On Friday, city officials and leaders of the D.C. arts community gathered on Palmer Alley at CityCenterDC to unveil a brand new public art exhibit called “Urban Living Rooms.”

It transforms the posh pedestrian walkway into a showcase of artistic expression. It was created by Vietnamese American artist and architectural designer Tung Nguyen.

“It just means a lot to me because as a young artist and as an Asian American, I believe that public art is a way to bring people together, to connect people,” Nguyen said.

Urban Living Rooms redecorates Palmer Alley with a collection of 17 overhead suspended, conceptual living spaces that examine how Americans express their individual selves with their family and loved ones.

“When I first (thought) about that, I (thought) about the urban living room because that is where every single one of us as an artist and creator of our own space, that is when you started to express who you are and to bring that idea into an urban setting like this I think it was a beautiful way to share memory, culture, identity and belonging in an urban setting,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen’s submission was selected by a committee from among 100 entries across the U.S. to conceptualize and construct the exhibit.

“Public art transforms everyday spaces into places of connection and community,” said D.C. Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert.

“It also establishes downtown D.C.’s brand, identity and destination as one that is rooted in culture and creativity,” she said.

“The part of downtown’s future that really excites me the most is thinking about the art, the culture and the ways that people experience this place and remember it for decades to come,” said Gerren Price, president and CEO of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID).

“Beyond the artwork here today, I do also want to acknowledge the more than a decade of place-making and thoughtful work that CityCenter has done to make this a world class destination.”

The exhibit is on display in Palmer Alley, between 9th and 10th streets in Northwest D.C.

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Brokamp is professionally licensed in Virginia but not D.C. During the pandemic, sessions were moved online because of social distancing. D.C. relaxed some restrictions related to a law requiring counselors delivering services in D.C. be specifically licensed there, but those exemptions were very limited and Brokamp had to turn away many clients.

That prompted her to file a lawsuit through the Institute for Justice, claiming her First Amendment right of free speech was being violated.

On Wednesday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia agreed with her and struck down the District’s law, saying Brokamp’s right to free speech supersedes the District’s effort to regulate mental health counselors.

“It came out of the blue after six years, so I was really excited,” Brokamp told WTOP. “It’s very difficult to explain to someone why state lines are applicable over teletherapy,” Brokamp said about the D.C. law. “I have to follow this licensing law that says that technically I can’t talk to you because you’re over a line, but it’s imaginary,” she said.

“The problem is D.C. got rid of its pandemic waiver,” said Brokamp’s attorney Robert McNamara. “If they [her clients] drove across the Key Bridge and called her, she was perfectly free to talk to them about their emotional problems. But since they were sitting in D.C., her conversations became a crime,” McNamara said.

In the decision, the court held that because Brokamp, who uses talk therapy for her clients, was prohibited from talking to them, the law was unconstitutional.

“She just talks to people about their struggles and emotional problems and ways they might cope with them,” McNamara said. “It seemed to us that the first amendment doesn’t allow Washington, D.C. to get a license to have a conversation,” he said.

While pleased with the ruling, Brokamp is cautious.

“I personally would not feel comfortable right this minute accepting a client from D.C.,” said Brokamp. “Even though I have a great document that says that I won the case, there’s the appeals process,” she said.

It is not clear yet whether the District will appeal the case.

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, Jones called the ruling “disappointing” and said the state will “urgently file a motion to stay this ruling and appeal this temporary injunction.”

and would have barred the manufacture, sale and transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms and large-capacity magazines.

The measure did not require current lawful owners of covered firearms to relinquish them. It also exempted manually operated firearms, including bolt-, pump-, lever- and slide-action models, as well as antique and permanently inoperable firearms.

Lancaster County Circuit Judge John Martin granted a preliminary injunction in favor of Gun Owners of America, the Virginia Citizens Defense League and a Virginia resident, finding the commonwealth was unlikely to succeed in its argument that the law does not violate the state constitution.

Martin rejected the commonwealth’s effort to distinguish the state court’s analysis from the framework the U.S. Supreme Court requires federal courts to apply.

The commonwealth argued the firearms covered by the ban are comparable to especially dangerous military weapons. Martin questioned why, if that were the case, the ban does not extend to all military-style firearms, which remain legal.

Supporters of the law said it would reduce gun violence in Virginia by removing weapons of war from the streets. Opponents argued the measure would punish lawful gun owners rather than criminals.

The preliminary injunction remains in effect until Dec. 31, or until a permanent ruling is reached.

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In a notice issued Monday, hours before an appeals deadline, the DOJ said it would appeal the dismissal to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Ohio.

The Tennessee judge who dismissed the human trafficking charges said he did so because they were brought “selectively and vindictively.”

Abrego Garcia was in a van in 2022 that was stopped by Tennessee State Police. Several people in the van could not provide identification or proof of citizenship, but they were let go at the time with a warning. The case was eventually dropped but revived after Abrego Garcia was ordered returned to the U.S. from El Salvador.

The Trump administration admitted Abrego Garcia’s initial deportation was a clerical error but continued to insist, without proof, that he was a member of the MS-13 criminal gang.

Now the government is expected to request that the dismissal ruling be dissolved as it attempts to deport him again — possibly to Liberia or another country.

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Detectives Release Composite Sketch from Attempted Abduction — Full story here

— Fairfax County Police (@FairfaxCountyPD)

Police arrived at Wakefield Park at around 1:40 p.m. to investigate a report that a man had exposed himself to a woman.

Around 40 minutes later, another caller at the park on 8100 Braddock Road said a man tried to grab her off her bike and drag her into the woods.

That woman told police she was riding on a trail when a man stepped in front of her, causing her to swerve and dismount. When the man tried to grab her, she was able to push him away and run.

The woman received minor injuries and was treated by medics at the scene, police said.

Officers looked for the  park but were not able to locate the suspect.

Fairfax police believe the same man was responsible for both incidents.

They initially described the suspect as a clean-shaven man in his 20s or 30s, but said he is approximately 30 to 40 years old.

He is about 5’6″ or 5’7″ tall with a medium build and medium complexion, police said. On Sunday, he was wearing a white T-shirt with a design on the back, dark pants and a black baseball cap.

Police are asking anyone who might have information about the case to call 911 or their Crime Solvers line at 1-866-411-TIPS (866-411-8477).

Tips can also be submitted anonymously at .

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During a ceremony at Occoquan Regional Park, Spanberger signed the , which guarantees Virginians the right to access and use birth control, and the Contraception Equity Act, which requires health insurance plans to cover contraception, including some over-the-counter medications.

Surrounded by lawmakers and advocates, Spanberger said the new laws protect reproductive freedoms while helping reduce the cost of contraception across the state.

“Virginia is the only state in the South where a woman has the same freedom to make her own healthcare decisions as she did before the Dobbs decision,” Spanberger said. “Today, we are making sure that is not a matter of political circumstance — it is a matter of law.”

Spanberger said reproductive freedom has a direct impact on economic opportunity, noting that women who can decide when to start a family are more likely to stay in school longer and earn higher wages.

Joining the governor at the bill signing were Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi, Rep. Eugene Vindman, Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, Del. Marcia Price and Del. Josh Thomas.

Hashmi said access to reproductive healthcare has faced increasing challenges since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade.

“As soon as the Dobbs decision came down, other forms of medical reproductive healthcare were also at risk,” Hashmi said.

Carroll Foy said the new laws protect access to contraception and help reduce financial barriers.

“These bills ensure that contraception access is protected and reduce the cost barriers to make it more affordable for all,” she said.

Price noted the Right to Contraception Act had previously been vetoed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

“With the collective effort and tenacity of advocates, medical providers, legislators and the Spanberger administration, we are sending a message to every resident that your healthcare decisions are personal and should not include politicians,” Price said.

Thomas called contraceptive healthcare “essential, life-changing treatment” and said requiring insurance coverage is a common-sense step.

prohibits state and local governments from restricting access to contraceptives, including emergency contraception and intrauterine devices, or IUDs.

Voters are also expected to consider a constitutional amendment in November that would guarantee abortion rights in Virginia.

Virginia is currently the only southern state that has not further restricted access to reproductive healthcare following the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

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The foundation of the Lincoln Memorial is a vast structure known as the undercroft, upon which sits the 38,000-ton monument to the nation’s 16th president.

Previously hidden, now the undercroft contains a 15,000-square-foot museum called the that will open to the public June 25. WTOP got a preview with Kevin Griess, superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks for the National Park Service.

“When you reveal the underneath, it’s the full memorial,” Griess said. “The bottom has been hidden for 100 years. We opened it up to expose the entirety of Lincoln.”

He said revealing the underneath is also to show how much it meant for the workers who put it together, “what it took to build it and what it looks like finished.”

Inside the undercroft, visitors will see special glass windows opening to a cavernous space containing 120 massive concrete pillars, 50 feet tall, anchoring the monument to the ground. They’ll also find interactive exhibitions featuring the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment, which freed enslaved people. Visitors will also be able to see rare, original copies of both documents.

Construction of the Lincoln Memorial began in 1914 and was completed in 1922. During that time, steel and concrete laborers did their work, often in the dark, over long periods of time. Some workers began to scrawl graffiti on the pillars, which has been preserved in the undercroft museum. Some of the graffiti includes the names of the workers themselves, and one includes the name of a singer who was popular at the time the memorial was being built.

Griess said the display is not only to further honor Abraham Lincoln, but also to honor the work of those who built the massive structure.

“Those are all the unknowns, the unknown people, the regular workers, the sweat and blood of America that put it together that were not able to be recognized, but now we can see their work,” Griess said.

The undercroft is located directly under the main chamber of the Lincoln Memorial. Admission is free, but are required. There is a $1 online reservation fee.

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A new exhibit opening Thursday at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History showcases U.S. nature, geology and cultural traditions, all in celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“From These Lands: Sharing Our Natural and Cultural Heritage” features 600 artifacts and specimens from 50 states, D.C. and five U.S. territories. The exhibition will be on view through December 2029.

“Natural history is everything,” Kirk Johnson, the museum’s director, said. “It’s the rocks, it’s the fossils, it’s the soil, it’s the plants and animals. It’s the people. It’s the history. So this is really a big broad view of our nation.”

Some parts of the exhibit focus on animals that are now extinct. The preserved carcass of the last passenger pigeon, which died in a zoo in Cincinnati in 1914, is on display.

The District’s contribution includes a section dedicated to the Anacostia River.

“Before D.C. was a city, there were great marshes along the Anacostia River that had wild rice that provided food for the Native Americans who lived here,” Johnson said.

As the Anacostia’s health rebounded, wild rice began growing again along the river, providing benefits to the environment.

“It cleans up the river, and makes it back into a natural habitat and not an urbanized waterway,” Johnson said.

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Many of the approximately 120 people attending the meeting at the Best Western hotel on Balls Ford Road in Manassas expressed disappointment in some Virginia politicians, including Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who have pushed to renew tax breaks for the multibillion-dollar corporations behind the centers. Another major concern for those in the crowd was the centers’ impact on the environment.

State Sen. Danica Roem opened the meeting by telling those in attendance that she and two other state senators there, L. Louise Lucas and Russet Perry, wanted to hear from them and that they shared their concerns about the prospect of adding more data centers.

“It is time to stop the reckless data center sprawl,” said Roem as she invited members of the public to speak.

Tony Hernandez drove to the meeting from Spotsylvania County, where three data centers are already up and running and companies like Amazon and Powerhouse 95 are working to build 17 more active data center sites.

“This is a bigger problem than just the companies who are invading our state. … This is a failure of government,” Hernandez said, becoming emotional when discussing data centers’ impact on his community. Those effects include more noise and air pollution.

“Your plans didn’t take into consideration the people who you were supposed to serve,” he said. “I know about service. I served. My son serves now in the United States Navy. We serve.”

Studies have shown data centers’ massive environmental impacts: A single large facility can consume millions of gallons of water each day for cooling. Their demand for a constant supply of electricity places significant pressure on local power grids, increasing carbon emissions and driving up utility costs for the communities around them.

“Technology’s not bad,” said Sen. Lucas. “We’ve all benefited from technology. What is bad is our government has not done a good job of managing its impact,” she said.

The Virginia legislature remains at an impasse over the state budget, and the exemptions have emerged as a key point of contention. Spanberger has argued that reneging on existing agreements could undermine Virginia’s reputation as a reliable place to do business.

Lawmakers in both chambers are working to reach a budget agreement before the end-of-month deadline to avert a government shutdown, but the dispute over data center tax incentives remains the biggest obstacle to a deal.

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A group opposed to the installation of Donald Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has installed a remote camera so people can watch the removal live if and when it happens. The administration has been ordered to remove Trump’s name by Friday.

The is situated across the street from the Kennedy Center in an undisclosed location. Its lens is trained on the front of the building, where the removal is expected take place.

Late last month, a federal judge in D.C. ordered Trump’s name be removed from the building and a two-year closure for renovations also be stopped.

“I was actually listening to WTOP in the car. I recorded it because I was so happy when I heard it,” said Chris Raleigh with the group Hands Off the Arts, referring to the announcement that the administration must remove Trump’s name from the building.

The president’s name has already been removed from the official government website and related printed and digital branding.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees exceeded its authority when it unilaterally rebranded the institution as the “Trump Kennedy Center.” Cooper ruled Trump’s name must be removed by Friday, June 12.

“The president meant it as a symbol of domination, that I am in charge, that this is what I want, and I don’t care what anyone else wants,” said Raleigh.

His group is running the live camera because if Trump’s name is removed in the middle of the night, they will have footage of it and people can see it.

“I think we were all upset as a city and as a country when we saw Trump illegally put his name up there because it’s a memorial to a president who was killed in the line of duty,” Raleigh said.

The judge ruled that Congress created and named the Kennedy Center and that only Congress has the authority to rename it.

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Officials emphasize there are currently no credible threats against any of the scheduled events, but they will continue to monitor any evolving information.

“We expect there are going to be large crowds, but what exactly it looks like will depend on a lot of things,” said Interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll. “The weather will play a role and the heat.”

During a Wednesday news conference, Carroll spoke alongside officials from U.S. Park Police, Secret Service, various city agencies and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

Road closures and parking restrictions took effect Thursday in anticipation of tens of thousands of people expected to crowd Downtown this weekend.

Carroll announced that D.C. police is on full activation.

“What that means is all MPD officers are working 12-hour shifts to make sure we have adequate staffing across the District for these events and to be inside our patrol districts,” Carroll said, adding officers are responsible for not just coverage of the many national events Downtown, but they must also continue to provide routine service in D.C. neighborhoods.

Carroll also said D.C. Fire & EMS and the Office of Unified Communications, which runs the call centers for 911 and 311, and are also beefing up staff.

“When it comes to threats and response to threats, we have no lack of imagination of what might be coming at us,” said Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service Washington Field Office Tara McCleese. “We all talk almost every day, and anything that could be perceived as a threat is thoroughly investigated by our agency.”

McCleese said federal and local law enforcement have a long-standing relationship and work together during large events.

“One of the differences between this year and others is it’s the 250th, and so everything is bigger,” said D.C. Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah. “We expect hundreds of thousands of people. That’s typical in the District, and so we welcome that and are prepared for that and have been working with our partners because of that increased security posture.”

Months of planning and preparation for the busy summer kicks off this weekend with the UFC Freedom 250 event on Sunday evening on the South Lawn of the White House.

Heightened security, along with road closures and parking restrictions, will be in place from Thursday through Monday, June 15. Metro Assistant General Manager Andy Off said the system would be open until 1 a.m. Sunday to accommodate riders.

Stay with WTOP for the latest in road closures and other scheduled changes.

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Holding signs reading “Save Friendship Heights” and “Stop Greed,” residents of the neighborhood on the D.C.-Montgomery County border staged a protest against the proposed redevelopment of the former GEICO headquarters on Western Avenue.

The protest was held Tuesday at the intersection of Willard Ave. and Friendship Blvd., down the street from a public planning board meeting at Wisconsin Place Recreation Center.

While some protesters attended the meeting, issues related to the GEICO redevelopment were not expected to be addressed.

Leadership of the Village of Friendship Heights filed suit in Montgomery County Circuit Court on May 13, saying the developer and county planners materially changed binding agreements reached in 1998.

“It’s really important that those binding elements be followed, and that’s why we’re suing,” said Francine Klein, who was involving in bringing the lawsuit.

A court will decide whether project elements, including an allowance for taller buildings and the conservation of certain trees on the site, should remain as part of the current plan.

“We woke up really one day to see that GEICO and EYA, two wealthy companies, made a deal to take over the area,” said Marvin, a protester who lives in Friendship Heights.

The lawsuit does not stop the project from moving forward, but the court’s decision could affect its progress.

The proposal would replace GEICO’s mid-century building with a new, transit-oriented development, transforming the current 26-acre campus and its surface parking lots with housing and retail.

According to from developer EYA, the plan includes up to 520 residential units along with added green space.

The lawsuit names the developer, known as Friendship Commons Partners, LLC, which include EYA and Bernstein Management Corp., as well as the Montgomery County Council and Planning Board, as defendants.

An answer to the suit is due June 18.

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In early May, the vendor handling state printing sent the wrong Democratic and Republican ballots to some voters. The vendor, Taylor Print & Visual Impressions Inc., admitted the mistake and agreed to issue replacement ballots at no charge to the state.

The confusion stemmed from voters who had already returned their original ballot, including some who received a ballot with the incorrect party affiliation.

At the emergency meeting, held just two days before early in-person voting begins in Maryland, the elections board unanimously approved a set of protocols that voids the original mail-in ballots in the state’s voter registration system if a voter received a replacement ballot. That will make it so only the replacement ballots, mailed as of May 27, will be counted.

However, if a voter already returned an original ballot for the wrong party, it will still count, but only in nonpartisan races such as the state board of education, the elections board said.

If a voter returned an original ballot and also returns a mailed replacement ballot, only the replacement ballot will be counted.

And if a voter returns an original ballot and also votes with a provisional ballot at an in-person voting site, the provisional ballot will be counted.

who want more information about what officials admit is a confusing situation.

“We want to make sure the canvass goes along smoothly and as transparent as possible for this issue with the vendor and with mail-in ballots here,” Maryland State Board of Elections Administrator Jim DeMarinis said at the meeting.

Voters who want to turn in their ballots before Election Day can use drop boxes, early voting centers, local election offices or mail them in if they’re postmarked by June 23. Mail-in ballots can also be dropped off at polling places on Election Day.

Early voting starts Thursday and runs through June 18. Maryland’s primary election is June 23.

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The 12,000-square-foot space, located at 737 7th Street in Northwest D.C. will open Monday, displaying nearly 3.5 million documents, along with thousands of videos and photos. Altogether, the material weighs nearly 17,000 pounds, according to the , the group behind the display.

“How does the public know what 3.5 million files looks like? It’s hard to really grasp,” said David Garrett, an organizer with the IPF.

He said he wants the public to appreciate the sheer volume of information into what he called one of the most horrific crimes in U.S. history. Visitors will be allowed to review almost all of the documents. They will not be able to see the names of victims, which were supposed to be redacted in the original release in January but were not omitted, something the Justice Department admits was a mistake.

Garrett said the display drew more than 10,000 people when it was in New York City between May 8 and May 21. Formally named the “Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Reading Room,” the pop-up space in D.C. spans two floors and contains more than 3,400 volumes of printed information. The display has more than 85 million online interactions.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is a timeline documenting the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and President Donald Trump.

“We show all of his (Epstein’s) allegations of sexual assault and his convictions,” said Garrett.

“And then we got a timeline for Donald Trump and all of his dozens of allegations of sexual assault and his felony convictions, and then in the middle we show all of those famous photos of them together and the birthday card,” Garrett said, referring to a lewd message sent to Epstein in 2003, purportedly by Trump.

Trump denies he sent or signed the card and he has also denied having any involvement in Epstein’s criminal activity. Epstein committed suicide in jail in 2019.

Garrett told WTOP this is part of an effort to pressure Congress into conducting what he called a “legitimate investigation” and to pressure the Justice Department to release the remaining approximately 2.5 million pieces of evidence.

“When you’re scrolling your phone, and you see a cat video and a birthday party and then evidence of one of the most horrific crimes in American history, they all kind of run together,” said Garrett.

“We just wanted to do something where people could really understand the full weight and gravity of this horrific case,” he said.

Garrett said the effort is an attempt to bring the Epstein files out of digital obscurity and into a physical space where the scale of the evidence can be seen physically by the public. And, he said, they’re considering bringing the display to other cities in the U.S.

“We’re looking at Dallas, Des Moines, Charlotte, maybe Palm Beach,” Garrett said. “We think there are a lot of interesting places we can go.”

 are required to enter the free display.

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The findings stemmed from the Arlington County Police Department that was published last week.

Authorities found that the overall crime rate declined by 10.9%, according to the report.

Reported crimes against persons had a marginal increase of .5%. The report said that increase was largely driven by a rise in intimidation offenses.

The most commonly reported crime — crimes against property — declined by 14.9%, with significant decreases in most subcategories, according to the report.

Reported crimes against society slightly increased by 1.7%, primarily driven by drug equipment violations, the report said.

“Officers and professional staff continued to make transportation safety a key area of focus through a two-pronged approach of education and enforcement,” said Arlington County Chief Andy Penn.

“Proactive efforts to keep our roadways safe for all travelers resulted in an increase of traffic citations and warnings by 25.9%, an increase of parking citations and warnings by 10.2% and an increase in DUI arrests by 46.1%,” the chief said.

Penn said staffing remains a significant challenge for his department and within the law enforcement profession. that starting pay for officers would increase to $90,012, and that other officer ranks would receive pay increases.

“The success of our agency is a direct reflection of the outstanding work our officers and professional staff perform in service to the Arlington community,” he said.

“We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and professional team committed to public safety. I continue to be incredibly proud of the work they perform each and every day,” he said.

Penn had also credited the PhotoSPEED automated safety program, which saw 18 additional traffic cameras enrolled in the initiative. He said the expansion helped to bolster safety efforts within county school zones.

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