“We wanted to notify the community to be on the lookout for these devices,” Lt. Joseph Bellino, of the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Financial Crimes Section, said. 

Police said criminals are targeting convenience and discount store shoppers. They found the latest device on Wednesday morning.

“[It’s] scary. I guess you can’t shop anywhere now safe,” shopper George Campbell said. 

Employees at a 7-Eleven on Greenbelt Road and 58th Avenue said they found a skimmer in early April. According to authorities, that was just the beginning of what they call an organized crime operation.

Over the next few weeks, detectives got calls from several other convenience stores across the county, located in the:

• 4500 block of Saint Barnabas Road in Temple Hills
• 3000 block of Forestville Road in Forestville
• 6100 block of Oxon Hill Road in Oxon Hill
• 6800 block of Race Track Road in Unincorporated Bowie
• 6300 block of Central Avenue in Seat Pleasant
• 11000 block of Baltimore Avenue in Beltsville
• 9100 block of Riggs Road in Chillum area

Investigators said the thieves typically target stores in high traffic areas, which is why police want to get the word out. 

“It’s made to look exactly like the actual point of sale machine and fits like a glove on top of it,” Bellino said. “Usually with a swipe of your credit card, it allows the payment to go through so that the business will get paid, but in the process it’s also capturing your private information.”

Police released a photo of one of the skimmers they recovered, but the devices can come in all shapes and sizes, so shoppers should be careful when swiping. 

“If you insert your chip and it doesn’t function and the system forces you to swipe, we believe that that’s an indicator, because the swiping itself is unencrypted because it’s the easiest way for them to capture your data,” Bellino said. 

Prince George’s County police could not confirm if the devices they discovered are connected to the skimmers D.C. police found in several grocery stores last month. 

“What we do know is these are large, organized and transient groups that travel in and out of our region,” Bellino said. 

So when in doubt, tap to pay, and give your bank or credit card company a heads up if you think you’ve become a victim. 

Campbell said he’s not taking any chances.

“How can you trust one of these machines?” he asked. “All of your information is out there and it’s gone… Observe the machine, what you’re going to use before you insert your card.”

Detectives say if you’re out shopping and you find one of those devices, leave it there and let the store know so they can call the police.

Rob Scheer was raised in foster care, going from place to place with his stuff in a trash bag.

“It happened to me again in 1984 when I aged out and became homeless in Northern Virginia, and it happened to all of my children — and I have five — when they arrived to our home, all of them carrying trash bags,” he said.

He succeeded despite his circumstances, raised five foster kids with the help of his husband and founded Comfort Cases, which provides backpacks full of items to be given to kids entering the foster care system.

Scheer also worked to get the trash bag ban passed. It requires new luggage for children when the enter, exit or move between homes in foster care.

Comfort Cases provides the bags to kids to make sure they have something to call their own.

At a packing party in Bethesda Wednesday, dozens of volunteers placed personal care items, pajamas, a blanket, a stuffie and other items into backpacks.

“I came through the system, as well, and I teach my children all the time, do not be ashamed of where you come from,” Scheer said. “Just make sure that we don’t blame the system, we help change the system, and that’s why we’re here today.”

Volunteer Sandra Anez Powell is from Venezuela where she helped at-risk kids living on the street.

“Here in the United States we’re very fortunate,” she said. “In places like Venezuela and Latin America, having organizations that will donate this kind of thing is not common at all.”

Comfort Cases has packed and given out more than 250,000 bags.

One person was taken to a hospital, while the other two were treated at the scene on 13th Street SE, D.C. Fire and EMS said.

Neighbors said the dogs have been a nuisance for months.

One victim of the attack said she was standing in an alley when a dog suddenly pounced. It bit her on the arm and seriously wounded her.

She jumped on top of a man’s car to try to escape, driver Will Vincent said.

“The whole hood was covered in blood,” he said.

“She jumped on one the vehicles that was parked in the alley, and there was a trash man also in the alley,” according to a man who said he witnessed the attack. “He noticed it as well, so he got out of his truck and tried to ward off the dogs with a stick.”

The man said he called 911 and grabbed a bat.

“I just warded the dogs off. I didn’t strike the dogs or anything like that. Nonetheless, I wanted the dog to know, ‘Hey, I’m not playing with you,’” he said.

Witnesses said a police officer who arrived on the scene pulled out his gun but did not shoot.

“I know how vicious a pit bull attack is. It was to the point I was telling this man, ‘Shoot him! Shoot him!’” Vincent said.

D.C. police said one of the dogs was captured and taken away by animal control.

Video shared with News4 by a neighbor shows one of the dogs trying to run away as animal control tried to get it on a leash.

The Humane Rescue Alliance said a dangerous dog investigation was underway.

They said in a statement: “There are no dogs currently running loose in the area. Since the dogs were in possession of the owner when we arrived (and not running at large/a stray), we could not forcefully take the dogs. We cannot forcefully take dogs that were already confined to the owner’s home for dog bite related cases.”

Neighbors describe repeated complaints about dogs

Three people who live on the block told News4 the dogs have been a nuisance for months but despite their complaints, nothing has been done.

One man, who asked not to be identified, said the dogs have been abused. He said he has complained to both the owner and the city.

“I think there is too much bureaucratic red tape to get a dog taken away in D.C. For a dangerous animal, somebody needs to be permanently disfigured or needs sutures. So far that hasn’t happened and there haven’t been enough recordings of abuse for them to be taken away in an abuse case,” he said.

Ten dogs drowned in the incident Aug. 14 in Northeast D.C.

In February, members of the D.C. Council grilled Heather McGaffin, the head of the District’s 911 system — the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) — about the agency’s response to the District Dog flood. While her agency had months to do so before that hearing, McGaffin did not release an after-action report that day as expected, saying it would instead come from D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.

What she didn’t say is that the draft report was finished by Dec. 18 – months earlier.

D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto released that report Wednesday. The D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency didn’t explain to the News4 I-Team why it hadn’t released the report.

“As part of my oversight role of our emergency response and public safety agencies as Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, I requested, obtained and am reviewing a draft of the after-action report on the tragic District Dogs flooding incident last August,” Pinto told the I-Team. “I firmly believe that increased transparency of the District’s emergency response is critical for improving accuracy, reliability and public trust, which is why I shared the draft after-action report from the executive with the public.”

The 25-page report breaks down the timeline of what happened Aug. 14.

Three 911 calls came in about District Dogs that afternoon.

The first call at 5:06 p.m. came from an employee who wasn’t at work but watching the flooding from a remote camera. That employee and their partner, Corvo Leung, who was also on the call, told the call taker people and animals were trapped with rising water. According to the report, the call taker questioned how to code the incident in the dispatch system. According to the report, the call taker was told by a supervisor to enter it as “water leak.”

Despite the call, no emergency response was dispatched to District Dogs after that first call. That’s because the report said up until that time, a water rescue inside a building had never occurred in the city.

“To hear that classified as a water leak, when we very clearly said that people and dogs’ lives were in danger … It boggles my mind,” Leung told the I-Team. “And it troubles me on a very, very high level.”

OUC got a second 911 call at 5:09 p.m. from another employee off site who also said there were people and animals inside. Only then did OUC dispatch the first rescue team to District Dogs, but the call over the radio to crews on scene was still described as a “water leak.” At that moment, the report says, “the dispatch did not mention people or dogs being trapped.” It was still coded in the dispatch system as “flooding-public assistance.” That’s considered a “low priority,” so the fire commander turned the rescue crew around, which is standard practice.

A third 911 call came in at 5:17 p.m. from a person actually trapped inside. That’s when the computer system was finally updated to “water rescue.” It was 11 minutes after the first call. Five minutes after that, at 5:22 p.m., OUC made it clear for the first time over the radio to firefighters on the scene that people and animals were trapped and in danger.

The report reveals firefighters didn’t get into District Dogs until 5:29 p.m. and didn’t reach the third caller until 5:35 p.m.

Leung still can’t make sense of it.

“I believe that had there been a faster response, a different response, a more accurate response, that the people that I know and care about and love wouldn’t have as severe PTSD, that they would not have flashbacks every time it rains,” they said.

The report says any change in the coding would not have saved the dogs. The dogs were already dead, the report said, but it would have ensured proper resources were dispatched from the initial dispatch.

OUC says all its call takers and dispatchers have been trained since this incident to code future indoor water rescues as an emergency — categorizing them as “rescue or building collapse.”

District Dogs flood

Crime and Courts Nov 25, 2023

DC woman's puppy stolen — months after her previous pet died in the flood at District Dogs

flooding Aug 25, 2023

Neighbor says video of 2020 flood indicates District Dogs tragedy was not ‘unprecedented'

flooding Aug 16, 2023

Owners of drowned dogs question response to DC flooding

The report does not address the lack of problem solving or a work around for OUC when dealing with an emergency it never encountered before.

OUC didn’t respond to the I-Team’s request for comment.

Pinto said she will push for more insight at OUC.

“With the implementation of my Secure DC public safety omnibus legislation that requires sustained public transparency of our 911 and emergency operations, I’ll continue to push for increased transparency to improve the accuracy and reliability of our emergency response and build trust with the public,” she said.

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

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Alsobrooks, the Prince George’s county executive, and Trone, a businessman-turned-congressman, share similar views when it comes to reproductive rights, a repeal of the federal death penalty, a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state solution.

But there are undeniable differences when it comes to their backgrounds, how they’re funding their candidacies and historic implications for each in a potential win.

If Alsobrooks earns the nomination, she could become the first Black woman senator in Maryland’s history and break up the state’s all-male congressional delegation.

Trone, meanwhile, is a multimillionaire largely self-funding his U.S. Senate run at a time national Democrats are defending 20 seats. The contest has national implications as Democrats hold a narrow majority in the Senate and Republicans are poised to heavily back former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is expected to win the GOP nod.

Alsobrooks is aware of the magnitude of her candidacy, but in an interview with News4, she said that’s not why she should be elected.

“I know that race and gender play into people’s kind of considerations, but I think they mostly want a person who understands them, a person who will fight for them, a person who has a record of results. And that is what I offer people,” she said.

A prolific donor to Democratic causes, Trone said he offers experience – noting “this is not a job for someone on training wheels” — as well as the ability to win in Republican territory.

His congressional district stretches from Montgomery County to western Maryland. While the population centers of Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and the Baltimore region are important targets, Trone has said he has the “persona” to carry the rest of the state.

“This race is about beating Larry Hogan pretty soon, and I won in a Republican district by 10 points. That’s tough,” he said.

News4 held separate interviews with the candidates after plans to hold a televised debate fell through. Alsobrooks’ campaign agreed to the debate, but Trone’s camp didn’t commit.

Instead, the candidates touted their bona fides to News4 while taking jabs at each other in an increasingly contentious race.

Trone, for example, also has called Alsobrooks a career politician. Before she was county executive, Alsobrooks was a domestic violence prosecutor and then served as state’s attorney for Prince George’s County.

“All she has ever done has been in politics, just working her way up the ladder from one political job to the next, to the next, to the next,” he said.

Before running for Congress, Trone became a multimillionaire through building the Total Wine alcohol empire – a fortune that’s allowed him to largely self-fund his multiple political campaigns.

“I don’t begrudge people who earn money, even if they do so selling liquor,” Alsobrooks said in response to his attack. “But I think that it is wrong to disparage public service.”

She’s accused Trone of trying to “buy” the Senate seat, saying, “To allow the person with the most money to buy an election, that is a very dangerous precedent, and I don’t think Marylanders are going to allow it.”

Money matters

Money has no doubt emerged as a major difference in this closely watched race.

According to the latest election filings, Trone has loaned his campaign nearly $42 million and raised about $640,000 from individual donors.

Alsobrooks, meanwhile, has raised $7.1 million, with nearly $6 million from individual donors — the majority from Maryland.

Trone said his wealth guarantees he’s not accountable to special interests while accusing Alsobrooks, whose donors include people affiliated with real estate and other lobbying groups, of being beholden to corporate donors.

“When I’m not taking money — like my opponent takes money from Exxon — well, I can go after them about tax rates, about our climate change,” he said, adding, “People love that fact that you’re independent.”

When News4 noted Total Wine is a powerful force in the alcohol lobby, Trone – listed on its website as a co-owner — responded, “First of all, nothing that Total Wine does has anything to do with the federal level. Zero. It’s all state level stuff.”

But Alsobrooks has repeatedly made issue of Total Wine’s donations to Republican governors in states that have curtailed reproductive rights.

“I am the only candidate in this race who has never compromised my values where choice is concerned,” she said. “You think about Mr. Trone, who has contributed to the campaigns … of these Republicans across the country who are working diligently right now to ban abortion.” 

In response, Trone said Total Wine is merely protecting its interests in the states where it operates.

“We support red candidates. Some blue candidates … but none of it’s related to women’s rights,” he said.

Trone points out his foundation helped open an abortion clinic in Cumberland, Maryland, last year, when neighboring state West Virginia all but banned the procedure.

“What we really have done has been phenomenally, 100% supportive of a woman’s right to abortion,” he said.

Eyes toward Hogan?

Trone is leading Alsobrooks in many independent polls, though Alsobrooks said her own polling has them in a statistical tie.

But some of those same polls show Hogan with a clear shot at beating them both.

Alsobrooks downplayed the significance of that polling to News4, pointing out the two-term former governor hasn’t run during a presidential election year when more of Maryland’s Democrats are expected to turn out and vote.

“Maryland’s not purple. It’s blue, you know. And we’re going to see that in this next general election,” she said.

Trone, meanwhile, told supporters at a recent event, “I’m the only guy that can beat Larry Hogan, I tell you that right now.”

Alsobrooks has repeatedly pointed out Trone’s companies have donated to Hogan in the past. According to a 2018 article from The Washington Post, several of Trone’s businesses donated funds to the Maryland GOP following Hogan’s gubernatorial win against now-Attorney General Anthony Brown in the 2014 race.

At the time, a spokesman for Total Wine said the funds were intended to help Hogan retire campaign debt.

In a statement, the Hogan campaign told News4 the former governor is “the underdog in this race,” adding, “Nobody will outwork us. They were expecting a coronation, but what they are going to get is the fight of their lives.”

Endorsements

With few policy differences, Alsbrooks and Trone are blasting the airwaves this week to highlight their key endorsements.

In one, Alsobrooks is flanked by U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Gov. Wes Moore and key members of the state’s congressional delegation like Jamie Raskin and Glenn Ivey.

Former Sen. Barbara Mikulski, the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate from Maryland, emerged out of retirement this week to throw her support behind Alsobrooks, too.

Sen. Ben Cardin, who is stepping down after three terms in the Senate, has said he will not endorse a candidate in the Democratic race.

Trone, meanwhile, is highlighting the support he’s gotten from leaders in Alsobrooks’ own county, including Attorney General Brown, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy, state Sen. Joanne Benson and a few council members.

“The people that know that county the best, ironically, all came to us,” he said.

When News4 noted the majority of elected officials in the county are supporting Alsobrooks, Trone countered, “The people in Prince George’s County that stuck with her are the low-level folks, not the top level folks. That’s called the attorney general … it’s called the state’s attorney … it’s called the senior senator. I think they’re the top level folks.”

Asked for her response to such key endorsements going to Trone, Alsobrooks said, “I have so much support, you know, that it would be really shortsighted of me, I think, to focus on who has not chosen to support me.”

With battle lines drawn, the question is who do voters think has the best shot at winning the general election this fall, especially if facing Hogan at the polls.

“We don’t want them voting just against Larry Hogan. I want to offer them something to vote for,” Alsobrooks said.

Trone, for his part, summarized the historic implications of the Democratic contest.

“This race really hinges on who could beat Larry Hogan or we lose the U.S. Senate,” he said.

Reported by Tracee Wilkins, produced by Katie Leslie, and shot and edited by Steve Jones and Jeff Piper.

The congressmembers, including committee Chairman James Comer (Ky.) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), were greeted by chants and boos from the protesters.

The congressmembers have been deeply critical of the way D.C. police and Mayor Muriel Bowser have handled the protest, calling it unlawful and antisemitic. They are calling on D.C. police to remove the demonstrators as the university requested last week.

“We’re hearing from Jewish students that they don’t feel safe,” Comer said. “We’re hearing from administrators that they don’t feel like they area equipped to handle these types of protests.”

“We bless Israel,” Boebert said, raising her voice as protesters chanted. “We bless Israel. Those who bless Israel shall be blessed. We stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East. That is who we stand for.”   

Bowser called the visit “interesting.”

“The members have universities in their own districts, especially the member from North Carolina, and I was watching a lot of activity in North Carolina,” she said. “It would seem that her energy would be best placed there.”

There are still hundreds of protesters at University Yard and on H Street, and they say they have no plans to leave until their demands are met. They are asking the university to commit to protecting students who speak out in support of Gaza and also to divest financial support from Israel.

Bowser’s office issued a statement Tuesday.

GW encampment

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“We support peaceful protests, and I rely on the Metropolitan Police Department and their experience and expertise to decide what types of interventions are necessary,” the letter said in part. “[…] We will not tolerate violence of any kind; we will monitor and ensure access to streets, parks, and safe and sanitary conditions; and we will continue to be supportive of universities or other private entities who need help.”

The House Oversight Committee scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday on the matter, with Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith invited to testify. Bowser’s office didn’t say whether she will attend, but they will have some type of response.

D.C. police declined to comment on the House Republicans’ remarks. George Washington University has yet to respond to News4’s request for comment.

American Eagle flight 4168, operated by Envoy, was leaving Reagan on the way to Key West when the crew reported a bird strike, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The plane diverted to Baltimore Washington International Airport as a precaution, according to American Airlines, and landed safely there about 2 p.m.

The aircraft, an Embraer 175, had 69 passengers and four crew members aboard. No injuries were reported.

“The aircraft landed without incident and taxied to the gate under its own power, where it will be inspected by our maintenance team,” a statement from the airline said in part.

The FAA said it’s investigating the incident.

The airline said it was working to get travelers back on their way as soon as possible.

News4’s Tommy McFly got a history lesson from the Mexican ambassador to the United States Esteban Moctezuma (yes, he said he’s related to the Aztec ruler!).

“It’s not just a Mexican celebration, but also an American celebration,” Moctezuma said.

Why? Because Cinco de Mayo celebrates a military victory that benefitted the United States, as well, according to Moctezuma.

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. According to Moctezuma, President Abraham Lincoln was relieved that Mexico halted the advancement of the French toward the southern border in the midst of the Civil War. Then, the leaders of the two countries began writing letters to each other.

How should people who aren’t Mexican celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

“Enjoy family and really remember that Mexico is a very important partner of the U.S.,” Moctezuma said. “We became the first partner in trade.”

So, with that, consider yourself invited to fiesta on May 5 with music, tacos, tequila (enjoy responsibly!) and anything you appreciate from Mexican culture.

Cinco de Mayo in the D.C. area: What’s happening Friday and Saturday

Running of the Chihuahuas
Sat., 2-5 p.m., The Wharf in Southwest D.C., free entry
Details

Look at those little legs go! The Wharf’s adorable tradition returns this weekend.

Go for the delightfully cute chihuahua races, then stay for a pet photo booth, a dog costume contest featuring adoptable pups and all The Wharf has to offer. It’s free and kid-friendly. Dogs who aren’t participating in the races are welcome to cheer on their furry friends.

Big crowds show up for the main event, but you can watch the races on a jumbo screen.

Proceeds benefit Rural Dog Rescue, and Tommy will serve as emcee!

Bryant Street NE and Bryant Street Market
Fri. to Sun.
Details

The Northeast D.C. neighborhood is celebrating Cinco de Mayo all weekend long. On Friday, try free salsa dancing outside (weather permitting). On Saturday, stop by the Dreamer’s Collective Market and enjoy a block party from 3-10 p.m.

On the big day, swing by metrobar for the margaritas, beers, mezcal and tequila cocktails and food from Taqueria Habanero. Admission is free with an RSVP. Sol y Rumba, a mariachi band and DJ Kristy La rAt will provide the beats. For a more crafty option, return to Bryant Street Market for a piñata-making workshop.

Whitlow’s Derby de Mayo
Sat., 901 U St NW, Washington, D.C., free admission

Can’t decide between a Kentucky Derby party and a Cinco celebration? Don’t! Whitlow’s is adding dragonfruit margaritas to its bottomless brunch menu from noon to 3 p.m. All day, you can find frozen Jose Cuervo painkillers, tequila filled Jell-O shots and spicy jalapeno and cucumber margs. DJ Killa Beats will turn up the volume on the second floor starting at 10 p.m.

Wear your best sombrero or derby hat for a chance to win a prize!

Eavesdrop Brewery
Fri., Sat. and Sun., 7223 Centreville Rd Suite 115, Manassas, Virginia
Details

The brewery’s party lasts all weekend long with DJs and live music plus Mexican food trucks on Friday and Saturday.

Punch Bowl Social
Fri., Sat. and Sun., 4238 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1180, Arlington, Virginia, free admission with RSVP

Punch Bowl Social is always a fiesta with bowling, karaoke and games, but for Cinco de Mayo you can also find $9 margaritas made with Patrόn Silver and free chips and salsa for each table from 5-9 p.m.

Urbano
Sat. and Sun., Old Town Alexandria, Mosaic District and Chevy Chase, free admission

The colorful restaurant will put a slightly different spin on Cinco de Mayo at each of its three locations in Virginia and Maryland.

All locations are set to be open from 11 a.m. to midnight with special activities. The Chevy Chase and Mosaic parties lean more kid-friendly while Old Town will have DJ parties in the late afternoon. Here’s a rundown of what to expect.

C1NCO Fiesta
Sat., 3-8 p.m., 609 H Street Northeast, Washington, D.C., $65-$425
Details

The Skyline 609 Rooftop is turning up with live soca, salsa and international music and specialty cocktails.

Cinco de Mayo in the D.C. area: What’s happening Sunday

Anafre
Sun., 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., 3704 14th Street NW, free admission

The Petworth restaurant is mixing Mexico City street food into Cinco de Mayo. The menu includes $7 classic and strawberry margaritas, $3.50 draft beers, $7 ceviche cups and $3 street tacos. Seating indoors and outdoors will first come, first served with no reservations, and there will be a mariachi band from 7-8 p.m.

Casta’s Rum Bar
Sun., noon to 4 p.m., 1121 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C., free admission
Details

A margarita bike that lets you pedal to power your own margarita blender is the big draw to this West End restaurant on Cinco de Mayo, but music by DJ Xavi, fun props and specials including $8 tequila shots, $35 margarita pitchers and every beer for $5 will sweeten the deal.

Diablo’s Cantina
Sun., National Harbor, $75-$95
Reservations

All-you-want Mexican eats, a live DJ, tequila tastings, a cigar rolling station and yard games are on tap at this Mexican restaurant at National Harbor. General admission tickets come with a cocktail; spring for VIP to get another cocktail, early admission and other perks.

dLeña
Sun., 476 K Street NW, Suite D, Washington, D.C., free admission

Grab a reservation for brunch or dinner at Chef Richard Sandoval’s popular cocina. A special Cinco de Mayo menu will feature Código 1530 and Mijenta tequilas, special cocktails and flights in the main restaurant and downstairs in the dLeña ROJA lounge. 

From 5-9 p.m., enjoy live music from the Trio Candela by Eli Staples.

Mariscos 1133
Sun., 1133 11th Street NW, free admission

Make a reservation for brunch with $7 cocktails and dishes including birria hash and pancita soup, or walk up to the outdoor patio to order $8 hibiscus and classic margaritas, $3.50 draft beers, and $3.50 tacos.

Mezcalero 14th Street and Mezcalero La Cosecha
Sun., 3714 14th Street NW or 1280 4th Street NE, free admission

The Mexican restaurant’s Petworth outpost will offer $3.50 street tacos, $8 classic margaritas, and $3.50 draft beer all day (no reservations, just walk in). The location in the La Cosecha market in Northeast will have happy hour from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Moe’s Southwest Grill
Sun., various locations

Moe’s Rewards Members can snag $5.55 burritos and bowls at participating locations. Remember to download the app first!

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

The ship, which lost power and crashed into one of the bridge’s supporting columns, has been stationary amid the wreckage since the March 26 collapse. Officials expect to have it removed by May 10, according to a news release Tuesday from the Port of Baltimore.

Six members of a roadwork crew plunged to their deaths in the disaster. Four bodies have been recovered while two remain missing.

Crews have identified “areas of interest” where they believe the bodies could be, but they’ve been unable to access them so far, Maryland State Police Superintendent Roland Butler said during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

“We’re working in generalizations of areas where we think they should be, based on sonar images and other mapping techniques,” he said.

Officials declined to provide a projected timeline for how long the cleanup will continue and when the victims’ families can expect to be made whole. So far, 3,300 tons of debris have been removed from the Patapsco River.

“What we know is that we’re putting forth every single asset that we have at our disposal to bring closure to these families,” Gov. Wes Moore said during the news conference.

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Last week, officials opened a temporary deep-draft channel that allowed some stranded cargo ships to finally leave the Port of Baltimore. Others entered the port through the channel, which closed Monday so crews could focus on extracting the Dali from the wreckage.

A large span of the steel bridge came crashing down on the Dali’s bow, damaging the ship and destroying some of its containers. Removing those pieces of bridge is the next major priority in the cleanup process, officials said.

“That work is remarkably complicated,” Moore said, because cutting the spans into shorter sections could risk destabilizing other pieces of wreckage.

Crews are using the largest hydraulic grabber in the country to help in that effort, he said.

Once the Dali returns to port, officials said they expect to open a 45-foot channel by May 10 that can accommodate more large cargo ships. They plan to fully restore the port’s 50-foot main channel by the end of May.

Thousands of longshoremen, truckers and small business owners have seen their jobs impacted by the collapse, prompting local and state officials to prioritize fully reopening the port in hopes of easing the economic ripple effects of the collapse. Officials have also established various assistance programs for unemployed workers and others impacted by the closure.

Law enforcement had become accustomed to MS-13 killings involving rival gang members, or ones in which MS-13 members themselves became victims when suspicions arose that they were cooperating with police. What was new, prosecutors say, was that victims were chosen at random, with no connection to MS-13 or any other gang.

On Tuesday, gang leader Melvin Canales Saldana, whose orders set off the killings, was sentenced to life in prison, as was another gang member convicted of carrying out one of them. A third member was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder but was acquitted of carrying out the killing himself.

Prosecutors say Canales was the second-ranking member in the Sitios clique, or subunit, of MS-13, which had a strong presence in Northern Virginia. In spring 2019, Canales ordered midlevel members to carry out their duties to kill rival gang members more aggressively, prosecutors said; up until that time, members of the clique had largely contented themselves with running cocaine between New York and Virginia.

MS-13 members responded by patrolling in Virginia and Maryland, looking for rival gang members. But they came up empty, according to prosecutors. When that happened, they instead targeted random civilians so they could increase their status within the gang.

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“At first blush the murders committed in the wake of the defendant’s order seem to be the stuff of urban legend,” prosecutors John Blanchard and Matthew Hoff wrote in court papers. “Gang members forming hunting parties and killing whoever was unfortunate to cross their path was an alien concept.”

In August 2019, gang members targeted Eric Tate as he traveled to an apartment complex to meet a woman. He bled out in the street. The next month, Antonio Smith was coming home from a convenience store when he was shot six times and killed. Court papers indicate Smith asked his killers why they were shooting him.

At a separate trial, three other MS-13 members, including the gang’s U.S. leader, Marvin Menjivar Gutiérrez, were convicted for their roles in the double slayings of Milton Bertram Lopez and Jairo Geremeas Mayorga. Their bodies were found in a wooded area of Virginia’s Prince William County in June 2019. The defendants from that trial have not yet been sentenced.

Canales’ attorney, Lana Manitta, said she will appeal her client’s conviction. She said that the targeting of innocent civilians was against her client’s wishes, and that his underlings tried to portray the shooting victims as legitimate gang rivals to him so that they would earn their promotions within the gang.

“Mr. Canales repeatedly warned clique members to ‘do things right,’” Manitta said in court papers.

Prosecutors say that Canales joined the gang at age 14 or 15 while he was living in El Salvador and that he came to the the U.S. illegally in 2016 to evade arrest warrants in that country.

MS-13 got its start as a neighborhood street gang in Los Angeles but grew into a transnational gang based in El Salvador. It has members in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, and thousands of members across the United States with numerous cliques, according to federal authorities.

Local emergency services providers said they are receiving accidental 911 alerts from people’s smart devices. In some cases, it’s been prompted by something as simple as dropping an Apple Watch onto a hard floor. 

“So, the smart devices that are out there nowadays where if you fall, it does benefit that it’s able to call 911. However, it could also pick up, let’s say if you’re riding a bike and you hit a pothole and nothing, you know, you’re still continuing on your way, it could trigger 911,” Olney said. 

In addition to the smart devices, 911 call centers are now getting crash notifications directly from a vehicle’s onboard computer system, through popular internet radio provider Sirius XM. 

The partnership between Sirius XM Connected Vehicle Services and a company called RapidSOS allows any connected vehicle to automatically share information with first responders.

“It’s called in by Sirius, possible crash notification,” a dispatcher said.

When these false alarms do occur, dispatchers can be heard in call center recordings trying to figure out if it’s a real emergency.

“It’s an Apple crash notification with no response, no vehicle description as well.”

“Could be one of the iPhone automatic messages, for a fall message.”

“We received an automated message, through the patient’s iPhone, about a fall.”

If you realize you accidentally called 911, never do this one thing:

“Definitely, if it triggers 911, please stay on the phone. Do not hang up because we are obligated to call back. So please do not hang up,” Olney said.

Instead, 911.gov advises callers to explain to the dispatcher what happened. Otherwise, they may send first responders to your location.

Both iPhone and Android users can adjust or turn off the SOS function in system settings. 

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It’s a common sight across the District. Mopeds zip down the street, usually with some sort of compartment for storing food in tow.

“We’re seeing them being driven on sidewalks. We’re seeing them driven in ways that don’t fit neatly into a box,” D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen said. 

And if it feels like you’re seeing more, that’s because you are. 

Local leaders estimate there are thousands of the unregistered vehicles on D.C. roads, and they say it’s time to do something.  

“Not too different from when you buy a car, right? When you go to the dealer you buy the car and guess what? They give you the temporary tag right there that’s registered to that vehicle,” Allen, who is also chair of the transportation committee, said. 

Now, he and Councilmember Brianne Nadeau have introduced a bill that would hold the owners accountable.

Under the proposed Moped Registration Accountability Amendment Act, companies that rent the vehicles would have to register their fleet, which requires insurance.  

“We’re not talking about e-bikes. We’re not talking about motorcycles. It’s the somewhere in-between, which usually has an engine capacity of up to about 50ccs, so they can scoot around pretty fast,” Allen said.

The public safety push also comes after four teenagers were arrested for a series of moped thefts this week. In two of the cases, the riders were robbed at gunpoint while waiting at intersections, the Metropolitan Police Department said. 

“Fortunately MPD did a great job. They made an arrest in that case, but when we see that happen it’s also a lot harder to be able to hold accountable what just happened if it’s an unregistered vehicle,” Allen said. 

Allen said they aren’t trying to stop anyone’s side hustle either. Since many riders rent these vehicles to make deliveries, they want to make sure the owners are held responsible.  

“Listen, I want my meal when I order it to get there fast just like everybody else, but I want people to drive safely, and I think we have to have our laws catch up,” Allen said. 

This is just the beginning of a months-long process. Now that the bill has been introduced, it will have to go through committees and hearings before the D.C. Council can vote.

The resolution goes into effect immediately and fills the gap as similar but separate legislation goes through the legislative process.

That bill is expected go to a public hearing and vote in May. It is being fast-tracked after hundreds of unsupervised kids — some as young as 8 — were involved in fights at National Harbor April 20.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks issued an executive order specifically for National Harbor that went into effect last weekend.

“Our county executive put an executive order in place specific to National Harbor, but we want to allow other commercial property owners in the county to apply for a curfew zone if they feel it’s needed,” Council Chair Jolene Ivery said. “Our biggest priority is making sure we’re in partnership with the business community, law enforcement, and the residents of our county who have all been strong supporters of these measures.”

The curfews would begin at 5 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m.

Police found North Carolina Central University student Myles Gresham shot to death in his car several miles away from campus at an apartment complex near where he lived in Durham Thursday.

The 22-year-old was driving when he was struck by gunfire about 3:30 p.m., police said. His car crashed into two others in the apartment complex parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police call it an isolated incident. They have not made an arrest.

Gresham’s mother described him as very smart and humble, often flying under the radar.

NCCU’s chancellor issued a statement saying Gresham, a business administration mayor, was a dedicated student with entrepreneurial aspirations.

“He diligently selected his courses each semester, aiming for a path toward future success,” the statement reads. “Actively involved in campus life, Myles served as treasurer of the Metro Eagles Club. His friendly nature and enthusiasm for the Wordle game will always bring forth smiles from those who had the pleasure of knowing him.”

Gresham planned to start an internship in real estate this summer in Seattle.

His mother said the family will accept his diploma at graduation Saturday.

Kate Laporta was one of eight cousins in Zubrick’s family that were closest to him in age. But earlier this month, she was shot and killed — with Laporta’s boyfriend charged in her killing.

“We were just very close growing up,” Zubrick told News4. “We got to visit every Sunday, but we always wanted more than that.”

Zubrick and the rest of their close knit family were stunned on the morning of April 18, when they learned Laporta, a resident of Fairfax County, had been shot. Her boyfriend, Huy Nguyen, has been charged with second degree murder.

Police say he brought a mortally wounded Laporta to Mt. Vernon Hospital, at first claiming that she had been shot in the parking lot. But the 38-year-old was actually shot in a vehicle and then driven to the parking lot, police say. The gun was recovered later.

Zubrick says hearing how his cousin died has added to his sorrow.

“I cannot stop thinking about how much terror her last moments must have been filled with,” Zubrick said.

But he says gathering with family to share stories about his cousin has helped.

Laporta had her first child at a young age. But in the last seven or eight years, Zubrick says, she had really taken control of her life, wanting to provide for her kids.

That’s why she dedicated herself to her job at a local Safeway, where she started as a bagger. She later became a checkout clerk, and was often asked to work as a supervisor.

Her hope was to get her two kids to college.

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“Higher education was something that was always really important to our grandparents, that they enforced on their kids and imparted on us,” Zubrick said. “So Kate talked a lot about it over the years.”

Now, to honor her memory, the cousins have launched an online fundraiser. They say the money collected will go into 529 savings plans for Laporta’s children.

Their efforts serve a twofold purpose — helping them process their grief, while working to fulfill Kate Laporta’s greatest wish.

They were expecting to see D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser.

“There is a big world out there waiting for you to be a leader in it,” she told them.

But they did not expect Obama.

“We need your vision,” she told them. “We need your energy, we need your ideas, we need your perspectives to help us to continue to build a more just and equal nation and world, at this point.”

Obama started College Signing Day 10 years ago to shine a light on the importance of academic success and a college education.

Washington Capitals and Wizards owner Ted Leonsis, who chairs the DC College Access Program that provides college scholarships, opened up the arena for the event and began by thanking teachers and parents.

“Stand up,” he said. “Let them know how much you appreciate their work.”

One of the seniors in the crowd, Khaliq Keeta, said he plans to be the first in his family to earn a college diploma.

“A lot of people might not say this, but I’m most excited to finish college, you know,” he said. “I just want to — not get everything done with — but start my life, basically.”

Another college-bound senior at the event, Lynni Thomas, who has been on her own her entire senior year due to family issues, is also the battalion commander of her ROTC.

“I don’t want to be a victim of my past or my circumstances,” she said. “I want to be better than I see everybody else around me, so that kind of pushed me towards moving forward and getting my grades up, because I don’t want to stay in D.C. forever.”

While Keeta was awarded an academic scholarship, Thomas is still trying to figure out how she’ll pay for her education.

Jack Milton was a decorated pilot with a 31-year military career, serving in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. But he never got to don the cap and gown and get his diploma in 1968 because he was in Vietnam.

Fifty-five years later, the University of Maryland Global Campus fixed that, giving one of its most distinguished alums the ceremony he always wanted.

“I’ve thought about it many times that I was unable to attend my ceremony after all that hard work,” Milton said. “And this more than makes up for it.”

He thought the school was hosting a luncheon to celebrate his 100th birthday, a milestone he reached in August.

“I feel like this is a finale of a long journey in education,” Milton said. “And again, I keep using the word appreciative, but I can’t think of any other word.”

Making it even more special, Milton was surrounded by those who matter most. Milton’s nephews and nieces attended, as did Nora Nabala and her family.

Nabala has been Milton’s family caregiver for more than two decades, originally helping take care of his late wife, Samantha.

“Jack has been there for me, has been there in every way,” she said. “I mean, every way. He’s a father to me.”

“I’ve had many ceremonies throughout my life, fortunately, to celebrate many occasions, but this has to be the top,” Milton said.

Milton said there’s no secret to making it to 100 years old. He said he’s always been focused on helping others, which has served him well in life.

NBC’s live coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, but you can watch live Derby Day coverage on USA Network and Peacock from 12-2:20 p.m. ET. You can also stream Derby Day coverage on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Get the full viewing guide here.

However, if you want an excuse to dress to the nines, break out an ostentatious hat, and sip some bourbon here in the District, here are some parties, rooftop events and more you can check out.

Where to Watch the Kentucky Derby in DC

Derby de Mayo
Sat., 12-3 p.m., 901 U Street NW, D.C.
Details

D.C. landmark bar Whitlow’s is hosting a 2-in-1 celebration for what just might be this year’s biggest drinking holiday. The bar is hosting a bottomless brunch from noon to three, featuring Dragon Fruit margaritas, Jalapeno and Cucumber margaritas, and tequila Jell-O shots.

There will be a prize for the best Derby hat or sombrero, so no matter what direction you choose, commit to the ‘fit!

Run for the Rosés
Sat., 3-7 p.m., 1940 11th Street NW, D.C.
Details

If you’re still riding the high of last summer’s Barbie-pink shenanigans, Lulu’s Winegarden has the perfect Derby party for you. Their annual “Run for the Rosés” comes with eight different rosé bottle options for just $40, rosé magnums and frozen mint juleps to enjoy during the indoor-and-outdoor viewing party.

There are also, of course, bourbon specials. The party itself is free, but you’ll have to pay for food and drinks.

Kentucky Derby party
Sat., 3 p.m., 2007 18th St. NW, D.C.
Details

This is the 12th annual Kentucky Derby event hosted by Jack Rose Dining Saloon in Adams Morgan. If you couldn’t tell from how long the event has been running, it’s a popular one — and unfortunately, the reserved indoor seating is already sold out.

But never fear! The first-come, first-served rooftop terrace party is open to anyone, and that’s free. The bar opens early at 3 p.m. to serve mint juleps with whiskey from what WTOP calls one of the best lists on the East Coast. Sip away and watch the races on their many TVs.

Derby Day at Wren
Sat., 4-7 p.m., 1825 Capital One Dr., Tysons, VA
Details

Wren, a Japanese-American fusion restaurant on the 11th floor of the Watermark Hotel in Tyson’s Corner, is hosting its very own Derby Day watch party on May 4.

The ticketed party will feature live music, specialty cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and of course the race itself. There will be prizes for the best hat and the best dressed.

Kentucky Derby Experience
Sat., 3-8 p.m., Maryland 5 in Waldorf, MD
Details

The Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill is an equestrian event space — so it’s no wonder they’re ready to party in honor of the Kentucky Derby. They promise an event filled with “excitement, elegance, and of course, horse racing,” for everyone from the most season horse racing fan to those just looking for a fun day out.

150th Kentucky Derby Party
Sat., 12:30-6:30 p.m., Laurel Racetrack, MD
Details

This ticketed event hosted by the Maryland Jockey Club features a “mouthwatering buffet spread,” and a photo booth to capture your fancy outfits and hats.

The organization is sure to give the Derby gravitas, since they’re the same organizers that sell tickets to the second race in the Triple Crown: The Preakness Stakes.

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Other Derby-adjacent events

Happy to celebrate without the horses as long as you’ve got a mint julep in hand? Interested in Derby vibes but not necessarily attached to the one in Kentucky? We’ve got you covered.

Virginia Gold Cup & Jack Russell Terrier races
Sat., 10 a.m., 5089 Old Tavern Rd., The Plains, VA
Details

The Virginia Gold Cup, which organizers call “Virginia’s answer to the Kentucky Derby,” has been running for more than 100 years. It comes with a tailgate contest and a horse race of its own.

A fan-favorite part of the ticketed event are the Jack Russell Terrier races, where dogs jump over obstacles to be the first to reach a lure at the end of the course.

Derby Day Pig Roast
Sat., 2-6 p.m., 917 V St. NW, D.C.
Details

If you want a taste of the south, American Ice Company is hosting their annual Kentucky Derby Cookout, complete with roast pork, macaroni salad, baked beans and cornbread. There are two all-you-can-eat tiers — one that includes all-you-can-drink beers, one with just the food — and extra juleps and alcoholic lemonade for purchase.

There will also be live music on the patio, and dogs are encouraged.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Education Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) called the protests “radical, unlawful and antisemitic” in a letter Tuesday. They threatened to use the “legislative powers” of Congress to intervene.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office issued a statement in response.

“We support peaceful protests, and I rely on the Metropolitan Police Department and their experience and expertise to decide what types of interventions are necessary,” the letter said in part. “[…] We will not tolerate violence of any kind; we will monitor and ensure access to streets, parks, and safe and sanitary conditions; and we will continue to be supportive of universities or other private entities who need help.”

Protests at the university reached their sixth day on Tuesday, with some students saying they’re in it for the long haul. Police were stationed nearby and had not moved to dismantle an encampment.

“We are prepared to negotiate, and President Ellen Granberg has not even granted us a meeting,” sophomore Reem Ladabdi said.

She said she and fellow students want GW to commit to protecting students who speak out in support of Gaza. They also asked the school to divest from Israel.

A group of mothers from Bethesda visited the campus on Tuesday to show support for Jewish students.

“While we respect the rights of free speech and other people to have their opinions, it is important that all students feel safe and feel supported,” Robin Galkin said.

The protesters at GW were joined by students and professors from all over the D.C. area.

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Professor Nader Hashemi, director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said the demonstrations reminded him of his own activism against apartheid, decades earlier.

He said he doesn’t expect the protests to create immediate change, similarly to how it took years for opinions to shift against the Vietnam War.

“I view this in the context of the broad evolution of history, where this is the beginning point of demands that hopefully will create some momentum,” he said.

GW declined to comment on students’ demands or their request for a meeting.

“It’s a preventable mistake, and nobody should go through the suffering I experienced,” she said.

Daisy was Mircheva’s service dog, Mircheva said. Daisy was so important to her that when the pet developed a heart condition and needed a surgery that could only be performed at a few sites worldwide, Mircheva dipped into her savings, sold her car and flew the dog to London.

“She came back with completely healthy heart and very happy,” Mircheva said.

But that happiness would be short-lived. Six months after the surgery, a check-up detected a heart arrythmia. Mircheva said her vet wrote a prescription and sent it directly to her local CVS to be filled.

After the first dose, Daisy started experiencing labored breathing, lethargy and extreme thirst.

Mircheva said she was advised to take Daisy to an emergency vet clinic. Within days, she would be dead.

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Mircheva said the possible cause for Daisy’s decline was discovered when she sent her vet a photo of the dog’s prescription bottle. She provided an image of a prescription for amiodarone, which is used to treat heart arrhythmia.

A second image Mircheva provided shows a prescription bottle for amlodipine, a blood pressure medication.

Both drugs can be prescribed for dogs and humans, but for different maladies. The names are similar but they’re not the same.

“I never expected that. I fully trusted the pharmacist to give what had been prescribed,” Mircheva said.

She said she notified CVS, they told her to file a claim and she’s waiting for the next steps.

Mircheva said she hopes her story can serve as a reminder to be extra vigilant with medications for both pets and people.

VCU said that the protesters were trespassing and refused orders to leave. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vowed to support law enforcement and university leadership to ensure campuses were safe as protests over the Israel-Hamas war rage at colleges nationwide.

Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Cabell Library to call for a cease-fire and demand the university divest itself from financial ties to Israel, according to WWBT. The encampment included tents and large signs with statements including “free Palestine,” “cease-fire now” and a list of demands, photos show.

VCU said the demonstrators violated several policies, including by erecting tents and structures, and disrupted campus on the week of final exams, according to a statement.

“VCU respectfully and repeatedly provided opportunities for those individuals involved – many of whom were not students — to collect their belongings and leave. Those who did not leave were subject to arrest for trespassing,” the statement said.

Police gave four mass warnings to the crowd, and Richmond police declared the protest an unlawful assembly, a VCU spokesperson said in a statement.

Video shows a line of demonstrators holding wooden pallets outside the library, facing a string of officers in helmets holding shields reading police. Police marched in unison toward the protesters, followed by a clash in which police and protesters pushed each other, video shows.

“Individuals who chose not to leave threw objects and used chemical spray on officers. Officers used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. VCU Police report that officers did not use other chemical agents, such as tear gas,” the VCU spokesperson said.

People ran away coughing after police used pepper spray, according to WWBT.

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Thirteen people were arrested and charged with unlawful assembly and trespassing, according to VCU. The six students who were arrested “will proceed normally through the university’s student conduct process.”

Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears said late Monday that students and non-students were arrested, campus maintenance was dismantling tents and crowds were being dispersed.

Sears, in social media posts, went on to say that students and Richmond residents want answers.

“Once the dust settles, I think we will see this was not entirely a peaceful protest,” she said.

University and college officials across the country have been facing off with protesters calling for an end to Israel’s war in Gaza, and tensions are rising on many campuses.

Dozens of protesters at Columbia University took over Hamilton Hall early Tuesday, barricading the entrances and unfurling a Palestinian flag out of a window.

More than 80 people were arrested at Virginia Tech between Sunday and Monday as police tried to clear an encampment.

Virginia’s governor wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his administration will “fully support campus, local and state law enforcement and university leadership to keep our campuses safe.”

He accused students and demonstrators who aren’t students of throwing things at law enforcement, disrupting student life and endangering public safety.

At George Washington University in Washington, D.C., protesters took down bike rack-style barriers and refused to leave an encampment. Six days into the demonstration, there are no signs that protesters plan to leave.

“Multiple times, the GWPD and the administration has attempted to sweep our campus and we’ve successfully managed to prevent that from happening because of our community mobilization,” one demonstrator said.

GW has made it clear that they want protesters to leave University Yard, but it’s unclear what will happen if demonstrators continue to refuse to leave.

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“Having this unit helps not to revictimize victims again, deaf victims,” Jordan said.

After 34 years on the force, she knows retirement is near and she wants to ensure the unit is staffed with younger officers who can carry on her work for years to come.

Gallaudet University graduate Officer Jay Pomare has been on the force for a year. He is the son of two deaf parents, so American Sign Language is his first language.

“When I came out the womb, my parents are signing to me, and I’m being receptive to everything that they’re signing,” he said. “I had to go to school and go to speech therapy, and then that’s how I learned how to talk.”

“I’ve always been a mediator, and really, that’s what a liaison is, a mediator,” Pomare said. “Having two deaf parents, I’ve always mediated from the hearing world to the deaf world.”

Jordan sees the future of the unit when she looks at Pomare.

“I see his deaf heart, meaning, yes, he knows the language, he knows the culture, but he also have a deaf heart,” she said. “He loves the community, and that’s what’s important.”

Pomare has seen the difference it can make when the victim of a crime is able to communicate with police in their first language.

“It feels like a sense of relief,” he said. “They see it and they feel like, ‘Oh, perfect, I don’t have to really struggle while I’m already experiencing a traumatizing or bad experience.’”

A spokesperson for the National Association of the Deaf said often people who are deaf or hard of hearing are arrested for failure to comply with verbal orders.

Three Oakton High School students were on Blake Lane on June 7, 2022, when a teen driving 81 mph in a 35 mph zone struck and killed two girls in ninth grade. The third student was seriously injured.

This month, driver Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

For its first 30 days, the speed camera will issue warnings to drivers speeding through the school zone during school hours. After that period, fines will range from $50 to $100.

The fine for failing to yield to pedestrians will run as high as $500.

“It’s the most substantive … change in the corridor since we’ve been involved,” leader of Fairfax Families for Safe Streets Chris French said.

French has been advocating for ways to slow traffic on Blake Lane since 2020, after he was nearly hit while walking his bike through a crosswalk.

Another incident happened at a crosswalk in the area when a teen was struck on his bike and spent weeks in the hospital.

“I broke my leg, I broke my jaw and I got a concussion,” the teen told News4.

It wasn’t until after the high schoolers were killed that more discussion and change came to fruition, French said.

“As a pedestrian safety advocate, you never want to have an ‘I told you so’ moment, but that’s kind of the way it felt,” French said.

After the fatal crash, crosswalk warning signs were installed, the crosswalk was upgraded and fines increased. However, the speed camera is a new addition.

“I’m really glad that everyone is going to be safe now,” the teen who was injured after being struck while riding his bike said.

Regardless of this new measure, some are saying there is still more to be done.

Currently, the official school zone does not include the nearby intersection area where the two girls were killed and therefore is not as protected, French added.

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The Virginia Department of Transportation is finishing a road safety audit which is expected to be presented sometime in the coming months.

Once this is presented, the push will be renewed to add even more improvements, French said.

“Unfortunately … speed kills, and unless we can get the speeds on Blake Lane under control, I’m afraid it will happen again,” French said.

The witness said she saw a man run down an escalator but fail to reach the train before the doors closed about 11:15 a.m. She says he jumped onto the track and then onto the back of the Ashburn-bound Silver Line train before it left the station.

The Metro Transit Police Department investigated a report of someone riding from outside and went to McPherson Square and neighboring stations but did not find the rider, Metro said.

Metro warns riding outside a train is illegal and dangerous. Offenders can be charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct.

The number of trespassers on Metro are up slightly this year — 110 cases compared to 106 this time last year.

A teenage girl died in an apparent Metro train surfing incident March 1. Train surfing is a dangerous activity in which someone rides a train from the outside or roof.

Another person died in a train surfing attempt on Metro in June of last year.

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Hundreds of teenagers gathered at Schrom Hills Park April 19 for a skip day gathering that ended in chaos as shots were fired.

Video recorded by a Bladensburg High School student who shared it with News4 captured the sound of teens celebrating interrupted by gunfire.

Five teens were shot, and the shooters fled among the scattering crowd.

Prince George’s County police – with the help of the sheriff’s office, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – identified a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old as suspects. U.S. marshals arrested them in Bowie and District Heights.

The suspects face attempted murder and gun charges and are charged as adults.

The skip day was not a school-sanctioned event but is a widely known tradition in Prince George’s County.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy opposes senior skip days.

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Witnesses describe chaos after 5 teens were shot at Greenbelt senior skip day gathering

“Our young people deserve a future free from violence, and it is our responsibility as grownups to show them the way,” she said. “I know that senior skip days might sound like a lot of fun, but senior skip days of 20 years ago was not like senior skip days today.”

The injured teenagers – all between ages 16 and 18 – have been released from the hospital.

In response to the shooting, Greenbelt’s city manager said more camera trailers will be added to the park and license plate readers around the city.

Barry Mitchell was the victim. He was 53.

Mitchell had walked to a Taco Bell across the street from his home the night of April 21. But he never made it back. A driver hit him in the 9000 block of Contee Road and sped off.

Prince George’s County police responded at about 8:10 p.m. They found Mitchell in the roadway. He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Arnaldo Morgan served with Mitchell in the Army. He said he knew something was wrong when he couldn’t reach his friend.

“He was truly my brother, in military and out the service,” he said.

Morgan asked the driver to come forward.

“There’s nothing we can do to bring him back, but, all we’re asking is, please, turn yourself in and bring some closure to the family,” he said. “We understand accidents happen, but he didn’t deserve to be left out there like that.”

Prince George’s County police say they’re actively investigating the crash. They’re looking for a dark blue 2018 or 2019 Hyundai Sonata that may have damage to the headlight and grille on the passenger side.

Residents told News4 the stretch of Contee Road is dangerous, especially for children going to and from school, and has inadequate lighting at night.

Mitchell’s family and friends said they hope police can identify the hit-and-run driver soon.

“I just want him to be remembered as a soldier in uniform, a soldier out of uniform and truly a friend indeed to anyone who was in need,” Morgan said.

Anyone with potentially relevant information is asked to contact police. Tips can be left anonymously.

When is Maryland’s 2024 primary?

The official primary day in Maryland is Tuesday, May 14, although early voting and mail-in voting are also options for voters. (More on that below.)

Do I need to be registered in a political party to vote in the 2024 primary in Maryland?

While you are not required to choose a political party on your voter registration application, you generally wouldn’t be able to vote in party primary elections. However, you would be able to vote in any nonpartisan primary elections in your jurisdiction.

According to Maryland elections officials: “Generally, you must be registered with either the Democratic or Republican Party to vote in the primary election. If there are non-partisan offices that are elected in a primary election (i.e., school board), any voter can vote for these offices.”

What if I want to change my political party in Maryland?

To change your party affiliation, you can:

• submit a request for the change online here
• or submit a new voter registration application
• or send a signed written request to your local board of elections

The deadline to change your party affiliation ahead of the presidential primary was Tuesday, April 23.

The Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties are recognized in Maryland.

Maryland voter registration info:

How can I register to vote in Maryland?

First, make sure you’re eligible to register to vote in Maryland (check on that here).

If you are, then you can either register in advance, register during early voting, or register to vote on election day.

To register to vote in Maryland in advance:

• you can register online here
• or submit your voter registration application to your local board of elections 
• or submit your registration application to Maryland’s State Board of Elections

To register to vote in Maryland during early voting:

• During the early voting period (Thursday, May 2 through Thursday, May 9), go to an early voting center in the county where you live
• Bring a document that proves where you live: your MVA-issued license, ID card or change of address card, or a paycheck stub, bank statement, utility bill or other government document showing your name and address

To register to vote in Maryland on primary day:

• Go to your assigned election day polling place on primary day (Tuesday, May 14)
• Bring a document that proves where you live: your MVA-issued license, ID card or change of address card, or a paycheck stub, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document showing your name and address

Maryland voter registration: How can I update my name or address?

You can either update your information ahead of time, during early voting, or in person on election day. Follow the same steps above.

If you plan to update your information on primary day itself, go to the polling place assigned to your new address. You’ll vote there using a provisional ballot and will provide your new address on the application. Your provisional ballot will be counted as long as you sign the application, election officials say.

Maryland voter registration: I think I’m already registered, but how can I check?

You can check to see if you’re registered to vote in Maryland online here.

However, Maryland officials say that if you submitted your information online or at the MVA only recently, it may take up to three weeks to appear on that site.

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Now that you’ve got those voter registration questions answered, find out some other key details and dates below:

Maryland early voting info:

Does Maryland have early voting in 2024?

Yes.

When is early voting for Maryland’s 2024 primary?

Early voting will be available from Thursday, May 2 through Thursday, May 9, including over that weekend, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

You may vote early at any early voting center at the county you live in (see a PDF list of early voting centers here). Montgomery County has 14 early voting centers, Prince George’s County has 11, and Frederick County has four.

Maryland mail-in voting info:

Does Maryland have mail-in voting in 2024?

Yes.

How can I get a mail-in ballot for Maryland in 2024?

You can request a mail-in ballot from Maryland’s State Board of Elections or from your local board of elections (find yours here).

Note that Maryland lists the deadlines for requesting a mail-in ballot by the date your request must be received by, not when it is sent/mailed.

What’s the deadline for requesting a mail-in ballot for Maryland’s 2024 primary?

If you want to receive your ballot by mail or fax:

• Your request must be received by Tuesday, May 7

If you want to receive your ballot online:

• Your request must be received by Friday, May 10 at 5 p.m. for a request sent in the mail, or by that day at 11:59 p.m. for a request sent by fax or submitted online

Where are the drop boxes for mail-in ballots for Maryland’s 2024 primary?

You can find a PDF list of designated ballot drop box online here for the entire state, including dozens of locations for Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and 10 locations for Frederick County.

Ballot boxes will be open from late March through Tuesday, May 14 at 8 p.m., state election officials said.

What’s the deadline for casting a mail-in ballot for Maryland in 2024?

If you want to use a drop box:

• You can place your mail-in ballot in a ballot drop box up until Tuesday, May 14 at 8 p.m.

If you want to mail your ballot:

• Your ballot must be postmarked on or before Tuesday, May 14
• Note that putting your ballot in a mailbox on Election Day doesn’t necessarily mean it would be postmarked that day, and Maryland elections officials say you should send it as soon as possible due to the chance for delays
• Your ballot will come with a postage-paid return envelope, so mailing your ballot back is free

Maryland primary day 2024 info:

When can I vote in-person in Maryland’s 2024 primary?

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14. Anyone in line by 8 p.m. will be able to cast their ballots.

To vote in person on primary day, find your polling place here.

Does Maryland have same-day voter registration in 2024?

Yes, you may register in person during early voting or on primary day in Maryland.

To register to vote on primary day, go to your assigned election day polling place, and bring a document that proves where you live (such as your MVA-issued license, ID card or change of address card, or a paycheck stub, bank statement, utility bill, or other government document showing your name and address).

Who’s on the ballot for the Maryland 2024 primary?

Go to this page on Maryland’s elections website and scroll to “2024 Primary Election Proofing Ballots.” Then select your county from the list to see which candidates and offices will be on your ballot.

Voters will see presidential nominee candidates, as well as candidates for statewide offices, such as U.S. Senator and congressional representative. You can also see candidates for local offices, such as Board of Election members.

The Team USA sprinter won gold in the 100m at the USA Track & Field Bermuda Grand Prix on Sunday with a time of 9.96 seconds. Canada’s Aaron Brown (10.09 seconds) and fellow American Pjai Austin (10.10 seconds) joined Lyles on the podium.

“All together, I think it was a pretty well-put-together race,” Lyles told NBC Sports’ Lewis Johnson. “I felt that I had a pretty average start, (and then) my acceleration kicked in.”

Lyles entered the race as the reigning world champion in the 100m and 200m. His time at the Bermuda Grand Prix was an improvement on his 10.01-second time at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitation on April 13 in his hometown of Gainesville, Florida. Gusty conditions created a 3 m/s tailwind on Sunday compared to a 1.7 m/s tailwind at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational.

The 26-year-old already has an Olympic medal in his trophy case after earning bronze in the 200m at the Tokyo Olympics. He will have a chance to add to his collection when the track and field competition gets off and running at the Paris Olympics in early August.

Next up on the track and field calendar is the World Athletic Relays in the Bahamas. The competition will air live on Peacock starting at 7:05 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4, and on Peacock, CNBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app starting at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 5.

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For the first time, Ovechkin was held without a goal or an assist in a playoff series and had just five shots on net as he and the Washington Capitals were swept in the first round by the New York Rangers.

“I didn’t play well,” Ovechkin said after losing Game 4 on Sunday night. “I don’t have that kind of touches. I try to find a different way to put the puck in.”

None of it worked, either on the power play or at 5 on 5. His best chance came in Game 4 with the puck on his stick just outside the crease, but New York’s Vincent Trocheck poked it away and Ovechkin was not much of a threat the rest of the way.

“He’s been doing it for so long,” Trocheck said. “He’s arguably one of the best, if not the best, goal-scorers of all-time and you have to pay a little bit more attention to him on the penalty kill. And that can’t be easy for him. Obviously we’re extremely focused on him, so it’s no shot at him. He’s a great hockey player, and we’re just a little bit extra focused on him.”

That focus worked, even though Rangers winger Artemi Panarin said “it’s a secret” how he and his teammates shut down Ovechkin to move on to the second round. Suffocating defense made it difficult on the 38-year-old Russian superstar, and Igor Shesterkin didn’t have to do much on his own against his countryman.

“The defense was awesome,” Shesterkin said. “All four games, they play in front of him and didn’t let him do anything.”

Washington was back in the playoffs after missing last year, and with an aging core it’s not unrealistic to wonder if this might have been Ovechkin’s final chance to play in the postseason in the NHL.

“I hope I’m still going to get a couple chances,” he said.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Artemi Panarin scored the go-ahead goal on the power play early in the third period, Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers finished off a sweep of the Washington Capitals with a 4-2 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night to advance to the second round.

“The things that we’ve done in the regular season over 82 games is something that we continue to do,” center Mika Zibanejad said. “We’ve been building toward this, and I still think we can be better, but a great, hard-fought series and it’s nice (to get) a win.”

Trade deadline pickup Jack Roslovic sealed it with an empty-netter with 51 seconds left, and the Rangers will next face either the Carolina Hurricanes or crosstown-rival New York Islanders with a spot in the Eastern Conference final at stake. Carolina leads that series 3-1.

“We have extra few days for rest, and it’s always good,” Shesterkin said. “That’s more time for practice and build our confidence and see who we will play against next round.”

They’ll get that rest thanks to Panarin’s goal with 16:39 left in regulation, 11 seconds after T.J. Oshie was penalized for high-sticking Vincent Trocheck, which helped them avoid overtime or a return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday. They needed just four to vanquish the Capitals and become the first team to advance this spring.

“We’re happy,” Panarin said. “We’ll keep going. I can’t say we played bad. We played good, but I think we can play better.”

New York moves on thanks to another dominant performance from Trocheck, who was the best player on the ice all series. Trocheck long before drawing the crucial penalty scored on the power play and broke up a scoring chance by Alex Ovechkin, who was held off the scoresheet entirely through four games — the first time that has happened in a single postseason in the Capitals captain’s 15 trips.

“I don’t know,” Ovechkin said after just five shots in four games. “I don’t have that kind of touches. I try to find a different way to put the puck in.”

But he was not Washington’s only problem, and part of the lack of offense was Shesterkin, who several times sparked chants of “Igor! Igor!” from the many Rangers fans in attendance. He turned aside Dylan Strome 14 seconds after Kaapo Kakko scored in the first minute to put them ahead and later made back-to-back saves on Tom Wilson’s point-blank chances on the doorstep.

“I thought he was excellent,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “When the game is hanging in the balance, he still comes across and he makes a huge save.”

Trocheck, Shesterkin and MVP candidate Panarin leading a victory is nothing new, but Kakko contributing made him the 10th New York player to score a goal in the series. That came after Nick Jensen turned the puck over on his first shift back from a two-week injury absence, and Kakko beat Charlie Lindgren for a goal that could boost his confidence after a rough regular season.

Lindgren, who has not lacked self-belief, couldn’t again play the hero despite stopping 19 of the 22 shots he faced. Youngsters Martin Fehervary and Hendrix Lapierre scored for Washington, which was visibly exhausted after expending so much energy just to make it in.

“This team just never gave up,” Strome said. “This team fights for every inch, and we fought to the very end. We put our lives on the line in this series and obviously came up short. They’re a great team.”

UP NEXT

Rangers: Prepare to face the Hurricanes or Rangers in a series that cannot start until Thursday at the very earliest and likely after that.

Capitals: Go into another offseason of change with questions about the future of winger T.J. Oshie, among others.

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

More than 200 people, including “professional organizers, activists, and university students,” have joined the demonstration, the university said Monday, as protests continue on college campuses across the country.

Video shared on social media shows a rush of demonstrators breaking through the bike rack-style barricades set up near the encampment. A drum is beating, there is chanting, and some protesters kick or jump on barriers. Police attempt to push back or hold on as the barriers are moved. Someone can be heard saying, “Whoa, whoa, hey.”

“Yesterday, the crowd rallied, and we, the crowd was like, we need real liberation, and we dismantled the barriers. They were gone,” sophomore Selina Al-Shihabi said. “And just the feeling, you know, the energy of finally feeling free. I mean, it’s a fraction of what the people of Gaza are going through.”

One person was escorted away by campus police, but they were not arrested, according to the university. The barriers were placed as a way to limit access to University Park instead of resorting to forcible relocation, the university said.

By Monday morning, the barricades were in a jumbled pile at the center of the encampment.

“This is an egregious violation of community trust and goes far beyond the boundaries of free expression and the right to protest,” the university’s update said in part.

Dozens of students set up tents on Thursday in University Yard — which is bordered by GW’s law school and other GW buildings — to call on the university to divest itself from financial ties with Israel, according to student newspaper The GW Hatchet.

Five days later, on the final day of classes for the spring semester, the number of people participating in the encampment swelled, and a second encampment had cropped up on H Street, on D.C. property, according to the university. 

Over the weekend, the university reduced the space in University Park to allow for 20 people to remain and “to minimize further disruption to university activities.” They were allowing demonstrators to access food and water and shared how to find medical assistance, GW President Ellen M. Granberg said in a Sunday message to the campus.

“GW continues to offer Anniversary Park as an alternate demonstration site and implores demonstrators to vacate University Yard immediately,” Granberg wrote in part.

When access was limited to University Park Friday evening, protesters set up a new encampment of about 20 tents on H Street.

Al-Shihabi thinks students standing in solidarity with Gaza is making a difference.

“I definitely think it’s helping raise awareness. I mean, we’ve been getting messages from the people of Gaza — voice notes, photos — just telling us how much we appreciate them, which is so ironic because we draw so much of our inspiration from them,” Al-Shihabi said.

‘Liberation Camp’

Students celebrated the first 24 hours of the “Liberation Camp” protest on Friday.

Protesters say that their solidarity is with the Palestinian people, not with Hamas. While any protest movement has extreme elements that diverge from the core cause, most of the protesters at GW say they want to keep the focus on why they’re in the encampment — killings and what they’re calling a genocide in Gaza.

“We’ve been very clear with our demands and we’ve been very clear that we are here in solidarity with Gaza,” said one young woman protesting on Thursday, who did not want to be identified. “We are here in solidarity with Palestine.”

GW said it decided to request D.C. police assistance after multiple instructions from university police officers to relocate to another site on campus went unheeded.

The university also issued a statement saying protesters are trespassing and “any student who remains in University Yard may be placed on temporary suspension and administratively barred from campus.”

Several students told News4 Friday they were prepared to get arrested in order to stand up for what they believe in, and others said if they are removed, that would only embolden them in their protests.

“Missing class, it’s nothing compared to what the people in Gaza are going through right now,” said the anonymous protester. “It’s not about us, it’s not about our so-called sacrifice.”

Counterprotester Eric Hirshfield said he tried to enter the encampment “just to see what’s going on and make sure they’re not disenfranchising the rights of others.”

Leaders of the Jewish Student Association said they feel uncomfortable walking by the pro-Palestinian protests.

“A lot of people have family in Israel, and when there are slogans used that call for the destruction of where people live, it’s very intimidating,” Co-President Alana Mondschein said.

“The campus climate, the protests, are just unproductive,” Co-President Jacob Wise said. “There’s no effort to speak to other students who might disagree.”

Last fall they had to help replace posters of Israeli hostages at the Hillel building after someone tore them down. GW said it suspended the student involved.

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

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“My thinking is the parents need to take responsibility. Compared to last week and this week, it’s 100 percent different. Everything was in order, security police did a great job. But the week before, they were just outnumbered,” resident Chris Ross said. 

Prince George’s County police said as many as 800 young people were involved in fighting, vandalism and stealing at National Harbor on Saturday. Fights were caught on camera and posted to social media. 

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The teenagers were “fighting; shoplifting; smoking cannabis; being confrontational with business owners, residents and law enforcement personnel,” Police Chief Malik Aziz said.

County Executive Angela Alsobrooks described it as the worst single day at National Harbor.

“We were taken aback. I never expect anything like that to happen at National Harbor, a lot of rowdy, loud and intoxicated children just running around,” Shaina Taylor, owner of the wine bar V-No @ The Harbor, said. 

In response, Alsobrooks implemented a curfew effective Fridays, Saturday and Sundays from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. for unsupervised teenagers 16 and younger. 

Taylor said the curfew has created the atmosphere that’s needed for area residents, businesses and visitors.

“This weekend it’s been calm. It’s been quiet. It’s been kind of what I expect of National Harbor. I’m a resident here as well as a business owner, and I walk back and forth from here to home, so it’s really important to feel safe and secure,” she said. 

The extra police presence was visible Sunday, along with signs alerting visitors the curfew is in effect.

While some say the restrictions aren’t fair for the teens who aren’t causing trouble, others told News4 they support the curfew and that parents need to be more involved.

“The children are out of control, and this is a way that will help control some of these kids,” one woman said.  

On Thursday, the county executive ordered the curfew to go into effect right away. She promised to hold accountable parents who drop their kids off at the harbor or allow them to go there and cause trouble.

“Our parents must know that National Harbor is not a day care or a playground,” Alsobrooks said.  

Parents of unsupervised children could receive a phone call from authorities and be charged a fine.

The Prince George’s County Council is working on separate emergency legislation that would allow stricter juvenile curfews to be set up in commercial zones throughout the county starting as early as 5 p.m.

That legislation is expected to be voted on in May and would go into effect immediately.

There are signs on the lawn of Temple Beth Ami and blue ribbons on the trees, but one sign is missing, a banner that had been up for some time saying, “WE STAND WITH ISRAEL.”

“And for the very first time, someone defaced that sign,” Rabbi Gary Pokras said. 

Authorities believe it happened sometime between Saturday night and Sunday morning, when the vandalism was discovered and the sign taken down.

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“I’m really grateful to live in a country that enshrines free speech, and that includes the right to protest passionately and that includes public discourse,” Pokras said. “Whoever did this doesn’t want public discourse; they want to shut us down.”

Police are investigating the incident. 

“We look to every life as being worthy of being lived in peace and with dignity. We want that for Palestinians; we want that for Israelis,” Pokras said. 

The protestors created the encampment Friday in Jefferson Square in support of Gaza, continuing for several hours until “an invitation extended the encampment to the public to stay on campus, additional safety and security concerns emerged,” University of Mary Washington President Troy D. Paino said in part.

According to the letter, the university asked the organizers to take the tents down by 8:30 p.m. and they complied.

“Emergency: UMW has banned the Palestine encampment at Jefferson Squad [sic] only 12 hours and demanded we leave by 8:30 despite approving it before so we need all hands on deck if you can get to Jefferson square now. into Saturday,” @YDSAUMW tweeted Friday. 

Videos shared on social media by Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) at UMV show protestors peacefully singing, dancing and chanting overnight Friday into Saturday.

On Saturday afternoon, the tents were put back up against guidelines, the university said. Later in the evening, the protestors were told again to leave the area but 12 people remained and were arrested for trespassing, according to the university. 

“During the day on Saturday, health and safety concerns began to emerge from the event as well as increased concerns for campus community members, as outside influence was further invited to campus to grow the encampment,” Paino said in part. 

“We continue to call on @umwsga to represent the student body and their right to protest by releasing a statement demanding the lifting of the encampment ban as well as urging the administration not to implement disciplinary measures,” YDSA wrote on Instagram. 

One of the arrested protestors, a member of the YDSA at UMW, took to social media after being released from Rappahannock Regional Jail. 

“I was arrested for trespassing; standing in solidarity with the people of Palestine at universities across the county,” he said in the video.

He added that the university permitted them to protest in Jefferson Square and then revoked permission. 

The school is in the middle of reading days and is a week out from exams, according to the university.

This is a developing story. Stay with NBC Washington for more updates.

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Wali Shabazz, 49, of Southwest D.C., was arrested and charged with second degree murder while armed, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a release.

Officers were called to a stabbing in the 100 block of T Street SW just before 6:30 p.m. When they arrived, they found a man who was stabbed multiple times, police said.

He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries. He was identified as Marin Gross Jr., 41, of Northwest D.C.

The stabbing occurred over a workplace dispute between Shabazz and Gross, according to investigators.

An hour later, DC United fans packed the area for the team’s game.

The team released a statement that said first responders already on site supporting the match responded quickly.

“This was an isolated incident, and the Metropolitan Police Department has advised that they have the suspect in custody,” the team’s statement said in part.

The incident remains under investigation.

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University police said a group of students reported that a man “brandished a weapon in their direction” inside of an AU shuttle bus at around 6 p.m. at Nebraska Avenue and Ward Circle. 

Police locked down campus and sent out an alert about a “dangerous subject,” advising students to go inside a secure location.

Shortly after, officials sent an update saying the suspect was in custody. 

Video shows a man being detained by D.C. police. News4 is working to confirm if that is the person in custody in connection to the alert.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

An evening normally devoted to presidents, journalists and comedians taking outrageous pokes at political scandals and each other often seemed this year to illustrate the difficulty of putting aside the coming presidential election and the troubles in the Middle East and elsewhere.

Biden opened his roast with a direct but joking focus on Trump, calling him “sleepy Don,” in reference to a nickname Trump had given the president previously.

Despite being similar in age, Biden said, the two presidential hopefuls have little else in common. “My vice president actually endorses me,” Biden said. Former Trump Vice President Mike Pence has refused to endorse Trump’s reelection bid.

But the president quickly segued to a grim speech about what he believes is at stake this election, saying that another Trump administration would be even more harmful to America than his first term.

“We have to take this serious — eight years ago we could have written it off as ‘Trump talk’ but not after January 6,” Biden told the audience, referring to the supporters of Trump who stormed the Capitol after Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election.

Trump did not attend Saturday’s dinner and never attended the annual banquet as president. In 2011, he sat in the audience, and glowered through a roasting by then-President Barack Obama of Trump’s reality-television celebrity status. Obama’s sarcasm then was so scalding that many political watchers linked it to Trump’s subsequent decision to run for president in 2016.

Biden’s speech, which lasted around 10 minutes, made no mention of the ongoing war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

One of the few mentions came from Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, who briefly noted some 100 journalists killed in Israel’s 6-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza. In an evening dedicated in large part to journalism, O’Donnell cited journalists who have been detained across the world, including Americans Evan Gershkovich in Russia and Austin Tice, who is believed to be held in Syria. Families of both men were in attendance as they have been at previous dinners.

To get inside Saturday’s dinner, some guests had to hurry through hundreds of protesters outraged over the mounting humanitarian disaster for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. They condemned Biden for his support of Israel’s military campaign and Western news outlets for what they said was undercoverage and misrepresentation of the conflict.

“Shame on you!” protesters draped in the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh cloth shouted, running after men in tuxedos and suits and women in long dresses holding clutch purses as guests hurried inside for the dinner.

“Western media we see you, and all the horrors that you hide,” crowds chanted at one point.

Other protesters lay sprawled motionless on the pavement, next to mock-ups of flak vests with “press” insignia.

Ralliers cried “Free, free Palestine.” They cheered when at one point someone inside the Washington Hilton — where the dinner has been held for decades — unfurled a Palestinian flag from a top-floor hotel window.

Criticism of the Biden administration’s support for Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has spread through American college campuses, with students pitching encampments and withstanding police sweeps in an effort to force their universities to divest from Israel. Counterprotests back Israel’s offensive and complain of antisemitism.

Biden’s motorcade Saturday took an alternate route from the White House to the Washington Hilton than in previous years, largely avoiding the crowds of demonstrators.

Saturday’s event drew nearly 3,000 people. Celebrities included Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Scarlett Johansson, Jon Hamm and Chris Pine.

Both the president and comedian Colin Jost, who spoke after Biden, made jabs at the age of both the candidates for president. “I’m not saying both candidates are old. But you know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking, ‘maybe I can win this thing,’” Jost said. “He’s only 99.”

Law enforcement, including the Secret Service, instituted extra street closures and other measures to ensure what Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said would be the “highest levels of safety and security for attendees.”

Protest organizers said they aimed to bring attention to the high numbers of Palestinian and other Arab journalists killed by Israel’s military since the war began in October.

More than two dozen journalists in Gaza wrote a letter last week calling on their colleagues in Washington to boycott the dinner altogether.

“The toll exacted on us for merely fulfilling our journalistic duties is staggering,” the letter stated. “We are subjected to detentions, interrogations, and torture by the Israeli military, all for the ‘crime’ of journalistic integrity.”

One organizer complained that the White House Correspondents’ Association — which represents the hundreds of journalists who cover the president — largely has been silent since the first weeks of the war about the killings of Palestinian journalists. WHCA did not respond to a request for comment.

According to a preliminary investigation released Friday by the Committee to Protect Journalists, nearly 100 journalists have been killed covering the war in Gaza. Israel has defended its actions, saying it has been targeting militants.

“Since the Israel-Gaza war began, journalists have been paying the highest price — their lives — to defend our right to the truth. Each time a journalist dies or is injured, we lose a fragment of that truth,” CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said in a statement.

Sandra Tamari, executive director of Adalah Justice Project, a U.S.-based Palestinian advocacy group that helped organize the letter from journalists in Gaza, said “it is shameful for the media to dine and laugh with President Biden while he enables the Israeli devastation and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.”

In addition, Adalah Justice Project started an email campaign targeting 12 media executives at various news outlets — including The Associated Press — expected to attend the dinner who previously signed onto a letter calling for the protection of journalists in Gaza.

“How can you still go when your colleagues in Gaza asked you not to?” a demonstrator asked guests heading in. “You are complicit.”

Gilver Zelaya-Diaz was allegedly driving the white Acrua that struck 27-year-old Jacques Price as he rolled along Viers Mill Road in Rockville on April 8. Price was killed.

Prosecutors said Zelaya-Diaz was on probation at the time of the crash and has used eight different aliases. They contend that Zelaya-Diaz knew he was wanted by police after investigators found the damaged car.

Zelaya-Diaz eluded police until last week. He went “dark”, according to the prosecutor, turning his phone off so that he could not be tracked.

His defense attorney, who declined to comment as he left district court, said his client had planned to turn himself in to police.

Marcus Glivings, Price’s father, praised the work done by police in making the arrest.

“He’s a bad guy I’m glad they caught him. It doesn’t change things but we are grateful he was apprehended,” he said in an interview with News4.

In asking for Zelaya-Diaz to be held until trial, the prosecutor said the suspect was recently released from federal prison and has previously failed to show up at court five times. His criminal record shows that he was arrested on drug, assault and armed robbery charges.

He does not have a driver’s license and entered the United States illegally in 2019, according to the prosecutor.

Police said they found the white Acura by going through a database of similar vehicles registered in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and then visiting the registered addresses.

At the scene of the crash, a memorial continues to stand honoring the memory of Price, who was a father and uncle.

A white skateboard with the date Price was killed was nailed to the telephone pole by a neighbor the day after his death. The symbol brought Glivings to tears.

“Ever sine it happened, I think the very next day, one of the neighbors nailed that skateboard up there and then flowers and candles and pictures,” he said.

“He didn’t deserve it, he didn’t deserve it. He was minding his own business.”

Again they responded to whatever the Washington Capitals threw at them, and now they’re one win away from the second round.

Vincent Trocheck had a power-play goal and a short-handed assist, Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and the Rangers beat the Capitals 3-1 in Game 3 Friday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series. They can advance with a victory in Game 4 Sunday night.

“We play really good,” Shesterkin said. “But we need to win one more game, and we focus on the next one.”

The Rangers scored goals at even-strength 5 on 5, up 5 on 4 and down 4 on 5 in a special teams showcase from the Presidents’ Trophy winners who finished atop the NHL regular season in part because of their potent power play. Trocheck set up Barclay Goodrow short-handed and scored on the power play, while Chris Kreider tipped the puck in for his franchise-best 42nd career playoff goal.

At the other end of the rink, Shesterkin looked like his 2022 Vezina Trophy-winning self, robbing Max Pacioretty alone in front with a right pad stop and turning away Alex Ovechkin, who remains without a point this postseason. Shesterkin was perfect after allowing John Carlson to score on a fluttering shot off Mika Zibandjad’s stick just over five minutes in.

“Shesty was obviously spectacular again,” Trocheck said. “He’s a spectacular goaltender. We need him to be the backbone of this team. He’s been doing it for years now.”

A major reason for the Rangers pushing the Capitals to the brink of elimination is that they only trailed in this one for 34 seconds until Kreider tied it. Goodrow’s goal put them ahead exactly 2 minutes later, and they led the rest of the way through some choppy play and a handful of penalties called on either side.

Following up on what they did back home at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, the Rangers scored short-handed goals in consecutive playoff games for the first time since April 1990.

“I actually thought there could have been a few more,” coach Peter Laviolette said. “We’ve been fortunate to cash in on that.”

Washington, which was trying to keep play at 5 on 5 as much as possible to better even out a series New York had the chance to dominate, again failed to do so. Nearly a third of the game (18:31) was special teams, which plays into the Rangers’ favor.

It also made life difficult on goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who despite a handful of crucial stops allowed three goals on 22 shots. Lindgren, who carried the Capitals into the playoffs by shouldering the load down the stretch, has been unable to get into any kind of a rhythm to perform the same heroics and make this a series.

“Throughout the series so far, they’ve come up with the big moments, whether that’s answering, whether that’s coming up with the next one, stuff like that,” said Washington defenseman John Carlson, who played a game-high 30 minutes and change. “It’s disappointing.”

Injuries haven’t helped the Caps, who were again without two of their top four defensemen: Nick Jensen and Rasmus Sandin. They lost another midway through the first period when Trevor van Riemsdyk was hit up high by Rangers rookie Matt Rempe, who could face another disciplinary hearing six weeks after being suspended four games in March for an illegal check to the head.

“That was a dirty hit,” Capitals center Nic Dowd said. “I think a player took advantage of another player in a vulnerable spot. You’re obviously hoping Riems is all right.”

UP NEXT

A Rangers win in Game 4 would send them to the second round, where they’d face the Carolina Hurricanes barring them collapsing up 3-0 on the New York Islanders.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

A man who was just kicked out of a Dupont Circle nightclub, pulled out a gun and fired injuring five people and a security guard late Friday, Metropolitan police said.

Six people were injured, a MPD commander told News4. All suffered non-life-threatening injuries. One person was treated at the scene for a minor graze wound, D.C. police said.

Bullets pierced at least one window along the busy nightlife corridor. It’s not clear if the victims were inside or outside when they were shot.

Police caught up with the alleged shooter, identified as 29-year-old Rennwel Mantock, of Hyattsville, and arrested him shortly after it happened. He was charged with assault with intent to kill, possession of unregistered ammunition and possession of a unregistered firearm.

A firearm was recovered, police said.

After hitting record highs in 2023, crime has been trending down in the District so far this year. Data from the Metropolitan Police Department show violent crime is down 25%. Assaults with a deadly weapon, the type of crime that this shooting will be classified, is down 31% year-over-year — 293 versus 427.

In all, total reported crime is down 14%.

The drop in crime comes as the District works to fill officer shortages among the police department ranks. The department has 3,323 officers now, and Chief Pamela Smith said having 4,000 officers would be ideal. A newly launched in-person recruiting team is at work in D.C. and across the U.S.

Fifth grader Abby Drew more than made the grade on her most recent report card, so her dad, Mike Drew, decided to celebrate in a special way. He told News4 all about it at the Washington Capitals’ open practice last week.

“She got straight A’s on her report card, so she just ‘missed the bus.’ So we’re here supporting the Caps getting ready for the playoffs.”

Abby’s achievement caught the eye of the Washington Capitals organization and Dunkin’ Donuts — who went to Tracey’s Landing Elementary for an epic surprise.

“We have a really exciting game tonight, and we would like to send you and your family to the Caps Game tonight!” Abby’s visitors told her.

Abby got four playoffs tickets, and her entire class got free donuts. They were frosted in the Caps’ colors, of course.

“I was shocked,” Abby said. “I cried little happy tears.”

“We think getting straight A’s is obviously an amazing accomplishment for an 11 year old, so we wanted to reward her and just celebrate her achievement,” Abby Leonard’s, a Caps rep said.

As for Abby and her dad, they’re excited, and they plan to make their presence known in the arena tonight.

“We’re going to be really loud. Rock the red loud, unleash the fury loud!” Abby says.

Warren County Sheriff’s Deputy Bennie Jost was at work when he got word that his house was on fire. His wife and the family’s four dogs were at home. He rushed there to see their house being consumed, but his wife was safe.

She got out with three of the dogs and and went back for the fourth.

“As far as I’m concerned, she’s a hero,” Jost said, himself an Iraq war veteran.

But when she opened the door to get the fourth dog out, another ran back inside, he said. They lost that dog, as well as their house.

“We lost our house, not our home,” he said. “We lost the pieces, not the memories. So we’ll have our home back.”

And sometimes, when it feels like everything is lost, you find all you really need is everywhere around you.

Donations poured into the sheriff’s office and through an online fundraiser, as well as offers of furniture and a place to stay.

“The community’s response has been, I mean literally overwhelming,” said Michael Glavis with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office. “We’ve had probably 6 … 6 or 7 households offer up furniture. The monetary donations that have come in have been a flood.”

Jost said, “If there was anything that could show that humanity’s still good and people still care … It’s this.”

Jost said that within an hour of the fire, they had a place to stay just two doors down. A neighbor owns a fully furnished rental house, and the renters had just moved out a few weeks ago, making the house available when a family needed it most.

The stinging smell of burnt belongings lingers over half a lifetime of possessions reduced to ash. There was really only one item that’s salvageable, a book. Its cover is charred, but the pages inside were untouched by fire or water damage. Jost says it isn’t the bible, but it is a book about religion and faith.

“If there was one thing that gives me a message that it’s gonna be all right, that’s it,” he said.

A public servant who could have been devastated with loss is instead brimming with gratitude, rescued by the community he protects.

“I thought I didn’t have any, but I do,” Patricia Adams said. “I found a few and I am going to drive up there and I’m going to have those disposed of.”

Drug Take Back Day offers a chance for you to safely dispose of drugs you no longer need or that are expired — and it’s also an opportunity to help curb the opioid epidemic that’s claimed so many lives.

Adams, a retired social worker, knows firsthand about the dangers of having prescription medications in the home. Awhile back, her young 3- and 5-year-old nieces were visiting.

“And they came downstairs and said to me, ‘Oh, I have candy.’ And I thought, ‘I don’t have candy upstairs.’ And I said, ‘Let me see.’ And of course, it was a pill,” she said.

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Adams shared her story with Jean Moise of D.C.’s Department of Behavioral Health, who is helping to raise awareness about Drug Take Back Day.

“We have an opioid crisis out there right now,” Moise said. “This is one of our main harm reduction strategies. We want to make sure we get the drugs out of the home and out of the hands of youth and children or people that might be inclined to misuse them.”

Last year, on the 25th anniversary of Drug Take Back Day, nearly 600,000 pounds of drugs were collected across the country. In this region, that included:

• In Washington, D.C.: 602 pounds
• Delaware: 4,073 pounds
• Maryland: 10,599 pounds
• Virginia: 16,454
• West Virginia: 4,326 pounds

Adams is urging all her friends and neighbors to check their medicine cabinets like she did.

“Take the opportunity like I am,” she said. “Pay attention, because no matter who’s in your home, no matter how they are loved, you know, we know some of our family have addiction problems, and just pay attention and pass the word on so that they can participate.”

You can drop of any types of pills or liquid medications during Drug Take Back Day. You won’t be asked for ID. There are thousands of dropoff locations across the country Saturday in every state, with 17 locations in D.C.

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Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of the Oakton High School students.

Shahid faced up to 10 years in prison for each of the two charges. But in her sentencing argument Thursday, the prosecutor told jurors the victims’ families were in agreement that they weren’t seeking the maximum punishment. However, they did want him to get some jail time — as she put it, “Somewhere in the middle.”

Ultimately, the jury recommended far less than that maximum, at two years for each count of involuntary manslaughter.

The jury handed down its recommendation Friday. The judge will make the final sentencing decision in the months ahead, and has the power to lessen the sentence, but not increase it.

‘We are beginning to get justice’

Victims’ family members burst into tears Wednesday as the verdict came down, while Shahid showed little emotion.

“I feel like I can finally breathe again. We are beginning to get justice,” the mother of one victim told News4 partner Telemundo 44 in Spanish.

The judge ordered Shahid to be jailed immediately, over his attorney’s objections.

Prosecutors have said Shahid was driving a BMW and accelerated to 81 mph in a 35 mph zone on Blake Lane just before noon on June 7, 2022. It was near the end of the school year, and classes had ended early. Shahid saw that a traffic light was yellow, floored it and slammed into a Toyota 4Runner whose driver had been turning left, prosecutors said.

Police testified that the force of the crash sent Shahid’s BMW off the road and onto the sidewalk, where he hit three teen girls.

Shahid, who had three friends in the car and was driving on a learner’s permit, then plowed through a mailbox, utility box and power pole.

One passenger testified that in the moments after the crash, Shahid said, “I think I killed three girls.”

Two of the crash victims died of their injuries, and the third was seriously hurt.

A resident of the area described a heartbreaking scene after the crash, with a woman performing CPR on one victim. He said Shahid was worried about how his father would react to the crash.

15-year-old Leeyan Yan was among the Oakton crash victims

Leeyan Yan was one of the two girls killed. She was 15 and her parents’ only child.

Yan’s mother described her as a bright social butterfly who brought her friends together and excelled in Bible school. She was funny, full of faith and looking forward to college.

“I recall the moments she was laughing loudly with her friends on the phone and then I … scolded her to be quiet. We never knew it was her last moment,” her mother said in a victim impact statement.

Her mother struggled to describe the pain of losing her daughter.

“Any word could not describe that sorrow. The tortured agony took a color away from our vision. All objects in the world looked white and black,” she said.

‘You hurt me forever, along with so many in this courtroom’

A sentencing hearing was held Thursday, but jurors ended up needing another day to make their decision before handing it down.

During Thursday’s hearing, the parents of the girls who died described their incredible loss, and the surviving victim, now 17, offered equally heartbreaking testimony. She lost her cousin and her best friend. 

“I hold so much love for them,  an indescribable love,” she said through tears and sobs.

She was hospitalized with serious injuries when her mother gave her the news that the other girls were dead. 

“I will never forget the cries I let out that night,” she told jurors. “It felt like someone had punched me and I repeatedly told her, “No, no, no.’ We were supposed to graduate together; we were supposed to  live our lives together.”

The girl later turned and spoke directly to Shahid, telling him: “You, Usman Shadid, went 81 miles per hour. You did not hit the brakes. You chose to be irresponsible. You took two lives. You hurt me forever along with so many in this courtroom.”

“Because of you, we will remain in unending pain for  the rest of our lives,” she told him.

The testimony from the surviving victim and her family was so emotional that Shahid’s mother collapsed and had to be taken to a hospital.

The defendant’s family and several dozen of his friends were in the courtroom Thursday to support him as he took the witness stand, telling the families it was his irresponsible actions that brought them such deep sorrow and loss.

“I beg for your forgiveness, your mercy and hopefully you see me as a good person and not such an evil or bad person at all,” he said.

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Defense tried to shift blame to another driver after teens were killed in Oakton crash

Shahid’s defense attorney argued that Shahid was an inexperienced driver and tried to shift blame to the driver of the Toyota 4Runner. That driver testified that he was stationary and trying to make a left turn when Shahid’s car crashed into his with incredible force.

In court, the SUV driver tearfully described what happened.

“I was waiting for the tail end of the group coming through … I felt, like, a slam. It was a train-like collision I’ve never experienced before … My initial thought was it was a bad movie … I was in shock,” he testified.

The defense also faulted a detective, accusing her of tunnel vision with her investigation, and asked why she did not record an interview with the SUV driver.

A nationally known crash expert testified in support of the prosecution and said the BMW’s sophisticated data recorder showed that Shahid accelerated form 60 to 81 mph and never hit the brakes.

Family members and friends of the victims and Shahid packed the courtroom for portions of the trial.

In closing arguments, prosecutor Jenna Sands told the jury only one person was responsible for the crash: Shahid.

Police say the suspect, 18-year-old Matthew Pineda, was an Arlington Public Schools Extended Day employee who was assigned to Abingdon Elementary School.

Late last week, police began a criminal investigation after receiving information that the suspect had shown pornography to three children. Pineda, of Fairfax County, has been arrested and charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, as well as assault and battery, police said.

After Pineda’s arrest, Arlington Public Schools sent a letter home to families with children at Abingdon Elementary School. Abingdon’s principal shared that letter with News4.

“Following a report of a small group of students being shown inappropriate materials at the Extended Day Program by a staff member, I wanted to let you know that a former Extended Day staff member has been arrested and charged with Possession of Child Pornography and Assault & Battery,” the letter reads. “As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we took immediate steps to ensure the safety of the students in the Extended Day program which included removing the employee.”

“Our first concern is with the safety of our students. School officials continue to cooperate with Child Protective Services and law enforcement during the ongoing investigation,” the letter continues. “While I recognize that you may have additional questions, this is a personnel and law enforcement matter and we cannot provide any further details.”

The letter also reminded families that the Student Services Team is available for student support.

Police said they’re concerned there could be more victims. They are asking for anyone with information related to this investigation or any past inappropriate encounters with Pineda is asked to contact Detective R. Munizza at rmunizza@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-4171. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call 866-411-TIPS (8477).

The suspect is being held without bond. It is unclear whether he has an attorney. NBC Washington sent an inquiry to the Arlington County public defender’s office, which said they could not comment.

Speaking at Washington National Cathedral, Andrés said there was no excuse for the killings and he called for an investigation into the deaths. He appeared to struggle at times to maintain his composure, his words focused on the lives and contributions of the aid workers as he pleaded for greater compassion.

“The seven souls we mourn today were there so that hungry people could eat,” said Andrés, reading aloud their names. “Their examples should inspire us to do better, to be better.”

The workers were killed April 1 when munitions fired from Israeli armed drones ripped through vehicles in their convoy as they left one of World Central Kitchen’s warehouses: Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha; Britons John Chapman, James Kirby and James Henderson; dual U.S.-Canadian citizen Jacob Flickinger; Australian Lalzawmi Frankcom; and Polish citizen Damiam Sobol.

Hanging on the altar behind Andrés were flags of the slain humanitarian workers’ home countries, alongside the red, green, black and white Palestinian flag. More than 500 mourners sat in pews below the cathedral’s soaring stained glass windows.

Andrés spoke in depth about each one and their contributions to the work of feeding people suffering through disaster and deprivation — human-made and natural — around the world.

He said Chapman was “brave, selfless and strong” and had the ability to make people around him feel “loved and protected.”

Andrés said Flickinger was a problem-solver, “exactly what you need” in the chaos of a disaster zone and Frankcom gave “joy to others even more than she gave food.”

He talked of how Henderson had taught first aid in Ukraine and was an avid rugby player. He said Kirby, known to friends as “Kirbs,” was driven to help people in need. And he said a town in Turkey had named a street after Sobol, in honor of his work there after an earthquake.

Andrés noted that Abutaha’s family was unable to attend the memorial, and he read from a message sent by the 25-year-old’s brother that called the aid workers “heroes” and urged World Central Kitchen to continue its work in Gaza and across the globe, “carrying on the spirit of the fallen, and the resilience of the Palestinian people.”

At times, Andrés spoke emotionally about the organization’s mission and why aid workers do what they do.

“We stand next to communities as they feed themselves, nourish themselves, heal themselves. People don’t want our pity. They want our respect. Our only way to show respect is facing the mayhem alongside them,” he said. “We remind them by showing up that they are not alone in the darkness.”

After an unusually swift Israeli investigation, Israel said the military officials involved in the attack had violated policy by acting based on a single grainy photo that one officer had contended — incorrectly — showed one of the seven workers was armed. The Israeli military dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others.

“I know we all have many unanswered questions about what happened and why. There is no excuse for these killings,” Andrés told mourners, demanding an investigation. “The official explanation is not good enough.”

The aid workers, whose trip had been coordinated with Israeli officials, are among more than 220 humanitarian workers killed in the Israel-Hamas war that began Oct. 7, according to the United Nations. That includes at least 30 killed in the line of duty.

The international prominence and popularity of Andrés and his nonprofit work galvanized widespread outrage over the killings of the group’s workers. The deaths intensified demands from the administration and others that Israel’s military change how it operates in Hamas-controlled Gaza to spare aid workers and Palestinian civilians in the territory who are facing a humanitarian crisis and desperately need aid from relief organizations as the U.N. warns of looming famine.

World Central Kitchen, along with several other humanitarian aid agencies, temporarily suspended work in the territory after the attack. “We haven’t given up,” World Central Kitchen spokesperson Linda Roth said last week. “We are in funeral mode right now.”

Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, and Kurt Campbell, the deputy secretary of state, were among those at the event, joined by diplomats from more than 30 countries, along with representatives from the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, one of the most active lawmakers pushing President Joe Biden to condition military aid on improved Israeli treatment of aid workers and Palestinian civilians, joined the mourners as a lone bagpiper played.

Biden sent a letter that was read privately to the families before the service, the White House said.

___

Associated Press writer Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.

Almost every building in the United States is being photographed by satellites or drones as part of the industry-funded Geospatial Insurance Consortium that uses aerial imagery to help insurance companies keep an eye on their policyholders. 

Elizabeth Davis found out her insurance company, Nationwide, was taking pictures of her roof after getting an email saying “imagery data” from a third party caused concerns that may “increase the chance for a loss on the property.”

“It felt kind of icky,” Davis said. “And it felt just kind of like somebody’s watching you.”

There was “natural discoloration and streaking,” and the remedy was to repair or replace the roof in order to retain Nationwide.

“I had a panic attack,” Davis said. 

She said she was floored to know her policy could be revoked because of a grainy image she didn’t even know was being taken.

“When we moved in, we knew that we were going to have to replace the roof within, you know, a few years,” Davis said. “Was it something that I planned on doing in the next three months? No.”

“I would say in the last 10 to 15 years we’ve really seen the use of drones and aerial photography and satellite imagery come into the insurance space,” said Sean Kevelighan of the Insurance Information Institute, an industry association. 

Aerial imagery originally was used during catastrophic events when humans were unable to reach certain areas destroyed by severe weather, Kevelighan said. It was safer and faster to pay claims.

Today, drones and satellites are being used for normal maintenance of policies by many insurance companies, Kevelighan said.

Insurers look for underwriting hazards like yard debris, damaged roofs, undeclared trampolines and swimming pools.

“I would say the technology, as much as it might be jarring to a consumer to understand that the insurer is monitoring a house, to have a safer roof, to make sure that that first line of defense of your home is better protected, I’d say that’s a win-win for the consumer,” Kevelighan said.

The use of drones or satellite imagery is legal to a point. State insurance divisions for both Maryland and Virginia said drones can be used to collect information. However, the Maryland Insurance Administration says there can be issues if drone imaging relies on technology such as artificial intelligence instead of human eyes to make decisions on potential risks. That’s why most states say insurers should rely on more than one source of information to determine risk. (Drones aren’t allowed in D.C.)

United Policyholders, a nonprofit that provides resources to consumers, says it has seen a dramatic increase in reports from consumers who’ve been dropped by their insurers on the basis of an aerial image, which they said could be “out of date or inaccurate.”

Davis said the image of her roof is more than a year old, which she knows because it doesn’t show the trampoline in her backyard that they installed a year ago.

News4 reached out to Nationwide about Davis’ case but did not receive a response.

She hired a company to inspect her roof and it found only a broken shingle and some bolts that needed to be sealed. She paid for the repairs the roofer suggested after getting approval from Nationwide, but her insurance company told her it wasn’t enough. Nationwide wants her to address the discoloration on the roof.

What to do if insurance company alerts homeowners to issues seen in aerial pictures

There are a couple of things homeowners can do if their insurance company uses an aerial picture of their property to identify issues:

• The homeowner has the right to ask to see the picture.
• The insurer must allow time to fix the problem or dispute the photograph.

The drones can’t be flown close and peek into windows.

And while the pictures can be used to drop homeowners, more often than not they may catch a problem homeowners can’t before it becomes very expensive to fix.

The curfew applies to unsupervised teens 16 and younger and will be in effect Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 5 p.m. It’s intended to keep disorderly conduct and criminal behavior under control.

The curfew comes after what County Executive Angela Alsobrooks described as the worst single day at National Harbor.

“I am deeply angered and disappointed at the teens that were involved in looting stores and engaging in acts of violence at National Harbor last weekend, and those responsible will be held to account for their actions,” she said.

About 800 unsupervised kids — some as young as 8 years old — were involved in the incidents last Saturday, police said.

“Fighting; shoplifting; smoking cannabis; being confrontational with business owners, residents and law enforcement personnel,” Police Chief Malik Aziz said.

County leaders say the unruly behavior affects businesses and residents’ sense of safety.

Police and Alsobrooks said parents will also be held accountable. They could face fines if their kids violate the curfew. Teens who violate the curfew will be stopped, and their parents will be called to get them. Police are urging parents to stop dropping off their kids at National Harbor, and they’re also instructing rideshare drivers to stop taking unaccompanied teens there.

“Our parents must know National Harbor is not a daycare or playground, and we cannot have our children coming to National Harbor unsupervised, especially with intention of causing trouble,” Alsobrooks said.

There will be extra police officers at National Harbor starting Friday. Digital message boards and flyers will be handed out to help educate the community about the new rules.

Officials said they want cooperation and a safe environment for everyone.

The Prince George’s County Council is working on a bill that would allow businesses to have curfew zones to keep unaccompanied youth away as early as 5 p.m. That legislation is expected to pass next month.

General Manager Randy Clarke says there will only be modest changes to service.

“There’s a great comeback story going on here, and I think the Metro is one of the key reason to fuel this,” he said.

Bus fares and base rail fares increase from $2 to $2.25. The maximum rail fare increases from $6 to $6.75. Late night and weekend fares rise from a flat $2 to between $2.25 and $2.50 based on distance.

This budget only fixes the next fiscal year. There will be budget gaps going forward unless Metro can find a sustainable, dedicated source of funding like a sales tax or a gas tax.

“We can’t keep doing this year, after year, after year,” Board Chair Paul Smedberg said.

The region’s leaders are getting tired of having to find more money for Metro every year like they did this year, Smedberg said.

“This whole idea of having a dedicated stream of funding, whatever it looks like — whether it’s one regional thing or three different things that go into a pot — whatever it is, they understand we can’t continue to do this,” he said.

The Metro workers union — Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 — shared that concern, releasing a statement saying, in part, “It’s disappointing that WMATA continues to be the only major transit system in the country without dedicated funding, and the union renews our call for establishing dedicated funding.”

A first-of-its-kind meeting between the Metro Board and the region’s Council of Governments to talk about funding Metro is expected to happen May 1.

Fare increases take effect July 1.

Fresh off a Heisman Trophy-winning season where he threw for 40 touchdowns against just four interceptions to go along with 10 rushing touchdowns last year for the Tigers, Daniels will attempt to solve the quarterback riddle Washington’s faced for the past two decades. 

While there was some back and forth about which QB the Commanders would take throughout the pre-draft process, the mystery seemed solved for most of this week. There was early speculation Daniels wasn’t interested in playing on the East Coast, but eventually, all the noise subsided and the pick became clear. 

“My childhood dream came true, and I’m blessed to be here and be able to hear my name called,” Daniels said.

Daniels will join the Commanders with a chance to earn the starting position in offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Known for a quick release and an ability to attack vertically, many around the league believe the marriage of Daniels and Kingsbury could yield immediate results. One source described the pairing as “gasoline on a fire” and predicted a fast start for the rebuilt Washington offense.

“I was pretty confident after the conversation that we had that I was able to come in here and fit into the Commanders team,” he said. “I’m here now; I can’t wait to get to work.”

There are no perfect prospects, and the concerns with Daniels include his slight frame and a propensity to take sacks when pressured. Clearly Commanders General Manager Adam Peters believes the talent far outweighs the concerns, and made Daniels his first-ever draft pick. 

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The organization has undergone a major overhaul in the past year: New owner in Josh Harris, new GM in Peters, new head coach in Dan Quinn and now the new QB of the future with Daniels. 

“They’re going to get somebody that’s a competitor, that wants to win no matter what,” Daniels said. “And I just want to go out and compete and help the team win football games. At some point in the future, we’ll get this thing turned around, hopefully, but day by day. I’m willing to work and put everything out there on the line.”

Commanders fans have real reason for excitement, and ideally, finally an answer to the QBX riddle. 

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