, say something. If something does not seem right, notify law enforcement or event staff immediately,鈥� Brecht said.

Metro plans for ‘a longer stretch than normal’ of moving large crowds

鈥淭his is what we were built for, right?鈥� said Metro鈥檚 Deputy General Manager Andy Off when asked about moving the hundreds of thousands of people who will attend the upcoming events.

鈥淭hese big events, we’re well rehearsed in and are comfortable,鈥� Off added.

But he admitted the difference this year is how long the crowds will stick around: 鈥淭his will be a longer stretch than normal.”

He said the regionwide coordination is there and his teams are ready.

鈥淭here鈥檚 days all hands on deck, and then other days where we鈥檒l be able to lay off a little,” Off said.

And with road closures expected, especially around events such as the Freedom 250 Grand Prix, he said planning is underway to keep buses moving through it all.

Officials said the goal is to keep people moving, informed and safe during what will be an extremely busy year for events in D.C.

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The controversy dates back to a multiyear plan Pepco filed in 2023 to raise distribution rates. Regulators approved a scaled-down version in late 2024 that allowed roughly $123 million in increases over two years, with higher bills taking effect in January 2025.

In March, the D.C. Court of Appeals threw that approval out, agreeing with consumer advocates that regulators failed to hold a required trial-type hearing before signing off on the rate hikes.

Consumer advocates had hoped that the ruling would quickly lead to lower rates and refunds for customers. Instead, regulators said that won鈥檛 happen right away.

The Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia on Friday decided to but is allowing current rates to remain in place. It has declined, for now, to order refunds for what customers have paid since January 2025.

The Office of the People鈥檚 Counsel, which challenged the rate increases in court, tied to a decision that was thrown out.

“When you vacate a decision by the agency, and that decision is the only basis for why you can have a rate increase, then you have no legal basis for charging the rates that you’re currently allowing Pepco to charge. It’s pretty simple,” Senior Assistant People鈥檚 Counsel Ankush Nayar told 小萝莉影视.

Nayar, the lead attorney on the case, said the court found regulators failed to follow required procedures, and because of that, the increases should be undone and refunds issued.

“There’s money that’s rightfully the ratepayers’ and rightfully belongs to the District of Columbia, and that money should be returned to the people, particularly at a time when energy prices are going up and costs are going up,” he said.

The commission, however, rejected requests to immediately roll back rates or issue refunds, saying rates could ultimately be adjusted once a new order is issued after a full evidentiary hearing.

saying it provides stability for customers while the case is revisited.

In a statement, the utility said keeping rates consistent ensures continuity and predictability for customers and avoids multiple or sudden changes to monthly bills as the review moves forward. Pepco also said maintaining the current rates allows for a more orderly and transparent process while regulators reconsider the plan.

The company said the rates help fund infrastructure upgrades, harden the grid against extreme weather and meet growing energy demand as the District moves toward cleaner energy sources.

“We remain committed to working constructively with the Commission and stakeholders to ensure a complete and transparent review of our filing over the coming months,鈥� the statement said.

Still, Nayar believes customers are paying the price in the meantime, estimating the impact of the increases could add up to a couple of hundred dollars or more, depending on usage.

Regulators are expected to revisit the case later this year, with hearings potentially scheduled for the fall.

“We feel pretty confident that the law is on our side,” Nayar said.

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The new Washington Commanders stadium is expected to bring tens of thousands of people into the redeveloped RFK Stadium campus. However, Metro is warning that it鈥檚 not quite ready for that.

聽on what will be needed for the new Commanders stadium project and it pointed to some big changes, while also taking some early ideas off the table.

How people get in and out of the stadium is quickly becoming one of the biggest hurdles in determining if the entire redevelopment actually works.

Metro is planning for a major shift, with more than half of the 65,000 fans expected to take Metro trains or buses to games. But the agency said the current system just can鈥檛 handle that kind of volume.

Right now, the Stadium-Armory Metro Station can move about 14,000 people an hour. That means without changes, it could take more than two hours to clear crowds after an event.

So instead of building something entirely new, the plan focuses on upgrading what鈥檚 already there. Metro is calling for bigger station entrances, more escalators and elevators and expanded space inside the station to move riders more quickly and safely.

The proposal also leans heavily on buses. Metro is recommending a new bus rapid transit line, called the Gold Line, with dedicated lanes along H Street NW and Benning Road NE to connect the stadium to Union Station. That would include setting aside and even painting red bus lanes to keep buses moving and out of traffic. A new transit center near the stadium would serve as a hub to handle large crowds and connect riders.

On top of that, Metro said it would use crowd-control measures which include metering customers into the station after games and adding more staff to keep people moving to prevent bottlenecks.

There are concerns about what happens if those upgrades don鈥檛 move forward.

Officials have warned of overcrowding, delays and potential safety issues not just at Stadium-Armory, but across the whole transit system.

One idea that鈥檚 not recommended is one talked about during the D.C. Council debate on whether to approve the stadium deal and the building of a new Metro station.

Metro said with a more than $1 billion price tag, it would be too expensive, too complex and wouldn鈥檛 be ready in time for opening day. Building a new station would lead to additional maintenance costs and the benefit from it would be marginal, as it would also connect to the same tracks as Stadium-Armory 鈥� the Blue, Orange and Silver lines.

The study is set to be presented to Metro鈥檚 board Thursday.

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Gov. Abigail Spanberger made it official, saying is designed to help smaller businesses retain employees who encounter difficult times.

鈥淲hether you punch a timecard, swipe a badge or work primarily for tips, you will be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to address serious health needs for you and your family,鈥� she said.

The program works similarly to unemployment insurance. Employees and employers will pay into it through payroll deductions starting in 2028. If needed, a person can receive up to 80% of their wages for up to 12 weeks. Benefits are expected to become available in December 2028.

The law is expected to apply to most workers across the state, including many who don鈥檛 currently have paid leave through their jobs.

鈥淭hree million Virginians who previously lacked access to paid family leave will have the ability to care for a loved one, to recover from a serious illness or to welcome a new child without sacrificing their pay or without ending that time with additional credit card debt. Because no one should have to choose between spending time with their newborn and paying their bills,鈥� Spanberger said.

It also covers caring for a sick family member and can help someone dealing with domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking.

Speaking at the signing, Monica Jackson, who owns a childcare center in Springfield, said the program will help small businesses compete and better support working families.

鈥淓nabling programs like mine to remain open, to operate sustainably and to continue serving the families who rely on us for their financial stability,鈥� Jackson said.

State Sen. Jennifer Boysko, the bill鈥檚 chief sponsor, said she worked on the policy for eight legislative sessions and is happy to see it officially become law.

鈥淰irginia families are going to have the grace to care for themselves and their loved ones during these most serious events without going bankrupt,鈥� Boysko said.

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University of Maryland professor emeritus and entomologist Mike Raupp, known as the Bug Guy, said the cold and snow didn鈥檛 make a difference.

“No, the answer is absolutely 100% no,鈥� Raupp said.

Raupp said mosquitoes are already showing up 鈥� and activity will only build in the coming weeks.

“People are smacking down the northern house mosquito,鈥� he said.

He added that the region will see more mosquitoes as summer approaches.

“We’re really going to amp this up as we move toward Memorial Day with our mosquitoes,鈥� he said.

Raupp said recent rain and warmer temperatures will help even more hatch, including aggressive species like the Asian tiger mosquito.

West Nile remains the most common mosquito-borne disease in the United States, and Raupp said the risk could remain typical or even trend higher this season.

He said your own yard can play a big role in mosquito numbers if you鈥檙e not careful.

“That pail you have out behind the tool shed, a plugged gutter, a bird bath, these are going to be places where those mosquitoes breed. So go out and dump those things right now,鈥� he said.

Mosquitoes are not the only concern this season.

Raupp said ticks might actually be worse this year because snow acted like an insulating blanket during the winter, helping more survive.

Blacklegged ticks can spread Lyme disease, while lone star ticks are linked to a meat allergy known as alpha-gal.

Spotted lanternflies are also back. Raupp said the cold was not enough to reduce their numbers, and nymphs are already emerging across the region. While they are mostly a nuisance, they can damage plants and trees.

To protect yourself from ticks and mosquitoes, Raupp said wear light-colored clothing that covers your skin and use insect repellent.

He also suggested staying in the middle of trails to avoid ticks, putting clothes in the dryer after being outdoors and doing a full body check to remove ticks quickly.

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A 165-year prison sentence was handed down by a judge at Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Thursday after a jury convicted 60-year-old Cleophus Canton of second-degree child abuse, rape and sex offenses earlier this year tied to sexual abuse spanning from the late 1990s through about 2008.

鈥淗e was held accountable,鈥� Prince George鈥檚 County State鈥檚 Attorney Tara Jackson said. “Sexual assault is a deeply personal crime that profoundly impacts its victims, usually resulting in long-term emotional and physical impacts.鈥�

Though the assaults happened about 25 years ago, Jackson said those victims began coming forward more in recent years.

“After 25 years, I decided to take my abuser to court because I was speaking up for the child in me, the child that wasn’t seen, the teenager that wasn’t heard,鈥� Brittany Simms said.

She said after decades, she was not sure if the day would come when she would see justice.

鈥淚t feels like I’m dreaming. I’m still shaking. It just feels like a dream that I’m living. It’s amazing, amazing,鈥� Simms said. “I feel so free.”

Simms said the abuse took place while her mother was in a relationship with Canton. Simms鈥� cousin, Shawntia Simms, was also abused by Canton and said they confronted their parents when they were younger.

“Me and my cousin Brittany, we actually told our parents at 13. We told them, and nothing changed. Mr. Canton was still living in the home with Brittany. Again, I was in Atlanta, but when we would come to family events, holidays, he was still there,鈥� Shawntia said.

Prosecutors and the victims believe there are others out there who have been victimized by Canton, and they are urging those people to come forward.

“If there are any more victims out there, please come forward. Please. You guys have reached out to us on Facebook, Instagram, just please come forward, because you’ll get justice just like we did,鈥� Keisha Spencer, another one of the victims, said.

Shawntia had a message to anyone still afraid to report the crime.

“Please, please, please, speak up. If you are going through anything that’s heavy on you, you feel like nobody is going to listen,鈥� Shawntia said. “The team is here. 鈥� They’re going to get justice for you.”

State鈥檚 Attorney Jackson said there is another case pending against Canton, and her team stands ready to help other victims.

鈥淚f there are any victims, whether it’s Mr. Canton or someone else, anyone who’s a victim, we encourage them 鈥� a victim of sex abuse, especially child sex abuse, but any type of sex abuse 鈥� please contact the police department so that you can be heard,鈥� Jackson said.

According to court records, Canton pleaded not guilty to the charges, and he is appealing the outcome of the case.

Anyone looking to come forward can contact the Prince George鈥檚 County State鈥檚 Attorney鈥檚 Office at 301-952-3500 or Prince George鈥檚 County Police at 301-352-1200.

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A federal judge will not order work to be stopped on the East Potomac Golf Course amid concerns from preservationists about the future of the historic D.C. golf course, which President Donald Trump hopes to renovate.

The ruling from U.S. District Court Judge Ana Reyes Monday comes after online news outlet the Trump administration had planned to close the golf course as early as Sunday, with plans to begin construction and tree clearing by Monday.

That news prompted the D.C. Preservation League to file an requesting a federal judge to halt any maintenance on the course by the Trump administration, claiming it鈥檚 “irreparably destroying a priceless piece of American history.鈥�

President Donald Trump said in January he wants to make East Potomac Golf Course, 鈥渁 beautiful, world-class, U.S. Open-caliber course.鈥� In a remote court hearing Monday, an attorney representing the D.C. Preservation League pointed to fundraising efforts reportedly showing renderings of a lavish golf club.

Reyes said she wants to learn whether the White House or some third party is driving that fundraising.

The National Park Service’s Superintendent of the National Mall Kevin Griess assured the judge the plans are only to remove dead and dangerous trees, as well as to carry out regular maintenance.

Democracy Forward, the group suing the Interior Department, said the Trump administration made similar claims with the White House ballroom project and the Kennedy Center.

Reyes said she takes Griess at his word that no renovation plans have been finalized. She said she wants to be told if more than 10 trees have to be cut down, or if there are plans to bring heavy machinery in.

“I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt that we’re not going to have a bulldozer knocking down trees,” Reyes told the attorney representing the Interior Department, Michael Robertson.

Reyes said she doesn’t want a situation where she hears that something major has happened that can’t be undone.

“If anything happens, there are going to be serious consequences. Closing one course isn’t maintenance,” she said. East Potomac has three courses.

The Trump administration has maintained that no formal decisions have been made regarding renovations to the course.

The emergency court order was filed as part of brought in February by the D.C. Preservation League and two local golfers.

鈥淚t’s a park that people and communities use and it’s heavily utilized. It is available to all people in the community, not just some people or people that you know can sort of afford to be on an exclusive list,鈥� Skye Perryman told 小萝莉影视 before the judge’s ruling. Perryman is the CEO and Founder of Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy nonprofit.

The complaint filed against the Department of the Interior argues that the Trump administration鈥檚 reconstruction of the East Potomac Golf Course, would violate the congressional act that created East Potomac Park in 1897. That act established the park for the 鈥渞ecreation and the pleasure of the people.鈥�

The case continues through the court system.

Issues over lease

With views of the Washington Monument and the Potomac River, a course where generations have learned the game is now facing an uncertain future.

In December 2025, the Department of the Interior ended the lease of National Links Trust, the nonprofit that has been running East Potomac, as well as the Rock Creek and Langston courses.

While ruling against the emergency request to prevent the closure of East Potomac Park for renovations Monday, Reyes said the plaintiff should be given enough time to challenge any potential plans to close. Griess told the judge any closure would require public notice.

“If there are plans to close, plaintiff should have enough time to challenge the closure,” Reyes said. “I do not want a situation where something happened where it’s too late to do anything about it, given some issues around the District recently.”

Robertson told the judge any closure is under consideration.

“It seems un-imminent to me, but pretending to the follow the rules and then asking for forgiveness isn’t going to work for me,” Reyes said.

The termination of NLT鈥檚 lease is a move that has sparked questions about what changes could be ahead.

Mike McCartin, CEO of National Links Trust, said the organization was caught off guard by the lease’s termination.

鈥淪o we received a notice of default in November of 2025, the notice was two sentences long,鈥� McCartin said.

He also said the government claims improvements were taking too long, something he disputes.

鈥淏asically, the reason that they鈥檙e giving to terminate us is that we鈥檙e taking too long, when in fact, the timeline was driven by the Park Service,鈥� he said.

He said the group had already been working to improve conditions at the courses.

鈥淲e鈥檝e spent about $11 million on those improvements, and I think people can see a huge difference,鈥� he said.

Other reporting has suggested the default may also involve unpaid rent. McCartin disputes that, saying investments made under the lease were intended to offset those costs.

He added that the group also paid more than $600,000 in rent for what he described as a total of $11.6 million in payments and offsets.

鈥淭he $11 million spent on improvements can offset rent per our lease,鈥� he said.

NOTUS reviewed documents that showed a proposal tied to America鈥檚 250th anniversary would turn East Potomac into what would be called Washington National Golf Course, backed by at least $50 million in fundraising.

For now, McCartin said the nonprofit is continuing to operate the course with the hope that the government reconsiders the end of the lease.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to do that until we鈥檙e told that we can鈥檛 do it anymore,鈥� McCartin said.

The Department of the Interior said in a statement to 小萝莉影视 that affordability will remain a focus as plans move forward.

鈥淧resident Donald Trump has made affordability a cornerstone of this administration, and this project will be no exception,鈥� it stated.

On the course itself, a large mound of dirt from the White House East Wing excavation now sits in plain view and could factor into future improvements. McCartin said it reflects the broader uncertainty surrounding what the course鈥檚 next chapter will look like.

鈥淚 think it represents the big question mark that鈥檚 hanging over this place about what comes next,” McCartin said.

‘Only place I could golf’

Golfers say they are paying close attention to what happens next.

Justin, who plays regularly at East Potomac, said affordability is what has long made the course stand out.

鈥淚f you raise the prices 50%, a whole bunch of people who could afford this won鈥檛 be able to afford it,” he said.

He said for many players, it remains one of the few accessible places to golf in the region. He recalls the course being the only option when he moved to D.C.

鈥淭his is the only place I could golf,” he said.

Jonathan Davis,of Arlington, said he has been playing there for decades and wants to see improvements, but not at the cost of access.

鈥淭his is where I learned how to play. And I’ve been playing here for 40 years, and I hate to see something happen to it,鈥� Davis said. 鈥淚f he keeps prices the same and improves the course, I’m all for it. If he improves the course, it makes it so people can’t play it, then that’s totally different story.”

Others like Lincoln Lawrence, of Alexandria, said they are willing to wait and see what is planned.

鈥淚鈥檓 open to it only until I understand what the design is,” Lawrence said.

And some golfers argue a major overhaul may not be necessary at all.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 need a new golf course. We just need this one,鈥� said Mark Ellmore, of Alexandria.

Ellmore said the course should remain what it has always been, which is a public space for all and should not be turned into a high-end course.

鈥淒onald Trump is far too smart to blow up a public park and try and turn it into Bethpage,鈥� Ellmore said.

As plans are discussed and legal challenges move forward, what the future holds for East Potomac and what changes may come remains unclear.

小萝莉影视’s Jessica Kronzer, Grace Newton and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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The hope is that a packed calendar in 2026 brings more visitors into the city and more people through restaurant doors at a time when many operators are still working with thin margins.

Last summer, that kind of activity was not there.

鈥淭hat 2025 summer, it wasn’t filled with events related to 250,鈥� said Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington.

A slower summer meant fewer diners for restaurants that were already dealing with rising labor costs, higher rent and customers spending less per visit. Townsend said that combination made last year especially challenging for full鈥憇ervice restaurants.

This year he believes things are looking up.

Major events are planned throughout the summer as part of America鈥檚 250th celebration, including an IndyCar race on streets near the National Mall, a UFC event planned at the White House and a large state fair expected to run for weeks.

Those events are expected to draw visitors from across the country and keep people in the region longer, something restaurant leaders say makes a real difference.

鈥淲hat we will see this summer is a high volume of foot traffic,鈥� Townsend said.

That increase in visitors matters as restaurants continue adjusting to changing dining habits. Townsend said many customers are ordering fewer items and skipping extras when they do go out, putting even more importance on getting as many orders as possible.

鈥淭hat foot traffic will directly impact our restaurants,鈥� Townsend said.

He said large, multiday events are especially important because many visitors dine out, whether before events, after them or while visitors explore different parts of the region.

While new restaurants continue to open, Townsend said it has become harder for smaller, independent operators to survive without consistent business, making a strong summer season critical for those restaurants, too.

There are still challenges ahead, including uncertainty around costs and consumer behavior, but Townsend said the concentration of events tied to America鈥檚 250th anniversary offers a chance for restaurants to recover some of what was lost last year.

鈥淚’m cautiously optimistic,鈥� Townsend said.

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The was created to raise wages for childcare workers, with the goal of keeping more educators in classrooms and more classrooms open.

Marica Cox Mitchell, chief program officer at the, said the fund has helped stabilize the childcare industry.

“The pay equity fund filled an important gap,” Mitchell said.

She said removing that support could push experienced workers out of early childhood education.

“They either leave to work in other sectors or work with children older than birth to five or birth to three in particular and so young children suffer the most,” Mitchell said.

She said the impact would extend beyond providers to families trying to find and afford care.

“Families then have to figure out how they can pay for and access quality early childhood experiences for their own children,” Mitchell said. “In some cases, they may stay out of the labor market.”

She added that some families could be forced to make tough decisions about work. Fewer workers could also mean fewer available spots, even for families receiving financial help.

“I think families are going to immediately feel the impact,鈥� Mitchell said.

Bowser, during her budget presentation earlier this month, defended the move, saying the program does not directly address what families say they need most.

“I think what I hear most from families is they want more opportunities for childcare, more places, more spots 鈥� more quality spots 鈥� and they want it to be less expensive. We don’t think the pay equity fund does that. It’s not a childcare affordability fund. It’s more of an income support fund for childcare workers,鈥� Bowser said.

In a statement, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education said, “Data shows that the creation of the PEF did not lead to a surge of new childcare centers opening,” adding that the District will continue supporting other programs to lower costs for families, including universal pre-K and direct subsidies.

D.C. City Administrator Kevin Donahue, also speaking during the budget presentation, said that despite the $60 million cut to the pay equity fund, $12 million will remain to cover healthcare premiums for childcare workers.

Mitchell said the potential cuts could also have broader implications as other states look to D.C. as a model.

“This has national implications as well, because many states were looking to D.C. to sort of lead the way and serve as the blueprint,” Mitchell said.

Some D.C. Council members have signaled they may try to restore the funding as budget discussions continue.

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NASA is building a first-of-its-kind mission to explore another world, and part of it is happening in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The mission called “Dragonfly” aims to explore how the building blocks of life might come together in environments beyond Earth.

Dragonfly is a flying spacecraft that will be sent to Saturn鈥檚 moon Titan and is designed to travel from place to place studying the surface.

Chief of NASA’s Planetary Environments Lab Charles Malespin, who’s working on the mass spectrometer for the mission, said it鈥檚 unlike anything before.

鈥淚t’s an octocopter. It’s about the size of an SUV, so it’s huge,鈥� he said.

Inside a clean room at NASA鈥檚 Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, scientists covered head to toe in white hazmat suits are building and testing the hardware, including the mass spectrometer, also known as DraMS, that will analyze samples drilled from Titan鈥檚 frozen ground. The instrument being built there will help identify the chemical makeup of Titan鈥檚 surface.

Malespin explained how the instrument works: 鈥淚t’s essentially a chemistry suite built into one small instrument.”

Scientists said Titan is packed with organic material, the ingredients for life, but it鈥檚 also extremely cold 鈥� nearly 290 degrees below zero. Scientists said they believe Titan may resemble conditions similar to early Earth before life began.

鈥淲e’re not a life detection mission,鈥� Malespin said.

Melissa Trainer, Dragonfly deputy principal investigator and DraMS instrument lead, agreed the mission is focused on chemistry, not finding life itself.

Instead, scientists are trying to understand what happens next and how chemistry could lead to life.

Trainer said Titan offers a rare opportunity to study that process.

鈥淭itan is like the best example that we have that we can get to, of a global environment where you’ve got an active chemistry cycle, you have all the surface processing and those things that may have been the magic sauce on Earth, like billions of years ago. We could be seeing the early stages of that on Titan, or parts of that going on in Titan,鈥� she said.

Malespin said a comet impact could heat Titan and create a kind of chemical soup, letting scientists see how those ingredients might come together.

鈥淎ll we’re saying is that you have all the ingredients to start building and going up the chain to determine, if you had another catalyst, if you had a more conducive environment, then perhaps you could have life in this. Unless we have a little organism crawling on the camera,鈥� he said.

Dragonfly鈥檚 development is led by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, with support from NASA centers, including Goddard.

Shannon MacKenzie, planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, said Titan鈥檚 environment actually helps make that possible. She said Titan鈥檚 dense atmosphere will help Dragonfly move around.

鈥淭itan鈥檚 atmosphere is much denser than Earth鈥檚, and the gravity is lower, which makes it easier for a vehicle like Dragonfly to fly,鈥� MacKenzie said.

That mobility is key to the mission鈥檚 success, MacKenzie said, allowing Dragonfly to study a range of different environments instead of staying in one place.

Dragonfly is expected to launch no earlier than July 2028 and will take about six years to reach Titan. Once there, it will fly, land and repeat, taking samples across miles of terrain to give scientists new clues about how life might begin.

Even without searching for life directly, the mission could reshape what scientists know about how life begins.

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James Hawdon, a professor of sociology and the director of the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention at Virginia Tech, said it is the frequency of these events, not their severity, that is reshaping how people react.

鈥淚 do think there has been somewhat of a normalization of violence,鈥� Hawdon said. “Part of that is the rhetoric that is being used.”

Political violence in the U.S. is not new, but Hawdon said the country is in a period where these events are happening more often.

鈥淭his seems to ebb and flow, and we are entering a period where there is more political violence,鈥� he said.

Hawdon said the risk is not limited to deadly attacks, pointing to recent near misses and thwarted attempts as well.

鈥淚t doesn’t necessarily even need to be a successful attack,鈥� he said. “Those attempts that are successful, I think has a greater impact.”

Repeated instances like this can begin to blend into the background of everyday life, Hawdon said. When violence becomes familiar, he said, it can affect public trust in the political system.

鈥淲hen politics are decided, in part through violence, rather than through the discussion of ideas, people start to, first of all, become more polarized, and secondly, withdraw their trust from the system,鈥� Hawdon said.

The gunman tried to storm the White House Correspondents鈥� Association dinner at the Washington Hilton, the same hotel where President Ronald Reagan was shot more than 40 years ago.

In 1981, Reagan was walking to a limousine outside the hotel when he was shot by John Hinckley, an event that shocked the country.

While the circumstances were very different, Hawdon said political violence today feels closer and more frequent.

He cautioned that this is not the most violent period in U.S. history, but said the frequency of events still matters.

Beyond the long鈥憈erm trend, Hawdon said researchers also look at how individuals come to see violence as an option in the first place.

Looking at past acts of terrorism, Hawdon said people generally resort to political violence when they don’t see a legitimate way for their grievance to be heard.

“If you can take your case to the courts and have the courts resolve it, you do that. But if the courts aren’t going to hear your case, the next strategy could be, ‘Well, let’s disrupt the system,’鈥� he said.

Hawdon said the internet can intensify that thinking by reinforcing grievances and biases inside groups of like鈥憁inded people.

鈥淵ou air your grievance, and the people share that grievance, and that amplifies it and makes it 鈥� in your head 鈥� even worse than it might be,鈥� he said.

Hawdon said that kind of reinforcement does not have to directly promote violence to have an impact.

“Not necessarily directly encouraging you to become violent, but at least applauding your notion that there’s something seriously wrong that I have to fix,” he said.

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The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, named after NASA鈥檚 first chief astronomer, is now complete after more than a decade of development.

鈥淚t is a lot of work, millions of hours is no exaggeration. That’s actual, actual math,鈥� Jamie Dunn, project manager for the telescope, said.

Standing just over 40 feet tall, the telescope is designed to take an unusually wide view of the universe. Scientists said that approach will help them better understand dark energy and dark matter while also discovering tens of thousands of planets beyond the solar system.

鈥淥ne month of Roman observations would correspond to a century with Hubble,鈥� said Julie McEnery, senior project scientist for the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched back in 1990 and remains fully operational.

McEnery said Roman鈥檚 sweeping surveys could also help scientists identify flaws in long-standing theories about how the universe works.

鈥淐urrent observations hint that our standard model of the universe is incorrect,鈥� she said. 鈥淩oman will be able to confirm these and set us on the path to understanding what鈥檚 right.鈥�

Unlike earlier space telescopes that focus on individual targets, Roman is designed to scan vast areas of the sky at once.

鈥淲e, in the past, have concentrated on studying individual objects, Roman is going to do it differently. We’re going to be observing huge portions of the sky in order to fundamentally address something very human, which is trying to understand where do we come from and what about this universe we live in, how’s it evolving,鈥� said Lucas Paganini, the mission鈥檚 program executive.

Roman also carries a coronagraph, a specialized instrument designed to block out light from stars so scientists can try to directly see planets orbiting them.

鈥淚t will be stable, more stable than all of these other observatories that we’ve built before, and that’s what allows us to do starlight suppression at these unprecedented levels,鈥� said Vanessa Bailey, coronagraph instrument scientist at NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the telescope鈥檚 sweeping view could fundamentally reshape how scientists understand space.

鈥淩oman will give the Earth the new atlas of the universe,鈥� Isaacman said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 worth pausing for a moment and just think about how really incredible that is.鈥�

Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA鈥檚 Science Mission Directorate, said Roman also helps lay the groundwork for future exploration by advancing key technologies and scientific understanding.

鈥淓verything we do at NASA builds off the successes of what we鈥檝e done before,鈥� Fox said. 鈥淚t will definitely, definitely open doors to new cosmic pursuits.鈥�

Before science operations begin, the telescope will undergo months of commissioning after launch.

鈥淥ne of the things that we do over and over and over again is we practice our launch day, and we practice our first six days, and we practice beyond into day 40 of commissioning,鈥� said Jeremy Perkins, the mission鈥檚 science commissioning lead.

Paganini said everything scientists can currently observe represents only about 5% of the universe, with the rest made up of dark energy and dark matter.

Quoting Carl Sagan, Paganini said, 鈥淪omewhere, something incredible is about to be discovered.鈥�

With final testing complete, Roman is expected to ship soon to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it could launch as early as September.

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