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Tag: nick iannelli

  • Trump wants his name on the new Commanders stadium. What cards he could play, and what stands in his way – WTOP News

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    While President Donald Trump potentially holds some leverage in swaying the stakeholders involved with naming the Commanders’ stadium, he also faces some possible challenges.

    President Donald Trump has reportedly expressed a desire for the Washington Commanders to name the team’s new football stadium after himself, according to an ESPN report.

    The team’s new stadium is being built at the old RFK Stadium site in D.C.

    While the president holds some leverage in potentially swaying stakeholders, he also faces some possible challenges in influencing the stadium name.

    WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli heard from Lisa Delpy Neirotti, an associate professor of sport management at the George Washington University School of Business, about what’s at play.

    Read and listen to the interview below.

    Professor Lisa Delpy Neirotti talks with WTOP’s Nick Iannelli about President Donald Trump’s reported desire to have his name on the Commanders’ stadium.

    The following transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      Naming a stadium is complicated even more so in this case, because of where the stadium is being built.

    • Lisa Delpy Neirotti:

      Every team is looking to maximize revenues to stay competitive, and the Commanders’ new stadium name will be sold to a corporate sponsor, like all other teams in the league. There are ways to incorporate an individual name, but there is no doubt that there will be a corporate sponsor tied to the stadium name.

      Now, we have to understand that the District of Columbia owns the stadium, but the naming rights belong to the team. With the final approval of the venue name resting with both the D.C. Council and the National Park Service, they obviously want to make sure the name is appropriate for the city.

    • Nick Iannelli :

      How does the National Park Service play into all that?

    • Lisa Delpy Neirotti:

      They are part owner of that land. And, so, they have a say in how it represents that area.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      So you have the Commanders, you have the D.C. Council and you have the National Park Service on this land that is basically federal land controlled by D.C.

      That’s really complicated. That’s not, you’re in a city somewhere and there’s a piece of land and a sports team wants to build a stadium on a piece of land. This is all tied in with the federal government, and that does make it more complex.

    • Lisa Delpy Neirotti:

      Yes, it does. There are multiple stakeholders in this, from the District, the Park Service, the team and even the residents, everybody will have a say in this.

      Ultimately, it will come down to the team securing revenue, generating naming rights, and whether they incorporate another name, that will ultimately be decided between D.C. Council and the National Park Service and the team.

      This is going to be a collaborative effort, and there’s going to be lots of discussions.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      So in other words, this isn’t a situation where, just because he’s the president of the United States, he can snap his finger and say, ‘I want my name on that,’ and then it gets rubber-stamped. This is a complicated process. That’s just not how it works, but he can put pressure on all those entities if he wants.

    • Lisa Delpy Neirotti:

      This president is unlike any other we’ve had. He can make it very difficult to build the stadium if he really wants. Just building processes, permits, approvals, environmental approvals.

      He has the power to make any of those difficult in the whole building process. It just depends on if he really wants to play those cards or not.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      And just focusing on the Commanders, the team itself here, it wouldn’t necessarily be good to put any politician’s name on a stadium right now, given the country’s politics and how everybody’s divided.

    • Lisa Delpy Neirotti:

      There’s going to be some fans that say, ‘I’m not going to be able to support the Commanders if they put this name on the stadium,’ whereas others will be happy with it.

      There’s definitely going to be a corporate name, because they need the revenue. How Trump could be added to that name and have it sound good — or, instead of the naming rights, maybe they come up with a commemorative area within the stadium. It could be the Trump entrance to commemorate his name in some fashion.

      What’s going to be happening is there’s going to be continued discussions, keeping an open mind on all possibilities.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jessica Kronzer

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  • Virginia Gov. Youngkin calls potential redistricting from House Dems ‘a desperate grab’ – WTOP News

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    Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is furious. Democratic leaders in the General Assembly said they’re bringing lawmakers back to Richmond next week to start the process of redrawing the state’s congressional maps.

    Virginia Democrats have called lawmakers back to Richmond for a special session next week, the first step toward potentially redrawing their state’s U.S. House districts. 

    They’re taking a play out of Texas’ book, which redrew its maps in September, backed by President Donald Trump and his push for more partisan districts in Republican-run states.

    Virginia Democrats are hoping it will boost their party’s chances in next year’s midterm elections.

    Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, in an interview with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli, called the move “a desperate grab for power.”

    It’s all happening just days before Virginia’s high-stakes election in the race for governor on Nov. 4.

    Listen to or read the interview below:

    WTOP’s Nick Iannelli speaks with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who called the state’s Democrats ‘desperate’ for redrawing its congressional maps

    The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      For the average political observer, to hear that this was happening, this was a little bit of a shock. This was stunning to hear. Did you as governor know this was coming, this redistricting effort, or were you just as caught off guard by it as everybody else?

    • Glenn Youngkin:

      No, I didn’t know it was coming, and I think it is a desperate grab for power.

      Let’s be real. We’re now 34 days into an election cycle; 34 days into the election with 11 days left. And they’re calling for a special session to talk about redistricting and to push something that, by the way, Virginians settled five years ago when there was a constitutional amendment — approved by Virginians. two-thirds, one-third — to have a bipartisan redistricting committee do this work.

      And by the way, now here they’re saying, “We’re going to ignore that. We’re going to override you all and drive a blatantly partisan agenda that is counter to everything that Virginians believe.”

      The future of the Commonwealth is either going to be one that we work together and get things done, like we have done, or we cede political control to a party that wants to seize power like this right from the hands of voters that voted five years ago in order to have a bipartisan redistricting commission. And they want to do it 11 days before we finish an election.

      This is crazy, and I think Virginians have to see through what this is and get out and vote and put a stop to this.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      You called this a “shameful, reprehensible power grab.” This basically happened in Texas, though, and this was supported by the Trump administration. Would you say that Republicans who do these efforts in other states are also carrying out a “shameful, reprehensible power grab?”

    • Glenn Youngkin:

      Nick, let me correct you directly.

      There had not been a constitutional amendment passed in Texas. There has been one passed here — a constitutional amendment put to the voters in 2020. An amendment that said we will have a bipartisan redistricting commission and it will handle these redistricting issues. And it passed two-thirds, one-third in Virginia. We have settled this. This is done.

      This is so fundamentally wrong, and it violates every ounce of decency that we’re supposed to have as public servants in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And, again, I think it’s reprehensible.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      Are you and your administration going to do something, or try to do something, to stop this from happening?

    • Glenn Youngkin:

      I believe over the course of the week, next week, it will become increasingly clear why this is unconstitutional.

      Listen, right now, we’re just in shock that they would play this crazy, crazy card and pull everyone back, including Winsome Earle-Sears, who is campaigning — and they’re also doing it to get her off the campaign trail because they understand that this race has tightened so much.

      People recognize they’ll do anything, anything, to seize control, and this is why this election is so tight. And the fact that they are calling this special session at a time when people should be out campaigning and winning by votes, not by trickery, I think this is a real tell into their moral compass, which is spinning right now.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      Are you going to do anything legally to try to stop this?

    • Glenn Youngkin:

      As you can imagine, everyone is examining all avenues, and we’ll see how that plays out next week.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Ciara Wells

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  • Va. Rep. Walkinshaw: Mass firing threat an ‘amateurish attempt to negotiate’ amid looming shutdown – WTOP News

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    Rep. James Walkinshaw, whose Virginia district is home to residents who are part of the federal workforce, talked with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli Thursday and shared what he said everyone in Congress should be doing. 

    Newly elected Virginia Rep. James Walkinshaw says that President Donald Trump’s administration’s threat of mass firing was an “amateurish attempt to negotiate” amid a looming government shutdown.

    Walkinshaw, a Democrat whose Virginia district is home to many residents who are part of the federal workforce, talked with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli on Thursday and shared what he said everyone in Congress should be doing.

    Listen to the interview below.

    Walkinshaw says everyone in Congress should be doing this to reach funding agreement

    The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      I feel like Democratic lawmakers in Virginia are in a uniquely difficult spot because of the nature of the federal workforce and the saturation of the federal workforce, especially in your district.

      So where are you at with this right now? What is your mindset?

    • James Walkinshaw:

      Well first, with respect to the threat of mass firing and the memo that came out, I think it’s complete bluster and BS.

      The Trump administration has no more legal authority to fire federal workers or implement mass firing of federal workers in a shutdown than they do today, when the government’s open. In a shutdown, federal workers have their civil service protections under the law. In a shutdown, if the administration wants to implement a reduction in force, they have to follow precisely the same rigorous process that they have to follow today.

      So if the Trump administration attempts, if there’s a shutdown, to do an inrun around that process, they’ll end up in court, and I’m confident that they’ll lose in court.

    • Nick Iannelli:

      So one question here has been, is this a negotiation tactic or is this a real threat?

      And judging by what you just said, it sounds like you are firmly in the category of this is not real. This is the Trump administration trying to negotiate.

    • James Walkinshaw:

      Yeah, and I think it’s an amateurish attempt to try to negotiate. The way to negotiate is to sit down and have a meeting. But President Trump has refused to even meet with Democratic leaders to negotiate a bipartisan agreement to cancel the cuts to health care and keep the government open, but this memo as a negotiating tactic is embarrassing.

    • Nick Iannelli :

      Do you think it’s a gamble to view it as just a negotiating tactic and not a legitimate effort to carry out these mass layoffs?

    • James Walkinshaw:

      No, I don’t think it’s a gamble because the law is very clear. The Trump administration has no additional legal authority to carry out mass firings in a shutdown than they do when the government’s open.

      They’ve been conducting firings and trying to conduct firings for nine months now, sometimes legally, many times illegally. They’ve been blocked by the courts in cases where it’s been deemed to be illegal, and if they tried to do that during a shutdown, I think they’d be blocked by the courts as well.

    • Nick Iannelli :

      It is very possible that no matter what the legal situation is, the Trump administration would attempt mass layoffs, because the Trump administration has tested these boundaries throughout this year. So, vulnerable federal employees out there who may or may not receive a RIF notice if the Trump administration works to carry out this threat, what is your message to those federal employees out there? Is your message, ‘Just hang tight. The legal system will go your way eventually?’

    • James Walkinshaw:

      My message is one: I’m doing what everybody in Congress should be doing, and urging a real bipartisan negotiation to resolve the differences that exist and get a bipartisan funding agreement in place to avoid the shutdown.

      Second, my message with respect to the threat of mass firings or layoffs and federal workers know this: The Trump administration has been doing this for nine months. They assert that they have the legal authority to shut down federal agencies, to shut down federal offices, to fire federal workers, and they’ve been doing it en masse to the tune of hundreds of thousands of federal workers over the last nine months. A shutdown won’t change that.

      I expect that the Trump administration’s efforts to fire federal employees will continue whether the federal government is open or shut down.

    • Nick Iannelli :

      In Congress, what’s the feeling right now when you think about the chances of a government shutdown happening? In your eyes, from your perspective, what are the chances of a government shutdown at this point?

    • James Walkinshaw :

      There was some optimism earlier this week when President Trump agreed to sit down finally and meet with Democratic leaders. I think had that meeting occurred, there would have been a possibility of an agreement or some movement toward an agreement. But when the president went on social media to cancel that bipartisan meeting. I think the odds of a shutdown went way, way up.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • ‘It’s Zeke. I’ve been shot’: DC firefighter recounts harrowing struggle with armed robber – WTOP News

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    An off-duty D.C. firefighter, who was shot and seriously wounded Saturday night during an armed robbery on Capitol Hill, tells WTOP that his instinct was to “fight back.”

    DC firefighter Gary ‘Zeek’ Dziekan spoke to WTOP’s Nick Iannelli about his experience of being shot in an attempted robbery.

    The exterior of D.C.’s Engine 18 located on Capitol Hill.(DC Fire and EMS Department)

    An off-duty D.C. firefighter, who was shot and seriously wounded Saturday night during an armed robbery on Capitol Hill, tells WTOP that his instinct was to “fight back.”

    Gary “Zeek” Dziekan was walking home from a party at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday near the 200 block of 8th Street in Northeast, when a teen wearing a surgical mask approached him with a gun.

    “I kind of got that sixth sense that something bad was about to happen,” Dziekan said in an interview with WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli. The teen demanded Dziekan’s cellphone and told the firefighter to give him a password to an app.

    When Dziekan said he didn’t know the password, the teen put the gun to Dziekan’s chest, and, in a split-second decision, the firefighter fought back. He grabbed “the barrel of the gun” and swung the teen away, who pulled the trigger.

    A bullet landed in Dziekan’s shoulder after striking the teen’s fingers and the teen dropped everything, including the gun, and ran.

    “I noticed how much I was bleeding,” the blood was pouring out “pretty good,” Dziekan said. He managed to call 911, but couldn’t get through to an operator for three minutes.

    At that point, the robber ran back to the scene and Dziekan thought, “He’s coming back to finish me off and kill me.”

    While lying on the ground, Dziekan grabbed the gun and fired off shots in the teen’s direction, scaring him off, not knowing if he hit him or not.

    “It’s either fight or get shot, and I chose to fight,” he said. “I still got shot, but it wasn’t a fatal shot in the chest, for sure.”

    Dziekan said during the struggle, he had forced the teen to shoot away from his heart.

    Then, “my medical training kicks in,” and Dziekan took off his shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound.

    A neighbor came over and offered help and Dziekan had him call his firehouse. “It’s Zeek. I’ve been shot. I need help,” he told his fellow firefighters.

    “I kind of was in a shock at that point,” he said.

    His colleagues from Engine 18, just a few blocks away, rushed to him and saved his life.

    Meanwhile, D.C. police arrested the 17-year-old suspected shooter nearby and charged him with assault with intent to rob. The teen also was injured, police said.

    U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced upgraded charges against Marcellus Dyson Jr., 17, of Suitland, Maryland, on Monday.

    Dyson is facing charges of armed robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and aggravated assault while armed. He’s being charged as an adult under Title 16.

    Dziekan, a father of two, credits his clear-headed thinking to his training as a firefighter, “because we have to think on the fly in high-pressure situations regularly.”

    Even though experts say if someone approaches with a gun, a potential victim should give them whatever they want, Dziekan said, “the best decision I made in that whole thing was to grab the gun. Because if not, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • Loudoun Co. schools violated Title IX, retaliated by suspending male students, DOE says – WTOP News

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    Loudoun County Public Schools violated Title IX and retaliated against two male students being filmed in a boys’ locker room by a transgender student.

    WTOP’s Nick Iannelli discussed the DOE finding with Loudoun Now reporter Patrick Lewis

    The U.S. Department of Education said Loudoun County Public Schools violated Title IX and retaliated against two male students who reported being filmed in a boys’ locker room by a transgender student who identified as a male.

    The ruling, in the form of a press release, came the day after the families of the two students filed a federal lawsuit against LCPS, seeking to overturn suspensions for the two students at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia.

    The decision is the latest by the Department of Education, under President Donald Trump, focused on the issue of whether transgender children should be allowed to use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity.

    “Loudoun County’s adherence to radical gender ideology has repeatedly placed its students in harm’s way,” said Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Craig Trainor. “Loudoun County failed to treat allegations of sexual harassment equally: it promptly investigated a female student’s complaint but quickly dismissed and failed to meaningly investigate two of its male students’ complaints of sexual harassment.”

    According to the DOE release, LCPS has 10 days to voluntarily enter the Department’s Resolution Agreement, which requires the school system to take the following actions:

    • Rescind the suspensions imposed on the two male students;
    • Review its findings to determine if discipline of the male students is warranted and, if Loudoun County determines that it is, the discipline must not exceed the discipline imposed on students who engaged in similar conduct and who had comparable disciplinary histories;
    • Issue letters apologizing for Loudoun County’s failure to properly investigate Title IX complaints;
    • Notify the students and their parents that Loudoun County Public Schools will promptly investigate the formal Title IX complaints in a manner that is compliant with the requirements of Title IX; and
    • Provide training to all high school and Loudoun County staff who receive or respond to reports of sexual harassment under Title IX.

    Contacted by WTOP for a response to the DOE findings, Loudoun County Public Schools referred to an earlier comment: “At no time would LCPS suspend a student simply because they expressed some kind of discomfort. A reading of our Title IX resources should make it clear that there is a high bar to launch a Title IX investigation and an even higher bar to determine a student is in violation of Title IX.”

    What this means, what comes next

    Shortly after the DOE statement, WTOP evening anchor Nick Iannelli spoke with Loudoun Now reporter Patrick Lewis. Iannelli said the facts about what happened in the boys’ bathroom aren’t clear to the public.

    “We know the school’s Title IX office found the two boys guilty of sexual harassment and sex based discrimination, and we only know that boys’ lawyers and their families released that,” said Lewis. “The schools are not going to release anything at all because they’re saying its protected student records.”

    While the school system’s statement provides no specifics, Iannelli posited that the statement suggests other factors led to the students’ suspensions.

    “There’s a lot of bars that you legally have to hit to even initiate a Title IX investigation once ou receive a complaint,” said Lewis. “Obviously, they found them guilty of harassment and discrimination, so from LCPS’s side, they’re saying they checked a lot of boxes, which obviously the boys and their attorneys are saying they were nowhere near checking.”

    In July, DOE’s Office of Civil Rights found five Northern Virginia school divisions — Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, Arlington, and the City of Alexandria — had violated Title IX. The school systems refused to abide by the proposed DOE resolution agreement.

    While the new release from the Department of Education doesn’t specify what steps would be taken if Loudoun doesn’t comply, “Presumably the Education Department will move further in their process to withdraw federal funding from the schools,” said Lewis.

    However, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares referred his investigation into the locker room filming incident to the U.S. Department of Justice. “No word from them on whether they’re even investigating that, but potentially, down the road, there could also be criminal elements to all of this, as well,” said Lewis.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Neal Augenstein

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  • Challenger emerges to face Montgomery County sheriff in primary – WTOP News

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    In an exclusive interview, WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli hears from Will Milam about why he’s challenging Sheriff Maxwell Uy for his position as head of the sheriff’s department in Montgomery County, Maryland.

    Exclusive: WTOP anchor Nick Iannelli hears from Will Milam about his bid in the primary for Montgomery County sheriff

    A political battle for sheriff in Montgomery County, Maryland, is taking shape.

    Sheriff Maxwell Uy (left) is facing a challenger, Wil Milam (right) in the race for Montgomery County sheriff. (Courtesy Max Uy 4 Sheriff and Will Milam )

    Sheriff Maxwell Uy will face a challenge from Will Milam, who retired earlier this year as chief assistant sheriff for Prince George’s County, where he served for nearly 20 years.

    Before that, Milam worked with the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office.

    In an exclusive interview with WTOP Thursday, Milam announced his campaign publicly for the first time, saying the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is “currently broken.”

    “The agency is in the midst of a major staffing crisis, morale among the workforce is at an all-time low and there’s no vision for the future of the department,” Milam said. “People don’t leave jobs, they leave bad managers, and I want to bring a new leadership style that’s sort of aimed at valuing our employees so that they stay.”

    Uy has faced criticism from the union that represents employees at the sheriff’s office, in part because more than two dozen deputies have left the department during his leadership.

    “I think you if you drill down on those departures, you would find that many of them have left due to early retirements,” Milam said. “They’re leaving and electing to leave money on the table to get out of the department, and others have left to go to other law enforcement agencies where they feel more valued.”

    In a statement to WTOP, Uy said the situation was more complicated than that.

    “Recent collective bargaining agreements have reduced the actual number of years needed to qualify for retirement by crediting qualified military veterans for up to two years of service, with an option to purchase additional years for retirement credit,” Uy said. “As a military veteran, I commend the efforts to credit veterans for their service, however, in a workforce of only 155 deputies, the loss of one-sixth of the workforce puts real strain and stress on our operations.”

    Uy added that it has become harder to recruit deputies, especially when other law enforcement agencies are able to offer significant hiring bonuses.

    He said that the sheriff’s office has recently stepped up its community engagement and recruiting efforts.

    “As the current, elected sheriff with more than 31 years of service with the MCSO, I consider myself uniquely qualified to handle these challenges,” Uy said.

    Uy was first elected to the role of sheriff in 2022.

    Both Uy and Milam are now listed as Democratic candidates for sheriff in next year’s election, which means they are set to face each other in a primary in June of 2026.

    When asked if his campaign was the result of someone in the department or the union encouraging him to run, Milam said it was not.

    “Law enforcement circles are small, and so it’s not uncommon for you to hear things about other departments,” Milam said. “The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was a department that I had heard wasn’t going the best, and so as a Montgomery County resident and someone who has made this their life work, I started paying attention.”

    Milam said, if elected, one of his top priorities would be to focus on domestic violence.

    “It’s a crisis that’s hiding in plain sight,” Milam said. “I want our agency to be proactive in intervening family and domestic violence within the community, partnering with community stakeholders to raise greater awareness and focus on holding abusers accountable.”

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • ‘It just wouldn’t be fair:’ Maryland’s only Republican congressman responds to governor’s redistricting threat – WTOP News

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    The only Republican member of Congress in Maryland, Andy Harris, spoke out Tuesday after Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said he was looking closely at redistricting options in the state and potentially joining a nationwide battle over partisan redistricting.

    Maryland Rep. Andy Harris sits down with WTOP’s Nick Iannelli to discuss the potential threat of redistricting

    The only Republican member of Congress in Maryland, Andy Harris, spoke out Tuesday after Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore said he was looking closely at redistricting options in the state, potentially joining a nationwide battle over partisan redistricting.

    If Moore followed through with that, Harris could be drawn out of his district.

    “It disenfranchises huge amounts of the Maryland population. It just wouldn’t be fair,” Harris said in an interview with WTOP.

    Some Democratic governors have vowed to consider redrawing congressional maps in retaliation against Texas Republicans, who are moving forward with rewriting their congressional lines to give the GOP more seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    In an interview on CBS’s Face the Nation, Moore said “all options are on the table.”

    “For the governor, it would be a stunning reversal from his position,” Harris said. “If you want to go and listen to his inaugural address, he talked about, ‘If they’re good ideas, you work across the aisle.’”

    Harris said the move “is the most un-bipartisan thing you could do.”

    “The most partisan thing you could do is gerrymander a state that has had two Republican governors out of the last four, into a state that can’t send a Republican to Congress,” Harris said.

    He pointed to 2022, when a judge threw out a congressional map drawn by Maryland’s General Assembly, finding that it unfairly favored Democrats.

    Harris said he was already weighing his legal options.

    “We will take this to court, it will go as high as necessary, and in the end, a judge could draw a map that actually has two or three Republican congressmen,” Harris said. “I’d caution the Democrats, be careful what you wish for.”

    The redistricting fight is just one of many disputes involving Maryland and the Trump administration.

    Another came when President Trump recently threatened to send in National Guard members to Baltimore to “quickly clean up” crime.

    Harris said he could support the idea of putting National Guard members in Baltimore.

    “There are many areas of the city where you can’t go in or you’re afraid to go in because crime is just not controlled,” Harris said. “If it takes National Guard troops to clean it up, to stop the drug dealing, to stop the homicides, to stop the carjackings, then I would welcome that.”

    “It’s easily justified, and I think the people of Baltimore would benefit from it,” he added.

    As part of the growing bitterness between Trump and Moore, the president also threatened to possibly withhold federal funding for the project to rebuild the collapsed Key Bridge in Baltimore.

    Harris again sided with the Trump administration.

    “I think the funding for the Key Bridge might have to be reinvestigated, because it’s a little unusual that we allowed 100% payment by the federal government,” Harris said. “Normally, it’s a lower amount.”

    Though he acknowledged that a different cost-sharing plan could cost Maryland around $200 million.

    “If Wes Moore has enough money to spend tens of millions of dollars suing the Trump administration, then maybe Maryland should pick up more of the tab on the Key Bridge,” Harris said. “If the Trump administration rethinks about allowing 100% payment for the Key Bridge, that’s fine with me.”

    The Key Bridge reconstruction project is expected to cost about $2 billion and take about four years to complete.

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    © 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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  • Analysis: How voters shifted in Maryland and Virginia – WTOP News

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    Voting trends that were seen nationally in the presidential election also appeared in Maryland and Virginia.

    Stay with WTOP on air, online and on the WTOP News app for the latest local and national election developments. Sign up for WTOP’s Election Desk weekly newsletter to stay informed through Inauguration Day.

    Republican Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, outperforming his results in the 2020 election, while Democrat Kamala Harris failed to do as well as President Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago.

    Voting trends that were seen nationally also appeared in Maryland and Virginia.

    “A lot of polls had Kamala Harris winning by eight or 10 points, but she won by five,” said Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth, while discussing the polling and election results in the Commonwealth.

    Five points is the margin that Hillary Rodham Clinton carried Virginia by in 2016, which was five points below President Biden’s margin in his 2020 victory in Virginia.

    There were two close races involving U.S. House seats controlled by Democrats in the 7th and 10th Congressional Districts.

    “What was interesting in both the races was in almost every jurisdiction in those two districts, there was a shift of one or two points to the right,” Holsworth said. “We saw this almost uniform pattern of jurisdictions moving a little bit more toward the Republican direction than they had previously in Virginia, and that really was the story of the nation.”

    In the 7th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Democrat Eugene Vindman declared victory over Republican Derrick Anderson with about a two-point lead.

    The Associated Press declared Vindman the winner on Wednesday evening, nearly 24 hours after polls closed.

    In the 10th Congressional District, which Democrat Rep. Jennifer Wexton is leaving due to severe health challenges, Democratic Del. Suhas Subramanyam defeated his Republican opponent, Mike Clancy, by about four points.

    “What you saw in the election was that in Northern Virginia and in the big suburbs around Richmond — particularly Henrico and Chesterfield counties — the Democrats did quite well,” Holsworth said. “What you also saw was the complete collapse of the Democrats in rural Virginia.”

    Trends in neighboring Maryland

    Similar patterns emerged in Maryland, even though registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in the state by a 2:1 ratio.

    “It’s a safely Democratic state, but the national trend of the shift toward Republicans is something we see in Maryland as well,” said Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

    Trump improved his vote share in Maryland, and Harris pulled in less than Biden did four years ago.

    Eberly said the divide between urban and rural Americans was on full display.

    “The education divide between those with a college degree and those without is growing, and you see it playing out in Maryland,” Eberly said. “You have these seas of red in the east and in the west, and then you have all of this blue along the urban and suburban I-95 corridor, which also happens to be where most of the folks with college degrees are concentrated.”

    Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan lost to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks in the race for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat.

    Still, Eberly noted, “Larry Hogan looks like he’s going to have probably the best performance for a Republican Senate candidate in 20 years.”

    In Maryland’s 6th Congressional District, which is being vacated by Democratic Rep. David Trone, Democrat April McClain Delaney has a very slim lead over Republican Neil Parrott.

    As of Wednesday night, the race had not been called by The Associated Press.

    “In that district, Democrats should have done better,” Eberly said. “That is a district that is most competitive in off-year elections, but it’s looking pretty darn competitive in a presidential election.”

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  • DC starts taking leaves away from homes and businesses – WTOP News

    DC starts taking leaves away from homes and businesses – WTOP News

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    We’re in the middle of fall and trees are shedding their leaves, prompting D.C. to launch its annual leaf collection program.

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    DC begins collecting leaves from homes and businesses

    We’re in the middle of fall and trees are shedding their leaves, prompting D.C. to launch its annual leaf collection program.

    The program, which began Monday, is set to run through early February, with teams from the city’s Department of Public Works moving piles of leaves away from homes and businesses.

    “It’s a big job to keep D.C. beautiful,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Everyone will get two pickups over the course of the season.”

    The department has a detailed schedule for each ward, and it will post updates online every week showing where leaf collectors will be.

    Leaf collection teams will distribute door hangers, alerting people as to when their collections will occur.

    “You will get a door hanger when DPW is about 10 days out from your neighborhood,” Bowser said.

    Residents are encouraged to rake their leaves to the curb the weekend before their scheduled collection week begins.

    “You don’t have to bag them,” Bowser said. “Just move them to the curb.”

    On collection days, residents should avoid parking along the curb if they can, Bowser added.

    According to DPW director Timothy Spriggs, many people make mistakes when gathering leaves and putting them out on the curb.

    “People have a tendency to put them in plastic bags,” Spriggs said, adding that residents should not be doing that.

    Spriggs also said people should make sure to get bottles, cans and other debris out of the leaves when they rake them to the curb, as that can potentially damage collection equipment.

    For more detailed information, residents can download the MyDPW app to receive customized alerts about leaf collection.

    “Last year was a game-changer for the leaf collection program,” Spriggs said. “With more resources and fewer weather interruptions, we experienced fewer delays and could notify residents more accurately.”

    Leaves will not be collected on Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day.

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  • Protest at &pizza still on despite apology for drug-themed dessert mocking late Mayor Marion Barry – WTOP News

    Protest at &pizza still on despite apology for drug-themed dessert mocking late Mayor Marion Barry – WTOP News

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    A large protest outside an &pizza location in D.C. is still set to take place Friday night in response to the local pizza chain’s creation of a controversial menu item that references the late D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and his cocaine use.

    A large protest outside an &pizza location in D.C. is still set to take place Friday night in response to the local pizza chain’s creation of a controversial menu item that references the late D.C. Mayor Marion Barry and his cocaine use.

    Organizers said the protest along U Street in Northwest was still happening despite a formal apology from Mike Burns, the CEO of the company.

    “Candidly, we made a mistake. And for that, we sincerely apologize,” Burns said in a letter to the community this week. “While humor was our intent, it was regrettably off the mark.”

    &pizza stirred up outrage by promoting a dessert called “Marion Berry knots,” which are pieces of dough covered with powdered sugar.

    Ads for the dessert make the powdered sugar look like cocaine sealed in tiny plastic bags, clearly making fun of Barry’s infamous drug arrest from the 1990s when he was caught smoking crack in an FBI sting operation.

    The ads include lines with references to cocaine use such as, “Enough powder for you and a few friends” and, “Our classic knots got a bump.”

    Supporters of Barry said focusing on his arrest was unfair, pointing to his legacy of creating the D.C. summer youth employment program back in 1979, which continues to this day and helps young people find jobs and training.

    The item has since been taken off the menu.

    “They make derogatory comments about Black leaders and then think there won’t be any repercussions,” said local activist Ron Moten, one of the organizers of the Friday protest.

    Moten said the protest would include people standing around the business and encouraging people not to go inside and spend money there.

    “He needs to be sensitized to what type of harm his remarks and his antics can do to a community,” Moten said, referring to Burns. “We do believe people can be forgiven if they’re sincere, but healing is a process.”

    Moten said he and others have agreed to sit down with Burns next week and discuss how they can move forward.

    When D.C. police were asked about the possibility of protests, the department said it “respects everyone’s right to protest and assembly.”

    “We routinely ensure the safety of First Amendment demonstrators, and handle thousands of protests each year. We will not tolerate any unlawful behavior and will hold anyone who commits a criminal act responsible,” a police spokesperson said in a statement.

    Moten himself said he would not tolerate anyone physically damaging the business in any way.

    “None of us promote or condone anything like that,” Moten said. “I wouldn’t even stand with anybody who would do that.”

    &pizza has locations in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Philadelphia and New Jersey.

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  • With election nearly here, dozens of ANC seats in DC still have no candidate – WTOP News

    With election nearly here, dozens of ANC seats in DC still have no candidate – WTOP News

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    Election Day is just about here, but a notable number of Advisory Neighborhood Commission seats have no candidate running on the ballot, raising questions about political engagement and local representation in D.C.

    Election Day is just about here, but a notable number of Advisory Neighborhood Commission seats have no candidate running on the ballot, raising questions about political engagement and local representation in D.C.

    ANC members, called Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, represent small, neighborhood-specific districts across the city. They play a role in advising the D.C. government on a range of issues, including zoning, public safety and transportation.

    While the role is unpaid, commissioners often serve as the voice for their communities, helping to shape policy decisions and advocate for their neighborhoods.

    There are 345 ANC seats, but according to D.C. elections officials, 54 have no candidate running on the ballot. That amounts to nearly 16% of ANC seats not having a listed candidate.

    “I would hate to see parts of different neighborhoods just not have anyone represent them, because that’s a huge disservice to them,” said Zach Israel, former ANC commissioner and an expert on D.C. law.

    Israel said commissioners can use “soft power” to get things done for their constituents.

    “If commissioners … are persistent enough in trying to achieve something for their neighborhood — be it traffic safety fixes or something regarding how businesses conduct their business or the cleanliness of the neighborhood — you can actually see positive change occur,” he said.

    There may be a lack of ANC candidates because being a commissioner can be time-consuming, according to Israel.

    They have monthly meetings where votes are taken, there is a lot of time spent corresponding with neighbors and various D.C. agencies and sometime, they testify at D.C. Council committee hearings.

    “If you take the role seriously, then it does take up a significant amount of time in your daily life,” said Israel. “Some commissioners can get burned out.”

    Commissioners serve two-year terms and are elected in November in even-numbered years.

    Prospective candidates who want to be on the ballot must fill out paperwork several months before the election and collect 25 signatures.

    “Many people aren’t aware of the process,” said Salim Adofo, an ANC chairman in Ward 8. “They find out very late, so what winds up happening is that a lot of seats are vacant during the election.”

    According to Adofo, many of the seats without a name on the ballot will be filled by write-in candidates. Some people might end up winning with just three or four votes.

    Adofo said he wished that didn’t happen as frequently as it does.

    “It means that people who are currently in the seat often don’t motivate people to want to be a part of the electoral process,” Adofo said. “We need to do a better job at showing people how important these roles are and that this is something that you can aspire to be a part of.”

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  • Why college campuses are pressure cookers this election season – WTOP News

    Why college campuses are pressure cookers this election season – WTOP News

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    As election season gets more intense, college campuses around the country are becoming pressure cookers with heightened political tension.

    As election season gets more intense, college campuses around the country are becoming pressure cookers with heightened political tension.

    Some students are really feeling the stress.

    “This time of year is already stressful for students with midterms and then upcoming finals and projects,” said Nicole Ruzek, chief mental health officer at the University of Virginia. “They’re already in a moment of stress trying to get to the finish line … in addition to this.”

    College campuses have become more polarized with students expressing concerns about how political views can strain friendships and even lead to confrontations.

    Polls are tight and no one knows what will happen in the election between former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris, adding another factor — uncertainty.

    “With uncertainty comes a lot of anxiety and just wondering what’s going to happen,” Ruzek said. “That’s what I’m noticing, with folks anxiously anticipating what’s next.”

    Ruzek and her team are putting additional mental health resources in place at the university, including workshops on stress management.

    “They can come because they’re worried about finals or because they’re worried about the election or something else,” Ruzek said. “It really (provides) them with strategies for how to manage their stress … how to have productive conversations that don’t leave them spiraling.”

    She said there will be extra counselors on hand in the days following the election who can “meet with students just (to) talk about why they’re feeling stressed, what’s going on and how things are impacting them.”

    “Hopefully they can leave, having those tools, and (are) able to go back into the academic context and focus on the many things that are in front of them right now,” Ruzek said.

    Ruzek recommends that students limit their social media use, get enough sleep, exercise and engage with friends in activities that don’t involve heated political conversations: “Just be together in a way that feels positive and supportive.”

    On top of everything else, the shadow of the Israel-Hamas war continues to hang over campuses.

    “This idea that I might say the wrong thing kind of scares me,” Ty Lindia, who studies political science at George Washington University in D.C., told The Associated Press.

    A year after Hamas’ attack in southern Israel, some students say they are reluctant to speak out because it could pit them against their peers, professors or even potential employers.

    “You have to tiptoe around politics until one person says something that signifies they lean a certain way on the issue,” Lindia said.

    Tensions over the conflict burst wide-open last year amid emotional demonstrations in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack. In the spring of this year, a wave of pro-Palestinian tent encampments led to some 3,200 arrests nationwide.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • A new Virginia governor candidate answers one question, but raises another – WTOP News

    A new Virginia governor candidate answers one question, but raises another – WTOP News

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    Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears announced Thursday that she would be seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia governor next year.

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    When Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin rose to power by winning the 2021 race for governor, Republicans had not won a statewide race in Virginia since 2009.

    His victory was a huge success for the party, with voters also choosing Republican Winsome Earle-Sears for lieutenant governor and Republican Jason Miyares for attorney general.

    Soon, however, they might be fighting with each other, after Earle-Sears announced Thursday that she would be seeking the Republican nomination for Virginia governor next year.

    “I could have never believed growing up that I could be asking Virginians for their faith and confidence in me to serve them as governor of our great Commonwealth,” Earle-Sears said in the announcement.

    WRIC was first to report that the Virginia Department of Elections accepted the necessary documents from Earle-Sears to run for governor on Wednesday.

    If she wins next year, Earle-Sears, currently the first Black woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, would make history as the first woman to lead Virginia and the first Black woman to serve as governor in the country.

    “This answers one of two questions that people in Virginia Republican circles wanted to know,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political-science professor with the University of Mary Washington. “The other question is whether Miyares is going to seek the Republican nomination as well or consider other options.”

    Attorney General Miyares has long been considered a likely candidate for governor.

    Responding to the announcement by Earle-Sears, Miyares avoided speaking directly about her.

    “My focus right now is on November 2024 and electing as many Republicans in Virginia as we can,” Miyares said in a statement. “We all need to be focused on this November’s elections before even thinking about next year.”

    Youngkin cannot run in 2025, as Virginia governors are not allowed to serve consecutive terms.

    Farnsworth described both Miyares and Earle-Sears as being “conservatives by every stretch of the meaning of the word.” Their styles are different, though, he added.

    Farnsworth called Earle-Sears a “vigorous, visible, Republican conservative” who has a “Trump-like style.”

    “Miyares is a bit less front-and-center is his political efforts, and that may be less noticed among Republican activists in the age of Trump,” he said.

    The front-runner on the Democratic side is also a woman — Rep. Abigail Spanberger. She is the only Democratic candidate to announce a 2025 run for governor so far.

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  • Maryland TSA official shares personal connection to 9/11 attacks – WTOP News

    Maryland TSA official shares personal connection to 9/11 attacks – WTOP News

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    A TSA official in Maryland recalls being in New York City near the base of the World Trade Center complex when the first plane hit on 9/11.

    Tom Battillo shows a tattoo on his arm that includes the World Trade Center towers in front of an American flag and the words “Never Forget.”(WTOP/Nick Iannelli)

    As Americans look back on 9/11 over the coming week, an official with the Transportation Security Administration in Maryland recalls being in New York City near the base of the North Tower at the World Trade Center complex when the first plane hit.

    “The plane went right over my head and went into the north building,” Tom Battillo said.

    Battillo, who worked on Wall Street at the time, was supposed to be in a meeting at the top of that building.

    It just so happened that his son called him, so he decided to stay outside and talk to him on the phone.

    His colleagues who went into the building did not survive.

    “Good friends of ours didn’t make it because they went upstairs,” Battillo said. “We went to a lot of memorial services without closure. It takes a lot of time to get over what you would call survivor’s guilt.”

    He added that “days, weeks and months after that we were just trying to get ourselves back together.”

    Wednesday marks 23 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

    Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field.

    “Around this time of year, things are a little tough,” Battillo said. “It just brings back everything that happened.”

    “When people were jumping — these are sounds that never leave your mind. You can still hear it,” he said. “You can still smell jet fuel burning.”

    Battillo works at BWI Marshall Airport as the assistant federal security director for mission support with the Transportation Security Administration, the agency that was created as a response to 9/11.

    The job itself provides some closure and holds deep meaning for Battillo, especially around the time of the anniversary.

    “There’s been a lot of healing just being able to work with people who every day come and support the mission,” he said.

    Battillo has a tattoo on his arm showing the World Trade Center towers in front of an American flag, along with the words, “Never Forget.”

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  • Construction crews unearth piece of DC history underneath National Mall — by accident – WTOP News

    Construction crews unearth piece of DC history underneath National Mall — by accident – WTOP News

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    There is so much history along the National Mall in D.C. that you wouldn’t think to look underground for more of it.

    The hole discovered under Jefferson Drive is a drainage cistern built in 1847 that was once used to collect rainwater, which then supplied water to the Smithsonian Castle.
    (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)

    Courtesy Smithsonian Institution

    The hole discovered under Jefferson Drive is a drainage cistern built in 1847 that was once used to collect rainwater, which then supplied water to the Smithsonian Castle. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)
    The hole discovered under Jefferson Drive is a drainage cistern built in 1847 that was once used to collect rainwater, which then supplied water to the Smithsonian Castle.
    (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)

    Courtesy Smithsonian Institution

    The last time that the cistern probably saw the light of day was 1857, according to experts. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)
    The last time that the cistern probably saw the light of day was 1857, according to experts.
    (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)

    Courtesy Smithsonian Institution

    The last time that the cistern probably saw the light of day was 1857, according to experts. (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)
    The hole goes straight down about 30 feet.
    (Courtesy Smithsonian Institution)

    Courtesy Smithsonian Institution

    There is so much history along the National Mall in D.C. that you wouldn’t think to look underground for more of it.

    But construction crews doing renovation work on the Smithsonian Castle along Jefferson Drive just uncovered an artifact, completely by accident.

    It dates back to the 1800s.

    “This was an unanticipated discovery,” said Carly Bond, the associate director for architectural history and historic preservation for the Smithsonian Institution.

    There appeared to be a hole in the ground under the road on Jefferson Drive.

    The hole went straight down about 30 feet, and upon further inspection, it looked more like a secret tunnel with brick walls.

    “It had a small stone on the top,” Bond said. “Once we moved that piece of stone, we could see that it actually was a brick dome-shaped structure.”

    Normally, the Smithsonian’s job is to tell people about history.

    In this case, however, it literally dug more of it up.

    “It’s pretty much one of the most interesting things you could hope to find under the ground,” said Bond. “It’s beautifully constructed, and it’s in excellent condition.”

    According to Bond, the artifact is a “drainage cistern” built in 1847 that was once used to collect rainwater, which then supplied water to the Smithsonian Castle.

    “The last time that this probably saw the light of day was 1857,” Bond said. “It’s pretty interesting stuff.”

    The Smithsonian is in the process of taking photos and fully documenting the artifact, but the hole must be filled because it poses a danger being right on Jefferson Drive, which is a busy road between the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol Building.

    “We will be preserving as much of the cistern as we can by filling it with some kind of reversible fill so that we don’t have that hazard in place underneath the road bed,” said Bond.

    That means the uncovered piece of history will be covered once again, though it won’t be a secret any longer.

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  • DC bridge that collapsed after truck crash has been rebuilt – WTOP News

    DC bridge that collapsed after truck crash has been rebuilt – WTOP News

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    A pedestrian bridge in the District that collapsed three years ago after a truck slammed into it has now been completely rebuilt and reopened to the public, officials with the D.C. transportation department said Friday.

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    DC bridge that collapsed after truck crash has been rebuilt

    A pedestrian bridge in the District that collapsed three years ago after a truck slammed into it has now been completely rebuilt and reopened to the public, officials with the D.C. transportation department said Friday.

    The “Lane Place Bridge” functions as a pathway over D.C. 295 between Deanwood and the Kenilworth and Eastland Gardens neighborhoods.

    When it came crumbling down in June of 2021, it impacted the lives of residents in Northeast, stopping them from being able to easily cross to the other side of the busy highway.

    According to the transportation department, the project to rebuild the bridge was funded through the use of $17 million in federal emergency money.

    “The new bridge will improve access to mass transit and other neighborhoods for residents in Mayfair, Parkside, Eastland Gardens and the surrounding communities of Ward 7,” the department said in a statement.

    The rebuilt bridge is about 3 feet taller than the original one.

    According to the transportation department, it is 17 feet and 6 inches high, while the old bridge’s height was 14 feet and 4 inches.

    The taller bridge ensures “safer passage for vehicles traveling below,” the department said.

    Multiple cars were involved in a chain-reaction crash after the truck hit the bridge, leaving five people injured.

    A pedestrian bridge in the District that collapsed three years ago after a truck slammed into it has now been completely rebuilt and reopened to the public.
    (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)

    WTOP/Nick Iannelli

    New Bridge
    The “Lane Place Bridge” functions as a pathway over D.C. 295 between Deanwood and the Kenilworth and Eastland Gardens neighborhoods.
    (WTOP/Nick Iannelli)

    WTOP/Nick Iannelli

    The aftermath of the 2021 bridge collapse in Northeast D.C.
    (WTOP/Michelle Basch)

    WTOP/Michelle Basch

    The aftermath of the 2021 bridge collapse in Northeast D.C.
    (WTOP/Michelle Basch)

    WTOP/Michelle Basch

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  • Virginia-run ABC liquor stores get security upgrades after $80K in thefts – WTOP News

    Virginia-run ABC liquor stores get security upgrades after $80K in thefts – WTOP News

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    State-run liquor stores operated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) have been losing thousands of dollars in Northern Virginia due to theft. Now, they are rolling out security upgrades as a result.

    State-run liquor stores operated by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) have been losing tens of thousands of dollars in Northern Virginia due to theft, and they are rolling out security upgrades as a result, police announced Thursday.

    Locks are being installed to restrict access to stockroom areas, security cameras are being enhanced and a new shoplifting safety training program is being implemented for employees.

    “Our retail staff are being trained to gather usable suspect information and leads for law enforcement,” said Barbara Storm, special agent in charge at ABC.

    Multiple stores have been ripped off in recent months in and around Fairfax County. In all, suspects have gotten away with more than $80,000 worth of merchandise, which is taken from the stores and subsequently sold on the street.

    Storm said the new store policies would help to “better deter and detect retail theft.”

    “Some of the suspects go into the backroom of the stores and steal the high-end liquor that’s there, or they grab stuff that they can get easily so they can make a quick getaway and get out of the store,” said Fairfax County Deputy Police Chief Gregory Fried.

    While police have made a handful of arrests, multiple investigations are still open as work to track down additional suspects continues. So far, the Fairfax County Police Department has released photos of 10 people caught on security footage who they are hoping to identify soon.

    “We have suspects from all around the DMV,” Storm said.

    One suspect who was arrested was identified as Lonnell Jennings, 26, who was charged with grand larceny and possession of stolen property with intent to sell. Jomarice Evans, 27, was also arrested and charged with robbery, grand larceny and organized retail theft.

    Detectives said three more suspects, all under the age of 18, were also charged.

    Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis called retail theft “serious business.”

    “People tend to gloss over it as a victimless property crime, and it is anything but a victimless crime,” Davis said. “The retailers certainly are victimized by it. Consumers are victimized by it as well, with rising prices and other distractions and changes to their shopping experiences.”

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  • $5K grants up for grabs for women-owned businesses in this Northern Va. city – WTOP News

    $5K grants up for grabs for women-owned businesses in this Northern Va. city – WTOP News

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    In an effort to give local businesses a financial boost, the City of Fairfax, Virginia, is offering up a $25,000 grant program meant to help companies grow.

    In an effort to give local businesses a financial boost, the City of Fairfax, Virginia, is offering up a $25,000 grant program meant to help companies grow.

    Specifically, the grants are for businesses that are located in the city and are owned by women. They can include home-based businesses, startups or expanding businesses.

    “We certainly have many women-owned businesses in Fairfax,” said Tara Borwey, programs manager for the city’s economic development team. “There’s a lot of passion and creativity.”

    The program will award five grants of $5,000 each.

    Applications are now being accepted online, although applicants can also print the document and send a physical copy through the mail.

    “Barriers can create obstacles that prohibit people from being able to grow their business,” Borwey said. “Access to capital is one of those.”

    Grant recipients will be publicly announced late next month, with winners being notified no later than Sept. 20.

    They will be able to use the grant money to work with consulting services that connect them with industry experts and other resources that can help them remain competitive and grow.

    “It can be basically anything that your business doesn’t currently have the capacity to address,” Borwey said.

    Grants will be awarded based on a number of factors.

    For example, business owners who apply will need to clearly lay out what they need the money for, what the timeline would be for spending the money and what the potential impact would be on business growth and expansion.

    “We are very proud of the women business owners who have chosen to establish their businesses here in the city, many venturing into this role for the first time,” said Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read. “Investing in their success means finding ways to help them sustain their operations.”

    “We will remain creative in how we support our local businesses,” Read added.

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  • New details on upcoming road closure for Purple Line construction – WTOP News

    New details on upcoming road closure for Purple Line construction – WTOP News

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    Drivers in Silver Spring, Maryland, who use Sligo Creek Parkway will soon need to find a new way to get around, as an extended closure will be put in place as part of the Purple Line’s construction.

    Drivers in Silver Spring, Maryland, who use Sligo Creek Parkway will soon need to find a new way to get around, as an extended closure will be put in place as part of the Purple Line’s construction.

    A section of the parkway stretching from Schuyler Road to Wayne Avenue will be shut down 24/7. The closure will last for about two months, with the parkway scheduled to fully reopen just before Thanksgiving.

    The closure is expected to take effect in about a month, with signs being posted in the area soon to let people know what is happening.

    “Motorists will be diverted on a detour around the closed area of Sligo Creek Parkway,” said Andy Frank, chief of park development with the Montgomery County Parks Department.

    “The Purple Line requires many underground utilities, which will have to be installed within the pavement,” Frank added.

    Crews will need to reconstruct the intersection at Wayne Avenue and Sligo Creek Parkway.

    “While this will all be reconnected smoothly at the end, during the interim period, traversing Wayne Avenue along Sligo Creek Parkway would be very difficult,” said Frank.

    A similar closure is scheduled for next year in the spring which will lead to the parkway being closed from Piney Branch Road to Wayne Avenue.

    Frank called the closures a “temporary disruption” that will ultimately “improve public transportation.”

    Commuters have been impacted recently in other ways due to work on the Purple Line, a light-rail line that will eventually have 21 stations between New Carrollton and Bethesda, connecting Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

    For example, the Metro stops at Glenmont, Wheaton, Forest Glen and Silver Spring have all been shut down since the start of June as construction work is completed at the Silver Spring station in order to connect it to a future station for the Purple Line.

    Metro said it decided to close additional stations along with Silver Spring in order to carry out broader maintenance, repairs and improvements on the Red Line.

    The stations are scheduled to be closed through the end of the month.

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  • National Guard standing by to help with Debby in Virginia – WTOP News

    National Guard standing by to help with Debby in Virginia – WTOP News

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    Tropical Storm Debby pushed bad weather up the East Coast on Wednesday, moving toward Virginia, which is expected to see the heaviest downpours Thursday night and early Friday.

    Listen live to WTOP for traffic and weather updates on the 8s.

    Tropical Storm Debby pushed bad weather up the East Coast on Wednesday, moving toward Virginia, which is expected to see the heaviest downpours Thursday night and early Friday.

    “We are going to get a significant amount of rain throughout much of the state,” said Jason Elmore, a spokesman with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

    The south-central area of Virginia is expected to see the most amount of rain, upward of 6 to 7 inches, according to forecasts.

    Most of the state is expected to receive at least a couple of inches of rain.

    “We’ve been … reaching out to our local governments in cities and counties, seeing if they have any resource needs,” Elmore said. “We’ve been working with our state police and transportation partners to make sure that some low-lying areas, drains and those things along roadways are cleared.”

    With heavy, sustained rain comes the potential for flash flooding and other dangerous conditions.

    That’s why the Virginia National Guard is standing by, ready to help.

    “They will have about 140 of their soldiers ready to go if any need arises,” Elmore said. “Some of those needs may be rescue. They have vehicles that can travel in flooded waters.”

    Elmore said the National Guard is “vital” in this type of situation.

    “They have a larger number of people that they can deploy to specific areas, and they can activate pretty quickly,” he added.

    Tropical Storm Debby has already drenched the South for days as it churned slowly across Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. A state of emergency was in effect for both North Carolina and Virginia.

    Maryland issued a state of preparedness declaration that coordinates preparations for the storm without declaring a state of emergency.

    Debby first made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday along the Gulf Coast of Florida.

    At least six people have died due to the storm, five of them in traffic accidents or from fallen trees. The sixth death involved a 48-year-old man in Gulfport, Florida, whose body was recovered after his anchored sailboat partially sank.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Nick Iannelli

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